FRANKFORT, Ky. June 20 – As part of his Better Kentucky Plan, Gov. Andy Beshear today announced a historic investment of over $203 million to expand reliable and affordable high-speed internet to more than 34,000 Kentucky families and businesses.
The Governor said that the state’s Better Internet program is providing more than $89.1 million in 46 grant awards to 12 internet service providers and local governments across 35 Kentucky counties. Grant recipients have pledged funds to match the state’s contributions, bringing the total investment for this round of broadband expansion awards to over $203 million.
“I am incredibly pleased to announce what I believe is the single largest provision of funding for high-speed internet in our commonwealth’s history,” Gov. Beshear said. “High-speed, reliable internet service is not just the infrastructure of the future, it is the infrastructure of the present. It is just as important right now as roads and bridges. And today is a key part of our plan to build a better Kentucky, as high-speed internet will be critical to the success of our state’s economy and to future job creation.”
The awards were made using a competitive process managed by the Finance and Administration Cabinet, which issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) in August 2021. An evaluation team comprised of state government employees spent six months evaluating and scoring the nearly 100 proposals received in response to the RFP. The 12 successful applicants, representing 46 projects, were selected based on their demonstrated ability to meet certain conditions required to receive this funding.
“These grants will lower the cost of construction so that our most rural areas will have access to this necessity of high-speed internet,” State Budget Director John Hicks said. “These funds are dedicated to unserved areas in Kentucky. We’re also setting up Kentucky’s first Office of Broadband Development to help administer and create a master plan for the commonwealth to provide universal service to every Kentuckian.”
Awards announced today include:
Charter Communications received 18 grant awards totaling $49,980,694. The overall project investment is $118,808,035 including the required matching funds. This investment will expand access to high-speed internet to 18,553 currently unserved households and businesses located in Anderson, Bourbon, Boyle, Carroll, Henry, Jefferson, Jessamine, Lincoln, Madison, Oldham, Shelby, Spencer and Trimble counties.
Frankfort Plant Board received 11 grants totaling $8,045,741. The overall project cost is $16,091,483 including the required matching funds. This investment will expand access to high-speed internet to 1,918 currently unserved households and businesses located in Franklin County.
Pennyrile Rural Electric Cooperative received seven grants totaling $13,827,320. The overall project cost is $27,906,340 including the required matching funds. This investment will expand access to high-speed internet to 5,598 currently unserved households and businesses located in Caldwell, Christian, Lyon, Todd and Trigg counties.
West Kentucky Rural Telephone Co-op Corporation received two grant awards totaling $3,365,704. The overall project cost is $6,731,408 including the required matching funds. This investment will expand access to high-speed internet to 843 currently unserved households and businesses located in Calloway and Marshall counties.
Cumberland Cellular received a grant for $1,012,879. The overall project cost is $2,025,758 including the required matching funds. This investment will expand access to high-speed internet to 290 currently unserved households and businesses located in Casey County.
South Central Telecom received a grant for $1,885,000. The overall project cost is $3,710,000 including the required matching funds. This investment will expand access to high-speed internet to 215 currently unserved households and businesses located in Edmonson and Warren counties.
Gibson Connect received a grant for $4,650,880. The overall project cost is $11,073,552 including the required matching funds. This investment will expand access to high-speed internet to 1,763 currently unserved households and businesses located in Fulton, Graves and Hickman counties.
Boone County Fiscal Court received a grant for $808,832. The overall project cost is $4,880,432 including the required matching funds. This investment will expand access to high-speed internet to 2,130 currently unserved households and businesses located in Boone County.
Duo County Telephone Cooperative received a grant for $3,368,826. The overall project cost is $6,737,652 including the required matching funds. This investment will expand access to high-speed internet to 550 currently unserved households and businesses located in Russell and Wayne counties.
Bardstown Connect received a grant for $1,090,982. The overall project cost is $3,305,064 including the required matching funds. This investment will expand access to high-speed internet to 1,061 currently unserved households and businesses located in Bullitt, Nelson, Spencer and Washington counties.
