[music] >> The two candidates battling to fill Mitch McConnell's Senate seat face off in their only debate before the midterms.

We have the highlights.

[MUSIC] >> You do your job the way you normally do your jobs.

You're going to be fine.

>> With new election laws on the books ahead of Election Day.

State lawmakers discuss poll workers and more.

>> We like to think that we stole a little motto from Yellowstone.

When we say don't, don't pet the fluffy cows here in Kentucky.

>> It's the home where the bison roam.

We visit land between the lakes in western Kentucky.

[MUSIC] >> When it comes to flu, it tends to hit a little sudden, a little harder.

>> And flu season gets off to a fast start in Kentucky.

>> Production of Kentucky Edition is made possible in part by the KET Millennium Fund.

>> Good evening and welcome to Kentucky Edition for Tuesday, October 20th.

I'm Kelsey Starks.

Thanks for joining us.

The general election is just two weeks away now.

Last night, candidates hoping to succeed longtime U.S.

Senator Mitch McConnell squared off in what will be their only televised debate.

Republican Congressman Andy Barr and Democrat Charles Booker clashed over the economy.

The war in Iran and much more.

Our Mackenzie Spink explains, as we count down to election 2026.

[MUSIC] >> With two weeks remaining before voters head to the polls.

Andy Barr and Charles Booker offered Kentuckians two sharply different arguments about the direction of the country.

Monday night's debate, moderated by Bill Bryant and Lindsey Allen with Gray media, quickly turned to an issue hitting voters at home.

The cost of gas.

>> We do need to lower costs gasoline, groceries, housing, everything, and we're working on that and making a lot of progress.

Digging out of the disastrous policies of the Biden administration.

And that's why I supported the largest tax cut in American history, giving the average Kentucky taxpayer $2,800 in their pocket.

My opponent supports the radical Green New Deal, which would dismantle fossil energy and skyrocket prices.

>> The price of groceries is going up under Andy Barr's watch, the price of gas is going up under Andy Barr's watch.

So one of the most important things we need to do to bring down costs is get Andy Barr out of office.

>> The candidates were also asked to detail what measures they could support to address the rising costs of health care.

>> My opponent supports Medicare for all.

I support Medicare for seniors.

He wants not just Medicare for seniors.

He wants to put illegal immigrants and individuals who didn't pay into Medicare on Medicare to take resources away from seniors.

The answer is restoring the doctor patient relationship, competition, choice, and innovation in health care.

>> Everyone deserves the same high quality health care that Mitch McConnell and Andy Barr are getting.

If corrupt politicians can have high quality health care, Kentucky, so should you.

He's trying to distract from the fact that he is delivered.

Nothing in Congress his entire career, but what he has done is use his vote to cut Medicaid.

Nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid that could potentially close over 30 rural hospitals.

>> Artificial intelligence and data centers were also discussion points, Barr said.

Kentuckians shouldn't be forced to pay higher utility costs to prop up those facilities, and that he supports local communities making decisions about data center development.

Booker said he favors a moratorium on new data centers, and argued Congress needs stronger protections for workers and communities affected by data centers and AI.

When asked about the war in Iran, the candidates offered different assessments.

>> So we've largely achieved the objective.

We have more work to do in the Strait of Hormuz.

Restoring oil exports.

But at the end of the day, I appreciate the fact that this president has not started a war.

He is ending a 47 year war against the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism.

>> The only reason he thinks the Iran war is a success is because his billionaire friends are getting rich off of it.

I believe we need to end endless war.

I believe we need to bring our loved ones back home.

I believe we need to stand up for our seniors, for our veterans, for our service members, for those who have sacrificed for this country.

>> Turning to immigration, both said the country's borders should be secure, but they strongly disagreed over federal enforcement.

The candidates also agreed that protections are needed to shield children from potential harms associated with social media.

The winner in November will succeed Senator Mitch McConnell, bringing an end to his more than four decades representing Kentucky in the U.S.

Senate.

For Kentucky edition.

I'm McKenzie Spink.

>> Kentucky voters are also hearing from Republican Ed Gallrein the fourth Congressional District candidate was a guest on last night's episode of Kentucky Tonight.

