Eastern Standard : June 4th, 2026

Eastern Standard : June 4th, 2026

Sweet Evening Breeze [https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/16c1a0a/2147483647/strip/false/crop/960x503+0+0/resize/792x415!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fef%2F1f%2F6300af344d44a1d93240ca728506%2Fsweet-evening-breeze.jpg] Sweet Evening Breeze(John Denny Ashley. 1972. Collection of the Faulkner Morgan Archive. / John Denny Ashley. 1972. Collection of the Faulkner Morgan Archive.) This week on Eastern Standard: Many Lexington streets have been bumpy for months while Kentucky American Water Co. has worked to replace antiquated cast-iron pipes. Why has this work taken so long, and when can residents expect these streets to be restored and repaved? Our questions for Rob Burton, President, Kentucky American Water Co. Davis Wertheimer researches Large Language Models (LLMs) at IBM. How does this AI technology work, and what do we need to understand about its limitations? Wertheimer is Arthur Shechet’s latest guest in his series “The AI Revolution: Promises and Peril.” Sweet Evening Breeze (1895–1983), born James Herndon, was a well-known LGBTQ figure in Lexington, Kentucky, whose gender identity defied categorization at the time — and who wielded extraordinary social and political clout. Literary contributor Tom Eblen learns more in a conversation with Maryjean Wall, author of “She’s the Mother of us All: Sweet Evening Breeze and the Queer Community of Lexington, Kentucky.”

Eastern Standard : May 28th, 2026

What are the implications as AI arrives in the workplace? [https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4bc30bb/2147483647/strip/false/crop/1528x2048+0+0/resize/394x528!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F93%2F15%2F4ed52436445482d889d474376b36%2Fai-revolution-logo-deep-purple.png] What are the implications as AI arrives in the workplace? What are the practical considerations to take into account as Artificial Intelligence arrives in the workplace, displacing human employees? It’s a sobering question. In the latest in our series: “The AI Revolution: Promise and Peril,” host Art Shechet brings us a conversation on the topic between Steven Barlett, host of one of the most-listened-to podcasts globally, “Diary of a CEO,” and Tristan Harris, co-founder of the Center for Humane Technology. In her series on Civics and Civility, contributor Carolyn Dupont wonders how society moves on and away from the profound divisions of the times, and whether our constitution is in need of a 21st-century update. Her guest: Asbury University Political Science Professor, Steve Clements. When you’ve lived in a place for a time — long enough that you can no longer see the forest for all those trees — it can pay to listen to the fresh observations and perspectives of newcomers to the area. In this case, the question is: does Kentucky have what it takes to develop a lively filmmaking scene? Our guests are Lindsey Williamson and Matt Noble, co-founders of Bluegrass Friends of Film.

Eastern Standard: May 21st, 2026

Can required civic education help heal a divided nation? [https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/81f5f61/2147483647/strip/false/crop/1000x465+0+0/resize/792x368!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F63%2F56%2Fd7429622466a825505358f5d48e5%2Fshutterstock-2175168323.jpg] Can required civic education help heal a divided nation?(shutterstock) Our first guest in Episode 29 of the Eastern Standard series “Democracy Optimist” is Joyce Vance, the author of Giving Up is Unforgivable: A Manual for Keeping Our Democracy. The title says it all. The book explains that democracy is the collective responsibility of all concerned Americans, and that there is a role in the preservation of our democracy for each and every one of us. Joyce Vance is a New York Times bestselling author, former United States Attorney, and current professor at the University of Alabama School of Law. She’s also a legal analyst for MS Now—formerly known as MSNBC—writes the Civil Discourse newsletter on Substack, and co-hosts two podcasts, SistersInLaw and The Insider. The 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1971, effectively lowered the voting age from 21 to 18. Young people were asked to fight in the Vietnam War, which many of them opposed. They organized anti-war protests on school campuses all across the country. “Old enough to fight, old enough to vote” became a common rallying cry. But, these days, young people have not embraced their voting power in significant numbers. The youngest age group turns out to vote at the lowest rate compared to all other age groups, often by a significant amount. Our guest wants to help, and she’s built an organization to do just that. Laura Brill is the CEO & Founder of The Civics Center, an organization focused on promoting voter registration for young people. Democracy Optimist is hosted by Joshua Douglas, an election law and voting rights and research professor at the University of Kentucky Rosenberg College of Law.

Eastern Standard: May 14th, 2026

Free-roaming horses in Breathitt County, Kentucky [https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/bcf2905/2147483647/strip/false/crop/1000x667+0+0/resize/792x528!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F5f%2Fec%2F3db9ba584460b43e276ff847f7c0%2Ffree-roaming-horses-in-breathitt-county-ky.jpg] Free-roaming horses in Breathitt County, Kentucky(David Leach Photography/Shutterstock / Shutterstock) This week on Eastern Standard: ICE detainments and deportations may seem to have faded, but the actions against immigrants, illegal and legal, continue in Kentucky. Nima Kulkarni, a state representative, immigration employment attorney and founder of the New Americans Initiative, brings us up to date. Listening can foster understanding. Understanding can dispel cultural tensions. And that is a goal of “South of the Border: Analyzing the socioeconomic and political drivers of Latin American Migration.” It’s a panel discussion set for 7 PM on May 28 at the Kentucky Theater in downtown Lexington, billed as “an important opportunity for community members, students, and policymakers to engage in thoughtful conversation on one of the most pressing issues of our time.” Panelist Fatima Espinoza Vasquez joins us with background and details. Over the past two decades, domestic horses have been abandoned on abandoned mine sites in eastern Kentucky, forming unmanaged herds. Unchecked breeding has resulted in overpopulation, and according to the Kentucky Humane Society, this is putting horses at risk of starvation, increasing roadway hazards, and causing environmental damage through overgrazing and erosion. Most of these horses were born in the mountains and have never been handled, making traditional management strategies more difficult. KHS Equine Director Lori Redmon tells us about a fertility control program now getting underway. Kentucky artists Lynn Sweet and Rodney Hatfield are old friends. So it’s fitting that their considerable bodies of work are paired in the latest exhibition at Lexington’s Headley Whitney Museum of Art. We learn more from museum Director, Christina Bell.

Eastern Standard: May 7th, 2026

Household budgets are straining under inflationary pressures. [https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/e59b4f5/2147483647/strip/false/crop/1000x667+0+0/resize/792x528!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fde%2Fa1%2F626d1dba43ca98e616a7acd6119f%2Fshutterstock-2390241685.jpg] Household budgets are straining under inflationary pressures.(Windcolors / Shutterstock) This week on Eastern Standard: The term “affordability” is tossed around a lot these days. What does it look like for Kentuckians? We discuss it with a pair of Kentucky economists who are keeping watch on the basket of unskippable stuff we pay for from every paycheck: things such as housing, utilities, groceries, transportation, and health care. Our guests are Michael Clark, Director of the Center for Business and Economic Research, and an associate professor of economics at the University of Kentucky, and Jose Fernandez, professor and chair of economics at the University of Louisville. What does it take to get local government officials and economic development professionals to collaborate across county lines to make their region more competitive in attracting new business and employees? It’s the focus of a five-year, nine-county plan now under development in central Kentucky. Our guests are Commerce Lexington President and CEO, Bob Quick, and the chamber’s Chief Policy Officer and Director of Regional Engagement, Andi Johnson.