by Rae Ellen Bichell, NPR – When lead was taken out of products like paint and gasoline, levels of the metal in the blood of U.S. children dropped. But the American Academy of Pediatrics says the problem is not over. “Most existing lead standards fail to protect children,” members of the AAP’s environmental health council report in…
by JACK BRAMMER, jbrammer@herald-leader.com – Two members of the former Kentucky Retirement Systems Board of Trustees are suing Gov. Matt Bevin, claiming Bevin did not have the authority to remove board chairman Thomas Elliott of Jefferson County from the panel. Elliott and board member Mary Helen Peter filed the lawsuit Friday in Franklin Circuit Court. They are…
by RYLAND BARTON – Over the past few days, top Republicans have given hints that they are considering some gun control measures in the wake of the mass-shooting at a gay nightclub in Orlando. That’s a sea change for GOP leaders who have typically blocked any new restrictions on gun ownership, citing Second Amendment rights. The chief proposals include…
by Nick Storm, @NickStorm_cn2 – A new court filing in the ongoing vote-buying case in Magoffin County names sitting state House Rep. John Short, D-Mallie, as having taken part in the scheme in 2012. The new filing details a vote-buying scheme in the eastern Kentucky area dating from 2002 to 2012. The filing includes sworn testimony from an…
by JACK BRAMMER, jbrammer@herald-leader.com – FRANKFORT — Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin spoke this past weekend at a Utah retreat organized by Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican presidential nominee who has been one of the most outspoken critics of Donald Trump. The fourth annual “Experts and Enthusiasts Summit,” held mostly behind closed doors at the five-star Stein Eriksen Lodge Deer…
by ROB CANNING & THE ASSOCIATED PRESS – The leader of a gay rights group in Kentucky has asked officials to consider providing more security at places that cater to the gay community after the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. Fairness Campaign Director Chris Hartman says that it would be prudent to take extra precautions. His request…
by ASSOCIATED PRESS – Kentucky Attorney General Andy Beshear has been named co-chairman of a group of law enforcement officials that battles substance abuse. Beshear will serve on the Substance Abuse Committee of the National Association of Attorneys General. A release from the Attorney General’s office says the committee works with law enforcement, prosecutors and community…
by LINDA BLACKFORD, lblackford@herald-leader.com – A University of Kentucky foundation has violated Kentucky’s Open Records Act by failing to provide documents to Attorney General Andy Beshear’s office for review, that office has ruled. Former medical student Lachin Hatemi had requested audits from the Kentucky Medical Services Foundation, which denied his request. The Attorney General’s office has previously ruled…
by The Associated Press – FRANKFORT, KY. — Seven Kentucky schools have received transportation grants in the latest round, allowing more than 2,000 students to visit a state park. The Kentucky Parks Department says in a news release the grant program is sponsored by the Kentucky State Park Foundation. The program allows schools to seek grants to…
By Erica Peterson – A survey has found some interesting takeaways about Kentuckians’ attitudes toward climate change, including that the biggest influence on beliefs may be political affiliation rather than scientific knowledge. There have been numerous studies about attitudes toward climate change around the country, but very few have looked at Kentucky specifically. For her master’s thesis at…