— Callouts —Things on the site we want to be sure you see,
out of everything published this week.
- Is impeaching President Trump ‘pointless revenge’? Not if it sends a message to future presidents – The impeachment of President Trump is an indication that there is a need to mark out, through a definitive statement, what no president ought to do. It will also set the moral limits of the presidency – and, thereby, send a message to future presidents who might be tempted to follow in President Trump’s footsteps. (Commentary)
- More approval for Beshear COVID restrictions than in surrounding states – Recently, Governor Beshear referenced a poll showing strong support for the actions he has taken to deal with the pandemic. Being the stats nerd that I am, I tracked down the survey. Here’s what I found. (News)
- Impeachment petition filed against AG Cameron – A group of former Breonna Taylor grand jurors have filed an impeachment petition with the Kentucky House of Representatives targeting Attorney General Daniel Cameron. (News)
— Posts in Order —
| ★ Most-read | Most-shared |
Debunking Senator Ted Cruz’s claims on rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement
News ● Newswise ● January 23, 2021
Ted Cruz attacked President Biden for rejoining the Paris Climate Accord. Alice Hill, of the Council on Foreign Relations, helps Senator Cruz understand the facts.
Beshear allows ‘born alive’ bill to become law without his signature; it’s the first anti-abortion bill he has not vetoed
News ● Kentucky Health News ● January 23, 2021
Gov. Andy Beshear has allowed to become law without his signature an anti-abortion bill that the legislature would have enacted anyway if he had vetoed it, and that critics say is unnecessary.
1/22 update — All metrics used to measure coronavirus impact in Ky. go down, except death trends
News ● Kentucky Health News ● January 23, 2021
Increased masking is likely the reason for the drop in daily new cases of the novel coronavirus and the decreasing percentage of Kentuckians who test positive for it, so “Keep it up,” Gov. Andy Beshear said Friday.
Don’t believe the pension poppycock … it’s a divide-and-conquer strategy.
Commentary ● Ivonne Rovira ● January 23, 2021
Rep. Ed Massey has filed a bill to change the pension plan for teachers hired after 1/1/2022. While Massey has some soothing words — as do others — do not be deceived; this is definitely an inferior retirement, and the opening salvo in a game of divide and conquer.
U.S. flags on Capitol grounds memorialize Kentuckians lost to virus
News ● Kentucky Today ● January 22, 2021
A total of 3,301 American flags were placed on the Capitol grounds on Friday, to honor all of the Kentuckians who have lost their lives due to the coronavirus.
★ Impeachment petition filed against AG Cameron
News ● Forward Kentucky ● January 22, 2021
A group of former Breonna Taylor grand jurors have filed an impeachment petition with the Kentucky House of Representatives targeting Attorney General Daniel Cameron.
1/21 update — State has 58 COVID deaths today, a record, but Beshear cites state’s low overall death rate, says more masking may be helping
News ● Kentucky Health News ● January 22, 2021
Beshear attributed Thursday’s high death count to the recent high number of cases brought on by holiday gatherings, noting that it’s important to remember that deaths always follow cases.
COVID is real. I know. So stop playing politics with your — and my — health.
Commentary ● Berry Craig ● January 22, 2021
Get it straight – COVID is real. I know, because I’ve survived it. So stop playing politics with your own health – and with everyone else’s health too.
Reproductive freedom with the ACLU, Kentuckians face federal changes, and the Democratic agenda
Media ● My Old Kentucky Podcast ● January 21, 2021
On this week’s podcast, we interview Mashayla Hays and Jackie McGranahan of the ACLU about abortion rights in Kentucky. Robert and Jazmin talk about the Kentuckians who vace charges for their participation in the insurrection at the Capitol. And, Robert looks at the bills with the highest level of Democratic sponsorship and what the legislative session would look like if Democrats were in charge.
Here’s what’s in Biden’s COVID relief plan
News ● Kentucky Voices for Health ● January 21, 2021
President Biden vowed to make COVID relief a priority as soon as he took office. His $1.9 trillion COVID relief proposal is called the American Relief Plan. Here’s an outline.
Riots, cellphones, selfies — and Orwell
Commentary ● Guest Author ● January 21, 2021
We have met Big Brother – and often, he is us.
Beshear to co-chair national task force on economic recovery and revitalization
News ● Forward Kentucky ● January 21, 2021
Today, the National Governors Association (NGA) announced that Gov. Beshear will lead a bipartisan task force to guide states in their economic recovery and revitalization efforts amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
A field of dreams, flags, and lights
Commentary ● Marshall Ward ● January 20, 2021
”I know the resilience of our Constitution and the strength of our nation. The American story depends not on any one of us, not on some of us, but on all of us.”
1/20 update — State reports 49 more deaths; January on track to be the deadliest month for the disease in Kentucky
News ● Kentucky Health News ● January 20, 2021
Gov. Beshear and his health commissioner have long said COVID-19 deaths are a lagging indicator of cases, and Wednesday’s report of 49 more deaths, the fourth highest on one day, is certainly an indication of that.
America’s biggest loser
Commentary ● Berry Craig ● January 20, 2021
“We’re going to win so much, you’re going to be so sick and tired of winning, you’re going to come to me and go ‘Please, please, we can’t win anymore.’” Donald Trump famously boasted on the campaign trail in 2016. He skulked away today as one of the biggest presidential losers.
