A high school athlete mysteriously fell ill and died last week while aiding in relief efforts after catastrophic flooding in Eastern <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kentucky">Kentucky</a> ravaged several communities, swept away homes, and killed nearly 40 residents.
Aaron &#8220;Mick&#8221; Crawford, 18, became the 38th person to die last month due to flash flooding in the state&#8217;s Appalachian region.
Crawford&#8217;s family told media outlets that after Mick helped flood victims clean up debris and mud, he came home exhausted and complained that his arms felt heavy.
Ronda Crawford, his mother, told <a href="https://www.kentucky.com/news/state/kentucky/article264284031.html">Kentucky.com</a> earlier this week that her son went into cardiac arrest after feeling sick for about three days.
Mick was rushed to Albert B. Chandler Hospital in Lexington, where staff admitted him into intensive care before pumping air in and out of his lungs on a ventilator for about four days until he later died on August 5.
&#8220;We do not know the reason and have no explanation for what happened,” Crawford said.
Crawford described her son to the Herald-Leader as the &#8220;kindest sweetest kid.”
&#8220;I know everyone thinks their kid is the best, but he was special,” she said. &#8220;He wanted to help people even before the rain had stopped.&#8221;
Mick&#8217;s desire to serve stemmed from his deep-rooted faith in Jesus Christ.
His mother said he would pray for anyone he met and would not hesitate to ask if they knew about Jesus.
&#8220;If Mick could give us his final wish, it would be that everyone come to know Jesus because that&#8217;s the most important thing in this world to him,&#8221; she said.
Pastor and friend Perry County Sherrif Joe Engle echoed Crawford&#8217;s sentiments, and said that the teen&#8217;s death was a crushing loss for the community.
&#8220;He was just a joy to be around,&#8221; Engle told <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/aaron-mick-crawford-teen-mysteriously-death-kentucky-flooding/">CBS News</a>.
Engle last heard from Mick when the teen asked the sheriff where he could assist victims while torrential rains flooded and swallowed up multiple counties across the region, causing residents to search for high ground until rescue teams could arrive.
&#8220;As soon as we understood we had a major disaster going on here, he messaged me,&#8221; the sheriff said. &#8220;I&#8217;m not sure it had even quit raining yet by the time he sent me a message on Facebook.&#8221;
&#8220;Wanting to know where to go. Wanting to know where to help,&#8221; Mick&#8217;s message reportedly said.
Engle said he believes Mick&#8217;s entire life was about making those around him better.
&#8220;That&#8217;s how he lived, and when he died, he made others — even strangers — lives better,&#8221; said Engle.
&#8220;I love him and will miss my friend,&#8221; Engle said.
Mick had also involved himself in high school sports, where he led the football and wrestling teams, showing up to practice every day ready to work, while displaying maturity beyond his years.
&#8220;He was just the type of kid, you know, he never came to practice in a bad mood,&#8221; Knott County Central athletic director Justin Amburgey told <a href="https://www.wymt.com/2022/08/08/knott-county-central-athletics-remember-aaron-mick-crawford/">WYMT</a>. &#8220;He was always very positive.&#8221;
Knott County Central wrestling coach Jonathan Aldana said, &#8220;Everything that he did, and everything that he was, he always wanted to make sure he was doing everything the right way.”
&#8220;When I heard the news about Mick, my heart just sank because you know that&#8217;s a person you want in your community,&#8221; Aldana said.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear called Mick a &#8220;heroic&#8221; student on <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://twitter.com/GovAndyBeshear/status/1556692416320651265" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a> early this week.
“Britainy and I are praying for the family of Aaron Crawford, a heroic high school student in Knott County who was bravely helping in the recovery efforts following the flooding,&#8221; Beshear said. “This is another tragic loss for Eastern Kentucky.&#8221; 
&#8220;Let us mourn together and honor Aaron, his compassion and kindness for his neighbors,&#8221; Beshear added.
Beshear established a relief fund for flood victims that will also help pay for the funeral expense for Crawford&#8217;s family.
Mick Crawford was the youngest of eight, with five brothers and two sisters. <a href="https://www.englebowlingfuneralhome.com/obituary/aaron-crawford">Funeral services</a> for Mick were held on Thursday.
State officials announced the death toll increased to 39 victims on Thursday.

