Kentucky
Kentucky Senate panel advances bill to encourage cutting-edge research
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Kentucky lawmakers on Thursday started advancing an ambitious measure aimed at stimulating cutting-edge research while promoting teamwork among the state’s public universities.
The Senate Education Committee quickly advanced the bill that would create a framework for cross-campus projects pairing up researchers at various schools. The measure is sponsored by Republican Senate President Robert Stivers and is designated as Senate Bill 1, signifying its top-priority status. The proposal goes to the full Senate next and would still need House approval.
The legislation is meant to be a catalyst to stimulate far-reaching research capable of attracting lucrative federal grants and other support while raising Kentucky’s research profile. Projects could focus on medical breakthroughs but could build on schools’ existing strengths in other types of research as well.
“You can’t catch a fish until you cast something into the water,” Stivers told the committee. “I’ve never seen them jump in my boat. So this is an attempt to go fishing.”
The goal is to reel in research projects capable of improving lives across the Bluegrass State.
By providing state-backed seed funding, the goal is to help nurture the research projects, with the expectation that the work would prove successful enough to attract outside funding.
The bill would establish an endowed research fund administered by the state Council on Postsecondary Education. The council would solicit and review joint funding applications submitted by two or more public universities. It’s meant to enhance collaboration among Kentucky schools often seen as competitors.
The council would select five research consortiums to receive funding for an initial five years. Interest earnings from the research fund would be transferred into accounts supporting each project.
“This is precisely what Kentucky needs now to catapult us forward in developing premier research consortiums by banding together, pooling our resources to chart a path to success in Kentucky’s future,” Stivers said in a news release after the committee hearing.
The council would review the performance of each research team to determine whether its funding support should be renewed for up to five more years. If a research team’s funding is discontinued, the council would review other applications to fill the vacancy.
Details about state funding for the initiative would be decided in coming weeks. The Senate is currently working on its version of the next two-year state budget. The final version will ultimately be hashed out by Senate and House negotiators next month. Stivers will be a key participant in those negotiations.
The state’s research reputation got a boost last year when the University of Kentucky’s Markey Cancer Center achieved the highest level of recognition from the National Cancer Institute. Its elevated status — putting it among several dozen cancer centers nationally to attain the designation — will bolster research and patient care in a state plagued by some of the nation’s highest cancer rates.
Kentucky
Kentucky State Police
Bear Branch, KY (January 24, 2026) – On Friday, January 23, 2026, at approximately 6:58 p.m., Kentucky State Police Post 13, Hazard, was notified of a structure fire on Turkey Foot Road in the Bear Branch community of Leslie County.
Kentucky State Police, along with Leslie County Fire Services and the Leslie County Sheriff’s Office, responded to the scene. After the fire was extinguished, the body of a deceased individual was discovered inside the residence. Detectives were notified and initiated an investigation. Preliminary findings indicate the deceased is believed to be the resident, Rex Smallwood, 68, of Bear Branch. Mr. Smallwood was pronounced deceased at the scene by the Leslie County Coroner’s Office.
At this time, no foul play is suspected. The remains have been transported to the Medical Examiner’s Office for an autopsy. This incident remains under investigation by Detective Darrell Hicks.
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Kentucky
Kentucky Gov Clowns Ted Cruz for Getting Duped By European Pic: ‘Sorry For Missing This… Been Busy Leading My State’
(Francis Chung/POLITICO via AP Images)
Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY) had a laugh at Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) expense over a fake X post accusing the governor of being out of town during the massive winter storm that brought dangerous amounts of snow and ice to many parts of the U.S.
Cruz posted a “thinking” emoji along with a retweet of a post by the Kentucky Freedom Coalition showing Beshear and his wife posing in front of a church in Europe.
The account, that’s also followed by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) posted, “The liberal media went wild when Ted Cruz wasn’t in Texas for the major freeze a few years back. Well, Kentucky is in a declared emergency and @AndyBeshearKYis touring Europe. The media won’t say a word though.”
Beshear responded, “Sorry for missing this earlier, @tedcruz. Been busy leading my state’s emergency response all day. From Kentucky.”
Washington Post reporter Aaron Blake added some additional context, writing, “This photo of Beshear in Europe is a full week old. He gave a briefing in Kentucky today.”
According to WKYT, Beshear spent last week in Europe “with a delegation from Team Kentucky, attending the World Economic Forum and meeting with company leaders in Finland, Sweden, and Switzerland.”
Cruz famously received massive backlash in 2021 after escaping to sunny Cancun as a brutal winter storm left millions of his constituents “stranded in sub-freezing temperatures without electricity and water,” according to The Hill.
The contrite senator returned to Texas within 24-hours of being spotted on his travels. Cruz eventually apologized, saying, “It was obviously a mistake, and in hindsight, I wouldn’t have done it.”
This week, as Texas braced once again for an onslaught of weather, a Texas political strategist posted, “Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) was spotted earlier today, January 20, 2026, on a plane heading to Laguna Beach as the state of Texas braces for a rare ice threat and arctic cold front.”
Of the California trip, a Cruz spokesperson told KXAN that the work trip “was scheduled weeks in advance.”
The spokesperson continued, “He will be back in Texas before the storm is projected to hit.”
Cruz posted that he did, in fact, return to Texas the day before the storm hit.
This isn’t the first time Cruz has been called out for retweeting a fake post. In 2023, Cruz shared an image of what looked like a shark swimming on a flooded highway in Los Angeles.
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Kentucky
Sunday Headlines: Big week ahead for Kentucky Basketball
The Kentucky Wildcats have some momentum, which seems like a crazy thing to say after where this team was to begin conference play.
The Cats have been playing well, and actually are tied for second in the league following a wild day of SEC basketball yesterday.
However, the Cats will face a pair of big tests this week. The Cats go on the road Tuesday to take on Vanderbilt, who ended their three-game losing skid yesterday by demolishing Mississippi State in Starkville by a score of 88-56. The Commodores were once 16-0 and ranked in the top 10 nationally. They average 90 points per game, so Tuesday night’s showdown in Nashville will be a tall task for the Cats.
Then Kentucky travels to Fayetteville for a matchup with John Calipari’s Arkansas Razorbacks next Saturday. The game won’t have quite the same emotion as Calipari’s return to Rupp Arena last year, but it still holds some extra meaning, at least to the fanbase.
The Hogs have one of the best freshmen in the country in Darius Acuff, who averages nearly 20 points and 6 assists per game. Acuff scored 31 in yesterday’s win at LSU.
In a perfect world, Kentucky wins both of these matchups, but they’ll most likely enter as underdogs in both. If they somehow manage to win both, it would be a major boost for this team and open up conversations about what this team’s ceiling actually is.
If Kentucky could manage to split these two games, I think it would be considered a success considering the level these teams have played at and both being on the road.
How are you feeling heading into this week?
All of us jumped out of our seats when he made that shot!
Still a really good crowd at Rupp despite the incoming weather.
Maybe we’ll see them back on the bench soon.
That stretch when he came in was a difference-maker.
There was the airball, and he never really got going.
A big milestone for Rick.
The AFC North will have 3 new coaches next season.
It seems like KAT and the Knicks are heading toward a split.
He’s about to earn a big payday.
One of the wildest things I’ve seen.
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