Kentucky
‘Get something done’ is job No. 1 for Ohio and Kentucky, governors agree
DeWine, Beshear talk government shutdown, national guard, more
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear discuss the current government shutdown, appropriate use of the national guard and more.
Rob Portman established a center at the University of Cincinnati two years ago to bridge the gap between the left and the right.
Ohio’s former Republican senator won cooperation on that count from Ohio and Kentucky’s governors on Oct. 21, as the two agreed on how to use National Guard (not for law enforcement), when to end the federal government shutdown (now), the importance of the Brent Spence Bridge project (giant) and who should inspire public policy (citizens).
“In these polarized times,” Portman said, setting up the conversation between Mike DeWine, Ohio’s Republication governor, and Andy Beshear, a Democrat who fills that job in Kentucky, “I think there’s a real interest in how to get together and solve problems.”
Here’s what the governors had to say before a politically mixed crowd at a packed UC auditorium.
(Separately, Beshear told reporters a presidential run is something he and his family will “consider” if they feel he’s the best candidate for the job in 2028. And DeWine declined to comment on Cincinnati’s police chief, saying only “That issue just has to get resolved. It’s not mine to get resolved.”)
Should the National Guard police American cities?
National Guard members are useful during natural disasters and civil disturbances when mayors request them, DeWine said. Otherwise, other agencies are better equipped to help, he said. In Cincinnati, for example, state and local officials worked out an agreement for the Ohio State Highway Patrol to backstop local officers to address urban crime.
Beshear said citizens deserve to be safe and feel safe, but agreed National Guard officers are not trained to handle law enforcement. He also said the National Guard of one state should not be sent to another state where the governor does not want them.
“Decreasing crime and making people feel safer is hard work that can’t be solved by a stunt,” he said.
How is the federal government shutdown affecting your state?
Beshear said he’s hearing from federal workers worried about paying their mortgages and electric bills. “We’re looking at a lot of families that aren’t getting a paycheck,” he said. “We need to think about them.”
At the same time, rising costs, particularly of health care premiums, are hurting families, he said. Health care costs are a central issue in the shutdown, with Democrats wanting to extend insurance subsidies under the Affordable Care Act before they expire at the end of the year and Republicans wanting to end the shutdown before working out that issue.
DeWine said he is concerned that recipients of benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and the Women, Infants and Children program will not get needed benefits come Nov. 1.
“The further this goes on the pain is very, very clear,” he said.
Speaking to reporters later, DeWine said the state of Ohio has “no additional money” to provide those benefits. “What we hope is that this matter is resolved in Washington, D.C.”
How important is the Brent Spence Bridge to Ohio and Kentucky?
On that question – asked by media rather than Portman – the three politicians agreed each played a role in securing funds for a $3.6 billion plan to upgrade the existing bridge, build a new one to its immediate west and improve about 8 miles of interstate that send traffic over the Ohio River.
Portman, along with U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, played key roles in the federal infrastructure legislation, signed by President Joe Biden, that led to a $1.6 billion federal commitment to the project, DeWine said. Ohio and Kentucky agreed to share the balance of the bill.
“Big contribution from Kentucky, big contribution from Ohio, big contributions from the federal government,” he said.
The bridge project “wouldn’t be happening without all three of us standing here,” Beshear added, noting the importance of the project to both states and the country overall.
The Brent Spent Bridge Corridor plan requires Ohio and Kentucky to work lockstep with each other, he said, “and we’ve been doing that every single day of the project.”
Thanks to federal-state cooperation, Portman noted, “we’re going to … start to see the companion bridge start to come out of the water.
Design work on the project will be at 60% complete this fall with installation in the river to be underway next year, bridge managers told Cincinnati City Council earlier this month.
How can politicians improve civil discourse?
Beshear said political leaders must be willing to call out successes of their opponents along with what they see as failures. “We’ve got to find common purpose,” he said. “It’s a lot easier when you view that person as a human being.”
DeWine said leaders must work through differences to reach common goals. If Portman and Congressional colleagues had not been able to do that on infrastructure legislation, he said, “we would not be building a bridge across the river.”
Both governors – Beshear wearing a red tie and DeWine a blue one, with Portman in one with blue and red stripes –agreed with Portman’s opening lines that “solutions matter more than slogans” and “courage and compromise can co-exist.”
“Your job isn’t to be a Democrat or a Republican,” Beshear said. “It’s to get something done for people.”
Solutions can come from staff, legislators or citizens, added DeWine. “You don’t get 100% of what you want,” he said.