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Kentucky High School Student Dies Unexpectedly After Helping Victims In Historic Flash Floods

Andy Beshear

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U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland on Thursday announced that a total of four officers, current and former, from the Louisville Metro Police Department have been federally charged for their involvement in the fatal raid on the apartment of Breonna Taylor.
In September 2020, Kentucky Republican Attorney General Daniel Cameron announced that no officers would be indicted for murder in Taylor&#8217;s case. The 26-year-old&#8217;s death sparked racially-charged protests and riots.
Garland announced Joshua Jaynes, Brett Hankison, Kelly Goodlett, and Kyle Meany had been slapped with charges for several alleged crimes, including lying to obtain a warrant that was used to search the home, the New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/04/us/breonna-taylor-officers-charged.html">reported</a>.
By allegedly lying, some of the officers “violated federal civil rights laws, and that those violations resulted in Ms. Taylor’s death,&#8221; Garland said.
After the feds began poking around the incident, Garland said at least three of the now-charged officers misled investigators, with two “[agreeing] to tell investigators a false story.”
Taylor was fatally shot by plainclothes officers who raided the woman&#8217;s Louisville, Kentucky, home back in March 2020.
Though the mainstream narrative surrounding Taylor’s death initially promoted the idea that she was killed when officers raided her home without knocking, media reports, testimony, and a statement from AG Cameron indicate that officers involved did knock before the raid.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-what-the-media-didnt-tell-you-about-breonna-taylors-shooting">Exclusive: What The Media Didn’t Tell You About Breonna Taylor’s Shooting</a>

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Feds Slap Four Officers With Federal Charges In Breonna Taylor Raid

Feds Slaps Four Officers With Federal Charges In Breonna Taylor Raid

Breonna Taylor

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Merrick Garland

Police

A Republican-elected <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kentucky">Kentucky</a> state’s attorney who admitted to impregnating a defendant and having an affair with a dismissed alternate juror now wants to become a judge.
Matthew Leveridge, the commonwealth’s attorney for Russell and Wayne counties in Kentucky, was prosecuting Latisha Sartain back in 2011 for trafficking in a controlled substance, The Daily Beast <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/matthew-leveridge-kentucky-prosecutor-who-got-defendant-pregnant-and-had-affair-with-juror-running-for-judge">reported</a>. Leveridge placed Sartain on pretrial diversion for five years, but began an affair with her in 2015, three years into her five-year diversion. Sartain became pregnant and told Leveridge’s wife about the affair, after which Leveridge moved to void Sartain’s pretrial diversion.
“If you’re a prosecutor, you’re not even supposed to talk to a defendant without her attorney being present, much less — well, this,” Sartain’s attorney Larry Rogers told the <a href="https://www.kentucky.com/news/local/crime/article44498325.html">Lexington Herald-Leader</a> at the time. “Universally, I think everyone would agree this is a big, big, big no-no.”
Sartain’s pretrial diversion was later reinstated by a special prosecutor. Leveridge was investigated for the affair with Sartain, but was never indicted, The Beast reported.
Leveridge also admitted to sleeping with a woman in 2013 who had been dismissed as an alternate juror for a murder trial. He said at the time that he thought she was done with jury duty, though, as The Beast reported, the juror said she had been called to serve on a different panel but was dismissed when that case settled. This woman also told investigators from the attorney general’s public corruption/special investigations unit that Leveridge “was just using her for sex” and she didn’t understand how “someone with a wife, a child and such an important job would take such risks.”
Leveridge’s actions did raise concerns that he may have breached the Rules of Professional Conduct for lawyers, but he was never charged with a crime and the Kentucky Supreme Court never sanctioned him, even though he admitted to the affairs.
“A few years ago I made a mistake in my life,” Leveridge <a href="https://courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/2022/08/02/southern-kentucky-prosecutor-impregnated-defendant-runs-for-judge/65382332007/">told</a> the Louisville Courier Journal. “I acknowledged the mistake, sought forgiveness, took responsibility and accepted the consequences. I learned from the mistake and have since moved on to a better life, both personally and professionally.”
Now Leveridge is running to be a circuit judge, The Beast reported.
Leveridge’s candidacy has definitely ruffled feathers, given his history. Fellow Republican Ken Upchurch, who represents Kentucky’s 52nd district in the state’s House of Representatives, told the Courier Journal he was shocked to learn of Leveridge’s candidacy.
“It’s like the church head deacon having an affair with the choir director, then wanting to be the preacher,” Upchurch told the outlet.

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Prosecutor Who Impregnated A Defendant And Slept With Juror Now Running For Judge

