>> These tax credits help lower the cost of health insurance premiums.

Nearly 100,000 Kentuckians with insurance plans could see up to 37% higher premiums.

>> What should Kentucky expect as the federal government shutdown drags on?

>> I would call them extrajudicial killings, and this is akin to what China does to Iran does with drug dealers.

>> As the U.S.

boat bombings continue, so does the criticism from Kentucky Senator Rand Paul.

>> We was taught in our early days that we just tough it out.

We don't ask for help.

In this day and time, we got to ask for help.

>> Kentucky state lawmakers say the men and women who keep you safe don't always get the benefits they deserve.

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

>> Good evening and welcome to Kentucky Edition for this Tuesday, October the 28th.

I'm Renee Shaw, and we thank you so much for joining us tonight.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear is joining dozens of states in suing the Trump administration over SNAP or food stamp benefits.

Money for the food assistance program is set to run out at the end of the week.

Because of the federal government shutdown.

The Trump administration has rejected using contingency funds to continue the program, which helps 42 million people in the U.S.

including nearly 600,000 here in Kentucky.

This morning, Governor Beshear and Congressman Morgan McGarvey, also a Democrat of Kentucky's third congressional district, discussed the Shutdown's impact on Kentucky.

They discuss both SNAP and the possible end of subsidies, helping people who use the Affordable Care Act for health insurance.

A reporter asked the governor if the state could fill the gap if the federal subsidies end.

>> No state is going to be in a position to be able to make up for the federal tax credits that are there.

It would it would take a massive change on the state level, which would require acts of the General Assembly.

So there's not going to be immediate relief, I believe, in, in any state around the country.

This is all entirely on Congress.

And listen, they voted not long ago to continue a tax cut.

And what Congress said, what the Republican leader said is this is relief that families are currently getting.

And we don't want to eliminate that relief.

Well, that is the exact same here.

You know, they were willing to continue a tax cut that primarily helped wealthier individuals.

Are they really not willing to continue this this tax credit program that helps those that are struggling?

Well, that.

>> Congressman Morgan McGarvey says Kentuckians on the Affordable Care Act won't be the only people to see their health care costs go up.

>> So if you have a private employer plan right now, those private insurance groups are already seeing how many people are not going to have insurance and factor in the fact that tax credits haven't passed yet and that those costs are going to skyrocket.

Some people are going to choose not to have health insurance as well.

Well guess what?

People are still going to get sick.

People are still going to have emergencies.

People are still going to be going to hospitals and getting care.

Even if they don't have health insurance, they're still going to be going, possibly going to the emergency room, maybe not being able to to pay for that care as they are now.

So private insurance, they're seeing that they're anticipating it, they know it's going to happen and they are going ahead and increasing the costs of everyone's health insurance to offset that.

Because Congress, because of what Congress did and what the Trump administration did.

>> Republican U.S.

Senator Rand Paul says he wants the federal shutdown to end soon, and for essential public employees to get paid immediately.

Senate Republicans and Democrats have both proposed legislation to pay federal workers, but haven't agreed on if that should include furloughed workers or just those still on the job, like the military and air traffic controllers.

>> I'm flying today.

I want my air traffic controller to be paid.

I want him or her to pay attention.

I want the flights to be staggered out so nobody runs into each other today, so I want to pay them.

I have voted for that.

But we had that vote last week and every Democrat voted not to pay the air traffic controllers or the soldiers or the essential workers.

It isn't perfect, but in the midst of this disagreement, let's pay the people who are working.

I hope we have that same vote again this week, and I will vote to pay the workers again this week.

>> Kentucky's junior senator also says he welcomes a compromise on Affordable Care Act subsidies down the road.

>> What I've been suggesting is that President Trump announce a commission, three Republicans, three Democrats to study the issue very quickly of health care premiums and come up with a solution in the next few weeks, open the government back up for a month or two.

And in that two month period, the Commission will meet and we will come up with and try to figure out a bipartisan solution for the high insurance premiums.

>> Senator, Senator Paul spoke to reporters yesterday in Louisville after a tour of BAE systems, the British defense manufacturer, employs around 400 people in Louisville, where it makes parts for submarines and missile launchers for the U.S.

Navy.

Aerospace products, which includes military weapons, are Kentucky's largest export.

Senator Paul continues to speak out against the Trump administration's continued bombing of suspected drug boats in the Pacific Ocean and in the Caribbean near Venezuela.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth says yesterday the U.S.

bombed four more boats in the Pacific, killing 14 people.

