♪ >> We're not going to be offering special privileges for individuals, especially if they're here legally.

An incoming state lawmaker hammers down on one aspect of the illegal immigration debate.

Kentucky has a basket case probably rate first and the nation in overall cancer incidence rates.

Breaking down the numbers in the commonwealth's battle with cancer.

>> More than just a college class.

It's the possibility of a home in the future.

How a partnership is helping those recovering from addiction re-enter the workforce.

>> I can't imagine that you just stop.

We're learning because it seems to be like you would be in our plant or a fire that just wills.

Hear more about the program serving University of Kentucky seniors, senior Citizens.

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

♪ ♪ >> Good Evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION on this Monday, November 18.

I'm Casey Parker Bell filling in for him to shop.

The 2025 General Assembly kicks off in just 50 days.

It's a short, 30 day session, which more than a dozen new lawmakers will be sworn in.

>> One of them is already proposing new rules for undocumented immigrants attending Kentucky's public universities.

Our Jeanne Leoffler spoke with state representative elect TJ Roberts head of next year's legislative session.

>> Students from across the country and globe attend Kentucky's colleges.

But not everyone gets lower cost in-state tuition for young adults.

That's reserved for students who graduated from a Kentucky high school, including undocumented immigrants.

>> For me, it just seems like an outrageous proposition given that there are Kentucky University's right across the river from Ohio and Indiana.

We don't extend in-state tuition to those individuals.

We don't extend in-state tuition to every legal immigrant.

>> The soon-to-be freshman lawmaker says he'll introduce a bill that takes that in-state tuition away along with some other things.

>> Second thing is we're going to include provisions that states that.

The cpe and universities are going to have to get collect their data on the immigration status and they are going to have to report that to Customs, Border Patrol and ice.

They are going to need to do that.

They're already required to do that under federal law.

So we are going to make sure that's the case under state law as well.

Further, we've discussed a provision as well where if a university does allow an illegal immigrant that they know to be an illegal immigrant to be a student, that university and they commit a crime against a Kentuckyian that Kentuckyian does have the right to a private cause of action against the University.

>> A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer told Kentucky lawmakers this month his agency largely intercepts, those who wind up in local jails.

But that approach might widen under President-elect Donald Trump.

>> What ice does with that data?

That's up to them were not turning over the individual student like we're not arresting them and turn them over to federal authorities.

We're simply turning over the data.

There's a migration relief applications that still are on the books under federal law.

As far as we know, ice might use that right.

It just simply states that if you're trying to come here.

For the purposes of collecting benefits that we don't even afford to every legal immigrant.

You've got another thing coming.

Kentucky is not a place for is not the place for it.

We're not going to be offering special privileges for individuals, especially if they're here illegally.

>> The incoming lawmakers says he wouldn't pursue any similar legislation regarding K through 12 education.

Federal law guarantees of free public education to all children.

Regardless of immigration status for Kentucky edition.

I'm Jeanne Leffler.

>> Robert announced this proposed legislation alongside state Sen Lindsey Titian or that means the General Assembly would likely see 2 versions of this bill.

One of the House and one of the Senate, the next legislative session starts on January.

7th.

Governor Andy Beshear appeared on CBS's Face The Nation yesterday.

He was asked how the Democrats should move forward to unite the country following the re-election of former Republican President Donald Trump Beshear said the focus should be on issues impacting people's everyday needs.

>> How do you even begin to try uniting a country as united as divided as this?

Are there lessons we can learn from Kentucky?

>> I think there's absolute lessons that we can learn from Kentucky, a state where last year I won as a Democrat by 5 points and Donald Trump just won by 30.

And I think it it basically boils down to both running in governing where people wake up in the morning and what they worry about when they go to bed at night.

And that's not the next election.

It's their job.

Whether they make enough to support their family.

It's the next doctor's appointment for themselves, their parents or their kids.

It's the roads and bridges they drive every day.

It's a public school.

They drop their kids off at its public safety in their community.

And the goal here is to focus on all of those things where if people don't feel secure in those areas, they don't get to anything else.