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Governor Andy Beshear (D-KY) said on Sunday that his state&#8217;s death toll from recent flooding has reached 26 and is expected to increase.
Beshear shared the update during an <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> with NBC&#8217;s Chuck Todd on &#8220;Meet the Press.&#8221;
“Our death toll right now is at 26, but I know of several additional bodies, and we know it’s going to grow. With the level of water, we’re going to be finding bodies for weeks, many of them swept hundreds of yards, maybe a quarter mile plus from where they were lost,” Beshear said.
Four of the reported deaths were of children, the governor added.
“It’s tough. This is one of the most devastating, deadly floods that we have seen in our history. It wiped out areas where people didn’t have that much to begin with,” he added.
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Yesterday our first travel trailers arrived and we are working fast to establish additional shelter options. 
Let us wrap our arms around Eastern Kentucky and pray for those impacted. 2/3
&mdash; Governor Andy Beshear (@GovAndyBeshear) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovAndyBeshear/status/1553728196440457218?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 31, 2022</a></blockquote>
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On Saturday, Beshear provided an update regarding rescue and recovery efforts in the areas devastated by historic flooding.
“We continue to pray for the families who have suffered unfathomable loss,” the governor <a href="https://kentucky.gov/Pages/Activity-stream.aspx?n=GovernorBeshear&amp;prId=1430" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “We also pray for the first responders. This mission has been especially challenging, and what they are experiencing firsthand is tremendously stressful and difficult. We thank all those involved for their tireless efforts.”
As of a Saturday, 1,432 people had been rescued. First responders included emergency workers from Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia.
The largest number of rescues have involved the Kentucky State Police. As of Saturday, law enforcement officers have assisted with at least 624 water rescues.
“We are so grateful to all those responders, and a special thank you to the Governors and the Guard of Tennessee and West Virginia,” Beshear said regarding first responders.
Saturday, President Joe Biden signed the Individual Assistance to the Major Disaster Declaration he approved for the people of Eastern Kentucky impacted by recent flooding.
The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/deadly-kentucky-floods-kill-8-dozens-of-homes-damaged-gov-requests-federal-aid" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that multiple counties in Kentucky across the Appalachia region had endured torrential rains since early Thursday morning. As a result, floodwaters completely swallowed up portions of the Kentucky River, sending residents searching for high ground until rescue teams could arrive.
National Weather Service reported that approximately six inches of rain had fallen in some areas, making it impossible to pass through many roads. 
More than 23,000 people lost power from the storms. The governor&#8217;s report stated that more than 18,000 people remained without power as of Saturday.
A total of 142 people are temporarily staying at state parks, with nearly all being housed at Jenny Wiley State Resort Park. Others are being sheltered at Paintsville State Park Campground.
A State of Emergency has been declared and many roads and bridges remain closed across the flooded parts of Kentucky.
According to the state&#8217;s report, donations are encouraged to <a href="https://secure.kentucky.gov/FormServices/Finance/EKYFloodRelief" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Team Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief Fund</a>, with the first funds going to pay for each victim’s funeral.

Kentucky flood

Kentucky Flood Death Count Up To 26 People, Governor Reports

Devastating flash floods throughout eastern <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kentucky">Kentucky</a> have left eight residents dead, dozens of homes submerged in water, and others completely swept away from their foundations as Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/andy-beshear">Andy Beshear</a> (D) declared Thursday a state of emergency while the death toll rises.
&#8220;It&#8217;s awful,&#8221; Beshear told<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.wkyt.com/2022/07/28/breathitt-county-courthouse-opens-flash-flood-shelter/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> WKYT-TV</a>. &#8220;We&#8217;ve been through two and a half years of a pandemic, multiple ice storms — the worst tornado event that we&#8217;ve ever seen — multiple rounds of flooding, and this one, which is going to be deadly and devastating.&#8221;
Beshear said authorities expect the death toll to reach double digits by the time the waters dry out, with &#8220;a lot&#8221; of families losing everything.
He called the natural disaster one of the &#8220;worst and most devastating events in Kentucky&#8217;s history.&#8221;
Multiple counties across Appalachia, Kentucky, have endured torrential rains since early Thursday morning as floodwaters began rushing down the hillsides and completely swallowing up portions of the Kentucky River, sending residents searching for high ground until rescue teams could save them.
National Weather Service reports that approximately six inches of rain had fallen in some areas, making it impossible to pass through some roads. Residents can expect another 1-3 inches more into Friday.
Beshear said air support has rescued between 20-30 people, with the U.S. National Guard using zodiac boats to save residents in some of the most challenging areas. At the same time, they watch as homes, trailers, and vehicles drift away.
<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.wkyt.com/2022/07/28/breathitt-county-courthouse-opens-flash-flood-shelter/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WKYT-TV</a> reports one such rescue involved a mother and her disabled son waiting on a porch until a team brought them to safety.
Some have braved the current to save their valuables.
Krystal Holbrook, of Breathitt County, told <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://apnews.com/article/floods-storms-kentucky-power-outages-west-virginia-b79c12731d16e31dd501523ba4fb6644" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Associated Press</a> her family raced against the flood by gathering possessions before it became too late.
&#8220;It looks like a huge lake back here,&#8221; Holbrook said.
Roughly 23,000 residents lost power resources statewide, shutting down phone and internet service and the water systems. Beshear said that the state ordered truckloads of water for the families impacted by the disaster, among many other resources, after requesting federal assistance directly from President Biden.
&#8220;The damage suffered is enormous, and recovery will be a long-term effort,&#8221; the governor said in a <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://twitter.com/GovAndyBeshear/status/1552810314185510915" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweet</a>. &#8220;This assistance is critical to our efforts and essential for our people.&#8221;
However, one resident told <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.wkyt.com/2022/07/28/breathitt-county-courthouse-opens-flash-flood-shelter/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WKYT</a> that he and other residents impacted by the disaster are still waiting on federal help from the last flood in March 2021.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve done all the paperwork, sent pictures in like they told me, and I ain&#8217;t get one cent yet,&#8221; Michael Hollan, a Jackson resident, said. &#8220;Not one penny.&#8221;
Beshear <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLZiraFR3IY" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the state launched the Team Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief Fund on Thursday, which would go 100% to the families devastated by the disaster.
&#8220;It&#8217;s a way that we can make sure that we&#8217;re not just there for them today, tomorrow, and next week, but it&#8217;s going to take a long time to rebuild,&#8221; he said.
&#8220;I wish I could tell you why we&#8217;ve been hit by so much between pandemic and ice storms, tornadoes, and now this, but what I can tell you is we see God in the response and the special people that are out there and the way people open their homes and their hearts to help each other,&#8221; the governor added.
&#8220;Stay strong, Kentucky.&#8221;

