♪ >> President Trump sent me into that snake pit at the United Nations for a reason.

He KET this.

Kentucky girl would be strong enough to stand up for America and for Kentucky values.

>> We hear from the latest Republican to announce her bid for Kentucky governor.

And would you believe manage cave is getting even bigger?

>> But Hilda, who is our cast a canine.

And she has a really unique job.

She goes to court with children.

So what is Casa you're about to find out.

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

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

♪ ♪ >> Good evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION for this Wednesday, September 14th.

Thank you for joining us.

I'm Kelsey Starks, Renee Shaw is on assignment.

Another Republican makes the case for a change in Frankfort.

Kelly Knight Craft held a rousing campaign kickoff last night in her hometown of Glasgow.

She served as U.S. ambassador to Canada.

Then U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, both under President Donald Trump.

And as she launched her campaign, she criticized the policies of Governor Andy Beshear and President Joe Biden and emphasized her support for her former boss.

>> I'm running for governor of our great state to protect our God given rights.

Those God given rights that are enshrined in the Constitution and not by Andy Beshear or Joe Biden.

>> I want to hear talk about what her vision is for Kentucky.

Because I think it's important that that citizens know.

I have to see if the governor would would operate in and do things that will be in the best interest, the commonwealth and and then south of Kentucky where it is very important to all the folks here that.

>> To restore the promise of Kentucky, we must lower the cost of living for our citizens >> United States of make sure that our children are being taught math and reading not radical woke ideologies.

Crime in Kentucky has soared to an all-time high.

As governor as your governor, our crack down on crime.

I will never defund the police.

>> I think you care for the Commonwealth.

I think her experience in government and other areas in the private sector.

I Ryan which you have an idea of what what needed to be done in the state.

>> President Trump made America energy Independent.

Biden declared war on fossil fuels.

And Andy Beshear.

>> He waved a white flag and surrender.

>> This year turned his back.

Kentucky's coal miners.

As governor, I fight back against the climate extremist who are undermining our energy security and attacking our way of life.

>> I have heard a lot of good better.

But I'm just want to say exactly what she's got to say to not hurt.

But it may limit.

And have a vote for as President Trump's ambassador to Canada.

>> I help secure the largest trade deal in the history of America.

The United States, Canada, Mexico agreement.

I voted for Donald Trump twice.

And I have worked for him for 4 years.

And I'm unapologetic about being pro life.

Defending our veterans and defending our Second Amendment.

Right here in Glasgow at the square.

Our movement began.

>> Well, the Kentucky Democratic Party responded to crafts an announcement party chair Colmon Eldridge says in part Kraft can't write a check to hide her jaw, dropping lack of qualifications or experience.

Renee spoke today to public radio journalist Rylan Barton about the Kelly Craft announcement and about other political news of the Week.

We'll have that coming up in just a few minutes.

On the Democratic side, Governor Andy Beshear continues to add to his campaign bank account.

As we told you here yesterday, the governor's campaign contributions now total 4 million dollars and that includes a half million dollars raised just in the past 2 months.

In a statement, Colmon Eldridge says the money indicates broad support for the governor's re-election in a tweet, Allred wrote Kentuckyian stand with Governor Beshear because he puts people before politics.

He will have the resources to win reelection.

Governor Beshear is urging Kentucky hands to get the latest COVID both booster shot.

He said he would be getting it himself and today he did first Lady Britainy Beshear joined him at the Capitol Rotunda as they received their vaccines.

The new boosters have been modified to offer protection from the newest COVID variants.

Kentuckians can go to vaccines DOT Gov.

To find out more about scheduling an appointment.

2 Kentucky counties have now received money from the eastern Kentucky State aid fund for emergencies.

That's the fun created by the Kentucky General Assembly during its flood relief.

Special session.

The state says not and let your county's just received 1.2 million dollars for flood relief.

They're the first counties to get money from the fund.

Governor Andy Beshear talked about the fund yesterday.

>> This is state funding that I recommended the General Assembly work quickly to pass.

And that special session that special session wasn't partisan, wasn't bipartisan.

It was non partisan because when we put politics aside and work together to support our people, that's when we truly move Kentucky forward not been Letcher County is where the first to submit completed applications for assistance and they're the first to be approved.

>> But we know more are on the way and we're eager to continue to distribute these dollars to our eastern Kentucky communities.

>> To our eastern Kentucky families.

We're with you today tomorrow.

And in the months and years ahead, we love you.

We'll get through this.

We'll get through it together.

>> Turns out Kentucky had more flood related disaster declarations than any other state between 2000 and 2022, that's according to a Pew study of FEMA data appearing in The Courier Journal.

