Mitch McConnell spent part of his time this weekend addressing Burmese refugees here in Louisville. [FOX41]

Go read the quote from Greg Fischer about local food in this story and tell us you don’t feel like he’s talking down to some five-year-olds in his mind. [WHAS11]

What? Greg Fischer is in another socialite photo spread? You don’t say! [Voice-Tribune]

Can you imagine Greg Fischer sitting on a panel of mayors to discuss educational reform? HAHAHA. He went to an exclusive private school and every member of his family did the same. He’s literally never worked a day in his life for a paycheck. And still thinks he can come off knowing anything about the needs of public education. HAHAHAHAHA. [C-SPAN]

Don’t hold your breath, Curt. Emily Dennis isn’t about to dig too deeply. And if the case got to the point where Jack Conway had to appoint a special prosecutor, it’d take a couple years for anything to happen. And then folks would plead down to misdemeanors. Won’t even get that far unless you’re willing to spend $30,000ish on attorneys to push it. [Curt Morrison]

The Public Service Commission approved LG&E’s land swap with Metro Government to help complete a 100-mile hiking and biking trail. From a release: Louisville Gas & Electric Co. (LG&E) will deed 6.94 acres of land at its Cane Run power plant in western Jefferson County to Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government in exchange for 17.198 acres of vacant city-owned property that abuts the Cane Run plant property on Woodland Avenue. Because the city property has a higher appraised value, LG&E also will pay $56,400 to Louisville Metro government. [Press Release]

Remember Todd Lally? Now he wants to run for the newly-created 10th District State House seat in Eastern Jefferson County. [Ryan Alessi]

Greg Fischer promised he’d stand up for equality as he pocketed thousands upon thousands of gay dollars on the campaign trail. So where’s he at now? Not standing up for equality. [Here & Here]

Congressman John Yarmuth is cosponsoring two bills that ensure no U.S. citizen may be indefinitely detained or have their right to due process violated. [Twitter & More Twitter]

How excited do you think Greg Fischer was to hear Ed Hart chapping his rear end on the radio today? [WFPL]

Perennial candidate Chris Thieneman filed to run for State Senate in the 37th district. [SoS]

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]

Regardless of what happens today with the University of Louisville Hospital merger decision, Kentuckians will still be screwed. You already expect it, we know. [FOX41]

Pro-tip to to Patti Swope: Stop spamming us and everyone else with unsolicited press releases. Or get a new PR agent who takes your business relationships more seriously. [Come On]

WHAS11 explores the lives of 3 transgendered women living in Louisville. And, of course, that exploration pushes nothing but stereotypes. Come on, Gene. [WHAS11]

As I explained to Curt Morrison at the time, and he apparently didn’t take to heart, the person who solicited inaugural funds from Ed Hart and Bruce Lunsford was Tommy Elliott, not Christy Brown. I know because they told me so and have email trails to back it up. Even KREF is ignorantly placing blame in her lap. Christy may be the River Fields frenemy everybody loves to hate but she wasn’t involved in that mess of Greg Fischer’s. Maybe every other mess, but not that one. That’s all Tommy Elliott, Jim Mims and Bill Bardenwerper. Hopefully Christy will finally learn her lesson about trying to play power broker for her favorite little boy, Greg. [Curt Morrison]

Oh, look, the Ohio River Bridges Debacle talking points are spreading amongst the loyal. Thank goodness Kentucky has no money and won’t be able to build a downtown bridge. [Business First]

You’ve seen the corruption Greg Stumbo admits publicly he’ll do nothing about, right? Because it involves his friend, Keith Hall? The guy Crit Luallen fingered in a massive audit? The guy Jack Conway refuses to investigate? The guy the Ethics Commission fined and spanked? Yeah. [Page One]

Frankfort is still living in the dark ages, believing their pseudoephedrine legislation will solve the meth problem. Something that’s only really an issue in ten counties. And wouldn’t be if more than 30% of doctors and pharmacists actually used systems that already exist. But that’s the Kentucky way – raising costs to Medicaid, killing tax revenue and playing to fears. [C-J/AKN]

