This week on Eastern Standard:

Episode 27 of our series, “Democracy Optimist,” hosted by University of Kentucky election law and voting rights research professor Joshua Douglas.

Many of us want to do something—anything—to foster civic engagement and democracy, especially when things feel like they are spiraling out of control. Enter Citizens University and CivicLex.

Joining Josh Douglas to discuss the work of Citizen University is one of its co-founders, Eric Liu. As the author of Become America: Civic Sermons on Love, Responsibility, and Democracy, Liu has thought a lot about what it means to be an engaged citizen in 2026.

CivicLex founder and Executive Director Richard Young joins us to dive into the details of the much-watched “Civic Assembly” currently underway in Fayette County.

On this week’s edition of Eastern Standard:

Accounts of March 9 and March 11, 1976, when the Scotia coal mine in Letcher County exploded, killing 26 miners. On the 50th anniversaries of the explosions, our guests, Bill Bishop and Brian McKnight, recall these back-to-back disasters.

Artificial Intelligence and the news. It’s the focus of this latest episode in our series “The AI Revolution: Promise and Peril” with guest Peter Baniak, former Managing Editor of the Lexington Herald-Leader, now an instructor of journalism at the University of Kentucky.

The art and craft of weaving is making a comeback in the Appalachian region. Rural Remix reporter Toni Doman, herself a weaver, has the story.

This week on Eastern Standard:

The public is generally unaware that Social Security is projected to fall into insolvency in 2032, according to an extensive national survey. Our guest: Mike Murphy, policy analyst with the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget in Washington, discusses likely consequences and potential solutions.

News media organizations are being urged to clearly distinguish between reporting and opinion. The effort is being spearheaded by Gerald Smith’s guest, Rufus Friday, head of the Center for Integrity in News Reporting.

The rich, interesting history of Lexington, Kentucky includes many who have accomplished interesting things, but for whom statues were never erected. Dollie Dandrige is among them and we get her story from Lexington History Museum Director, Mandy Higgins.

Kevin Nance sits down with CD Collins, author of “Blue Lands”, on Kentucky literature that probes southern and Appalachian life. Collins is also responsible for leading a resurgence of Spoken Word with Music and we end the hour with an example.

This week on Eastern Standard:

Nick Jacobs, co-author of “The Rural Voter: The Politics of Place and the Disuniting of America,” is Carolyn Dupont’s guest for the latest episode of her Eastern Standard series, “Civics, Civility and the path to a Shared American Future.”

Shaunna Scott and Kathryn Engle, co-editors of “Toward Just Transitions: Visions for Regenerative Communities in Appalachia”, a book featuring contributions from more than two dozen writers and thinkers in the region on maintaining Justice in transitioning a regional industrial base from, for example, fossil fuels to renewable forms of power generation.

As Lexington’s new Arts & Culture Director, Celeste Lewis begins this leadership role in the Lexington arts community with a call to action for devising a cohesive strategy to nurture, support, encourage, and grow the local arts ecosystem.

This week on Eastern Standard:

What are the implications of Artificial Intelligence in elections? Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams is Art Shechet’s guest for this latest episode of our series “The AI Revolution: Promises and Perils.”

A new poll commissioned by KyPolicy finds most Kentuckians don’t feel the state legislature’s income tax cuts are helping them personally—and they would rather see lawmakers focusing on affordability and core services. We get details from KyPolicy’ Jason Bailey.

The Kentucky Resources Council and three other environmental justice groups joined to commission an analysis of energy use in Kentucky. They wanted to know about the opportunities and the obstacles to meeting Kentucky’s electricity demand, and what are the most affordable, reliable, and resilient ways to reduce greenhouse gases and other environmental risks and liabilities.

This week on Eastern Standard:

Our series, “The AI Revolution: Promise and Peril” continues with guest Lisa Blue, Director of AI Strategies at Eastern Kentucky University. We explore how EKU is adapting AI in its programming, workforce and campus life.

Shannon Moody, Chief Strategy and Policy Officer at Kentucky Youth Advocates on how the current session of the state General Assembly can meet the needs of Kentucky’s most vulnerable children.

That time when the founder and namesake of Alice Lloyd College was tricked into being flown to Los Angeles to appear on the tv show, “This is Your Life” and the suspenseful, but remarkable response that followed. The story is portrayed by Jacqueline Kohl Hamilton as part of the Kentucky Humanities Chautauqua series. She sits down with Eastern Standard theatre contributor, Bill McCann.

Bob Martin, producer of Shiners: Voices from Owsley County, discusses the award-winning documentary that celebrates the resilience and creativity of Appalachian youth.

This week on Eastern Standard:
“The Future Would Like A Word”- Episode 26 of our series, “Democracy Optimist,” hosted by UK election law and voting rights research professor Joshua Douglas.

Our guests:

• LaJuan Allen, the Executive Director of Vote16USA, a nonprofit dedicated to lowering the voting age to 16 in response to concerns about youth engagement, civic readiness, and the long-term health of our democracy. 
• Boyle Co. H.S. senior Luisa Sanchez of the Kentucky Student Voice Team and KSVT managing partner Rachel Belin discuss the organization’s lawsuit claiming the state has failed its constitutional duty under Section 183 of the Kentucky Constitution to provide “an efficient system of common schools.”

We Americans are marking the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding with diverging accounts — sometimes offered from irreconcilably different perspectives — of what has gone down in this country since 1776. This week on Eastern Standard we present two views that in many ways defy what we have been taught about American racial and indigenous history. Literary contributor Kevin Nance sits down with Kristine Yohe and Frank X Walker to discuss Yohe’s book: “Reckoning with the Past: The Historical Poetry of Frank X Walker.” Tom Martin gets a deeply researched perspective on who called Kentucky home before this place became “Kentucky.” His guest: Stephen Warren, author of “The Worlds The Shawnee Made.” And Sylvia Lovely joins us with details of an effort to recognize women of Fayette County whose contributions have been made behind the scenes.

We continue our new series, “Artificial Intelligence: Promise and Peril.” Host, Dr. Arthur Shechet, goes “under the hood” of AI with University of Kentucky Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning research professor Brent Harrison. How does AI do what it does? What about concerns that AI will surpass human intelligence? These questions and many more are raised in this segment.

Five members of the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council have announced that they will not run for reelection. Many cite low compensation for long hours, their two year terms interrupted by the necessity to campaign for reelection. 6th District Council Member Liz Sheehan is among the five and in what is in effect an “exit interview,” she suggests a solution.

Trayton Blackburn, Fayette Co. Cooperative Extension Agent for Community Arts, discusses his work in support of working artists and arts groups.

15 with UK AI and machine learning researcher, Dr. Brent Harrison taking us under the hood to better understand how the technology works. From there, we’ll explore its rapidly expanding presence in our lives.

A state legislative task force was recommending a list of ten AI safeguards. President Trump, however, has signed an executive order blocking states from enforcing their own AI regulations. With the 2026 legislative session getting underway, how will this turn out?

The University of Kentucky is integrating AI into all 17 of its colleges, as well as campus life and operations. What does this mean? We raised this question and many more with Ian McClure, co-lead of the university’s AI adaptation team.

The Lexington World Music presenter Greenroom Exchange brings the Spanish vocal duo Tarta Relena to Lexington on January 18. We explore the music with a few surprises along the way.

Part One
From strict voter ID laws that don’t recognize tribal IDs, to limits on allowing others to deliver their ballots, many Native Americans face voter suppression. Our guest is Jean Schroedel, author of Voting in Indian Country: The View from the Trenches.

Part TwoYou may be aware of the Federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, but did you know that some states have Voting Rights Acts of their own? Seven states have these laws on their books. Find out which ones from Lata Nott, Senior Legal Counsel at the Campaign Legal Center.

At one time, an admired national leader in education, Kentucky has fallen behind. There are many consequences, but one that has a far-reaching impact is in quality childcare — Pre-Kindergarten that prepares our youngest learners for school. Sam Flynn aims to change that. He details how in this conversation with ES education contributor, Brigitte Blom.

With the holidays upon us we have dipped into a December, 2022 edition to bring back four of Kentucky’s outstanding authors and poets: Silas House, Georgia Green Stamper, Joseph Anthony and Crystal Wilkinson. In this segment, Tom Martin and Silas House discuss the author’s short story, “She Came to Mercy.”

With the holidays upon us we have dipped into a December, 2022 edition to bring back four of Kentucky’s outstanding authors and poets: Silas House, Georgia Green Stamper, Joseph Anthony and Crystal Wilkinson. In this segment, Georgia Green Stamper gives us a delightful reading of her take on “The Three Wise Men.”