Deadly Kentucky Floods Kill 8, Dozens Of Homes Damaged; Gov. Requests Federal Aid

Deadly Kentucky Floods Kill 8, Dozens Of Homes Damaged; Gov. Beshear Requests Federal Aid

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Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) admitted this week that he killed the nomination of a pro-life conservative federal judge because Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) failed to consult him, even though he supported the judge.
Paul said in a statement that he &#8220;supported&#8221; Chad Meredith&#8217;s nomination to the U.S. District Court vacancy in Kentucky&#8217;s Eastern District. Meredith, whose nomination was part of a deal that Republicans made with President Joe Biden, is a member of the Federalist Society, a group that studies and advocates for an originalist interpretation of the Constitution.
&#8220;I think he would make a good judge,&#8221; Paul told USA Today. &#8220;Unfortunately, instead of communicating and lining up support for him, Senator McConnell chose to cut a secret deal with the White House that fell apart.&#8221;
Paul told Politico that McConnell was &#8220;to blame for tanking this because he tried to do [it] secretly.&#8221;
&#8220;We have no reason to be opposed to Chad Meredith, other than we want at least the courtesy of the &#8230; minority leader, thinking that he&#8217;s not so important that he doesn&#8217;t have to talk to his fellow state senator, that&#8217;s all we wanted,&#8221; Paul continued. &#8220;This was a secret deal by McConnell.&#8221;
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&quot;We have no reason to be opposed to Chad Meredith, other than we want at least the courtesy of the &#8230; minority leader, thinking that he&#39;s not so important that he doesn&#39;t have to talk to his fellow state senator, that&#39;s all we wanted.&quot;
&quot;This was a secret deal by McConnell&quot;
&mdash; Burgess Everett (@burgessev) <a href="https://twitter.com/burgessev/status/1549152321053007879?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 18, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Last week, McConnell <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/15/us/politics/biden-mcconnell-judge-abortion.html">told</a> the New York Times that Paul&#8217;s opposition to the nomination was &#8220;utterly pointless.&#8221;
&#8220;The net result of this is it has prevented me from getting my kind of judge out of a liberal Democratic president,&#8221; he said.
An adviser for the minority leader commented that Paul was doing Democrats and the White House &#8220;a huge favor&#8221; by tanking Meredith&#8217;s nomination. &#8220;I suspect the White House is relieved; I suspect Dick Durbin is relieved; and I suspect that the political people in the Biden team are relieved that Rand Paul blew this up,&#8221; the McConnell adviser said, <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/07/18/rand-paul-blames-mcconnell-tanking-biden-deal-judge/10086380002/">according</a> to USA Today. &#8220;He did them a huge favor.&#8221;
Between 2015 and 2019, Meredith was the chief deputy counsel for Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin. He has been described as strongly pro-life.