Sorry, WAVE, you didn’t have an exclusive on Senate Republicans meeting with Steve Beshear on gambling. Every outlet with a reporter in Frankfort or covering Frankfort had the story and interviews. [WAVE3]

We can’t decide if this story makes Greg Fischer look disconnected or just a bit confused when it comes to the economy. [NYT]

Here’s a history nerd look at vintage buses of Louisville’s transit past. Remember when Louisville had transit dreams? [Broken Sidewalk]

The “Unfair” is where locals go to buy real art during the St. James shenanigans. Here’s hoping you went this year and will go next year. [FOX41]

University of Louisville Geriatrics is set to honor an 82-year-old woman with the first Optimal Aging Award for maintaining physical, mental, social and spiritual health. [H-L]

Shocker (yes, sarcasm)! Jefferson County Public Schools are in danger of becoming a revolving door of persistently low-achieving schools. [C-J/AKN]

Chris Hartman knows David Williams isn’t an anti-gay bigot but he loves pretending that he is. Anyone can find that out by actually speaking with David Williams or his wife. With this logic, we can go ahead and say Steve Beshear’s a bigot because he has bigoted supporters – and because he’s afraid to say the word “gay.” [WFPL]

Owsley was so important that he made the New York Times on Friday. [NY Times]

More answers are expected today re: the Jefferson County Public Schools student assignment plan. Meanwhile, everybody in town is freaking out one way or another. [WAVE3]

Seriously, Greg Fischer? You’re just going to prove us right by trying to be in the social funtimes magazine you get at Kroger every single week? [VT]

Metro Council will approve Greg Fischer’s new MSD nominee in 3, 2… [WHAS11]

Been in the NuLu area recently? Then you’ve noticed how cool Lincoln Elementary School is looking these days. [Broken Sidewalk]

We can’t believe people are shocked that the Kentucky Kingdom deal with the state fair board fell through. [Business First]

Bidding begins today for companies to make repairs on the Sherman Minton Bridge. [WLKY]

Because they were afraid of not be allowed entry to the State Fair?

Haha, well… here we are several years later, Eklof has resolved everything on his own and Fairness is finally (!) doing something.

From a press release (the annual press release is their “ongoing effort”):

In an ongoing effort to raise public awareness of the Kentucky Farm Bureau’s anti-Fairness policies, the Fairness Campaign will unveil “larger-than-life” petitions requesting the company’s removal of the policies on opening day of the Kentucky State Fair. Fairness supporters will deliver the large petitions to the Kentucky Farm Bureau booth at the State Fair one week later on the official “Kentucky Farm Bureau Day,” Thursday, August 25. The petition unveiling will take place at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, August 18 at the Fairness booth in the Kentucky State Fair and Exposition Center, South Wing C, Row X, booths 165-166.

More than a dozen organizations have signed on to oppose one or more of the Kentucky Farm Bureau’s anti-Fairness policies, which are printed annually in the “Kentucky Farm Bureau Policies” manual that is automatically distributed to legislators, but not Kentucky Farm Bureau insurance policy holders. Those organizations include: American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky (ACLU-KY), Fairness Campaign, Fellowship of Reconciliation, Jefferson County Chapter of Kentuckians for the Commonwealth, Kentucky Alliance Against Racist and Political Repressrion, Kentucky Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, Kentucky Fairness Alliance, Kentucky Jobs With Justice, Kentucky Psychological Association, Lexington Fairness, Metropolitan Community Church, Sienna, W.E.N.C.H., and Women In Transition (WIT).

The Kentucky Farm Bureau’s anti-Fairness policies came to light following their firing of Reverend Todd Eklof, who made statements in support of marriage equality after Kentucky’s 2004 passage of a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. Kentucky Farm Bureau settled out of court with Rev. Eklof in June, 2010 for an undisclosed amount.

We’re glad Fairness lightly complains about Farm Bureau once a year.

Maybe one of these years something will change and this won’t just be a momentary blip on the news cycle radar.