With the holidays upon us we have dipped into a December, 2022 edition to bring back four of Kentucky’s outstanding authors and poets: Silas House, Georgia Green Stamper, Joseph Anthony and Crystal Wilkinson. In this segment, novelist and poet Joseph Anthony reads “The Ugliest Christmas Tree.”

With the holidays upon us we have dipped into a December, 2022 edition to bring back four of Kentucky’s outstanding authors and poets: Silas House, Georgia Green Stamper, Joseph Anthony and Crystal Wilkinson. In this segment, Eastern Standard literary contributor Tom Eblen and poet and author Crystal Wilkinson discuss Wilkinson’s “The Visit.”

Part One Guest: Carly Muetterties, chair of the Kentucky Civic Education Coalition, promoting civic education in public schools. She is a former high school social studies teacher, an expert in civic education, and co-founder of “Common Good Ed,” an organization that provides educational resources to diverse communities.

Part Two Guest: Evan Weissman. Evan is the founder of “Warm Cookies of the Revolution,” which he refers to as a “civic health club.” The organization promotes civic health by creating an enjoyable and engaging atmosphere to discuss social issues that are critical to people’s lives—and they bring warm cookies to every event. Weissman has won several awards for his efforts, which have engaged more than one million people.

Not only did it happen, but there were thousands of spectators and often a carnival atmosphere as lynchings were carried out in Kentucky well into the 20th century. Sonya Lea’s “American Bloodlines” is a reckoning with one such case, documenting the 1936 public hanging spectacle of a young Black man, Rainey Bethea, in Owensboro, Kentucky.

The gender gap in math widened during the pandemic. Schools are trying to make up lost ground. Education contributor Brigitte Blom gets details from Associated Press education reporter Annie Ma.

What’s happening on the federal level can leave you feeling helpless. But, while paying attention to national politics and government is wise, participating in local civic affairs is where you can make a real difference in matters that affect the governance of and quality of life in your community. Eastern Standard contributor Carolyn Dupont follows this thread with Rich Harwood, author of “The New Civic Path.”

A spicy condiment holds a prominent place in the 250-year history of Lexington, Kentucky. Amanda Higgins, Executive Director of the Lexington History Museum, joins us to explain how it became a favorite of the Queen of England.

Part One: 

Ben Sheehan, host, writer, and producer of “Civics Made Easy,” a series on PBS that empowers viewers with the knowledge necessary to participate in democracy. He also writes a Substack titled “Politics Made Easy.” He is the author of the best-selling book, “What Does the Constitution Actually Say?: A Non-Boring Guide to How Our Democracy is Supposed to Work.”

Part Two: 

Dan Wu is the first Asian American to serve as Vice Mayor of Lexington. He served on numerous local boards before winning election as Vice Mayor, but before that, he had little experience in politics, instead opening his own ramen shop and appearing on the TV show Master Chef. Wu has become a passionate advocate for civic engagement.

In a time when federal environmental programs and funding are being scaled back or cut altogether, what are the future prospects for students aspiring to careers in environmental fields? The Tracy Farmer Institute for Sustainability in the Environment is sponsoring a “Careers in the Environment” Career Fair on November 18. We raise that question and get details for the event from Hannah Angel, Director of Undergraduate Studies and Natural Resources and Environmental Studies at the University of Kentucky.

What is Agroforestry and what are its benefits for the people of Eastern Kentucky? For answers, we turn to Steve Kruger, Director of Forest Livelihoods at LiKEN — Livelihoods Knowledge Exchange Network.

Madeleine Pollard, from a Lexington family, charmed her way into Washington, D.C.’s elite society, and by age 17, tumbled into a ten-year affair with Kentucky Congressman William C.P. Breckinridge. Eventually, he tossed her aside and married someone else. And that sets the scene of a remarkable true account, "Alias Agnes" by Elizabeth DeWolfe. She talks with Eastern Standard Literary Contributor Kevin Nance.

The Lexington-based Southern Rock band Magnolia Boulevard is out with a new album. We’re joined in-studio by the band’s founders, Maggie Noelle and Ryan Allen.

“Eschatology” is the part of theology concerned with death, judgment, and the final destiny of the soul, and of humankind. And it’s at the heart of “The Gospel Beyond the Grave: Toward a Black Theology of Hope”, the new book from Dr. Lewis Brogdon, Executive Director of the Institute for Black Church Studies at Kentucky Theological Seminary in Louisville. The book raises some important, very penetrating, provocative questions. Lewis Brogdon is Gerald Smith’s guest for this latest in his Eastern Standard series on racial justice and equality.

In her book “We Were Promised,” Julia Flint documents what can happen when a corporation unilaterally cancels a negotiated agreement with its workforce. The setting is the Ohio River factory town of Ravenswood, home to about 38-hundred West Virginians.

Affordable housing, quality childcare, and disaster preparation. Those are priorities at the top of the Mountain Association’s new five-year strategic plan. Robin Gabbard leads the organization and she joins us to talk about what’s on this roadmap.

Carolyn Dupont hosts a conversation providing thoughtful perspectives from right and left concerning the national mood. Her guests: Henry Olsen, researcher at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, and Shadi Hamid, formerly with the Brookings Institution, now on the faculty at Fuller Theological Institute and author of the substack, “The Wisdom of Crowds.”

Nathan Vanderford from the Markey Cancer Center on the latest book of student essays published by the Appalachian Career Training in Oncology (ACTION) program. The aim is to encourage students from Eastern Kentucky to consider careers in fighting cancer back in their hometowns where some of the highest cancer rates in the nation are found.

Marie Mitchell and Mason Smith, co-authors of “Paranormal Kentucky: An Uncommon Wealth of Close Encounters with Aliens, Ghosts and Cryptids.”

Part One - Guest: Denise Lieberman

Disputes over redistricting have gone into overdrive as some states have engaged in what we call mid-decade redistricting or re-redistricting. These states drew the lines for congressional seats back in 2021, which are supposed to last for the entire decade. But, spurred by President Trump, Texas redrew its map to turn five seats that were more favorable to Democrats into ones more winnable for Republicans. In response, California put a measure on the ballot in November to redraw its own map to make five Republican-leaning districts into Democratic ones. It’s a race to the bottom with partisan gerrymandering run rampant. And it could have a major impact on which party controls Congress after the 2026 midterm elections.

Missouri is also part of the fight, redrawing its map to split up the Kansas City area into several districts, which will likely flip one seat from Democratic to Republican. Lawsuits have predictably ensued. Joining us to discuss that mid-decade redistricting in Missouri and the litigation over the map is Denise Lieberman. She is the Director and General Counsel of the Missouri Voter Protection Coalition, a non-partisan organization that works to promote free, fair, and accessible elections in Missouri. She is also the Faculty Director of the Voter Access and Engagement Initiative at Washington University in St. Louis.

Part Two - Guest: Kentucky State Representative Anne Donworth

Democracy is about representation. Elected officials should fairly represent the interests of their constituents. But what causes someone to run in the first place? What is it like when they first take office? And how does it feel when you enter the halls of government, especially in the minority party? Here to give us an inside view of how democracy and representation actually work is Anne Donworth, who represents the 76^th district, which covers much of Lexington, in the Kentucky House of Representatives.

This week on Eastern Standard:

Autism Spectrum Disorder is a developmental condition that can affect social skills, communication, and behavior. Because it’s a spectrum, experiences vary widely — some people are nonverbal and need daily support, while others have advanced conversational skills and live independently. There is no conclusive science-based evidence of a link with taking Tylenol during pregnancy. Our guest: Lexington behavioral analyst Amanda Ralston.

Kentucky has one of the nation’s highest rates of absenteeism among school-age kids. But no one is sure where they are. Jill Barshay has documented a nationwide absenteeism issue in The Hechinger Report. She shares details with ES education contributor Brigitte Blom.

We learn how Mary Britten figures prominently in Lexington history from Lexington History Museum Executive Director, Amanda Higgins.

Recording artist Bee Taylor on performing her compositions with the Lexington Ballet, musicians from the Lexington Philharmonic, and in the Steve Zahn movie, “She Dances.”

‘Po Ramblin’ Boys founder C.J. Lewandowski tells the story of the making of an album in tribute to (and including) the late, great Bluegrass artist Bobby Osborne.

On this week’s edition of Eastern Standard:

What the polls indicate about voter attitudes concerning political violence is explored by ES contributor Carolyn Dupont in a conversation with Elliot Morris, former data/polling analyst for The Economist and FiveThirtyEight. Morris publishes the newsletter Strength in Numbers on Substack.

