Kentucky Education Commissioner Terry Holliday says despite a legislative session next year that’s likely to focus on pension reform, he expects some key education initiatives to be brought up, discussed and even passed.

According to recommendations from a task force, the state needs to allocate nearly $300 million to honor its pension obligations, which would likely take money away from several other departments.

After a month of preparation, the University of Louisville football team is in New Orleans to take on Florida in the Sugar Bowl Wednesday night.

Cards coach Charlie Strong says his players are well aware of their underdog status against the 11-1 Gators, whom some are picking to win by two touchdowns or more.

Superstorm Sandy did tens of billions of dollars in damage to coastal areas of New York and New Jersey.

But there may be a silver lining to all that destruction: Some economists argue that reconstruction from Sandy could help stimulate the national economy in 2013. Still, others are more skeptical.

Charlie Messina uses a jackhammer to break up flood-damaged concrete in a basement in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Manhattan Beach. Messina owns a small business that does renovations.

Louisville's Actor's Choice theater company opens a production of Kentucky native Suzan-Lori Parks’ Pulitzer Prize-winning play “Topdog/Underdog” this week. 

"Topdog/Underdog" is the story of two adult African American brothers who struggle with poverty, work, racism, the lure of crime and their own close yet tense relationship. Directed by Kathi E.B. Ellis, "Topdog/Underdog" opens  January 10 at the Henry Clay Theatre. 

WASHINGTON — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says he and the White House have agreed on preventing tax hikes that the "fiscal cliff" will trigger after midnight. And he says they are very close to an overall deal that would also prevent budget-wide spending cuts.

The Kentucky Republican did not provide any details. But he said on the Senate floor that lawmakers should pass legislation averting tax increases that would otherwise take effect at the start of New Year's Day.

Democratic Congressman John Yarmuth  says if a deal is reached to prevent hitting the so-called "fiscal cliff," Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell should get some of the credit.

“I certainly appreciate the work he’s doing and it sounds to me like he’s taking the kind of reasonable approach to compromise that we all have been crying out for, for months," Yarmuth told WFPL.

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer says the city is working to correct problems with using inmates from Dismas Charities’ halfway houses.

Earlier this month, an internal audit showed there was no written contract for using ex-convicts for volunteer in various city departments. The report said the lack of a signed agreement puts the city at risk, and also found that inmates were not consistently signing in at their work assignments and aren't being properly monitored by supervisors.

Fischer says the partnership with Dismas is a worthy cause that helps rehabilitate inmates, and a corrective action plan is in the works.

"Remember, these folks are in halfway houses and they’re re-integrating into society as well. So that’s part of the issue. But from my perspective what we need is a uniform policy from the city and that’s what you’ll be seeing," he says.