Two more Transportation Cabinet employees have been fired. We hear Billie Johnson and her dad, Bill, haven’t contributed to Steve Beshear and his candidates for some time. Bill did, however, donate to the Fletcher-Pence inaugural committee. So time sheet violations? Haha. Right. This is Beshear firing her because her family dislikes him. Just like he nixed Jerry Lundergan’s Kentucky Horse Park contracts. [H-L]

Yesterday marked the 103rd day Republican Party of Kentucky Chairman Steve Robertson questioned Jack Conway: “It’s time for Conway to tear down his wall of silence and answer the questions about this investigation,” said Robertson. “Surpassing day 100 of this saga without a word from Conway is beyond outrageous. It’s time for our Attorney General to be held accountable and come clean.” [Press Release]

The Homemade Ice Cream & Pie Kitchen is moving to Frankfort Avenue – just across the street from the new Comfy Cow. We’re all going to get super-fat. [Broken Sidewalk]

What is it with teabaggers trying to re-segregate the public school system all over the country? [HuffPo]

We hear through the gayvine that the head of Metro EMS may possess a New York drivers license. If that’s the case, wouldn’t that disqualify him from, you know, heading up his agency? And his family still lives in New York – there’s no way he’s in Louisville permanently. [Deep Metro Failures]

Look how confused Greg Fischer, Chris Poynter and Robert White look while they’re trying to figure out the Twitter. [C-J/AKN]

Remember that time over the weekend when the apocalypse hit part of the Highlands? [Consuming Louisville]

What? TWO Oldham County schools hit with Title IX violations? [WLEX18]

Still without electricity? LG&E explains the order in which customers get power back. [FOX41]

An Australian man was arrested in Louisville on charges of strapping a fake bomb to a girl outside of Sydney. This was apparently a big deal and every outlet in the city is obsessed with it. [H-L]

A bankruptcy judge approved of the Louisville Orchestra’s plan. [Business First]

Seems like just yesterday Masterson’s was standing at this location in Old Louisville. [WHAS11]

A West Virginia University has discovered (shocker) that poverty and mountaintop removal mines are linked. How long will it take King Coal to tie this to inbreeding? [H-L]

The fact that you’re continuing to pay Judy Green with taxpayer dollars should alarm you. Dragging this mess out til September 12 is obscene. [WFPL]

A downtown historic preservation district that prevents buildings from being torn down? That’s not gonna fly in Louisville, where we tear everything down because we feel like it. [H-L]

The faux Family “Foundation” is freaking out about the gays in New York. We’re freaking out about the faux Family “Foundation” and it’s constant case of the gay face. [FOX41]

Seems like just yesterday the editorial board was defending Jim Ramsey over the way he handled the Robert Felner scandal (they actually brought it up). Borderline shocking to see them pop him in the face over the hospital merger mess. Be sure to give it a read. Then start demanding Uncle Jimmy take responsibility. [C-J/AKN]

Speaking of Jimmy… he’s holding the State of the University on September 13 at 2:30 P.M. Eastern on Comstock Hall. It starts with a fancy processional and everything. Because that is necessary to make Jimmy feel swell about getting paid zillions of dollars while the rest of UofL’s faculty count change left in the sofa. [Aunt Shirley's Email Blast]

Democratic hypocrisy has been ripe with Jack Conway since his failed 2002 Congressional campaign. [Page One]

The USO Homefront Concert is tonight and Jill Biden will be there. [WAVE3]

Today Congressman John Yarmuth, as part of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, will take part in a hearing entitled, “Operation Fast and Furious: The Other Side of the Border.” [Press Release]

Former police officer Jackie Hollingsworth is fighting to get her job with LMPD back. [WHAS11]

Actors Theatre unveiled its improvements along with plans for an upcoming tough season. [Business First]

Louisville’s first LGBT Film Festival, thanks to the Kentucky Fairness Alliance, will hit the University of Louisville on August 5 at the Floyd Theater and the Clifton Center on August 6 & 7 at the Eifler Theater.

