GREENSBORO, N.C. — The worst Louisville men's basketball season ever is over. Year 1 of the Kenny Payne era ended with a program-record 28th loss — the Cardinals' 19th by double digits — to No. 10-seeded Boston College in the first round of the ACC Tournament on Tuesday evening at Greensboro Coliseum. Payne has asked for patience at every step thus far on his quest to restore his alma mater to national prominence. His manta has been, "Win or learn," rather than win or lose. So, when he addressed his players in the locker room after their season came to an end, he said he told the guys he "couldn't care less" about the record that will forever be attached to their legacies at a program he holds so dear. "I'm in charge of making sure that these young men are loved," Payne said. "... Now, I have to take the next few days and gather my thoughts and see, 'How do I do this in a way that I bring back Louisville to where it needs to be?'"ACC Tournament:Here's the bracket and how to watch every game in GreensboroNo. 15-seeded U of L (4-28, 2-19 ACC) clawed its way back from a 10-point deficit to lead 34-31 at halftime. The game was tied at 45 apiece with 15:30 to play in regulation, but the Eagles (16-16, 10-11) outscored the Cardinals 35-17 the rest of the way en route to an 80-62 victory. "They were the aggressor for most of the second half," Payne said. "They put us on our heels and made us look bad, because they played with more fire, more toughness, more fight than we did."Louisville athletics director Josh Heird said in January, when the team was 2-16 and winless in ACC play, that he will support Payne in his rebuilding efforts 110% "until he does something that says, 'Hey, I don't think he should be our basketball coach.'""He hasn't done one thing that has shown me that he shouldn't be our basketball coach," Heird said at the time. "Now, does that mean that any of us are satisfied with two wins? Absolutely not. Like I said, it is extremely frustrating. And I can assure you, it's frustrating. I know it's frustrating to Kenny. It's frustrating to staff, and it's frustrating to our student-athletes."When asked after the season-ending loss if he's had any conversations with Heird during the stretch run of the year about his and the program's future, the head coach said he hadn't. "I don't know if there's a reason to have a conversation with Josh Heird about my future," Payne said. "I go to work every day. I love Josh. Josh says he loves me. There's nothing to talk about. I've got a job to do."El Ellis:Louisville basketball star wants to leave 'as a winner.' Here's how losses shaped him'I don't know what the future holds'Payne's job may soon get busier with the arrival of the offseason. On March 13, players can begin entering their names into the NCAA transfer portal. Some will likely be leaving Louisville after postseason debriefs with the coach. "However that goes, I'm ready," said JJ Traynor, a junior forward from Bardstown, Kentucky, with two years of eligibility remaining, whose father played at U of L from 1993-95. After adding just two players — sophomore forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield and walk-on guard Hercy Miller — and missing out on several others through the portal heading into Year 1, Payne needs to make a splash when it reopens. He described the qualities he's looking for in potential acquisitions just days before the ACC Tournament. "This is why teams try and get older players out of the portal and elsewhere," Payne said after a loss to Virginia in the regular-season finale. "So that you have guys who can fight, guys who understand fighting and playing together and mental toughness."The player on Payne's inaugural roster with the biggest decision to make, however, has said he isn't considering the transfer portal. That would be El Ellis, who in what could have been his last game donning a Louisville uniform tied Boston College's Makai Ashton-Langford with a game-high 16 points despite a 17-minute scoreless stretch to start the first half. When Payne took Ellis out of the game with 34 seconds to play, the Durham, North Carolina, native yanked off his headband, pulled his jersey up toward his eyes and with his head hung low walked away from the court toward one of the tunnels inside Greensboro Coliseum before returning to congratulate the Eagles on their win."I don't know what the future holds right now," said Ellis, who plans to test the professional waters before deciding whether or not to use an extra year of eligibility, granted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, for a final season at U of L. "I feel like I gave everything this season, and things just didn't go as planned."Louisville basketball recruiting:These players have signed to the Cardinals' 2023 class'What is there to evaluate?'Payne was also asked after the loss about his plans for evaluating his staff's performance in Year 1, which ended with the Cardinals sitting at 292nd out of 363 Division I teams on statistician Ken Pomeroy's efficiency rankings. His response: "What is there to evaluate?""I have one of the best staffs in college basketball," Payne said. "I can tell you that they're unique individuals that have had so much success in this game. I can't believe you just asked that question, because you're looking at guys who have accomplished more in their life as players — forget coaching. Their experience in life is why I hired them. They are great coaches, and they gave these kids love every day."I asked them to love the young men. That's why I hired them," he added. "To adopt their dreams, that's why I hired them. Nothing else. They did their jobs. They did a great job. I love my staff."Road to recovery:Louisville's Mike James spent year getting basketball ready. Here's what fueled his returnThe players have said they've felt the love. Ellis specifically credited the staff with helping him reach "a different spirit, a different energy" while shouldering a heavy burden as the team's floor general. Both Traynor and redshirt freshman Mike James showed signs of growth as the season of, "Win or learn" unfolded. "The only people you really got are the people in this locker room," Traynor said. "Everybody was talking about us this year and the season we had, but (I know) moving forward that we're really a family, and we're really all we got."There remains, however, a lot to learn. "Every second, every minute matters — in practice, in film, weights — everything matters," James said when asked for his biggest takeaway from the year. "Every second on the court matters; every possession on the court matters. "Everything matters in college basketball. I just hope that we learn from that and we get better."Reach Louisville men's basketball reporter Brooks Holton at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter at @brooksHolton.