Five Things to Know Today
Booker calls for Trump’s impeachment and removal from office
Rep. Charles Booker, who just announced his exploratory committee for the U.S. Senate race in 2020, today called for the impeachment and removal from office of President Trump. (Forward Kentucky)
Related: How McConnell and his 2020 challengers did (or didn’t) react to the Sondland testimony – Includes statements from McConnell, McGrath, and Broihier. (Courier-Journal)
Massie is lone No vote on ‘Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act’
On Wednesday, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky was the only NO vote on a bill supporting human rights and democracy in Hong Kong. The bill had already passed the Senate with bipartisan sponsors and support, and passed the House 417-1. Post on our site includes summary of the bill. (Forward Kentucky)
Photographer who opposes gay marriage sues over Louisville’s Fairness Ordinance
A Louisville photographer who opposes same-sex marriage has sued the city, saying the Fairness Ordinance violates her constitutional rights.
The suit from Chelsey Nelson, owner of Chelsey Nelson Photography, names Louisville Metro Government and the Louisville Metro Human Relations Commission Enforcement among its defendants. Her attorneys include lawyers from Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian nonprofit that says it defends religious freedom. (Courier-Journal)
‘Rally for Impeachment’ this Friday in Louisville
This Friday, MoveOn and the UofL Young Dems are rallying to send Pres. Trump and our senators a clear message: No one is above the law. Full information on the rally, including links to RSVP, are in the story on our site. (Forward Kentucky)
Pro-impeachment group goes after Mitch McConnell with new TV ad in Kentucky
Need to Impeach, a group seeking to remove President Donald Trump from office, published a new TV ad Wednesday that targets Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in Kentucky. The 30-second ad comes a week after Need to Impeach launched a billboard campaign in Washington, D.C., telling “Moscow Mitch” to “Do Your Duty or Lose Your Job,” and is in line with the organization’s efforts to impeach Trump.
Need to Impeach will spend $40,000 on the ad during its first week on air, primarily in the Northern Kentucky and greater Cincinnati area television market. (Courier-Journal)
Did you miss any of these?
Featured Content on Forward Kentucky
([new] indicates new since last Forward Five; 🔥 indicates lots of reads)
News
[new] Report: 2020 census count could affect KY progress on child well-being – KY Youth Advocates have released their “Kids Count” report, and they want to remind you: the census count will affect the benefits your community receives. (read)
[new] State rep Stone retiring after this term – Rep. Wilson Stone (D-Scottsville) has officially announced his retirement from politics after more than a decade in the state House of Representatives. (read)
[new] ‘The citizens who elected you to the board are afraid of you’ – At the meeting of the Anderson County school board, Terri Carter shared comments about the board’s lack of response to people’s concerns. (read)
Rand Paul criticizes Trump impeachment push – Senator Rand Paul continues to support President Trump, to oppose the impeachment process, and to call for the whistleblower to testify. (read)
He wasn’t their first pick, but Democrats now backing Josh Hicks to face Andy Barr – It appears the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has settled on a candidate to run against U.S. Rep. Andy Barr (R-Lexington) in 2020: Josh Hicks. (read)
Advocates breathe easier as benefits task force makes only minor recommendations – A legislative task force that had sparked fears of drastic cuts to public aid in Kentucky, such as Medicaid and food stamps, ended its work Monday with only a few minor recommendations and no proposed changes to state law. (read)
Commentary
[new] ‘Grim Reaper’ asking for civility is akin to pot calling kettle black – Irony lives: McConnell, the self-proclaimed “Grim Reaper,” is calling for the country to “learn how to behave better and be able to disagree without anger.” (read)
Hawpe: ‘Beshear will move carefully’ – In an interview with Berry Craig, veteran Kentucky journalist David Hawpe doubts Andy Beshear will look to Matt Bevin as a role model. “I think … Beshear will move carefully. His father worked quietly and cooperatively, when possible, with such Republican leaders as Senate President Robert Stivers, whose calm, deliberate, respectful approach to leadership has been in drastic contrast to the approach taken on the first floor of the Capitol for the last four years.” (read)
🔥‘Some blogger from Louisville’ – When someone referred to ForwardKY as “just some blogger from Louisville,” I laughed. But then I thought, perhaps we should clear that up. (read)
🔥Why McConnell should be scared – Chris Hughes thinks Beshear’s election shows many reasons why McConnell should be scared. Here are his five reasons McConnell should be worried for 2020. (read)
Cartoon
[new] Facebook 1984 – Jen Sorensen lays out the history and possible future of Facebook. (view)
Media
[new] Barr challenger Josh Hicks releases campaign launch video – Veteran, former police officer, and lawyer Josh Hicks is challenging Andy Barr for Congress in Kentucky’s Sixth District. Today, Hicks released his campaign launch video, entitled “Be Somebody.” (view)
[photo gallery] Recanvass – ‘Our numbers are the same. Our calculators are different.’ – Want to see how a recanvass works? Nick Lacy went to the Boyle County recanvass, and captured the process in a series of photos. (vew)
[podcast] Election fallout and U.S. Senate updates – Robert and Jazmin explain all the fallout from the 2019 election, including the Repubs in the legislature, as well as updates to the Senate 2020 race. (listen)
Posts with Most Social Media Shares in Past Fourteen Days
( 🔥indicates post with surge of recent shares)
- ‘Absurd’ and ‘ridiculous’: What officials, experts say about Bevin’s voter fraud claims (2,000 shares)
- Alison Lundergan Grimes: Bevin should ‘honor’ election result and help Beshear transition (955 shares)
- Thousands of Twitter ‘bots’ targeted Kentucky with fake news on election night (904 shares)
- Matt Bevin lost the Kentucky governor’s race because he’s a jerk. Good riddance! (808 shares)
- 🔥 Massie is lone No vote on ‘Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act’ (732 shares)
The Forward 5 is published Monday to Friday by Forward Kentucky, an independent media organization focused on progressive news and issues in Kentucky, and is re-posted with permission. You can sign up for the email version of the newsletter on their website.
