KENTUCKY — During this In Focus Kentucky segment, Gov. Andy Beshear comments on a wide-ranging conversation on various topics during this 1-on-1 interview, including a recent announcement between the Beshear administration and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine to jointly apply for $2 billion in federal funds to build the Brent Spence Companion Bridge and improve the existing bridge which connects Covington to Cincinnati.

"It's one of the most important interstate arteries in the entire country, and it's the one that needs the most work. First, that bridge is stable. But right now it has more than twice the amount of traffic that it was designed for. That creates bottlenecks that even companies in Canada have been talking to us about how it slows down the movement of goods. So this isn't just a Kentucky and Ohio issue. It's a really important issue for our entire country. We are really excited about the bipartisan infrastructure bill. We believe there are a couple of application processes, pots of money, that are custom made for the Brent Spence bridge. We are confident in what our application will look like. And this is what the money is supposed to do. Go to the area of highest need. And here you got a Democratic governor and a Republican governor who have actually been friends since they were AG's working together to make something like this happen. And only through that federal infrastructure bill, do we have an opportunity for a mega project that we'll be able to build without tolls," explains Gov. Beshear.

As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues into it's third week, Beshear reminded Kentuckians that since Russia’s hostile invasion of Ukraine, more than half a million refugees have fled as Russian troops push further into the country and use increasingly deadly tactics.

"We have a lot of Kentuckians that immigrated from the Ukraine or have Ukrainian family. Those are our Kentucky brothers and sisters and we stand with them and we stand with that country and its people against Russian aggression against even even murder that we see on the street of innocent civilians in Ukraine. We are going to have to make some sacrifices to help these people and to stop that dictator. A lot of it is going to be economic, although the price of gas even with everything we're going to do, is going to go up. But, the sanctions that we have put into place and are increasing and are the toughest we believe in humankind and they are paralyzing the Russian economy which we have to do more than that we have to cripple. We have learned through history that it always takes sacrifice to stop a dictator. But if you don't stop them, they keep going. Our goal is we have to be tough enough. We proven these last two years, we can be to get through whatever temporary pain economically that that we are seeing a stop Vladimir Putin right here right now. And listen, sacrifices this time is not our sons and daughters on the battlefield. So we can be grateful for that, while at the same time being strong, though when we must stop Putin and this is the way to do it," said Beshear.

You can watch the full In Focus segment above.