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Louisville Metro Council plans to hire an outside attorney rather than use its own Ethics Commission to review the actions of one of their own.At issue is a $40 million grant from the city to the Louisville Healthcare CEO Council. Metro Councilman Anthony Piagentini, R-19, initially sponsored the measure. Louisville Public Media reported that Piagentini removed himself ahead of the vote, only to later be hired as a consultant by the group that got the money.The same week LPM's report came out, Metro Council filed an emergency resolution asking the Ethics Commission to look into Piagentini's involvement with the grant. A process already launched by the councilman himself."I think solving the issue expeditiously is of the most importance," said Metro Council President Markus Winkler, D-17, said.However, the Ethic Commission replied by saying they are empowered to do "two things: (1) issue advisory opinions to Metro Officers regarding contemplated future actions; and (2) investigate adjudicate complaints regarding completed alleged actions of Metro Officers."The Ethics Commission could have given an opinion on the matter beforehand but was not asked. Now, it won't investigate without a formal complaint."It is a sworn complaint that I believe this individual has violated the law," Winkler. "I think that's an extremely tall bar."At this point, no one has filed a complaint.It's frustrating for people like Kevin Fields, the CEO of Louisville Central Community Centers, who applied for money from the round of COVID-19 funding, a request that was denied."Nobody likes red tape. But we do like justice," Fields said.There was a resolution on Thursday evening's Metro Council meeting agenda directing Winkler to take all of the steps needed to initiate a complaint, but it was never called."It reeks of potential cover-up if there was some misgivings," said Fields.But Winkler said "that's absolutely not the case," adding that an outside attorney would be hired next week to help with the review."I think this is the legal remedy to get the people the answer that they want," he said.That's all Fields wants — answers amid the disappointment of not receiving the grant he said Louisville Central Community Centers needs.Meanwhile, Winkler said he doesn't believe Piagentini broke the law, and he will not submit an official complaint.Democratic Caucus Chair Paula McCraney told WDRB News she was disappointed Winkler didn't sign the complaint. She says she hopes that someone will file an official complaint with the Ethics Commission to trigger the investigation.Piagentini included the following statement regarding the issue in his Feb. 17 newsletter:"There have recently been media reports questioning my role in a vote that was taken in December of 2022. As a result, I decided to ask the Ethics Commission to review my actions, which included abstaining from a vote on this particular budget amendment on December 1st of 2022. Although I believe my abstention and actions were in line with our ethics ordinance, I look forward to a review by the Ethics Commission and I am committed to fully complying with their review.During last nights Metro Council meeting a Resolution was passed that mirrored my call for an official ethics opinion. This Resolution supports my efforts to seek a quick and clear opinion to this matter. I am hopeful this process will be completed quickly and will refrain from making additional comments at this time."Thursday, he told WDRB News he can't comment on the review at this time.Related StoriesCopyright 2023 WDRB Media. All Rights Reserved.Piagentini 

(The Center Square) – Federal customs officials confiscated more than $1 million worth of pills labeled as Viagra that arrived in Louisville from Hong Kong.In a statement from Customs and Border Protection, in a search Wednesday night, agents noticed labels on the 500 bottles of the prescription drug in the package indicated the medication was manufactured in the U.S. even though it was shipped from the Chinese administrative region.“CBP will continue to investigate and take action against counterfeit and misclassified goods that post a threat to our economy and our citizens,” Louisville Port Director Thomas Mahn said.The purported erectile dysfunction pills were addressed to an individual in Brooklyn, New York. The bottles contained a total of 15,000 pills.According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the value of counterfeit pharmaceuticals traded globally was $4.4 billion in 2016, and the number of bogus drug shipments discovered more than doubled from 2014 to 2018.And that was before the COVID-19 pandemic that led to an explosion in online sales.However, CBP notes the concerns about counterfeit drugs extend beyond economics. Just 3% of online pharmacies reviewed by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy comply with federal laws and practice standards.Any prescription drug sold in the U.S. needs to meet Food and Drug Administration standards. CBP agents work with the FDA and other federal agencies to keep counterfeit drugs from entering the countryLaFonda D. Sutton-Burke, CBP’s director of field operations for the Chicago office, said that means individuals play a “dangerous game” when they seek prescription drugs online.“Consumers are purchasing these prescription medications from other countries thinking they are getting them at a discount, when in fact they are purchasing an inferior product with unregulated ingredients,” Sutton-Burke said.Customs agents in Louisville, where the UPS global air hub is located, seized more than $265 million in counterfeit products, including clothing, jewelry and other items, during the 2022 fiscal year. Officials also prevented more than 21,000 pounds of illegal narcotics from entering the country.