“In previous years, we have worked in partnership with a local theater to feature a series of films,” explains Travis Myles, co-organizer and KFA board member. “The community’s positive response encouraged us to grow the effort into a more traditional festival set up this year.”

74 submissions – more than 60 hours of film – were received by the festival and it’s set to be a great few days.

Check out some of the trailers by clicking here.

How bout them apples, gay-haters? At this very moment, Greg Fischer is signing an executive order extending equal health benefits to all 5,500 Metro Government employees (that includes unmarried heterosexual couples).

He finally got something majorly right.

Here’s Fischer’s email sent to Metro Government employees yesterday:

I am pleased to announce that, starting July 1, 2012, Metro Government will extend domestic partner benefits to city employees. Louisville is a growing, diverse, 21st Century city. If we are to attract the best and brightest talent to government, we must have benefits equal to or better than the private sector. Most Fortune 500 companies offer domestic partner benefits as do many local organizations and companies, from Brown-Forman to the University of Louisville. This is a matter of fairness, and it’s the right thing to do.

Enclosed you will find details of how the benefits will work. If you have questions, please contact Human Resources.

“This is a historic moment,” said Fairness Campaign Director Chris Hartman. “Mayor Fischer’s move will further secure Louisville and Kentucky’s place in American history as a Southern civil rights leader.”

Historic moment, indeed. Even if it’s buried in what is essentially a Friday news dump.

Greg Fischer may not exactly be a civil rights leader but this city certainly is. This is why Louisville can have nice things and sometimes Greg Fischer is a part of it.

UPDATE — And just like that, Tina Ward-Pugh sprinkled the glitter and Greg Fischer swished us into the 20th Century (yes, 20th):

Here’s what the order says:

WHEREAS, Louisville is a thriving, diverse 21st Century City;

And WHEREAS, if Louisville Metro Government is to attract the best and brightest talent to government, it must offer benefits equal to or better than the private sector;

And WHEREAS, most Fortune 500 companies offer domestic partner benefits as do many local organizations and companies, from Brown-Forman to the University of Louisville;

And WHEREAS, this is a matter of fairness, and it’s the right thing to do.

I, Mayor Greg Fischer, hereby order the city Human Resources Department to extend Domestic Partner Benefits to all city employees effective July 1, 2012.

Yesterday marked the 72nd day Jack Conway has refused to answer questions about his involvement in his brother’s drug scandal. Republican Party of Kentucky Steve Robertson questioned him yet again: “Everyday, the drum beat grows stronger for Jack Conway to come clean…or clean out his desk,” said Robertson. “At some point during this campaign he will have to answer these questions…and he won’t have an answer for why he waited so long.” [Press Release]

Louisville got a $4.8 million Bloomberg grant to improve services. [Business First]

If you haven’t been paying attention to this teabagger guy named Bill Johnson, he’s foaming at the mouth over the homeless. Who wants to bet he’ll be freaking out that non-whites get to vote next? [H-L]

Metro Council has approved rules for Judy Green’s coming removal hearing. Get the popcorn ready. [C-J/AKN]

Sorry, Judy Green, but your ethics violation case is not going to be dismissed. Remember when you ADMITTED to doing what you did? [WAVE3]

Yep, that’s what those Kentucky Retirement Systems folks are up to with your money. [Page One]

Bill Green, creator of the iconic Lebowski Fest posters will be in town on the 21st speaking at an LGDA event. [Consuming Louisville]

Here’s a behind the scenes look at your drinking water. [FOX41]

We’ll have more on Fischer’s domestic partner benefits order later – because we feel it’s important – so hold your horses. [WHAS11]

Has anyone used the MetroCall 311 application with any success? Let us know how it works because it’s a great idea. [Broken Sidewalk]

Halfway to Forecastle is today. So here’s a flashback to a great preview. [Backseat Sandbar]

The boil water advisory has finally been lifted in Louisville. It wasn’t nixed a couple days ago, as the mayor’s twitter feed would have had you believe. [WLKY]