♪ >> There has been an enormous sort of groundswell of frustration with the way social media has polluted our political discourse.

>> That's after the Charlie Kirk shooting.

Can anything be done to improve social media's toxic atmosphere?

Another Democrat wants to make the move to Washington.

>> I don't think that we would cease to exist of insects were to disappear.

But I do think that you're talking about a radically different or >> and what a decline in the bottom population means for you.

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

♪ ♪ Good Evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION for this Wednesday, September, the 17th made it to the midweek point.

>> I'm Renee Shaw and we thank you so much for winding down your Wednesday with us.

The University of Kentucky is home to the state's center for Cannabis Research.

It was established by legislation in the state House in 2022.

>> During a legislative hearing in Frankfort yesterday, the director of the UK Canada Centre gave lawmakers an update on its work which might soon include and indoor cannabis growing facility.

Our Emily Sisk has the details in Tonights legislative update.

>> The Kentucky Cannabis Center is one of 5 facilities in the country that conducts research and clinical trials on the effects of cannabis.

Currently, the center has clinical trials for patients with cancer.

Opioid use be city and more as the center director reported, they're also looking to grow their own cannabis.

>> We have an indoor growing facility set up with full security.

It's fully established.

And our application is in the final stage at DEA headquarters in Washington, D.C.. >> The DEA is the Drug Enforcement Administration which must approve the growing applications since marijuana is classified as a schedule.

One drug.

The goal of this project ultimately would be to grow cannabis for clinical trials.

And we're particularly interested in growing rare types of cannabis that we can't otherwise obtain.

If we're able to move.

>> From plant to person.

We would be literally one of the first in the world with bench to bedside capabilities.

The center is also reviewing how the increase in cannabis products like edibles.

>> Could adversely affect children.

THC is the compound in cannabis which makes users feel high.

Dr out a loan us said THC, FX, children very differently compared to adults.

>> There is a big increase nationwide, but also in Kentucky of accidental.

And that ingestion of THC, edibles like gummy bears and cookies and cannabis does not work the same way in adults and children.

Children pardon?

I have really pronounced serious prolong toxicity from Kansas.

>> Lawmakers said they were interested to hear more about potential impacts on Kentucky children.

One Senator Post a problem with the packaging of these cannabis products.

>> Is that any effort going on nationwide?

A huge this in in less attractive flee for children.

Quite the opposite.

And is there a way to address that?

Because I mean, we're actually putting things out there that look like Candy.

It's just really the wild West right now.

Unfortunately in and unfortunately, children are being exposed to this.

A Republican lawmaker said she'd be interested to look further to see what the Legislature could do about making the packaging less attractive to children.

>> We did pass a bill a couple years ago about, you know, maybe making this a legal for anybody under 21 that is supposed to be behind the counter.

They're supposed to be certain product testing with that.

And, you know, I think we could go farther to look at the packaging to make sure that it's not geared towards children, Dr about the loan.

Us said she is not aware of any pediatric deaths from THC ingestion in the state.

>> For Kentucky edition, I'm Emily Sisk communication with them.

>> Thank you.

Emily talked about the said of the they began the application for an indoor cannabis growing facility in September of last year.

They hope to hear back soon.

If the application has been accepted.

Another Democrat is in the race for the U.S.

Senate in Kentucky yesterday.

It was a former Secret Service agent, Logan Forsythe.

Well, today, its Joel Willett and ex CIA agent and his campaign announcement will it says the Trump administration revoked his security clearance because he's running for the U.S.

Senate.

>> We live in a country where the president and his director of National intelligence think they can use all their power and all their tools online shut people up.

>> We disagree with well, it is from the Louisville area.

He's denouncing the Trump tax cut bill saying it benefits the wealthy while cutting Medicaid for people who KET that hard to provide for them.

Bourbon is one of Kentucky's signature industries, but it's been a rocky year for many bourbon businesses.

>> Tariffs, declining sales and other factors are posing a number of challenges.

Kentucky Senate president says lawmakers are taking note.

>> We continue to try to do things to help.

The industry is at the state level.

Tariffs are fatally shoot.

And you know, you agree and disagree with people.

This is one of the policies I disagree with.

But I understand there's bigger picture negotiations, but hopefully that will get resolved because for 5 of our really large bourbon, distillers and manufactures are being adversely impacted by it.

Anybody that has large foreign sales, it will be impacted by that.

And so we're hoping that that goes by the wayside snow.

But if not, we're going to sit and listen as legislators to see what we can do to create the best environment for our bourbon industry to thrive.

