♪ >> The big day is here.

We'll talk to voters about the 2024 Kentucky primary.

>> Now a focused on substance use disorder and, you know, have this orders.

Following up with those patients and trying to navigate them to resources and care.

>> Jessamyn counties, paramedics program includes more that paramedics.

Why I kind of I really open Thursday ton of really amazing fitness resources out there now.

But they really don't touch on pregnancy.

>> So she created one that did a college professor at mother of 4 is ready to bomb.

You are.

>> Production of Kentucky Edition is made possible in part by the KET Teen Millennium Fund.

♪ ♪ Good evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION on this Tuesday.

May 21st in his primary election day in Kentucky.

>> I'm Renee Shaw.

Thank you for spending some time with us this evening.

>> Kentucky's 2024 primary election is almost in the books.

Polls are now closed in the eastern time zone.

There are still 30 minutes of voting in the central time zone.

Kentucky's Republican secretary of state says about 75,000 Kentuckians voted early.

Still, we saw a few people voting today at each of the polling locations we visited.

Some said they preferred to vote on Election Day.

Others said they plan to vote early but life got in the way everyone we talked to said they felt it was important to vote.

>> I think that it's one of the ways we can really have our voice heard.

And sometimes people feel like and election their candidate might not win or they, you know, they're bogus.

Throw away.

But I think that even even if that's the case, your voice saying what your preferences are.

You're influencing the next election.

The next candidates that might choose to run or not run.

So I just think it's a really important duty that we should take a few minutes it's easy.

Painless.

So I feel like I'm there's not really a lot of reason to not vote.

>> It's really like one of the few ways to get to.

Express my right as a Democratic system and, you know, in elections like these, you have many local elections that actually directly affect me.

So.

>> We will have full coverage of today's Kentucky's primary with all the numbers.

Plus analysis coming up in less than 90 minutes, we hope you'll join us for a panel of experts.

All of that coverage begins tonight at 08:00PM Eastern 7 Central right here on KET.

As Kentuckians voted today, Attorney General Russel Coleman talked about protecting voting integrity.

>> It's incredibly important that we have for the opportunity to protect the integrity of the ballot that we create a mechanism continue a mechanism of same U.S. law enforcement coordination to protect that incredible, right.

That incredible ability for our constitutional system to elect our leaders in free and fair elections.

Behind me, you will see those that they're actually doing the park.

The prosecutors, investigators from the attorney general's office, the Department of Criminal Investigations, the FBI and the Kentucky State Police colleagues across federal, state and local law what they're doing behind me, as you say is there are answering the election fraud hotline.

This hotline is for kept Kentuckians to call in and report suspected election fraud or to address questions that come up the day of a number of the increase we've had are just that our inquiries legal questions that we attempt to address to help Kentuckians in 2022. the tip to the hotline about a suspected election law violation in Monroe County, Kentucky led to the conviction of 7 individuals for election crimes.

The last members of this fraud ring were sentenced just earlier this year just a few months ago.

We want to show Kentucky INS that we take election law seriously.

Election frauds.

Seriously.

They can have confidence.

They are elective process is secure.

Kentucky has secure elections because of common sense.

Common sense policies that have been enacted in recent years, such as voter ID.

According to a Pew Research poll, just this year, 80% of Americans support common sense voter percent of Americans, Democrats and Republicans, often times where the b*** of jokes nationally.

Particularly when it comes to elections.

Anecdotally, Kentucky is notorious not for not providing a system that we're proud of.

And it totally we have a history of vote buying about selling in this commonwealth.

The purpose of bringing these law enforcement agencies together is to deal with what in some communities is a culture, a tradition of that vote being malleable alien double in the sense available to be sold.

We have a history of public corruption in this commonwealth.

I just talked about 7 convictions that were weren't outgrowth of this effort in 2022.

So we want to ensure that that that vote is protected, that that vote has value, that that vote is not purchase somehow by some pecuniary gain or buy a pint of whiskey.