Gallrein defeated incumbent Republican Congressman Thomas Massie in the May primary, which turned out to be the most expensive U.S.

House primary race in history.

Host Laura Rogers started off the program by asking Gallrein what he'd say to voters who think his seat was bought.

>> Conservatives from all over the United States donated to me in accordance with the process.

So there was an enormous amount of funds that spent by both sides in that race.

And ultimately, I prevailed.

So as a simple and straightforward as that.

So I was glad to have their support of fellow conservatives.

>> And you have a very decorated military career, numerous medals and badges and a very impressive military record.

We thank you for your service.

You are fairly new to politics, though.

You ran for the state Senate in 2024, very narrowly lost that race by just one percentage point.

At what point did you decide, hey, politics, I want to get into that.

What inspired this decision to run for office?

>> Well, if I if I could, could correct the predicate on that.

I'm not really interested in politics.

I am frankly interested in good governance.

And that's why I'm here before you.

And I'm putting myself in front of the voters.

And I'm serious about that.

So I'm going to serve them in that manner.

And I want to thank you for the comments about the military service, and I look forward to talking about that some more.

If there's time during this particular interview.

But all that to say, I signed up to do this for the same reasons I entered the service in the 1980s.

Inspired by then President Reagan and motivated by him to serve what was going on around the world.

And there was unrest about at home and abroad.

And I said, somebody's got to do something, and it just will be me.

And, Laura, I wasn't 18 out of high school.

I wasn't 21 out of college.

I was 26 years old when I sought out the Navy Seal officer program, because my calculation is one farm boy from Kentucky.

If he was going to go to the service and make a difference, that's the way he would go.

There were no books or movies.

There was not much heard about them, but I was going to go do that.

It was about commitment and teamwork and service above self for the same reason I've joined the service.

Then I joined for this.

This campaign.

Now to serve these folks.

When President Trump talked to me back on 17th October and 2025 and told me I needed to serve my district.

The party and my nation again, then I went home, thought about it, prayed on it.

He asked me to do that.

And then four days later, I declared on 21st October, to the end, the race for the same reason to serve these folks.

They deserve that.

>> And you have shared that story about meeting with President Trump in the Oval Office, having that conversation with him.

Some voters maybe have expressed to you on the campaign trail that they feared that you might side with the president no matter what.

You are his handpicked candidate for this office.

Do you pledge blind loyalty to the president if elected.

>> Would I pledge allegiance to.

Is the Constitution and the law?

And if you look at the the oath of the of a congressperson and then also the officer oath that I took when I joined the military, as I said, at 26 years old, there's two things that I swear to the Constitution and the Lord full stop.

That's where my loyalty is.

And then furthermore, to the people I serve, I answer to them.

It's as straightforward as that.

>> I am not a career politician.

I.

>> Gallrein Democratic challenger is Melissa Strange now.

She did not meet KET criteria to appear on last night's program.

Strange took to social media to answer many of the questions asked of her opponent, referring to the historic spending during the primary race.

Strange said this quote when corporations and billionaires can pour money into a district and manipulate our citizens, everyone, regardless of their political beliefs, suffers, end quote.

Earlier this year, the state legislature passed House Bill 139 over Democrat opposition and Governor Andy Beshear veto.

The bill made changes to Kentuckians election law, removing Social Security, EBT and Snap cards as forms of voter ID.

It also increased the amount of money people can donate to political candidates.

Well, today, lawmakers in Frankfort heard updates about the implementation of House Bill 139 ahead of Election Day.

Here's more on that from our Clayton Dalton.

>> In a Frankfort committee room, former Secretary of State Trey Grayson, now a lobbyist for the Kentucky County Clerks Association, updated lawmakers on a provision in House Bill 139 regarding misconduct by election officials.

>> And also the new.

The new provision that says, and I'm paraphrasing, but basically, if we have to do an election redo because a poll worker, an election administrator or clerk or somebody did something wrong and at a certain high enough threshold, they could have to help pay the costs of that election redo.

>> State representative TJ Roberts asked for clarification on this point and said he's heard concerns from poll workers in his district.