They they don't get to the crazy thing that some politicians said last night or this morning.

They don't get to that next piece of policy that's out there.

So it's a it's about a relentless focus on people's everyday needs and the everyday life history.

>> This year's reelection last year is a Democrat in a deeply red state.

It's fueling speculation they could be a possible presidential candidate.

>> In my way.

We now know the cause of a deadly plant explosion in Louisville last week.

The explosion at the Jaffa, Don Sense collar plant killed 2 employees and injured several others.

This morning, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives announced a cooking vessel in the facility failed leading to the explosion.

Several homes and businesses in the area were also damaged.

The ATF says the explosion has been ruled an accident, but the investigation is ongoing.

Attorneys for former Louisville Police Officer Brett Hankinson are requesting a new trial earlier this month.

A federal jury convicted Hankinson of using excessive force on Breonna Taylor.

The night she was shot and killed by police in Louisville in 2020.

It was a second federal trial after the first ended with a hung jury.

According to WDRB Hankinson is attorneys claim prosecutors misled injuries during the closing arguments.

They also allege he could not have violated Taylor's rights because he was not the officer who shot her and consent is facing up to life in prison.

Currently he's scheduled to be sentenced in March.

Kentucky has some of the worst rates for cancer in the United States.

And those numbers are even worse in the eastern region of the Commonwealth.

The foundation for a healthy Kentucky hosted a webinar last week to break down some of the disparities eastern Kentucky faces and its battle with cancer.

In today's medical news.

>> Kentucky has a bassett cancer probably rate first and the nation in overall cancer incidence rates.

Second overall, cancer mortality rates over 30,000 new cases.

Each year, 10,000 deaths.

And so that's a that's a big problem.

And that's bad.

What's worse is that the cancer problem is significantly.

Greater and eastern Kentucky.

So they're 54 counties in eastern Kentucky that are in the Appalachian region and cancer rates.

They are significantly higher, for example, lung cancer incidence rates are over 100% higher and eastern Kentucky versus the national average.

I think you take the residents are 80% more likely to die from preventable or treatable cancer.

Then they're not watching counterparts.

There's a lot of other statistics, but they think just cool.

Suffice it to say that the cancer problem, it's very bad in these contests.

What drives these this massive cancer problem?

That's a number of risk factors.

Social determinants of health behaviors.

A few examples they go through we don't do so great in terms of smoking rates were for the worst in the U.S. 40% higher rates than the national average.

There's just variants of existing many different population is rule Kentucky Appalachian, Kentuckyian black populations.

We're second worst in obesity rates that are 20's, 3% higher than national average.

And we have really high infection rates of hcv.

We're 6 worst 100% higher over 100% higher than the national average.

There's low health care access, loved your engagement, low education levels.

So ultimately it's just sort of a perfect storm for a collection of of risk behaviors and healthy, you know, health behaviors, social determinants bell that drive the high rates of cancer and Kentucky.

The culture of Appalachia also is a is a factor.

I think in terms of the high rates of cancer.

So apple at your rule areas have rich traditions and this can include tobacco, use generational tobacco use and maybe this is not intentional.

But a lot of times you'll have, you know, family members that smoke and then their kids school smoking.

It just continues down.

There are generations.

Once it rains for cancer in the Commonwealth are high.

Kentucky's only slightly below the national average for cancer screening.

>> That's the second highest rate of lung cancer screenings in the United States.

Here's some more medical news.

Kentucky is battling Tennessee at the blood bank this week.

The Big Blue Crush runs through Friday.

Give it any Kentucky Blood Center location and KET hospitals supplied with blood through the Thanksgiving holiday.

Give and get a long sleeve.

Big Blue Crush T-shirt become eligible to win 2 tickets to the Kentucky Louisville football game on November.

30th.

The city of Lexington, Honor, native son and World Series champion Walker Buehler today.

>> Rylan to Gordon mayor of Lexington.

Do hereby declare November 18th in 2020 for Walker Buehler Day in Lexington cancellations.

>> Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher helped his team win the World Series last month by getting the final out in game 5 against the New York Yankees.

During today's event, Buehler presented the Lexington Fire Department with rehabilitation equipment on behalf of the Buehler Family Foundation which works to enhance the well-being of first responders.

>> I wanted to find a way to support them in a in a positive way.

And I think, you know, this this kind of stuff that we've donated and some of the ongoing work that we're going to be doing I think is is a way to do that.

And we're really looking forward to to help in any way we can and continuing to do things that they will create some sort of legacy for our family.

>> The Buehler Family Foundation recently hosted its 5th celebrity charity Golf Tournament in Lexington to raise money for first responders.

♪ ♪ A partnership is preparing those in recovery to return to the workforce.

The program is through Isaiah House in Elizabeth Town, community and Technical College began last year and so far clients at the recovery Center for nearly 500 college credit hours.

We started the educational piece of.

>> And you start seeing high school to the educational and starting to freeze its not just about getting degrees for it's about making accomplishments about setting goals in region.

4 that sets a new standard in their life to go.

I can't complete.

The task can grow.

I can reach for something bigger than what I have been in the past.

So it's been a monumental thing for us here on campus.

>> So has a house was awarded a grant call this aims to grant and with that grant was education and workforce.

And we had partnered with the previous college before from welding.

But we learned that several several of our folks wanted more than just technical and welding.

They wanted to broaden things like human services business and the other technical things that go along with industrial maintenance was a big one.

And so we started seeking out what is best options for the end.

And we found the CTC.

They're located about 10 minutes up the road Main campus, the most part, Kentucky, a lot of our students to Human services.

A lot of our students to the technical classes and a lot of our students to business now, too.

Once they finish as placement tests and we're ready to kind of talk about degree pathways.

You know what program where the interest of the all class is with that require.

>> Do they want online?

Do they want in person?

How many can they take it?

One time?

And with that, I'm up for those classes.

A lot of times.

We also kind of do that.

Any student staff like helping set up the user name and password.

And, you know, here's what you got to find your e-mail.

Here is where you'll go to figure out your financial aid.

So most of house clients, their financial aid and through federal Pell Grants and state grants are getting tuition free.

So they're not having to worry about having to pay for this class, some of the paper, but you have to pay this back in the long run and they are able to just focus on classes and do well.

And now studying the homework and they don't have to worry about the financial aspect at all.

The people that are in recovery has.

>> Missed out on a lot in their lives and they're wanting to change that.

Not wanting to better themselves.

And school is the perfect way.

And why not do that when you're sitting still and you're working on yourself anyways, it's something that will give you something to look forward to.

And it's something that gives you purpose.

It's something they use a success.

And a lot of our people haven't seen success in many years and they grab on to that and they love it.

I have about 25.

That will be graduating probably towards my or the end of next year.

What that two-year degree more than just a college class.

It's the possibility of a whole new future.

>> It's the success and they have never had.

It's proving to people that they can be successful.

They can be more than just what they were in the past.

And so for me, you know it.

It's so exciting to be a part of it.

And to know that I had a little piece and, you know their success and then making that change and being able to to be a whole new person one out, then I've enjoyed it in 2 parts worn as a as a quiet here 10 years ago.

>> A computer programmer at got lost and action to where they gave me opportunities to give me opportunities for employment.

They gave me opportunities to go.

We believe in you.

We trusted.

And then once they did that and I started growing, his company, then the offer me classes and and to learn things and to grow.

And now that piece for me is that.

I want to college and lines now getting back into our region for a degree and reach a verdict is reached the KET going higher.

You know, we teach guys.

Here are your headlines.

Let's work hard to do, which can no matter what your age, no matter what, what you do disability is let's KET region that can grow.

>> When the program started, there were only 6 people signed up for classes.

Now, more than 150 clients have college credits.

♪ In the Mid 19.

100's University of Kentucky.

President Herman Donovan had a dream.

The UK would open its classrooms and lecture halls to senior adults who are eager to learn now the Kentucky Office of Life on Learning is celebrating 60 years in operation and program.