And so they're all of those anecdotes we've heard because we've we've seen those as prosecutors.

>> Some of this year's primaries, most hard fought contests involved, so-called establishment Republicans and GOP members who refer to themselves as, quote, Liberty candidates.

We talked about those races last night on Kentucky tonight our panel talked about the philosophy of the Liberty candidates and how they perform once they're in office.

But first, I want to define what is a liberty candidate.

I mean, are they like a libertarian?

Are they all pro trump of me?

What defines a liberty can kind of nebulous and I candidates have pulled that just a thin air and the sign that's to themselves a lot of cases.

I know that there is a >> to definition you'd use for for liberty candidates almost self defined.

But there is a group that have kind of >> brought want themselves together and said that we're liberty candidates and they tend to be kind of an odd mix of far-right, social conservative.

Some libertarian, but not in some cases like they like liberty incidences.

But God forbid a business owner, a doctor or, you know, it's it's a it's a very weird mishmash of stuff.

And there's also this weird streak of populism that runs through it.

That's not really very libertarian.

And all we have Thomas Massie is about as pure libertarians.

You're going to find in Congress.

Well, these candidates a sport about masse, but they have a little bit more of a populists and in some cases, big government street, then then represented Massey has.

>> So I was was that a bad thing that you have some more independently minded members of the caucus don't always just curry favor and how to the Republican line.

What's wrong with that?

I don't think there's anything necessarily wrong with that, Renee.

But, you know, for me, it's fundamental when you go to Frankfort, when you go the state Capitol, what what are your motives and what are your goals at the end of the day?

>> I think for many for quote, what traditional conservatives, they don't treat words like compromise and governing in a way to where you're bringing folks together to get something done as toxic.

And so I think we have some candidates and some incumbents that don't really have that mission in mind that they rather prove a point to get something done.

And I think for, you know, most of us most voters, when we look at Kentucky, how we rank from the competitiveness standpoint, we're really, really wish state government would would focus on how we get ahead, how families can put food on the table, how we can to KET more of our money and our wallets.

Some of these issues that hit every day, Kentuckians in the conversations that they're having at home for says you some of these fringe issues that really do not add value or are in a real positive how we function on a daily basis.

The Republicans could could maybe focus a little bit more on quantity over quality.

I think a lot of the folks that are on the ballot this year on the GOP side are kind of a thorn in the side for putting course tablets met Republicans and will cause a lot of chaos and caucuses led by Speaker David Osborne.

>> And Senate President Robert Stivers.

And that's why you have folks like my front right over here who run packs that are investing a lot of money in defeating these kind of outlier candidates on the GOP side.

So we have the first Lady.

Liberty can.

It's the Cayman unseated 3 2 years ago.

But like what have they done for their districts?

>> Like what has black top to they get for their districts like what economic development.

If they do, they don't do anything because it will stand for anything.

They just go there and rant and rave and C goes where there are no goes and then, you know, and then for good, good people get beat because of low turnout elections.

So hopefully we have higher turnout because there's probably but Republicans are pretty scared right now.

>> You can see more of last night's conversation and any recent Kentucky tonight on that's been broadcast.

You can see that online on demand at KET DOT Org.

Slash K why tonight?

Congressman Thomas Massie of northern Kentucky's 4th district says he's not worried about any blowback from his effort to remove House Speaker Mike Johnson.

Massey joined Marjorie Taylor, Greene of Georgia in an effort to topple Johnson.

Some conservatives believe Johnson has been too accommodating to Democrats.

The motion to remove Johnson was immediately tabled by a majority of House members.

Massey says he doubts this will have any impact at all.

In today's primary, Massey told an interviewer, quote, It's a lot of inside baseball and ultimately because he's still the speaker.

I think a lot of people don't care, end quote, Massey is opposed in today's Republican primary by Eric Deters and Michael McGinnis.