>> President Robert Stivers comments came yesterday at the Heaven Hill Distillery in Bardstown.

He was there with the mayors of Louisville and Corbin to celebrate a special barrel of Elijah Craig bourbon.

The 2 towns came together to select a barrel for custom bottles that will be served in local restaurants.

>> The purpose of this is we have the mayor of Louisville, Craig Greenberg and the mayor of Corman says you're asked MS to the more prominent restaurants and hotels in Louisville, not in Corbin that come together to do a barrel pay for we will and corydon share in that.

This is an ATM to show people in Kentucky that.

Food and bourbon can bring us together no matter where we are in the state in Louisville.

Over time we serve a vital the when our Martin received from what I was for the review.

>> Story of eastern Kentucky in Corbin encourage them to go there and experience straight sets in.

>> At the Wrigley, we tell a story with every dish and the story is about to be a connection, which is exactly the same thing that has made bourbon country legend.

>> Louisville's Hotel the still and Marriott downtown along with Corbyn's the Wrigley will serve a limited selection bourbon.

Each bottles labeled displays the name of these establishments and the story of how urban and rural Kentucky came together for this election.

♪ According to a newly released survey, roughly 2 out of 3 Americans believe that course political rhetoric is stoking violence in America.

That's according to a Reuters Ipsos poll conducted in the days following the killing of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk, Kirk, whose political organization Turning Point USA helped mobilize young voters to support Trump in the 2024 presidential election was speaking at a college campus in Utah when he was gunned down before an outdoor audience.

While Kirk is credited with elevating civic dialogue, especially among young people.

He was also criticized for his controversial comments about minority groups.

Yesterday I talked with to pod casters in Kentucky, Sarah Stewart Hollen and Beth Silvers who've written about having, quote, Grace filled political conversations and the impact of social media.

>> Sarah, I want to come to you first, if I may and just ask you about how you would rate the America's political discourse right now, particularly given the the incidents of the last few days with the shooting death of Charlie Kirk.

Where do you see our conversations heading?

And so many people feel like it's at a point of no return when it comes to civility.

>> Well, I'm going to do something.

I don't think I usually do, which is I'm going to distinguish between online discourse and in-person discourse.

So I've had really good conversations in person with some people in my life who are both confused about the very online discourse.

That's the death of Charlie Kirk and some people who have stirred up strong opinions about >> the the fallout from that horrific act.

And while I have had strained conversations.

In my real life, they got somewhere.

And so I would rate the in life in real life conversations solid.

I don't think there's 7 the online to scores.

You can go below 0.

I think it is.

Pains.

It is incendiary.

It is on.

Bill.

Did and opaque.

And so many ways that I think has really, really.

Contributed to the conflict.

And not move the conversation forward.

So I guess before I would write anything and say which where where's the discourse?

Where's the discourse?

Where we're talking about?

Yeah, well, I think you've hit on both of those things right in real life.

IRL versus social media.

>> And Beth, Oh, I want to pivot than ask you the same question.

Where do you see it now?

And are we at a point of no return?

>> I don't think we're trying to do discourse on social media.

So I try to remember that that this isn't the same thing as having a conversation.

Her son Sam was talking about how in person you can get somewhere on to show me a doubt.

And I think that's because we aren't showing up to really engage with other people has told people we're sort of responding out of stress.

Social media is a place to put something that is rising up inside you and maybe don't feel like you have another place to put it and it really flattens a** out to each other.

So I hope that something that can come from this very tense and strained moment is a reexamination of what we're even trying to do when we pop onto Facebook or elsewhere.

I have been trying over the past couple days to post more than I ever have, which is sort of the opposite reaction when I'm on.

I would happens.

But I KET thinking, you know what, this assassination has shown me is that people are here and my people are here in my community, people from Kentucky from where I live.

People I will see at school events and at the grocery store and a church are here on Facebook and it is meaningful to them to say things to pronounce things on Facebook.

And so maybe the good that I can do in this moment is to just be there, too.

And to try to have some kind of online presence that hopefully feels a little bit more grounding and connected.

And that just tries to remind people like maybe you're denouncing all folks like me.

But here I am still and I'm reading it.

And and and you can look at this beautiful picture of my yard or something and maybe we can just try to remember each other a little bit better.

I don't think it's too far gone, but I feel like we are very sick right now.

So I'm just trying to look for the medicine.

Yeah, that's a good way of putting it back to look for the Madison, right.

As Mister Rogers was say, look for the helpers.

>> And we've talked a little bit about it, cowboy, a keyboard Cowboys, right where people can just most exercise their own form of vigilante justice through strokes of the keys.

Right.