And Pugh says Kentucky was second in all disasters during that 20 year period just behind Oklahoma.

The report also says climate change is making extreme weather more intense and more commonplace and that the U.S. should expect more of it in the future.

Ken Starr, the attorney who investigated President Bill Clinton during the so-called Whitewater and Monica Lewinsky affairs in the 1990's has died at the age of 76 Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky released a statement about stars passing.

It says in part, quote, He was a brilliant litigator and impressive leader and devoted patriot through his distinguished service on the DC Circuit as solicitor general as independent counsel and beyond.

Ken poured his remarkable energy and talent into promoting justice, defending the Constitution and upholding the rule of law unquote.

Today Senator McConnell criticized Democrats for the continuing inflation and their reaction to it.

Yesterday the government released numbers showing an inflation rate in August of 8.3%.

Now that's lower than June and July, but still higher than expectations as the price of gas continues to fall.

Senator McConnell asks why Democrats are praising their policies as high inflation continues.

>> President Biden and our Democratic colleagues chose to celebrate, celebrate.

This awful implosion report with the so-called Inflation Reduction Party yesterday.

The White House.

While the Dow Jones.

Plummeted over 1000 points.

While the S and P 500 lost more than 4% of its value in one day.

Well, American families can't afford gas, groceries.

Or electricity.

Washington Democrats party on the White House lawn to celebrate.

Their policy.

That's what happened yesterday that.

>> Senator McConnell hopes to be Senate majority leader again next January U.S.

Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina speaking yesterday said that if the Republicans take back control of the House and the Senate, there will be a vote on a national 15 week.

Abortion ban.

Congressman John Yarmouth of Kentucky, the only Democrat in the state's congressional delegation wrote this in response.

I appreciate Lindsay's honesty year.

Congressional Republicans are now openly promoting their plan to make basic healthcare illegal and imprison women and doctors.

A Louisville mayoral candidate who was shot at himself back in February is critical of efforts to resell confiscated guns back to the public in an interview today, Craig Greenberg says seized guns should be rendered inoperable before they go to auction.

Right now confiscated guns go to state police and they're sold to raise money to buy new equipment, including body armor.

Greenberg says it's absurd to seize guns, then sell them only to have them back on the streets in the hands of criminals.

A spokesperson for Greenberg's opponent Bill Dieruf did not respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press in the past State Police Commissioner Philip Burnett has said the gun auctions have helped law enforcement personnel quipped.

More hectic day than usual on the campus of western Kentucky University in Bowling Green.

The school says this morning someone found a device that could have been explosive.

WKU suspended classes for a while but reopened buildings later after deciding that device was construction related and not a threat.

But there was a bomb threat after that later, police decided that bomb threat was a hoax.

WKU police say a student is now charged with terroristic threatening in that case.

Jim Beam is looking to sell more bourbon and to make that bourbon while using fewer greenhouse gases that plan to paint plans to expand in Boston, Kentucky.

That's in Nelson County by 50%.

It will invest 400 million dollars in the project.

Jim Beam says it's trying to meet a growing global demand for its bourbon, especially in Europe and Asia.

It will use a form of renewable natural gas to power the plant, which should mean a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Well, 10 cities about to make a comeback.

The University of Kentucky says Big Blue Madness will be October 14th in Rupp Arena and the camp out for tickets at Memorial Coliseum is back for the first time since 2019, it didn't happen in 2020 year 2021.

Because of COVID will this year fans will be able to start setting up tents October first at 5 in the morning.

Tickets will be handed out at 9 in the morning on October.

Second, Big Blue Madness is a practice that is considered the unofficial kickoff of the Kentucky basketball season.

♪ Time now for our midweek, check-in of some major political developments in Kentucky this week with journalist Rylan Barton who is managing editor of Kentucky Public Radio and the Ohio Valley Resource.

It's good to see your island.

>> I run a good to see you, too.

>> So big event last night in Glasgow with the former UN Ambassador Kelly Knight Craft, I guess officially kicking off her campaign and the style that we expected her to do right.

>> Right.

A few 100 people showed up in a Glasgow, her hometown early.

She grew up in a outside of Glasgow in Barron County.

And she was there to lay off her campaign, provide a little bit more clarity on some of the issues that pushing for a then then we got last week when she just launched are at.

She's really trying to Governor Andy Beshear too.

Federal politics, politics and of President Joe Biden's administration trying to tie him to things like inflation.

She's also bringing up which is another things you brought up in that ad last that talking about education and and really focusing also on the supposed to in tight critical race theory legislation.

She said that we should be teaching the ABC's Not CRT in Kentucky schools, which I think is something that we will we'll likely see going into the gubernatorial race as well.

So this is, you know, she's she's the, you know, joining this very crowded race.