The Brooklyn Nets have developed their teams through a number of strategies over the decades, and their front office has put together considerable success through the NBA draft. Many of the franchise’s best players have joined the Nets either by being selected directly in the annual draft or through trades made on that day.
Moreover, it is not only the star players who have been acquired by the Nets through the draft. Several prominent alumni have been selected by the team each offseason during this annual event, with certain colleges being more prominently represented than others. An analysis of the players from different schools reveals that both prestigious programs and smaller institutions have contributed top talent to the Nets’ roster over the years.
So without further ado, let’s take a look at every player who has been drafted by the Nets out of Kentucky State University.
Gerald Cunningham – forward
Draft year and position: fifth round (first pick, 89th overall), 1977 NBA Draft
Seasons at Kentucky State University:
Seasons played with Nets: did not make the team
All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.
The best shooter in college basketball will, in fact, stay in college basketball — and Kentucky is ready to make its final push.
Iowa State star Milan Momcilovic has withdrawn from the 2026 NBA Draft and will play somewhere at his current level in 2026-27. That’s not expected to be back in Ames, as Cyclone coach T.J. Otzelberger made clear, saying that if the 6-8 forward doesn’t make the jump to the pros, “it’s important that he’s able to find a landing spot at a college that fits what he’s looking for.”
Could Lexington be that final destination? The perimeter sniper already said he’s got respect for the Wildcats and Mark Pope, watching his programs closely since his time at BYU when they competed against each other in the Big 12.
In his eyes, he could be the piece Kentucky was missing this past season in the program’s Round of 32 exit, led by Momcilovic’s 20 points and five rebounds in the Cyclones’ 82-63 victory in St. Louis.
“I think Kentucky would be a good fit,” Momcilovic told the Herald-Leader’s Ben Roberts last week at the NBA Draft Combine. “I obviously went against Pope at BYU his first year (in the Big 12), and I loved how his team played. I think we went 1-1 against them, but they killed us at their place, because they fly the ball up the court and shoot 3s. I really like the way they play.
“And obviously, Kentucky last year, he didn’t have enough shooters around him to really coach, I feel like, the way he wanted. But I think — if I were to choose Kentucky — that would be a good fit for me. I feel like I’d be a great player for him, and he’d be a good coach for me.”
Momcilovic averaged a career-high 16.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 30.5 minutes per game while shooting 50.6 percent from the field, 48.7 percent from three and 87.8 percent at the line. He knocked down 260 3-pointers, good for 3.7 makes on 7.5 attempts per contest.
The former four-star recruit has been Kentucky’s dream portal target all offseason. Now, he’s officially a free agent, pulling out of the draft ahead of the withdrawal deadline.
On Tuesday, head coach Mark Pope revealed that there will likely be no summer trip for the 2026-27 Wildcats.
“We’re probably a lean towards not going right now,” Pope told Darrell Bird of Cats Pause.
The NCAA recently adopted a proposal that will allow schools to take summer tours every year after the rules previously limited schools to one trip every four years. Even if it ended up being somewhere close by, this would’ve been a great experience for the Cats to get some exhibition games in, especially with the roster overhaul they’re going through.
Oh well. The good news is UK will still have plenty of summer practices to develop and build chemistry.
-
Movie Reviews4 minutes agoThe Breadwinner (Christian Movie Review) – The Collision
-
-U43648517271Shc-1440x752@IlSole24Ore-Web.jpg?r=1170x507&w=400&resize=400,240&ssl=1 "War breaking news. Trump postpones decision: nothing after two hours in Situation Room")
-U43648517271Shc-1440x752@IlSole24Ore-Web.jpg?r=1170x507&w=80&resize=80,80&ssl=1 "War breaking news. Trump postpones decision: nothing after two hours in Situation Room")
World16 minutes agoWar breaking news. Trump postpones decision: nothing after two hours in Situation Room
-
News22 minutes agoJudge Tosses Citizenship Law Aimed at New Voters in New Hampshire
-
Politics28 minutes agoVideo: Trump’s Counterterror Strategy Focuses on the Left
-
Science40 minutes agoVideo: Crowds Flood New York City Streets for First Day of Manhattanhenge
-
Lifestyle1 hour agoTrump’s name must come off of the Kennedy Center, judge rules
-
Technology1 hour agoAcer’s launching a Linux handheld for streaming your PC games
-
World1 hour agoPentagon hosts first-ever Israeli–Lebanese military talks aimed at curbing Hezbollah