Secretary Of State Blinken Testifies Before Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Rand Paul Reveals Why He Killed Nomination Of Conservative Federal Judge

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New figures in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kentucky">Kentucky</a> show that for the first time in history, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/republican-party">Republicans</a> outnumber <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/democratic-party">Democrats</a> in registered voters.
Although the commonwealth has long largely voted for Republicans in national and local elections in recent years, Democrats still officially had an edge in registered voters going back over a hundred years. On Friday, new <a href="https://www.kentucky.com/news/state/kentucky/article263512398.html">data</a> shows that Republicans have 1,612,060 registered voters while Democrats have 1,609,569 registered voters.
“After a century and a half, the birthplace of Lincoln has finally aligned with the party of Lincoln. Today is a grand day for all of us in the Grand Old Party who have worked so hard for so long to advance our goals of limited government and personal responsibility,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/kysecstate?lang=en">said</a> Kentucky’s Republican Secretary of State Michael Adams. 
Senators Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Rand Paul (R-KY) both celebrated the development. 
“We are living a historic moment in the commonwealth,” Paul said. “The majority of people in Kentucky realize that their beliefs are best represented by the Republican Party.&#8221;
McConnel said that he didn’t think Republicans would ever reach the milestone. 
Governor Andy Beshear (D-KY) is the most prominent Democrat in statewide office. He was narrowly elected in 2019 and will likely have another competitive race in 2023. 
“What it means is we’ve got to get along,” Beshear told reporters after being asked about the numbers. “We ought to stop trying to fight to move the state right or left but to just move it forward. And to focus on things that truly impact people’s lives — like good jobs, a great public education and access to health care.&#8221;
Republicans control both the state house and the state senate, having supermajorities in both bodies. Republicans also have all but one of the commonwealth’s congressional seats. 
The trend follows similar trends across the country as Republicans have made gains in key areas. In December, it was announced that there were more registered Republicans in Florida than Democrats for the first time ever. By March, the advantage had grown to 100,000 voters.
&#8220;There’s no beating around the fact this historic gain is because of Governor Ron DeSantis,&#8221; Florida Republican Party executive director Helen Aguirre Ferré <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/florida-registered-republican-voters-100k-gain-democrats">told</a> Fox News at the time. &#8220;Florida voters are appreciative of the palpable sense of freedom he has created in our state.&#8221;
Then in June, a <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/more-than-1-million-voters-switch-to-gop-raising-alarm-for-democrats">report</a> from the Associated Press found that over 1 million voters across the country had switched from the Democratic Party to the Republican party in 2021, drawing concern from Democratic leaders.

Nighttime landscape of downtown Louisville, KY

‘Historic’: Republicans Gain Voter Registration Advantage In Another State For The First Time Ever

Republicans Now Have More Registered Voters In Kentucky Than Democrats

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Two <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/police">police</a> officers in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kentucky">Kentucky</a> were killed and five others wounded in a shootout Thursday evening while serving a domestic violence order. 
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/violent-crime">shooting</a> happened in Floyd County and police have charged 49-year-old Lance Storz with two counts of murder, four counts of attempted murder, and for assault of a service animal, <a href="https://www.kentucky.com/news/local/crime/article263090213.html">according</a> to the Lexington Herald Leader.
“As we learn more about the tragic shooting in Allen last night, we are heartbroken to learn of the deaths of two law enforcement officers and injuries to others,” Attorney General Daniel Cameron (R-KY) <a href="https://twitter.com/kyoag/status/1542882951976869889">tweeted</a>. “Please keep the families of these brave officers in your prayers. Our law enforcement exhibited unimaginable heroism and sacrifice last night in the face of evil.”
The shooting, which happened in the eastern Kentucky town of Allen, is still under investigation by Kentucky State Police though the suspect has been <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/allen-kentucky-shooting-lance-storz-arrested/">detained</a> on a $10 million bond in a Pike County jail. 
Storz allegedly fired at police from his home with a rifle, killing two officers and injuring six others including five police officers. An emergency management official was injured and a police dog was also killed during the incident. At least one of the wounded officers was on life support at the hospital after being revived. The injured officers were taken to various local hospitals for treatment. 
The night of the shooting, Governor Andy Beshear (D-KY) asked for prayers for those killed or wounded in the incident. 
“Floyd County and our brave first responders suffered a tragic loss last night. I want to ask all of Kentucky to join me in praying for this community. This is a tough morning for our commonwealth,” he <a href="https://twitter.com/GovAndyBeshear/status/1542851806031712257">added</a> Friday morning. 
Floyd County Sheriff John Hunt said that the confrontation was “pure hell” for the officers. 
“They encountered pure hell when they arrived, they had no chance,” Hunt stated. 
Floyd County Attorney Keith Bartley <a href="https://www.wkyt.com/2022/07/01/man-accused-killing-2-officers-shooting-6-others-floyd-county/">told </a>WKYT that it was important to remember that those shot had families whose “world will never be the same.” 
“I don’t know if there is any comfort for any at this time. Those people were not just police officers. I think that gets lost a lot of times, in media across the country. You hear about something happening in another state. It’s not a police officer shot. Multiple police officers in this case. Human beings. People with children, spouses, moms and dads, their world will never be same,” Bartley said.

