Curtis Tate

Trump threw his support behind Representative Andy Barr in the contest to elect a Republican successor to Senator Mitch McConnell, who's retiring this year.

In a social media post, Trump went with the eight-term congressman from Lexington over former Attorney General Daniel Cameron and Nate Morris, a businessman with backing from billionaire Elon Musk.

Barr isn't the only endorsement Trump has made in the state's May 19th primary.

He's also endorsed farmer Ed Galrein against Representative Thomas Massey, one of the president's most persistent Republican critics in Congress.

Trump remains popular in Kentucky, but his endorsement doesn't always guarantee a win.

In 2023, Trump endorsed Cameron for governor, but he lost to Democrat Andy Beshear.

For NPR News, I'm Curtis Tate in Richmond, Kentucky.

The U.S.

Department of Energy said coal plants in Kentucky, West Virginia, Ohio, and North Carolina would receive a total of $175 million for upgrades.

Though none of the seven plants is scheduled to shut down, the grants are intended to help keep them on the grid longer.

Ken Trosky, who teaches economics at the University of Kentucky, said the grants aren't likely to change coal's decline.

President Donald Trump also announced plans for the military to prioritize using coal-fired energy.

For NPR News, I'm Curtis Tate in Richmond, Kentucky.

Counties along Kentucky's southern border received a layer of ice over the weekend that at its peak cut off electricity to more than 60,000 customers.

Utility repair crews are working 16-hour shifts to replace broken poles and downed lines.

The effort may take them the rest of the week, especially in the region's remote rural areas.

and as temperatures were set to fall into the single digits and below zero, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear announced over social media the death of a 72-year-old woman from hypothermia.

Eastern grid operator PJM, which includes parts of Kentucky, revised upward its peak electricity demand forecast and said high power consumption would persist through the week.

I'm Curtis Tate in Richmond, Kentucky.

Counties along Kentucky's southern border received a layer of ice over the weekend that at its peak cut off electricity to more than 60,000 customers.