In this era of voter suppression and rampant misinformation, we strive to present our listeners with accurate, useful, up-to-date details for making their votes count.  We do this by clarifying and critiquing the current election process; by bringing our listeners candidate forums and interviews; by discussing issues raised (or that should be raised) by candidates; and much more.

Election Connection

In this interview, Dr. Cynthia Ganote, Founder and CEO of Ganote Consulting, offers tips on small steps we can all take to bring more kindness and inclusion into our personal and work lives, especially as it relates to the troubled times we are living in.

Election Connection | Dr. Cynthia Ganote | Creating more inclusive spaces | 12-3-24

David Bollier, author, co-author and co-editor of 12 books on new, more earth- and human-aligned paradigms, presents his views of our current economic, political and social systems -- why they are failing us, and how a parallel system of self-growing communities he calls "the Commons" or "the Commonsverse" is popping up in different parts of the world to rekindle a sense of agency, belonging and self governing.

Election Connection | Author David Bollier on The Commons | 12-23-24

Dr. Sheila Schuster, Psychologist and Mental Health and Healthcare Advocate, along with Lisa Willner, Ph.D. Mental Health Professional and District 35 Kentucky House Representative both spoke at the Louisville League of Women Voters Democracy in Action Forum on how to advocate effectively to members of the Frankfort KY Legislature for causes that you are passionate about.

Election Connection | How to be an Effective Advocate | Sheila Schuster and Lisa Willner | 12-31-24

Dr. Lawrence Lessig, Prof. of Law and Leadership at Harvard Law School, formerly professor at Stanford Law School, former clerk for Justice Antonin Scalia and author of numerous books and articles on democracy and its accelerating decline, spoke with Ruth and occasional co-host James Moore on money's corrupting influence over our democracy and what we as individuals and as a nation can do about it.

Election Connection | Lawrence Lessig | Money's role in democracy's decline & how to fix it |1-8-25

The Louisville League of Women Voters, in collaboration with the Louisville Urban League and the NAACP, hosted an evening with members of the Jefferson County Legislative delegation (including Joshua Watkins, House District 42; Cassie Armstrong, Senate District 19; Julie Raque-Adams, Senate District 36, Nima Kulkarni, House District 40; Karen Berg, Senate District 26; David Yates, Senate District 37; Keturah J. Herron, Senate District 35; Mary Lou Marzian, House District 41; Pam Stevenson, House District 43; and Sarah Stalker, House District 34.  It was moderated by Gabrielle Jones, V.P. of Content and Interim CEO at Louisville Public Media and took place at the Louisville Free Public Library on January 27, 2025. 

Election Connection | KY State Legislators-Bills Filed | Louisville League of Women Voters | 2-4-25

At the Louisville League of Women Voters monthly Democracy in Action Forum held February 17, 2025 (via webinar), a panel of experts reported on the availability of jobs and levels of unemployment in Kentucky; availability of and access to healthcare across the state; and why affordable housing is in such short supply.  Bills being introduced in the 2025 General Assembly session were also discussed.  Presenters were Dustin Pugel, Policy Director at the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy, Emily Beauregard, Director of Kentucky Voices for Health, and Adrienne Bush, Executive Director of the Homeless and Housing Coalition of Kentucky.  Dr. Sheila Schuster, Psychologist and mental health advocate, moderated.

Election Connection | KY's Economy, Taxes, Health, Housing-issues and bills | 2-25-25

Laela Kashan is Louisville-based Director of Regional Advocacy and Engagement for the Kentucky Nonprofit Network and works locally for the Louisville Nonprofit Coalition, as well as parts of Western Kentucky.  Her mission is to build grassroots nonprofit coalitions, both locally and regionally, to provide training, resources and support for these groups and to advocate in Frankfort for Kentucky's charitable organizations.  At a time when the push federally is to privatize nonprofit and government sectors, as well as withdraw federal funding from any 501(c)3 charitable organizations that are deemed to include DEI language, it behooves us to learn more about how these folks are helping vulnerable humans, animals and habitats.

Election Connection | Louisville Nonprofit Coalition | Laela Kashan | 3-18-25

At this Democracy in Action meeting, held monthly by the Louisville League of Women Voters, a distinguished panel of experts discussed the relentless chipping away at the public's right to know, enshrined in both federal and state law, but increasingly ignored at various levels of government, notably the Kentucky General Assembly.  Panelists were Deborah Yetter, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, retired Courier-Journal reporter and KY Journalism Hall of Famer; Jess Clark, Investigative Reporter for Louisville Public Media; and Amye Bensenhaver, retired KY Assistant Attorney General and co-founder of Kentucky Open Government Coalition.  Dr. Wayne Tuckson host of KET Kentucky Health and colorectal surgeon. 

Election Connection | Freedom of Information - Your Right to Know | 3-17-25

On April 7, 2025, CLOUT (Citizens of Louisville Organized and United Together) held its annual Nehemiah Action Assembly to offer solutions to community problems researched, discussed and agreed upon within their 12,000 + membership (over a year or more of committee work and consensus building), who represent 24 CLOUT member congregations in Louisville.  These proposed solutions were then presented on stage to city officials, including Louisville Mayor Greenberg, JCPS Superintendent Dr. Polio, JCPS School Board member Logan Strange, former Deputy Mayor Barbara Sexton Smith, and Metro Council member Shameka Parrish Wright who were all individually asked whether they would follow through on these proposed solutions, to which they all answered YES.  This provides a lesson in how organizations (in this case, churches) can collaborate together on local issues and band together into a 1000-strong assembly of members who all came together on April 7, 2025 to advocate for causes they supported and hold folks in positions of power accountable.  

Election Connection | CLOUT's 2025 Nehemiah Action Assembly | 4-14-25

Tyler Allen, co-founder of the urban planning group 8664, discusses the impact of freeways on our cities, the benefits of freeway removal in urban cores, and plans for the future development of Louisville and cities around the US.

Election Connection airs on Forward Radio, 106.5 FM, WFMP-LP in Louisville, and streams on forwardradio.org every Tuesday at 6:00 PM and again on Thursday at midnight.

Background music for this episode is provided royalty-free by Audio Coffee:

Title: Chillout by AudioCoffee

URL: https://www.chosic.com/download-audio/58227/

Credits: Chillout by AudioCoffee | https://www.audiocoffee.net/
Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
Creative Commons CC BY-SA 3.0
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Chillout by Audio Coffee

Chillout

Election Connection | Tyler Allen - Urban Planning | 4-22-2025

John Yarmuth reflects on his 16 years in the US Congress, working with the likes of Matt Gaetz and Chip Roy, his experiences on January 6th 2021, and the current state of American politics.

Election Connection airs on Forward Radio, 106.5 FM, WFMP-LP in Louisville, and streams on forwardradio.org every Tuesday at 6:00 PM and again on Thursday at midnight.

Background music for this episode is provided royalty-free by Audio Coffee:

Title: Chillout by Audio Coffee

URL: https://www.chosic.com/download-audio/58227/

Credits: Chillout by Audio Coffee | https://www.audiocoffee.net/
Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/
Creative Commons CC BY-SA 3.0
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Election Connection | John Yarmuth | 4-29-2025

In the modern history of the United States a President has never defied an order of the Supreme Court - Until now. John Coates, professor of law and economics at Harvard University, discusses the consequences of the current administration's failure to adhere to the rule of law.

This is the extended-interview version of an episode that aired on 5/6/2025.

Download

Election Connection | John Coates - Harvard University | 5-6-2025

During a trip to S.W. Colorado in April of 2025, I discovered KSUT Public Radio in Ignacio, which operates as a tribal service and also serves anyone living in the Four Corners region, including Durango, Silverton, Cortez, Mancos, Pagosa Springs and parts of New Mexico, Arizona and S.E. Utah.  It is an affiliate of NPR, the BBC, American Public Media and Public Radio International.  Tami Graham, its Executive Director, sat down with me and explained the essential services KSUT provides, the threat to its existence if federal funding is withdrawn and the impact this would have on people living in its coverage area.  