Silas House has published a new murder mystery. The prolific Kentucky novelist and a former state Poet Laureate sits down with literary contributor Kevin Nance to discuss Dead Man Blues 

Dr. Liang Liang studies seasonal trends — phenology —at the University of Kentucky. We ask if he and other researchers have documented connections between climate change and shifting seasons.

We have details on the Urban Forest Initiative’s annual Tree Week celebration, getting underway in cities and towns across Kentucky.

“A Way With Words” co-hosts Martha Barnette and Grant Barrett will be in Lexington for the 2025 Kentucky Book Festival. Barnette, a UK graduate, fills us in on the origins of the highly popular call-in public radio show about language. It’s heard across the country and around the world by broadcast and podcast. Barnette fields questions provided by the EKU English faculty as well as friends on Facebook.

Nothing less than our way of knowing things is in for an update and an overhaul at EKU and many other universities and colleges across the nation. EKU Psychology Professor Matthew Winslow tells us about the work of the university’s Essential Education Transformation Committee and a proposal to break down the silos of “General Education” — the college courses that introduce students to fundamental ideas and intellectual activities in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences — in favor of cross-pollinating disciplines.

Rebecca Egan McCarthy, a climate news reporting fellow at GRIST, discusses the idea of tapping vast deposits of Hydrogen under much of the Midwest as a source of energy.

What did Margaret Ingles of Paris, Ky. have to do with the invention of home air conditioning? Find out in this latest in our series of conversations with Lexington History Museum executive director Mandy Higgins.

This week on Eastern Standard:

Weather forecasting. Meteorology. Why it’s critical to our well-being, and what has been happening to weather forecasting on the national level. John Bobel takes up these questions with Joe Sullivan, until his recent retirement in the wave of cutbacks to the National Weather Service, the “Warning Coordination Meteorologist” at the national weather service station in Louisville.

Hardwood forests cover 50 percent of Kentucky —there are more than 12-million forested acres in the state. Many of us almost literally “grew up in the woods.” Joining us for a conversation about our forests, and our relationships with them, is Dr. Kathryn Newfont, associate professor of history at the University of Kentucky with research interests in Appalachian history, the U.S. South, and Environmental History.

Environmental philosophy is concerned with the natural environment and how we humans fit into it. It raises some crucial questions about human environmental relations. Those questions have probably never been more urgent than they are today as we experience the calling cards of climate change, including more frequent, more intense rainstorms and flooding; wildfires; groundwater depletion; and sea-level rise. It’s a lot to take in. Our guest is Megs Gendreau, Marlene & David Grissom Associate Professor of Philosophy & Environmental Studies at Centre College in Danville.

The Social Security Trust Fund is projected to become insolvent in 2032. Mike Murphy, Senior Vice President and Chief of Staff at the non-partisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget breaks down the consequences for Kentucky beneficiaries.

Hazard bookstore owner Mandi Fugate Sheffel is now out with her own book, The Nature of Pain: Roots, Recovery and Redemption Amid the Opioid Crisis. Recalling Barbara Kingsolver’s fictional Demon Copperhead, Sheffel provides a riveting account of her own experiences with drugs, the loss of a loved one to addiction, her estrangement from family and friends, and finally her rehabilitation and hope to encourage others.

Encouragement is the clear aim of Freedom House in Clay County. The facility accommodates mothers with children and pregnant women struggling with addiction and it's about to expand. Jennifer Hancock, CEO of Volunteers of America, tells us how this service is making a difference in lives.

Part One:
People hear the phrase “civics education,” and they often think of K-12 classes in government. States have enacted laws that require high school students to pass the same citizenship test that new citizens must take. What can we do to ensure civics is not just something we discuss briefly in school but instead is a lifelong endeavor? Our first guest, Donna Cohen, is a former educator and librarian in Oregon. She runs a program called “Civics for Adults,” which includes interactive in-person or virtual workshops that provide nonpartisan information about the political process and civic engagement.

Part Two:
After the November 2024 election, there were numerous stories about how voter turnout was high—the second highest in a century, in fact, second only to 2020. Yet turnout nationwide was under 64 percent. Over 1/3 of eligible voters did not show up. How can we celebrate strong voter engagement or an electoral mandate when more people didn’t vote than voted for the winner?  But at least one state has consistently been among the top in voter turnout. Minnesota, the Land of Ten Thousand Lakes, has a strong culture of democratic engagement. Joining us to discuss Minnesota’s success is its Secretary of State, Steve Simon. Secretary Simon is a former five-time member of the Minnesota House of Representatives and has been elected to the office of Secretary of State three times. Secretary Simon is particularly proud of his state’s record on voter turnout. 

This Week on Eastern Standard

Lisa McKinney of the non-partisan, non-profit Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence raises concerns about the Trump administration clawback of federal education funding and its proposal to make further cuts in the coming year.

What’s in the water? That’s what Tiffany Messer, Associate Professor of Biosystems Engineering at the University of Kentucky, set out to discover, leading a team of researchers to document the contents of creeks, streams and rivers across the Commonwealth.

Grammy winning jazz violinist Zach Brock leads a fascinating conversation with Origins Jazz founders Chester Grundy and Richard Young. It was inspired by the forthcoming Equinox Jazz Festival, but is about so much more.

Luis Villalobos and his brothers, all accomplished violinists from the Veracruz region of Mexico, are the latest international artists being welcomed to Lexington by Greenroom Exchange. Luis joins us for a conversation that includes how he wound up on a Bruce Springsteen album.

This week on Eastern Standard:

Happenings in the Kentucky literary scene. We’re joined by Jennifer Mattox, executive director of the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning, discussing the immediate impacts of the Trump administration’s cuts in funding of the National Endowment for the Arts.

Sharing the concerns raised by Mattox is novelist and educator Sherry Robinson, retired Vice Provost and Professor of English at Eastern Kentucky University.

Melissa Newman provides details of the Appalachian Writers Conference slated for September.

Katerina Stoykova of Lexington-based Accents Publishing provides tips on how to get a book published.

And in a fascinating "driveway radio" conversation, writer, journalist, and poet Kevin Nance discusses with Silas House, “All These Ghosts,” the new book of poetry from the Kentucky Poet Laureate emeritus.

Eastern Standard Education Contributor Brigitte Blom and guest, RofL professor Roman Yompolskiy, on what to anticipate as AI becomes ever more present in the educational experiences of Kentucky’s youth.

What does it mean to be a traditional Conservative in modern-day America? Yuval Levin of the American Enterprise Institute is a guest of Eastern Standard Contributor Carolyn Dupont.

Developing Lexington as a hub of innovation in agricultural technology is the mission of the Blue Grass Ag-Tech Corporation. Our guest is its new director, Jacob Ball.

Lexington is getting ready to open its new downtown 10-acre Gatton Park on Town Branch. We hear what it has taken to transform a dream into a reality from the park’s executive director, Allison Lankford.

Shawn Okpebholo shares what he intends to express in an original orchestral piece that will premiere in a September 7th performance by the Lexington Philharmonic. The piece was commissioned in celebration of the 250th anniversary of Lexington’s founding.

This week on Eastern Standard:

Under the Trump administration, the EPA is moving to relax anti-pollution controls and is dismantling its scientific research arm. We invited Kentucky Resources Council executive director Ashley Wilmes, an environmental attorney, to help us distill these actions down to local consequences.

The increased frequency of intense rainstorms is driving the cost of homeowners' insurance up and home market values down. Our guest is Jeremy Porter, chief economist at First Street, a climate risk analysis non-profit.

Bill Meck knows his way around weather radar. The WLEX meteorologist is John Bobel’s first guest in his new series on emergency response.

Begun in the 1930s, redlining was the federal government’s practice of outlining in red the areas on maps with sizable non-White populations to indicate to mortgage lenders that they were not loan-worthy. This led to the systematic denial of services, resources, and opportunities. Kristen LaRue and Regina Lewis from “Black Yarn” join us to detail the debut screening of their documentary, Lexington: Resilience In The Redline.

Tori Votaw developed an interest in helping people overcome opioid addiction. She had seen it happen to too many friends and fellow students while in high school in Georgetown, Ky. Now a PhD addiction psychologist at Harvard, her work focuses on personalizing treatments for substance use and addiction. She tells us how that work is now imperiled by President Trump’s proposed FY ’26 federal budget.