And and some of the even said maybe we need a social media timeout.

>> That people need to chill out, calm down, not stroke.

The keyboards and just let things simmer and be more introspective and contemplative about where we are before we engage in the social media platforms.

Sarah, do you think that's a good idea or nay?

>> I would love that for all of us.

I mean, here's the thing.

You know, ask I recently I did not post on social media at all the days including Charlie Kirk's death in the days after I would get on there, I would start to type something then be like now I don't want to do this.

You can.

The day I shared something really about social media asking exactly what that said.

What are we?

What are we doing here?

And I would love it that I think there's a lot of people interested in that question.

A conversation.

But at the end of the day, these platforms are defined by an algorithm and the algorithm is not showing my moderate.

Curious post to anybody because that's not what gets clinics.

That's not what gets comments.

That's not what gets the engagement.

Instead, the algorithm a showing to me, people in my community who have been fired for post, they said or people in my community, her clean out their friend group and it's like, say, see conflict, conflict conflict.

And so every time I go on there, I'm like I just I don't know.

I want to put good things in the river.

I want to be a person that contributes.

But the the structure of the platforms themselves same too, really reward and sort of Gray's up only one type of engagement, which is something I really do want to participate in.

That's what I think is so.

Problematic and its.

And if you want to talk about this, which I think so many people do, I don't think it is a bad instructions say like man that the way take a timeout or take a bait.

What I know is someone who's been almost a lifelong journalist.

I think about the news, agnostics and atheists.

>> Who have been away from news platforms because they felt like they could and they could.

Neither see themselves are was also its doom and gloom that there were never any solutions that they felt helpless and dissent and disengage from watching news because they felt what's the point, right?

So are we there yet when it comes to social media?

I don't think so.

I mean, as much as I would love to have that time out and to say we are there >> People have to have a place to go with these feelings.

And I think until we build up more robust places within our communities to take those feelings and person.

We're going to see this.

You know, people say that they are agnostic or atheist about the news.

But then you see when events like this happened, that they are just repressing it.

They're just saving it all up.

Sarah talks about when she ran for local office, she would knock on someone's door and they would be like relieved to have someone in front of them that they could share all their opinions with.

So I think that.

The question in my mind is like, what can our civic structures?

What can our churches do?

What can book clubs do?

Welcome libraries.

Do to give people a healthier place to actually come work.

These things out.

What can we do in our families?

We say we don't like to talk politics.

And so we go to the maximal conflict on the Internet.

You know, where can we do soft to medium conflict in person to try to get better at this.

Yeah, Sarah.

>> That being said, I think the presidential candidate who says my one of my policies are going to be requiring social media platforms to go back to the timeline.

That's just the newest thing at the top.

Might we be liked or college?

I don't know.

I think that would be a really popular sort of policy to say I'm just not going to let them platform conflict than to just post whatever's new us.

If you want to dig down like we have, we used to have to in the good old days of Facebook.

We go for it.

You know.

So I think that there I have noticed a shift not just myself, but in the people around me about how they feel about social media.

In particular.

You have state after state after state banning phones in schools.

New Spencer K*** is Cox introducing this entered this legislation, too, or passes legislation in Utah to put age limits on social media.

So I think that there is a big let's shift.

I know I can feel so helpless and like nothing changes, but things do change in the conversation.

People see start to see things play out in their own life and want changes in their life as well.

Not just, you know, incendiary post on Facebook.

They want to see things improve.

They want to see things get better.

And I think there has been an enormous sort of groundswell of frustration with the way social media has polluted our political discourse and turned us into enemies.

That I say just continuing to grow and grow and grow before audience who may have missed our interview together some years back.

The book that you all wrote together.

I think you're wrong in parentheses, but I'm listening.

>> And the subtext is a guide to Grace field political conversations.

This is just as relevant now is it was when you all penned it and perhaps this can all help us as the holidays approach have some very civil peace fall holiday gatherings as we know that these conversations well still be simmering and some form.

Sarah and Beth, thank you so very much for your time today.

And we really enjoyed talking with you about this.

>> Thank you so much.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> Kentucky has one of the highest rates of child abuse and neglect in the country.

This week, hundreds of groups came together to share resources, collaborate and educate themselves on preventing child abuse.

Arma.

Kansas Bank has more on ways.

The state is improving and where progress still needs to be made.

>> For 29 years, the kids are worth.

That conference has brought professionals from across the state to boost awareness and education on how to KET Kentucky kids safe from abuse and neglect.

We've got.

>> A law enforcement about social workers.

We've got school folks from the family resource and youth service centers.

