Eastern Standard

A new study finds high rates of sleep disturbances in Eastern Kentucky.(Shutterstock / Shutterstock)

This week on Eastern Standard:

What does the data tell us about our kids? Kentucky Youth Advocates’ latest edition of the annual KIDS COUNT Data Book is out, and we discuss key findings about the condition of Kentucky children with KYA executive director Shannon Moody.

Appalachian journalist James Branscome returns to revisit a provocative idea that comes up in conversation from time to time: “What if the mountain counties of Central Appalachia — parts of Eastern Kentucky, West Virginia, Southwest Virginia and East Tennessee” — were joined to form a single 51st “State of Appalachia”? There are lots of devils in the details. But the concept itself speaks of long-held grievances.

We’re joined by Zachary Tackett, a Pike County nurse and founder of “The Creek Don’t Rise Coalition.” It’s a grassroots Eastern Kentucky advocacy group pushing for transparency and accountability in utility rates, demanding fair conditions for regional energy customers, and keeping a close eye on the development of data centers.

Daily Yonder science reporter Donavyn Coffey discusses her article, “The Appalachian Cities That Never Sleep.” Coffey looks at new research from the University of Kentucky and its partners finding strikingly high rates of insomnia and other sleep issues in a dozen economically distressed Eastern Kentucky counties.

Sue Fox overcame 30 years of addiction and prison to lead addiction recovery efforts in Eastern Kentucky(Les Nicholson / Freedom House)

This week on Eastern Standard:

Sue Fox spent more than three decades struggling with addiction before finding recovery in 2016 while in prison. Sue had been convicted and sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone. She is now Community Outreach Supervisor with Volunteers of America Mid-States. They operate “Recovery Community Centers” in more than two dozen central and eastern Kentucky counties.

We offer a pair of Caroline Dupont interviews, one reminding us that regardless of our politics, we do all have important things in common. The other is about a remarkable video series hosted by a professional mediator who sits avowed enemies across from one another and brings them to a point of understanding.

Lee Carroll joins us to talk about an amazing mashup of world cultures in one Kentucky recording project from the folks at Greenroom Exchange. The music, composed by Carroll, is rooted in the music of India performed by Vishnu R. on the Navtar, an instrument of his invention that merges fretless and fretted elements to simultaneously produce microtonal Indian melodies and Western harmonic music. The music blends Indian classical with American jazz and pop, with a little reggae thrown in for good measure. The band also features Grammy-winning violinist Zach Brock and will perform live in Lexington in late July.

Gabrielle Helle, Director of Radiology, MCHC, Whitesburg, Ky. One of the 63 Appalachian women who posed for the Malcolm Wilson project.(MALCOLM J WILSON / Malcolm Wilson)

This week on Eastern Standard:

Should political appointees instead of scientists vet applications for federal scientific research grants? The White House Office of Management and Budget is proposing the change. Raising concerns is Kumble Subbaswamy, former University of Kentucky Provost.

Our arts partner, Undermainarts.org, is launching a new series this week with the first installment of “The Art of the Originals: Native American Art in the 21st Century.” The article focuses on Native American tropes and stereotypes in American musical theatre. Our guest is author Trevor McChristian, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, and an actor who has appeared in many Lexington Theatre Company productions.

Also appearing this week on undermainarts.org is “Appalachian Beautiful,” a project by Blackey, Kentucky photojournalist Malcolm Wilson aimed at pushing back against stereotypes of Appalachian women. Wilson and two of the 63 women who posed for the project join us to discuss their motivations.

Can required civic education help heal a divided nation?(shutterstock)

This week on Eastern Standard: Episode 30 of our series, “Democracy Optimist,” hosted by University of Kentucky election law and voting rights research professor Joshua Douglas.

Part I
Our democratic institutions face intense strain. Structural features of the Constitution—such as the Electoral College, the Senate’s equal representation of the states, and the powers of the Supreme Court—have produced a system that can feel distant from majority rule. At the same time, the country confronts extreme political polarization, persistent racial inequality, and declining civic engagement. Free speech, both on campus and in public discourse, is also under pressure, shaping the debates we have about politics and society. All of this raises a fundamental question: Is the Constitution equipped to sustain American democracy in the twenty-first century? Our guest has thought deeply about these questions. Erwin Chemerinsky, cited by National Jurist magazine Dean Chemerinsky as the most influential person in legal education in the United States, is the Dean of Berkeley Law School in California. He’s also the author of No Democracy Lasts Forever: How the Constitution Threatens the United States and Campus Speech and Academic Freedom: A Guide for Difficult Times.

Part II
No wonder we have such a hard time talking about the biggest issues of the day without it devolving into partisan bickering. Many Americans feel more isolated in their political views than ever before. We assume the worst about “the other side.” We unfriend people we disagree with. We curate our media diets. And too often, when political conversations do happen, they quickly devolve into defensiveness, caricature, and partisan bickering. But democracy depends on citizens talking to one another—listening, questioning, and ultimately persuading. Democracy requires productive political conversations.

Here to teach us how to have better conversations across the political divide is Monica Guzman. She’s a self-described bridge builder, a journalist, and the author of the best-selling book, “I Never Thought of It That Way: How to Have Fearlessly Curious Conversations in Dangerously Divided Times.”

**WEKU depends on donations from generous people like you for the majority of our funding. You can help fund the next story with your donation today.

Cornbread baked according to the Mindy Merrell recipe.(Tom Martin)

This week on Eastern Standard:

What is the “Halfback Wave” and how might eastern Kentucky benefit from it? Veteran Appalachian journalist James Branscome has some ideas and joins us to offer details.

