Forward Radio podcasts

This week, we bring you highlights from the Wednesday, March 25, 2026 Mayoral Candidate Forum on Clean Energy organized by the Renewable Energy Alliance of Louisville (REAL). The moderator for the evening was Tom Fitzgerald (Kentucky Resources Council), and we were joined by four Mayoral Candidates: Shameka Parrish-Wright, Jody Hurt, Lisa Holliday Harris, and Matthew Bailey. Listen in as Louisville candidates for Mayor answer questions about achieving the city’s resolution to reach 100% clean energy by 2040. All candidates were invited to attend. Brought to you by the Renewable Energy Alliance of Louisville (https://renewableenergylouisville.org/) and co-sponsored by: Interfaith Environmental Action Network, Kentucky Conservation Committee, Kentucky Interfaith Power & Light, Kentucky Resources Council, Kentuckians for Energy Democracy, Louisville Climate Action Network, Kentucky Chapter of the Sierra Club, Kentucky Chapter of the Sierra Club-Greater Louisville Group.

There are 11 registered candidates for Louisville Mayor who will appear on your non-partisan ballot on the May 19, 2026 Primary: Matthew Bailey, Tina Burnell, S. Dattilo, Bob DeVore, Craig Greenberg, Lisa Holliday Harris, Jody Hurt, Douglas Edward Lattimore, Shameka Parrish-Wright, Bill Wells, and Jeffrey Yocum. Learn more about the May 19th Primary, get registered to vote at your current address before the Registration Deadline

on April 20th, find out when and where you can vote, and access a sample ballot so you can research all the candidates beforehand at govote.ky.gov

Watch a full recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_V1qIFnS_4&list=PLu1P1So1_KZe1BWYi167uEImKGIZqDnok&index=14&t=4s

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 http://forwardradio.org

Dave Robinson finishes his report on Monsanto and its herbicide, Roundup. Hear how Monsanto teams up with an Israeli company to produce White Phosphorus, a toxic, incendiary tool used by the military. Find out how the Trump administration has changed the way the EPA calculates the value of a human life. And, which Supreme Court justice worked for Monsanto in the past, and has been called to recuse himself on coming decisions about Roundup? Then, Mary Williams tells us about Dr. Frances Oldham Kelsey, who single-handedly prevented the FDA from approving the teratogenic drug thalidomide, for use in the US. This drug caused thousands of miscarriages and birth defects in Europe, but not in the US, thanks to Dr. Kelsey.

‘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

Barbara Boyd is a retired Rank I elementary teacher from Jefferson County Public Schools. She was appointed to one and one-half terms to the Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) as well as serving two elected terms as a Regional Director with Jefferson County Teacher’s Association (JCTA). She has served as a co-chair of the Kentucky Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression and Chairs the Community Education Coalition and Kentucky Mobilization under the umbrella of the Kentucky Alliance against Racist and Political Repression. Barbara Boyd is currently the director of the Louisville Branch of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. Barbara was the keynote speaker March 19, 2026, Third Thursday Lunch sponsored by the Fellowship of Reconciliation, Louisville Branch.

This week on Sustainability Now!, your host, Justin Mog, is thrilled to be in conversation with Kennedy Little, the Lexington-based Youth Advocacy Team Member at the Food Empowerment Project (https://foodispower.org). Tune in to learn about the Food Empowerment Project’s (F.E.P.’s) history, mission, and the four core issue areas they address:

1. Chocolate

F.E.P. works to inform consumers globally about the worst forms of child labor, including slavery, that occur in the chocolate industry.

2. Farm workers: F.E.P. supports corporate, legislative, and regulatory changes to advance the rights and well-being of farm workers.

3. Food Access

F.E.P. collaborates with community members who invite them to help increase access to healthy foods where they live. This includes conducting surveys and providing support based on community needs.

4. Veganism

F.E.P. promotes ethical veganism through education, outreach, and providing practical tools to help individuals transition to a vegan lifestyle.

Learn more about these four areas at https://foodispower.org/our-work/

You’ll also learn about F.E.P.’s Youth Advocacy Work, specifically their youth engagement and resources. Check out their new printed resource guide, Eating Vegan in College: https://foodispower.org/eating-vegan-in-college/

And learn more about the Youth Scholarship Contest: https://foodispower.org/youth-contest-2025/

Check out the New F.E.P. zine for youth, Envision: https://foodispower.org/envision-youth-zine/

Featured New F.E.P. Blog: “The Learning Curve: Why Vegan Cafeteria Meals Matter for Students,” a collaboration with Kennedy Little and VersyTalks co-founder, Antonin Laferrière: https://foodispower.org/the-learning-curve-why-vegan-cafeteria-meals-matter-for-students/

Debate Collaboration with F.E.P. and VersyTalks: https://www.versytalks.com/debate/should-vegan-meals-be-required-options-in-all-k-12-schools-and-college-cafeterias

More information about F.E.P.’s mission and values can be found at https://foodispower.org/about-f-e-p/

Socials: @foodempowermentproject.

Email: [email protected]

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

Tune in for a virtual Town Hall held on March 16, 2026: Our Common Health, Our Commonwealth: Who Decides What’s Safe? hosted by Kentucky Waterways Alliance, Kentucky Resources Council, Kentucky Conservation Committee, and Sierra Club Kentucky Chapter. Connecting Legislation, Pollution, and Our Health.

Environmental health, public health, and civic health are deeply intertwined. The condition of our air, water, and land shapes the wellbeing of our communities and the strength of our democracy. Who shows up, who speaks, and who votes determines whether decisions reflect the public’s best interests or the priorities of corporate lobbyists.

Kentucky Waterways Alliance, Kentucky Resources Council, Kentucky Conservation Committee, and Sierra Club Kentucky Chapter hosted this discussion on how environmental decisions affect public health and how current proposed legislation would prioritize polluter profits over the health and safety of every day Kentuckians — making it nearly impossible for communities to hold corporations accountable when our most basic necessities are at risk.

Additionally, the League of Women Voters of Kentucky shared findings from their report How Can They Do That?, which examines how legislation can advance through the process with limited public visibility. The Town Hall starts out with testimony from Calvert City, Kentucky resident Joshua Tabor sharing his family’s experience with angiosarcoma, a rare cancer linked to environmental exposures, and why these environmental protections are deeply personal for many Kentucky families.

Together, we examined how decisions made in Frankfort affect Kentucky’s natural resources and communities, and what Kentuckians can do to shape a healthier future.

Speakers include: KWA's Michael Washburn, Joshua Tabor, KRC's Audrey Ernstberger, KWA's Nick Hart, KCC's Lane Boldman, LWA's Jeanie Lindel, and SC's Julia Finch.

Watch full recording: https://vimeo.com/1174496139

Connect with the organizers:

Kentucky Waterways Alliance: https://www.kwalliance.org/

Kentucky Resources Council: https://kyrc.org/

Kentucky Conservation Committee: https://kyconservation.org/

Sierra Club Kentucky Chapter: https://www.sierraclub.org/kentucky

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 http://forwardradio.org

Patty and Brian interview Dr. Robert Friedland about his second book, 99 Lessons in Critical Thinking.

Luther Adams – Free Man of Color is an Associate Professor at the University of Washington Tacoma. He earned his B.A. in history at the University of Louisville (1994), and a Ph.D. in history at the University of Pennsylvania (2002). He has published in a variety of forums including the Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, Ohio Valley History Journal, the Journal of Social History and the Journal of Urban History. His book, Way Up North in Louisville: African American Migration in the Urban South, 1930-1970 was published by the University of North Carolina Press in 2010. Additionally Luther Adams is the author of “Bayard Rustin: The Man Behind MLK,” published in All About History Magazine, No. 136. Luther Adams is currently working on a book called No Justice, No Peace

This week on Sustainability Now!, your host, Justin Mog, is thrilled to be in conversation with our city’s new Sustainability Director! In January, Jake Medley was named as the new Executive Director of the Louisville Mayor’s Office of Sustainability (OS). Learn more about the Office of Sustainability and access tons of great resources at https://louisvilleky.gov/government/office-sustainability

Jake first joined the OS in February 2024 and has been driving efforts to expand its programs. He filled in as interim director back in September, and has kept busy:

• Reorganizing the office budget and allocating funding for a new energy efficiency & weatherization program for Louisville residents to be deployed this year.

• Helping deliver a record $11.5M in green economic development in 2025 between the Solarize, Cool Roof, and EPAD programs.

• Helping secure residential solar net metering protections for Louisville ratepayers, including over 300 Solarize participants.

Read more: https://louisvilleky.gov/news/mayor-greenberg-names-new-executive-director-office-sustainability

Don’t miss Earth Fest on Saturday, March 28th, from 1:00 - 5:00pm, at Alberta O. Jones Park, 744 S 23rd St. OS, Parks Alliance of Louisville, and partners are bringing back this Louisville Earth Month kickoff event. This community festival will feature free local burritos on compostable diningware, music, performances, art, sustainability activities, a park tour, green business displays, and local resources - all in celebration of our planet. Learn more at https://bit.ly/EarthFest2026

Currently, Jake is helping launch the Louisville Green Bank - the first of its kind in Louisville. The Mayor’s Sustainability Office houses a collection of programs that serve as the foundation of the budding Louisville Green Bank:

* The Solarize Louisville Program provides a 12-18% discount on residential and small commercial solar panel installations. The program is in its 5th year of operation and has produced over 300 projects. Solarize Louisville had a record year in 2025, likely due to the sunset of residential clean energy tax credits. Credits are still available, however, to commercial projects so long as they are in service by the end of 2027, so the program will be catering outreach to non-profits interested going solar.

* The Cool Roof rebate program is an initiative in which Louisville is a national leader. Cool Roof products reflect sunlight and keep properties cooler, requiring less work from AC systems in warm weather. Since 2017, Metro has delivered over 400 Cool Roof projects to residents, non-profits, and businesses covering a total of 1.4M sq ft of Louisville roof top. Louisville Metro has deployed over $800K in rebates and every dollar returns an estimated $5-6 in avoided energy costs over the lifetime of a cool roof.

* EPAD – The Energy Project Assessment District is a property assessed clean energy (PACE) financing tool that structures sustainability upgrades for commercial projects in end of year property tax bills. We had two EPAD projects downtown last year totaling $7.5 million worth of energy upgrades (Derby City Lofts and Zen NuLu).

Metro is working through a grant process now that will unveil the Green Bank in an official manner while setting us up for additional phase of funding.

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

K.A. Owens interviews writer Michael L. Jones, author of "Soulful Sounds of Derbytown".

Recorded Sunday March 15, 2026, 6PM.

This week on Truth To Power, we bring you an important conversation in the face of the 2026 mid-term elections. On January 15th, 120 Oberlin College alumni and friends participated in a widely anticipated online program called "What is the Democratic Party?" Professor Larry Jacobs of the University of Minnesota served as moderator for an energetic conversation that featured Holly Fechner and John Lawrence, both of whom worked for Democratic members of Congress and have decades of experience working in politics. Comments by Holly and John reflected optimism for the Democrats to take control of the House, but they considered prospects for the Democrats to take the Senate to be not so promising but possible.

Historical trends favoring the opposition party in midterm elections, the unpopularity of Trump, and negative perceptions of the economy are among the key factors now favoring the Democrats. Wildcards that could trip the Democrats include disenfranchisement of Democratic-leaning voters through redistricting, restricting mail-in and early voting options, and deployments of military and other security forces to intimidate voters. It was posited that the Democrats still needed to change their approach and widen their appeal across class lines, because of perceptions that the Party is too West/East Coastal, too old, and too beholden to donors and the educated elite.

Alternatively, it was argued that the Democrats have been pursuing policies that advance the welfare of “regular” Americans by pursuing policy initiatives that address “affordability,” health care, educational opportunities, and the environment, but the Party’s messaging can get sidetracked by “cultural” issues that are important, but are distracting to the general populace. To wit, the priority of selecting candidates who could win elections was illustrated by a quote from former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi who said that Democrats on the Hill would be merely resigned to having “a conversation” if they lacked majority control of the House.

Panelists highlighted examples across America’s history in which the forces of “illiberalism” were overcome, and they maintained that public protests are important to build solidarity and demonstrate the resilience of the opposition. Watch recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BE3WfkcWhg

It is the civic duty of all adult U.S. citizens in Kentucky to vote in the Primary elections on Tuesday May 19th, including the Mayor’s race, many Metro Council seats, Sheriff, County Clerk, County Attorney, and State Rep seats right here in Louisville. All Kentucky voters will also get to weigh in on who should replace Mitch McConnell in the U.S. Senate! Don’t miss this opportunity! Find out where, when and how to vote, request an absentee ballot, and see a sample ballot so you can do your research on all the candidates 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 4pm on Louisville's grassroots, community radio station, Forward Radio 106.5fm WFMP and live streams at https://forwardradio.org