Here’s Jim Ramsey complaining about budget cuts. He still wants a hospital merger or a management contract for University Hospital. Note that there was no discussion of his massive pay raise. [FOX41]

A showdown over Kentucky’s proposed legislative districts isn’t coming – it’s already here. [H-L]

Local State Representative Reggie Meeks has a lot to say about churning legislative butter in Frankfort. This week, he discusses the redistricting nightmare. [Page One]

Louisville’s Air Pollution Control Board has voted to re-categorize a chemical used in some of the city’s manufacturing processes. Recent studies have suggested the chemical isn’t as carcinogenic as originally thought. [WFPL]

Remember the woman that crazy ass constable shot at Walmart? She was arrested for allegedly shoplifting at Kmart. [WAVE3]

And here’s the expected story about the University of Louisville raising tuition rates while Jim Ramsey and his colleagues rake in millions upon millions of dollars each year. [Business First]

The license plate for the gays in Indiana? It’s causing faux family-types to freak completely out. They just can’t believe the gays aren’t getting stoned to death anymore. [WHAS11]

A Butchertown building that collapsed in September 2010 is going to be rebuilt. [Broken Sidewalk]

Louisville apparently won some sort of award for fighting childhood obesity. We’re pretty sure the folks behind the award have never actually been in Louisville. [WLKY]

J. Bruce Miller has been burning the comments section up lately with discussions of Chinese billionaires and potential NBA teams. [The 'Ville Voice Here & Here]

Yeah?

Check this out:

After watching the video, officials at Pleasanton, Calif.-based Safeway said they had stopped purchases from its supplier, JBS Swift, which distributes pork from the Iowa company, until an investigation into the conditions shown on the video can be completed.

“Safeway does not tolerate animal abuse of any kind and finds the images and animal handling practices contained in the Mercy for Animals video to be extremely disturbing and in violation of our animal welfare policies,” spokeswoman Teena Massingill said in a statement.

Kroger spokesman Keith Dailey said his company also had asked JBS Swift to investigate the conditions shown in the video. Until that investigation is completed, Kroger has told JBS Swift to stop supplying the chain with pork from the Iowa operation.

Here’s the sickening video mentioned above:

Makes you wonder about what goes on in Butchertown.

Looks like “Tan Lines” is getting lots of national attention. Thank goodness folks are filming movies in Kentucky. [indieWIRE]

Sounds like a typical evening at Fourth Street Live in Louisville. [NPR]

Humana and the state of Illinois are in a giant cat fight over state employees’ health coverage. [Reuters]

Does this sound remotely familiar? Industrial transition in cities still causes a stink. [Broken Sidewalk]

We need to get this damn vacant housing thing in check in Louisville ASAP. [C-J/AKN]

Lexington is finally working to make its streets safer for cyclists. [H-L]

The United Nations has endorsed gay rights for the first time. But Democrats in Kentucky still fear the gays. [Slate]

The father of missing IU student Lauren Spierer spoke one-on-one with FOX41. [FOX41]

Don’t expect your gubernatorial candidates to address the real problems facing this state. Remember when Steve Beshear promised gambling and refused to offer any other alternative solution? Expect the same hogwash from all candidates – not just him. [Ronnie Ellis]

Habitat for Humanity gave a new home to a family in Louisville. [WAVE3]

The Republican Party of Kentucky may be hitting Jerry Abramson over the head with his $180,000 slush fund scandal but locals are used to his shenanigans. [Page One]

Jason Stinson plans to return to coaching this fall. So get ready for a lot of people to foam at the mouth. [WHAS11]

David James said in a release that he’ll voluntarily participate in the furlough program: “The reality of our current budget situation is that everyone must sacrifice in order to avoid mass layoffs of city workers or a further reduction in services. For those of us in a position of leadership, it only seems appropriate to step forward and take some initiative.” [Press Release]

Let’s see how this vacant property bill changes things. Maybe Louisville can finally collect cash from banks who don’t keep up their foreclosed upon homes. [WFPL]

Like we told you yesterday, the bridges debacle could be cut by $1.2 billion. [WLKY]

And it seems only folks in Indiana have a healthy dose of skepticism, something Louisville is afraid of. [News and Tribune]

Jefferson County Public Schools says it wants to make school bus rides shorter. Shocker? [FOX41]

Interesting that this news comes at a time when everyone is focused on the potential new superintendent. [WFPL]

Interesting things happen in Eastern Kentucky. By “interesting things”? We obviously mean corruption and wasteful spending. But check this out. It’s almost funny. [Page One]

All kinds of tasty food changes are taking place on East Market Street. This is why Louisville can sometimes have nice things. [Consuming Louisville]

Utilities in Kentucky are warning of a 20 percent rate increase and people are just cold freaking out. [H-L]

In the most important news, Butchertown has fancy blue heffalumps that may or may not trump red penguins. [Broken Sidewalk]

Really, people, why are you trying to scam folks out of money during Crusade Week? What a horrible thing to do. [WHAS11]

Stop us if you’ve heard this one before… a Dismas House worker was arrested after trying to steal two dogs from Metro Animal Services. [WHAS11]

