Taped live before a student audience at the University of Kentucky Rosenberg College of Law, the final installment in this 17-part election year series focuses on key interviews about election integrity and security, voting access and voter rights. And host Josh Douglas, a research professor of election law and voting rights at UK, fields questions about voting and elections from students in the audience.
In agreement to disagree agreeably, a debate about the "Amendment 2" ballot question.(shutterstock) Should the Kentucky legislature be authorized by an amendment to the state Constitution to fund private school education? It’s a divisive subject that is at the center of a pro/con discussion on “Amendment 2” hosted by Carolyn Dupont with John Schaaf speaking in opposition and David Walls in favor. Also in this edition, an interview with Erin Chandler about her latest memoir: Blue Grass Sons. And ...
What is it like to serve in a state legislature, be the Missouri secretary of state, run for U.S. Senate, create a voting rights organization, and flirt with running for president? Our guest, Jason Kander, has seemingly done it all, with a particular focus on improving our election system and expanding the right to vote. Since enactment of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the law has been steadily diluted by a series of Supreme Court decisions. We take you back to President Lyndon Johnson’s speech...
(Lloyd Baggs) Why is multi-Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Janis Ian donating her entire personal archive — including those Grammys — to Berea College? We ask and the resulting conversation is delightful. Why are filmmakers showing interest in Kentucky? Lexington, in particular? Filmmaker Tim Kirkman interviews Tim Sabo, studio manager at LEX Studios. What can you read between the lines of Mommy Goose’s Appalachian Melodies? Find out when we talk with — and listen to — Mike Norris, author of th...
On Episode 15 of the Eastern Standard special series, Democracy Optimist: Are American elections secure? Could the voting machines be hacked? Could another country interfere? And what are we doing to prevent cyberattacks on the election system—and to convince the American public that our elections are, in fact, secure? Host Josh Douglas raises these questions and more with Kim Wyman, the former Washington Secretary of State, former Senior Election Security Advisor for the federal Cybersecurity a...
Elisha Mutayongwa, Founder and Executive Director of the Marafiki Center in Lexington We explore the immigration experiences of Lexington’s Swahili-speaking community — after English and Spanish, the African-based language is the 3rd-most-spoken in Fayette County. Our guest: Elisha Mutayongwa, Exec. Director of the Marafiki Center. Pharmacist Brad Little discusses why he opened the first drugstore in the Floyd County community of Wayland, Kentucky. And, when we dig deep into the matter of the po...
Many ask why we use the Electoral College to elect the president. It might seem arcane in today’s world. Many say it’s unfair and that we should use a national popular vote. Joining us to explain the history of the Electoral College is Carolyn Dupont, an Associate Professor of History at Eastern Kentucky University and author of Distorting Democracy: The Forgotten History of the Electoral College—and Why It Matters Today . Also in this episode: the traditional view is that blue states are making...
The decision...(Shutterstock / Shutterstock) It is arguably the most sensitive social issue as the November 5 General Election nears: abortion and women's reproductive rights. Featured on this week’s edition of Eastern Standard: Laura Daley explores the history of the American anti-abortion movement with University of Oklahoma history professor Jennifer Holland. Carolyn Dupont hosts a conversation between two women from a Jessamine County congregation who hold opposing views on abortion. And Joh...
From strict voter ID laws that don’t recognize tribal IDs, to limits on allowing others to deliver their ballots, many Native Americans face voter suppression. Our guest is Jean Schroedel, author of Voting in Indian Country: The View from the Trenches. You may be aware of the Federal Voting Rights Act of 1965, but did you know that some states have Voting Rights Acts of their own? Seven states have these laws on their books. Find out which ones from Lata Nott, Senior Legal Counsel at the Campaig...
Lexington’s Tom Hammond, a legend in network sportscasting, has co-authored a memoir with another legend: Herald-Leader sports writer Mark Story. Hammond and Story sit down with Tom Eblen. Yet another Kentucky sports legend is Gerald Smith’s guest: Derrick Ramsey, the first African American starting quarterback in UK history, who went on to hold leadership roles in Kentucky state government. You’ll hear how Kentucky’s oldest Children’s Theater has emerged from the pandemic. And we sample the mus...
