Morgan Watkins

Louisville mayor urges Trump’s EPA to approve exit from clean gas program City and state officials are balancing the environmental benefits of reformulated gas with the added costs to consumers in Louisville.

Louisville officials still pushing for Trump's EPA to drop a 30-year-old requirement that requires local residents to fuel their cars w/ a type of gas that contributes less to ozone pollution but costs extra:

Digging In: Kentucky opioid commission chair talks transparency The state's opioid commission is changing the way it tracks how millions in settlement money get spent.

Kentucky's getting $980M+ in opioid settlement money. I spoke with the head of the state commission in charge about their new push to find out how cities and counties spend their share & to make the info easily accessible. For the new edition of KyCIR's Digging In series:

Trump’s mine agency wants to strip power from its own safety managers The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration is proposing rule changes that would limit the authority of district safety managers to require tailored safety measures at individual mines.

Here's @justinhicks.lpm.org looking into a new Trump move that could reduce protections for coal miners:

First US commercial uranium enrichment plant signs lease in Paducah Plans to build the country’s first U.S.-owned, privately developed uranium enrichment plant in far western Kentucky gained clarity this week.

Big news for western Kentucky (and an important energy story nationally, too) this week, from @doperle.bsky.social:

Public will soon see how Kentucky cities and counties spend opioid settlement money Kentucky cities and counties are supposed to tell the state how they spend their opioid settlement funds, but compliance has been scattershot.

Last fall, I reported for KyCIR that most Kentucky cities and counties fell short of state requirements to report how they spend their opioid settlement payouts. Now, a state commission is rolling out a new process that could get better compliance ... and will publicly post the govs' spending data.

Farewell note to former JCPS superintendent sparks board inquiry Communications chief spends funds meant for West End schools on billboard thanking outgoing superintendent.

Weirdly this is the 2nd @lpm.org story in 2 weeks about government agencies buying signs. If I had a nickel...Anyway, sounds boring, but in both cases @justinhicks.lpm.org and @storiesbyjess.bsky.social followed their curiosity and turned out pretty interesting articles. Here's Jess's:

What are those signs popping up in Louisville neighborhoods? We found out. Dozens of signs are appearing in Louisville neighborhoods as part of a campaign to attract tourists and instill community pride.

Cool listen here: What are those signs popping up in Louisville neighborhoods? @justinhicks.lpm.org found out.

Former JCPS coaches jailed on child sex abuse charges Former JCPS football coaches Ronnie and Donnie Stoner are being held on $500,000 bonds.

From @storiesbyjess.bsky.social, here's what happened in court yesterday when a judge ordered ex-JCPS football coaches Ronnie and Donnie Stoner jailed on $500K bonds. They're charged with sexually abusing kids.

Prosecutor review of Louisville foster child’s homicide enters third year Ja’Ceon Terry died by homicide three years ago. Prosecutors haven’t decided if it was a crime.

7-year-old Ja’Ceon Terry died by homicide in 2022 at a foster care facility in Louisville. Three years later, prosecutors still haven’t decided if those involved should be charged with a crime:

Update: LMPD’s chief apologized. Details from his follow-up statement now in the same article👇

LPM prevails in fight for JCPS bus crisis records Access to top district officials’ text messages on bungled opening day are at the center of the lawsuit.

We just won an important public records lawsuit, with a judge ruling that JCPS can't withhold text messages staff sent during the bus chaos on the first day of school back in 2023. Fighting for government records, when necessary, is part of the work we do @lpm.org.

Shark scientist from Louisville says reality TV can help spread joy of conservation A Louisville-born marine biologist brings real-world shark science to a reality TV competition — with a goal of global conservation.

Rare to get 🦈 news in Kentucky, but @ayisha.jaffer.lpm.org has a fun interview here with a marine biologist from Louisville who was just on a shark-themed reality TV show.

Louisville police chief faces backlash for blaming victim for her own murder Four Louisville Metro Council members have called on the police chief to publicly apologize.

From an activist who helped set up a search for Tasha White: “I have had a ton of victims reach out and talk about how traumatized they are because the person that’s supposed to — as we all know they don’t, but — supposed to serve and protect, in 20 seconds, traumatized the whole community."

ICE raids nationwide spread fear in Louisville’s Cuban community Some Cubans fear traveling as the Trump administration cracks down on immigration.

Members of Louisville’s Cuban community spoke with @andreagalliano.bsky.social about how the Trump administration's crackdown on immigrants is scaring them and affecting whether people show up for class or make travel plans: www.lpm.org/news/2025-07...

Another of Kentucky's great public radio stations is fundraising after congressional Republicans defunded public media. Support WKMS in Murray if you can!

Planned Parenthood closing Evansville, Ind. center to focus resources on other clinics, telehealth Planned Parenthood will close its Evansville, Indiana, location in September.