>> Because I'm looking at section 37 of House Bill 139, and specifically states that the cost associated with the litigation can be taxed against any person, any party adjudicate, who have engaged in fraud, intimidation, bribery or violence.

And there was a lot of concern from Boone County residents who are poll workers, where they were discussing that this could result in liability, whether their actions were intentional or unintentional.

So I just wanted to hear your take a little bit more in depth on that to ensure that just to give the assurance to poll workers that as long as you're engaged in honest work, like a simple mistake, a clerical error or something along those lines, that's not going to get to the point that you owe attorney fees in the event of election contest.

>> I agree with you on that interpretation.

And so, yeah, if you just inadvertently do something that's not what this is designed to cover, you do your job the way you normally do your jobs, you're going to be fine.

>> Under another provision of House Bill 139, the state court system must provide county clerks with the names of individuals who identified themselves as noncitizens to opt out of jury duty.

County clerks would then ensure those people are not on the voter rolls.

State Representative Anne Gay Donworth asked about some clerical errors with this process in Fayette County.

>> I wanted to follow up on.

You made a statement about Fayette County with the noncitizen voting.

Can you elaborate a little bit more on exactly what happened?

Because I live in Fayette County and didn't see a whole lot of information about that either.

>> It wasn't a. I remember Clark Lamb telling me that there were a handful, you know, a dozen ish, give or take, one way or another, of folks who were.

She was told that they were non-citizens by AOC because they had said they were non-citizens when they were trying to get out of jury duty.

And and there was a it was a mistake.

I don't recall it being anything more than an annoyance to the voter and to the administrators, and not a preventing anybody from actually voting.

It is one of the one of the reasons why we wanted to make sure that to put to put some checks in there to some double checks on the clerical process.

>> House Bill 139 also allows the state Board of Elections to share Kentucky's voter rolls with federal agencies.

So the U.S.

government can identify non-citizens, although that provision doesn't take effect until 2028.

For Kentucky Edition, I'm Clayton Dalton.

>> The FBI is examining a threatening letter sent to the Kentucky Board of Elections on Friday.

Louisville Public Media reports.

Kentucky is one of 33 states to receive a suspicious envelope with a powdery white substance in it.

Taylor Brown, the general counsel for the Kentucky Board of Elections, tells Louisville Public Media the envelope had the same characteristics as an envelope delivered last week to the Office of Louisiana's secretary of state.

In that case, an employee opened the letter in a white powder fell out, prompting an immediate evacuation of the office.

The employee was rushed to the hospital.

Tests showed the substance was not harmful, Brown says.

The envelope sent to the Kentucky Board of Elections was not opened.

Business leaders in Lexington heard from the Senate Republican behind the state's budget today as Mackenzie Spink reports, business owners had the opportunity to voice their concerns and to hear what Senator Chris McDaniel expects to tackle during next year's legislative session.

>> This year, the General Assembly failed to pass Senate Bill nine, a major piece of legislation that addressed housing affordability.

Senator McDaniel says he expects it will be picked up again in the 2027 session.

From his perspective as a concrete business owner well versed in the housing industry, he says more money isn't the answer to the state's housing deficit.

>> It's not like there's a ton of excess capacity, particularly in the labor force right now, to build additional things.

So throwing additional money at it will only make the problem worse.

We've got to deal with regulation.

We've got to deal with the taxes behind it.

And in we've got to deal with, you know, certain zoning things.

>> One of the audience questions for Senator McDaniel was about his thoughts on data centers.

He says data centers play a role in the race for democracy, and that the debate over data centers needs to keep this bigger picture in mind.

>> We as a nation cannot afford to lose in this race.

When you think about Iranian scientists, they're brilliant.

And Chinese scientists are brilliant.

They are some of the best in the world, as are our scientists.

But when we think about how we're going to enable and implement this technology, to me, this is a conversation about which ideology wins.

>> Flock cameras also came up during the Q&A event.

McDaniel says they're an important tool that should not be thrown out wholesale.

>> There have been problems with these things, and there have been abuses, and those ought to be addressed.

There ought to be strict policies in place, but at the end of the day, the number of criminals who've been caught to include the person who murdered that Kentucky state trooper the other day, the number of children who've been recovered, the number of crimes that have been solved is nearly indisputable.