Crystal Broadband Networks received a grant for $255,835. The overall project cost is $515,835 including the required matching funds. This investment will expand access to high-speed internet to 1,006 currently unserved households and businesses located in Powell County.
Tri-County Electric received a grant for $900,000. The overall project cost is $1,800,000 including the required matching funds. This investment will expand access to high-speed internet to 97 currently unserved households and businesses located in Monroe County.
Frankfort Plant Board Chair John Cubine, who attended today’s announcement, cited the positive impact the funds will have on residents in Franklin County.
“At the Frankfort Plant Board, we have long discussed the critical need to provide citizens in our most outlying areas the vital link to internet access that will increase the quality of life, access to educational and employment opportunities and a connection to the world,” Cubine said. “This award helps to ensure FPB can provide that access no matter where you live in Franklin County. As a long-standing service provider in this community, we recognize the value of this opportunity as it will promote economic development throughout the county. And we want to thank the Franklin County Fiscal Court for our partnership to secure this funding.”
“This is a momentous occasion for Powell County and the communities of Frames Branch, Hardwicks Creek and Furnace Road,” Fareed Saghir, general manager, Crystal Broadband Networks said. “This project covers approximately 1,000 households and is set to transform the lives of thousands of people since it opens up a world of opportunities – from telemedicine, to remote learning and being able to thrive in the ever-changing digital economy. Today’s awards are a giant leap toward bridging the digital divide between urban and rural communities.”
“The grants are going to bring fiber broadband to over 850 people. I can’t tell you what an impact that has on people’s lives. It promotes health care, learning and just a better quality of life,” DUO Broadband CEO and Cumberland Cellular, LLC president Tom Preston said. “On behalf of our employees, our board of directors and everybody involved, we just want to say thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
The president and CEO of Pennyrile Electric Cooperative said the co-op is honored to be selected as a recipient of broadband funding.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with the state and build a fiber-to-the-home network for the communities we serve,” Pennyrile Electric Cooperative President and CEO Alan Gates said. “This funding from the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority will alleviate some of the significant financial burden associated with building a rural fiber-optic broadband network. The return on Kentucky’s investment will manifest through state residents receiving reliable, affordable and sustainable high-speed internet. Pennyrile’s served communities will be connected to vital services that include remote access to education and health care. Further, our members will be able to fully participate in the digital economy, helping these areas grow and thrive economically. We are grateful to the State of Kentucky for their support of the members in the Pennyrile Electric service territory.”
Charter Communications executives also expressed appreciation for the grant.
“We applaud this bold, bipartisan broadband expansion effort and look forward to the opportunity to extend our ongoing partnership with Kentucky leaders – including the Beshear administration, Kentucky Infrastructure Authority and state and local leaders – who recognize the importance of rural connectivity to Kentucky’s future,” Area Vice President of Charter Communications Jerry Avery said. “From investing to deploy internet access to reach unserved Kentuckians, to continually upgrading our network to provide fast and reliable broadband products at great value, to addressing affordability and adoption barriers, Charter has long been committed to increasing connectivity across the Commonwealth. We look forward to this opportunity to extend our network to reach an additional nearly 20,000 unserved families and small businesses across 13 counties, in seven of which broadband availability will be further expanded through Charter’s ongoing rural deployment initiative.”
Bardstown Mayor J. Richard Heaton said the funds will greatly benefit citizens in the Bardstown area.
“The City of Bardstown greatly appreciates the award for Kentucky Broadband Deployment funds,” Mayor Heaton said. “These funds and our matching funds will enhance some of our planned buildouts in areas of our county and market that are unserved or significantly underserved. This would not be possible without the help of the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority and Gov. Beshear’s administration.”
The President of the Gibson Electric said they are thrilled to receive Kentucky Broadband Deployment Program grant funds for their project.
“Our member-owners desperately need high-speed, fiber-based internet service and it will vastly improve the quality of life in our communities by providing opportunities for education, health care, jobs, entertainment and more,” President and CEO of Gibson Electric Membership Corporation and Gibson Connect Dan Rodamaker said. “We sincerely thank all those who have made the grant possible and particularly Gov. Beshear, our legislators and members of the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority. We also are grateful to our local leadership for their support of this important project and to our members for their patience as we have worked to provide internet service as economically as possible. We plan to begin work immediately and will soon communicate details of our buildout plan.”
