Economy
Rent is eating up a greater share of tenants’ income in almost every state
There were 21 states where a majority of tenant households spent 30% or more of their incomes on rent and utilities last year, compared with just seven states in 2019. Nationwide, about 22 million?renters are shouldering that percentage.?Anyone paying more than 30% is considered “cost burdened,” according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban […]
States are pushing back with anti-labor laws as union popularity grows, policy experts say
Growing union organizing across the country has triggered an anti-labor legislative response in some states, but cities and counties are increasingly pushing back, a new report found. The report, released this month?by the New York University Wagner Labor Initiative and Local Progress Impact Lab, a group for local elected officials focused on economic and racial […]
No dice for ‘risk-free’ gaming machines in Kentucky, advises AG Coleman
The manufacturer of a so-called “risk-free” gaming machine is hitting the pause button in Kentucky after Attorney General Russell Coleman said the machines are illegal under a ban passed by lawmakers last year.? Bob Heleringer, an attorney for Prominent Technologies, told the Lantern the company strongly disagrees with Coleman’s advisory but is directing businesses with […]
Utilities that opposed Kentucky’s new energy planning commission are now part of it
Gov. Andy Beshear has filled two seats on a new energy planning commission with utility executives who, like Beshear, opposed the commission’s creation. Kentucky lawmakers earlier this year created the Energy Planning and Inventory Commission (EPIC) to slow the retirement of power plants fueled by coal and natural gas. Investor-owned utilities and environmentalists opposed the […]
Americans’ perception of AI is generally negative, though they see ‘beneficial applications’
A vast majority of Americans feel negatively about artificial intelligence and how it will impact their futures, though they also report they don’t fully understand how and why the technology is currently being used. The sentiments came from a survey conducted this summer by think tank Heartland Forward, which used Aaru, an AI-powered polling group […]
Where exactly are all the AI jobs?
The desire for artificial intelligence skills in new hires has exploded over the last five years, and continues to be a priority for hiring managers across nearly every industry, data from Stanford University’s annual AI Index Report found. In 2023, 1.6% of all United States-based jobs required AI skills, a slight dip from the 2% […]
Nuclear industry eyes Kentucky but don’t expect nuclear power plants anytime soon
FRANKFORT — The director of an energy research center at the University of Kentucky told state lawmakers Friday it’s not likely a nuclear power plant will be built in Kentucky over the next 10 years, though some nuclear energy companies are interested in moving to the state.? A new state law passed by the GOP-dominated […]
Kentucky State University, state public health department partner to bolster workforce
Kentucky’s Department of Public Health will now offer an internship program to Kentucky State University students who wish to get hands-on experience in the field while studying.? Employees of the Department of Public Health (KDPH) will also get tuition assistance for continuing their education at Kentucky State University (KSU). Such employees can take five or […]
A look at how federal plans could make the costs of housing more affordable?
As renters and would-be homeowners struggle with the high cost of housing, the Biden administration has announced policies to address this strain on household budgets. That includes $100 million in funding for a program to incentivize affordable housing production and streamlining loan application processes to expedite building more housing. Some of those proposals – such […]
KY housing shortage will worsen without action, low-income renters most vulnerable, says study
LOUISVILLE — A leader of a national real estate research firm says if no action is taken over the next five years on Kentucky’s housing shortage, more Kentuckians could be forced to live in substandard housing, live with family or friends in crowded spaces, deal with severe housing costs or become homeless. Patrick Bowen, the […]
Fiscal path clear for another cut in Kentucky’s income tax, lawmakers hear
Kentucky’s state budget director told lawmakers Wednesday that fiscal thresholds established by the GOP-dominated legislature before the state income tax can be lowered have been met at the end of this fiscal year.? That means Kentucky lawmakers are likely to vote to reduce the state’s income tax rate by another half-percentage point to 3.5% during […]
Kentucky hospital workforce is rebounding, but still has too many vacancies??
Kentucky’s non-doctor health care workforce is on the mend, though state hospitals still have thousands of unfilled positions.? That’s according to an August report released by the Kentucky Hospital Association that shows 12% of positions in the state’s hospitals were empty in 2023, with nurses being the most in-demand. The data comes from 94% of […]