>> Teenagers are dying from overdoses.

So to not give them education, to not empower them, to make the right choices is not the way that we stop this.

>> Find out how Central Kentucky Hospital is taking its drug prevention education beyond just say no.

>> It's just incredible.

When I think about, you know what that's going to mean for families over the years.

>> New investments and dare to care are going to help the food bank's seed.

More families around Kentucky.

>> With the greatest slideshow above ground and underground.

>> Plus, you're about to see Christmas lights taken to a whole new level.

>> Production of Kentucky Edition is made possible in part by the KET Endowment for Kentucky Productions.

Leonard Press Endowment for Public Affairs and the KET Millennium Fund.

♪ ♪ >> Good evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION on this Wednesday, November 29th, I'm Renee Shaw.

Thank you for spending some of your Wednesday night with us.

A Kentucky congressman is one of 3 U.S. House GOP lawmakers who is taking his fight over a mask mandate to the nation's highest court.

>> In Twenty-twenty U.S. Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky is 4th Congressional district was fined $500 for not complying with the rule requiring masks on the House floor.

Representative Marjorie Taylor, Greene of Georgia and Ralph Norman of South Carolina were also fined together.

The Hill reports the 3 are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to take up their case.

They claim the fine violates the Constitution's 27th Amendment which protects members of Congress from salary adjustments until after the next election.

Their case was already dismissed by lower courts who ruled the Constitution protects lawmakers from being sued over things they say or do as it relates to their legislative work.

The congressman from Kentucky's first district James Comer wants President Joe Biden's son, Hunter to testify to the House Oversight Committee behind closed doors.

Biden wants the hearing to the public Comer is chair of that committee which is investigating Hunter Biden's finances.

Comer says he wants the hearing to be private because he's afraid Democrats on the committee will turn it into a circus.

>> But, you know, as these the congressional investigation into these hearings go.

You've got the 20 members only sign that have 5 minutes each.

We have tens of thousands of pages of documents where we need to sit down and ask specific.

So that's a good question without filibustered without interruption without going 5 minutes back and boards with with Jamie Raskin.

That Van Gogh been and little moscowitz jumping up and down fi fallen motions and trying to disrupt the committee hearings.

>> Hunter Biden says he wants the hearing to be public because if it's done in private, he says Republicans will leak only the parts of his testimony.

They want people to hear Congressman Jamie Raskin of Maryland says comers desire to have the hearing in private is because, quote, Republicans fear sunlight and the truth, end quote.

There's a new way to track gun violence in Kentucky's largest city.

Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg introduced the city's gun violence dashboard yesterday.

It provides daily updates about gun violence in Louisville, the interactive website can be filtered by types of crimes, such as fatal and non-fatal shootings and it can be broken down by neighborhoods, council districts and even zip codes.

Mayor Greenberg says the dashboard gives the public greater transparency.

>> So is our hope.

Our belief.

But the information that we're transparently providing in real time on the Louisville Gun Violence dashboard can lead to action.

Can help us reduce the amount of gun violence that is plaguing our city.

>> According to the dashboard, there have been 140 homicides in Louisville this year and another 376 victims survived.

Big shot.

Kentucky has reached a 1.3 million dollars settlement with State Farm Attorney General Daniel Cameron's office announced the settlement today.

Kentucky accused State farm of not always telling customers about coverage available under their car insurance policies.

The settlement is not an admission of guilt.

State Farm says it has already trained staff on new claim procedures.

The attorney general's office says the money will be used to reimburse the state for the cost of its investigation.

A lawsuit has now been filed following a train derailment and Rockcastle County 16 cars came off the track late last week.

Mayor Livingston, so for from 2 of the cars and then caught on fire.

CSX who operated the train said a failed will bearing was the cause of the accident.

Now the legal for Morgan and Morgan has filed a lawsuit claiming the accident was preventable.

The plaintiffs are asking for punitive damages, damages related to emotional distress loss of property value and more.

In a statement, the company says CSX is reviewing the allegations in the lawsuit.

We pride ourselves on being a safe railroad and in the air, the rare occurrence of an incident like the one in Livingston, Kentucky.

We respond quickly.

Prioritizing safety and supporting recovery of the community.

CSX will continue to provide support recovery for the community and quote.

Students at LaRue County High School received a unique drug prevention education session yesterday.

A simulated overdose based on the true story over Hardin County teen who passed away after a fentanyl overdose.

It's a real story told by Real EMS workers and Baptist Health Harden says it's making a real impact.

>> In my opinion, the number great to work with prevention is the high school >> still be in for more.

>> It was a A local teenager, local to Hardin County, the past when he was 18 after taking a pill at a friend's house we came in and we did a simulation from the home scene through the emergency department to the ICU and ultimately to the morgue after the overdose simulation.

