Republican U.S. Senate candidate Rand Paul says he'll announce Friday whether he'll take part in a fifth and final debate with Democratic opponent Jack Conway next week.Paul (pictured at left) has threatened to skip the Monday debate on KET because of an ad the Conway campaign is running that claims Paul belonged to a secret group during his college years that mocked Christianity.The ad also repeats an anonymous allegation about a prank at Baylor University involving Paul.During a stop in Louisville Thursday, Paul said he's disappointed and saddened that the commercial has drawn so much national attention."To tell you the truth, I'm not a real public person about talking about my faith. I think it's a private matter and really as a reporter you have no right to question my faith, but neither does another candidate, he said.Conway has repeatedly defended the ad, saying it raises valid questions about Paul's behavior.
Rick Howlett was midday host and the host of LPM's weekly talk show, "In Conversation." He was with LPM from 2001-2023 and held many different titles, including Morning Edition host, Assignment Editor and Interim News Director. He died in August 2023. Read a remembrance of Rick here.