Judge/Executive Gary Moore of Boone County said financial support for this project will be transformational for his constituents.
“Boone County is extremely pleased and grateful to KIA in receiving a notice of preliminary award for the county’s highspeed internet project in the amount of $808,832,” Judge Moore said. “These funds will be applied to continuing the buildout of fiber to every household in the county, resulting in universal access to a system capable of delivering 1.0 gigabyte of service. This transformative project continues to move forward and is on schedule for completion during the first half of 2023.”
CEO of West Kentucky & Tennessee Telecommunications Trevor Bonnstetter said, “WK&T has served parts of rural Calloway and Marshall counties since our founding members saw a need in rural areas that weren’t being met by the large telecom providers. This grant award means that more residents of Calloway and Marshall counties outside the current WK&T footprint are one step closer to having access to the fastest, most reliable internet technology available. This technology improves the daily lives of our members by opening up a whole new world of opportunities in entertainment, health care, education and so much more.”
“We are absolutely thrilled with the announcement regarding the approval of Tri-County Electric’s broadband grant application,” Tri-County Electric CEO Paul Thompson said. “I believe that having our application approved, in the amount of $900,000, is evidence that the state knows we are ready to provide fiber internet to Cumberland County. I, along with our District B (Burkesville) Director, Bret Carver, am very excited for these families.”
The awards announced today are the result of a bipartisan agreement signed into law by Gov. Beshear in April 2021 that allocated $300 million in federal American Rescue Plan dollars to bring internet access to unserved and underserved communities across the commonwealth.
House Bill 320 and House Bill 382, enacted by the 2021 General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Beshear, established Kentucky’s Broadband Deployment Fund to assist private sector entities and governmental agencies in the cost of constructing the “last mile” of high-speed internet access to unserved and underserved households and businesses across Kentucky.
