Every October, Kentucky politics undergoes a peculiar transformation. Campaign advertisements become nastier, accusations grow louder, and rumors that spent months buried suddenly find their way into mailboxes, television commercials, and social media feeds. Candidates who spent the summer shaking hands and kissing babies begin searching for skeletons in their opponents’ closets. Welcome to what politicos […]

Dana Hanson has seen plenty of political divisiveness on the news and social media in recent years. And up until about a year ago, the Mercer County resident who had voted for Republicans “her entire life” had viewed politics as two-sided — the left versus the right.  But over the past several months, as she […]

Spending by political action committees in Kentucky’s most competitive U.S. House race has reached more than $6.2 million with two weeks to go until Election Day.  In the 6th Congressional District, PACs boosting Republican Ralph Alvarado have a slight spending edge over those backing Democrat Zach Dembo, according to Federal Election Commission reports Monday.  The […]

In the race to succeed U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Barr and former Democratic state Rep. Charles Booker sounded off on a host of issues Monday evening in their only televised debate ahead of Election Day.  Throughout the debate, which was hosted by WKYT and carried by other Gray Media stations across […]

There is no single explanation for America’s high healthcare costs. But any serious effort to control them must start with hospitals. Between 2022 and 2024, hospital care accounted for $277 billion, or 40%, of the growth in national health spending, according to a KFF analysis. Those costs reach families through premiums and out-of-pocket expenses, businesses […]

Kentucky’s utility regulator has granted permission to investor-owned utility Kentucky Power to build a replacement cooling tower and partially demolish an aging existing tower at a coal-fired power plant the utility co-owns near Moundsville, West Virginia.  In a Friday order, the Kentucky Public Service Commission wrote the Eastern Kentucky electric utility could move forward with […]

Kentucky’s Cabinet for Health and Family Services says a vendor’s recent security breach exposed some health plan information for nearly 4,000 people.  According to a Monday notice, Gainwell Technologies experienced security breaches on March 26, April 16 and April 21 and learned about them in August.  During the breaches, “an unauthorized third party had gained […]

This story first appeared on Louisville Public Media. It’s republished here as part of the Appalachian News Exchange reporting partnership to strength Kentucky journalism. A lawsuit filed in a federal district court Thursday alleges the Department of Homeland Security has systematically collected sensitive data on Kentucky voters, despite the state’s refusal to share it. In the court […]

Churchill Downs contributed $570,000 during the last three months to Republican PACs that have been spending big on independent advertising aimed at electing State Sen. Julie Raque Adams and other Republicans to the General Assembly in November. The flood of campaign money from Churchill since July 1 is documented in disclosure reports filed last week […]

Despite what polls and political analysts say, Democrat Charles Booker says he’s ready to win the race for Kentucky’s open U.S. Senate seat next month.  In an interview with the Kentucky Lantern, Booker said the race against Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Barr “feels like the perfect storm.” He said his previous Senate runs — in 2020 […]

This column was originally published in the Northern Kentucky Tribune. LEXINGTON, Ky. – It’s been 30 years or more since Kentucky was a bellwether state in national politics, but it might be this year. Part of it, at least. That part is the section of Kentucky that the nation may know best, the Bluegrass Region […]

Saturday's chilly No Kings Rally in downtown Lexington looked similar to past demonstrations throughout President Donald Trump's second term. But organizers hope this event is more productive than previous iterations at activating people to take action.

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS — President Donald Trump returned to Northern Kentucky for the second time this year in hopes of swaying GOP voters in the commonwealth to back Republicans at the ballot box.  Despite gaining attention from the Cincinnati area media market, the Saturday rally at Northern Kentucky University focused heavily on Republican seats in Kentucky. Signs […]

Today’s health insurance affordability crisis is a rerun of the one Kentucky faced in the 1990s. The cause is the same. The path to relief is the same. And once again, Frankfort can deliver it.  In 1994, Frankfort enacted new controls that supporters promised would make health insurance more affordable and accessible. By 1996, the […]

A proposed Mason County data center campus for the technology company Meta could avoid paying about $50 million a year in local taxes through a tentative agreement between the county and Meta, according to a new analysis from a progressive think tank.  In its Friday analysis, the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy estimates the local […]

Kentucky’s most competitive U.S House race this year continues to tighten as both Republicans and Democrats pull out the stops with days to go before the general election begins.  The 6th District candidates, Republican Ralph Alvarado and Democrat Zach Dembo, have agreed to one televised debate ahead of the November general election. It’s scheduled for […]

Over the next few years, Kentucky is facing the largest Medicaid cuts in the program’s history. Starting in January, the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act will take Medicaid coverage away from many thousands of Kentuckians. Separately, state Medicaid cuts will go into effect in July unless the 2027 General Assembly restores funding to the […]

The Jefferson County Teachers Association’s PAC donated $200,000 to a pro-Republican PAC in the May primary. Now, the same conservative PAC is running attack ads against candidates endorsed by the teachers union.  Federal Election Commission records show JCTA’s PAC, Better Schools Kentucky, donated the funds to the Commonwealth Conservative Coalition on April 1, ahead of […]