>> The president of the state's 2 largest university to speak out on Anti Dei legislation and Frankfort, the effect they say it could have on their campuses.

>> We want to believe that if you want the chance to change that, you have that opportunity to do so through Hardin County treatment courts.

>> One of the first drug court programs in the Commonwealth celebrates a major milestone.

>> I really hope whoever gets knows that they deserve it.

And that they're going to do an amazing job, creating change with their poetry.

And just speaking.

>> And Lexington has a new youth poet laureate.

>> Production of Kentucky Edition is made possible in part by the KU Team Millennium Fund.

♪ ♪ >> Good evening and welcome to Kentucky EDITION on this president's day Monday, February, the 19th, I'm Renee Shaw.

Thank you for spending some of your Monday night with us.

The General Assembly has the day off in observance of President's day as a second university president comes out against legislation.

Lawmakers are considering that would restrict dei initiatives at state colleges today.

University of Louisville President Kim shots UL released a campus wide letter that reads in part, quote, I strongly believe that you cannot high quality university education without a diverse classroom and campus inclusive of all demographics, identities and ideologies only and starts circumstances.

And with such experiences, will our students be prepared to foster their own and others excellence in a diverse global economy and short, a diverse and inclusive campus.

Better prepares our students to lead, unquote.

Her remarks come days after University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto released a letter to his campus where he called the proposed legislation.

Quote, deeply concerning.

Another controversial issue confronting state lawmakers.

This legislative session, abortion legislation.

We look at that tonight on Kentucky tonight.

Some Democrats have introduced legislation to roll back some of the restrictions passed since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe versus Wade.

But pro-life Republicans have introduced antiabortion legislation including a measure requiring public schools to teach about fatal or fetal rather development and spouses that life begins at conception.

We'll discuss a fleet of abortion-related bills tonight on Kentucky tonight.

And of course, we welcome your questions and comments that's at 8 Eastern 7 central right here on KET.

Kentucky could see the highest voter turnout in decades for the general election in November.

That's what Kentucky secretary of state Michael Adams is predicting as voter registration in the state increases for the 10th month in a row.

New numbers show and January, 6700 new voters registered Republicans had more than 2100 new registrations in January.

While Democratic registration declined by more than 2700 other party registration went up nearly 2000 voters.

More than 6100 voters were removed.

Most of them deceased.

And a really said with the port predicted turnout in November.

It's critical.

The General Assembly have early voting intact.

His comments are at odds with Senate Bill 61 which calls for eliminating 3 days of early voting.

The bill sponsored by Republican Senator John Schickel was assigned to a Senate committee 6 weeks ago, but has yet to be heard there.

Turning now to Washington, D.C., some Republicans have been critical of U.S..

Senator Mitch McConnell, the Senate minority leader, many didn't like his compromise, border security deal with Democrats.

Senator Ted Cruz says it was time for new leadership and Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky even said that of Democratic Governor Andy Beshear ran against McConnell in 2026. the share would when, but during his news conference last week, the governor again said he had no interest in running for that seat.

>> I'd rather be governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky that the U.S. senator from any state we get things done here.

We have to recognize the garden their great work that we did today we get to create jobs like you you saw before.

I mean, all of this inviting and a broken Congress and >> we need to push all that out.

And what we do here in the executive branch and just do our best.

What seems like a chaotic world to to move the ball down the field to create better jobs to to hopefully have a health care facility closer to where people live to always work to improve public education and make sure the roads and the bridges that you drive are safe.

I mean, I get to live where people wake up every day and try to improve their lives.

In those ways we think about those things, then maybe some of the rest.

What we argue about, we can push aside and say, let's just make life better for everyone.

First and argue about the the rest after.

But this is as broken Congress as I have ever witnessed and your job should be to show up and to enact a good policy and serve the people and not play politics.

300 and 65 days.

A year.

>> Last week Senator McConnell dismissed talk that Republicans would replace him as minority leader.

He says some of tried before and failed.

Flight simulators and scavenger hunts.

That's just a few of the things kids of military families can expect next week during the annual military kids day at the state Capitol last week I spoke with Lebanon.

Republican State Senator Jimmy Higdon who launched the program.

He knows a thing or 2 about what it's like to be a military kid.

>> We we started back when I was chairman that has built a fares and public protection years ago.

And I had a Constituent Co me and she said, you know, you really need to do something to honor military kids.

We'll take his day was started and we started with the probably 15 or you know, people showed up for it.

Didn't have the support of KET and local media that we have nail and but it was it was very rewarding.

And then we started, you know it.

It grew little bit every year but probably for 5 years ago, we had kind of a little glitch what we had a staff member we thought was getting the word out and didn't get out.

