Five Things to Know Today
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— Publisher’s Note —
Good morning! As we all know, the big news this weekend was the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Since that was covered so extensively by all the major news outlets, we did not do a story about it. However, we do have a number of follow-up stories. I would urge you to read the Heather Cox Richardson reflection on RBG’s life and impact. It is one of the best ones I have seen.
There are a number of other new articles on the site. Take a moment to scan below for ones that might interest you, including the commentary articles.
And finally, the event calendar is beginning to get items added to it, so we’ll try to include a summary in the Forward Five.
Lots to read, lots to do. Election Day is only a few weeks away, and early voting has started in some states. If you’re going to vote absentee, order your ballot right now at GoVoteKY.com.
As always, stay safe but stay engaged. We’re going to get through this — including winning some elections for the progressive side — together.
Bruce Maples, publisher
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Today’s Five Things to Know
Weekend coronavirus updates
Fri-Sat updates — Ashland hospital full; KY reports 2nd-highest case day
Here are the summaries of the Friday and Saturday coronavirus updates from the Beshear administration, as provided by Kentucky Health News. (Forward Kentucky)
9/20 update – Cases still on rough plateau; officials urge caution in nice weather
Also – Clinton Co. schools go remote; and persons who are overweight, not just obese, are at elevated risk of severe effects from the disease. (Forward Kentucky)
RBG stories
On Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg
A reflection on Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, her life and its meaning, by Heather Cox Richardson. (Forward Kentucky)
RBG demonstration at McConnell’s home in Louisville
The rally called on the senator to use the same standard in 2020 that he used in 2016 when it came to filling a Supreme Court seat: wait until after the election. (Forward Kentucky)
RBG vigil in Lexington
A group gathered in Lexington on Saturday night to hold a candlelight vigil in honor of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. No agenda, no speakers – just bring yourself. Nick Lacy was there and captured these images. (Forward Kentucky)
Beshear’s family receive flu vaccinations, urge Kentuckians to do same
Gov. Andy Beshear and state public health officials have recently been urging Kentuckians to be vaccinated for the flu this fall. Now he has put his money where his mouth is. (Forward Kentucky)
Legislators slam Jefferson County voting plan, demand more polling sites for Election Day
A bipartisan group of Louisville Metro Council members, state representatives and state senators called on Jefferson County Clerk Bobbie Holsclaw Friday to have more than eight polling locations on Election Day. If Holsclaw does not plan to have about 24 sites for Nov. 3, then the group is demanding Gov. Andy Beshear, Secretary of State Michael Adams and the Kentucky State Board of Elections reject the plan. And if the plan remains unchanged and is approved by state officials, then at least one state representative said he plans to take legal action. (Courier-Journal)
USPS sends incorrect absentee ballot information and Kentucky election officials are frustrated
Postcards have been arriving in Kentucky mailboxes this week urging voters to act early if they plan to vote by mail. However, the information being sent out by the US Postal Service includes incorrect information and that’s frustrating elections officials. The postcards claim voters have longer to request an absentee ballot than they actually do have.
Correct information voters should know:
- Kentucky’s deadline to request an absentee ballot is midnight, October 9th.
- Early in-person voting runs Mondays through Saturdays, October 13th through November 2nd.
- Election Day is November 3rd.
- Absentee ballots must be postmarked by November 3rd but must arrive in the mail to the county clerk’s office by Friday, November 6th if they are to be counted.
Elections officials urge voters to fill out and send back their ballots early. Doing so will allow county clerks to reach out to voters if there are issues with their ballots. (WHAS)
Upcoming Events from the ForwardKY Calendar
We post about upcoming events by campaigns and organizations if we know about them in time. Post your events here. View the full calendar here.
Today (9/21) – Moral Monday March – “Caravaning” McConnell’s office(Info)
Tuesday (9/22) – Planned Parenthood Texting Tuesdays(Info)
Thursday (9/24) – Planned Parenthood Phone Banking(Info)
Saturday (9/26 – KFTC Fall Gathering, Session 2(Info)
Recent Content on Forward Kentucky
[new] indicates item not in a Forward Five before
[new] Who cleans up environmental mess bankrupt coal companies leave behind? – As more coal companies file for bankruptcy, it remains unclear what will happen to hundreds of thousands of acres of unreclaimed mine land in eastern Kentucky and the rest of Appalachia. (News)
[new] Biden and McGrath: Union Yes! Trump and McConnell: ‘Union, no.’ – What’s the word you don’t hear when President Donald Trump and Sen. Mitch McConnell talk jobs? UNION. (Commentary)
[new] It’s propaganda, not hypocrisy: Republicans use lying as their primary governing technique – Hypocrisy implies there’s a previous ideology being upset; there wasn’t one, and isn’t one, and no serious politics-watcher ever thought otherwise. (Commentary)
[new] God vs Trump – In hindsight, it seems so obvious: How could so many Christians have missed God’s message? (Commentary)
[new] Indivisible Danville does “Burma Mitch” roadside rally – The intrepid members of Indivisible Danville were out Friday for “rush” hour for some anti-Mitch shenanigans, doing a set of “Burma Mitch” signs by the highway. Nick Lacy captured the moment. (Media)
[new] McGrath vs McConnell — who’s spent the most on Facebook? – A recent report revealed the amounts both Amy McGrath and Mitch McConnell have spent on advertising on Facebook, and the results may surprise you. (News Analysis)
[new] The new executive director of EmergeKY, Gretchen Hunt – Gretchen Hunt has had a distinguished career in public service. Now she takes the reins of the premier political training for women. What are her goals? What does she see for 2020 and beyond? Find out on this episode! (Video)
[new] Courtney Preston Kellner and Carmen Jones on protesting and the legal system – Also – the Governor’s plan for school districts as they start to open, and the settlement reached between Breonna Taylor’s family and the city of Louisville. (Podcast)
Ky. Supreme Court considers Beshear’s COVID orders – The Kentucky Supreme Court heard oral arguments Thursday on whether Gov. Andy Beshear exceeded his Constitutional authority on executive orders related to the coronavirus pandemic. (News)
House Democratic Caucus members unveil Kentucky Voters’ Bill of Rights – The legislation would expand early voting, extend voting registration, automatically restore voting rights for most felons, and make voters more involved in the redistricting process after each Census. (News)
Defending the 2020 election against hacking: 5 questions answered – Douglas Jones, coauthor of the book “Broken Ballots: Will Your Vote Count?,” describes the vulnerabilities of the U.S. election system in light of the information in the Woodward book. (News)
Fact Check: Trump tweets doctored video of Biden – President Trump tweeted an edited video, doctored to make it appear that Vice President Joe Biden played a different song at a campaign event than he actually played in the unedited video. (Fact Check)
Momentum for basic income builds as pandemic drags on – Amid the pandemic and a global recession, both basic income and a basket of related policies have gained unprecedented momentum, surfacing everywhere from Capitol Hill to the city of Hudson, New York. (Policy)