Credit: Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports The COVID-19 pandemic not only forced the cancellation of the NCAA Tournament in 2020, it also threw a monkey wrench into another hallowed college basketball tradition: Senior Day. With the [...]

What We Do Next - Official Trailer | IMDbDoes Louisville look like New York City? In the new indie thriller "What We Do Next," Bourbon City doubles for the Big Apple.Filmed in Kentucky at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, "What We Do Next" premieres Friday in Los Angels, New York, and Louisville after a string of success on the international film festival circuit."Although the film is set in New York City, it was shot entirely in Louisville with a lot of Kentucky crew," said Louisville-based Merry-Kay Poe, who produced "What We Do Next" along with Max Neace and Chris Mangano of Small Batch Studio Entertainment.Written and directed by Stephen Belber, the film stars Corey Stoll, Karen Pittman, and Michelle Veintimilla."What We Do Next" tells the story of Elsa Mercado, played by Veintimilla ("The Good Wife"), who has been released from prison after serving 16 years for killing her father. New York City Councilwoman Sandy James (Pittman, from "The Morning Show") and corporate attorney Paul Jenkins (Stoll, from "Billions" and "House of Cards"), are forced to grapple with their involvement in the original crime. Power constantly shifts among the three characters throughout the film as they fight for their version of the truth.You may like:The Kentucky Derby Museum Hat Show is back. Here's your complete guide to the 2023 event"This was the perfect script to produce during the pandemic," Poe told the Courier Journal. "The story requires intense dialogue with a small cast and limited sets. Because the brilliantly-written script attracted equally brilliant actors, we were able to film the entire movie in seven days. Including on-site prep and wrap, we were confined for only three weeks. "Because business people were working remotely during the filming of "What We Do Next," in October 2020, the production crew had no trouble securing a vacant office suite that had plenty of separate rooms for sound, private dressing rooms and interior sets.Substituting Louisville for New York City was never an issue during production since most of the action takes place inside buildings."Windows were blurred so that the skyline wasn't seen, which added to the aesthetic of the shots," said Poe. "The only exterior we cheated shows Elsa walking the streets of Washington Heights. She is actually on the Second Street bridge underpass. I doubt that any Louisvillian would have caught that if we didn’t just tell them."You may like:Churchill Downs names 3 Featured Milliners for Kentucky Derby 2023. Meet the hat makersPoe says the film could have included more Louisville exteriors simulating New York City but restrictions during COVID-19 prohibited some movement of the crew. She said Belber and a camera operator did spend one day filming exterior establishing shots in New York City but other than those scenes, everything else took place in Kentucky.The winner of Best Drama at the San Diego International Film Festival, "What We Do Next" will premiere Friday at 7:15 p.m. at Baxter Ave Theatres, 1250 Bardstown Road. Those interested in learning more about the film's production can stick around after the screening when members of the film crew will conduct a Q&A session.For further information, visit village8.com.Reach Features reporter Kirby Adams at [email protected].

For many, the expiration this week of COVID-19-era federal food assistance in some states serves as one more sign the pandemic is over.However, at the Sister Visitor Center food pantry in Louisville, demand for food assistance is greater than ever. "I'm struggling one dime to another dime," said Mary Whitten, a pantry customer who was stocking up on food Monday. "They help me a lot."Like many other clients, Whitten has seen inflation stretch her limited finances like never before.The Sister Visitor Center saw demand at its food pantry jump in 2021, from 500 visits per month to 1,400. But 2022 did not see a reversal in that trend – instead, demand continued to grow to 2,000 visits per month as of January.Laura Williams has been the pantry manager for eight months and noticed a change during her tenure there. "We're seeing people come back more on a weekly basis," she said. "Just not only their monthly shop, they're coming back weekly to get their bread, to get their produce, to get additional type canned goods to assist them to get us through the rest of the month."The pantry customers have many different stories and varying reasons for coming, although many mention inflation at the grocery store, Williams said. There could be another reason demand at pantries has continued to grow, said Jessican Klein, a policy association at the Kentucky Center for Economic Policy. Kentucky's Republican state lawmakers voted last year to withdraw from the supplemental food assistance, ending the extra payments through SNAP benefits in April 2022.That cost the average SNAP recipient an extra $100 per month and cost the state $558 million, Klein said."So that's really what we're seeing, an increase in people needing emergency assistance, like a food bank or a food pantry," she said.As the remain states drop off the program, the U.S. Senate is debating whether to extend some extra SNAP benefits as it debates the five-year Farm Bill.Advocates like Klein hope they will at least drop the work requirement and offer waivers to groups such as college students, although some Republicans have said they would like to see a smaller SNAP program, not a larger one.In the meantime, many food pantries are prepared for demand to keep growing. LOUISVILLE, Ky. — For many, the expiration this week of COVID-19-era federal food assistance in some states serves as one more sign the pandemic is over.However, at the Sister Visitor Center food pantry in Louisville, demand for food assistance is greater than ever.