She's trying to get her name out there.

You might not be the most a well-known among Kentucky voters.

But she certainly got enough money to make it very familiar over the next coming months.

>> So want to go back to what you said about a CRT critical race theory because who we think is going to be her Lieutenant Governor running mate to Senator Max Wise, who is the current chair of the Senate Education Committee was the sponsor of that bill.

It started out being Senate bill, one 38, but then morphed into a larger education measure.

He didn't just sponsor that Fort without reason, right?

So it's not coincidental that perhaps Ambassador Craft mentioned that on the stage last night.

>> I think it's very And Senator Wise was in attendance there.

He's you know, he's been kind of in a UN Ambassador crop circle for the last little bit.

He is not said whether or not he will be the official Lieutenant Governor running mate along with Kelly Craft.

A state laws changed recently where a elites don't need to do that until after the primary election.

So he's got or she's got time to pick who are running mate would be of that center.

Why sponsor that sponsored that Bill?

This is something that a lot of that gets a lot of Republican voters early.

Some of Republican voters very excited about voting.

They think it's a a problem that's happening in Kentucky.

Schools.

A lot as you will many educators and school districts.

There's there's nothing about critical race theory are supposed to cover a story that's being taught in Kentucky schools.

You know, that's a very advanced legal framework, but it's just it's it's kind of playing into a lot of identity politics that Republicans have really kind of started of waiting into in recent years.

And I think it's something that, you know, she's she's looking at some as being a way to believe her campaign.

Plus, Senator Wise would be if he's in it and experienced and respected legislator in Kentucky, the chair of the Senate Education Committee.

He's been around for a long time.

So there's a lot that he would add to that ticket.

>> Right.

So another issue that often fires up actually both bases, perhaps political bases, Republicans and Democrats, abortion.

>> And we know that there seems to be a lot of money going to these efforts for that constitutional proposed constitutional amendment.

Number 2, that will be on the November ballot.

>> This year for Kentucky voters to decide about of constitutional right to abortion and the funding thereof.

Yes or no, which way.

So what do we know about how much money is coming in to to Kentucky on behalf of this amendment, either pro or con.

>> To protect Kentucky access, which is a coalition of groups.

That's fighting to defeat the constitutional amendment to raise the most money.

About 1.4 million dollars over the course of this year.

So far, yes, for life of similarly coalition of groups on the other side trying to promote that He's only raised about $350,000.

Just to show you where a lot of the you know, a lot of the money is coming in to fight against this.

There's a lot of energy over this amendment, especially after to a state that's really dominated by Republicans overwhelmingly They're very similar amendment earlier this year.

A Kansas also similarly has a Democratic governor despite having a very Republican legislature and Republican electorate.

So there's a lot of thinking that Kentucky might be another state that would reject such an amendment as being government overreach.

Also, it would effectively allow the legislature to ban abortion out of existence in the state with the legislature is already attempted to do so.

We know we're going to see this could be a lot this could be a lot of canvassing over this.

We're going to see a lot of advertising over this or that next coming months until Election Day, when Kentucky voters will essentially get to vote up or down whether to approve this amendment to the state constitution saying that there's nothing in there guaranteeing access to abortion.

>> So real quickly, let's talk about a state legislative races and Louisville, this Jefferson County, Kevin Bratcher, the Republican incumbent there and the Democratic challenger.

What's happening in this district?

I think it's House district number.

29.

>> Yeah.

Of Matthew.

FOX was Democratic candidate here.

He ended up withdrawing from the race after of Badgers campaign sued, saying that he was not a bona fide candidate, alleging that he had not properly registered as a Democrat in time which he had.

He initially a registered Republican.

If you want to switch parties need to do that before the end of the previous calendar year in the bridge just running as a Democrat on January.

11th.

So right now there is no challenger in that Louisville Democratic Party says they will field somebody to run against Bratcher.

However, Republican secretary of state Michael Adams says that's not possible.

He's already certified the ballots this year.

He did that on August So they're in a little bit of Democrats are kind of saying they might fight it.

But they They haven't announced a candidate yet.

And it's really unclear whether they will be able to or Bratcher will just run unopposed this November.

>> Yeah, to be continue to race to certainly KET our eyes on.

Roland Martin, thank you for keeping your eyes on all of that.

We appreciate you will see you next Wednesday.

>> Thanks for that.

♪ >> And you know, going to court can make anyone anxious.

But imagine what it's like for a child.

A new children's book is trying to take away some of the anxiety and fear in Urdu says them to court appointed special advocates or CASA volunteers who advocate on their behalf as they go through the legal system.

>> I'm not afraid to do much of an E and to share them ation of >> And to make sure that we're reaching people and all different areas.

