Uncovered by WDRB News

How would Louisville handle a surge of critically ill patients stemming from the coronavirus outbreak? This bonus episode features our full interview conducted March 24, 2020 with Dr. Jason Smith, chief medical officer of U of L Health, one of the city's three main healthcare providers. 

WDRB.com business reporter Chris Otts discusses the anxiety many factory workers at Ford Motor Co. and GE Appliances feel about contracting COVID-19. Is 'social distancing' even possible on the assembly line? Also, hear from GE Appliances line worker Kenny Bratcher. NOTE: This show was recorded on March 23, 2020, before Ford said it would extend the shutdown beyond March 30. SUNDAY EDITION | Coron...

Harrison County was the first place in Kentucky with a confirmed case of the novel coronavirus, and its small school district soon became the first in Kentucky to close amid the outbreak. WDRB.com education reporter Kevin Wheatley joins the pod to discuss his Sunday story looking at how Harrison County teachers and students are coping. Wheatley also discusses what's next for Jefferson County Publi...

Before it was renamed Muhammad Ali Boulevard, Louisville's Walnut Street was once a thriving hub of black-owned businesses. Then came the wrecking ball: A 1960s-era policy called Urban Renewal. More than 50 years later, Louisville is still paying the price for the destruction brought on by this foolish and racist government initiative. WDRB anchor/reporter Gilbert Corsey joins the show to discuss...

WDRB's Marcus Green and Katrina Helmer sat down with Sr. Sarah Moyer, director of the Louisville Metro Department of Health & Wellness, to discuss the threat of coronavirus on Wednesday, March 4, 2020. This bonus episode features the full interview. Link: CDC tests three 3 Louisville residents for coronavirus; results negative

Old criminal records -- even showing charges that were never proven in court -- remain a barrier for people seeking employment and reintegration into society. After a big reform in 2016, Kentucky lawmakers are considering further efforts to make expungement more accessible to everyday people. WDRB.com criminal justice reporter Jason Riley breaks it down, including a discussion with U.S. Senate can...

Louisville Gas & Electric's Solar Share program continues to add customers who want solar energy without the expense and hassle of solar panels. The utility is building a massive solar farm off I-64 in Simpsonville, Ky. But, is Solar Share a good deal? WDRB.com business reporter Chris Otts took a close look at the numbers. SUNDAY EDITION | LG&E’s ‘community’ solar farm is growing. Is it a good dea...

This bonus episode features the entire interview WDRB's Travis Ragsdale conducted Tuesday with Braidy Industries founder Craig Bouchard. Bouchard spoke out shortly after news broke that he had filed a lawsuit seeking to replace the board of directors who fired him as the company's CEO on Jan. 28. The battle for control of the company comes as its ambitious vision to "rebuild Appalachia" by constru...

WDRB anchor Valerie Chinn and photojournalist Doug Smith discuss their recent reporting trip to the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona. Chinn and Smith got extraordinary access to U.S. Customs & Border Protection officers to see how they go about their daily jobs. They got a look at at a small section of President Trump's border wall and the fleet of 'predator drones' (costing $11 million each) that th...

As more homeowners and businesses get Ring and Nest cameras, police agencies in the Louisville region want to know where those cameras are and how they can get access to them. WDRB.com reporter Marcus Green discusses his Sunday story examining how police departments are forging 'partnerships' with Ring. Some cities are even subsidizing homeowners' equipment. Police say they're just looking to solv...

This bonus episode features the complete one-on-one interviews WDRB politics reporter Lawrence Smith conducted with U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, and U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth, D-Louisville, on Thursday, Feb. 6 following President Trump's acquittal in the impeachment trial. Smith also gives his impressions. Time markers: McConnell (1:30 to 16:00) Yarmuth (16:00 to 32:00) Sm...

Kentucky spends a lot, compared to border states, on 'incentives' for businesses to create jobs in the state. Is the money worth it? WDRB.com business reporter Chris Otts discusses his recent Sunday story examining the corporate giveaways. Then (14:00), the conversation turns to Kentucky's best-known economic development deal: Braidy Industries. The company has devolved into a power struggle as it...

County jails throughout Kentucky regularly collect 'booking fees' and 'per diem' charges from inmates, as if they were hotels. One person got a $4,000 bill for a jail stay in Clark County after he was released with no conviction for any crime. Is this fair? Is it constitutional? WDRB.com criminal justice reporter Jason Riley explains the history of the practice and efforts to reform it.  SUNDAY ED...

