Kentucky governor's efforts to help storm-ravaged towns may dilute GOP advantage in rural areas
The time Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, has spent helping disaster-stricken places in the state like Mayfield rebuild could be a key to his reelection bid against Republican challenger Daniel Cameron, the state’s attorney general.
Labor group requests ethics probe of Kentucky GOP gubernatorial candidate over campaign solicitation
A labor group has requested an ethics investigation of Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron for soliciting and accepting campaign donations from a drug treatment organization under scrutiny by his office.
911 calls show chaotic moments during Kentucky bank shooting
Frantic calls from witnesses reporting a mass shooting at a Louisville bank were released by police, including one from a woman who was on a virtual meeting and saw the shooter, as well as one from the man’s mother, who told a 911 operator that her son “currently has a gun and is heading toward” the bank.
Crises forge Beshear's role as Kentucky's consoler in chief
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear's first term in office has been dominated by one deadly crisis after another: the global COVID-19 pandemic, tornadoes that killed scores of people in western Kentucky and floodwaters in Appalachia that left dozens more Kentuckians dead.
In wake of floods, typical barbs at Kentucky political event
While Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear was consoling families displaced by historic flooding in the mountains of eastern Kentucky, Republicans at the state’s premier political event on the other side of the state were campaigning to oust him from office in 2023.
Planning questions emerge at tornado-destroyed candle plant
The Mayfield Consumer Products factory was the third-biggest employer in this corner of western Kentucky, an important economic engine that churned out candles that lined the shelves of malls around the U.S. But why its Friday night-shift workers kept making candles as a ferocious tornado bore down on the region remains unknown as rescuers continue scouring the wreckage of the plant for signs of life.
Kentucky tornado toll in dozens; less than feared at factory
Eight people are confirmed dead at a Kentucky candle factory that was hit by a tornado and another eight remain missing, but dozens more have been accounted for, a company spokesman said Sunday, raising hope that the toll from a Midwest twister outbreak won’t be as high as first feared.
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Kentucky ties to Baptist kids agency at risk over gay rights
A cultural clash pitting religious beliefs against gay rights has jeopardized Kentucky’s long-running relationship with a foster care and adoption agency affiliated with the Baptist church that serves some of the state’s most vulnerable children.
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Post Hill Press goes on with book by officer in Taylor raid
The publisher of memoir by a Louisville police officer who fired at Breonna Taylor after being shot during the deadly raid on Taylor’s apartment says it will release the book even though its distributor, Simon & Schuster, announced it would “not be involved.”.
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GOP governors ignore Biden's latest plea on mask mandates
But Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchison announced Tuesday he is dropping the state’s mask mandate immediately, a day earlier than previously announced. Gretchen Whitmer to ask whether the White House has considered surging additional vaccines to states with rapidly increasing infection rates. Kay Ivey intends for her state’s mask mandate to end on April 9 as planned, though she urged people to wear masks as a matter of personal responsibility. Eric Holcomb, to reconsider dropping the state’s mask mandate.
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Court to hear bid for new defense of Kentucky abortion law
The underlying issue in the case, to be heard in the fall, is a blocked Kentucky law that abortion rights supporters say would have effectively banned a standard abortion method in the second trimester of pregnancy. AdFive days later, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 to strike down an unrelated Louisiana law regulating abortion clinics. But Cameron, who became attorney general in 2019, said the reasoning used by the high court called into question the ruling against the Kentucky law. The appeals court, however, rejected his efforts to intervene, prompting his appeal to the Supreme Court. In February, Kentucky's Republican-led legislature gave Cameron the power to seek civil and criminal penalties for any violation of Kentucky’s abortion laws.
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Kentucky governor wants to move on from impeachment effort
The committee wrapped up its review of a flurry of impeachment efforts targeting the top levels of Kentucky government in Frankfort. It recommended that the governor and the state's Republican attorney general — another impeachment target — not face removal from office. AdThe panel’s recommendation that no further action be taken on petitions against Beshear and Cameron will be submitted to the Republican-dominated House. Beshear touched on the issue in urging lawmakers to put the impeachment effort to rest. The House Impeachment Committee reached its decision late Tuesday after the latest in a series of long meetings, mostly behind closed doors.
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6 killed in 130-vehicle pileup on icy Texas interstate
Humberto Torres spreads ice melting pellets on the steps of an office building Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021, in Richardson, Texas. A winter storm brought a coating of ice to parts of Texas. “The roadway was so treacherous from the ice that several of the first responders were falling on the scene,” Zavadsky said. AdIn suburban Austin, more than two dozen vehicles were involved in a pileup on an icy highway, and five people were taken to a hospital, emergency officials said. He said some areas that don't normally get snowfall will likely see heavy amounts over the next several days.
