Blog | pegasusinstitute

May 28, 2024
3 min

Private Industry, Not Government, is the Key to Solving Covid-19

There have been ample callbacks throughout the coronavirus pandemic to the Greatest Generation. Though working from home is hardly comparable to the horrors of Iwo Jima, the comparisons speak to an essential aspect of the American character. We have always been willing to supplant our own interest in the pursuit of a greater goal. But, America’s success in the Second World War is as much about its own strategic advantage as it is about sacrifices on the home front, and any re

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Erinn Broadus and Dasha Kolyaskina

May 15, 2024
3 min

Tennessee Continues to Test nearly 2x as Many Residents per Capita as Kentucky, Still has Fewer Deat

Three weeks ago, Tennessee seemed to be weathering COVID-19 better than Kentucky – with greater numbers of tests administered and fewer confirmed deaths. Both trends persist, although Kentucky has increase its testing capacity. Increased Testing Availability and Distribution In the early stages of the COVID-19 crisis, only those with the most severe COVID cases were receiving tests, and these tests were usually performed in a clinical environment. As this crisis has evolved,

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Josh Crawford

May 11, 2024
4 min

Policies for a Coronavirus Shut-down Recovery

As states begin to reopen and policymakers begin to shift their focus from solely fighting COVID-19 to also fighting the economic and social harms that resulted from shutting down the economy, not all policy solutions are equally valuable. Below are five key policies to ensure that Kentucky can emerge from COVID-19 as strong as possible. Over the next few weeks, we will expand upon some of these recommendations. 1. Do the same with less, but if need be, do less with less. The

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Josh Crawford

May 1, 2024
3 min

As COVID-19 Lockdowns Persist, So Does Deadly Violence

As we approach the end of the second month of the Great Pause, a clearer picture has emerged of violent crime during this period. Unfortunately, the situation for many in Louisville and across the Commonwealth is rather grim. Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) Chief Steve Conrad recently testified before the Louisville Metro Council about the state of violent crime in Louisville during the first four months of 2020. His testimony was far from encouraging. Chief Conrad

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pegasusinstitute

May 1, 2024
4 min

There is Very Little Consistency or Apparent Coordination Between 7 State Reopen Pact ; Here's W

Despite being a southern state in every way imaginable, with a culture completely consistent with that of the Upper South, a shared history with the American South, and everything from dialect to food preferences that align incontrovertible with the region, Kentucky is partnered with six Midwestern states to coordinate reopening their state economies. This week, several states, Kentucky included, have provided additional details about their plans to reopen their state's econo

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pegasusinstitute

Apr 23, 2024
2 min

Kentucky Coronavirus Hospitalizations per capita More than 2x Higher than Tennessee

Comparisons to Tennessee are commonplace in Kentucky and the state government response to the coronavirus has been no different. In the first weeks of economic shutdowns, some outlets compared the total number of cases in Tennessee to the number in Kentucky, criticizing Volunteer State Governor Bill Lee for not enacting more draconian economic constraints. The widely used justifications for economic shutdowns was to avoid overwhelming the health care system, a universally des

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pegasusinstitute

Apr 22, 2024
3 min

Tennessee has Tested 3x as Many Residents as Kentucky and has 40% Fewer Deaths Per Capita

Comparisons to Tennessee are commonplace in Kentucky and the state government response to the coronavirus has been no different. In the first weeks of economic shutdowns, some outlets compared the total number of cases in Tennessee to the number in Kentucky, criticizing Volunteer State Governor Bill Lee for not enacting more draconian economic constraints. Such comparisons failed to control for key differences like population and the number of tests administered however, rend

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pegasusinstitute

Apr 21, 2024
2 min

Kentucky Could Be Out of Money to Pay Unemployment Benefits in Less Than a Month

After an unprecedented four weeks, three of which have set all time records for the number of Kentuckians filing for unemployment, the state’s unemployment insurance trust is projected to be approximately a month away from running out of money. National comparisons show Kentucky’s overall Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund solvency ranking 45th in the United States, only having enough money for about 4 more weeks of payments. Research by Pegasus Institute echoes those projecti