Elaine Kamarck, a Senior Fellow in Governance Studies, and Director of the Center for Effective Public Management at the Brookings Institution. Dr. Kamarck is the author of “ Primary Politics: Everything You Need to Know about How America Nominates Its Presidential Candidates ” and “ Why Presidents Fail And How They Can Succeed Again .” Also in this episode, Josh talks with Rob Richie, co-founder of FairVote, a nonpartisan organization that has promoted Ranked Choice Voting.
Our Working Moms series looks into breastfeeding while holding down a job(Shutterstock / Shutterstock) Beth Polin explores the challenges to breastfeeding while holding down a job with EKU Economics Professor Cynthia Harter. We look into the physical effects of anger and grievance, and hear about a podcast series on the return of meth. Plus, conversations with Brooke Raby about her new role as executive director of the Lexington Philharmonic, and a chat with Courtney Couch about her experiences ...
Featured on Episode 11 of the Eastern Standard election year series "Democracy Optimist": Jeff Clements, head of American Promise, a grassroots advocacy group promoting a constitutional amendment that would, quote, “tackle the out-of-control money in our campaigns and elections” and overturn the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United; and, Jamie Long, Majority Leader of the House of Representatives in Minnesota and an expert on the mechanics of elections.
(Shutterstock / Shutterstock) With this edition, we begin looking into concerns about cuts in public school arts programs. Our guests: EKU Art Education professor Ilona Szekely; Erin Batkiewicz is co-founder of the non-profit “Creative Kids Music and Art Program''; Lexington guitar instructor David McLean who offered free summer lessons to public school music students; Alberta Labrillazo, the SCAPA theatre instructor whose students nominated her for an Tony Award. And Louisville entrepreneur, de...
“What’s On the Ballot,” a cheat sheet of elections everywhere, is the brainchild of Daniel Nichanian, a reporter and the founder of Bolts Magazine. The publication covers the “nuts and bolts of power and political change” with a bottom-up approach, focusing primarily on state and local issues that shape public policy but are largely overlooked by the national media. Also joining us on this edition is Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Al Cross, one of the most significant reporters in Kentucky, p...
The many competing demands of the working mom(Shutterstock / Shutterstock) The issues and obstacles faced by working mothers are Beth Polin’s focus in this debut of her new ES series on working moms. EKU Business Professor James Kirby Easterling joins us to connect supply chain issues with consumer inflation. We get some insights about those personality tests from UK Clinical Psychologist Shannon Sauer-Zavala. Tom Eblen explores Katarina Stoyokova’s poetic bridge between her home country of Bulg...
Most people agree that Kentucky Republicans drew a severely gerrymandered map in this past redistricting cycle, helping to turn their legislative majority into a supermajority. Democrats challenged the state House and congressional maps, and the case went all the way to the Kentucky Supreme Court, which upheld the maps as drawn. Justice Michelle Keller dissented to part of that ruling and she joins us to discuss the case. Also in this episode: The amount of money raised and spent in judicial cam...
Should America's Constitution be followed strictly "as written" in the 18th century, or interpreted in tune with modern times?(Shutterstock / Shutterstock) In celebration of our nation’s independence our guests include A.J. Jacobs, author of “The Year of Living Constitutionally”; UK law professors Paul Salamanca and Josh Douglas in a debate between interpreting the Constitution as it was written in the 18th century versus as a guideline intended to evolve with society and technologies; and, Davi...
You’ve heard about Zuckerbucks, right? Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Pricilla Chan donated almost $400 million to local election officials to help run the 2020 election during the pandemic. Critics claim the funds were used in only liberal-leaning places. Is that true? Josh takes up that issue and more with David Becker, Executive Director and Founder of the nonpartisan, non-profit Center for Election Innovation and Research. County clerks are at the frontlines of our elections. ...
(Shutterstock / Shutterstock) Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, is pushing for a warning label on social media platforms advising parents that using the platforms might damage adolescents’ mental health. Kentucky Youth Advocates Executive Director Terry Brooks discusses the influence of social media on children with Dr. Tony Zipple of the Bounce Coalition and Kelly Pullen, of the Aetna SKY Program in Kentucky. We’ll tell you about a project to restore forests to old surface mine sites, and abou...