And and so through miscommunication, we had a very small crowd.

We probably only had 20 kids a year.

That still sounds impressive.

It was impressive.

But U.S. Melissa, say that really in a dawn, the you know, they they came in and said.

We're not going to say that again.

And and so in in a lot of the the Kentucky National Guard folks have joined in just his summation, the the folks that have joined in to make this possible.

And that's be a lot going on on February 27th when they're in town.

But it's a special day and it is for special kids and we honor them for their their service to the country about late on their payments to be deployed in and to be in harm's way.

Yeah.

>> So how how does this work?

How did how did these people get here?

This guy is and how does that work?

Well, we have an application online and we've extended that Haitian a process to February 23rd Sully go online and they can apply.

We have great folks in the media like yourself KET and in a lot of the local >> The TV stations have have helped us get the word out from, you know, the far East to the far West and northern Kentucky you know, we we about 25,000 active duty soldiers in Kentucky right now, the Fort Knox and Fort Campbell, then Kentucky National Guard is as a considerable number of the soldiers deployed that are technically on active duty.

So those those young see it see about here.

But we have a lot of repeats.

Lot of kids come home come every year.

Last year we conceded 100 which we were well over with that this year.

You know, where we're open to to exceed that.

So they they come in in the morning and then they we have our the maps.

Maybe the judge will take for public protection meeting.

We invite them all there and we honor them and we have they go on a tour of the camp too.

We have a capital scavenger you know, aviation museum I have a lot of flight simulators and stuff.

They're setting up a next door and and the blacks and Army National Guard and all the participating and they have a lot of different little, I guess so.

Presidents or drink it for the kids and and then then course when we get up closer to a session time, some of them go to the go to the Senate, would recognize him there.

Also so it make sure it makes for a special day for from very special young people.

Right.

Age is typically.

>> You know, anywhere from, you know, 3rd, 4th grade up to seniors in high school.

That's And we probably even as some first graders in kids not in school that committed over brother sister and then that's fine.

More the merrier.

♪ ♪ ♪ >> Parents are a kid's first teacher talking player, all brain building tools to help get kids ready for school.

On a special program tonight on KET talk about why childcare is not just babysitting but as critical and creating a solid foundation for a child's success in the classroom.

We'll also discuss why there are so few options for parents and why our workforce is dependent on a thriving child care industry.

>> Your or your child's best advocate, but you're also their first teacher, the it when they start to battle.

Those are I cries for communication and should answer them.

Even though you might not understand then that's how you built their brain and get them to be ready for kindergarten, that birth to 5 is crucial to ensuring readiness on day one of kindergarten.

For many years, people viewed childcare as a woman's issue or as a family's issue that the students and the economist says it's not it's an economic issue.

>> We have essentially one child care space for every 2 children who need it.

So we have a lot of children that we don't know where they are.

>> So we hope you'll join us tonight for Smartstart.

Okay.

E T special report tonight at 9 Eastern 8 central immediately following Kentucky tonight right here on KET.

Business News.

Ford says it must rethink where to build new vehicles after last year's contentious United Auto Workers strike.

The company CEO was speaking about the transition to electric vehicles at a conference last week when he said Ford must, quote, think carefully about our manufacturing footprint last year, Forbes highly profitable factor in Louisville was the first truck plant where the UAW shut down with a strike.

The local UAW chapter in Louisville is threatening to go on strike again this week.

This time citing health and safety concerns at the Ford Truck plant.

♪ ♪ The war between Israel and Hamas is now in its 4th month here in Kentucky, activists from Louisville to Covington are calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza to offer respite for Palestinian citizens as Kentucky additions.

June Leffler reports activists please grow even a city officials and Jewish leaders pushed back.

>> On a rainy day and Frankfort chance ring from the Capitol steps.

>> I mean, you know, we've seen over 30,000 people killed.

I mean, it's it's very odd.

This is a war on children.

It's a war on women.

The bonding is indiscriminate.

It seems to come full stop.

We have to realize violence and militarism is not going to be the solution to anything.

>> Most state lawmakers had already left the Capitol that day, but their ally connected activists like Muhammad Ahmad from Covington to his peers in Lexington and Louisville.

Pro-palestine activists have been petitioning their city governments to support a cease-fire.

>> Brewer for months we have been educating you on the atrocities of a sovereign state that has committed genocide on innocent Palestinian civilians with the U.S. military aid.

>> These activists have found support in to Louisville Council members who introduced a cease-fire resolution.

Louisville councilwoman should make a parish right said in the statement, quote, Our struggles for liberation and safety are interlocked, whether Palestine or Louisville, we all deserve peace and safety.