Also on the program is an interview with Mac Thompson, founding member of Heartwood Cohousing (not far from Ignacio), established in the year 2000 and about to expand from 24 to 38 households.  Listen and learn about cohousing in general and Heartwood Cohousing in particular. 

Election Connection | KSUT Public Radio | Heartwood Cohousing | Colorado | 5-13-25

At its monthly Democracy in Action forum, held April 21, 2025, the Louisville League of Women Voters hosted a discussion of Louisville's serious housing shortage and what Trump's proposed budget cuts would do to an already underfunded coalition of local affordable housing agencies.  The expert panel convened comprised Tony Curtis, Executive Director of the Metropolitan Housing Coalition; Andrew Owen, District 9 Metro Councilman; Rae Martin, Executive Director of the St. John Center; and Elizabeth Strojan, Executive Director, Louisville Metro Housing Authority.  It was moderated by Jeana Dunlap from the Louisville NAACP.

Election Connection | Louisville's Affordable Housing Shortage | 5-20-25

Listen to how three neighbors found out about a backroom plan to convert 25 acres of Joe Creason Public Park into a $65 million private tennis and pickleball complex and how, in a very short space of time, they organized a city-wide protest.  Learn how they accomplished a major win for public parks in the face of prior approvals and mayoral backing.

Election Connection | Joe Creason Park Neighborhood Protest | May 2025 | 6-3-25

Dr. Lynn Pasquerella is, among her many and varied roles within the academic community, President of the American Association of Colleges and Universities (AACU), which put out a public statement on April 22, 2025 decrying the "unprecedented government overreach and political interference now endangering American higher education."  It was signed by over 600 college and university presidents and chancellors.  Her insightful and knowledgeable commentary on current threats to our institutions of higher learning, the historical context and what lies ahead offer listeners a rare, eagle-eye view of the challenges we face in restoring our democracy through the "midwifery" of our educational institutions. 

Election Connection | Dr. Lynn Pasquerella | University Presidents Push Back on Trump Admin | 6-17-25

Dr. Ricky Jones, Professor of Pan African Studies at the University of Louisville, author and political analyst, speaks his mind at the Louisville League of Women Voters Annual Meeting, held June 26, 2025, on a number of topics including what he views as race-based hypocrisy, misinformation and interference in academic affairs on the part of Kentucky local and state government.

Election Connection | Dr. Ricky Jones | League of Women Voters Annual Meeting | 6-24-25

This is a talk given by Kyle Ellison on overcrowding in Kentucky's profit-driven county jail system  and how county jails interface with ICE.  Mr. Ellison is a retired parole officer, trainer for the prison/jail system in Kentucky and prison historian.  He spoke at the St. James Episcopal Church in Oldham County on July 22, 2025.

Election Connection | Kentucky's Profit-Driven Jail System | Kyle Ellison | 8-5-25

Dee Pregliasco, former President of the Louisville League of Women Voters, former District Court Judge, attorney retired from practice and currently Mediator, explores ramifications of a rush of voter suppression measures being introduced or having passed in Republican state legislatures, as well as the SAVE Act (Safeguard American Voter Eligibility) which, as of this recording, has yet to be voted on in the U.S. Senate.    

Election Connection | The SAVE ACT and Other Voter Suppression Measures | Dee Pregliasco | 8-11-25

Big crowds turned up at two public meetings to express their ideas, make comments and ask questions regarding what they would like to see happen at these flood-prone parks and other public areas along River Rd between the Big Four Bridge and Indian Hills.  These meetings took place August 11 and 13, 2025 and were put on by the Louisville Office of Metro Planning, Metro Parks and the Department of Transportation.  Everyone was encouraged to fill out an online survey by Googling River Road Land Use Vision Plan and clicking on the "We Want to Hear from You!" icon.

Election Connection | The Public Speaks Out at Champions Park and Beyond Public Meeting | 8-11-25

Forward Radio is independent, listener-sponsored, volunteer-powered, grassroots community radio WFMP-LP Louisville, Kentucky. We have been broadcasting at 106.5fm and live-streaming at forwardradio.org since April 9, 2017. Please donate at forwardradio.org to keep us on-air. It costs $20/day to keep this programming coming your way.