We've got some medical representatives.

>> Jill, see Fred executive director of Prevent Child Abuse.

Kentucky has been here for all 29 conferences.

She says Kentucky has made progress in preventing abuse before it happens.

One of the areas that we are doing a better job they love making sure that we pay attention to being upstream.

Make sure that before they enter like the foster care system for the juvenile justice system that we provide the resources that they need in order to, you know, stay within the family in a safe and nurturing way.

>> Governor Beshear was one of the keynote speakers at the event.

He echoed the success of Kentucky's prevention initiatives celebrating the opening of the Upstream Academy, which was announced earlier this year.

>> It is a program that trains at least one person, each count to recognize the spot and then they turn that are out there for children.

>> Governor Beshear also celebrated the work Kentucky State Police has done in protecting children online since 2019 Ksp has arrested more than 300 online predators for crimes against children.

He also gave an update on K S P's canine unit which can detect hidden electronic storage devices.

>> They received national recognition of their ability to together.

Maybe you can help the rest $129.

How about that?

>> Despite the state's progress and keeping children safe.

Seaford says there's still work to do, especially in the digital space >> just the attorney general's office alone, the referrals that they have gotten have surpassed what they've received last year.

Seaford says the responsibility to KET children safe.

>> Lies in the hands of all Kentucky INS.

Our focus is making sure that everyone knows that it's the power of one, meaning that every one of us, each one of us has the opportunity to change the life of a child.

Kentucky state police and prevent child Abuse.

Kentucky have partnered to develop and distribute free materials for parents on subjects like cyberbullying and online, sexual extortion for Kentucky edition.

I'm McKenzie spent.

>> Thank you.

McKenzie.

This year, the Kentucky General Assembly passed Senate Bill 73 which explicitly defines sextortion as a crime increases penalties and mandate school education and reporting procedures.

♪ >> A new study out shows insect populations are declining even when people on around the bog them.

>> Researchers studied and insect population in a meadow in a remote area and the Colorado Mountains for a 20 year period over that time period.

The population declined by more than 70% without direct interference from human bangs.

We asked one of the state's leading entomologists about the study and why it has many in this field buzzing.

>> I don't think that we would cease to exist of insects were to disappear.

But I do think that you're talking about a radically different or at that point.

You're talking about a place that that would be almost unrecognizable.

We need in sex because in a lot of the food webs, the ecosystems that are around us, insects are part of the foundation plans really lay the whole foundation for everything that kind of exist within the food web.

But if you start to dig into it, one step up from those plants is usually a whole host of insects.

I would say broadly, when I've talked to experts, I want to be interviewed them for podcast.

Some things about insect decline.

They generally are saying things like we've seen a decline of 60 to 70% of the insect biomass over the last 50 years or so for some specific groups.

There are papers that seem to show greater greater loss, ranging from 70 up and the study they were talking.

And in terms of the 70 percentile range and some of these reductions, so pretty steep.

3 fourths, almost a full life that they were being set was being studied specifically in this paper is being reduced at the small location.

The study was very specifically about this kind of low mountainous area in Colorado, but it also supports some of the evidence that is seen in other areas.

So this paper was very impactful because it has that 30 years worth of data to make comparisons with.

But if we do have that, it's harder to make these kinds of statements.

One of the big it's a highlight items of this particular study is that this is a look at an area that's otherwise kind of undisturbed by human interference.

Some of the other work that's been published on this.

It looks at Agro ecosystem.

So fields of corn and soybeans and things like that or places where urbanization is expanding.

But this seems to be a pristine habitat and SEC should be doing fine and what we're what they show in this paper, at least is that that doesn't seem to be the case.

And that means that there are some other effects that are seeping into this area.

So what could those be?

It could be a whole host of different things.

But the one the publication seems to arrive at the strongest is that these effects, that climate change might be inducing on the planet may be driving some of these factors that are reducing these insect populations, changing the climate there to be less suitable to them.

This is a very specific type of ecosystem with very specific parameters, things that live there would have adopted to those specific parameters and any sort of change or per patient in that it's going to make it harder for them to be able to survive.

There.

>> The study can be found in this month's issue of the journal Ecology.

A single American flag is traveling.

76 miles through Kentucky today, Marines are relying the flag by foot.

See how Kentucky Marines are honoring Constitution Day.

That's tomorrow on Kentucky edition.

And we hope to see you then.

We thank you so much for watching tonight.

And you can always KET in touch with us on Facebook, X, formerly known as Twitter and Instagram to stay in the loop.

I'm Renee Shaw.

We'll see you again tomorrow night.

Take good care.

♪