A helicopter crash Sunday killed the president of Iran on the U.S. Senate floor.

Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky pointed out that his death is prompting an outpouring of sympathy from the world's dictators.

>> The PRC to clear that the Chinese people have lost a good friend.

The Kremlin mourned him are allowed to partner him.

>> And Prime Minister Orban of Hungary.

This government has done to the Bird trade relations with Iran in spite of Western sanctions.

All for 2.

Vote in person.

I too, would like to extend my condolences.

You the people around.

But their long suffering too, under the brutal theocratic Bobbie, you want a Republican?

But the great many Iranian.

Would rather watch from the car stopped.

One out >> Senator McConnell says around has moved steadily in just one direction toward more terrorist violence abroad and more repression at home.

♪ ♪ >> Kentucky settles a lawsuit with a major maker of eyeglasses and fewer medical students are applying for medical residencies and Kentucky.

Our Toby Gibbs has details on those stories and more and our Tuesday look at headlines around Kentucky.

♪ >> Glasses retailer Warby Parker has agreed to a settlement with Kentucky after the business allowed residents to take online vision tests which is illegal.

The Paducah Sun reports that Attorney General Russel Coleman is office says Warby Parker agreed to pay more than $55,000.

Coleman's office alleges 69 Kentucky INS took Warby Parker's online vision test from July of 2021 to October of 2021.

If the business violate state law again within the next 5 years, that penalty will increase to $138,000.

The study found that fewer medical students are applying for Kentucky programs.

Wk why you says according to the Association of American Medical Schools for Research and Action Institute U.S. medical students are less likely to apply for residency since states with abortion bans.

Kentucky's near total abortion ban only allows exceptions if the mother is in imminent risk of death or permanent injury.

Doctor Atul Grover with the institute found that 15% fewer U.S. medical students apply the residency programs in Kentucky during the last academic year compared to the 2022.

23 school year.

More than 1.6 billion dollars in state support has been approved to train and develop nearly 5,000 workers across 25 companies, the State Journal reports the Bluegrass State skills Corps grant in aid and skills training investment credit programs are making this possible.

This month's approvals included training for more than 770 employees at Buffalo.

Trace Distillery in Frankfort and 393 trainees for Franklin Precision Industry and Franklin.

So far, Governor Andy Beshear has now announced more than 19 million dollars in funding to be SSC across 127 projects to train about 43,000 people for fiscal year 2024.

♪ Hundreds in Kentucky donated more meat to food banks in 2023 than in previous years.

WHA you reports that Kentucky hunters for the hungry works with meat processors Priscilla take the processing packaging and delivery of the ground.

Venison meat, Kentucky hunters donated more than 3,000 legally harvested deer to the program last fall yielding nearly 117,000 pounds of venison.

That's 467,000 servings of Meat.

Brian Clark with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources says this gives hunters the opportunity to give back.

With headlines around Kentucky.

I'm Colby gives.

♪ ♪ >> A Bowling Green mother is helping other women have healthy pregnancies.

She use knowledge gained through clinical research to create an app.

Our Laura Rodgers explains how she hopes it inspires expectant mothers to quote Bob.

Bob, their activity levels.

>> Technology makes it really easy to not move.

And one of the best things we can do for overall health is just to stay active.

>> As an associate professor in exercise science at WKU and Avid Runner and a mother of 4 doctor Rachel Tanya says in a unique position to encourage expectant mothers.

>> To moving, I joke, she's my boss and ABC's and she's run the Boston Yes, you heard correctly.

>> To me, it's ran.

The Boston Marathon at 12 weeks pregnant.

It's so easy to feel like during pregnancy that you should just take it easy, relax.

It's kind of like the misconception that's >> then in our society for quite a while.

But really the exact opposite is true.

She says exercise can be key to managing health concerns that may arise during pregnancy like hypertension, high blood sugar, weight control and mental health challenges.