We had a panel and which we ask questions of community partners.

It included law Lincoln Trail District Health Department and then nurses from Baptist Health.

Pardon, though.

>> Saying Gore has been a Anything.

>> It's important for us because we need kids to know that we carry Narcan just like the team is just like foreign brother, First responder.

It is important, especially in this one.

It's a life or death situation.

We are not coming to arrest people.

We are coming to save a life and it is very important that kids understand they're not going to get in trouble for trying to help somebody.

We had a young lady that overdosed believes methamphetamines of years ago.

They drove around her body in the car for 12 hours or more because we want to get in trouble and had they called initially.

Who's to say we could to save or so we're trying to prevent those types of things from happening again, especially with these We don't see a lot of football lot opiate addiction in our school.

Kids.

But you never know what you're going to get.

And if you're taking something that someone gave you that you think maybe as an exit, you think it may be something in the packages stuff and they pressed pills now to make it look like something that's not so they can be legally transported.

So you just never know what you can get a hold of what the kids know that we are just as much here to help.

>> As we are to and in these instances, the help the overall takes plea been for the poor.

Well, we want to and that's the mystery.

Want to get the kids that we're here to help.

>> substance We actually didn't find out until after it had passed away.

We had a bunch of this after the panel.

We've been shared a video testimonial of his just or I'm going through what they went through as a family.

>> In the video it close down because it's here, Kentucky in like we go against the Jordan football games and we probably have seen that kid.

And that kid won't come back.

I learned that you can carry our can and this being hit so close to home that we see people.

Doing drugs in.

We know people who are we can administer Narcan, maybe save someone's life.

>> So we hope that with the simulation, we kind of get that hook to kind of get their attention and then to have the panel at there to answer the questions and give them the education that they need on what is nor can work, make it in.

Our Ken had they administer it.

Why is this a problem in our community?

We kind of have that book and then we're able to educate them and then for them to see that this is happening locally and not it's not just something that's happening in bigger cities in Louisville or Lexington.

It's happening in Hardin County, in LaRue County, in Meade County.

All of the counties.

>> Due to the intense nature of the simulations, students are allowed to speak to school counselors before returning to Class Baptist Health.

Harden has also taken this presentation to schools and Harden and Meade counties.

♪ Time now for midweek check and of some major political news so far this week with our good friend Ryland Barton with Kentucky Public Radio.

Good to see you.

>> It's easy to rename hope you had a good Thanksgiving holiday and it's back to business, right?

So let's talk about some of our recent news when it comes to those people who work in the state.

Capitol state lawmakers.

>> We have individual from Louisville who says, you know, I don't know if I want to go back to Frank for after this next session is going to try something new.

>> Yeah.

Democratic State Representative Josi he's been there for a few turns down a it is announced that she's not going to seek re-election next year and will be running instead for Louisville Metro part of what she said, it's just it's so hard getting anything done as a Democrat in the legislature.

She started when she was in the minority.

Now it's the super minority.

Democrats are at a low watermark in state history at this 0, 20 out of the 100 seats in the House and the similar ratio in the state And she said that a lot of the things that leaders have been pushing for chief finds to be incredibly hurtful.

So in recent years, the anti-trans legislation anti LGBTQ legislation, the at a critical race theory of movement from a couple years ago.

And that sounds like he's had and she's decided instead to write for Louisville Metro Council where Democrats are the majority there and she feels like she can get a little bit more done.

And interestingly enough, the former state Mary Lou Marzian has announced a hurricane ATC or that position.

So she used to hold that seat.

But during redistricting, Mary Martin and Josie Raymond were districted into the same district are seeing decided to 2 dropout not seek re-election, allowing bring them to go for it to go forward.

Now the jury remains out of the picture.

Mary markets could come back.

She's a veteran legislator.

first joined the General Assembly 1994 says she was there for almost 3 decades and I'm trying to make a run again in a Democratic district >> so we'll KET our eyes on that and see how that develops.

another important date to remember the filing deadline for Canada see for 2024 has been moved up our earlier time to, I guess, spark some efficiency somewhere.

Not sure where.

And that's we think the first week in January that first Friday.

So why is that even significant?

>> Yeah, it's January 5th at first Friday.

And as you said, this is a somewhat recent change.

From a few years ago they moved this filing deadline up the whole reason they did that was to try and get some of the politics out of the out of the candidate filing process.

There's always some some gamesmanship and decide deciding when to ultimately to dropping into that had but you get up.

It's it makes for really have to process at the beginning of the legislative session because it during this week in which they've got other business take care of and really just kind of getting the engines warmed up for the little lawmaking session.

Just 4 days later, that Friday is the is the deadline for folks to run for office.