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Two Police Officers Killed In Shootout In Kentucky

Violent Crime

Kentucky Senate hopeful Charles Booker (D-KY) put a noose around his own neck in an attack on sitting Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) that was so blatantly dishonest it triggered a fact-check style article from USA Today.
Booker&#8217;s ad, which was deemed graphic enough that it needed a &#8220;content warning,&#8221; showed the Democrat candidate with a noose around his own neck while he claimed that Paul had &#8220;single-handedly blocked an anti-lynching act&#8221; at the federal level.
&#8220;Lynching is a tool of terror. It was used to kill hopes for freedom. In Kentucky, it was used to kill three of my uncles,&#8221; Booker tweeted along with the video ad. &#8220;In this historic election, the choice is clear. Rand Paul may want to divide us, but hate won&#8217;t win this time. It&#8217;s time to move forward, together.&#8221;
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Lynching is a tool of terror. It was used to kill hopes for freedom. In Kentucky, it was used to kill three of my uncles.
In this historic election, the choice is clear. Rand Paul may want to divide us, but hate won’t win this time.
It’s time to move forward, together. <a href="https://t.co/oYxuqKFdWR">pic.twitter.com/oYxuqKFdWR</a>
&mdash; Charles Booker (@Booker4KY) <a href="https://twitter.com/Booker4KY/status/1531958148352905219?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2022</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;In Kentucky, like many states throughout the south, lynching was a tool of terror. Now, in a historic victory for our commonwealth, I have become the first Black Kentuckian to receive the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate,&#8221; Booker said in the ad. &#8220;My opponent? The very person who compared expanded health care to slavery. The person who said he would have opposed the Civil Rights Act. The person who single-handedly blocked an anti-lynching act from being federal law. The choice couldn&#8217;t be clearer: do we move forward together? Or do we let politicians like Rand Paul forever hold us back and drive us apart?&#8221;
Taking off the noose, Booker says, &#8220;In November, we will choose healing. We will choose Kentucky.&#8221;
But as USA Today <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/06/01/rand-paul-charles-booker-noose-campaign-ad/7466312001/?utm_campaign=snd-autopilot">pointed out</a>, Booker left out the fact that Paul had opposed the initial bill because he argued that Congress needed more time to get it right — and had later co-sponsored a bipartisan anti-lynching bill that passed in March. &#8220;The Senate <a class="gnt_ar_b_a" href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/03/08/emmett-till-antilynching-act-passes-senate/9427711002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|inline click|${u}">unanimously voted</a> this March to pass the updated Emmett Till Antilynching Act, which <a class="gnt_ar_b_a" href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2022/03/29/who-is-emmett-till-civil-rights/7203642001/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-t-l=":b|e|inline click|${u}">is now law</a>,&#8221; the outlet reported.
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The ad blasts Sen. Rand Paul for his 2020 stance on an antilynching bill. It doesn&#39;t mention Paul co-sponsored a new version of that legislation.
       <a href="https://t.co/zdsSpSp1zb">https://t.co/zdsSpSp1zb</a>
&mdash; USA TODAY Politics (@usatodayDC) <a href="https://twitter.com/usatodayDC/status/1531969324893851650?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Paul&#8217;s team <a href="https://www.wtvq.com/charles-booker-talks-history-of-lynching-in-campaign-ad-wears-noose-around-neck/">responded</a> to the attack as well, saying in a statement, &#8220;Dr. Paul worked diligently to strengthen the language of this legislation and is a cosponsor of the bill that now ensures that federal law will define lynching as the absolutely heinous crime that it is. Any attempt to state otherwise is a desperate misrepresentation of the facts.&#8221;
Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Raphael Warnock (D-GA) also co-sponsored the bi-partisan legislation – and Sen. Booker released a statement at the time, saying, &#8220;The effort to pass anti-lynching legislation has spanned more than a century. After 200 failed attempts, Congress is now finally prepared to reckon with America’s history of racialized violence. I am proud to announce Senators Paul and Warnock as cosponsors of the Emmett Till Antilynching Act. Their support underscores the bipartisan backing that we have to finally meet this moment and help our nation move forward from some of its darkest chapters.&#8221;