>> Those are all things that can be mitigated with an active lifestyle and active lifestyle of what she wanted to help women find a blueprint.

We started on the ground floor.

We started with focus groups of pregnant postpartum women and upset to providers and asked what do you want in and out?

The idea was conceived more than 5 years ago and late last year, bumped up was born even under resource environments.

Women have cell phones that something that we know pretty well, a digital tool to help pregnant and postpartum women stay healthy and active.

We're always improving debugging working on fixes as we get more and more users.

So it went live in December.

But we feel like we're really kind of hitting our stride right now as we have made some great improvement.

The goal is to improve pregnancy outcomes, leading to healthier moms and babies tailoring safe workouts to individual needs what you enjoy, what I enjoy are going to be different.

We want to make sure that we're giving something to every single mom that she can get her 150 minutes of exercise a week.

It is especially needed in Kentucky where obesity rates tend to be higher compared to the rest of the country.

That translates straight over into pregnancy outcomes.

So maternal morbidity mortality is another national crisis right now.

But Kentucky is among the very worst in terms of those rates as a clinical researcher and faculty member, Tanya says she never set out to design a commercial product.

And I had this realization of I can spend my entire career creating something.

But if I don't commercialize it, nobody ever sees it.

But with bumped up now available, expectant mothers can find safe, effective exercises that are good for both mom and baby change the narrative and say, OK, now this is my opportunity to fix a lot of things that I can fix in my life making healthier and that's going help my baby for their entire life and the rest of my life.

So I think that that's a really important message to get out there.

We're Kentucky edition.

I'm Laura Rogers.

Thanks, Laura.

The app also have workouts plan for up to 12 weeks after your baby is born.

>> The goal is for bumped up to eventually be covered by insurance.

So it's free for everyone.

Jessamine County EMS is meeting a community need with its community paramedic program.

When someone overdoses, paramedics are the only ones who show up to help.

>> Our community paramedic too.

Our county being identified as a a as an at-risk county there were only 220 counties in the nation that were identified as at risk and and Jessamine County, even though we our smaller county compared to some we're still on that list are funded through the Department of Behavioral Health Development on an intellectual disabilities through the state.

They provide our funding for community paramedic program and a pilot that were running in this county as far as can you paramedic.

So it's just me.

We do have a peer support.

And a case manager with the health department who we partner with and they peer support specialist.

They have lived experience and substance use disorder.

And so they're really invaluable to to the work that this program trying to do.

We started January 16th when they identified as a as a Harris County.

One of the big risk was Abby drug use.

So right now we're focused on substance use disorder and mental health disorders in the STA following up with those patients and trying to navigate them to to resources and care.

We're looking at the stadium.

It's a mandate as it It's alcohol use disorder and also mental health.

So because it because these disorders often.

Coexist with each It's it's a double edge sword on what's causing the other one we've really had to hone and our.

Our response to a opioid he's disorder.

And that's probably the most probably the most dangerous one that we we have in this community February.

1st to March 16.

Last year, we KET we had around 101 calls and this year we've had about it and they all related to.

Substance use disorder within 12 to 72 hours, depending on when the call happens, how?

Trying to make a response to that in that time frame.

And so I'm I'm not responding in an emergency like R R a ambulances would per se a for me.

I'm just.

Trying to go and have a conversation and see see what we can offer and what we can help.

It's usually me and 1 other person.

So hear me peer support and tore or case manager that that will go ahead.

A lot of good experiences.

I'm talking to people.

They they really open the to talking about their stories and and their experiences and and really open to talking about.

Seeking help.

We've kind of and the fact of to see him where there are with where they are and and and their journey.

Because if you try to push an too far, then you're going to push him away.

And if you if you really come out and aggressively and say you need to do this and they've they've already heard on that.

They know what they need to do.

It's just a matter of what the ready to do.

And so everything is patient lead for us and I think it's a really important aspect.

Of it in order to be successful.

