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Eastern Standard: June 25, 2026

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Cornbread baked according to the Mindy Merrell recipe.
Tom Martin
Cornbread baked according to the Mindy Merrell recipe.

This week on Eastern Standard:

What is the “Halfback Wave” and how might eastern Kentucky benefit from it? Veteran Appalachian journalist James Branscome has some ideas and joins us to offer details.

What does it mean to cannabis research that the Trump administration has dropped marijuana from the prohibitive “Schedule I” drug category to the more lenient “Schedule III”? That’s our question for Dr. Shana Babalonis, head of the University of Kentucky Cannabis Research Center.

Marianne Worthington, in conversation with ES literary contributor Kevin Nance, shares readings from her latest book of poetry, Water, Witness, Word.

How an unassuming combination of ingredients sparked a quiet culinary and cultural revolution. And tips on making the best cornbread, ever. Our guest is Mindy Merrell, co-author of Self-Rising: The Magic Rise Behind Biscuit and Cornbread Culture.

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Tom Martin hosts Eastern Standard, a weekly radio magazine of interviews and stories about interesting people, places, and things happening in the Commonwealth.
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