Education series host Brigitte Blom recently visited the Anaheim California school district and heard something that she wanted to bring back to Kentucky: that gone are the days when getting a high school diploma alone is enough to give a young person a shot at having some success in life. Her guest is Michael Matsuda, creator of a new educational model designed to provide today’s high school graduates with an entirely new set of skills to navigate a digital, social media-informed, AI-influenced world.

Bill Estep has just about seen it all. A veteran of 40 years of reporting for the Lexington Herald-Leader, Estep recently retired. And he has plenty to say about the state of journalism today.

This week on Eastern Standard:

Episode 21 of our series, Democracy Optimist, with constitutional, election law, and voting rights scholar Joshua Douglas. Our guests:

• Jennifer Mercieca, a historian of American political rhetoric and a Professor in the Department of Communication and Journalism at Texas A&M University. She writes about American political discourse, especially as it relates to citizenship, democracy, and the presidency.
  
• Corey Brettschneider, a professor of political science at Brown University teaching law and political theory. Corey co-hosts the podcast, The Oath and the Office.

This week on Eastern Standard:

• As ICE continues to sign support agreements with Kentucky law enforcement agencies we get an update on the atmosphere among international communities across the Commonwealth from Nima Kulkarni, state representative, immigration employment attorney and founder of the New Americans Initiative. 

• Javier Hernandez came to the states from Mexico in the late 90s and has worked his way up to manager of a Fayette County’s horse farm. He tells us about his journey from becoming a legal resident and a naturalized citizen, to managing migrant employees who fear encounters with ICE.

• Lexington journalist, writer, poet and photographer Kevin Nance is releasing a new book of poetry that stands as a memoir of a life begun on a small tobacco farm in eastern North Carolina. He joins us in the studio to share some readings from the collection.

• Max Puchalsky is a co-founder of ArtFarm, a new shared workspace for artists and organizers in Lexington. 

This week on Eastern Standard:

• Substantiated incidents of abuse and neglect in Kentucky child care centers are up 73% from 2022. Herald-Leader Government Accountability reporter John Cheves documents this and other troubling statistics in a three-part series on a vital service stretched thin by staff shortages.
  
• What do Nicholasville, the Kentucky Constitution, and Thomas Jefferson have in common? Denis Fleming connects the dots in a new book.
  
• The concerns and anxieties of patients need an outlet as we hear in Judy Flavell’s conversation with Dr. Robert Slocum, coordinator of the Narrative Medicine program at UK Health Care.
  
• Traditional Appalachian dishes are reimagined in a Modern Mountain Cookbook: A Plant-Based Celebration of Appalachia. Author Jan Brandenberg joins us.

“Are we really just going to decide that we are going to be a divided country, and there’s going to be half of the population that we choose not to associate with?” This in-the-moment question is raised in this week’s Independence Day edition by Karissa Raskin, CEO of the Listen First Project. She is one of two guests interviewed for this episode by Eastern Standard contributor Carolyn Dupont. Also joining us is Dana Goldthwaite Young, who suggests that in reality, we're not as divided over major policy issues as many believe. She is the author of “Wrong: How Media, Politics, and Identity Drive Our Appetite For Misinformation.”

Celebrating a century: Herrington Lake, a source of hydroelectric power and a central Kentucky destination for recreation and relaxation. Tom Martin interviews Mike Holdren, author of a new book about the creation and history of the lake.

Cliff Drouet is on a mission to restore forests destroyed by surface mining across Appalachia. The US Forester discusses ARRI, the Appalachian Regional Reforestation Initiative

Kathleen Driskell begins her two-year appointment as Kentucky Poet Laureate, succeeding Silas House. How will she use the opportunity? Find out in this conversation with Eastern Standard contributor Tom Eblen.

Leslie Stematis is co-founder of M'Power Rhythm, created to teach collaboration through drumming. She talks with Tom Martin about upcoming events.

Are we living through a major era of change in America? For perspective, we turn to renowned professor of History Heather Cox Richardson. And we ask Mediba Dennie, Deputy Editor and Senior Contributor at the critical legal commentary outlet Balls and Strikes, what drives the Supreme Court to embrace Originalism in the Court's interpretation of the U.S. Constitution.

These questions are the focus of Episode 20 of the Eastern Standard series, “Democracy Optimist,” hosted by Joshua Douglas, Acting Associate Dean for Research at the University of Kentucky Rosenberg College of Law.

When it comes to reporting on the workings of city government, there are so many immediate issues demanding attention that it can be very easy to lose a broader perspective — what local ordinances, for example, the city council is considering, and how the council itself has gone through important changes in recent years. Eastern Standard contributor Gerald Smith gets the perspective of long-time Council Member James Brown.

• Join a club, save democracy? That’s the advice of Rebecca Davis, co-producer of “Join or Die”, a film about why you should join a club and why the fate of America depends on it. She is the guest of ES contributor Carolyn Dupont.

• What happened to Major Jack Wells in Vietnam on September 27th, 1965 is a question that has plagued his son, James, for decades. James Wells’ search for answers culminates in the book, Because: A CIA Coverup and a Son’s Odyssey to Find the Father He Never Knew. Wells discusses his story with Tom Martin.

• The 1956 arrival in Lexington of IBM was a genuine game-changer for the city. Find out how and why in Tom Martin’s conversation with Mandy Higgins, executive director of the Lexington History Museum.

The art — and challenges — of raising backyard chickens in an urban setting. Natalie Voss interviews Jackie Jacob, Ag Extension Project Manager at the University of Kentucky.

In a conversation with with Art Shechet from our partner arts pub, undermainarts.org, Lexington architects Clive and Graham Pohl discuss architecture as public art.

The Lexington Children’s Theatre has new leadership. Jeff Sachs arrives from Chicago where he served as founding managing director of Kerfuffle, a theatre for the very young.

Greg Lynd and Matt Page unveil a new album of original rock — with a touch of Irish.

Choreographer Lakshmi Sriraman and Greenroom Exchange co-founder Lee Carroll fill us in on a mid-June concert at the Lyric Theater that will blend the classical music of India with other forms of World Music styles.

This week on Eastern Standard:

Research projects hit with Trump administration funding cuts include two major government reports that tell us where things stand with nature and climate here in the US, and how any changes that are happening could impact people and the economy. But writing in Inside Climate News, Kiley Price reports that scientists, themselves, are taking on these efforts to keep us informed, without the government’s help.

It’s challenging to keep track, day by day, of the Executive Orders coming out of the White House, and the actions of the administration’s “Department of Government Efficiency” or “DOGE,” .. and how these actions are affecting Kentucky. But somebody has stepped into the role of making those connections. Joining us is Jason Bailey, executive director of the Ky Council for Economic Policy

If you have young kids, and you have a job, you want the peace of mind from knowing that your kids are getting safe, quality care while you’re at work. Not just warehousing them with a babysitter, but making sure they’re getting what they need for their growth and development. How many ways could child care in Kentucky better deliver that peace of mind? Dozens of ways, according to a new policy report developed with the input of an array of advocacy and business organizations across the Commonwealth and published by the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce. The report is titled “A Foundation for Action: Shared Solutions to Child Care Challenges in Kentucky.” The Chamber’s policy chief, Charles Aull, is our guest.

Opening on June 6th at the Pam Miller Downtown Arts Center: An ActOut Theatre Group production of Angels in America, Part One, Millennium Approaches. Kevin Nance sits down with director Drew Barr.

**Public Media funding is under threat. You can help! Join WEKU's 1850 campaign for the future! 1,850 new supporters, each giving $10 monthly to keep WEKU strong. Donate today!

Part One

Democracy must have at least two robust parties that both agree on certain core values—in particular, the importance of democratic institutions and accepting election outcomes. From 2021 to early 2025, Stephen Richer served as the County Recorder, administering elections, in Maricopa County, Arizona, which includes Phoenix. After strongly defending the integrity of the 2020 election, he lost the 2024 Republican primary election for his office but continued to serve voters admirably in running the 2024 election in the nation’s second-largest voting jurisdiction. Richer is currently a senior practice fellow in American democracy at the Ash Center of Democratic Governance and Innovation at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Part Two:

American democracy requires both major political parties to embrace the core idea of democracy. And young people are the key to sustaining a democracy movement that can endure. Scott Warren has spent his career working on both issues—creating a culture of youth engagement and fostering a democracy movement for all sides of the political spectrum. Scott co-founded the organization “Generation Citizen,” which empowers young people by improving local civics education across the country. He also launched Democracy Moves, an international network of youth activists pushing for democratic change. Now he is a visiting fellow at Johns Hopkins University, where he is focused on building a pro-democracy conservative movement in the United States.