Storm damage in Kentucky has exceeded $34 million, according to Governor Steve Beshear’s office. [H-L]

Want to help with a stream study? Wanna improve your world? Here’s your chance. [Click the Clicky]

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels’ timeline for a presidential campaign is ticking. [MSNBC]

Making you kinda proud to be a Kentuckian: Indiana is set to defund Planned Parenthood. [HuffPo]

Do you think Mitch McConnell actually believes the things he says? [Page One]

The Environmental Protection Agency yesterday proposed stricter controls on water pollution. Will Frankfort react? [WaPo]

No matter how you cut it, this is sad. Butchertown Business Owner: “I am a beaten woman.” [FOX41]

The Great Steamboat Race has been moved to Friday JUNE 29, thanks to the gross flooding. [H-L & Press Release]

There’s a vacant property problem in Louisville’s West End. When are we gonna start giving those properties away to law enforcement and firefighters and such? [WFPL]

Turns out he ditched his meeting in Butchertown to go to the Bellarmine game and has yet to reschedule.

Imagine that.

Please accept our apologies for giving him the rare benefit of the doubt. Won’t happen again.

Note: Yes, I know the game was cool. BUT. His duties as mayor come first. You can’t dispute that. There’s no excuse for abdicating his duty and going against his word.

What was that, again, about Louisville being the 16th-largest city in the United States? HAHAHA. 16th with a bullet, maybe! Right. The latest census data say we’re 27th. Thank god Jerry’s political career is almost over. [Deep Census Thoughts]

Union leaders are weighing in on the city shortfall. Meanwhile, Greg Fischer is out somewhere pretending to deliver a meal or injuring himself while pretending to fill a pothole. [WFPL]

Did Meme Sweets really leave River Fields? Really? That’s the hot rumor. [Hot River Fields Rumors]

Greg Fischer will visit Butchertown on Saturday morning to discuss the hot mess that went down at JBS Swift the other day. People will give him an earful. Between 9:30 and 10:00 A.M. [Deep Butchertown Thoughts]

States are passing their budget pain on to cities as cutbacks in services. Is this gonna happen in Louisville? Probably. [NY Times]

Isn’t it interesting watching the State House cave to the State Senate? Jeff Hoover is coming out on top on this front, for sure. [WAVE3]

Did you see this mess with Elaine Nogay Walker (that’s really her name) on the teevee? It’s amazing that she walked right into Alessi’s trap. [Page One]

Police are revisiting a 25-year-old missing person case and the family is asking for help. [WHAS11]

We mention the University of Kentucky a lot on Page One and this is hardly the first instance of anti-Obama racism on that school’s campus. [FOX41]

Sure, Michelle is a traitor and is using some hideous Android telephone these days, but she knows tasty treats when she finds them. Particularly the East Market Street kinda treats. [Consuming Louisville]

The Kentucky jobless rate was at a steady 10.4 percent during the month of February. [H-L]

You need to help poor students crowdfund their college education with Takeashine, a Kentucky start-up. [CLICK HERE NOW]

Another Metro Government d-bag bites the dust. [More WFPL]

Check out the slideshow of workers being evacuated at Swift. The best part? Was when Swift tried to block views of the janky hog slaughtering factory from the view of news crews. [FOX41]

This is most certainly the responsibility of Greg Fischer and he needs to be publicly acknowledging the failure. Immediately. This is a flustercuck of epic proportions. The city was warned of a possible ammonia leak at Swift days in advance. [FatLip]

Allan Cowen’s “retirement” won’t address all artists’ complains about the Fund for the Arts. [WFPL]

United Way will hold an education town hall on March 31 at 10:00 A.M. Eastern. You should be sure to watch it live online. [Live United]

If you missed it yesterday, here’s a good look at the hypocrisies of the sinking teabagger and his campaign. [Page One]

Growing acceptance of nuclear power in the US? Not so much. The latest polling says support has eroded sharply in the aftermath of Japan’s disaster scenario. [NY Times]

Some scary circus heffalumps are just gonna cold take over Louisville’s streets soon! [Twitter]

Have you “Liked” StalkTALK on the Facebook yet? Remember it? It’s the web series filmed here in Louisville by a local. Get on it! [Facebook]

A plant worker in Rubbertown describes chaos and rescue after the explosion. [WHAS11]

Can you imagine what would have gone down with that mess – which is still burning – had there been more severe weather? [FOX41]

Remember how we told you that the Highlands has some tasty new coffee? It’s true. Mexico Roast. MMMM. [Consuming Louisville]

And MetroSafe saying there’s nothing to see here?

That’s bogus.

Third time in three weeks that something near-disaster has occurred and Metro Government has played pat-a-cake.

WHEN WILL THIS CITY GET ANSWERS, DAMNIT?

It’s safe to start putting blame at the feet of Greg Fischer.

It would be a lot more funny if PETA wasn’t a miserable failure and/or had an actual movement on the local level that it could engage for events like this.

At least we can laugh at the pictures and envision the ripe spell of roasting pig guts and fecal matter.