More approval for Beshear COVID restrictions than in surrounding states
News ● Bruce Maples ● January 20, 2021
Recently, Governor Beshear referenced a poll showing strong support for the actions he has taken to deal with the pandemic. Being the stats nerd that I am, I tracked down the survey. Here’s what I found.
Mitch McConnell’s remarks on Senate floor, including condemnation of Trump’s actions
News ● Northern KY Tribune ● January 20, 2021
Kentucky’s Mitch McConnell delivered these remarks Tuesday on the Senate floor, delivering a tribute to the Capitol Police, and saying that President Trump “provoked” the attack on the Capitol.
1/19 update — New-case trend stays down and vaccine pace quickens, but supply is a challenge
News ● Kentucky Health News ● January 20, 2021
Tuesday’s update from Gov. Beshear brought some good news on COVID numbers, but also worries about vaccine availability. And, the governor explained his recent vetoes.
The fracturing of the GOP
Publisher’s Blog ● Bruce Maples ● January 20, 2021
There’s a shaking-out happening across the country. It’s too soon to tell how it will turn out … but the Republican Party, and conservatives in general, are choosing sides.
Beshear vetoes five bills, explains why
News ● Forward Kentucky ● January 19, 2021
Governor Andy Beshear today issued vetoes of five bills recently passed by the Kentucky General Assembly. In his veto messages, he laid out why he vetoed each bill.
Here’s my letter to the Beshear impeachment committee
Action ● Bruce Maples ● January 19, 2021
The state AFL-CIO is sponsoring a letter-writing campaign to the Beshear impeachment committee, urging them to drop the impeachment. You can use their stock letter, or write your own. I chose to write my own. Here it is.
Bill to raise felony theft threshold could make a big difference in both lives and in prison costs
News ● Kentucky News Connection ● January 19, 2021
Kentucky’s felony theft threshold has remained unchanged for more than a decade, and critics say it’s contributing to a rise in incarceration and prison overcrowding.
A Munich Moment
Commentary ● Berry Craig ● January 19, 2021
In 1923, a young authoritarian tried to overthrow a government, and failed. Ten years later, he succeeded. In 2021, another authoritarian tried to throw out an election. Was this a Munich Moment?
1/18 update — A mixed bag of metrics: positivity up, deaths high, but cases and hospital numbers down
News ● Kentucky Health News ● January 18, 2021
While several of the metrics used to measure the impact of the novel coronavirus in Kentucky are on the decline, indicating that the post-holiday surge is waning, the number of Kentuckians dying from the disease remains high and the positive-test rate has inched up again.
Our forgotten source of strength
Commentary ● Marshall Ward ● January 18, 2021
We have to deal with the immediate task of holding people accountable, including leaders. But beyond this immediate need, we also need to take seriously the admonitions of our founders, and begin rebuilding democracy by re-teaching democracy.
Misusing Martin Luther King’s message
Commentary ● Guest Author ● January 18, 2021
Leading Republicans who have not condemned the racist rhetoric need to leave MLK out of their platitudes and pronouncements.
The work in front of us
Publisher’s Blog ● Bruce Maples ● January 18, 2021
The Trump presidency has revealed not just the shaky foundation of our democracy, but also the rot and termites throughout. It’s time we admit we have these problems, and figure out how to solve them.
Stivers says legislature could negotiate with Beshear on emergency bills; governor still says ‘changing the rules in the midst of a worldwide health pandemic seems like a bad idea’
News ● Kentucky Health News ● January 18, 2021
Senate President Robert Stivers said there could be negotiations instead of overrides on bills limiting governor’s powers – if Beshear is willing to discuss.
Trump can issue secret pardons. Can Beshear do the same?
Analysis ● Amye Bensenhaver ● January 18, 2021
Legal experts seem to agree that Donald Trump can secretly pardon whomever he wants. Does Governor Andy Beshear have the same power?
Is impeaching President Trump ‘pointless revenge’? Not if it sends a message to future presidents
Commentary ● The Conversation ● January 18, 2021
The impeachment of President Trump is an indication that there is a need to mark out, through a definitive statement, what no president ought to do. It will also set the moral limits of the presidency – and, thereby, send a message to future presidents who might be tempted to follow in President Trump’s footsteps.
1/17 update — COVID deaths keep ticking up, other measures decline; holiday surge appears to be over
News ● Kentucky Health News ● January 17, 2021
Sunday’s pandemic report was much like Saturday’s, with most metrics showing a decline but death rates setting more records, likely in part the results of cases that were part of surges during recent holiday periods.
Blood on his hands
Cartoon ● Aaron Smith ● January 17, 2021
Deaths from the terrorist attack. Deaths of children in cages. Deaths from COVID. And yet … Donald Trump says he takes no responsibility.
Honoring Dr. King
Commentary ● Guest Author ● January 17, 2021
As we face the flood of darkness together in the coming days, hold out your light. Hurry — our time on Earth is short, but the blink of an eye. I know we can finish the work of Dr. King, together. We must if we are to survive this terrible hate. The choice lies within each of our hearts.
How self-proclaimed ‘prophets’ from a growing Christian movement provided religious motivation for the Jan. 6 events at the US Capitol
News ● The Conversation ● January 17, 2021
A particular segment of white evangelicalism has played a unique role in providing a spiritual justification for the movement to overturn the election which resulted in the storming of the Capitol.