**Public Media funding is under threat. You can help! Join WEKU's 1850 campaign for the future! 1,850 new supporters, each giving $10 monthly to keep WEKU strong. Donate today!

This week on Eastern Standard,

• Q&A with Inside Climate News reporter Kiley Price on the intersection of climate change, tariffs, and homeowner insurance
• Clear and consistent research has found that parents and families play an important role in student success. Education contributor Brigitte Blom has a conversation with April Draine, a Kentucky mom, a Commonwealth Institute of Parent Leadership fellow, and a substitute teacher. 
• Newly minted Kentucky Supreme Court justice Pamela Goodwine talks with contributor Gerald Smith about her rise to the state’s highest court and her firm opposition to capital punishment.
• What do the Cats and French jazz violinist Jean Luc Ponty have in common? Find out as music contributor Zach Brock launches a new ES series of interviews with some of the world’s great working musicians.

The Trump administration cuts to federal funding of colleges and universities, and the linkage of funding to the termination of DEI programs is raising concerns at the Kentucky Council for Postsecondary Education, as we hear from CPE President, Aaron Thompson.

The heavy presence of celebrities in politics is the focus of ES Contributor Carolyn Dupont and her guest, Darrell West, author of Celebrity Politics.

ReString Appalachia, headed by folk musician and musicologist Nicholas Edward Williams, is pairing working musicians who have lost their instruments in recent floods with replacements.

Lexington-based Jazz-Rock-Fusion violinist Zach Brock launches a new series of interviews with The Greats in today’s music scene.

On this week's Eastern Standard

• Debra Hamelback, executive director of the Kentucky Veterinary Medical Association, on the factors driving a shortage of large animal veterinarians in Kentucky
• Daily Yonder reporter Ilana Newman, host of "Getaway," a new podcast series about rural tourism
• Amanda Higgins, executive director of the Lexington History Museum, on the history of the Women's Club of Central Kentucky
• Christine Genoveley, executive director of The American Printing House in Louisville, discusses their partnership with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library to publish braille children’s books
• WEKU reporter John McGary visits a service providing vital resources for the visually impaired
• Berea College cat cognition researcher Rebecca Singer takes a pair of listener questions 

On this week’s Eastern Standard:

Tracking “cause and effect” of the Trump administration’s federal funding and staffing cuts brings us to the closures of Mine Safety and Health Administration inspection offices in Kentucky; an end to BRIC, a program that has been helping communities get better prepared for extreme weather events; the closure of the office shaping NAEP, known as The Nation’s Report Card which provides a measure of how Kentucky public school students are doing in math and reading; and an explanation of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). We also hear about the plans of the James Baker Hall Foundation to encourage and highlight Kentucky’s budding writers and poets.

In this week's episode...

• In her book “Stolen Pride,” the Berkeley professor emerita Arlie Russell Hochschild uses reactions to a 2017 white supremacist march in Pikeville as a window into the political and sociological shifts that have transformed the country. “It occurred to me,” she writes, “that a close look at this vulnerable patch of red America — Kentucky’s Fifth Congressional District — might offer clues to red America as a whole, and indeed to the winds of white nationalism blowing around the world.”
• What is moral psychology and how can the discipline help us understand and overcome today’s political and ideological divides? Eastern Standard contributor Carolyn Dupont talks with University of North Carolina moral psychologist and professor, Kurt Gray, author of “Outraged: Why We Fight About Morality in Politics and How to Find Common Grounds.”
• Kentucky is among 11 states that do not require civics education in its public schools. The Kentucky Student Voice Team is out to change that. Our guests are Chase Colvin, research coordinator for the Kentucky Student Voice Team and a junior at DuPont Manual High School in Louisville,  and Daniela DiGiacomo, associate professor of youth development and learning sciences at the University of Kentucky and KSVT’s adult research partner.

John Koehlinger is the Executive Director of Kentucky Refugee Ministries. He discusses the atmosphere of uncertainty and fear among refugees and asylees who have resettled in Kentucky as the Trump administration takes aggressive actions to revoke documentation and carry out detentions and deportations.

Becky Jordan, State Coordinator for the Kentucky Office for Refugees. She shares the perspectives of one who has worked with refugee resettlement since the 1990s.

Professor Matthew Boaz teaches Immigration Law at the University of Kentucky. Before getting into teaching law, Prof. Boaz was a Senior Detention Attorney in Newark, NJ, where he represented individuals held in immigration detention centers while in removal proceedings.

Nestor Gomez is a master storyteller and his talents will be on full display at the Paris Story Fest, May 9-11. But we wanted to explore his back story, that of a 15-year-old who escaped civil war in Guatemala to come to the States where he lived for many years as an undocumented immigrant. Gomez has since achieved citizenship. He discusses his journey and what it means to become a documented citizen of the United States.

** WEKU is working hard to be a leading source for public service, and fact-based journalism. Monthly supporters are the top funding source for this growing nonprofit news organization. Please join others in your community who support WEKU by making your donation.

Eastern Standard launches "The First Kentuckians", a new series on Indigenous life in what became The Commonwealth of Kentucky. In this initial segment, co-hosting archeologists Chris Begley and Gwynn Henderson discuss coverage plans. We're joined by Blake Moss from the Big Sandy Area Development District to talk about a program to aid small businesses and entrepreneurs, especially those hit by recent flooding. We get details on 250Lex Literary Month and visit with 2025 Lexington Poet Laureate Eva Alcaraz-Monje, as well as the authors of "Haint Country". And with the launch of a second new ES series about animals sharing our planet, Natalie Voss Nevills with Sgt. Bryon Creekmore and Officer Alison Winters from the Lexington PD to talk about the mounted patrol unit horses.

President Trump’s use of his presidential powers to retaliate against certain law firms has sent a chill throughout the legal profession, threatening not just the ability of lawyers to do their jobs but also the ability of private citizens to hire lawyers to represent them. Joining us to sort out the meaning of this is Jonathan Shaub, a professor at the University of Kentucky’s Rosenberg College of Law, where he teaches courses in constitutional law and federal courts and leads a seminar on executive power. Ivy Litton is a senior at Rowan County High School in Morehead and a member of the Kentucky Student Voice Team. KSVT is calling for the return of civics education in Kentucky schools. Lexington sculptor Amanda Matthews, creator of "The Girl Puzzle" monument to investigative journalist Nellie Bly on New York's Roosevelt Island, recalls recently speaking before the UN. Lexington History Museum director Mandy Higgins details a display of the iconic civil rights photographs of Calvert McCann. Haitian Creole-jazz drummer Johnbern Thomas prepares us for his band's Greenroom Exchange concert in Lexington.

Thinking of the times we are all living through, our bandwidths stretched to the limit, and our patience with those who see things differently stretched thin, contributor Carolyn Dupont, EKU historian and state coordinator of the Red-Blue dialogue facilitators Braver Angels, hosts a conversation with the author of a book about overcoming all of that divisiveness in our daily lives. Gerald Smith discusses his account of Slavery and Freedom in the Bluegrass State. We have Steve Vest on his book about the Kentuckian who coined the phrases “Dog is man’s best friend” and “History is written by the victors.” And, the latest in our series on dog and cat behavior. This week’s focus: that thing about dogs and mail carriers.

The “Excellence Gap.” Many Kentucky school districts lack the resources to offer the advanced courses required for employment in the Commonwealth’s growing tech industry. Dolly Parton’s “Imagination Library” is getting books into the hands of children across Kentucky. Richmond novelist Wesley Browne is out with a new crime novel. He describes it as “The Sopranos meet the Hatfield & McCoys.” Time to dust off and spruce up that old guitar you never use. It has a new life waiting: WoodSongs creator and host Michael Johnathon tells us about plans to provide replacement instruments to eastern Kentucky musicians who lost their own in recent flooding.

Crystal Wilkinson and Frank X Walker on being named to the Kentucky Writers Hall of Fame. The erasure and resurrection of Julia Chinn, the enslaved Civil War era Scott County plantation manager who was the common-law wife of the ninth vice president of the United States, Richard Mentor Johnson. All about a podcast series on the Jessamine County Confederate Statue controversy. And how the art of Lexington sculptor John Tuska lives on in the classroom.

Some of the most troubled children in the Kentucky foster care system are being housed in state office buildings. We find out why and about a proposed remedy in a conversation with Terry Brooks of Kentucky Youth Advocates. Listen to the arguments for and against a proposal to end state anti-pollution protection of groundwater. Also: the author of a new book about Harlan and Anna Hubbard; Lexington folk-country artist Charlie Overman; Japan's KODO Drums to perform in Lexington.

