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A panel discussion on The Erosion and Defense of Voting Rights (both nationally and locally) took place October 19, 2026, hosted by the Louisville League of Women Voters. Panelists were Prof. Samuel Marcosson, Brandeis School of Law, Univ. of Louisville; Amber Duke, Executive Dir., ACLU Louisville; and Cyndi Lewis, Election Defense Coordinator, Louisville Showing Up for Racial Justice (LSURJ). Emily Fleitz, Vice-President of the Louisville League, was the Moderator.

Patty and Brian discuss why we love being scared, particularly when we know we are safe.

This week on Truth to Power, we bring you a timely Louisville Mayoral candidate forum as you are deciding who to vote for in the upcoming General Election here in Jefferson County, Kentucky! We're sharing with you a September 30th debate between incumbent Mayor Craig Greenberg and challenger Metro Council Member Shameka Parrish-Wright that was organized by the Louisville Forum and recorded by Louisville Public Media.

Louisville voters have begun casting their ballots in the General Election. Two Democrats came out on top in the nonpartisan mayoral primary, and are now vying to lead Louisville’s executive branch. Metro Council Member Shameka Parrish-Wright of District 3 challenges incumbent Mayor Craig Greenberg. The two met recently at the Louisville Forum to debate.

Louisville Public Media News' City Government and Politics Reporter Roberto Roldan moderated the discussion. Roldan asked candidates about data centers, public safety and economic development, among other issues, and took questions from the audience. You can stream an edited version of the debate at https://www.lpm.org/news/2026-10-09/lpm-news-shares-louisville-mayoral-debate

89.3fm WFPL will air the debate again on: Wednesday, Oct. 28 at 8 p.m.

Kentucky In-Person Excused Absentee Voting is available:

Wednesday-Friday, Oct. 21-23, and Monday-Wednesday, Oct. 26-28

Time: 8:30 am-4:30 pm

Location: Jefferson County Election Center, 1000 E. Liberty St.

Kentucky In-Person No Excuse Absentee Voting will be available:

Thursday-Saturday, October 29 - 31, 2026

Time: 8:00 am-6:00 pm

Locations: All over the county

Election day is Nov. 3. Polls will be open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time, and Kentucky state law says if a voter is in line by 6 p.m., they must be allowed to vote.

Get all the details at https://GoVote.ky.gov

On Truth to Power each week, we gather people from around the community to discuss the state of the world, the nation, the state, and the city! It's a community conversation like you won't hear anywhere else!

Truth to Power airs every Friday at 9pm, Saturday at 11am, and Sunday at 7pm on Louisville's grassroots, community radio station, Forward Radio 106.5fm WFMP and live streams at https://www.forwardradio.org

The Louisville League of Women Voters held a Candidate Forum on 9-28-26, featuring District 9 candidates Andrea Parr (Democratic Socialist) and Alison Brotzge-Elder (Democrat). At the end is a brief summary of critical election information, presented by Bob Cline (host of Retro Forward). Included is how to get a Sample Ballot, how to find your polling place, early voting dates and locations, where to find candidate histories and positions and more.

This week on Sustainability Now!, your host, Justin Mog, continues his series of conversations to get you ready to be an informed voter in the General Election coming up on November 3rd. This week’s guest is Cassie R. Blausey, the Democrat running for election to the Kentucky House of Representatives to represent District 29 against Republican Chris Lewis. District 29 is in southeastern Jefferson County, and includes the neighborhoods of Ashville, Heritage Creek, Seatonville and parts of Jeffersontown and the Fern Creek neighborhood.

A lawyer by trade and a teacher at heart, Cassie’s work in education policy has provided her with valuable insights into the challenges facing local families. Cassie understands the struggles Kentuckians face in accessing quality healthcare, education, and support services. She is determined to put people first in every policy decision to make real, compassionate, and lasting change. Learn more at https://cassieblausey.com/

Kentucky In-Person Excused Absentee Voting begins this week: Wednesday-Friday, Oct. 21-23, and Monday-Wednesday, Oct. 26-28

Time: 8:30 am-4:30 pm

Location: Jefferson County Election Center, 1000 E. Liberty St.

Kentucky In-Person No Excuse Absentee Voting runs: Thursday-Saturday, October 29 - 31, 2026

Time: 8:00 am-6:00 pm

Locations: All over the county

Get all the details at https://GoVote.ky.gov

As always, our feature is followed by your community action calendar for the week, so get your calendars out and get ready to take action for sustainability NOW!

Sustainability Now! is hosted by Dr. Justin Mog and airs on Forward Radio, 106.5fm, WFMP-LP Louisville, every Monday at 6pm and repeats Tuesdays at 12am and 10am. Find us at https://forwardradio.org

The music in this podcast is courtesy of the local band Appalatin and is used by permission. Explore their delightful music at https://appalatin.com

Dr. Sheline was one of six State Department officials who resigned from the Biden/Harris administration due to its ongoing weapons shipments to Israel during the Israeli/Palestinian war—a conflict that resulted in approximately 70,000 Palestinian deaths. The Trump administration continues to advocate for sending weapons to Israel.

Currently a research fellow for the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, Dr. Sheline's work has been published in Foreign Affairs, The Washington Post, The Nation, Foreign Policy, and The New Republic. She has also appeared on the BBC News, CNN, CBS, and Al Jazeera.

Her presentation will cover the current state of affairs in Palestine, the Iran/US/Israel conflict, and the broader situation in the Middle East,

Our Halloween show! Hear about the astronomical roots of Halloween, Armadillos that carry the bacteria for leprosy, the Vampire Demons of Poland, Foxes that use the smell of one predator to hide from a different predator, and Algol, the Demon Star! Thanks to Scott Miller, Mary Williams, Leslie Moise, and Dave Robinson for these reports.

‘Bench Talk: The Week in Science’ is a weekly program that airs on WFMP, Louisville FORward Radio, 106.5 FM (forwardradio.org) every Monday at 7:30 pm, Tuesday at 11:30 am, and Wednesday at 7:30 am.

Visit our Facebook page for links to the articles discussed in this episode: https://www.facebook.com/BenchTalkRadio

Music ('Silver Shamrock' by Partee Citee) was provided by Free Music Archive

Forward Radio was thrilled to live broadcast from the 2026 Louisville Maker Faire on Saturday, Oct. 17th, 10am – 5pm, at the University of Louisville's new Engineering Student Success & Research Building on the Speed School of Engineering campus just south of Eastern Pkwy. Come join us for The Greatest Show and Tell on Earth! Louisville Maker Faire is an annual celebration of creativity, curiosity, and hands-on invention. It’s part science fair, part county fair, and part something entirely new — a showcase of makers, tinkerers, artists, engineers, performers, and hobbyists of all kinds. Whether you’re into robotics, woodworking, crafts, cosplay, or just cool ideas, there’s something here to spark your imagination. Learn more at https://louisville.makerfaire.com/

This week on Truth to Power, we bring you highlights from the final hour of our special live broadcast from the 2026 Louisville Veg Fest, held on Saturday, September 12th at the Mellwood Art Center. Listen now at

Today we bring you the final speaker, Marilyn Almonte, a master teacher, intuitive food therapist, energy healer, and co-owner of Sri Mantra, a family-owned Sri Lankan restaurant. Her work is rooted in the belief that healthy, plant-powered food can be delicious, accessible, simple, and deeply satisfying, and that the right spices can completely transform the way we experience food. At VegFest, Marilyn presented: “What It’s Really Like to Run a Vegan Restaurant,” taking us behind the scenes of the vegan restaurant world! Running a vegan restaurant takes a whole lot more than creating great food. Marilyn will share an honest look at the passion, creativity, challenges, and business realities that happen behind the scenes, including: developing a menu and sourcing ingredients; managing customers, staff, and finances; navigating an ever-changing restaurant industry; turning a passion for vegan food into a sustainable business; and the highs, lows, lessons, and rewards people don’t see from the dining room. Whether you’ve ever dreamed about opening a vegan restaurant or food business, love supporting local businesses, or are simply curious about what happens behind the scenes, this is a conversation you’ll want to hear.

And we'll give you a little taste of "Peace, Love & Cake," a live vegan cake decorating demonstration by award-winning cake artist, educator, and founder of Pink Batter Cake Studio, Lakisha Morris. Lakisha showed us some of the creativity and technique behind cake decorating, all while sharing her belief that cake can be about so much more than dessert. It can be a way to learn something new, build confidence, express yourself, and bring people together. Lakisha is a three-time KY State Fair ribbon winner, graduate of the SBA THRIVE Emerging Leaders program, and nominee for Today’s Woman’s Most Admired Woman in Hospitality. She’s also currently serving as the September Chef-in-Residence at the Northeast Regional Library. Through Pink Batter Cake Studio, Lakisha creates guided, hands-on cake decorating experiences centered around creativity, joy, and connection. Her classes are designed to be welcoming and fun, whether you’re learning a new skill, celebrating with friends and family, or simply looking for a creative experience.

Forward Radio was a proud media sponsor of Kentucky’s premier celebration of all things vegan, featuring over 19,000 sq ft of indoor space filled with over 60 vendors and additional food trucks bringing the fun outside, too! Forward Radio hosted a booth to share how you can turn all that plant-power into community radio! The day featured live music, performances, craft beer, cocktails, a plant-based marketplace, and inspiring speakers. Learn more at https://vegkentucky.org/vegfest

On Truth to Power each week, we gather people from around the community to discuss the state of the world, the nation, the state, and the city! It's a community conversation like you won't hear anywhere else!

Truth to Power airs every Friday at 9pm, Saturday at 11am, and Sunday at 7pm on Louisville's grassroots, community radio station, Forward Radio 106.5fm WFMP and live streams at https://www.forwardradio.org

Today’s Solutions to Violence program features a political event titled Free America from Ogres. The event occurred at Louisville’s Trellis Bar October 3rd, 2026. The Free America From Ogres event spotlighted the voices of by Dan Kovalik Dr. Mario Ransan is the featured masters of ceremony and one of the major organizers of The Free America From Ogres political event. The Free America form Orges event was organized by Indivisible Louisville and sponsored by Kentucky Labor.

Mario Ranson will announce our first speaker, Kentucky State Representative Nina Kulkarnie. Among others the event features Nima Kulkarni, Robert LeVertis Bell, Lisa Willner, Almarai Baker, Joshua Watkins, David Yates, Morgan McGarvey, or Charles Booker