Before yesterday's U.S.

action, Senator Paul again denounced the U.S.

policy in his strongest language yet.

Here's Paul on Fox News Sunday.

>> We'll start with you, Senator Paul, what do you need to hear in a briefing?

What questions do you have?

>> Well, you know, it's not so much about a briefing, but we haven't had a briefing.

To be clear, we've gotten no information.

I've been invited to no briefing.

But a briefing is not enough to overcome the Constitution.

The Constitution says that when you go to war, Congress has to vote on it.

And during a war, then there's a lower rules for engagement.

And people do sometimes get killed without due process.

But the drug war or the war or the crime war has typically been something we do through law enforcement.

And so far they have alleged that these people are drug dealers.

No one said their name.

No one said what evidence?

No one said whether they're armed and we've had no evidence presented.

So at this point, I would call them extrajudicial killings.

And this is akin to what China does to Iran does with drug dealers.

They summarily execute people without presenting evidence to the public.

So it's wrong.

>> Senator Paul wants a vote giving Congress the final say on this policy.

In other news, Jefferson County Public Schools says its rate of chronic absenteeism is improving.

As our June Leffler reports, local officials say they're ready to offer parents a helping hand or some firm consequences.

>> JCPS reports that last year, one third of students were chronically absent, meaning they missed more than 17 days of school.

But that's a slight improvement from the 38% rate two years ago.

>> It's still too high, but it proves that we are moving in the right direction.

>> The district says it sent more than 4.5 million text messages to parents about their child's attendance.

>> We have teams dedicated to making sure that parents are being contacted through phone calls.

We conduct home visits.

We meet families where they are.

We are not just simply looking at statistics and just checking a box.

That's not what we're doing.

We're working to help remove the barriers that chronically absent students face in getting to school.

>> More in-depth conversations address student needs, including possible street violence.

>> If it's something in the community, we would rely on the mayor's office, the Office of Violence Prevention, collaborate with them to provide any additional resources.

Our police are also heavily involved in a lot of our work.

And so if there's other concerns around what's going on at school, they're there to help us with that and assist.

>> When parents did not accept help.

The county attorney stepped in again.

>> It is not my goal to pursue charges, but I clearly will.

In instances where parents or guardians are unmoved by the interventions, resources and referrals provided to the student.

We've even had examples of these parents or guardians are contacting JCPS personnel and say, don't send me any more text messages.

Don't call me anymore.

Yeah, that's unmoved.

>> In 2020, for a new state law mandated school districts report, guardians to the county attorney after a child missed 15 days of school.

Jefferson County's Mike O'Connell says he sent more than a thousand letters to parents last year.

32 guardians are facing criminal cases because of that.

In these cases, the student had missed an average of 47 days.

These parents face possible misdemeanor charges punishable up to $500 or a year in jail.

>> There are at least 15 to 20 steps that were pointed out to me.

The JCPS and its staff took with these parents or guardians 15 to 20 steps before they brought it to our attention.

So if anybody is listening to this and think this is a problem, it is not.

It is a problem of adults who are not doing what they should do to make sure that these young children get to school, especially in grades K through five.

And it's not because they deserve an education, it's because they have the right to that education.

>> The county Attorney's office focuses on the parents of K through five students.

Family court judges handle cases involving older students for Kentucky edition.

I'm June Leffler.

>> Thank you.

June.

State lawmakers are calling for reform for law enforcement officers in the line of hazardous duty and their benefits.

Last week, the Interim Joint Committee on Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Protection heard testimony from two Floyd County men who were shot in the line of duty.

The incident occurred three years ago, when deputies went to serve an emergency protection order to a man in Allen, Kentucky.

The man opened fire, killing three officers and a K-9 dog.

Three additional officers were injured.

A deputy who was shot in the leg.

An emergency management director who was shot in the eye, testified in Frankfort about their recovery.

>> I've now been an amputee for for going on three years.

During this time, I've went through approximately anywhere from 8 to 10 prosthetics to just to get a comfortable fit.

>> We was taught in our early days that we just tough it out.

We don't ask for help.

In this day and time, we gotta ask for help.

I still need it.

I believe in it department.

>> Both men did not qualify for retirement because of the amount of time they had spent on the job.

They were also not eligible for hazardous duty benefits.

State Representative Ashley Lafferty, who serves Floyd County, wants to draft a bill that would provide all first responders injured in a hazardous duty situation with minimum benefits.

Many state lawmakers voiced support for that legislation.

>> I hope the testimony here today shows that we have brave first responders who are falling through these cracks.

