Connections with Renee Shaw

Renee Shaw sits down with Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton to discuss the plans she has for her second term.

U.S. Congressman James Comer, of Kentucky's 1st District, talks about his future role as chair of the House Oversight and Reform Committee and the investigations he is planning into the origins of COVID, Hunter Biden and fraudulent unemployment insurance claims. Next, Renee Shaw talks with Kentucky 3rd District Congressman-elect Morgan McGarvey about what he hopes to accomplish in Washington.

Renee Shaw talks with poet, playwright and civic journalist Constance Alexander about end-of-life issues and her new spoken word opera "The Way Home."

Kentucky's state anthem, "My Old Kentucky Home," is both a celebratory ballad evoking a sentimental feeling while, for others, outrage for its glorification of chattel slavery in the pre-Civil war south. Author Emily Bingham explores how the melody about America's original sin has evolved to become quote "a living symbol of a happy past," which was never just a song.

Renee Shaw talks to Bill Goodman, executive director of Kentucky Humanities, an independent, nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities in Washington, D.C., that partners with Kentucky's cultural, heritage, arts and tourism agencies.

Carolyn Lukensmeyer and Stephen B. Heintz of the Commission on the Practice of Democratic Citizenship talk about the organization's bipartisan report, Our Common Purpose: Reinventing American Democracy for the 21st Century, which includes six strategies and 31 recommendations to help the country emerge a more resilient democracy by 2026, the nation's 250th anniversary.

Renee Shaw talks with UK HealthCare obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Rachel Saunders about early detection of breast cancer, treatment options and higher mortality rates in African American women. The program also features two breast cancer survivors: a young Bowling Green woman diagnosed with the disease in her 30s and a male survivor of breast cancer.

Kentucky Secretary of State Michael Adams runs down the list of election-related dates and ballot items, discusses how baseless claims of election fraud are impacting county clerks, creative recruiting techniques for poll workers and more.

Darlene Thomas, executive director of GreenHouse17, an advocacy agency committed to ending intimate partner abuse in families and the community, talks about services provided by the agency, including a 24-hour hotline, 42-bed emergency shelter, legal advocacy and more.

Renee Shaw talks with University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto about his vision for the flagship university and the billions of dollars invested in improving the campus.

Murray State University is celebrating its centennial birthday this year. Renee Shaw talks to the president of MSU, Bob Jackson, about his presidency, career, and a new book he has co-authored, entitled "The Finest Place We Know: A Centennial History of Murray State University, 1922-2022."

Renee's guest is Melynda Jamison of Court Appointed Special Advocates of Lexington.

Renee Shaw speaks with retiring Berea College President Lyle Roelofs about his 11-year tenure at the college.

David Cozart, head of the Commonwealth Center for Fathers and Families, talks about his organization's effort to engage fathers more, especially those incarcerated, in their children's lives. Next, Renee Shaw speaks with financial experts Dale Morgan and Beverly Bowens about their efforts to educate and empower youngsters and the larger Lexington community regarding financial literacy.

Whitney Austin, a mass shooting survivor, talks about the recent events in Texas and a policy proposal to curb gun violence that she’s pushing in Kentucky to keep firearms out of the hands of the mentally ill.

Renee Shaw talks with Ben Chandler, president and CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, about the organization's effort to inform pregnant women about COVID-19 and vaccinations, the recent health policy passed by state lawmakers and health equity issues.

Kentucky's Secretary of State Michael Adams talks about the May 2022 primary and election reforms going into effect this voting cycle, shifts in voter registration, combating disinformation about election integrity and his possible future political aspirations.

Brigitte Blom, president and CEO of the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, talks about how education fared during the 2022 Kentucky General Assembly and how the organization is engaged in policymaking around early childhood education, equity and student success.

April is Child Abuse Prevention Month. Renee Shaw and her guests discuss the statistics of kids who suffer from abuse in Kentucky and some ways state organizations and policymakers are working to protect them. Guests include Shannon Moody, chief officer of strategic initiatives for Kentucky Youth Advocates and Sonja Grey, executive director of Exploited Children's Help Organization.

Renee Shaw talks about kidney health, prevention and mitigation of chronic kidney disease and the importance of being a kidney donor with Dr. Kenneth Afenya, internal medicine and nephrology specialist, and Sarah Crouch, executive director of the Kidney Health Alliance of Kentucky.

Jonathan Bullington, an investigative reporter with the Louisville Courier Journal, talks about the outsized mass incarceration rates in Kentucky and an analysis of 43 years of persistent felony offender cases by Courier Journal investigative reporters and the Vera Institute of Justice linking jail and prison overcrowding to Kentucky's Persistent Felony Offender (PFO) law.

Renee Shaw talks with journalists who produced "A Critical Moment," a radio documentary about teaching race in America from WFPL News in Louisville. WFPL's Arts & Culture Reporter Stephanie Wolf investigated how the Holocaust is covered in German classrooms. And, WFPL's Education and Learning Reporter Jess Clark examined how race is covered in Kentucky classrooms.

Renee Shaw talks with educator Dr. Felicia C. Smith, president of the National Center for Families Learning, about getting government, families and organizations mobilized in delivering a high-quality education to kids.

Renee Shaw talks with Eric Friedlander, secretary of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services, about the shortage of social workers in the state, reversing the rise in opioid addiction, the global public health crisis and the cabinet's budget priorities for the current legislative session.

Renee Shaw and guests talk about the healthcare worker shortage and a new collaboration to address the issue in Kentucky's healthcare industry. Guests: Kris Williams, chancellor of the Kentucky Community and Technical College System; LaKisha Miller, executive director of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce Workforce Center; and Nancy Galvagni, president and CEO of the Kentucky Hospital Association.