Oscar's family was my vision for Cassidy children that have advocates to be able to hear a story from their volunteer.

That explains what exactly is a CASA volunteer, that main purpose of this book is to educate and provide awareness.

So I think many people in the public don't know what cast is.

But for a child has a lot of uncertainty going on in this new person comes and introduces them south and says I'm your CASA.

So this story is a way for a volunteer to have a tool to let the town or the youth.

What a cast is.

This is my first book period.

When I was thinking about who I wanted to illustrate ad called Maggie you and ask him, asked us to artwork fact, pass a superpower right?

Which is one of our 2 primary fundraising event here at Cass of Lexington, Liz Nap Singer who is one of our staff members here cast of Lexington is in cartoon version and this book and she is a volunteer manager.

But Hilda, who is our classic canine.

And she has a really unique job.

She goes to court with children and and then the 3rd person that's in the book that is actual real live person as Miss best at kindergarten teacher who taught for 49 years at Fairview Elementary School.

>> And just retired this past year.

>> What I tried to through my my illustrations was bringing the different.

and ideas of what family could be and what love is.

The story is about what can family be a in a broader sense?

>> And what love is I think he really knocked it out of the park in showing things that our children might think about a child go into a courtroom.

>> And even me as adults who, you know, has never had to go into a courtroom.

That can be a scary thing.

And to show the juxtaposition of this is the scary thing I have in my imagination of what could be happening what Casa does is calm those fears and reduce them by giving them what the reality is in good, helpful ways.

>> We're doing work.

That is very serious.

But we rely on pennies are even no funding to advertise what we're doing.

And so this book is one way that the general public could become aware of.

What is Casa and what is in need.

Maybe Cass it becomes a household name that more people are aware of and we can recruit more volunteers to do this.

Life change it work.

>> Well, don't look now.

But the world's longest cave system has grown again.

The National Park Service says Explorers have found 6 additional miles in the mammoth cave system in Kentucky.

That means it's now 426 miles of caves.

The timing is good.

The cave system is celebrating 50 years since the discovery of caves that made Mammoth cave.

The longest cave system on Earth.

♪ When school district budgets begin to shrink.

Arts education is often one of the first programs on the chopping block access to arts.

Education has been declining steadily over the years.

But a program at Berea College is bringing art education to classrooms in some of Kentucky's underserved areas.

>> So you go under.

Under.

>> Over the craft Education outreach program at Preah College to 2012.

We're celebrating our 10th anniversary.

It's a partnership between the teachers and the craft education program and how we introduce craft into the school.

We collaborate with the teachers.

Knowing what they are teaching and we modify our craft programs to me that curriculum, it teacher would choose a a crafter program.

we would in the craft kit would borrow all the materials and all the tools they would need to that project.

And all our program is at no cost to the school.

>> And then once you've added your new string, let's KET going under and over all the way around.

>> The majority of our programs are focused in the Appalachian region.

And we work with schools from the 3rd grade to 8th grade because in the areas of eastern Kentucky that we work in.

Those are the grades that do not have a heart specialist there.

>> For poor districts, you know, or it's kind of coming or teachers kind a special thing.

You know, you don't have any really poor districts that have that.

I had 9 students that are signed to the craft.

That occasion outreach program.

>> And so the curriculum for them.

this year is to we learned the craft, the police who served me to change in the fall and the spring.

They will continue.

>> Over the summer I did.

And I'm like a small workshop with the camp was working with.

I really enjoy it because like so I'm from Appalachian Island County.

And like whenever I was in elementary school and it really hadn't our program, even though that was something that I enjoy doing.

>> When we first began 10 years ago, it was a face to face.

And right before COVID begin, we started experimenting with how to screen our programs to different places.

Now reaching far beyond that distance and we're actually spending 5 days in the classroom and were able to get more exposure to the students covered more the Appalachian History York.

I learned the craft in many different ways we do for classroom programs.

In the fall and for classroom programs in the spring and then last 2 years we've been summer art programs for Leslie County, Summer School and Spin.

>> Great.

Very good for our kids.

Very good for families and the county.

We've really reached a lot of Anything left out that had an interest in the arts the opportunity to create pottery to painting photography.

There's a lot the Arson Press outreach program offers.

And so we've got a lot of salt and we're keeping up election issue.

Key chain.

>> Our principles and design.

It's all kind of had been there and the kids.

Might not know that learning every they did that, but it's kind of within the whole cycle.

>> The education that we provide.

>> Good, everyone >> great program.

There.

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

You can subscribe to our weekly Kentucky Edition, e-mail news letter and watch full episodes and clips it PT Dot Org.

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Thanks so much for joining us.

We'll see you next time.

♪ ♪