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In Conversation has invited more than a hundred guests to speak on dozens of topics since the show launched in January. This week, we look back at a few of our favorite shows.
University of Louisville President Neeli Bendapudi joined In Conversation back in August to reflect on high-profile events she presided over, and she expressed optimism for the school’s future. Since Bendapudi was named university president last year, she has removed John Schnatter’s name from the school’s football stadium and business school, and helped to finalize the purchase of KentuckyOne Health Inc. properties -- which include the financially-troubled Jewish Hospital.
This summer on the show, advocates talked about the city’s work to help its homeless population. Louisville funneled more than $500,000 into low-barrier shelters and other services in 2019, but the city continues to clear out homeless camps. Advocates said more funding and support is needed to address homelessness in Louisville, and former Metro Government Chief Resilience Officer Eric Friedlander said the city must expand affordable housing options.
“We [The United States] don’t view housing as a right and we don’t invest in affordable housing,” Friedlander said on the July 26 show. “We have thousands and thousands of units that are necessary to be able to address what is really an affordable housing crisis in Louisville and also an eviction crisis in Louisville.”
In September, the topic turned to marijuana. On a show that aired in September, state and local officials said they believed Kentucky could eventually legalize recreational use of the drug. Democratic State Representative Nima Kulkarni said most Kentuckians support legalizing marijuana, and Matt Simon with the nonprofit Marijuana Policy Project said Kentucky residents could especially benefit from legalization of the drug.
Listen to the pre-recorded In Conversation episode on 89.3 WFPL Friday at 11 a.m. Follow along with our live tweets at @WFPLnews, and share your comments by tweeting us with the hashtag #WFPLconversation. We’re also on Facebook.