** WEKU is working hard to be a leading source for public service, and fact-based journalism. Monthly supporters are the top funding source for this growing nonprofit news organization. Please join others in your community who support WEKU by making your donation.

It’s early 2025, but plans are already underway for the 2026 midterm elections and the 2028 presidential election. Joining Josh Douglas, host of this Eastern Standard series to discuss the inner workings of the U.S. Election Assistance Commission is EAC Chair, Ben Hovland. And offering an international perspective on elections and democracy is Dr. Fernanda Buril, the Deputy Director of the Center for Applied Research and Learning at the International Foundation for Electoral Systems. She’s an expert on sustaining democracy.

** WEKU is working hard to be a leading source for public service, and fact-based journalism. Monthly supporters are the top funding source for this growing nonprofit news organization. Please join others in your community who support WEKU by making your donation.

Her memoir, Composed, has been described by the Chicago Tribune as “one of the best accounts of an American life you'll likely ever read.” Rosanne Cash, daughter of Johnny, star in her own right, survivor of brain surgery, on tour and coming to Kentucky. We also feature a promising rising star, Bee Taylor, whose latest album, Twenty Seven, was recorded with Lexington musicians at the studio of Grammy-nominated producer/mixer Duane Lundy.
Plus, a report card on our report card: the latest on Kentucky's national ranking for education from education series host Brigitte Blom, this time as our guest in her role as President and CEO of the Prichard Committee for Academic Exellence.

** WEKU is working hard to be a leading source for public service, and fact-based journalism. Monthly supporters are the top funding source for this growing nonprofit news organization. Please join others in your community who support WEKU by making your donation.

As Lexington begins celebrating its 250th anniversary, the story of one of its early movers and shakers: Benjamin Gratz. Also, an account of the Cholera Epidemic of 1833. Reggie Van Stockum is out on the back roads of Kentucky exploring the history of the Fort Knox area and southern Indiana. And, the latest in our dog and cat cognition series asks why cats do that head-butting thing.

The Kentucky realities and consequences of President Trump’s deportation plan. Students sue the state alleging violation of the educational guarantees of the Kentucky Constitution. And what the data tells us about teacher pay in Kentucky.

When state inspections of nursing homes fall behind, residents suffer. We get the details from John Cheves, Government Accountability Reporter at the Lexington Herald-Leader. How Fleming Co. Schools are benefiting by including parents and the community in decision-making. We hear about a public-private partnership to take mental health care into schools. And a program to help girls of color learn important life skills and gain self-esteem and confidence.

As one portion of the nation celebrates the inauguration of Donald Trump for a second term in the Oval Office on January 20th, another segment of American society will honor the birth of civil rights leader Martin Luther King. Our guest: Reverend David Peoples, President of the Progressive National Baptist Convention. Psychoanalyst Orna Guralnik shares how her couples therapy mirrors the national political divide. And author Deirdre Scaggs discusses her book “Simplicity and Excellence: Elizabeth Kremer from Beaten Biscuits to Shaker Lemon Pie.”

On this special edition of Eastern Standard:

A conversation with Eddie Mensore, Director of “HAZARD," starring Alex Roe and Sosie Bacon as a central Appalachian couple caught up in opioid addiction and fighting to overcome it. Then, from depiction to reality: “On the Rebound: Stories from Recovery Court,” a podcast from the Daily Yonder about an Appalachian town’s working solution to devastating addiction.

Guest: Eddie Mensore, Director of “HAZARD," starring Alex Roe and Sosie Bacon as a central Appalachian couple caught up in opioid addiction and fighting to overcome it. Guest: Sara June Jo-Sæbo, host of “On the Rebound: Stories from Recovery Court.” A conversation about the inspiration and aims of this compelling podcast from the Daily Yonder, airing in full during our Sunday evening broadcast. Guest: Stuart Horodner, Director, UK Art Museum. In this interview with Art Shechet from our arts partner Undermainarts.org, Horodner takes us into the life and eccentric multi-media art forms of Jay Bolotin. Guests: Dog and cat cognition researchers Ellen Furlong and Rebecca Singer launch a new series taking listener questions about the behaviors of our furred, four-legged pals.

Has the social and political polarization we hear about become a self-fulfilling prophecy? Contributing host Carolyn Dupont, in conversation with Rich Harwood, founder of the Harwood Institute for Public Innovation. Also this week: what a legendary UK football star has in common with a pair of sibling scholars from West Liberty, Kentucky.

Why Misdee Wrigley Miller is investing in Kentucky film production and talent - and her call on Frankfort to get organized as the best film production incentives in the country attract interest. Also this week: eastern Kentucky storyteller Katherine Stringfield; and a monologue about the story of the Pikeville “Cut Through” project as the city celebrates its bicentennial.

Tangle News founder Isaac Saul on his method of maintaining a balanced diet - of news. The co-authors of Kentucky, Y’all on the state's favorite oddities, cultural quirks, traditions, and rites of passage. Booneville native and emerging country music artist Taylor Austin Dye.

Accounts of fear and anxiety among LGBTQ youth in the wake of the General Election and vows by President-elect Trump and other politicians to reverse gains in LGBTQ rights. Leadership succession at the Mountain Association: outgoing president Peter Hille with his successor, Robin Gabbard. UK hydrologist Chris Barton on the 4-year study he is leading into the root causes of catastrophic flooding in eastern Kentucky. And, plans to develop a natural disaster recovery and home rebuilding network in the region.

In today’s atmosphere, is it still possible for a Republican and a Democrat to sit down in a room together and have a civil, respectful conversation about the issues? We tried, tape rolling. Also this week: the state legislature authorized support for relatives raising loved ones children, but failed to fund it. How teacher pay raises made a difference in one Kentucky district. And what do you know about the Hawk’s Nest Tunnel Disaster?

What is it like to learn you won the MacArthur Genius Award? Our first of many questions for Loka Ashwood, a sociologist at the University of Kentucky who concentrates on rural identity, environmental injustice, and corporate power. We hear about an effort to help rural communities change how they impact the environment and of a non-profit’s work to build a strong food economy in Kentucky. Plus, what’s a semi quincentennial? Lexington’s about to have one and there will be a lot of art happening around town.

The “Read to Succeed Act” was intended to raise reading proficiency among Kentucky’s children from 29th in the nation. We get a report card. We have information about a symposium on racial violence in Kentucky; a report on protecting the arts when natural disaster strikes; the first installment of a new arts series; and a primer on the Flamenco music heading Lexington’s way.

Taped live before a student audience at the University of Kentucky Rosenberg College of Law, the final installment in this 17-part election year series focuses on key interviews about election integrity and security, voting access and voter rights. And host Josh Douglas, a research professor of election law and voting rights at UK, fields questions about voting and elections from students in the audience.

Should the Kentucky legislature be authorized by an amendment to the state Constitution to fund private school education? It’s a divisive subject that is at the center of a pro/con discussion on “Amendment 2” hosted by Carolyn Dupont with John Schaaf speaking in opposition and David Walls in favor. Also in this edition, an interview with Erin Chandler about her latest memoir: Blue Grass Sons. And we’ll tell you about some new additions to the Eastern Standard roster of series, coming in 2025.

What is it like to serve in a state legislature, be the Missouri secretary of state, run for U.S. Senate, create a voting rights organization, and flirt with running for president? Our guest, Jason Kander, has seemingly done it all, with a particular focus on improving our election system and expanding the right to vote.

Since enactment of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the law has been steadily diluted by a series of Supreme Court decisions. We take you back to President Lyndon Johnson’s speech before a joint session of Congress appealing for passage of the Act. We look at the subsequent actions of the Supreme Court, and some of our series' guests offer perspectives on why it's important to vote.

Why is multi-Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Janis Ian donating her entire personal archive — including those Grammys — to Berea College? We ask and the resulting conversation is delightful.

Why are filmmakers showing interest in Kentucky? Lexington, in particular? Filmmaker Tim Kirkman interviews Tim Sabo, studio manager at LEX Studios.

What can you read between the lines of Mommy Goose’s Appalachian Melodies? Find out when we talk with — and listen to — Mike Norris, author of this latest in a series of collaborations with famed Kentucky folk artist Minnie Adkins.

On Episode 15 of the Eastern Standard special series, Democracy Optimist:

Are American elections secure? Could the voting machines be hacked? Could another country interfere? And what are we doing to prevent cyberattacks on the election system—and to convince the American public that our elections are, in fact, secure? Host Josh Douglas raises these questions and more with Kim Wyman, the former Washington Secretary of State, former Senior Election Security Advisor for the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and current Senior Advisor for the Elections Project at the Bipartisan Policy Center.