What does it mean to cannabis research that the Trump administration has dropped marijuana from the prohibitive “Schedule I” drug category to the more lenient “Schedule III”? That’s our question for Dr. Shana Babalonis, head of the University of Kentucky Cannabis Research Center.

Marianne Worthington, in conversation with ES literary contributor Kevin Nance, shares readings from her latest book of poetry, Water, Witness, Word.

How an unassuming combination of ingredients sparked a quiet culinary and cultural revolution. And tips on making the best cornbread, ever. Our guest is Mindy Merrell, co-author of Self-Rising: The Magic Rise Behind Biscuit and Cornbread Culture.

***WEKU depends on donations from generous people like you for the majority of our funding. You can help fund the next story with your donation today.

Meta Platforms, which owns Instagram and Facebook, has set up data centers across about 900 acres in Gallatin, Tennessee.(Meta)

This Week on Eastern Standard:

The Kentucky Resources Council is offering model Data Center ordinances for communities debating whether to allow data centers. KRC executive director Ashley Wilmes provides details.

Lexington city planning commissioner Keith Horn discusses the city’s temporary moratorium on data center approvals, providing the commission time to finalize a Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment that would effectively ban hyperscale data centers in Fayette County.

Appalachian journalist James Branscome details his proposed “Appalachian Homestead Act” that would redistribute land from failing coal companies to community land trusts and high-ground resettlement for farming, housing, and sustainable ventures.

A conversation with archaeologist and author Chris Begley about his new “Playbook for Emergencies” and preparation for natural disasters such as the eastern Kentucky flood of 2022 and recent tornadoes in Kentucky.

How much homework is too much homework?(Roman Samborskyi / Shutterstock)

In response to economic, public policy, and societal pressures, Kentucky’s flagship public institution of higher learning, the University of Kentucky, is undergoing systemic, campus-wide restructuring and privatization of services. With these changes come many questions and implications for faculty, staff and administrators. Our guest for a comprehensive discussion is Jay Blanton, Vice President for University Relations and Chief Communications Officer at UK.

Many of Kentucky’s public universities are engaged in restructuring and privatization. We get details from Dr. Aaron Thompson, president of the Kentucky Council for Postsecondary Education.

Homework is a challenging and often tense topic for parents, students, and educators. The question of too much homework, too little homework, and whether or not there should be homework at all has been debated for many years. The debate is back and it’s the focus of a report by Brigitte Blom’s guest in her ES series on education.

Sweet Evening Breeze(John Denny Ashley. 1972. Collection of the Faulkner Morgan Archive. / John Denny Ashley. 1972. Collection of the Faulkner Morgan Archive.)

This week on Eastern Standard:

Many Lexington streets have been bumpy for months while Kentucky American Water Co. has worked to replace antiquated cast-iron pipes. Why has this work taken so long, and when can residents expect these streets to be restored and repaved? Our questions for Rob Burton, President, Kentucky American Water Co.

Davis Wertheimer researches Large Language Models (LLMs) at IBM. How does this AI technology work, and what do we need to understand about its limitations? Wertheimer is Arthur Shechet’s latest guest in his series “The AI Revolution: Promises and Peril.”

Sweet Evening Breeze (1895–1983), born James Herndon, was a well-known LGBTQ figure in Lexington, Kentucky, whose gender identity defied categorization at the time — and who wielded extraordinary social and political clout. Literary contributor Tom Eblen learns more in a conversation with Maryjean Wall, author of “She’s the Mother of us All: Sweet Evening Breeze and the Queer Community of Lexington, Kentucky.”

What are the implications as AI arrives in the workplace?

What are the practical considerations to take into account as Artificial Intelligence arrives in the workplace, displacing human employees? It’s a sobering question. In the latest in our series: “The AI Revolution: Promise and Peril,” host Art Shechet brings us a conversation on the topic between Steven Barlett, host of one of the most-listened-to podcasts globally, “Diary of a CEO,” and Tristan Harris, co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology.

In her series on Civics and Civility, contributor Carolyn Dupont wonders how society moves on and away from the profound divisions of the times, and whether our constitution is in need of a 21st-century update. Her guest: Asbury University Political Science Professor, Steve Clements.

When you’ve lived in a place for a time — long enough that you can no longer see the forest for all those trees — it can pay to listen to the fresh observations and perspectives of newcomers to the area. In this case, the question is: does Kentucky have what it takes to develop a lively filmmaking scene? Our guests are Lindsey Williamson and Matt Noble, co-founders of Bluegrass Friends of Film.

Can required civic education help heal a divided nation?(shutterstock)

Our first guest in Episode 29 of the Eastern Standard series “Democracy Optimist” is Joyce Vance, the author of Giving Up is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping Our Democracy. The title says it all. The book explains that democracy is the collective responsibility of all concerned Americans, and that there is a role in the preservation of our democracy for each and every one of us. Joyce Vance is a New York Times bestselling author, former United States Attorney, and current professor at the University of Alabama School of Law. She’s also a legal analyst for MS Now—formerly known as MSNBC—writes the Civil Discourse newsletter on Substack, and co-hosts two podcasts, SistersInLaw and The Insider.

The 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1971, effectively lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. Young people were asked to fight in the Vietnam War, which many of them opposed. They organized anti-war protests on school campuses all across the country. “Old enough to fight, old enough to vote” became a common rallying cry. But, these days, young people have not embraced their voting power in significant numbers. The youngest age group turns out to vote at the lowest rate compared to all other age groups, often by a significant amount. Our guest wants to help, and she’s built an organization to do just that. Laura Brill is the CEO & Founder of The Civics Center, an organization focused on promoting voter registration for young people.

Democracy Optimist is hosted by Joshua Douglas, an election law and voting rights and research professor at the University of Kentucky Rosenberg College of Law.