Officials will announce the merger Thursday of two leading agencies that have helped at-risk youth in Louisville and around Kentucky for over 160 years.

Bellewood Home for Children and Brooklawn Child and Family Services both offer services that help children, many of whom are wards of the state. The agencies offer combined services that range from psychiatric care and counseling to places to live.

The agencies are also partnered with Jefferson County Public Schools and offer alternative programs on site.

This week on our audio diary series, The Big Break, Actors Theatre of Louisville apprentice Samantha Beach gets some sage advice on second careers from the cast members of each of the theater's productions, while Louisville Ballet trainee Claire Horrocks opens her first full-length production of "The Nutcracker." Kentucky Opera studio artist Brad Raymond is on hiatus and traveling until January. 

When the three artistic directors of Theatre [502] launched their first season in 2011, they weren’t sure if Louisville would buy what they were selling—newer plays by buzz-worthy playwrights whose work speaks to theater-goers hungry for recent, relevant work, like Peter Sinn Nachtrieb's "Hunter Gatherers" (season one) and Annie Baker's "The Aliens" (season two).

Owensboro Democrat Ed Marksberry is running in the 2014 Kentucky race for U.S. Senate.

Marksberry is a building contractor and former congressional candidate, who ran unsuccessfully against Republican Congressman Brett Guthrie two years ago. He lost that race by 35 points.

On his campaign website, Marksberry says he shares the experience of middle-class Kentuckians and knows first-hand their struggles in this difficult economy.

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer will discuss his strategy to create a local sales tax option with members of the Metro Council this week.

Fischer has been lobbying state lawmakers and other leaders across Kentucky since July, saying the city needs the tool in the face of budget shortfalls.

The option would give Louisville voters the ability to vote for or against a sales tax increase to fund specific projects. Before that could happen, however, the measure needs a two-thirds vote in both chambers of the state legislature and a statewide referendum to amend the state constitution.

Democratic Caucus spokesman Tony Hyatt says his members are eager to hear the mayor outline his plan, adding they have serious questions about the sales tax options before showing support.

"What are you going to do with the money if it is passed and how long would such a local option tax be in place? Are you going to use it for infrastructure projects or to supplement the budget? The caucus would like to hear directly from the mayor what he plans to do with the money if the effort is successful," he says.

The Kentucky Department for Public Health says flu activity across the commonwealth has increased to widespread, meaning there are outbreaks of the illness in at least half of the state’s regions.

State Epidemiologist Dr. Craig Humbaugh says the flu usually peaks from January through March.

"In fact, last year’s flu season was relatively late in coming, and this year’s flu season is starting early," he said.

Outgoing U.S. Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana says Congress and the president need to establish a closer working relationship, especially in the area of national security.

The Republican, who’s leaving Capitol Hill after 36 years, delivered his farewell address on the Senate floor today , saying the current dialogue on national security is one of the least constructive he’s ever witnessed.

Yesterday it was revealed that Republican Leader Mitch McConnell is currently the most unpopular Senator in the country, according to a survey conducted by Public Policy Polling.

Today on Here and Now, host Jonathan Bastian spoke with Jim Williams, issue polling specialist at Public Policy Polling, who helped formulate and conduct the poll.  Also present was WFPL's political editor Phillip Bailey. 

Since last fall, actor Alec Baldwin has been producing an interview podcast for WNYC in New York called Here's the Thing.

It's great. And if you haven't been listening to it, here's your chance. WFPL is airing five radio specials of Here's the Thing all next week at 7 p.m. (relax, Q fans, Jian will be back the following week). 

Guests for the week include: