WFPL

James Gandolfini Dies At 51, According To Reports

Bill Chappell — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 23:51:03 +0000

Actor James Gandolfini, 51, has died, HBO and other sources confirm. The former star of the HBO series The Sopranos was reportedly on holiday in Italy when he died. The cause of death is not yet known with certainty, but HBO says the actor may have suffered a heart attack. Other reports have indicated Gandolfini had a stroke.

Update at 8:15 p.m.

Senate Rejects Rand Paul's Border Security Amendment to Immigration Bill

Phillip M. Bailey — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 22:48:07 +0000

The Senate has rejected Kentucky Republican Rand Paul's amendment to hold annual border security votes as part of comprehensive immigration reform by a 61-to-37 vote.
Under Paul's 'Trust But Verify" proposal, Congress would be required to vote once every five years to certify the border is sufficiently secure. Specifically, the amendment calls for 95 percent apprehension rate, a double fence on the U.S-Mexico border and full border surveillance.

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer Urges Against Food Stamp Cuts But Ban on Soda Purchases

Phillip M. Bailey — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 21:51:50 +0000

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer is urging Congress against cutting food stamps in the upcoming farm bill.
But a letter the mayor signed also asks federal lawmakers to bar recipients from buying sodas and other sugary beverages.
The House is expected to vote on the legislation this week with the $80 billion Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, or SNAP, at the center of the debate. Republicans are pushing for $4 billion in cuts, but Democrats argue that could kick up to 2 million recipients off the food stamp rolls.
On Tuesday Fischer joined over a dozen other mayors in saying Congress should do more to combat obesity and create incentives for food stamp recipients to buy more fruits and vegetables.
Among those who signed the letter were New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who pushed to ban soda drinks in large sizes before a court ruling nixed the plan.
"Congress should direct the USDA to test policies that support healthful food choices and reduce consumption of products, such as sugar-sweetened beverages, that threaten the health of many Americans," the letter reads.

Regulators Present Plan to Clean Up Homes Near Black Leaf Site

Erica Peterson — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 21:28:34 +0000

Kentucky environmental regulators hope to begin removing contaminated soil from homes near Louisville’s former Black Leaf Chemical plant by early August.

Police: Suspect in Gardiner Lane Shootings Appears to Among the 3 Dead

Joseph Lord — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:58:13 +0000

Update 8:30: The person suspected in the fatal shootings in an apartment on Gardiner Lane on Wednesday afternoon appears to be among the three dead, Louisville Metro Police say.
Three people died in the shooting; one was at University Hospital in critical condition, police say.
The dead are a juvenile girl, a 38-year-old woman and a 40-year-old man, says Dwight Mitchell, an LMPD spokesman. They were pronounced dead at the scene.
The injured person is a woman in her 60s.
Police believe it's a "domestic-related shooting," Mitchell says.

Four Indiana Republican Party Leaders Moving On

Associated Press — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:50:26 +0000

Indiana Republican Party Chairman Eric Holcomb leads a number of high-level departures from the state party half a year after the 2012 elections.
Holcomb announced today that he’s leaving to take a job outside politics. Former Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman, Vice Chair Sandi Huddleston and Executive Director Justin Garrett also are leaving their posts within the party.

Please Silence Your Phones: Theatre [502] Opens Season with "Dead Man's Cell Phone"

Erin Keane — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:35:30 +0000

It happens every day. You're sitting in a café, and you hear a cell phone ringing and ringing. Why won't someone answer that phone?
In Sarah Ruhl's dark comedy "Dead Man's Cell Phone," there's a legitimate (and obvious, given the title) reason why, but Jean, a stranger, walks over and answers it anyway. Gordon, as it turns out, is not available. Not now, not ever again. But Jean embarks on a strange journey, attending the dead man's funeral and trying to discover who he was.

U.S. Wants Global Trafficking Report To Hit Home

Krishnadev Calamur — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:22:45 +0000
The U.S. State Department releases its report on human trafficking every year, naming the countries it believes aren't doing enough to combat modern-day slavery.
The department released a new report Wednesday, and NPR's Michele Kelemen is reporting on the story for All Things Considered.

More News! WFPL's Midday Changes Begin July 1

Gabe Bullard — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:00:00 +0000

As you may know, Talk of the Nation is ending on July 1st. In its place, NPR is working with WBUR in Boston on a two-hour version of Here and Now.
WFPL has aired Here and Now for two years at 1:00 on weekdays. Talk of the Nation currently airs from 2:00-4:00. The announcement that Talk of the Nation was going away left us with some choices for our middays. We've made some decisions, and we'd like your thoughts.

U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan to Visit Louisville to Spotlight Child Care Resources

Devin Katayama — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:52:07 +0000

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will be in Louisville Thursday morning to meet with local and state officials and to promote President Barack Obama’s early childhood education initiatives.
Duncan’s appearance at the St. Benedict Center for Early Childhood Education will be his second in Louisville in the past two years. (The first visit was to The Academy at Shawnee where he discussed the waiver process for the No Child Left Behind Act.)