There's another complicating factor here, which is that we're still awaiting a ruling from the Kentucky Supreme Court or on the legislature's redistricting maps the past couple years ago, Democrats sued over all the maps for the House and Congress were drawn saying that they unfairly favor Republican candidates.

And and the Supreme Court should will.

You will weigh in on this eventually.

It's possible with that decision could come this month.

There's a a rendition day.

That's the day when the court hands down rulings that will be on December 14th this month.

If there were rolling and there's no saying that there would be a against the maps that would really throw things into a state of chaos.

The legislature, they would likely have to delay that.

And the filing deadline in that first week.

>> So they have to pass a bill and have the governor signed it before the filing deadline, which searing, frankly, yeah, with the 3 days, which is really, really I I can't remember my 27 years.

A bill being able to pass both and 3 days.

But I guess they could because you don't have to have different readings on different days, right?

The Supreme Court clarified that.

So I guess it's possible.

>> Before the action to do a similar thing a couple years ago, with during when redistricting was taking place, standing up having to delay the filing deadline because the maps have been totally complete.

Got to remember that process correctly.

So there's some precedent for it.

And there's a lot of trouble since this law passed me that the filing deadline earlier.

I can only imagine that legislative leaders are starting to get tired having to worry about this every year.

Yeah.

>> So we'll see where that goes.

And so it could be that they have to take of redistricting again, if the Supreme Court strikes them down.

>> Those mask that would likely be the process, which is what happened 10 years when court struck down the map.

Some lawmakers have to come back to the drawing board on the one's yeah.

>> So we'll see where that goes.

And we know that the other big issues, it's a budget year.

This is a 60 day session.

So we know the budget is going to be a main topic, education issues we've heard from legislative leaders on both sides of the aisle that maybe they take up some more consider exceptions to the near total abortion ban on rape and incest.

So there's a lot that's on their plate for those 60 days that start on January.

The second.

>> Yeah.

And also coming up with.

But there's there's more that will likely have to happen with the state's new medical marijuana law, which is supposed to go into effect January 2025.

But there's some administrative parts to that that will have to take place this year and are likely be some battle lines drawn over that.

Yeah.

>> And we're hearing what child care assistance.

You know, that could be a big issue because of the the issue with childcare and the providers and lack thereof and the state so that some of the same perennial issues we could be hearing again by a lot of that low hanging fruit that we had from last time.

Sports betting the original medical marijuana income tax legislation.

All that's off the table, right?

So this should income tax.

Their only with the with drawing up a new budget.

There's going to be revenue bill as well.

And these are times when you like to try and mess with the the tax policy a little bit.

We'll see if there's.

>> If you are trying to do something with the income tax, they've always been reducing the income tax.

Looking for the opportunity to expand the sales tax to services.

Stick done several times in recent years.

>> Yeah.

And we'll see if they do that again because I think they do want to try to meet both of those economic conditions in order to get that trigger to happen.

I guess the 2026 if they cancel, KET our eyes on it.

When the session starts January second.

But a lot to do between now and then.

Thank you, Ryland Barton, for keeping your eyes on it.

♪ Americans, life expectancy numbers have rebounded some after COVID.

>> But they're still lower than they were 9 years ago.

Details in tonight's look at medical news.

The CDC says the average American's life expectancy in 2022.

Was 77.5 years.

That's up a full year from 2021.

The numbers had declined in 2020 2021 because of COVID.

But the CDC says drug overdoses, homicides and heart disease are keeping the number below its 2014 peak of 78.9 years.

We don't have state by state numbers just yet.

A year ago, Kentucky was 46th among the states with an average life expectancy of 73.5 years.

A group called dare to care has been feeding families in Kentucky for years.

And with new donations from Anthem, Blue Cross Blue Shield Medicare and the anthem, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation.

We'll have more money to expand its warehouses and feed more families in Kentuckyian Indiana.

♪ >> Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, you know, with 432 do $1000, investment and with the foundation is just incredible.

When I think about, you know what that's going to mean for families over the years.

>> During this time we really plan to be able to serve more families, provide more access the front when healthy food, which we know you have better health outcomes would be better.

It's a huge investment, you know, especially we think about food insecurity that we've seen over the past year and a half increased from 30 to 40% from the department as well as with the USDA has put out a report verifying that statistically over investment of $732,000.

>> And that's a significant amount in terms of what they've already the starting in 2021. with this partnership with dare to care.

And so we've been able to benefit.

>> And because we benefited, I'm able to get into the mouth.

>> We have a big focus on the organizations that are had that much popularity or notoriety in the community.

A lot of grassroots people that are actually what the people helping them making sure they have help with housing, which is, of course, the big saying with food security.

We've been seeing a steady increase since You know what's really challenging at this time is during twenty-twenty during the pandemic.

There are a lot of government support.

A lot more safety net provided for our neighbors experiencing food insecurity have child tax credit.