It’s often been said that election officials were the heroes of the 2020 election. Facing unprecedented attacks on the election system and a global pandemic, they managed to pull off an impressive feat: a secure election with the most voters ever. Election officials are a vital part of the administration of voting. It’s a year-round job as they prepare for upcoming elections, audit previous ones, and make sure everything goes smoothly. We're joined by Jennifer Morrell, a former election official and now CEO and Co-Founder of The Elections Group, an organization that helps to support election officials, offering resources and support to better professionalize the role.

We explore the immigration experiences of Lexington’s Swahili-speaking community — after English and Spanish, the African-based language is the 3rd-most-spoken in Fayette County. Our guest: Elisha Mutayongwa, Exec. Director of the Marafiki Center.

Pharmacist Brad Little discusses why he opened the first drugstore in the Floyd County community of Wayland, Kentucky.

And, when we dig deep into the matter of the political polarization that is dividing us as a nation and as neighbors, what do we find? That’s Carolyn Dupont’s focus in this latest episode of our series: You’re Polarized, I’m Polarized: The Way to a Shared American Future.”

Many ask why we use the Electoral College to elect the president. It might seem arcane in today’s world. Many say it’s unfair and that we should use a national popular vote. Joining us to explain the history of the Electoral College is Carolyn Dupont, an Associate Professor of History at Eastern Kentucky University and author of Distorting Democracy: The Forgotten History of the Electoral College—and Why It Matters Today.

Also in this episode: the traditional view is that blue states are making it easier to vote and red states are making it harder. But shouldn’t the ideal be truly bipartisan voting rules? And how do we ensure that election professionals are in the room to help make these decisions? Here to discuss these issues is Trey Greyson, former Kentucky Secretary of State and now leader of the Lobbying and Public Policy practice group at the law firm, Frost Brown Todd.

It is arguably the most sensitive social issue as the November 5 General Election nears: abortion and women's reproductive rights. Featured on this week’s edition of Eastern Standard: Laura Daley explores the history of the American anti-abortion movement with University of Oklahoma history professor Jennifer Holland. Carolyn Dupont hosts a conversation between two women from a Jessamine County congregation who hold opposing views on abortion. And John McGary reports on the scarcity of Ob-Gyn services in rural Kentucky.

From strict voter ID laws that don’t recognize tribal IDs, to limits on allowing others to deliver their ballots, many Native Americans face voter suppression. Our guest is Jean Schroedel, author of Voting in Indian Country: The View from the Trenches.

You may be aware of the Federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, but did you know that some states have Voting Rights Acts of their own? Seven states have these laws on their books. Find out which ones from Lata Nott, Senior Legal Counsel at the Campaign Legal Center.

Lexington’s Tom Hammond, a legend in network sportscasting, has co-authored a memoir with another legend: Herald-Leader sports writer Mark Story. Hammond and Story sit down with Tom Eblen. Yet another Kentucky sports legend is Gerald Smith’s guest: Derrick Ramsey, the first African American starting quarterback in UK history, who went on to hold leadership roles in Kentucky state government. You’ll hear how Kentucky’s oldest Children’s Theater has emerged from the pandemic. And we sample the music of Xiomara Laggard and Axel Tosca, a Cuban American mother-son duo coming soon to Lexington.

Elaine Kamarck, a Senior Fellow in Governance Studies, and Director of the Center for Effective Public Management at the Brookings Institution. Dr. Kamarck is the author of “Primary Politics: Everything You Need to Know about How America Nominates Its Presidential Candidates” and “Why Presidents Fail And How They Can Succeed Again.” Also in this episode, Josh talks with Rob Richie, co-founder of FairVote, a nonpartisan organization that has promoted Ranked Choice Voting.

Beth Polin explores the challenges to breastfeeding while holding down a job with EKU Economics Professor Cynthia Harter. We look into the physical effects of anger and grievance, and hear about a podcast series on the return of meth. Plus, conversations with Brooke Raby about her new role as executive director of the Lexington Philharmonic, and a chat with Courtney Couch about her experiences as a first generation college grad from Eastern Kentucky.

Featured on Episode 11 of the Eastern Standard election year series "Democracy Optimist": Jeff Clements, head of American Promise, a grassroots advocacy group promoting a constitutional amendment that would, quote, “tackle the out-of-control money in our campaigns and elections” and overturn the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United; and, Jamie Long, Majority Leader of the House of Representatives in Minnesota and an expert on the mechanics of elections.

With this edition, we begin looking into concerns about cuts in public school arts programs. Our guests: EKU Art Education professor Ilona Szekely; Erin Batkiewicz is co-founder of the non-profit “Creative Kids Music and Art Program''; Lexington guitar instructor David McLean who offered free summer lessons to public school music students; Alberta Labrillazo, the SCAPA theatre instructor whose students nominated her for an Tony Award. And Louisville entrepreneur, developer, and film producer Gill Holland on his plans to renovate and revive a vintage hotel in downtown Harlan.

“What’s On the Ballot,” a cheat sheet of elections everywhere, is the brainchild of Daniel Nichanian, a reporter and the founder of Bolts Magazine. The publication covers the “nuts and bolts of power and political change” with a bottom-up approach, focusing primarily on state and local issues that shape public policy but are largely overlooked by the national media.

Also joining us on this edition is Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Al Cross, one of the most significant reporters in Kentucky, particularly in the area of politics. Cross is also known for lifting up the voices of rural communities.

** WEKU is working hard to be a leading source for public service, and fact-based journalism. Monthly supporters are the top funding source for this growing nonprofit news organization. Please join others in your community who support WEKU by making your donation.

The issues and obstacles faced by working mothers are Beth Polin’s focus in this debut of her new ES series on working moms. EKU Business Professor James Kirby Easterling joins us to connect supply chain issues with consumer inflation. We get some insights about those personality tests from UK Clinical Psychologist Shannon Sauer-Zavala. Tom Eblen explores Katarina Stoyokova’s poetic bridge between her home country of Bulgaria and her new life in Kentucky.

Most people agree that Kentucky Republicans drew a severely gerrymandered map in this past redistricting cycle, helping to turn their legislative majority into a supermajority. Democrats challenged the state House and congressional maps, and the case went all the way to the Kentucky Supreme Court, which upheld the maps as drawn. Justice Michelle Keller dissented to part of that ruling and she joins us to discuss the case.

Also in this episode:

The amount of money raised and spent in judicial campaigns has soared. Joining us to discuss the implications are law professors Joanna Shepherd and Michael Kang, authors of “Free to Judge: The Power of Campaign Money in Judicial Elections.”

In celebration of our nation’s independence our guests include A.J. Jacobs, author of “The Year of Living Constitutionally”; UK law professors Paul Salamanca and Josh Douglas in a debate between interpreting the Constitution as it was written in the 18th century versus as a guideline intended to evolve with society and technologies; and, David Blankenhorn of the organization “Braver Angels” on the group’s efforts to host honest, civil discussions of public policy issues across today’s political divide.

You’ve heard about Zuckerbucks, right? Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Pricilla Chan donated almost $400 million to local election officials to help run the 2020 election during the pandemic. Critics claim the funds were used in only liberal-leaning places. Is that true? Josh takes up that issue and more with David Becker, Executive Director and Founder of the nonpartisan, non-profit Center for Election Innovation and Research.

County clerks are at the frontlines of our elections. They are literally the people who decide where the polling places are located, which voting machines to use, and how to ensure there are enough poll workers. Two Kentucky county clerks join us to explain how elections actually operate. Susan Lamb is the county clerk of Fayette County, which includes Lexington, the state’s second largest city. Kenny Barger is the county clerk in Madison County, which encompasses Richmond, Ky.

Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, is pushing for a warning label on social media platforms advising parents that using the platforms might damage adolescents’ mental health. Kentucky Youth Advocates Executive Director Terry Brooks discusses the influence of social media on children with Dr. Tony Zipple of the Bounce Coalition and Kelly Pullen, of the Aetna SKY Program in Kentucky.

We’ll tell you about a project to restore forests to old surface mine sites, and about the pumped storage power generation technology coming to Bell County.

And, experiencing as a child, memories of adults we never met. It’s the basis of a new novel from Kentucky author Ellen Birkett Morris.

Voter turnout in America is usually quite low. Could we adopt compulsory voting, as they have in Australia, Belgium, and several places in South America and Latin America? Our guest: EJ Dionne, Washington Post columnist, Brookings Institution senior fellow in governance studies, and co-author with Miles Rapaport of 100% Democracy, The Case for Universal Voting.