Voter turnout in America is usually quite low. Could we adopt compulsory voting, as they have in Australia, Belgium, and several places in South America and Latin America? Our guest: EJ Dionne, Washington Post columnist, Brookings Institution senior fellow in governance studies, and co-author with Miles Rapaport of 100% Democracy, The Case for Universal Voting. What is the journalist’s role in American democracy? Our guest: Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Joe Sonka, whose work with the Louisvill...
(Shutterstock / Shutterstock) The Kentucky Board of Elections membership is split, 50-50, Republican/Democrat. Surely they can’t agree on anything in today's polarized atmosphere, right? Wrong. They’ve managed to accomplish much in a bi-partisan fashion. Our guests: board members Deanna Branger (R), and Ben Chandler (D). With abortion looming as a pivotal issue in the 2024 elections, a look back at how we got here. In the debut of her new ES series on reproductive matters, Laura Daly hosts Leila...
This week on Episode Six of the Eastern Standard special series, “Democracy Optimist”: The Kentucky League of Women Voters has been part of the debates on the state’s voter ID law, redistricting battles, and efforts to improve transparency within Kentucky’s government. Our guests are three officers of the League: Jennifer Jackson, Becky Jones, and Laura Weinstein. Also joining us for this episode: Amber McReynolds, vice chair of the United States Postal Service Board of Governors, focuses on the...
Kentucky has a shortage of Registered Nurses estimated at 6,000(Shutterstock / Shutterstock) As we hear from Brooke Bentley, Chair of the EKU School of Nursing, and Associate Chair Lisa Jones, Kentucky needs registered nurses - 6,000 of them. Sportswriter Jerry Tipton talks with Tom Eblen about his memoir on four decades of Kentucky Basketball. Novelist Bobi Conn’s “Someplace Like Home” is out and we get background on the dysfunctional household abuse that inspired it. Chad Hembree runs Berea’s ...
On this week's edition of Eastern Standard: Episode 5 of our special election year series, Democracy Optimist, hosted by University of Kentucky election law and voting rights research professor Josh Douglas. Why can’t we just vote on the internet? We do our banking online, after all. A few jurisdictions in the United States have used a phone app to conduct their elections, and a company called Voatz is trying to use it to revolutionize our voting system. Our guest is Voatz co-founder and CEO Nim...
(Shutterstock / Shutterstock) We explore the anxieties of college student parents with Boston University Staff Psychiatrist Mathilde Ross, Eastern Kentucky University Clinical Psychologist Maggie Freeman, and University of Kentucky Psychologist Shannon Sauer-Zavala. Poet Lynelle Edwards discusses her latest book about life with an adult child with a mental illness. Drug pricing researcher Antonio Ciacia illuminates the costs of our meds. And Josh Douglas, host of our election year special series...
The focus of Episode 4 of Democracy Optimist, an Eastern Standard special election year series: 4.6 million Americans have lost their right to vote because of a felony conviction due to a policy known as felon disenfranchisement. The policy has a disproportionate impact on people of color given our criminal legal system. Our guests for this episode are Debra Graner who had been convicted of a felony in Kentucky and recently regained her voting rights, as well as Claire Sandberg, the law student ...
Door with Cracking Paint. (Shutterstock / Shutterstock) Historian Clayborne Carson, keeper of the papers of Martin Luther King, Jr: One person’s wokeism is another’s democracy A safe method to remove toxic lead paint from pre-1978 homes A new book about the nation’s oldest non-ticketed Shakespeare Festival. It’s here in Kentucky. Crystal Jones investigates the ways we listen to music and how technology has changed both listening to and creating music.
The President has unilateral authority to order the launch of nuclear weapons(Shutterstock) America's nuclear monarchy: the president’s sole, absolute authority to order the launch of nuclear weapons. Education contributor Gill Hunter gets the story of the Decode Project, created to support and promote literacy among young Kentuckians. Kentucky Authors contributor Tom Eblen gets details of a working legacy of the James Baker Hall. Lexington poet Dorian Hairston takes us into the pages of his new...
Lamar Zala Gran, speaking at recent ZIVA Voices conference in Lexington(ZIVA Voices) Follow Lamar Zala Gran’s journey from the harsh rule of the Taliban of Afghanistan to the campus of Berea College in Kentucky. Check your county’s education report card with this comprehensive guide. It’s from the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence. We get details from Prichard’s CEO, Brigitte Blom. Hear about the expectations of high school students from Minhul Nazeer and Raima Dutt of the KY Student Vo...
