News

A judge has ordered Kentucky’s Cabinet for Health and Family Services to explain why it refuses to release certain information in child death and near death records, which has been a long-fought battle between the Cabinet and the media.

Since 2011 the Courier Journal and the Lexington Herald Leader have been in court with the Cabinet over two years worth of child abuse records.

“From the beginning they have felt the public was not entitled to anything. They continue to lose that fight," says attorney Jon Fleischaker who represents the media in the case.

Today at 1:00 on Byline…

Rick Howlett will talk to Kentucky Public Radio's Kenny Colston about Governor Steve Beshear's decision to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.

For more than 40  years, I’ve been reading books professionally, as a frequent critic and later as book editor of the state’s largest newspaper. In those roles, I have had a ringside seat to observe some of the best books to be published in the last half of the 20th century—as well as a lot of the less-than-great books during that period. When you comb through thousands of books every year, you have a challenge. What, if any, of these shall I read? How will I find the time?

On the eve of the release of a new Great Gatsby film, WFPL's Jonathan Bastian hosted a news special on the film looking at the city's role in the great novel. Veteran Louisville journalist Keith Runyon discussed what Louisville would have been like when F. Scott Fitzgerald was in town and WFPL arts reporter Erin Keane went in search of a Louisville house connected to the novel. Later, Keane, Jonathan and The Courier-Journal's Matt Frassica discussed more about the novel.

Listen below:

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell questioned Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear's long-awaited decision to expand Medicaid coverage under the president's health care law, arguing it will expose Kentuckians to increasing costs.

As Kentucky Public Radio's Kenny Colston reports, Beshear, a Democrat, announced the state's Medicaid program will extend coverage to over 300,000 Kentuckians under the Affordable Care Act or what opponents calls Obamacare.

This means the state's Medicaid rolls will extend to more low-income and poor people who are below 138 percent of the federal poverty line.

The governor called it the right thing to do, and the decision was praised by fellow Democrats and health advocacy groups.

However, Kentucky's senior senator warned the extension will be costly for residents and hurt small businesses.

"Given Kentucky’s struggles to finance its current Medicaid program and the uncertainty of future federal funding, I am surprised the governor would make this decision to further implement Obamacare and expose the commonwealth’s taxpayers to more open ended expenses they cannot afford," McConnell said in a statement.

Kentucky Senator Rand Paul has introduced three amendments to a bill before the Senate that environmental groups say would gut protections for the environment.

Challenging the out-of-date idea that libraries are only quiet places for reading and research, the Louisville Free Public Library brings its How-To Festival back for a second year. The library will present experts on everything from Bollywood dancing to gardening Saturday at this popular community learning event. 

The short classes range from quick practical tutorials, like how to tie a bow tie or sing the national anthem, to introductions to larger projects, like backyard chicken farming and going back to college as an adult.

It's not just Medicaid that's expanding in Kentucky…the Bourbon Trail is growing, too.

When it opens later this year, the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience on West Main Street will become the eight stop on the popular tourist attraction. The facility will be a working distillery with additional features to draw more visitors.