The Forward Five – Monday, 6/15/20

Five Things to Know Today

— Publisher’s Note —

Good morning! Bob Dylan wrote the song “The Times, They Are A’Changing” in 1963, and said later he was trying to write “an anthem for the change of the times.”

Now here we are, 57 years later, and perhaps the song applies to this time as well.

Yesterday morning I commented to my wife that even today, sometimes the front page of the printed newspaper is historic. [See above for] the front page of Sunday’s Courier-Journal.

In many ways, we seem to be a tipping point, on many issues: race, economics, policing, community.

But don’t forget – tipping points don’t always fall in the positive direction. They have to be pushed.

Let’s do what we can to push all these tipping points in the direction of life and of life-giving.

That’s how we get through all of this: together. #TeamHumanity

Bruce Maples, publisher
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The confederate Jefferson Davis statue in Kentucky’s Capitol is removed
The statue of Jefferson Davis was removed from the Kentucky Capitol Rotunda after a vote from a state commission. Here is a story with pictures of the process. (Courier-Journal)

McGrath outraises McConnell (again), and one poll shows her ahead – Senate race news
The latest numbers in Senate fund-raising by all four major candidates, plus some updates on polling (McGrath vs McConnell, and Booker vs McGrath). (Forward Kentucky)

Amy McGrath campaign joins lawsuit against Kentucky election officials over polling places
Kentucky Democratic Senate candidate Amy McGrath’s campaign and Louisville Metro Councilwoman Keisha Dorsey, D-3rd District, have joined a lawsuit demanding there be more than one in-person voting location in the commonwealth’s most populous counties for the June 23 primary elections.

The lawsuit, originally filed Monday in the the U.S. District Court in the Western District of Kentucky by Republican state Rep. Jason Nemes and voters from Jefferson, Fayette, Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties, alleges “significant voter suppression will occur” as a result of each county having a singular polling location. (Courier-Journal)

SCOTUS: Key decisions on the docket
Several key decisions are expected in the coming weeks as the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) prepares to end its 2019-2020 term. Here’s a list. (Forward Kentucky)

Website estimates COVID hotspots moving to Louisville-Bluegrass corridor
Hotspots for the coronavirus in Kentucky appear to be moving from a gaggle of counties in near Western Kentucky to more urban counties along Interstate 64. (Forward Kentucky)

Bonus story with pix

Black Lives Matter in Crab Orchard, Kentucky
“No hate in our holler” – There was a Black Lives Matter demonstration in Crab Orchard (population 832) last Tuesday. Nick Lacy got the pix, and Joanna King got the story. (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] Hicks outraises Barr in latest fundraising report – Josh Hicks, the leading Democratic candidate to take on Congressman Andy Barr in the fall, out-raised Barr in the latest fund-raising period. (read)

Beshear says virus is at a new plateau, and he will be guided by hospital data – 6/11 update – Gov. Beshear said he believes Kentucky is at a new plateau, but he will use hospital numbers as a guide for response. He also announced openings for LTC facilities. (read)

Here’s how to find your polling location – You still have time to get an absentee ballot. But if you need to vote in person, here’s how to find your polling location. (read)

🔥 Nemes files suit over lack of polling places in Louisville – State Rep. Jason Nemes and five other voters filed a lawsuit challenging the decision to have only one polling location for in-person voting in five of Kentucky’s largest counties. (read)

— Commentary —

[new] Battle of the bigots around a Union statue – If Thomas Massie had lived in Lewis County during the Civil War and hoisted a Confederate battle flag, locals likely would have run him out of town, maybe on a rail and in a suit of tar and feathers, to boot. (read)

[new] A white man’s thoughts on white privilege – A retired history professor, who is white, shares his thoughts on the fact of white privilege in our society, and what to do about it. (read)

Al Cross: National shift makes Booker the Senate candidate of the moment, at least for now – Campaigns are often about moments in history, and Al Cross says this moment may belong to Charles Booker. (read)

— Cartoon —

🔥 [new] Junk set-out day in Louisville’s Highlands neighborhood – Aaron Smith notes: “I’m not sure what the Louisville Metro guidelines are for junk set out in Cherokee Triangle, but hopefully they’ll make an exception.” (view)

🔥 DOJ Threat Assessment Guide – Aaron Smith obtained a copy of the classified 2020 Threat Assessment Guide from the DOJ. It’s pretty simple, and they’ve obviously been following it. (view)

— Media —

[new show] Our COVID Economy & Universal Basic Income – Our economy is in a nosedive, millions are out of work, and the Fed says the future is bad. What should be done? And is UBI part of the answer? Join us for a discussion with Scott Santens, UBI expert, and Hale Stewart, economic analyst, as we look at how to deal with all of this. (watch)

[new podcast] Protests & COVID – plus interview w/ Charles Booker – This week we continue talking about the wave of protests all across Kentucky, and update the status of the COVID-19 outbreak. Then, we interview U.S. Senate candidate Charles Booker, who talked candidly about his campaign and the painful time for his district and city. (listen)