>> The 2027 legislative session is a shorter 30 day long session, which typically does not address the state's biennial budget, which is passed during even numbered years.

Senator McDaniel says he hopes the General Assembly will not make changes to the budget in this upcoming session.

For Kentucky edition, I'm Mackenzie Spink.

>> Senator McDaniel also spoke about amendment one, which will be on the ballot in just a few weeks.

He sponsored the bill behind this potential change to the state constitution.

If approved by a majority of Kentucky voters, it would limit a governor's ability to pardon criminals.

Shortly before and after an election.

[MUSIC] Meta is making money moves in Mason County.

Ford is charging up and a long time choir is stepping down.

More in tonight's headlines around Kentucky.

>> An agreement between meta and Mason County could allow meta to avoid paying $50 million a year in local taxes, as it plans a new data center.

That's according to an analysis of the agreement by the progressive leaning Kentucky Center for Economic Policy.

The center told the Kentucky Lantern Meta's arrangement with Mason County could dramatically reduce Meta's tax bill to county government and local schools, even while taking into account its planned payment directly to the county.

The center's executive director, Jason Bailey, says this should not become a template for other data centers across the state.

[MUSIC] KU radio says the Ford Motor Company is shifting from electric vehicle batteries to battery energy storage systems as it repurposes its plants in Hardin County.

The site was going to be the home to Blue, a venture between Ford and a South Korean partner.

Until that shut down six months into production, Ford energy plans to hire 2100 workers at its campus in Glendale.

[MUSIC] Two Kentucky men are accused of damaging an archeological site in the Daniel Boone National Forest.

[MUSIC] The Lexington Herald-Leader says Steven Sparks and Thomas Gray face federal indictments for knowingly damaging, excavating or removing archeological resources.

More than 100 years old at the Fishtrap archeological site in Powell County in 2023 and 2024.

The indictment does not say what was damaged.

[MUSIC] Louisville Public Media reports Terri Irwin Foster will retire as the head of the Louisville Youth Choir.

Foster will leave at the end of the upcoming season.

She's been a conductor since 1993 and has been with the Louisville Youth Choir since 1999.

The choir offers singing opportunities for children kindergarten through 12th grade.

[MUSIC] With headlines around Kentucky, I'm McKenzie Spink.

[MUSIC] >> Flu cases in Kentucky are on the rise, with numbers higher than they were at this time last year.

The cabinet for Health and Family Services reports widespread flu activity, with almost 30,000 confirmed cases in the state.

In today's medical news, an expert with UofL Health gives insight on trends, prevention and what to do when you're experiencing symptoms.

[MUSIC] >> I've had several people within the last week and the week before with flu and Covid.

Some people are coming in a little severe, but nobody has been vaccinated quite yet.

You know, it's not many people have been vaccinated quite yet.

So these individuals are likely somebody who hasn't been vaccinated.

And so they're experiencing the severe symptoms.

Unfortunately, it's hard to tell the difference and distinguish distinguish between of course, the illnesses, they all look so alike.

They overlap.

But usually with like the common cold, you're going to have a gradual of like runny nose, sneezing, things over the next few days, progress a little bit.

When it comes to flu, it tends to hit a little sudden, a little harder.

Fever, body aches, severe fatigue, Covid can look similar to both cold and flu.

It's hard to just really distinguish.

RSV usually starts out like a common cold, but causes more respiratory problems like shortness of breath and wheezing.

So really, when it comes time to like testing, it's like if your significant or if you're higher risk of complications for flu and Covid, that's when you should probably go and get tested because with flu and Covid, at least there are some treatments out there that work best when started early.

If you have trouble breathing, chest pain, confusion, the severe dehydration, those are some reasons to go to the ER for the babies.

If you notice poor feeding, wet, fewer wet diapers, those things need to be checked pretty promptly.

And then of course, any fever in a baby that is less than three months needs a medical attention.

Most important thing to do, of course, is get your flu vaccine.

The earlier the better.

Talk with your provider about Covid vaccination or RSV protection as well for you and your kids.

And then the simple things like washing your hands, staying home when you're sick, being extra careful around babies and the higher risk individuals as well.

