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Yearning to breathe free, or just to breathe
Millions of Americans, it seems, feel as if they can no longer breathe. Through the first months of 2020, the novel coronavirus has choked the life from more than 100,000 of our countrymen and women. Disease-related shutdowns have choked 40 million more out of the workforce, changing the economic outlook for many — especially minorities […]
Governor says pharmacists should test for COVID-19, but Ohio Medicaid won’t clear the way for them to be paid
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine last week said that he wants to include pharmacists in the coronavirus fight, but he still didn’t offer details on how they’d be paid. Nor did the state department of Medicaid, which has a mechanism to compensate pharmacists to test the population that is most at risk from the virus. DeWine […]
DeWine somewhat eases testing limits as Trump falsely claims states have unlimited testing
As he leads the state through a historic pandemic, Ohio Gov. Mike Dewine has an apparently unbreakable rule: Don’t cross Trump. In his press conference Thursday, DeWine again addressed the inadequacy of Ohio’s coronavirus testing program. For example, he announced a fourth tier of Ohioans who are now eligible for state tests. People who have […]
Proposed law would renew funding to clean, redevelop industrial sites
A proposal put forward Tuesday by two Ohio House Republicans would renew a source of funding to clean and reuse abandoned industrial sites known as “brownfields.” The program, known as the Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund, has existed for almost 20 years. But it hasn’t been funded since 2013, when state revenue from liquor sales was […]
Trump war on Obamacare front and center during COVID-19 pandemic
The coronavirus is a double whammy. Many are losing health coverage at the same time they’re threatened with a disease that often leads to hospital stays that can be ruinously expensive. So, amid spiraling job losses, millions are expected to buy individual health plans on exchanges under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. […]
Ohio’s open for business, but its testing strategy is not
At some point, Ohioans will want frequent access to coronavirus tests and get quick results. That way, they can safely see loved ones who have for months been locked away in nursing homes, for example. But that point appears to be a long way off. By the end of Memorial Day weekend, Ohio’s economy almost […]
Amid budget wreckage, a bright spot for Ohio
Ohio officials have been drawing tight the state’s budgetary belt as they see revenue plummet due to coronavirus shutdowns. But hidden in the carnage is a pot of money they’ll have to use as they plan for the fiscal year that starts July 1. Earlier this month, with April tax revenues far below what was […]
The day Ohio’s coronavirus orders became something less
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on Tuesday downgraded many coronavirus orders to advisories, saying most compliance has been voluntary all along.
Much of the federal coronavirus money distributed so far goes to hospitals that need it least, critics say
The rich keep getting richer — even among hospitals dealing with a historic pandemic.
As Ohio reopens, top doc raises questions and public has concerns
Ohio and other states are easing coronavirus economic restrictions despite warnings from the nation’s top public health doctor and apparent reservations by the public at large. Retail businesses that hadn’t already opened were allowed to do so on Tuesday. Salons and barber shops and outdoor service at restaurants and bars will be allowed to begin […]
DeWine noncommittal on extra Medicaid money from feds
State leaders have already slashed half a billion dollars from the state budget, so billions in additional federal funding for Medicaid might sound good right now to those tasked with balancing Ohio’s books. But Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine wouldn’t answer directly Monday when asked whether he supported a request by the National Governors Association that […]
The grim calculus behind Ohio’s economic reopening
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine called it a “great Ohio day” Thursday as he announced plans to reopen bars, restaurants, beauty salons and barber shops in the coming weeks. This comes after factories and other businesses have already opened and retail stores are set to open on Tuesday. But statewide and nationally, infections and deaths from […]