In the furious fallout from the revelation that the IRS flagged applications from conservative nonprofits for extra review because of their political activity, some points about the big picture — and big donors — have fallen through the cracks. [ProPublica] Eastern Kentucky authorities are plagued with a series of jail inmate escapes this week. [H-L] [...]

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Eastern Kentucky University will give buyout packages to 127 employees who applied for them and were accepted, officials announced Tuesday. [H-L] Republicans controlling the House pressed ahead Tuesday with slashing cuts to domestic programs far deeper than the cuts departments like Education, Interior and State are facing under an already painful round of automatic austerity. [...]

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Former Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer’s sister has resigned as assistant executive director of the Kentucky Registry of Election Finance. [H-L] If you have any heart at all, this story will melt it. An elderly woman whose home was destroyed by the Oklahoma tornado found her pet dog among the rubble during a live TV interview. [...]

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Fun fact: ethics don’t actually exist in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Three former state agriculture employees agreed Monday to pay a total of $15,500 in fines to settle ethics charges that stemmed from their employment under former Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer. [H-L] Here’s a finding that shouldn’t be all that surprising: Since 1991, roughly 97 [...]

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Former Kentucky Democratic Party Chairman Bill Garmer said Friday he is considering running for the U.S. Senate next year if Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes declines to enter the race against Republican incumbent Mitch McConnell. [PEE ALERT] Naturally, Republicans are split on a media shield law amid outrage over the Associated Press records seizure. [...]

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Kentucky’s change to a managed care system of delivering Medicaid services continues to rile lawmakers, although they’re the ones who demanded cost-savings measures for the health care system for the poor and disabled. [Ronnie Ellis] Huxley Sommerville, group managing director at Fitch Ratings, increasingly fears another massive financial crisis. Ask him why and he tells [...]

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Then take that agency’s janky web survey and let your thoughts be known. Click here to access it. Here’s the email message that accompanied the LMAS survey link: We hope you are enjoying the pet you adopted from Louisville Metro Animal Services (LMAS). As part of our quest to continually improve the services we deliver [...]

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A northern Kentucky mayor who was indicted on a charge of abusing public trust has resigned from office. [H-L] The truth will set you free, meemaw!!!1! Rand Paul will work with Jesus to help you cling to your guns. [Wonkette] New state-level data from the Energy Information Administration shows that carbon dioxide emissions fell in [...]

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You can’t even be in Lexington these days without getting shot or stabbed. That town is still trying to catch up to Louisville. [H-L] Pat Buchanan has a plan to win more white voters for the GOP. Which should make some racist old coots in Frankfort quite happy. [HuffPo] People magazine dubbed him “the deadliest [...]

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Oh, great. Now this mess involves Kentucky Retirement Systems: California legislative leaders and 10 public employee unions announced opposition Wednesday to any sale of the Los Angeles Times and other Tribune Co. newspapers to a pair of wealthy brothers who fund conservative causes throughout the country. In a letter dated Tuesday to Bruce Karsh, president [...]

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