Five Things to Know Today
— Publisher’s Note —
Good morning! It has been an interesting few days for Forward Kentucky and yours truly.
After reading the national hot takes on voting in Louisville, with most people claiming we had one polling location for 600,000 people to vote, I decided to write a story to clear some things up (“Would everyone please get the Louisville voting story straight?“). I posted it on the site, and cross-posted it on Daily Kos.
Well, it blew up, becoming easily the most-read article on the site ever. (According to our analytics tracker, it’s at 47,000 views and climbing.) What also blew up were the comments, both on the site and in social media.
Some people thanked me for the clarification. Others, though, accused me of being part of some sort of cover-up, or of justifying voter suppression, or of just lying. I especially loved the one that said “And you call yourself a progressive!”
I then went out to the Expo Center yesterday and spent some time talking with people, observing the process, and taking pictures. I posted that last night, which you can also read on the site (and look at the great pictures 😊).
Didn’t matter. People saw the pictures of the size of the setup, the process running smoothly, people able to vote in a few minutes … and they still cried out “voter suppression!”
So, as I said, it’s been a learning experience. People on the left can sometimes be as quick to judge, and as quick to cry Foul, as people on the right. Taking offense and then not being able to admit you were wrong is not a partisan attribute.
But, all we can do is put out the facts as we know them, make sure we distinguish between news and opinion, and hope people read as objectively as we try to report.
As always – Wear those masks (LOTS of masks at the Expo Center), wash those hands, get a test. We’re going to get through this, together. #TeamKentucky
Bruce Maples, publisher
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Primary election has few problems, state officials say
Despite the long lines in Fayette County, members of the State Board of Elections are saying the unusual primary election has gone smoothly and could see a record turnout when final numbers are submitted on June 30. (Forward Kentucky)
Some primary races seem decided
While final results won’t be known until the end of the month, results from yesterday enabled a number of campaigns to go ahead and claim victory.
- Presidential – Donald Trump and Joe Biden
- Republican U.S. Senate – Mitch McConnell
- Republican House KY-04 – Thomas Massie
- Democrat House KY-06 – Josh Hicks
Democratic Senate race too close to call
With his late surge, Charles Booker closed the gap with Amy McGrath. We will have to wait until all the absentee ballots are counted to know the final result. In in-person voting, Booker actually led in some rural counties. Overall, in votes counted so far, McGrath leads by about 10 points – but that’s with no totals from Louisville or Lexington.
The Louisville voting story – an update
After writing about the setup for voting in Louisville, I wanted to see how it actually worked out. And other than a problem at the very end of the night (which is in the story), it went very smoothly. This is an in-person story with pictures showing the entire process. (Forward Kentucky)
Cases spike, but transmission rate stable – 6/23 update
Tuesday case and death count was up significantly, but Kentucky’s hospitalization and transmission rates continue to be stable. Also, details on testing and on transmission rates in other states. (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 —
Reopening success depends on KYians following guidelines, incl masks – 6/22 update – Case numbers were low on Monday, but Governor Beshear and Health Commissioner Stack both warned that reopening depends especially on wearing masks. (read)
Dem Women’s Caucus says next Capitol statue should be a woman – In a letter to Governor Andy Beshear, the Democratic Women’s Caucus of the state legislature made their preference plain: the next statue in the Capitol Rotunda should be a woman. (read)
Would everyone please get the Louisville voting story straight? – To all the people out there with hot-takes on voting in Louisville: Get your story straight. There is not ONE voting location. There is one building with EIGHTEEN polling locations. (read)
— Commentary —
Top Ten Reasons for Wearing a Mask – With all the discussion and brouhaha about wearing masks these days, I thought I’d share my Top Ten Reasons for Wearing a Mask. (read)
Al Cross: Charles Booker, Mike Broihier harvest votes on a field Amy McGrath planted – As Amy McGrath stumbled in her run for the Senate, the seeds she spilled were harvested by Mike Broihier and Charles Booker. Has the election changed enough for one of them to win? (read)
— Media —
🔥 [videos] The closing ads for Booker, Broihier, and McGrath – Here are the final ads before the primary for each of the Democrats running to take on Mitch McConnell in the fall. These were taken straight from their YouTube channels. (watch)
🔥 [photo gallery] Booker campaign stops in Lebanon, Danville – The Charles Booker campaign bus tour stopped in Lebanon and Danville on Sunday, and Nick Lacy was at both stops to capture them in photos. (view)
[videocast] #DefundThePolice on ‘The State of Kentucky’ – Here’s our show on #DefundThePolice, an important topic that we all need to learn more about. Rep. Attica Scott and Emily Galvin-Almanza (founder of Partners for Justice) help us understand the topic. (watch or listen)
[podcast] Can Mayor Fischer fire Breonna Taylor’s killers? – This week on My Old Kentucky Podcast – COVID-19, protests, and the primary election. In addition, the show dives into the reasons why Mayor Fischer says he cannot fire the officers who executed the no-knock warrant on Breonna Taylor’s home. (listen)
Posts with Most Social Media Shares in Past Fourteen Days
(🔥 indicates post with surge of recent shares)
- 🔥 Kentucky cousins both running for House seats this year (3,000+ shares)
- 🔥 The Louisville voting story – an update (2,000+ shares)
- Black Lives Matter in Crab Orchard, Kentucky (742 shares)
- No mask? You’re a bad neighbor. #WearTheDamnMask (535 shares)
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