LOUISVILLE — Between 2014 and 2021, 6,162 people called the Kentucky Health Justice Network Abortion Support Fund to seek financial help to get an abortion. 

In a new study published last week, researchers analyzed calls made to the abortion support fund and compared them with the Kentucky Department for Public Health’s records of abortions. 

And while the available data paints a picture of life in the years before the United States Supreme Court overturned the constitutional right to abortion, researchers said they think the data is relevant in a post-Dobbs world. 

“We talk a lot about reproductive autonomy and having the ability to make choices that are best for us and the reproductive context,” said Melissa Eggen, one of the researchers and a faculty member at the University of Louisville School of Public Health and Information Sciences. “And we know that in a post Dobbs world, that restrictive policies don’t allow for that agency or autonomy.”  

Eggen and her co-researchers found a higher percentage of people who called the abortion fund for help were Black, younger than 30 and further along in their pregnancies than the population in the KDPH’s abortion records. 

They concluded young, Black Kentuckians were more likely to need financial assistance or emotional support to get an abortion. Medicaid, the federal-state program that pays for health care for lower-income people and those with disabilities, did not cover Kentucky abortions before the procedure was outlawed in most cases. 

“We also know that those are people who are impacted most negatively by poor outcomes” during and after pregnancy, Eggen said. 

In 2023, the KDPH found Black women were twice as likely to die around childbirth than their white counterparts. Kentucky is about 87% white, according to the United States Census Bureau. Meanwhile, about 9% of the population is Black and 4% is Hispanic.  

For the June 21 study, “we’re looking at a period of time in Kentucky when abortion was getting more restricted, but we didn’t have a total ban,” said Mikaela Smith, a research scientist with Ohio Policy Evaluation Network at The Ohio State University. 

“This can serve a little bit as a case study for states that still have abortion available, but are trying to further restrict it. So in that way, we can say…‘Hey, here’s what happened with Kentucky.’” 

The study 

Researchers sought to “assess characteristics of abortion fund callers” with their research. 

To do so, they analyzed KHJN’s administration records showing the age, race and pregnancy gestation of people who called the abortion fund. They then compared those data points with abortion data from the public health department. 

They found the fund “supported” — financially and otherwise — 6,162 people during the seven years before Roe V. Wade was overturned. During that time, 28,741 people had abortions in Kentucky. 

The people who called for help in getting their abortions were more likely to be at least 14 weeks gestation. 

“Compared with state data, KHJN supported a higher percentage of young people, people of color, and people at later gestations,” the report concluded. “These findings support evidence that structurally vulnerable groups are more likely to face barriers to care and that abortion funds provide essential support necessary for reproductive equity.” 

These findings are “not too surprising,” Smith said. However, “being able to apply it in this specific political context felt really important.” 

After weeks of rumor-fueled speculation, the Houston Rockets landed their man with the third overall pick: Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard. It was believed that Houston could take Connecticut big man Donovan Clingan or trade down in an asset grab out of the third slot altogether, but once they were on the clock, it was ultimately Sheppard’s name that was called to the podium.

Sheppard, the most recent addition to Houston’s impressive core of first round lottery talent, is a 6’3 sharpshooter who shot a blistering 52% from long distance during his freshman season at Kentucky. He’ll eventually spread the floor for a Rockets team which was one of the worst shooting units in the entire league last season and had an overall anemic offense. The Rockets boasted a top ten defense for the entirety of the year.

Of course, Houston only had the pick as a result of the 2021 blockbuster trade which sent James Harden to Brooklyn. The pick was originally projected to be ninth but leapfrogged others at the lottery drawing. The Rockets swapped future obligations owed by Brooklyn in 2026 and 2027 on Tuesday night as part of a larger trade which brought back swaps and picks into the future from the Phoenix Suns. Houston is betting big on a Suns implosion.

Sheppard joins a crowded Rockets backcourt which features veteran guard Fred VanVleet and fourth year shooting guard Jalen Green, now eligible for a contract extension. Sophomore guards Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore will see extended minutes off the bench. It’s unlikely at the moment that Sheppard will initially play a major role in the Rockets’ rotation though he could serve as a replacement for journeyman guard Aaron Holiday.

VanVleet, signed to a three year, $128.54 million last offseason has a club option on his contract in 2025-2026 when he will be owed $44.89 million. If Sheppard develops as hoped, the Rockets could decline the option and part ways with VanVleet, opening up extensive room under the salary cap. Sheppard, like VanVleet, brings a change of pace to Houston’s backcourt, with his shooting and playmaking prowess. He will also be under contract for four full seasons upon signing his rookie scale contract.

Krishna Malhotra was among the top 50 students selected to participate in the 2024 Braille Challenge Finals. The event hosted by the Braille Institute in Los Angeles on June 21-23, included competitors from across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom.

“It was really cool to me to meet kids from other states like Missouri and stuff like that,” said Krishna. “It was a cool experience because I’ll have these friends forever and it was really fun.”

Krishna, a 13-year-old going into 7th grade at the Kentucky School for the Blind (KSB), participated in the sophomore division. The competition was conducted in a way similar to the Regional Braille Challenge hosted by KSB in February that Krishna won: students were graded on charts and graphs, proofreading, reading comprehension, speed and accuracy, and spelling.

“Saturday (the day of the contest) was a little scary because you were competing against some really experienced kids,” he said.

Krishna said the time each student had to complete the challenges was longer than the regional, so it was a little bit less stressful. He also said it felt good to be among the best at the Braille Challenge.

“Every kid in that group was nice,” he said. “I didn’t really get to talk to them as much because we were testing, but it felt good to be with other people in a group with them.”

Krishna previously qualified for the Braille Challenge Final in 2020, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, everything was virtual and he competed from home.

“It wasn’t as fun (in 2020),” he said. “It was still fun, but everything was on Zoom and there were different sessions that we did, but this was more fun.”

Virren Malhotra, Krishna’s father and a member of the KSB Advisory Council, said there were plenty of events for the parents to connect and learn more about emerging technology to help the blind and visually impaired.

“It’s a great way to network with parents that are probably in a similar position as we are – where we are wanting to encourage Krishna to explore his possibilities after high school, to challenge himself to not set these societal boundaries as to what he is or is not capable of,” he said.

The 2024 Braille Challenge, presented by the Braille Institute, was hosted by the University of Southern California. Krishna Malhotra, a student at the Kentucky School for the Blind, got the chance to interact with the university’s marching band while he wasn’t competing. Photo courtesy Virren Malhotra

Virren Malhotra said it was a unique opportunity to watch his child perform in a competition that was specifically designed for blind and visually impaired children, as opposed to events that are adapted for them, like sports.

“To see Krishna put on his game face for something that was not adapted, that was purely for blind people, was something I don’t think I’ve seen before,” he said.

And he said he’s proud his son got the chance to compete.

“We’ve been following the arc of Krishna’s life since he was born, and these kids that make the national competition, they’re the best of the best,” he said. “Some of the older kids had already written down that they were on their way to Stanford University or Caltech (California Institute of Technology). … It’s inspiring when you sit across from a blind person that you know is studying biochemistry at the high school already and on their way to college.”

Despite not placing among the winners of the competition, Krishna said he’s happy with his performance.

“I’m just happy I got to this level, especially since I got to go to Los Angeles,” he said. “I understand that there are other kids that did a little better than I did, but I’m proud that I made it to the national stage.”