Five Things to Know Today
Good morning! Sorry this Forward Five is late; it is taking longer to scan the news for the “five things you need to know,” and there were a number of stories to edit or update on the site, all of which are listed below (either in the Five Things section or the featured list below it).
In addition to the new posts, I’ve got a few announcements this morning:
- We are dropping the metered paywall for the time being. Thus, everyone can read all the stories, whether they are a logged-in member or not. It is important for all our readers to be able to get the information they need, especially now.
- We are putting together a coronavirus resource page, that should go live later today. The page will have links to important resources both from the state and from elsewhere.
- And, we are beginning a push to encourage people to support their news sources by subscribing or joining, including local newspapers, public radio stations, the Courier-Journal and the Herald-Leader, and of course Forward Kentucky. You’ll see inserts in our stories and our emails starting tomorrow.
And finally, I want to invite you to check out our new live video show on Fridays, The State of Kentucky. We are streaming a live show to Facebook and YouTube, with guests and other features. Tomorrow’s show includes Secretary of State Michael Adams, to talk about mail-in voting, and Charles Booker, candidate for U.S. Senate. You can watch the show live on either medium, or catch it later as the recording will be available as soon as we are finished. The audio is also being posted as a podcast episode, so if you listen to podcasts, be sure to subscribe.
Lots going on! But above all, stay informed, and take care of yourselves. As Gov. Beshear says, we’re going to get through this.
Bruce Maples, publisher
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Beshear says next 2-3 weeks “critical” — 3/25 update
Trying to keep up with the CV news? Here is the summary from KY Health News of Gov. Beshear’s update from 3/25, along with the complete video. Read the story to get the important points in a bullet format. (Forward Kentucky)
As COVID-19 cases spike, Kentucky General Assembly to return to business as usual Thursday
The KY legislature returns to work Thursday with a full slate of meetings and bills — one of the few that hasn’t postponed work in light of the pandemic. (Forward Kentucky)
Drive-by protest planned for today in Frankfort
As the General Assembly resumes a regular schedule of committee meetings and bills, a “drive-by protest” is planned to let the legislators know that they need to honor our democracy by not passing legislation while citizens are locked out of the capitol. (Forward Kentucky)
Substitute teachers, independent contractors and more now can file for unemployment in Kentucky
Substitute teachers in Kentucky can now file for unemployment as schools remain closed due to the coronavirus, as can other independent contractors. (Courier-Journal)
Gov. Beshear stops evictions, limits operations of more ‘non-life-sustaining’ businesses
The order calls for employees of professional services — such as law and accounting firms — to do as much work as possible remotely. (Courier-Journal)
Bonus story
The Coronavirus Explained (video)
Here’s a short (8 minutes) video that does a great job explaining the COVID-19 virus: what it is, how it spreads, how it attacks the body, and how to deal with it. Good science presented through animation. Appropriate for both school-age children and adults. (Forward Kentucky)
Reminder
Not all stories on Forward Kentucky make it to the top “Five Things” section of the Forward Five! Many stories only show up in the yellow section below, which is a running list of pretty much everything published. So, be sure to scan the lower section each day as well, so you don’t miss anything.
Did you miss any of these?
Featured Content on Forward Kentucky
([new] indicates new since last Forward Five; 🔥 indicates lots of reads)
News
[new] 🔥 Bill would limit gov’s powers during health emergency – Rep. Maddox’s floor amendment to HB 322 would restrict executive orders, and would allow persons affected by an order to sue the state. (read)
[new] Non-life-sustaining biz must end in-person traffic; violator hotline got 2,000 calls – Summary of Gov. Beshear’s press conference on Tuesday, 3/24. Additional steps include having businesses that don’t “sustain life” end in-person traffic. (read)
[new] A day in the life of an ER doc — a brief dispatch from the coronavirus front lines – A Twitter thread from an emergency room doctor dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, showing us what a day is like. Plus, some responses to the article. (read)
🔥 Northern Kentucky mayor’s blunt coronavirus message: ‘It’s a big f***ing deal’ – No one will mistake Mayor Gabe Brown with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear. The two have the same message about the coronavirus, but their delivery is a little different. (read)
🔥 Concern about coronavirus depends on age and political party – Coronavirus concern has risen dramatically across Kentucky in the past month. But that rise varies dramatically by age and party. Let’s take a look. (read)
Commentary
[new] Andy’s rockin’ — Matt’s chuggin’ (Maalox?) – Other states are making offers for our gov, while our former gov is getting ratioed on Twitter. Berry Craig does the comparison and includes the offers. 😊
🔥 Rand Paul’s ‘me first’ mentality exposed the US Senate to coronavirus – It’s hard to image a U.S. Senate headed by Mitch McConnell being more toxic than it already was, but congratulations Rand. You did it. (read)
Media
[live show] SOK Show: Mike Broihier, Dustin Pugel – On this week’s “The State of Kentucky,” we welcome Mike Broihier, candidate for U.S. Senate. Then we talk with Dustin Pugel of KCEP about the state budgets, and what the GA should be doing about the coronavirus crisis. (watch)
[podcast] Coronavirus and Kentucky – Jazmin and Robert practice social distancing by recording from their individual homes while discussing Kentucky’s response to coronavirus and its impact on elections and the legislature. (listen)
PubBlog
Please ignore Trump’s advice on this – No matter how you may feel about the Trump presidency, this is one time when the response to his instruction is clear: Ignore him. (read)
Posts with Most Social Media Shares in Past Fourteen Days
(🔥 indicates post with surge of recent shares)
- Here’s what made the Trump admin take the coronavirus seriously (3,000+ shares)
- Kentucky vs. Tennessee on coronavirus may be the best example of ‘elections matter’ in decades (3,000+ shares)
- Massie blasts coronavirus precautions; opponents blast Massie for comments (2,000+ shares)
- 🔥 Bill would limit gov’s powers during health emergency (872 shares)
- Broihier releases hard-hitting ad against #CoronaMitch (585 shares)
- KYforKY unveils new state seal (501 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.