>> Tax credits.

You have additional food, additional food that was coming from the federal government to support our neighbors.

Windows resources were depleted and cease to exist throughout federal government.

We started seeing also the same time.

We saw food inflation.

We saw gas inflation.

And so with that happening and with the decrease, the benefits it was almost like, fortunately, the perfect storm for the increase in food insecurity that we're seeing today.

Nothing's wrong with asking for help.

Nothing's wrong with realizing that people.

>> Are, you know, everyone needs basic things, food, shelter, water, air.

There's nothing wrong with people having those little things and helping out with the community.

When it's it's most needed, especially around this time since it is the holidays.

When you think about food equity, we look at it from the standpoint of really providing access to help the first to matter what ZIP codes in it.

>> And that's our first goal from what we do as medicine is is fairly new.

A fairly new idea and thought even though we know food is actually met in terms for healing of the but really thinking about it from a food bank in perspective, it's really providing our neighbors where the maple get health care provisions for them so that they are also able to have access to food as well.

We're wanting to the really innovative in our approach in terms of thinking about food security.

And so in that one of the things we're looking to do is to dedicate 10,000 square feet to hydroponics.

We will have indoor control farm that will be used as not only an educational space, but opportunity.

>> To an employee, urban farmers, big ties right into what we're looking at is when we think about food is medicine.

>> And providing healthy food and making sure that our neighbors have access to the very best.

>> Dare to care.

Also has a prescriptive pantry program where they partner with health clinics to educate and provide food, insecure families with nutritious food and knowledge on practicing wellness and healthy eating and their households.

♪ >> The Louisville Mega Caverns began as a limestone mine in the 1930's following that it was used for several different purposes, including a fallout shelter during the Cold War.

>> And later, underground warehousing.

But for the last 15 years, it has the setting for a Christmas light show extravaganza.

And this week's Tapestry segment on Arts and Culture.

We delve deep into the lights under Louisville.

>> So let's run a little is one of 10.

>> Best Christmas light shows in the nation.

We've been ranked 10 best Buy USA Today for the past 5 years running.

We are probably one of the preeminent shows here not only in the state of Kentucky but within the at large.

It's a 1.3 miles of complete drive-thru and we have 6 and a half million lights.

All we have everything from inflatables to laser shows to disco section.

We have all types of different themes that are, you know, culturally relevant in today's age.

And that we have, you know, obviously Christmas lights.

We have everything from the themes like under the seed to patriotic.

And we have what we call the inch and forest.

So we create all of these themes and we crave refresh a new every single as well as the fact that we have first of its kind port.

Any Christmas drive-thru this year.

We have a Christmas hologram, actually 3 Christmas holograms.

I think the the preeminent benefit is we could have the light show literally all day.

So we open at 09:30AM, and close at Also, I think people don't realize this, but when it's raining out, you really can't see lights when it's raining out and outdoor show because everything gets blurry 3 windows.

So so that's one of the benefits of just being able to kind of roll down your windows without worrying about temperature.

Will worry about the weather or things like that.

You know, we're here down every single day and we're kind of used to it.

But we watched people, people are looking around the and they have this incredible amount of awe and wonder of, hey, how did this come to be because we're really smack dab in the center of Louisville.

And and that's very, very unique to see where you have an underground mine that smack dab in the middle of major metropolitan cities.

So I think we're the greatest slideshow above ground and underground and we continue to grow.

And we continue to expand to I mean, even this year.

>> We read 20% last year.

We grew another 10%.

So if you throughout the course of the 15 years of how we've grown everything, not only from different themes and different picture we would control continue to grow in terms of length.

>> And we've continue to grow at half a mile since the beginning and we put our heart and soul into light and will when we know that it is incredible familial experience for a lot of families.

They've they've made it a tradition.

And so we want to make sure.

And while honor that tradition with their families, we want to make sure that that it brings families together and it brings joy together, brings friends together.

I think that's that's one of the things that we're we take with a heavy amount of hard and because we know it's it's wonderful privilege to do this for not only us city of Louisville, but the Commonwealth of Kentucky at large.

>> How cool is that as well as his Christmas sweater, the lights will be on display at the mega Cavern and Louisville until January first 2024, don't miss it.

We're about 5 weeks away from the start of the 2024.

Kentucky General Assembly, the League of Women Voters in Kentucky is unhappy about how state lawmakers conduct business.

A report by the group claims legislators are cutting you out of the process.

You're a pill.

More about that tomorrow night on Kentucky edition, which we hope will see you.

4 at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central over.

We inform connect and inspire subscribe to our Kentucky Edition.

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>> Thank you so much for joining us tonight.

I'm Renee Shaw.

I see you right back here again tomorrow night.

Taking care.

♪ ♪ ♪