Participants gathered to celebrate the value of education no matter your age.

We take a look at the program as part of our next chapter initiative.

We explore the joys and challenges of aging.

So within the office of lifelong learning, we have 2 different programs.

The first is the Donovan Scholars, which is for adults 65 and older would like to come back to UK and take academic classes either working towards a degree or just auditing it for the joy of learning.

>> And then our second program is sure lifelong Learning Institute for the Ali at UK, which is more enrichment classes.

Lot more focus on social and staying engaged as we age.

So with the Donovan program, it covers all of the tuition and also the mandatory fees.

So it really does cover a lot of those fees associated with coming back to school.

And that is good for undergraduate graduate classes, so you can take it and earn your degree.

We just had somebody complete their doctor and social work, or you can just take it and OT classes because you're interested in a certain subjects.

Well, I I first heard about Dunham and scholars about 50 years ago when I was a student at U K and people would talk about all these old folks that were >> taking classes around campus.

But I never really saw them did notice them.

So when I retired, I I wanted to look into that and take all the classes that I didn't get an opportunity.

We didn't have time to the first time around.

>> One of the most important things that as we age is that we stay engaged.

And so one of the ways we do that is keeping our mind active.

And so the Donovan really helps out with that.

The other thing is that a lot of times people that come to I you know, I really wish that I could have completed this degree or study this field and it just didn't work out when I was younger.

And so now they're coming back and exploring those passions and really getting to achieve those dreams.

I originally started my doctorate back in on the 1900 to 1990.

>> And I didn't get to finish of the coursework but didn't actually get to the end of it into the qualifying exam.

And my children always tell me, mom, when you start something you should finish something.

So I started in 2022, I have finished all the required coursework.

I am now just spotted in the class that I need for my dissertation.

And I should be finished with that in December.

It's a great asset to the university and to the people of Kentucky because >> I just know in my experience, interacting with young people in my classes all always the oldest person in the class is just fabulous.

I just love it.

And I think that there are some things that happen and it gets said that they wouldn't think about coming from somebody who's for been around the bar one time already.

So I think it's a great interplay between, you know.

Donovan scholars and you know that the younger students that at the university.

>> I would say get off the couch.

I know that there is the only program, but you don't have to go for a degree of the Donovan program.

You can audit A lot of the people that I've met through the Donovan program, they're interested in making wine.

So they're doing mine or they want to learn a new language.

Just get yourself in there.

You don't have to go for degree.

You don't have to do.

The paper.

Shouldn't take the tests.

You know, if you're really interested in the passion for something, go for it, it's open to you.

>> I can't imagine that you just stop learning because it seems to me like you would be a, you know, our plant or a fire that just wills because there's so much to learn so much that we don't know so much that I don't know.

That's just just a blast to learn.

I love love it.

And what I hope people will participate in any of these programs is that they feel a sense of connection, that they feel a sense of accomplishment and that they're really still exploring those passions and those streams because education is really a lifelong process.

And I never think that any of U.S. staff learning.

>> The UK Office of lifelong learning has remote and hybrid activities that seniors all across the state can You can find more aging related stories and resources at KET DOT Org Slash the next chapter.

♪ ♪ >> For almost 30 years, people from several different religious and spiritual backgrounds have come together for the annual festival of faiths.

And Louisville, while the event draws a diverse crowd, those who attend say the goal is to find and celebrate what they have in common.

>> The festival is a real gem Stone out of the city of Louisville.

The very first festival with the 1996 when the Catholic Cathedral have been fully restored and the way they open the cathedral at that time was to invite all the faith traditions that were in Louisville at the time that the cathedral's first built the common share, their story, their origin stories.

People loved meeting each other and learning about each other's face.

So much, though, like let's do this again and again and again.

>> If you look around the room there, people of a variety of racial ethnic backgrounds, socioeconomic backgrounds, come together and realize there is a there is a oneness.

There is a central truth.

There is central beauty that we all I think long before and in the space you feel like that longing is a possibility not only for yourself, but for the world.