In this two-part episode, WDRB political reporter Lawrence Smith weighs in on Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear's agenda and what's happened so far in the 2020 legislative session (01:00 - 13:00). Smith's discusses Beshear's efforts to bridge divides with the GOP , sports betting , medical marijuana , voter ID issues , the push to prevent 'sanctuary cities ,' prison reform and more. Then, WDRB.com educat...

Louisville's Dixie Highway has received an expensive makeover in the last two years. This busy and poorly planned corridor is known as the Dixie Die-way because pedestrians are killed at three times the rate of comparable roads. Did new medians, sidewalks and other improvements help the situation? Are businesses happy about the changes? WDRB.com reporter Marcus Green explains. Appearances: Mayor G...

Ashli Watts, the new president and CEO of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, sits down with Chris Otts to discuss politics and partisanship (including whether the chamber is too close to the Republican Party) and to preview the 2020 Kentucky legislative session. At 37, Watts is the first woman and the youngest person to lead what is perhaps the state’s most influential interest group, representing...

WDRB's Valerie Chinn discusses her recent story on how Kentucky and Indiana hold hundreds of millions of dollars in unpaid wages and other "missing money." Some of it could be yours. Valerie lays out how to check your name, how to claim your money and what it's like inside the Kentucky state treasurer's high-security vault where unclaimed items -- from jewelry to baseball cards to teeth -- are sto...

The Louisville-area gambling landscape is more competitive than ever with the opening of the $90 million Caesars Southern Indiana casino earlier this month and the continued growth of slot-like historical horse racing at Churchill Downs. WDRB business reporters Chris Otts and Jessica Bard discuss the evolution of the gaming business and what's next on the horizon. Will Kentucky embrace sports bett...

Was is a 'Rumspringa' slaying or a coerced confession? WDRB first highlighted the case of Amish man Daniel Hostetler last summer. He was convicted of manslaughter related to a 2012 death once ruled to be a suicide. But now Hostetler is a free man -- one of hundreds to receive a pardon from former Gov. Matt Bevin in his final days in office. Travis Ragsdale and Jason Riley, the reporters who first...

The Sherman Minton Bridge is the Louisville area's oldest interstate bridge, but it is getting more use than ever because it remains free, while the $2 billion I-65 bridges started collecting tolls in 2016. Officials are eyeing a rehab project to add decades of life to the Minton, but the work will mean closing or restricting access to the popular bridge for months and probably years. WDRB.com rep...

As he prepares to leave office next week, Kentucky Gov. Bevin sat down with WDRB's Lawrence Smith for a final interview. To hear him tell it, Bevin lost his re-election bid last month in part because "the left" mobilized and "harvested" votes on college campuses, public housing complexes and other urban centers.  The governor who tried to nationalize the race and piggyback on Kentuckians' affinity...

Papa John's founder John Schnatter recently sat down with WDRB News' Stephan Johnson. Schnatter has rarely granted in-depth interviews since being ousted from the pizza company in July 2018 following his admitted use of racial language. In this week's show, Chris Otts of WDRB.com plays extended clips of the Schnatter interview and adds background and context. The multi-millionaire talks about why...

Three Louisville police officers were convicted last month of faking overtime hours to boost their pay and pensions. The convictions followed investigative reports by WDRB's Travis Ragsdale and Jason Riley. On this week's show, Ragsdale and Riley discuss how they unraveled the story. Background: 21-hour days and $320,000 of overtime highlight 'shocking' extra pay to 7 LMPD officers

WDRB.com education reporter Kevin Wheatley and anchor/reporter Valerie Chinn discuss their Sunday story on the school reform group paying for top Kentucky education officials to go to its conferences. Plus, Kevin discusses teachers' role in electing Andy Beshear and what his governorship means for education, teacher pensions and JCPS. Background: SUNDAY EDITION | Kentucky education officials get f...

His mission isn't just to make aluminum; it's to "rebuild Appalachia." But people in northeast Kentucky are still waiting. Braidy Industries CEO Craig Bouhcard grants a rare interview to WDRB News. Hear him in his own words, as well as analysis by reporters Chris Otts and Travis Ragsdale. Story: 'Don't give up. There is going to be a bright future here.'