The Office of the Attorney General said the Kentucky Retirement System doesn’t have to provide to the public how much individual retired state, county and city employees receive in their pension checks. [CN|2]

A campaign is under way to rebrand the US state of Kentucky as a place that “kicks ass”. How did the once-profane term become so widely permissible? [BBC]

LG&E was fined $125,000 by the Public Service Commission for the December 2011 home explosion in Louisville. [The 'Ville Voice]

A confidential Justice Department memo concludes that the U.S. government can order the killing of American citizens if they are believed to be “senior operational leaders” of al-Qaida or “an associated force” — even if there is no intelligence indicating they are engaged in an active plot to attack the U.S. [NBC News]

A bumper sticker on the car of U.S. Rep. Thomas Massie says flatly: “If you know how many guns you have, you don’t have enough.” [C-J/AKN]

Eight Senators on Monday voted not to consider the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act, a bill that protects victims of domestic violence. Rand Paul was one of those eight. [Think Progress]

Shoring up the financially troubled pension system for government retirees is among the pressing issues that lawmakers will take up when they return to Frankfort on Tuesday. [H-L]

Will Democrats sell your political opinions to credit card companies? Hell yes they will. And so will Republicans. [ProPublica]

Winter’s blast of snow and ice did not stop area residents from generously donating non-perishable goods to Safe Harbor of Northeast Kentucky during Shop and Share Day. [Ashland Independent]

Leon Lieser has been a coal miner 49 years, his bent fingers testament to his first job, loading coal by hand into a bucket. Mining also led to a hip replacement and a knee replacement. He loves his job and his industry, despite what it has done to his body. [Reuters]

Pension reform is one of many issues on the table as Kentucky lawmakers head back to work in Frankfort. But we all know nothing is really going to be reformed. [WDRB]

Gun control advocates are corralling votes by trying to make life miserable for Democrats they think are too cozy with the National Rifle Association. [The Hill]

Kentucky State Police are investigating a deadly shooting that happened early Tuesday morning in Morgan County. [WKYT]