>> I'll do whatever I can.

Representative Tackett, to be there with you and to help just just makes no sense to me.

This hearing this, it feels like, you know, how is this even possible that these men cannot be compensated for what they've had to endure?

>> A lot of our counties and cities don't have their officers in hazardous duty.

That should be the first thing we change.

I have no doubt that we should not have folks in harm's way that won't be compensated if this happens to them.

>> State Representative Tackett Lafferty said she's received letters from the Kentucky Sheriffs Association voicing support for her idea of legislation.

Open enrollment is underway for Medicare.

The federal health insurance program is for Americans aged 65 and older and other conditions.

Understanding how the program works, though, can be very complex.

During last night's next chapter form here on KETV, we heard from dozens of people who had questions about Medicare.

And here are just a few.

This caller does not take medicine at the moment, and they use Humana now.

Why do they have to pay extra for medication costs in their monthly cost if they're not taking any?

>> Yeah, that's a good question.

I always relate Medicare Part D to auto insurance or homeowner's policy.

You're not always filing a claim with your homeowner's insurance, but if you need to, it's there to protect you.

And that's what part D is.

And I would I would recommend if someone is not taking medication that they go with the cheapest part D plan available, which this this coming year will have a zero premium.

And should that change and they have medication costs added sometime in 2026, then use open enrollment next year to find a plan that better suits their needs.

>> Yeah, good advice there.

Okay.

From Carl.

He has hospital bills, is on a fixed income and has Medicare advantage.

Is there anything that can help supplement the cost on top of the Medicare Advantage?

>> I'd say unfortunately, no, there's you can't add a supplement onto an advantage plan.

The supplements only work with original Medicare.

That part A and part B coverage.

So with the Medicare Advantage plans, you are going to be charged whatever the plan has laid out for you.

And there's not going to be an additional coverage you can purchase through the Medicare program.

>> Unfortunately, some bad actors like to use the open enrollment period to prey on people.

Our Laura Rogers spoke with Scott Weganast with AARP Kentucky about what seniors should know to avoid being scammed.

>> This is something unfortunate that comes with the open enrollment period for Medicare, right?

Absolutely.

And seniors can be targeted at any time, unfortunately, and they're often victimized.

But let's talk specifically about what our seniors need to look out for to make sure that they're not being defrauded.

>> Since the beginning of Medicare, scammers have taken advantage of this open enrollment season.

There's three things.

Three key things that we like to talk about.

One, Medicare is not going to call you.

Okay.

So you're not going to have a call for Medicare.

They're not going to text you.

Two if you get a suspicious call, do not give out your personal data.

Three you have to be aware of the sort of an emotional push that you know, your policy is going to be terminated, or you're going to be charged extra because you didn't do what x, y, or z. So the the most important thing to keep in mind is protect your personal data.

Talk to your family.

Because a lot of times folks will not talk to their family about that.

So what you want to do is just make sure that you always pause and and and reflect and, and prevent yourself from becoming caught up in some Medicare scam because they're out there and they're going to come after you.

>> You can see the full one hour program and find other resources focused on the issues facing Kentucky's aging population.

Online on demand at ket.org.

Chapter.

One town considers a wellness center.

Another is thinking about more leeway for people who own chickens, bees, and rabbits.

Our Toby Gibbs has that and more in tonight's look at headlines around Kentucky.

>> A small plane crash in Harrison County October 16th briefly disrupted traffic lights as well as phone and internet service.

The Grant County News says the plane crashed in a field near Recurrent Energy Solar Farm on highway 36.

The pilot went to Harrison Memorial Hospital.

The passenger was sent to U-K hospital.

The plane hit a transmission line, causing the brief power glitch.

Emergency management Director Joey Nelson praised emergency services for its fast response.

The Messenger-inquirer says Leitchfield wants its own health and wellness center.

The city council voted for a resolution supporting the move.

A feasibility study says the town could support a 50,000 square foot indoor facility with two basketball courts, three volleyball courts, a turf field, a walking track and meeting rooms.

It would cost about $9 million.

State Senator Stephen Meredith promised to seek state support.

People in Boone County are debating a zoning law change that would allow more chickens, bees and rabbits on homeowners property.

It was talked about at a fiscal court meeting last Thursday, but magistrates did not make a decision on changing the current policy.

Judge executive Gary Moore told the Northern Kentucky Tribune that public input is important before any decision is made.

The Jessamine Journal says.

A Nicholasville native has been named a 2025 U.S.

Presidential Scholar by the U.S.