The Eighth Annual Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards

Black Democrat Puts A Noose Around His Own Neck In Dishonest Attack On Rand Paul

Charles Booker Puts A Noose Around His Own Neck In Dishonest Attack On Rand Paul

Racism

U.S. Senate

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kentucky">Kentucky</a> Attorney General Daniel Cameron blasted so-called “stakeholder capitalism” in a strongly worded opinion advising the Bluegrass State not to follow the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/esg-the-invisible-fist-of-the-economy">globalist investment trend</a> with taxpayer funds.
Daniel Cameron’s letter came even as the World Economic Forum gathered in Davos to continue its push for “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/esg-the-invisible-fist-of-the-economy">ESG</a>,” or Environmental, Social, Governance investing, a trend that scores companies by their commitment to progressive causes. Cameron wrote that investing public funds with managers who subscribe to the practice violates Kentucky law.
“There is an increasing trend among some investment management firms to use money in public and state employee pension plans—that is, other people’s money—to push their own political agendas and force social change,” he wrote in a <a href="https://junkscience.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Opinion-of-the-Attorney-General-22-05.pdf">letter dated May 26</a>.
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Kentucky AG Daniel Cameron Joins Chorus of Voices in Fight Against Woke ESG Standards <a href="https://t.co/NafZEe2luL">https://t.co/NafZEe2luL</a>
&mdash; NewsBusters (@newsbusters) <a href="https://twitter.com/newsbusters/status/1530511716710227969?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 28, 2022</a></blockquote>
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A recent <a href="http://echeloninsights.com/wp-content/uploads/Daily-Wire-May-2022-ESG-Survey-Crosstabs.pdf">Daily Wire/Echelon Insights poll</a> found that most investors prefer to focus on profits instead of ESG and that Americans want companies they invest in to seek profits instead of promoting political agendas outside of company missions.
<a href="http://echeloninsights.com/wp-content/uploads/Daily-Wire-May-2022-ESG-Survey-Crosstabs.pdf">READ THE COMPLETE DAILY WIRE/ECHELON INSIGHTS POLL FINDINGS HERE</a>
In addition to being advanced by the World Economic Form, ESG is used by huge money managers like BlackRock and Vanguard. BlackRock CEO Larry Fink said it is important to “force behaviors” on people through investment decisions.
Shareholder capitalism has always mandated that a publicly traded company’s board of directors has a duty to those who own stock to maximize profits over the long term. But the new trend, whether dubbed ESG or “stakeholder capitalism,” makes the board of directors answerable to employees, citizens, and causes with no financial stake in the company.
Investment manager Vivek Ramaswamy, who recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/americans-want-companies-to-stay-out-of-politics-ceo-launches-fund-to-take-on-woke-asset-managers">launched</a> an asset management firm meant to compete with BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street with an “excellence capitalism” approach, said investing for profits drives companies to excel at what they do best.
“The data are clear: everyday investors want companies to focus on creating shareholder value by delivering excellent products and services to their customers, not on advancing social or political agendas,” Ramaswamy said.
Cameron said management of Kentucky’s pension fund must seek to maximize profits for taxpayers, not advance a political agenda.
“In sum, politics has no place in Kentucky’s public pensions,” Cameron wrote. “Therefore, it is the opinion of this Office that “stakeholder capitalism” and “environmental, social, and governance” investment practices that introduce mixed motivations to investment decisions are inconsistent with Kentucky law governing fiduciary duties owed by investment management firms to Kentucky’s public pension plans.”
Cameron, the state&#8217;s first African American attorney general, is running for governor in 2023, looking to oust current Democrat Gov. Andy Beshear. Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles, state Auditor Mike Harmon, and state Rep. Savannah Maddox are also all expected to run in the Republican primary a year from now.

Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron

Kentucky AG Daniel Cameron Blasts ESG Globalist Investing Trend

Economy

Investors

World Economic Forum

Katy Perry is so happy she ditched Hollywood for Kentucky, especially while raising a family.
The 37-year-old singer discussed her thoughts on making a drastic change during a recent episode of Chelsea Handler’s podcast, &#8220;Dear Chelsea.&#8221;
“I’m like, living in Kentucky, and I have for almost a month now. And that’s quite an amazing experience. Because it reminds you that Hollywood is not America,&#8221; Perry said, according to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/katy-perry-kentucky-hollywood-bubble-chelsea-handler">Fox News</a>.
She went on to discuss how living in other parts of the country, especially more rural areas, helps celebrities relate to the common folk.
&#8220;You need to remember that,&#8221; Perry continued. &#8220;Because I think you can understand people better.&#8221;
&#8220;Yeah, right. It’s nice to get outside of what you know to be normal and your reality,&#8221; Handler replied.
&#8220;Yeah, I mean they’re living in a bubble of sorts. We’re living in a bubble. Our bubbles are completely opposite. But they’re — it’s interesting,&#8221; the pop star said.
Handler mentioned how Perry had also grown up in a “bubble” since she was raised in a strict religious family. 
&#8220;You’ve been in different bubbles cause you grew up in a bubble,&#8221; the podcast host said. &#8220;You grew up super religious, yeah, and that’s one bubble. Then you came into this industry, that’s another bubble. Right?&#8221;
&#8220;It’s an anthropology study of humans,&#8221; Perry replied.
The “Dark Horse” singer also talked about how motherhood has changed her, referencing daughter Daisy Dove who she welcomed with husband Orlando Bloom in 2020.
Perry called motherhood the &#8220;best decision [she&#8217;s] ever made in [her] entire life.&#8221;
The singer also shared how she and Bloom are in couple’s therapy to keep their marriage strong. 
“Orlando and I do couple’s therapy, and we love it because it keeps us in tune, and the resentment can get really strong when you’re both working hard,” the Grammy Award-winner explained.
She continued, saying, “When you want to come back to being normal in a domesticated world where you have a child and stuff like that, you have to really learn how to be kind of different out there in the big and in the small.  And so we’ve had a lot of success with that couple’s therapy.”
While Perry has expressed Leftist views, she has been public in supporting and getting along with her conservative family. The singer got slammed by some progressives after promoting her father’s “Nothing But American” clothing collection in 2020, per <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/leftists-trash-katy-perry-for-promoting-fathers-nothing-but-american-clothing-line">The Daily Wire</a>.
Perry shared the clothing brand in an Instagram post and celebrated his work while mentioning they don’t have to agree with each other to be supportive and loving. 
“We haven’t always seen [eye-to-eye] but I’m proud of my dad n bro for coming up with this!” Perry wrote in the Instagram caption.

