Five Things to Know Today
Good morning! Hope your Memorial Day was just what you needed … AND that you were safe while doing or not doing whatever you did or didn’t do. 😁
But, whatever your Memorial Day was like, the news kept on happening. I want to just bullet-list some things for you to know and/or read.
- TODAY is the last day to register to vote or change your registration if you want to vote in the primary. Go to GoVoteKY.com to take care of it.
- AND, you can now request your absentee ballot online! Just go to GoVoteKY.com and it’s the first choice in the menu. (And yes, you should share that site address with as many people as you can.)
- The big news over the weekend, of course, was the protest in Frankfort where they hung Governor Beshear in effigy, then marched on the governor’s mansion. Story below includes pix and responses.
- OUR big news is that two of our contributors have books coming out! Very cool. Story is below.
- There are more new stories than usual, so be sure to check out all the [New] articles in the bottom section.
- The latest edition of The State of Kentucky featured a group of former Homeland Security and National Security veterans who have endorsed Joe Biden. Watch it using the link below.
- And finally – even though Memorial Day was yesterday, if you haven’t read the reflection piece “On Memorial Day,” take a moment and read it. It’s one of the more real things I’ve read this year.
Oh, and in case you were wondering, I got my COVID-19 test results. The test was negative. 👍
Keep wearing your masks. Keep social distancing. Get tested. It’s all part of getting through this, together. #TeamKentucky
Bruce Maples, publisher
(Send feedback ● Send tips)
Protesters hang Beshear in effigy; condemnations follow
At a protest in Frankfort on Sunday, some of those present hung Governor Andy Beshear in effigy, then marched from the Capitol to the governor’s mansion and demanded that Beshear come out and face them. Condemnations from across the political spectrum followed. (Forward Kentucky)
Two new books from Forward Kentucky writers
I continue to be grateful for the team we have at Forward Kentucky, and proud of the work they do. So it is with a great deal of pleasure that I can tell you that we have not one, but TWO new books on the way from two of our writers, Berry Craig and Paul Wesslund. (Forward Kentucky)
America isn’t being reopened – it’s being ripped apart by propaganda using the 2016 Russian playbook
Russia’s 2016 campaign in support of Donald Trump included many different means of inserting false information into the national conversation. Now it appears that it’s happening again. A new study shows that when it comes to forcing workers to go back into offices, stores, and factories, almost half the online voices shouting for the “reopening of America” were, and are, bot accounts. Of the accounts that have tweeted most on this topic, more than half are bots. Of the most influential, almost all are bots. And behind the bots … is someone still unknown. (Forward Kentucky)
Beshear says virus is declining in Kentucky, but he and health chief warn that might not continue ‘if we take our eye off the ball’
Gov. Andy Beshear declared for the first time Friday that the coronavirus is declining in Kentucky, but he and his health commissioner warned of a possible resurgence as the Memorial Day weekend began with small gatherings allowed and restaurants opening on a limited basis. (Forward Kentucky)
Congrats, KY, you got your R naught below 1. So don’t blow it.
Don’t know why this matters? Trust us – it’s a big deal. And it will be an even bigger deal if we can KEEP it there. Read on to learn why. (Forward Kentucky)
On Memorial Day
A reflection on Memorial Day by a retired Marine. (Forward Kentucky)
Did you miss any of these?
Featured Content on Forward Kentucky
([new] indicates new since last Forward Five; 🔥 indicates lots of reads)
— News —
[new] State budget bleak for this fiscal year – but not as bleak as first thought. (Still really bad, though.) – The Consensus Forecasting Group has painted a bleak outlook for state revenue during the remainder of the 2020 Fiscal Year that ends June 30, but not quite as bad as predicted earlier this spring. (read)
[new] Booker asks state Board of Elections to take five actions related to primary – In a letter to Jared Dearing, director of the state Board of Elections, Rep. Charles Booker has asked for five actions by the BOE related to the upcoming primary. (read)
[new] Rolling Stone profiles Broihier campaign and their Yang Gang staff – The magazine Rolling Stone has done a feature on the Broihier campaign, and on the staff from the Yang campaign that wound up working for Broihier. (read)
[new] Broihier endorsed by Andrew Yang and Humanity Forward – Senate candidate Mike Broihier has been endorsed by Andrew Yang, the entrepreneur who ran for the presidency earlier this year. As part of the endorsement, Broihier also received the endorsement of Humanity Forward, the organization begun by Yang to back political candidates who support Universal Basic Income. (read)
🔥 [new] Paul makes coronavirus claims not backed by science, fact-checked by WFPL reporter – Senator Rand Paul made a number of assertions about the coronavirus in a hearing, some of them not backed by science. Ryland Barton does the fact-checking. (read)
🔥 We’re still getting an F on our census test. C’mon folks, do better! – Back in the dark ages when I was in school, you needed a 65% or better to pass. Based on that, Kentucky is still failing at the census. (Includes interactive map showing rate by county) (read and view)
—Commentary—
[new] Fighting the coronavirus with magical thinking – There’s a lot of magical thinking out there when it comes to fighting the coronavirus, from the White House on down. Here are some non-magical examples. (read)
[new] Credibility and the return of trust in the midst of a pandemic – Guess what? In the midst of a crisis, people want expertise and credibility. And they want people they can trust. What does that mean for elected officials? (read)
[new] Should we keep reporting on Trump? Bill Straub weighs in. – If Trump is just going to keep on lying at his press conferences, should we even cover them? Rachel Maddow said “forget it.” Bill Straub has other ideas. (read)
🔥 Reparations for white people – The Right stays outraged over reparations to the descendants of slaves. The irony is, we already have a system of reparations — only it’s for white people. (read)
— Policy —
Masks help stop the spread of coronavirus – the science is simple and I’m one of 100 experts urging governors to require public mask-wearing – Every week more and more jurisdictions require mask use in public. So what is this evidence that has led so many scientists to believe so strongly in masks? (read)
— Media —
🔥 [new show] Who or what is “The Steady State” – and why are they endorsing Joe Biden? – Join us as we talk with Dr. Erik Prentice, who formerly served in the office of the Director of National Intelligence, and is now a private citizen in the corporate world, living in Louisville. Recently he became a founding member of a group called “The Steady State,” made up of National Security and Homeland Security veterans who have endorsed Joe Biden for president. We’ll learn more about this group, why it formed, and why Dr. Prentice joined it. (view)
[new podcast] Unemployment insurance issues, Booker endorsements, and interview with Rep. Rachel Roberts – We discuss the massive amounts of unemployment claims the state is processing, how big the problem is in context, and how and why people are slipping through the cracks. Also, the endorsement of Charles Booker by 16 of his House colleagues, and what it might mean. And, an interview with Rep. Rachel Roberts of Northern Kentucky. (listen)
Posts with Most Social Media Shares in Past Fourteen Days
(🔥 indicates post with surge of recent shares)
- 🔥 Paul makes coronavirus claims not backed by science, fact-checked by WFPL reporter (2,000+ shares)
- IG investigating McConnell’s wife fired by Trump (2,000+ shares)
- We have a debate! (1,000+ shares)
- Kentucky garbage man hadn’t seen elderly woman’s trash can out, rightly felt something was amiss. (1,000+ shares)
- 🔥 Congrats, KY, you got your R nought below 1. So don’t blow it. (1,000+ shares)
- We’re still getting an F on our census test. C’mon folks, do better! (1,000+ 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.
