Waiting for comment and context vs. the urgent Need to publish | Thorn

A bombshell story about the Breonna Taylor killing, based on her family’s lawyers’ account, accuses the city of using the police to clear a neighborhood for redevelopment. The initial story appeared in the printed paper without a comment from the city or those involved in the city’s multimillion-dollar “Vision Russell” development plan. The online story was updated with a denial from the Mayor’s Office. A subsequent story offered a fuller city explanation and denial and noted that renderings of the project presented by the lawyers as proof were simply grad student design exercises. It is possible that it turns out the city has been using the police and even building department to push what they see as urban renewal. But should The CJ have waited until the next day to present a more complete story, or was the need for the dominant news outlet to break a story so important? It is a tough call in the Age of Immediacy. The lawyers, of course, have a reason they want their story to get out first and unchallenged. We tend to lean toward getting it right and best than getting it first on a story with so many repercussions.

Guns OK, protesters, no | Thorn + Absurd

Protesters downtown stand on public sidewalk and get tackled by police and arrested. Meanwhile, also downtown, police spot two men atop a hotel parking garage. They have two long guns, and one gun is equipped with a bipod and scope. The guns are confiscated because the men could not prove ownership, but neither man is charged because no crime was committed. It is legal to openly carry a firearm in public in Kentucky.

Progressives battle, bland wins | Thorn

Mike Broihier received about 27,000 votes in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, more than the 14,725 votes by which Amy McGrath defeated Charles Booker. Broihier’s campaign manager asserts his voters would not necessarily have gone to fellow progressive Booker. “Our internal data shows 31.6% of surveyed Mike supporters initially supported McGrath, and 25.2% supported Booker,” the campaign manager tweeted. “The remaining 43.6% were voters who indicated Mike was their initial candidate. The notion that Mike ‘played spoiler’ is not reflected empirically in our data.”

Your government at Work | Thorn

For all of you waiting for your unemployment check or who never got a loan or payroll protection money, console your anger by knowing that the nonprofit arm of the Ark Park got from $1 million to $2 million from the Paycheck Protection Program.