>> So far, 13 Kentucky counties have community paramedic, programs.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau.

More than 69,000 Asian Americans call Kentucky home.

>> The month of May recognizes and honors the heritage and contributions of Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders.

My Sarah Mak, a leader and civic engagement is beginning her work with the New Americans Initiative and organization that works to empower immigrant and refugee communities and civic life.

She spoke with me recently about what this month symbolizes for her.

What does this month mean to you and symbolize for you?

>> I think it it.

It gives them an opportunity to pause and reflect.

Sometimes I forget I'm you know, I've had conversations about this lot of times.

We go into rooms and we're like the only person of color.

And we're playing a even though everybody else sees that we're different.

We're just trying really hard to fit in and not stand out and just get the job done.

So what this month us for me is it gives me an opportunity to take sort of reflect on.

How special it and how much I carry from my heritage and my family background and the ancestors with me.

Every time I walk into that room is the only one.

to celebrate the stories and journeys of other people and to just like share with people who might not have a lot of knowledge Asian Americans.

And it just right here in Kentucky that we mention press writer working hard every day to make our communities better.

And a lot of times you're doing it behind the scenes.

So it gives me opportune to push the pause button to celebrate.

That's right.

>> You can see my full interview Sarah Mak online on demand at KET DOT Org.

Slash connections.

♪ Louisville's fun for the arts is celebrating.

75 years lifting up arts and culture organizations.

Louisville was recently part of a national survey about how these industries have both a social and economic impact.

Our Kelsey Starks features Louisville's fun for the Arts on the next inside Louisville.

>> We're the only city of our size with those kind of 5 major arts institutions and we've always punched above our weight as far as the arts go and we take a pride in that.

you all just had a recent study that was conducted nationwide measuring economic and social impact.

>> That tell us what that study found and what you learn from that.

>> So that is the Americans for the Arts Arts and economic impact study.

It's done every 5 years.

It's colloquially called 86 because this is a 6, 1, that's been completed and it was the first since COVID.

So it's a big year, you know, to to get data.

And we are one of 400 communities nationwide that participated in the survey.

We went to over 80 events, ad institutions ended a free survey.

I'm just asking people about the economic impact of their experience in the arts.

And we found that in lieu of all the arts in fiscal year.

22 generated over 517 million dollars in economic impact.

And we found that over 8,000 people are employed in if they generated over 8,000 jobs.

So we are still really powerful sector in this community.

And and we we KET that.

But to find that on a national scale, that that is still very much true and true for Louisville as well and to find things out like 80% of people find pride in the arts, in their neighborhood, in their community, things that we hear all the time.

But having hard data is really, really encouraging for sure.

Absolutely.

And how does that compare to other cities that we're communities that are part of that?

>> I mean, still Louisville punches above its weight.

You know, Louisville is a is an arts town.

And we've been saying this for years and AP 6 just kind of proof that.

To date the fund for the arts has raised more than 200 million dollars for local arts and cultural programs.

>> This Sunday on inside Louisville, hear more about that impact and visit Kentucky.

Shakespeare, the longest running free Shakespeare Festival in the United States.

That's this Sunday at 12 noon 11.

I am central right here on KET.

Don't forget about our primary election special coming up at 8 Eastern 7 Central tonight.

And of course, we'll recap the election tomorrow night on Kentucky EDITION.

We'll also be taking a trip to the Kentucky Horse Park after lawmakers OK?

39 million dollars in new state funding.

>> Those terms related dollars trickle back down into the community.

Just to find this 39 million dollars as one of the easiest things I've ever had to do.

>> Find out what that money will do tomorrow on Kentucky edition, which we hope will see you 4 at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central where we inform connect and inspire subscribe to our Kentucky Edition, e-mail newsletters and watch full episodes and clips at KET Dot Org.

Connect with us all the other ways you see on your screen there.

>> We hope to see you back here in just a little bit for our special primary election coverage.

Take good care.

♪