The fund includes $300 million earmarked for the construction of high-speed internet infrastructure to connect areas currently without access.
Combined with at least 50% required matching federal investments, a minimum of $600 million will support the expansion of high-speed internet in Kentucky, creating more than 10,000 direct and indirect jobs. This historic investment, coupled with the internet speed test, access mapping and the KentuckyWired project, positions the commonwealth to move to the forefront of high-speed internet expansion nationwide.
The Governor’s Better Kentucky Plan aims to help the commonwealth lead in the post-COVID economy by applying federal dollars to build new schools, deliver clean drinking water, expand access to broadband, build stronger communities, improve roads and bridges and expand electric vehicle infrastructure.
The Governor also reminded Kentuckians that in December 2021, the FCC launched the Affordable Connectivity Program. This is a long-term, $14 billion program to ensure our people can afford the internet needed for work, school, health care and more. Qualifying households can receive a monthly benefit up to $30 per household.
6月14日莫斯科讯，俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔·普京今天与美国总统特朗普进行了通话。在特朗普总统正值80岁生日之际，乌克兰战争仍是本周七国集团（G7）峰会前的一个焦点问题。 据俄罗斯总统助理尤里·乌沙科夫（Yuri Ushakov）事后通报，普京总统与特朗普总统的通话持续了近一个小时。 据乌沙科夫所称，特朗普总统在乌克兰问题上强调了结束敌对行动的必要性，并表示愿意利用自身影响力促使欧洲盟友及基辅朝着这一目标努力，包括在即将召开的七国集团峰会上推动这一进程。 据乌沙科夫转述，特朗普总统还表示，近期乌克兰针对俄罗斯境内平民目标的袭击使达成和解变得更加复杂，尽管白宫既未证实这一点，也未就此次通话发表评论，并称迅速结束战争可能为“美俄关系开启一个真正全新的局面”创造条件。 据乌沙科夫称，普京总统表示，乌克兰针对俄罗斯民用基础设施的袭击不会改变乌克兰在战场上的态势；他还表示，如果泽连斯基希望与他会面，“就让他来莫斯科吧”。 乌沙科夫还透露，美国特使史蒂夫·威特科夫（Steve Witkoff）和特朗普的女婿贾里德·库什纳（Jared Kushner）预计将于近期前往俄罗斯。 乌沙科夫还表示，两国领导人还讨论了伊朗问题；特朗普总统称，美国与伊朗达成协议已指日可待，并希望能在今天公布会谈结果。 此外，普京总统今天向特朗普总统致贺电，祝贺其80岁生日。普京总统今天在致特朗普总统的生日贺词中表示：“尊敬的唐纳德：值此您八十寿辰之际，请接受我最诚挚的问候。您是一位真正杰出且非凡的人物与政治家，在这个特殊的日子里，我向您致以最美好的祝愿。我非常珍视我们之间建立的相互理解，这使我们能够坦诚、直接地探讨双边及国际议程中最复杂的问题。” 普京总统在贺词中还表示：“我坚信，通过我们的共同努力，我们能够切实加强俄美关系，并为维护全球安全与稳定做出重大贡献。衷心祝愿您身体健康、生活幸福、事业兴旺、万事如意。同时也请向梅拉尼娅及您的全家转达我最诚挚的问候。
