President Barack Obama said he could not imagine a circumstance in which a state banning gay marriage was legal, wading into an issue he initially said should be left to the states. [HuffPo]

Officials in Knott County have appointed a new leader after the former one was removed from office. [H-L]

Following the nomination of Gina McCarthy to head the Environmental Protection Agency, conservative media are once again claiming that the Obama administration’s EPA has waged a “war on coal.” But that narrative ignores how natural gas has outcompeted coal, and why the long-overdue Clean Air Act regulations on coal are necessary in the first place. [MMFA]

In times like this, you always ask..why? “They’re in heaven. God needed them for a reason. He wouldn’t have taken them if he didn’t,” said William Gray. [WKYT]

The newly proposed ‘Bluegrass Pipeline’ would be much longer than the controversial Keystone XL. Pipeline developer Williams Co. — a major gas supplier to New York City — has signed a letter of intent to construct a pipeline that would stretch from Pennsylvania to the Gulf of Mexico. [Business Insider]

It’s a bit different than the original proposal, but the Kentucky General Assembly Tuesday night was poised to pass a bill to provide greater oversight to special taxing districts. [Ronnie Ellis]

The Boy Scouts of America is reaching out to parents and scouts as it decides whether to continue or rescind the group’s ban on gay members and leaders. [NY Times]

Steve Beshear said Tuesday that House and Senate leaders will continue behind-the-scenes meetings on pension reform after failing to reach a compromise before the legislature’s recess. [C-J/AKN]

The Obama administration voiced concerns over a GOP bill to block state welfare waivers but stopped short of threatening to veto the measure Tuesday. [The Hill]

Heavy machines began cleaning up here Tuesday what a massive fire took down last week. Four businesses perished, leaving a number of people without a place to sleep or work. And now it’s claimed a fifth. [WDRB]

Iran’s state grain buyer has been in talks with export houses aimed at buying around 121,254 tons of U.S.-origin milling wheat, traders said, even as the United States and Europe impose toughened sanctions to stem Tehran’s nuclear program. [Reuters]

You should go take advantage of this! Natural Bridge State Resort Park is offering five guided hikes covering 20 miles of trails, and the first event is this weekend. [H-L]

A study of Neanderthal skulls suggests that they became extinct because they had larger eyes than our species. As a result, more of their brains were devoted to seeing in the long, dark nights in Europe, at the expense of high-level processing. [BBC]