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pegasusinstitute

Apr 20, 2024
2 min

Kentucky's Per Capita Unemployment Claims More than 20% Higher Than Next Closest Neighboring Sta

A Pegasus Institute study found that Kentucky has experienced more new unemployment claims per 100,000 residents over the last four weeks than any neighboring state by a wide margin. Data from the past four weeks of unemployment claims for every state in the region show that Kentucky is not just highest per capita, but more than 20% higher than the next closest state, Ohio. Since the week ending on March 21st, the first week of unemployment data after the economic shutdown re

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pegasusinstitute

Apr 17, 2024
3 min

How Does Kentucky Stack Up with White House's New "Opening Up America Again" Criteria?

Yesterday, the White House announced its public health expert led plan to begin reopening the US economy. The plan, known as "Opening Up America Again," allows for a phased return to normal, helping to mitigate the potential for additional waves of COVID-19 and protecting the most vulnerable. A full copy of the plan, provided by the White House, is available here. What are the Three Phases? Phase One Individuals - Vulnerable populations continue sheltering in place - When in

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pegasusinstitute

Apr 17, 2024
1 min

Despite Strong Start, Kentucky is Considerably Behind in COVID-19 Testing

Approximately a month ago, Kentucky was a leader in testing per capita in our region, behind only Illinois on March 21st. More recent numbers however show that the state is falling behind considerably, a trend which was notable in the data as early as March 31st and has not improved in the weeks since. Among states in the region, which includes Kentucky and the seven states that border the commonwealth, Kentucky ranks sixth in COVID-19 tests per capita. As of April 16th, the

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pegasusinstitute

Apr 13, 2024
2 min

Kentucky's Largest Cities Projected to be Among Worst Impacted in the United States by Economic

Kentucky's largest cities of Louisville, Lexington, and Bowling Green are particularly vulnerable to effects brought on by the economic pause related to the coronavirus pandemic. A recent study by The Brookings Institute found that all three were in the top 15 in the United States of cities that will immediately feel the fiscal impacts. The study considered two critical factors, the share of general fund revenues from elastic sources and share of metro employment in high risk

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Jordan Harris

Mar 26, 2024
7 min

After Days of Delay, the Senate has Passed the Phase III Coronavirus Relief Package. Here is what’s

After being blocked from advancing twice earlier in the week by Democrats, the Phase III coronavirus relief package, the largest stimulus bill in American history, has finally passed the United States Senate with an overwhelming vote of 96-0. Our original breakdown of the bill is available here if you want to see what has changed. The bill remains organized around the four priorities that Majority Leader Mitch McConnell laid out on Thursday of last week. Direct financial help

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Dr. Gary Houchens

Mar 25, 2024
4 min

COVID-19 and P-12 Education in Kentucky, Explained

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has impacted every sector of life in Kentucky. For families who have students in, or who work in, P-12 education, the closure of schools has presented a unique set of challenges. How will students learn, and how will education policy shift as a result? The following post summarizes what has happened so far and what this means for P-12 students, parents, and educators moving forward. Schools close, move to “non-traditional instruction” In early

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Jordan Harris

Mar 20, 2024
3 min

Want to know what is in the Senate's Coronavirus Relief Bill? Here is a Breakdown.

As promised, today Senate Republicans released what is being called “Phase III” of coronavirus relief, representing the largest package. The total price of the bill is an estimated $1 trillion, includes the much discussed cash relief payments, small business loans, and loan guarantees for airlines and other impacted industries. The 247 page bill, available to read here, is organized around four priorities: Direct financial help for the American people Relief for small busines

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Jordan Harris

Mar 19, 2024
2 min

No, the U.S. Senate Did Not Delay a Vote on Coronavirus Relief

A handful of reports, primarily circulated on social media, in recent days claimed that the United States Senate delayed a vote on a coronavirus relief package, with some even claiming that Senator McConnell took an extended weekend instead of being in Washington and acting on legislation from the House of Representatives. It is a challenging time to get accurate information, with the news moving even faster than we have become accustomed in the social media age. So, is it tr

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