It's All Politics
5:33 pm
Wed May 15, 2013

Ten Things We Learned From the IRS-Inspector General Report

Credit Al Behrman / AP
The John Weld Peck Federal Building in Cincinnati, where many of the missteps by IRS workers who targeted conservative groups occurred.

Originally published on Wed May 15, 2013 6:29 pm

Scintillating isn't how you'd describe the report issued by the Treasury inspector general's report on the Internal Revenue Service's targeting of conservative groups.

It was written, after all, by government bureaucrats for government bureaucrats. Enough said.

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Local News
5:16 pm
Wed May 15, 2013

Woodford Reserve Hopes Lounge at Fort Knox Will Promote Bourbon to Troops (And Help Them Relax)

Credit Creative Commons

A new collaboration between a bourbon distillery and the military will give soldiers a place to relax—and introduce them to one of Kentucky's signature products.

Liquor producer Brown-Forman has teamed up with the U.S. Army to open a Woodford Reserve bourbon lounge at Fort Knox. Soldiers and Brown-Forman executives opened the Woodford Reserve Room on Wednesday afternoon.

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Politics
4:27 pm
Wed May 15, 2013

Congressman John Yarmuth Troubled by White House's String of Controversies

Credit U.S. Congress
Congressman John Yarmuth

Democratic Congressman John Yarmuth says the Internal Revenue Service should examine the tax-exempt status of non-profit groups, but the agency failed to apply the policy evenly.

The IRS has been scolded over flagging conservative organizations with "tea party" and "patriot" in their name.

Reports found that at least 300 such groups were put into a "bucket " that received extra scrutiny, which held up applications for months.

Agency leaders have blamed the additional views on two "rogue" employees in their Cincinnati offices.

Yarmuth says the IRS scandal undermines good government and cannot be excused, but argues looking at those groups should be a role the agency fulfills.

"That behavior on the part of IRS is totally intolerable and while I actually think the kind of scrutiny that was applied to these groups is appropriate it should be applied to every 501(c)4. The law has to be enforced evenly and fairly, and the IRS has not done that," he says.

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Arts and Humanities
4:20 pm
Wed May 15, 2013

Community Youth Perform in ArtsReach Showcase

Credit George Williams / Kentucky Center
Drummers from Chestnut Street YMCA accompany ArtsReach Dance Studio.

Hip hop dancers and Suzuki Method-trained violinists will share the stage Sunday at the Kentucky Center’s ArtsReach showcase. The annual show features community youth arts groups performing in the Kentucky Center’s Bomhard Theatre, including special guests River City Drum Corps, whose director, Ed White, has a long-standing relationship with ArtsReach.

Violin instructor Keith Cook teaches Suzuki Method through the Presbyterian Early Childhood Center, Meyzeek Community School and WESTEC, his own studio. His students are among several local groups performing Sunday.

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Local News
3:05 pm
Wed May 15, 2013

McConnell Looking at 'All the Options' to Legalize Hemp Production in Kentucky

Credit Adrian Cable/Creative Commons

Kentucky’s senior U.S. Senator says he plans to do his part to help the commonwealth’s farmers eventually grow industrial hemp.

Republican Leader Mitch McConnell says he and fellow Senator Rand Paul met with state Agriculture Commissioner Jamie Comer last week as Comer toured Washington to drum-up for support for legalizing the crop.

McConnell declined to gauge the possible success of comer’s lobbying efforts…

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Shots - Health News
1:53 pm
Wed May 15, 2013

Scientists Clone Human Embryos To Make Stem Cells

Originally published on Thu May 16, 2013 11:57 am

Scientists say they have, for the first time, cloned human embryos capable of producing embryonic stem cells.

The accomplishment is a long-sought step toward harnessing the potential power of embryonic stem cells to treat many human diseases. But the work also raises a host of ethical concerns.

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Education
1:32 pm
Wed May 15, 2013

Kentucky Adult Education Offering Free GED Testing

Credit Casey Serin/Creative Commons

Over the next few weeks, the state is offering free GED testing to eligible Kentucky residents .

The GED Testing Service hasn’t updated the high school equivalency exam in nearly a decade. Beginning in January 2014, the new test will be more closely aligned with the common core standards many states have already adopted. The testing fee will also double to $120.

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Politics
1:24 pm
Wed May 15, 2013

Kentucky's Insurance Exchange Is Named, 'Similar to Travelocity or Expedia' Experience

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Kentucky's new exchange for people on the market for healthcare now has a name and  a website.

It'll be called Kynect—pronounced "connect." People can access it at kynect.ky.gov. A phone line will be running in August.

Kynect will be fully operational in time for October open health insurance enrollment.

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Environment
12:37 pm
Wed May 15, 2013

Air Pollution Board Approves Changes to Regulations

The Louisville Air Pollution Control Board has approved a suite of regulation reforms, including fee increases for some air pollution permits.

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Politics
11:37 am
Wed May 15, 2013

MSNBC's Chris Matthews: Mitch McConnell 'Will Not Have a Serious Opponent' Due to IRS Scandal

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MSNBC host Chris Matthews is predicting the scandal involving the Internal Revenue Service targeting conservatives will benefit Republican Mitch McConnell, and could result in an easy re-election for Kentucky's senior senator.

The agency has apologized for flagging political organizations with "tea party" and "patriot" in their name, but Republicans and Democrats have jabbed the Obama administration for not responding forcefully enough.

McConnell has pounced on the IRS controversy after all but predicting the controversy when he spoke out against the IRS targeting such groups last summer. Speaking from the Senate floor Wednesday, McConnell warned the president shouldn't "stonewall" any investigation and dismissed the agency's explanation.

Speaking on Morning Joe, Matthews says the scandal will haunt President Obama and the Democratic Party in the 2014 elections, adding it will likely save McConnell from a serious challenge.

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