Katy Perry Performs Fight On Concert For Firefighters And Bushfire Victims In Regional Victoria

‘Hollywood Is Not America’: Katy Perry Talks Ditching L.A. ‘Bubble’ For Kentucky

Singer Katy Perry Has No Regrets After Ditching Los Angeles For Kentucky

Entertainment

Hollywood

Katy Perry

Rich Strike, the 80-1 long shot that won Saturday&#8217;s Kentucky Derby, will bypass a shot at racing&#8217;s triple crown by skipping the Preakness to focus on the Belmont Stakes.
The colt, which thrilled over 100,000 fans at Churchill Downs in the 148th &#8220;Run for the Roses,&#8221; needs to rest up for the third race of the sport&#8217;s coveted triple crown, said owner Rick Dawson. The horse known to its team as &#8220;Ritchie&#8221; has already made history by being the second-longest shot to win in the Kentucky Derby 148-year history.
&#8220;Our original plan for Rich Strike was contingent on the KY Derby, should we not run in the derby we would point toward the Preakness, should we run in the Derby, subject to the race outcome &amp; the condition of our horse, we would give him more recovery time &amp; rest and run in the Belmont, or another race and stay on course to run with 5 or 6 weeks rest between races,&#8221; Dawson said in a statement on Thursday.
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BREAKING?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BREAKING</a>: Owner Rick Dawson released a statement Thursday afternoon confirming that Rich Strike will not be running in the Preakness, but will pursue a post position in the Belmont Stakes in June. <a href="https://t.co/k5cLOwyMLD">https://t.co/k5cLOwyMLD</a>
&mdash; Spectrum News 13 (@MyNews13) <a href="https://twitter.com/MyNews13/status/1524808652036644864?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 12, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The Preakness will be run at Pimlico Race Track in Baltimore May 21. The Belmont Stakes is set for Belmont Park in Elmont, N.Y., on June 11.
Rich Strike came from behind to win the Kentucky Derby by 3/4 of a length over Epicenter and third-place finisher Zandon. Rich Strike’s team won $1.86 million of the Derby’s $3 million purse. Nearly 16 million viewers watched the race on NBC.
The only time a horse overcame longer odds to win the race was in 1913, when Donerail triumphed after closing as a 91-1 longshot. Rich Strike was only added to the field Friday after Ethereal Road dropped out.
The colt was an even bigger underdog in Las Vegas, where some sports books had him as long as 300-1.
“I don’t know how [to put the win into word]. I fell down in the paddock when he hit the wire. I about passed out. I’m so happy,” trainer Eric Reed said after the race. “This is something, you know, is the reason everybody does this, because we’re not supposed to be here, but I knew this horse loved the track, and we’ve been training so good all year.”
Reed came under fire Thursday after he was asked on ESPN’s “Outside the Lines” program if he was the author of a tweet saying Harris was “good on her knees.” The tweet was sent by a Twitter user who has the same name and goes by @daddyrabbit1964.
<div class="dw-mm-player-container">“I haven’t seen anything about it,” Reed told ESPN host John Barr. “Haven’t been told about it. I don’t know what’s going on out there. I’m more concerned with Richie and what’s going on with us, and this great horse, and how much he’s helping everybody. So, there’s haters out there, and that’s about how I’m gonna leave something like that.”</div>

Rich Strike wins Kentucky Derby

Triple Crown? Decision Made On Kentucky Derby Winner Rich Strike Running In Preakness

Kentucky derby Winner Rich Strike's Owners Have Decided On Whether To Race In Preakness

horse racing

Sports

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