The council woman notes that in 2022.

Louisville formally stood in support of Ukraine in the war against Russia.

She and activists say Louisville could stand up for Palestinians.

Now.

But so far, none of the City council's have signed off in support of a cease-fire resolution.

>> Now Hamas is invaded Israel and 2023 and Israel responded and it is an intractable We all want This board of commissioners as the representative of the people of Covington is not capable of picking sides.

When all we've heard in detail is one side of argument.

So it is beyond our responsibility to handle this.

>> Some Jewish leaders condemn the calls for cease-fire and they have a protest yelling from the river to the sea, which is a call for genocide of 7 million Jews.

What they want is media attention to spread their rhetoric.

And with the hopes in my view of intimidating the pro.

Israel slash Jewish community.

>> For Rabbi Shlomo Litvin, he wants Israel to prevail in its war against Hamas.

>> Yeah, that anybody wants more wars silly.

However.

The idea that peace at any cost.

He's that the cost of abandoning women and children to wait been slaughtered.

Piece of the cost of future war simply is untenable as well.

>> In Washington, D.C., the debate over billions of dollars to support the Israeli army continues.

Kentucky senior senator consistently support set funding as well as money for Ukraine and other foreign allies.

>> Kentucky's junior senator opposes such spending.

>> But there is no money to give them.

Out.

We are flat out of cash.

we flat out of cash.

>> We're 34 trillion dollars in the hole.

>> It's clear at this point from Congress to Gaza in Kentucky, compromise is still in the distance.

For Kentucky edition of John left.

>> Thank you.

June Louisville, Mayor Greenberg's office in Lexington, Mayor Linda Gorton is office did not respond to a request for comment.

♪ >> It started as a grassroots effort way to help those experiencing substance use and mental health disorders.

The found themselves on the wrong side of the law.

The Hardin County Drug Court recently celebrated its 25th anniversary when an event to honor the milestone and the program's newest graduates.

>> We want to believe that if you want the chance to change that, you have that opportunity to do so through Hardin County treatment courts.

>> I've been to a couple treatment facilities.

I've been to handful of times.

I made my mind up this last time I was in jail that I wanted to do something different.

>> So I decided to take the court.

The court is an interception before the criminal justice case.

A criminal charge and a responsibility for treatment.

If you are not successful in a treatment court program, you will be going to jail or prison.

I took the court.

>> Mainly ready, just to get out of jail as I might get out for free, Dzhokhar.

But I have my mind made up that I wanted to do something different that I did not want to use anymore that I wanted to be a father that home.

I wanted to be reliable and that I wanted to be there for the people that mean the most to me.

They brought more elements, the table, the irregular treatment facility.

We have 2 district court judges that work.

We have 2 circuit court judges that work with drug court.

Then we have mental health court.

>> And we have veterans treatment court.

If you are successful, you get life back and you get charges expunged.

So we don't talk to us about clean drug tests, but clean criminal history and a clean slate to really get started in the future.

The scene.

>> The legal side of meeting, all the legal people that's involved them cleaning off your record.

People that have also graduated the program.

They are also teaching in the program.

So they have that experience.

It's just it's just a beautiful >> The Hardin County Drug Court has served nearly 2000 people in the 25 years.

It's been around.

♪ And you can bet documentary explores the life and legacy of Kentucky born author and feminist scholar Bell Hooks.

The one-hour film examines how her connection to Kentucky's quote, Hillbilly culture informed her belief that feminism is for everyone.

>> Who is Bill Hooks?

Wow.

>> Human being.

Woman, black woman.

Kentucky in.

Cosmopolitan.

Finance.

Revolutionary.

Thought provoking provocative.

Funny as h***.

My mentor, a mother figure.

Trying to start crying already.

>> She is.

>> Probably one of the most prestigious scholars and thinkers in the country.

>> Many parts of the world.

>> I would describe Bell Hooks as one of the most universe old writers.

>> Her contribution to the feminist movement was too.

Make this movement more universally understood because she was the universal person because she included but won't be on gender race class and geography.

It's hard to imagine anyone who I wouldn't be enchanted educated >> Buy her books.

>> Becoming ballhawk snow to commemorate the documentary's release.

K UT is hosting 2 free preview screenings first tomorrow night at this story, cleric theater in downtown Lexington.

Then again on Thursday at the Speed Art Museum and Louisville information about registering is online at KET Dot Org, becoming bell hooks premieres Tuesday, February 27th at 9 Eastern 8 central right here on KET.

Keeping with the literary same.

Lexington has a new youth poet laureate.

It's just the second time this title has been awarded.

We were at the Carnegie Center for Literacy and learning as the new winner was announced.