>> Time magazine is out with its 2026 inventions of the year and one invention on the list has a Kentucky connection, making the cut a new robotic surgical system called the Medtronic Stealth Access Surgical System.

It's a robot that helps surgeons better plan and perform surgery based on a patient's specific needs.

Louisville based spine surgeon doctor Jeffrey Gum with Norton Leatherman Spine Center was the first surgeon in the world to use the robot in surgery.

Norton Health Care says gum was also instrumental in designing the robot and preparing it for clinical use.

The U.S.

Food and Drug Administration approved the robot in February of this year.

[MUSIC] Land between the lakes in western Kentucky is known as one of the most biodiverse areas in the state and also in the country, with 300 miles of undeveloped shoreline, the National Recreation Area attracts visitors seeking rest and relaxation, and those looking to spot wildlife.

To our.

Emily Prince visited El Bell to learn more about how it's attracting visitors from Kentucky and beyond.

>> Land between the Lakes National Recreation Area occupies around 170,000 acres of land in West Kentucky and on down in Tennessee.

They welcome nearly 2 million visitors annually, and a representative from the U.S.

Forest Service says they're ready to welcome more.

So how do they keep that tourism going strong, especially as we enter the fall and winter months?

That's the question I sought out to answer during a visit to Trigg and Lyon County's.

>> 170,000 acres of what some people call, or just some of the most beautiful area in in Western Kentucky.

We are recreation destination for the region.

We get visitors from all over the entire country, and they do not just come here.

March, April, May, June.

They are coming here throughout the entire season.

>> Scott Raymond works as the public affairs officer for Land Between the Lakes.

He says there's more to do and see in the 170,000 acre space than meets the eye.

And one of those things includes wildlife viewing.

>> And to the fall into the winter, the wildlife is more active.

There's so much going on.

>> Raymond says a must see at land between the lakes is the elk and bison, Prairie visitors travel in their car along a three and a half mile loop, searching for a glimpse of an elk, bison or maybe another animal as well.

We laid eyes on wild turkey and a bald eagle during our trek.

>> We like to think that we stole a little motto from Yellowstone when we said, don't pet the fluffy cows here in Kentucky.

Yes, and that is because we have around 50 bison at our bison Prairie in Trigg County, just south of us here.

>> And the elk and bison are a lot more active during the winter months.

In fact, bison, they don't.

The cold weather does not bother them all.

They're.

They're so well adapted that snow will not even melt on their hide.

>> So how did the elk and bison end up in this corner of West Kentucky?

Well, for the bison, it's their natural habitat.

>> They used to be.

Here.

They are a native species.

They obviously hunted to extinction.

Decades or centuries ago.

But we're able to show what Kentucky looked like several hundred years ago.

>> The history of land between the lakes runs deep.

The landscape didn't exist before the mid 1900s.

>> There were 2500 so many families that used to live on this, on, on this land that we're standing on used to be somebody's home here.

>> After catastrophic flooding in the 1930s, federal authorities stepped in and built Kentucky Dam.

The Tennessee Valley Authority took the land by eminent domain.

Two man made reservoirs were formed.

Kentucky Lake on the west Side and Lake Barkley on the east side.

The space in between became land between the lakes.

>> They ran it as a national recreation area.

Up until 1999, when the Forest Service took over, and the Forest Service has spent 25 years, 26 years now building the relationships that we need with our former residents, with our gateway community.

We want to be as honest with them and honest with the history that's here.

>> Raymond says.

LBL was designed as an environmental educational hub, and they take that mission seriously, he says.

They also support the local economies.

When visitors come to the area.

Raymond highlighted fishing, hiking, biking and off road trails, horseback riding and the Woodlands Nature Station.

Among the highlights at LBL.

He also said three of the largest campgrounds in the U.S.

Forest Service are right in the area.

>> The diversity of the landscape, I think, pretty much mirrors the diversity of what you can do here.

That means getting out and being quiet in nature, or being quiet on the on the water here next to us.

That's what it's going to be.

And that's what people.

>> Want for Kentucky Edition.

I'm Emily Prince.

>> More on that when we see you back here tomorrow.

Have a great night.