Department of Education.

6400 students are in the running every year based on leadership, service, and character.

A smaller group is then selected, and Palmer M Schmidt is one of them.

Schmidt is now a civil engineering student at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Indiana, who's involved in tutoring and helping food banks with headlines around Kentucky.

I'm Toby Gibbs.

>> To ensure people involved with the Kentucky court system get the resources they need.

The Administrative Office of the courts has created behavioral health liaisons.

They serve as connectors for those dealing with mental health struggles, substance abuse, and intellectual and developmental disabilities.

>> So when looking at state courts nationally, what we saw with Kentucky is there was a gap in serving people with the justice system that once somebody came, justice involved.

It was hard to navigate the system or connect them to the appropriate resource.

And the behavioral health liaisons connect individuals so that they don't fall through the cracks in our court system.

>> So within communities, behavioral health liaisons have the ability to provide more access to programs, resources, and services.

We're connected widely with serving the Office of Statewide Programs, which would include family and juvenile services, along with pretrial services, working really closely with the community health centers within each community, also navigating jail services and opportunities within the jail.

>> So most of the people that we are assisting are looking for either mental health services, substance abuse services, housing, food, parenting classes, those type of services that are difficult to find if you're not within the court system or you're a community partner.

>> The role is as involved as the need of the individual.

This could be as small as just linking a person to the appropriate person through a phone number.

It could also be as large as walking the person through the entire process, which could mean connecting them to the individual.

Following up with the individual to ensure that the services were made or the appointment was attended.

>> The ultimate goal of our treatment courts, which include drug court, mental health court and Veterans Treatment Court, are to serve a population that is vulnerable, that needs additional support in lieu of prison.

If we don't assist these individuals, who's going to and we provide wraparound services, we treat the whole person.

So we provide treatment and look at how they can be more successful in our community.

>> In other health news, researchers at the University of Kentucky are studying the short term and long term health effects of the 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.

They received almost $2 million to the National Institutes of Health to continue the research.

>> So in looking at the portfolio of what was needed, I would only want we would want to contribute to a gap, an area that wasn't being met.

And one of the big areas that wasn't being met.

We saw and heard from the community was information.

Just information about what these chemicals were.

How could they measure them in their bodies?

What the health effects might be.

So when we saw that gap, we we created an online survey that anyone could respond to and participate in that would allow the community to begin the process of tracking the experiences and the health symptoms that they had, the chemicals that they were exposed to, vinyl chloride, acrylates they cause eye nose irritation, throat irritation.

And that's exactly what we saw.

Now, what are the long term?

These chemicals, even in mixture, could cause long term chronic health outcomes.

And not many research studies are available for us to identify and say this is exactly what to expect.

So we're keeping an open mind and an open ear to the community as we hear about symptoms that they're experiencing.

These chemicals could cause cancer.

That's a possibility.

And we're tracking that these chemicals in our one of our studies included measures of immune function, which is your body's ability to respond to infection.

It also indicates stress and tissue repair.

We do see signs of the body's response to, you know, increased levels for tissue repair and a definite immune response.

So we we know that the immune system can affect every organ in the body.

We did measure stress in the in our cohort in our population.

And they are they are screening very, you know, quite high for post-traumatic stress disorder.

So we we plan to measure impacts on heart.

We are going to also measure the impacts on lung.

We want to look at the respiratory function and how well their lungs work.

So the long the long term goal is, is truly go back and answer the community's questions.

And and that that is did their exposure did being near the the derailment near that Fenton barn where vinyl chloride was being burned, you know, let out into the drainage ditches and then burned.

Did that exposure cause them any long term health consequences?

And we want to answer help them answer that question.

>> Scientists at UK are partnering with the experts at the University of Pittsburgh and Yale University for the study.

UK health care is getting the biggest gift in its history.

Someone is writing a very big check.

Find out who signing that check, how much it's for and where that money will go.

Answers to all those questions tomorrow, Wednesday on Kentucky edition, which we hope you'll join us for again at 630 eastern 530 central, where we inform, connect and inspire.

We hope you'll connect with us all the ways you see on your screen, Facebook, Instagram and the social media channels that will keep you in the loop of all the great things happening here at KET.

And we encourage you to send us a story idea by email to Public Affairs at ket.org dot, and look for us on the PBS app that you can download on your smart devices.

I'm Renee Shaw.

Thank you so much for joining us tonight, and hope to see you right back here on Hump Day Wednesday.

Thanks so very much and take good care.

See you tomorrow night.