
By Linda Blackford | Editor
Happy Friday morning! Enjoy your first post-election weekend. That means the highs and lows of an election are wearing off, and folks are turning their attention to the hard work of governing, a topic our DC Bureau has explored.
Here at home, the state of the judiciary is strong, says Chief Justice Debra Lambert, and would be stronger with more money.
In Commentary, Wayne Knuckles ponders what it’s like to take a fall drive without putting immediately putting it on Instagram.
And we’ve got a roundup of election stories for those of you who can’t get enough.
Thanks for reading! We hope you’ve enjoyed our reporters’ hard work.

Supporters of Rep.-elect Zach Dembo, a Kentucky Democrat who flipped a Republican seat, cheer during Dembo’s victory speech in Lexington on Nov. 3, 2026. (Photo by Brian Simms for Kentucky Lantern)
By Ashley Murray and Shauneen Miranda
WASHINGTON — As the monumental midterm victories set in, Democrats began to talk strategy Wednesday on how to deliver what voters want: lower prices, attainable health care and an end to a stagnant and expensive conflict in the Middle East.

Supreme Court Chief Justice Debra Hembree Lambert delivers the 2026 State of the Judiciary address. Nov. 5, 2026. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Sarah Ladd).
By Sarah Ladd
FRANKFORT — Kentucky’s Administrative Office of the Courts is operating with 86 fewer people in management, Supreme Court Chief Justice Debra Hembree Lambert said in her State of the Judiciary address Thursday.

Fall foliage in Pine Mountain State Resort Park in Bell County. (Photo by Wayne Knuckles for Kentucky Lantern)
COMMENTARY
By Wayne Knuckles
I saw something the other day about “leaf-peeping.”
Apparently, this is an activity now. You can plan a trip around it, consult a map, book a room, and purchase clothing suitable for looking at a tree.
We used to call it going for a ride.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
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