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Impeachment fever hits Kentucky with efforts to oust leaders
FILE - In this Sept. 23, 2020 file photo, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron addresses the media following the return of a grand jury investigation into the death of Breonna Taylor, in Frankfort, Ky. Impeachment fever has struck Kentucky. It's a card rarely played in any serious way in the Bluegrass State, though Kentucky has had its share of provocative elected officials. Kentucky law requires the speaker to send impeachment petitions to a committee but doesn’t require it to take any action. Beshear vowed not to be intimidated then, and he's taken the same stance on the impeachment petition. An impeachment trial is held in the Senate, where the votes of two-thirds of senators present are required for conviction.
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The Latest: Coronavirus cases keep rising in South Korea
(AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea has added 1,092 new coronavirus cases in a resurgence that is erasing hard-won epidemiological gains and eroding public confidence in the government’s ability to handle the outbreak. It would deliver long-sought cash to businesses and individuals and resources to vaccinate a nation confronting a frightening surge in COVID-19 cases and deaths. Preliminary data on U.S. deaths show the coronavirus pandemic contributing to a 15% or more increase in deaths over last year. ___MEXICO CITY — Mexican officials have reported a new daily high in confirmed coronavirus cases as the country awaits its first shipment of vaccine. ___WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. — The Navajo Nation is reporting 151 new coronavirus cases and seven more deaths related to COVID-19.
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High court denies Kentucky religious school's plea to reopen
Scott Applewhite)WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to block an order by Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear that bars in-person K-12 education until early January in areas hard hit by COVID-19, rejecting a plea from a private religious school. Gorsuch noted that the governor issued a separate order allowing “virtually all other in-person activities to continue with only capacity restrictions. A district court agreed, blocking the order, but the federal appeals court in Cincinnati, Ohio, allowed Beshear's order to remain in effect. Speaking at a news conference in Kentucky around the time the court ruled, he said: “In no way were religious schools treated any differently, we asked everybody to make the same sacrifice.”Kentucky continues to reel from the pandemic.
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The Latest: India capital has its worst 1-day virus caseload
India reports 36,470 new coronavirus cases, the lowest in more than three months in a continuing downward trend. NEW DELHI — India’s tally of confirmed coronavirus cases is moving closer to 8 million, with 43,893 new cases reported for the latest 24-hour period. The total reported Wednesday includes the highest single-day number of cases for the Indian capital of New Delhi — 4,853. He says confirmed coronavirus cases are overwhelmingly the result of community transmission, noting that 92% of officially confirmed infections can’t be traced to a known case. Italy’s total confirmed cases rose to 564,778 and the death toll reached 37,700.
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The Latest: India's daily infections at lowest in 3 months
(AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)NEW DELHI — Authorities in India are reporting 36,470 newly confirmed coronavirus infections — that’s the lowest one-day tally in more than three months in a continuing downward trend. The case number reported Tuesday is the lowest since India had 35,065 newly confirmed infections on July 17. The seven-day average for daily COVID-19 deaths has also been climbing from 12 to 22 over the past 10 days. ___ROME — Italy registered slightly more than 17,000 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Monday. Italy’s total of known coronavirus infections during the pandemic now stands at 542,789.
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Virus spikes have officials looking to shore up hospitals
“We are now going back to our plans about capacity in hospitals, looking — if we have to — at hotel options and the use of state parks,” Gov. And public health officials will no longer notify close contacts of people who tested positive; instead those individuals will be instructed to self-notify their close contacts and direct them to the department’s website. Kevin Stitt and state health officials launched a new plan to handle a surge in the number of people hospitalized due to the coronavirus. Meanwhile, Wyoming health officials have reported the number of people hospitalized with the virus has increased to 73, the highest since the pandemic started in March. Health officials say the increase mirrors an increase of newly confirmed COVID-19 cases reported across the state since late September.
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The Latest: China carries out 4.2 million tests in Qingdao
It wasn’t immediately clear whether any of those involved cases reported in Qingdao. ___DENVER — Colorado is experiencing another surge of coronavirus cases and hospitalizations, prompting Gov. Michigan had 89 new cases per 1 million people per day, up from 81.6 cases last week, the health department said. After two days of no virus-related deaths, the latest numbers on Tuesday bring the statewide confirmed case total to more than 226,000 and the 5,767 confirmed deaths. With 80 new deaths confirmed in the past 24 hours, the death toll rose to 33,204.
