SYNOPSIS: "Affordability" — the struggle many Americans face to pay for housing and food and transportation — has become a political buzzword. But what what drives it, and what can government action do about it? A recent report by the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy gathers specific data to look at the challenges in the Bluegrass State, and makes specific policy recommendations. We talk to Jason Bailey, the center's director, about their findings. Also: mounting deaths at the Camp East Montana immigrant detention center in Texas; rising pushback against the proliferation of energy-sucking data centers; and Florida considers scrapping the property taxes that support its local governments. Plus, three Oscar nominees with deep Southern roots.

SHOW NOTES: Kentucky Center for Economic Policy "Building a Kentucky Workers Can Afford" Kentucky Center for Economic Policy "Feds plan to build nation's biggest migrant detention center at Fort Bliss" The Texas Tribune "60 violations in 50 days: Inside ICE's giant tent facility at Ft. Bliss" The Washington Post "Detained Immigrants Detail Physical Abuse and Inhumane Conditions at Largest Immigration Detention Center in the U.S." ACLU "The black hole of Camp East Montana" El Pais "Immigrant's death in ICE custody ruled homicide by El Paso medical examiner" The Texas Tribune "Congresswoman Escobar Statement on Detainee Death at Camp East Montana Likely to be Classified as Homicide" Rep. Veronica Escobar "Tract details plans for 3,000-acre data center campus in Caldwell County" Austin Business Journal Headlights Ep. 20: Fossil Fuels and an AI Surge "Elon Musk's xAI faces tougher road building out data centers after EPA rule update" CNBC "Rep. Ruwa Romman introduces HB 1012 to slow the growth of data centers" The Atlanta Voice "A second proposl to eliminate property taxes in Florida is now ready for a vote by the full house" Florida Phoenix "Gov. Ron DeSantis Delivers State of the State Address" WPTV News "Counties Deliver" Florida Association of Counties "'The Alabama Solution': A Humanitarian Crisis in Grainy Detail" The Marshall Project "'The way you hold that camera': HBO doc pays tribute to slain Arkansas filmmaker Brent Renaud" Arkansas Times CONTACT: Jesse Mayshark [email protected] (865) 214-7764