6月14日讯，美国前总统巴拉克·奥巴马（Barack Obama）表示，对于特朗普总统旨在阻止伊朗获取核武器的新协议，其内容能否不同于或优于他本人在2015年谈判达成的协议持“怀疑”态度。 奥巴马在接受美国广播公司（ABC）新闻频道采访时表示，即便最终达成任何协议，也很难想象它会与最初的那份协议有显著不同，或者会有实质性的改进——而那份最初的协议在包括美国在内的各方退出之前，曾长期有效运作。 奥巴马在他的第二个总统任期内促成了与伊朗达成的《联合全面行动计划》（JCPOA)，即伊核协议。根据该协议，伊朗承诺限制其核计划、限制铀浓缩活动，并允许国际核查人员视察其核设施；协议还规定解除针对伊朗石油的部分制裁，并解冻数十亿美元的伊朗资产。不过，该协议虽然在国际社会中颇受好评，但在美国国内却引发了争议。 特朗普总统于2017年上任后，宣布美国退出《联合全面行动计划》。他在上周接受《会见新闻界》（Meet the Press）节目采访时，他抨击前任奥巴马达成的这项伊核协议是“愚蠢的”。 特朗普总统表示：“奥巴马签署了那个愚蠢的协议，向他们支付了数以十亿计的美元——他以为能用钱收买他们。” 特朗普表示，即便在《联合全面行动计划》框架下，伊朗仍在继续生产武器级铀；他补充说，该协议未能阻止伊朗向制造核武器迈进。 奥巴马表示，他希望特朗普政府停止轰炸，并让“普通民众不再因战争而遭受苦难”。他还表示，他认为解决伊朗问题应采取外交途径，而非诉诸冲突。 奥巴马说：“花时间探索外交途径，竭尽全力达成协议——即便这些协议无法百分之百解决问题，却能解决80%或90%，从而避免诉诸战争。你本以为我们早就该吸取这一教训了，但似乎每隔一段时间，我们就得重新学习这一课。”
6月13日洛杉矶讯，中国国民党主席郑丽文结束美国访问行程前，将洛杉矶作为此行最后一站。今天她应罗省中华会馆邀请，出席纪念国父孙中山先生诞辰160周年系列活动，并与南加州侨界展开交流。 今天下午，郑丽文一行抵达罗省中华会馆时受到聂泽英主席及华埠各界侨领热烈欢迎。前驻美代表袁健生、国民党驻美代表秦日新，以及多位国民党党务主管和南加州侨界代表共同出席活动。 罗省中华会馆主席聂泽英致词表示，今年适逢国父孙中山先生诞辰160周年，希望通过系列纪念活动，弘扬国父推动民族复兴、民主自由与世界大同的精神。他同时回顾洛杉矶华侨先贤支持辛亥革命的历史，强调海外华侨“革命之母”的重要贡献。 郑丽文在致词中感谢南加州侨界长期以来对中华民国及国民党的支持。她表示，国父孙中山当年曾获得海外华侨大力支持，为辛亥革命成功及亚洲第一个民主共和国的建立奠定基础。 谈及当前局势，郑丽文指出，两岸正处于重要历史关口，应透过制度化交流与对话机制化解分歧，避免冲突发生。她强调，维护台海和平不仅关系两岸人民福祉，也攸关区域及全球稳定，需要各方共同努力推动和平发展。 郑丽文还介绍了此次访美成果。两周来，她走访美国东西岸，与智库学者、国会议员及行政部门官员交流。她表示，美国各界普遍高度关注台海局势，也期待通过更多沟通降低误判风险。 活动期间，郑丽文与侨界代表步行前往华埠孙中山铜像前献花致敬。在庄严肃穆的气氛中，与会人士共同缅怀国父对民族复兴与民主发展的卓越贡献。 https://youtu.be/3-pkJYF552Y
6月13日讯，据消费者新闻与商业频道（CNBC）报道，美国独立社会保障与联邦医疗保险（Medicare）政策分析师玛丽·约翰逊（Mary Johnson）的最新估算显示，美国到2027年社会保障生活成本调整（COLA）将达到4.7%。上个月，约翰逊指数曾预测明年的社会保障生活成本调整为4.2%。 约翰逊表示：“随着更多数据（尤其是汽油价格数据）的公布，这一数字很有可能进一步攀升，超过4.7%。” 社会保障局通常在10月份宣布下一年度的社会保障生活成本调整，该调整基于第三季度的数据。与此同时，美国无党派老年人组织“老年公民联盟”（Senior Citizens League）目前预测2027年的社会保障生活成本调整为3.8%，低于其5月份预测的3.9%。该预测未说明下调原因，且“老年公民联盟”也未回应置评请求。 2026年，美国约7500万社会保障（Social Security）和补充保障收入（SSI）的受益人因生活成本调整，其每月领取的福利金增加了2.8%。 然而，据约翰逊指出，尽管该调整使平均每月2000美元的福利金增加了约56美元，但受益人每月需要增加94美元才能跟上通货膨胀的步伐。 根据美国政府最新数据，5月份消费者价格上涨，推动美国年通胀率升至了3年来的最高水平。根据美国社会保障局的数据，过去十年间，年度生活成本调整平均约为 3.1%。社会保障体系的生活成本调整是根据消费者价格指数的一个子集，即“城市工薪族和文职人员消费者价格指数”（CPI-W）计算得出的。 此前，美国劳工统计局（BLS）6月10日公布的数据显示，截至5月，广义消费者价格指数（CPI）过去12个月内上涨了4.2%；与此同时，在城市工薪族和文职人员消费者价格指数同期上涨了4.4%。 在过去12个月中，针对城市工薪阶层和文职人员的消费者价格指数涨幅最大的类别包括：燃油飙升64.1%、汽油上涨40.7%以及机票上涨25%。 数据显示，美国老年人持续面临高昂生活成本的压力。新冠疫情过后，美国通胀率飙升至新高，促使社会保障福利的生活成本调整幅度大幅上调，2022年上调了5.9%，2023年上调了8.7%。尽管随后通胀势头有所减弱，导致社会保障福利的生活成本调整幅度随之下降，但消费品价格总体上仍维持在高位。 根据美国退休人员协会（AARP）于今年1月份进行的最新财务安全趋势调查，69%即大多数50岁及以上的美国成年人表示，他们担心物价上涨的速度超过了收入增长的速度。此外，调查还显示，61%的美国老年人认为，平均每月2000美元的社会保障金并不够用。…
6月13日费城讯，马萨诸塞州联邦地方法官安吉尔·凯利（Angel Kelley）昨天发布初步禁令，要求特朗普政府恢复在国家博物馆、公园及地标性场所已实施的历史叙事改动，还要求暂停任何进一步的改动。她在裁决书中写道，原告已证明特朗普政府的这些举措意在“用修正液改写国家历史”。 凯利写道：“本届政府打着维护美国尊严的幌子，试图通过下令移除国家公园内所有不符合其偏好叙事的标识、陈列和解说性展览，来呈现一段片面的历史，从而只讲述部分真相。” 特朗普政府曾于2025年3月发布题为《恢复美国历史的真相与理智》（Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History）的行政命令，要求国家公园不得展示那些“不恰当地贬低已故或在世美国人”的内容。 凯利反驳称，特朗普总统的命令不过是抹杀美国真实历史的借口。凯利写道：“如果将某些群体的经历排除在外，就无法忠实地讲述历史；而这些群体的贡献、奋斗与成就，正是我们国家历史的重要组成部分。” 凯利还要求特朗普政府每周提交一份关于改动进展的状态报告。根据该命令，政府有21天的时间来“恢复并重新安装国家公园管理局（NPS）所辖公园内的所有解说性资料；这些资料此前根据部长令，在2025年5月20日以来的移除过程中遭到了更改、移除或损坏。” 这项命令是针对一些自然保护与历史保护组织于2月提起的诉讼而作出的；这些组织指控美国国家公园管理局的政策，迫使工作人员移除或审查数十项展览，而这些展览原本展示了关于奴隶制和气候变化等，符合史实且具有相关性的美国历史与科学知识。 许多变动发生在费城的独立国家历史公园（INHP)，管理方撤除了关于9名奴隶生平的展览；这些人曾在18世纪90年代、即美国首任总统乔治·华盛顿任期内，于该地点遭受奴役。其他变动包括：在亚利桑那州的日落火山口火山国家纪念地（SCVNM)，一块介绍玄武岩气泡的展板被撤除，原因仅仅是上面印有一名游客手持“骄傲旗”（Pride flag）的图像；而在马萨诸塞州的洛厄尔国家历史公园（LNHP)，关于劳工历史的影片也被撤下。…
6月13日讯，一名在美国进行空军军官训练的乌克兰公民最近被判5项罪名成立；此前，有关部门截获了来自中国的非法枪支部件，并发现该乌克兰公民的家中存在“幽灵枪”3D打印制造武器的窝点。 据美国伊利诺伊州南区联邦检察官办公室消息，来自伊利诺伊州哈里斯堡（Harrisburg）的33岁乌克兰公民雅罗斯拉夫·维什涅夫斯基（Yaroslav Vishnevski）被联邦陪审团裁定多项罪名成立，罪名包括接收或持有未登记的短管步枪；在未缴纳特别营业税的情况下制造受《国家枪支法》（NFA）管制的武器；接收或持有未登记的短管霰弹枪；接收或持有未登记的消音器；以及持有序列号已被抹除的阿特拉斯武器 （Atlas Arms）品牌的12号口径短管霰弹枪。 一份刑事起诉书显示，此案调查始于2024年4月22日，当时美国海关与边境保护局（CBP）的官员截获了一个从中国寄出的装有两个疑似枪支消音器的包裹。该包裹的寄送地址是该乌克兰公民维什涅夫斯基位于伊利诺伊州南部的住所。 据法庭文件显示，2024年5月2日，伊利诺伊州警察局（ISP）的一名便衣警员将包裹放在了维什涅夫斯基家门前的门廊上，并目睹他取走包裹并将其带入屋内。 不久后，当他离开住所且未携带该包裹时，带有明显警用标识的巡逻车将其截停进行交通检查；与此同时，一支特警队（SWAT）正在其家中执行搜查令。执法人员在该乌克兰男子的屋内及停于室外的一辆露营车内，据称发现了一个运作活跃的非法武器制造作坊。 法庭文件显示，有关部门查获了三台3D打印机和一台“幽灵枪手”(Ghost Gunner）台式数控机床（CNC）——这是一种常用于切削加工“80%完成度”枪支机匣的设备，此类机匣无法被追踪。 调查人员报告称，在该男子家中查获了一大批非法且无法追踪的武器，其中包括大量3D打印的消音器和枪身组件；无序列号、私人制造且无法追踪的短管步枪；一支序列号已被磨除的Atlas Arms 12号口径短管霰弹枪；以及一支加装了副厂枪托和垂直前握把的改装版的格洛克（Glock ）19X手枪。 联邦法律规定，短管步枪、短管霰弹枪和消音器必须在“国家枪支登记与转让记录”中进行登记，且制造商须缴纳一项特别营业税。但维什涅夫斯基并未进行此类登记。…