Planned Parenthood will close its Evansville, Ind. health clinic. @lpm.org's Southern Indiana reporter lays out what this means for patients there and across Indiana, and how it's connected to the Trump admin. and GOP-run Congress's attempt to defund PP.

Louisville mayor reverses immigration policy after DOJ threat Louisville is changing its policy on how long it detains people accused of being in the country illegally.

Today Louisville's mayor announced an important policy change on how long our jail will hold people ICE wants to take into custody. @aminamania.bsky.social and another @lpm.org journalist explain the situation & what local immigrant and civil rights groups think of it. www.lpm.org/news/2025-07...

Ex-officer who violated Breonna Taylor’s civil rights gets 33 months in prison Former Louisville police detective Brett Hankison was sentenced in federal court Monday. He was convicted last fall of violating Breonna Taylor’s rights during the botched 2020 raid on her apartment.

Breaking: Ex-LMPD detective Brett Hankison sentenced for violating Breonna Taylor’s civil rights during Louisville officers' raid on her apartment in 2020, when police shot and killed her.

Farewell note to former JCPS superintendent sparks board inquiry Communications chief spends funds meant for West End schools on billboard thanking outgoing superintendent.

So @storiesbyjess.bsky.social looked into the billboard along I-65 thanking ex-Superintendent Marty Pollio for his work. Her investigation took a couple interesting turns:

I’m floored. In just over 24 hours, so many generous people donated and helped us cover the immediate funding gap, and then some! In my career, I’ve never experienced a collective swell of support like this, for the local journalism & music & culture that make our community special. Thanks, y’all💛

A table is laid out with flute-making kits, featuring multicolored straws and tape. A tablecloth beneath the kits shows the logo for Louisville Public Media.

I’m out at the Winners for Wellness festival, celebrating BIPOC Mental Health Month, today at the California Community Center. Handing out build-your-own pan flute kits from @lpm.org’s stellar Music Box, an educational podcast for kids!

Congress rolls back $9 billion in public media funding and foreign aid The House approved a Trump administration plan to rescind $9 billion in previously allocated funds, including $1.1 billion for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

It's official. The cuts are approved by both the House and Senate and on their way to the President's desk.

While this decision is devastating for millions of Americans that rely on public media - the one thing this bill CANNOT take away is our commitment to you.

Donate today at wkms.org.

Hey yall. This is a story I really DID NOT want to report. We are in a tough spot and so is every local public radio and TV station in Kentucky.

I know it feels like we are always asking for donations. But this time is really important. This money was in everyone’s budgets - and now it’s just…gone.

KET is getting hit very hard by congressional Republicans’ defunding of public media today.

Kentucky public media stations to lose millions after Congressional rescission vote Kentucky’s public broadcasting stations are set to lose millions of dollars in potential annual funding after Congress passed a $9 billion rescission package Thursday night.

@lpm.org is one of many locally run radio and TV stations across our region, and our country, hit hard by congressional Republicans' defunding of public media. @justinhicks.lpm.org put out a story just after the House's midnight vote on the impacts in Kentucky: www.lpm.org/news/2025-07...

Louisville Public Media Louisville Public Media (LPM) is an independent, community supported nonprofit corporation serving our community with three distinct public radio stations and an investigative unit: 89.3 WFPL News Lou...

The GOP-run Congress defunded public broadcasting today, blowing a $376K hole in Louisville Public Media's budget. So we're doing an emergency fundraiser. To support the news, music and events we share, and the people here who do this community-centric work, make a donation online:

Co-sign, @wuky.org rocks.

Could polio and measles make a comeback in Ky.? School vaccination rates say kids are vulnerable Many Jefferson County kindergarten classrooms have low vaccination rates for measles and polio, which doctors say makes them vulnerable.

With the news of a confirmed measles case in Louisville today, I'm remembering this Jess Clark/Aprile Rickert story I edited in 2022: Could polio and measles make a comeback in Ky.? School vaccination rates say kids are vulnerable www.lpm.org/news/2022-10...

Jewish Louisvillian allowed to sue over Kentucky’s near-total abortion ban The Kentucky Court of Appeals partially reversed a lower court's decision, finding a Jewish woman is allowed to sue over Kentucky’s near-total abortion ban.

A new ruling just reinvigorated a lawsuit against Kentucky's abortion ban. Good explanation of the legalese here, and what's at stake, from @sylviaruthg.lpm.org:

Digging In: Why a West Virginia factory’s pollution could trouble Louisville’s drinking water Louisville’s drinking water utility says a West Virginia factory’s PFAS pollution could cause problems locally. The facility faces a lawsuit for violating its permit.

A lawsuit over a West Virginia factory sending PFAS pollution into the Ohio River has implications for Louisville's drinking water supply, 400 miles downstream. I chatted w/ a @mtnstspotlight.bsky.social reporter who's covering the case. Listen here: