Forward Radio podcasts

On this week's show, we bring you more highlights from the 2026 Kentucky Conservation Committee's Legislative Summit that was held online on Sunday afternoon, January 25th. You can learn more about it and find links to all the great materials referenced at https://kyconservation.org/legislative-summit-2026

The Summit includes a review of conservation legislation and trainings on key conservation and environmental issues in Kentucky to provide you with all the necessary advocacy tools you need during the 2026 Kentucky General Assembly and beyond. These sessions included a broad look at the anticipated topics of the 2026 General Assembly, related federal legislative issues, basic training on ways for citizens to engage as a “citizen lobbyist”, plus tips on how to be more effective with your legislative advocacy in a virtual world or in person.

On today's show, we take a deep dive into two environmental issues that have been very threatening to communities throughout the Commonwealth, but particularly in Appalachia: flooding and the construction of hyperscale data centers. After a brief welcome from KCC Director, Lane Boldman, you'll hear from Brian Storz, the Licking River Basin Coordinator at the Kentucky Division of Water on nature-based solutions for stormwater mitigation. After that, we switch gears to hear from Max Moran and Janet Garrison, two citizen activists with the “We are Mason County” Citizen’s Group who have been mobilizing at a grassroots level to resist the steamrolling of data center developers over the health and wellbeing of their neighbors.

Explore these great resources:

View Brian Storz's Presentation Slides on Green Sink Stormwater Mitigation at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T6z9gwKJ4nkpc8qrkpvPuDwhdpX28FJn/view?usp=sharing

Nature’s Solutions for Stormwater Management: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/13muZspC-g1HgtXP9LDfIQSoQjZMzVA4J

Building a Flood Resilient Kentucky: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HHpbDgj8B8X508C5ThrROLjv-RWbUge3/view?usp=sharing

VIDEO of the presentation on data centers is at https://vimeo.com/1158645052

Presentation Slides: Data Centers and Community Action: https://drive.google.com/file/d/13OOBpwSNoJe47y9UFuFhrPL1yZVEv1Y-/view?usp=sharing

KCC webpage on data centers: https://kyconservation.org/data

KCC one-pager on data centers: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KrXAucfipI5QRLDoqA9XqNYqOx85vphG/view?usp=sharing

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://www.forwardradio.org

A discussion with historian Dr. David McNally of the University of Houston on his recently published book, Slavery and Capitalism: A New Marxist History, published by University of California Press. He makes the strong case that slavery before the US Civil War is basically the same thing as labor, something which most if not all economists and historians have either ignored or not realized. This is an informative and fascinating book which also illuminates the ties between slavery and capitalism.

A new Marxist History by Forward Radio

On this week's Access Hour, we bring you highlights from the first hour of the 2026 Kentucky Conservation Committee's Legislative Summit that was held online on Sunday afternoon, January 25th. You can learn more about it and find links to all the great materials referenced at https://kyconservation.org/legislative-summit-2026

The Summit includes a review of conservation legislation and trainings on key conservation and environmental issues in Kentucky to provide you with all the necessary advocacy tools you need during the 2026 Kentucky General Assembly and beyond. These sessions included a broad look at the anticipated topics of the 2026 General Assembly, related federal legislative issues, basic training on ways for citizens to engage as a “citizen lobbyist”, plus tips on how to be more effective with your legislative advocacy in a virtual world or in person.

On today's show, you'll get an overview of bills that are already filed in the General Assembly, or anticipated to be filed, along with KCC’s analysis and recommendations for action, and a preview of the State Budget. Want the latest information on environmental issues impacting Kentucky? Want to be a more effective citizen advocate during the General Assembly? Want to know how the recent elections will impact state and federal policy on environmental issues? Tune in for the resources you will need to be an effective advocate for a wide range of environmental issues impacting Kentucky.

After a brief welcome from KCC Director, Lane Boldman, KCC's Legislative Agent, Randy Strobo, provides highlights of House and Senate bills reviewed by KCC to date. And finally, Pam Thomas from the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy will provide a State Budget Overview.

Resource: KCC Citizens Guide to the General Assembly 2026: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1R5bSKYXp6mEF1wM34kKha8pGdWCRJuqM/view?usp=sharing

Resource: List of Lawmakers and Issues 2026: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1JRMQ-qxz4hjXOvWeN_MjcGAIOX8fYqqW-JYTaCGaz04/edit?usp=sharing

Resource: How a Bill Becomes a Law in Kentucky: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1a0ZJSKw3os9UQivaW9VpS-S-bXWZ60tB/view?usp=sharing

Presentation Slides: Bill Highlights to Date: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1E806k-oxQ4h9aSP6lgha5KKq1LaXnhTN/view?usp=sharing

Presentation Slides: Ky Policy Budget Preview: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1N2g04vAJkvTiv1DoKAn2Cw0yKNRUFx-s/view?usp=sharing

KyPolicy Budget Preview: https://kypolicy.org/preview-of-the-2026-2028-kentucky-state-budget/

Governor’s Budget Proposal: https://kypolicy.org/2026-governor-andy-beshear-budget-proposal/

The Access Hour airs on Forward Radio, 106.5fm, WFMP-LP Louisville, every Wednesday at 2pm and repeats Thursdays at 11am and Fridays at 1pm. Find us at https://forwardradio.org

If you’ve got something you’d like to share on community radio through the Access Hour, whether it’s a recording you made or a show you’d like to do on a particular topic, community, artistic creation, or program that is under-represented in Louisville’s media landscape, just go to https://forwardradio.org, click on Participate and pitch us your idea. The Access Hour is your opportunity to take over the air waves to share your passion.

A discussion with Dr. Phillip O'Hara of the Global Political Economy Research Unit in Perth, Australia on his book Long Waves of Growth, Hegemonic Power, and Climate Change in the World Economy: Dutch, British, US, and Chinese Capitalism and Structural Polycrises. This is a fascinating conversation that ties political and economic dominance by different world powers in different epochs with changes in climate periods and long waves of economic growth. The book is published by Springer.

Bill Allison, is a long-time attorney that has worked cooperatively with the Kentucky’s American Civil Liberty Union. Bill Allison started his law career with the Southern Conference Educational Fund (SCEF), an organization closely connected with Carl and Anne Braden. SCEF was a Southern civil rights organization, and so from the beginning of his career, Bill Allison was involved in civil rights and civil liberties litigation. Bill Allison and Cate Fosl were the keynote Speakers at the Lyman T. Johnson Dinner sponsored by the Louisville Democratic Socialist of America and held at Louisville’s 1st Unitarian Church June 28th, 2025. The Lyman T. Johnson dinner was established for the purpose of honoring Bill Allison and raising funds for constructing a new building for the Democratic Socialist of America, Louisville chapter.

Solutions to Violence features Bill Allsion w, 1-26-26 by Forward Radio

We’re shoveling out from the winter storm of apathy and despair this week on Sustainability Now! Your host, Justin Mog, is delighted to welcome back into the studio Dr. Natasha DeJarnett to talk about the next installment of the UofL Envirome Institute’s “& Science” series, coming up on Thursday, Feb. 5th, with a focus on History & Science. The event begins with a reception at 5:15 pm, and the panel begins promptly at 6:00 pm. It’s taking place at Roots 101 African-American Museum (124 N 1st St).

Please join us for the third installment of the “& Science” Forums organized by UofL's Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute. During History & Science, we will celebrate community heroes and hear from an expert panel on the key intersections of history and science. The panel will discuss historic infrastructure affecting environmental health disparities; examine the policy and legal frameworks that shape local climate and environmental conditions; and encourage widespread participation in strengthening Louisville's environment. Please RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/history-science-tickets-1979812499481.

The evening will feature:

Speakers:

• Dr. John Chenault (Associate Professor, Director of Anti-Racism Initiatives, UofL)

• Ms. Hannah Drake (Cultural Strategist; Co-Executive Director, IDEAS xLab; Co-Founder, (Un)Known Project)

• Dr. Swannie Jett (Chief Executive Officer, Park DuValle Community Health Center)

• Dr. Lynn Pohl (Archivist, The Filson Historical Society)

• The Honorable Attica Scott (Former Kentucky State Representative for District 41; Director of Special Projects, Forward Justice Action Network)

• Dr. Monica Unseld (Founder and Executive Director, Until Justice Data Partners)

"& Science" Trailblazer Awardee:

• Dr. Kevin W. Cosby (Senior Pastor, St. Stephen Baptist Church; President, Simmons College of Kentucky)

Also Featuring:

• Dr. Natasha DeJarnett (Assistant Professor, Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute, UofL)

• Dr. Ricky L. Jones (Professor and Past Chair, Pan-African Studies; Baldwin-King Scholar-in-Residence, Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute, UofL)

About the Series:

The Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute is hosting this quarterly health forum called “& Science". The third installment of the series will focus on History & Science, featuring leaders from different historical and scientific backgrounds. The “& Science” series provides a community forum for conversations at the intersection of health, the environment & science. Topics explored throughout the first year of the series include communication, faith, history, art & science.

Natasha DeJarnett, PhD, MPH, BCES, is the co-founder of the “& Science” series, an Assistant Professor in the School of Medicine, and a researcher with UofL’s Envirome Institute (https://louisville.edu/envirome). Dr. DeJarnett's research interests include the cardiovascular health burden of extreme heat exposure, air quality, and environmental health disparities. In addition, Dr. DeJarnett is passionate about environmental health research that informs policies and empowering communities through research engagement.

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

Hear an interview with Dr. Frank Putnam (clinical psychiatrist) about his 37 years of research on the effect of child abuse on adults who experienced it. Then hear about the upcoming launch of the Artemis II mission to send a crew around the moon for the first time in 54 years.

The interview about child abuse is from the Jan. 7, 2026 episode of the Groks Science Radio Show and Podcast. Here is the full podcast: https://grokscience.wordpress.com/2026/01/07/time-age/. The update on Artemis II is from the Jan. 21, 2026 video produced by NASA. Here is the full video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7CYoSOapO8. Thanks to both of these groups for permission to rebroadcast their material.

‘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

On November 24th, 2025, Theater of War Productions returned to Columbia University to present a live, dramatic reading of Hua Hsu’s June 2025 article in The New Yorker, "What Happens After A.I. Destroys College Writing?” to frame a guided audience discussion about the use of Artificial Intelligence in and out of the classroom and its implications for the future of higher education.

The event featured performances by Paul Giamatti (Billions), Dominic Sessa (The Holdovers), Amy Ryan (The Office), Eric Berryman (Atlanta) and Marjolaine Goldsmith (Dress).

Presented by Theater of War Productions, the Undergraduate Community Initiative, the Center for the Core Curriculum, Columbia Journalism School, Arts & Sciences, and CJS2030: The Initiative on AI, with special thanks to The New Yorker. Directed and facilitated by Bryan Doerries.

Watch the full event here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d52_MvN2dtk

Learn about the Columbia Journalism School CJS2030 AI Initiative: https://journalism.columbia.edu/CJS2030/AI

Read the article by Hua Hsu here: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/07/07/the-end-of-the-english-paper

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://www.forwardradio.org