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The Latest: 3 million tested for coronavirus in Chinese city
The National Health Commission numbers released Tuesday reported a total of 30 new virus cases in the previous 24 hours nationwide. ___AUSTIN, Texas -- An ongoing wave of COVID-19 cases in the El Paso area prompted Gov. Since Friday, the state added 2,055 new confirmed and probable coronavirus cases, an increase of 3.1%, to bring the total for the pandemic to 67,862. Conley says in a fresh update released Monday that Trump tested negative for COVID-19 on consecutive days using a newer 15-minute test. The project will produce 50 million swabs per month and is funded by a $51.2 million coronavirus relief grant announced by U.S. Sen. Susan Collins in August.
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The Latest: S. Korea reports 97 new coronavirus cases
Women peel potatoes outside a snack bar amid the new coronavirus pandemic in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Friday, Oct. 9, 2020. — Queen Elizabeth II honors the work of doctors, nurses, delivery drivers, fundraisers and volunteers during the coronavirus pandemic. The health department on Sunday reported 613 new cases for a total of 92,833 confirmed and probable cases. ___BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — Slovakia is imposing new restrictive measures in hopes of curbing a surge in coronavirus infections. This past week, Slovakia reported new highs for confirmed coronavirus cases for four straight days, with a record 1,887 Friday.
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The Latest: Michigan issues mask requirement, other measures
(Michigan Office of the Governor via AP, File)LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan’s health department issued a mask requirement and other coronavirus restrictions Monday, just days after the state Supreme Court invalidated a 75-year-old emergency powers law that underpinned Gov. ___FRANKFORT, Ky. -- Now that he’s become infected with the coronavirus, President Donald Trump needs to set a “better example” during the pandemic, and he should start by always wearing a mask in public, Kentucky Gov. The Democratic governor said these changes to his coronavirus restrictions will be included in the latest emergency order he intends to release later this week. “Upon learning of the president’s positive COVID-19 test, we immediately enacted a 14-day quarantine for all staff who worked the party. Hancock’s statement came after the weekend disclosure that a total of 15,841 virus cases weren’t tabulated from Sept. 25 to Oct. 2.
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The Latest: COVID-19 outbreak on ship off Australia's coast
(AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)PERTH, Australia — Authorities are concerned by a COVID-19 outbreak aboard a cargo ship off Australia's northwest coast that has infected most of the crew. The Bluegrass State had nearly 5,000 coronavirus cases last week — the most in a single week since the pandemic began, Gov. In recent weeks, Kentucky has repeatedly set record highs for weekly virus cases. New York has reported just over 11,500 new coronavirus infections over the past two weeks. Italy added 1,494 coronavirus infections and 16 deaths to its confirmed COVID toll Monday, in line with its daily increase for the past few weeks.
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The Latest: Police use chemical agents on Atlanta protesters
Protesters have been marching through the streets, scuffles have broken out between police and protesters, and some demonstrators were arrested. The protesters had gathered there to protest a grand jury’s decision to not indict police officers on criminal charges directly related to Taylor’s death. Chanting “Say her name, Breonna Taylor,” the crowd then started marching in downtown Brooklyn, past onlookers and honking cars. Trump said he didn’t know enough about the grand jury’s decision to comment specifically. ___4:35 p.m.WASHINGTON — Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris was noncommittal in her initial response to the grand jury's decision in the Breonna Taylor case.
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Kentucky election laws draw court challenge amid virus
The groups argued in a federal lawsuit that state election laws requiring photo IDs and limiting absentee voting put people at greater risk of exposure to the virus. Kentucky is one of many states where fights over absentee voting have emerged amid debate over how fast to reopen. Andy Beshear has opened Kentucky’s primary election to widespread mail-in absentee voting, relaxing election procedures to try to protect people amid the coronavirus outbreak. The suit challenges another part of state election law regarding absentee voting. It claims the narrow allowances for absentee voting will force most Kentuckians to go to polling places in November, jeopardizing their health.

Angry about no pay, Kentucky miners block coal train
WYMT via CNN(CNN) - Miners on Tuesday blocked the tracks of a coal train in Kentucky for a second straight day as part of a standoff between a coal company that filed for bankruptcy and left nearly 400 workers without work and pay for a month. Dozens of miners began showing up to block the tracks -- angry that they mined the coal, but didn't get paid for the work. Miners occupied their time playing cornhole on the train tracks; other times, they took turns forming a human chain to make sure the train could not move. "We get our money, this load of coal that's on this train can go by," miner Shane Smith told WYMT. He said many members of the community were pitching in to support the miners by bring food, water and chairs.