>> This year we we have participation from.

We've had the ball high community and the Jewish community, Muslim community, Protestant, Christian, we speakers as speaking in just a little bit whose first nation or, you know, a Native American and and just a whole variety of a lot of the nominations with in faith groups say is about sacred imagining.

You know what?

We are all looking at uncertain futures and the way that we do that is informed by our faith traditions moving in.

>> To imagine possibilities and potential.

And and Healy and all of that is an imaginative act.

And oftentimes.

The theme that comes up is what our city needs to think about it this time.

And after this, you know, very divisive election year and everything it seems really important to talk about how our face help us.

Imagine the possibilities are full potential.

How do we probably be fully human?

In the circumstances that we live in today.

>> The beauty of matching other people's happiness is often undermined.

When we think about >> We've been brought up in a society that has really encouraged us to make a lot of snap judgments about each other about people's motivations, about how they're going to respond and to behave.

And so as we work to deconstruct those negative narratives, what are the narratives that we're going to put forward, that we're going to support that we're going to embody and how do those then cultivate hope in terms of community buildings?

I think it's really important.

Being in spaces like this and getting to hear from them, learn from each other's part of how we do that could deconstructing and putting New Orleans forward.

>> Places like this are so special because they give us this very, very beautiful, rare liminal space where we can have these beautiful conversations to push each other, too.

Nurturing one another to care for one another, too.

Explore other traditions outside of our own and have meaningful dialogue rather than just sitting in our echo chambers online or in our small social circles.

It gives us a moment to step outside of those echo chambers to really just be to explore and to feel.

>> We ourselves can hold critique of China.

>> Instead of saying you are powerful person.

We need to be able to carry the pain and hold that forward.

>> It does not mean we just need to be able to find those moments.

We all understand that cannibal to other K. >> And the floor.

>> Among the special guests in attendance for this year's festival.

Kentucky poet laureate Silas House Louisville orchestra conductor, Teddy Abrams and MSNBC host Luke Russert.

The birth of a Kentuckyian who became U.S. president and the launch of 2 prominent Louisville news sources.

It happened this week in Kentucky history.

Our Tony gives has the scoop.

♪ >> Zachary Taylor, America's 12 President was born November 24th 17 84 in Virginia.

He died in office in Washington, D.C., in 18, 50.

So what's the Kentucky connection?

His family moved to the Louisville area when he was about a year old.

He considered Kentucky his legal residence for most of his adult life.

And he's buried at Louisville's Zachary Taylor National Cemetery.

Happy Birthday to Nathan.

Be Stubblefield morning.

Kauai County on November.

22nd 18, 60 Stubblefield is best known for his inventions, including an acoustic telephone, a wireless telephone and a type of electric battery.

>> On November 18th, 1967, U.S. Supreme Court Justice William O Douglas and his wife Kathleen, let a 5 mile hike to protest the proposed damming of the Red River Gorge Vice President George HW Bush helped dedicate the Lucille Parker Market Cancer Center in Lexington on November.

18th 1985.

Read all about it.

The Louisville Daily Journal first went to press on November 24th 18, 30 Henry Clay created the newspaper to promote his candidacy for president.

The Daily Journal merged with the Daily Courier in 18.

68 the Louisville Courier Journal.

The King of media, Kentucky's first TV station, Wave TV and Louisville signed on the air November 24th 1948, 2.

And those of the highlights this week in Kentucky history.

>> I'm told, begins.

We hope you'll join us again tomorrow night at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central for Kentucky Edition, we inform connect and inspire.

>> Subscribe to our Kentucky Edition, e-mail newsletters and watch full episodes and clips at KET Dot Org.

You can also find Kentucky Edition on the PBS video app on your mobile device and smart TV.

Send us a story idea of public affairs at KET Dot Org and follow KET and on Facebook X, formerly known as Twitter and Instagram to stay in the loop.

We thank.

Thank you for joining us tonight.

I'm Casey Parker Bell take good care and I'll see you soon.

♪