>> I think I've been on my whole life.

I've always been into beating.

Inviting wasn't caused writing teacher Mister McCurry told all of us that would be a exposure to a poetry.

So >> you consider yourself to what?

All right there.

So destructive head above the clouds.

Thanks.

Be messy artist.

If nobody elodie or any sense of what the real world is going to show you.

>> I think it's important to remember to write for yourself.

I used to start at writing short stories and so but there's one day I really wanted to write something.

I wasn't sure if it should be a mix of like a short story or I kind of wanted to be like a diaries.

So I just started writing and eventually they just started falling into place and just and says, you tell me I am beautiful in your native tongue, but maybe promised to never forget these words.

>> As that they will act as a only tether between me and the culture.

I can never be a part of.

>> I used to think that poetry was very scary and that it was like so many ways to interpret it.

But I found like all those interpretations can really be left up for creative control.

And I really enjoy that part.

A ceramic flowers stuck in a muddy riverbank.

It's petrified existence as we jump from Morsi rocks.

>> We would hands.

And mine has urged collections became infinite poetry is something that is often not look at that and kind of like move to the side and having an opportunity for especially used to do this to spread their voices and to share their opinions of their poetry the beauty of that I think is really important.

Poetry is a creative outlet I found that was really easy to write about and write in.

Whenever I was feeling stressed or down or just.

>> Even happy, even because there's no rules.

So I signed for knowing your rage for sewing their mouth shut because I thought that it would.

I don't make them like you.

To the girl who tried, I'm sorry for giving up for looking out for not looking for another way out.

I hope that so people can take something away from my writing because I think that's all that really matters.

Is that the writing is meaningful and you get something out of it.

Being used the way it will be exciting and exhilarating stressful.

But most importantly, >> it will build you.

It is important for you as a writer.

And it is important to the community and the world around you.

You should cherish each moment until you're here today.

Standing on it and handing off the baton to the next.

He's but laureate the next.

He's a poet laureate of Lexington, Kentucky is.

>> So yeah.

So.

I defend the messages I mind to the canvas of the world that we live in.

I had to live to the universe's of my own mind.

It's Cape the tethers, the one as I did.

>> I eat to live.

♪ ♪ ♪ >> Boxers, big wedding and inventors breakthrough and a milestone in Kentucky.

Education.

Our Joe Gibbs has all of that and more in tonight's look back at this week in Kentucky, history.

♪ >> U.S. patent office approved Murray Native Nathan Beach Stubblefield, mechanical telephone on February.

21st 18 88, the mechanical telephone used a tight wire to transmit sound from one sound box to another.

It did not use electricity.

Henry Clay Junior, the son of the famous Kentucky statement was shot and killed during the Mexican war battle of when a vista on February 23rd 18.

47.

>> On February 1919, 51 U.S. Census Bureau announced Kentucky's population of 2.9 million people today.

73 years later, Kentucky's population is at 4 and a half million.

Jon.

Brian Bowman founded the agricultural and mechanical College of Kentucky University on February 22nd 18 It would change names a few times by 1916, was known as the University of Kentucky.

Jackie, any our Carol was born in February 1919, 16 in Cincinnati is Kentucky connection.

He won 5 Kentucky Derbies and is the only jockey to ride to Triple Crown winners.

We're away in 1941.

And citation in 1948.

Muhammad Ali then known as Cassius Clay, Sonny Liston and one of the most famous fights in history in Miami Beach on February, 25th 1964, to buy a gun into the heavyweight championship fight at 7 to one underdog.

And that's a look back at this week in Kentucky history.

I will be good news.

>> Thank you as always.

To obey.

Coming up tomorrow, lawmakers return to find for for day.

34 of 68 of the Kentucky General Assembly on the agenda.

The so-called Horizon Act, a 300 million dollar plan to address child care costs and access and don't forget tonight, you can join us both for Kentucky tonight at 8 o'clock Eastern.

When we talk about abortion legislation, then at 9 we have smart start Akt special report.

That's about early childhood development.

Some great lineup for you this evening.

And then we hope you'll join us again tomorrow night at 6.30, Eastern 5.30, central for Kentucky Edition.

We inform connect and inspire subscribe to our email newsletters and watch full episodes and clips at KET Dot Org.

You can also find us on the PBS video app on your mobile device and smart TV.

We always encourage you to send a story idea to public affairs at KET DOT Org.

>> And follow KET on Facebook X, formerly Twitter and Instagram to stay in the loop.

A lot of great programming coming your way.

Hope to see if the screening for becoming bell hooks tomorrow night at the lyric theater at 6.30, until ICU for Kentucky tonight at 8 o'clock take really good care of the break.

♪ ♪