The Federal Election Commission is warning Brooks Wicker, the Republican nominee for the Kentucky Third District, that his October Quarterly Report is late. Read the letter here:

The Federal Election Commission has warned Republican congressional candidate Brooks Wicker about an overdue campaign finance report, which could result in civil penalties.

As first reported by LEO Weekly's Joe Sonka, the FEC wrote a letter warning the GOP challenger that he has failed to file his third quarter receipts and disbursements and has four days to comply. The report was due October 15.

The FEC goes on to say that any "failure to timely file this report may result in civil money penalties, an audit or other legal" action.

"All documents have been reported to the FEC," says Wicker campaign manager Michael Wray. "I spoke with (FEC analyst Chris) Ritchie today, and the matter will be resolved shortly."

The number of first-time claims for unemployment insurance fell by 23,000 last week from the week before, to 369,000, the Employment and Training Administration says.

Claims have bounced around in recent weeks, in part because of some changes in the way at least one state reports its figures.

There are lots of factors playing into declining coal production in Central Appalachia: low natural gas prices, high stockpiles of coal after a warm winter and new environmental regulations.

Before Sam, a white-throated capuchin monkey, threw out the first pitch at a minor league baseball game in Frederick, Md., on a midsummer Friday night, and before Sam and other monkeys — dressed as cowboys and riding shaggy dogs — rounded up longhorn sheep on the baseball diamond as part of Cowboy Monkey Rodeo promotion night, angry animal rights protesters gathered outside the front gate.

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul will address the Rotary Club today amid a heated campaign season, with a closely contested presidential race and a heated race for U.S. Senate just north in Indiana.

This week on our new audio diary series, "The Big Break," Actors Theatre apprentice Samantha Beach pulls a shift in the literary department and sees herself in the incoming ten-minute play scripts. Louisville Ballet trainee Claire Horrocks takes us inside the dancer's lounge, while Kentucky Opera studio artist Brad Raymond balances family time with the rigors of the stage. 

Learn more about our audio diarists, who report in every Thursday about life in Louisville's professional arts companies.

Republican Indiana Senate candidate Richard Mourdock has ignited a national firestorm for his abortion comments this week, but pro-life activists are coming to the GOP nominees defense and see the remarks as a chance to explain their views.

Democrats and Republicans have pounced on Mourdock after he said that pregnancies resulting from rape should not be an exception to an abortion ban because it is the will of God. At a press conference Wednesday, Mourdock stood by his position, but he explained that he abhors rape and apologized if anyone "came away with the wrong impression" from his statement.

Anti-abortion activist Rebecca Kiessling is a spokeswoman for Personhood USA. She says pro-life voters are are proud that Mourdock stood up for life against abortion even in cases of rape, and that critics are deliberately exaggerating his comments to score political points.

"Of course he was saying that the life of the child conceived in rape was created by God. And I believe that he’s in line with the overwhelming majority of Americans and Hoosiers who understand that God is the author of life," he says.

Geneticist reported Wednesday that they had crossed a threshold long considered off-limits: They have made changes in human DNA that can be passed down from one generation to the next.

The researchers at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland say they took the step to try to prevent women from giving birth to babies with genetic diseases. But the research is raising a host of ethical, social and moral questions.