What is the journalist’s role in American democracy? Our guest: Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Joe Sonka, whose work with the Louisville Courier-Journal and Kentucky Public Radio has been vital to awareness of the workings of democracy in Kentucky.

** WEKU is working hard to be a leading source for public service, and fact-based journalism. Monthly supporters are the top funding source for this growing nonprofit news organization. Please join others in your community who support WEKU by making your donation.

The Kentucky Board of Elections membership is split, 50-50, Republican/Democrat. Surely they can’t agree on anything in today's polarized atmosphere, right? Wrong. They’ve managed to accomplish much in a bi-partisan fashion. Our guests: board members Deanna Branger (R), and Ben Chandler (D).

With abortion looming as a pivotal issue in the 2024 elections, a look back at how we got here. In the debut of her new ES series on reproductive matters, Laura Daly hosts Leila Abolfazi, Director of National Abortion Strategy at the National Women’s Law Center for a primer on the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v Jackson, overturning the abortion rights established by the court’s 1973 decision in Roe v Wade.

Jack “Goose” Givens is a Wildcats legend. In his senior year at the University of Kentucky, Givens led the Wildcats to the 1978 NCAA National Championship with a win against Duke scoring 41 points to earn Most Outstanding Player. Now, he has published a memoir with co-author Doug Brunk. They are Gerald Smith’s guests in his ES series on racial justice and equality.

** WEKU is working hard to be a leading source for public service, and fact-based journalism. Monthly supporters are the top funding source for this growing nonprofit news organization. Please join others in your community who support WEKU by making your donation.

This week on Episode Six of the Eastern Standard special series, “Democracy Optimist”:

The Kentucky League of Women Voters has been part of the debates on the state’s voter ID law, redistricting battles, and efforts to improve transparency within Kentucky’s government. Our guests are three officers of the League: Jennifer Jackson, Becky Jones, and Laura Weinstein.

Also joining us for this episode: Amber McReynolds, vice chair of the United States Postal Service Board of Governors, focuses on the postal service’s processing of mail-in ballots. She’s the person who guarantees that millions of ballots are processed correctly.

** WEKU is working hard to be a leading source for public service, and fact-based journalism. Monthly supporters are the top funding source for this growing nonprofit news organization. Please join others in your community who support WEKU by making your donation.

As we hear from Brooke Bentley, Chair of the EKU School of Nursing, and Associate Chair Lisa Jones, Kentucky needs registered nurses - 6,000 of them.
Sportswriter Jerry Tipton talks with Tom Eblen about his memoir on four decades of Kentucky Basketball.
Novelist Bobi Conn’s “Someplace Like Home” is out and we get background on the dysfunctional household abuse that inspired it.
Chad Hembree runs Berea’s Spotlight Acting School, Spotlight Film School, and the community theatre Bluegrass Players. He is Bill McCann’s guest for the latest in our series on Kentucky Theatre production.

** WEKU is working hard to be a leading source for public service, and fact-based journalism. Monthly supporters are the top funding source for this growing nonprofit news organization. Please join others in your community who support WEKU by making your donation.

On this week's edition of Eastern Standard: Episode 5 of our special election year series, Democracy Optimist, hosted by University of Kentucky election law and voting rights research professor Josh Douglas.

• Why can’t we just vote on the internet? We do our banking online, after all. A few jurisdictions in the United States have used a phone app to conduct their elections, and a company called Voatz is trying to use it to revolutionize our voting system. Our guest is Voatz co-founder and CEO Nimit Sawhney. 
• Also in this episode: Voter ID is one of the biggest hot-button issues in election law today, with 38 states now requiring voters to show some form of ID to vote. Josh talks with Lauren Kunis, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of VoteRiders, an organization that has been at the forefront of an effort to ensure voters have the IDs they need.

We explore the anxieties of college student parents with Boston University Staff Psychiatrist Mathilde Ross, Eastern Kentucky University Clinical Psychologist Maggie Freeman, and University of Kentucky Psychologist Shannon Sauer-Zavala. Poet Lynelle Edwards discusses her latest book about life with an adult child with a mental illness. Drug pricing researcher Antonio Ciacia illuminates the costs of our meds. And Josh Douglas, host of our election year special series “Democracy Optimist,” is out with a new book detailing how recent decisions of the US Supreme Court have undermined American voters.

The focus of Episode 4 of Democracy Optimist, an Eastern Standard special election year series: 4.6 million Americans have lost their right to vote because of a felony conviction due to a policy known as felon disenfranchisement. The policy has a disproportionate impact on people of color given our criminal legal system.

Our guests for this episode are Debra Graner who had been convicted of a felony in Kentucky and recently regained her voting rights, as well as Claire Sandberg, the law student who helped Graner through the process to have her criminal conviction expunged. We’re also joined by Desmond Meade, founder of the Florida Rights Restoration Clinic, formed to re-enfranchise 1.4 million returning citizens in the Sunshine State.

Historian Clayborne Carson, keeper of the papers of Martin Luther King, Jr: One person’s wokeism is another’s democracy

A safe method to remove toxic lead paint from pre-1978 homes

A new book about the nation’s oldest non-ticketed Shakespeare Festival. It’s here in Kentucky.

Crystal Jones investigates the ways we listen to music and how technology has changed both listening to and creating music.

America's nuclear monarchy: the president’s sole, absolute authority to order the launch of nuclear weapons.

Education contributor Gill Hunter gets the story of the Decode Project, created to support and promote literacy among young Kentuckians.

Kentucky Authors contributor Tom Eblen gets details of a working legacy of the James Baker Hall.

Lexington poet Dorian Hairston takes us into the pages of his new book, “Pretend the Ball is Named Jim Crow.” 

Eastern Standard contributor Chris Begley describes an evening of civil discussion about a contentious subject.

Follow Lamar Zala Gran’s journey from the harsh rule of the Taliban of Afghanistan to the campus of Berea College in Kentucky.

Check your county’s education report card with this comprehensive guide. It’s from the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence. We get details from Prichard’s CEO, Brigitte Blom.

Hear about the expectations of high school students from Minhul Nazeer and Raima Dutt of the KY Student Voice Team.

Lexington’s new Youth Poet Laureate hopes to find poetry in law.

Yana Gorokhovskaia, research director for strategy and design at Freedom House, discusses her report, "Foreign Governments Silencing International Students and Educators in the United States."

In Episode Three of the special Eastern Standard series Democracy Optimist: 2020 saw unprecedented attacks on the results of the presidential election, even though there was no evidence to question its results. Host Joshua Douglas, an election law and voting research professor at the University of Kentucky, asks Harvard Law School professor Lawrence Lessig, co-author of “How to Steal a Presidential Election,” if this could happen again in 2024. Also in this episode: The Constitution does not explicitly confer the right to vote. Professor Rick Hasen of the UCLA Law School wants to change that.

On this week’s edition of Eastern Standard:

“It feels unusual in that the pro-authoritarian forces are not disguising their authoritarianism” - Robert Farley, a professor in the University of Kentucky’s Patterson School for Diplomacy on segments of the U.S. population who openly welcome autocratic rule in the White House.

Can “Red and Blue” folks gather in one place and hold a civil conversation? That’s the aim of workshops coming to Lexington, hosted by Braver Angels, a national organization devoted to facilitating such discussions. Our guest: Braver Angels Kentucky State Coordinator, Carolyn Dupont.

Moonshinin’ was not just an Eastern Kentucky thing. Our latest Ten Minute Radio Play is the true story of a Depression-era moonshine still bust in Fayette County.

Truth and honesty are those values that give us that “North Star” that we can rely on as we navigate our way in the world. But William Damon, one of the world's leading scholars of human development, observes that these days we seem to be going through a dysfunctional period of social change, when “an essential commitment to truthfulness no longer seems to be assumed.” Our guest is former U.S. Attorney, University of Michigan law professor and NBC/MSNBC legal analyst Barbara McQuade. Her new book is titled: “Attack from Within: How Disinformation Is Sabotaging America.”

The Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky has pumped tens of millions of dollars into the communities of Eastern Kentucky and serves as an umbrella organization for more than 100 community groups spread across the region. There has been a succession of leadership at the foundation. We talk with now-retired founding CEO Gerry Roll and her successor, Kristin Walker Collins.

Robby Cosenza was beloved in Lexington for his art, music and good humor. His close friend and colleague Duane Lundy remembers Robby in conversation with Tom Martin.