COVID-19
Lawmakers hear theories on COVID-19 origins in U.S. House hearing
WASHINGTON — Democrats and Republicans mostly agreed Wednesday that scientists and the intelligence community should fully investigate the origins of COVID-19 without political interference over whether the virus emerged from nature or through a lab leak. Members from both political parties said throughout the U.S. House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic hearing that determining […]
As COVID protections end, patients classified as ‘medically needy’ fear new barriers to care
Courtney Blake and her 10-year-old daughter live on their own in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Both of them struggle with chronic mental health issues and have been using Medicaid to help pay for their behavioral health care needs. But like millions of people across the country, Blake is worried that at the end of this health emergency […]
Corruption trial witness: Householder called them “loans” but wouldn’t sign documents
CINCINNATI — In Washington, D.C. during Donald Trump’s January 2017 inauguration, then-Ohio Rep. Larry Householder had a dinner meeting with the top executives with Akron-based FirstEnergy. The executives stressed their likely need for a state bailout — and their need for a way to make unlimited, untraceable contributions to Householder’s bid for speaker, Householder’s top […]
Angling for appeal? Householder attorneys go after judge in corruption trial
CINCINNATI — There has been speculation since the start of a massive public corruption trial that lawyers for the main defendant — former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder — were banking on getting any conviction tossed out on appeal. There might have been evidence of that on Tuesday when one of the attorneys took the […]
Fate of former Ohio House speaker could hinge on whether he took an “official act”
It appears that federal prosecutors have a mountain of evidence they want to present to the jury in their racketeering case against former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and former Ohio GOP Chairman Matt Borges. They have emails, text messages, wiretap transcripts, and the testimony of undercover agents and confidential informants. They have so much […]
Postal service on-time performance similar in rural, urban areas, report finds
WASHINGTON – Challenges with the cash-strapped United States Postal Service sent many Americans to their wit’s end during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in communities reliant on the mail for essential goods. Yet despite concerns from members of Congress that recent service changes hit rural communities more than urban centers, a new report from the U.S. Government […]
Here’s why food prices remain stubbornly high even as inflation cools
Shoppers hoping for a little relief at the grocery store for their holiday meals will be disappointed by the Consumer Price Index released Tuesday. The CPI shows inflation cooling but food prices — particularly for some holiday staples — remain high. The CPI increased 0.1% in November, which was lower than some economists expected. Over […]
Consumer, environmental groups slam proposed utility increase
Several environmental and consumer groups called a press conference Wednesday in front of Columbia Gas’s Columbus headquarters to give the company a lump of coal for Christmas. Their issue? Columbia Gas and some other stakeholders have agreed to allow Columbia to increase its fixed charges by more than 50% — up to $57 a month […]
Citing Medicaid costs, DeWine and other governors call for an end to Public Health Emergency
Declaring that “we have returned to life as normal,” Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine joined 24 other Republican governors Monday in calling on President Biden to let the federally declared Public Health Emergency for COVID expire in April. The Public Health Emergency, or PHE, is tied to the COVID-19 pandemic and is scheduled to expire on […]
White House resumes handing out free COVID-19 rapid test kits
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is once again offering Americans the opportunity to order free at-home COVID-19 rapid tests from the federal government, a program that it had shuttered amid an ongoing stalemate with Congress over additional funding to address the virus. The program will allow each household to order four free COVID-19 tests as […]
Groups pushing to get farm worker bill over the finish line
It’s vital to pass federal legislation reforming migrant worker visas to bring down food costs and to limit devastating levels of food waste, groups advocating for farmers and agricultural workers said last week. Already passed by the U.S. House, the Farm Workforce Modernization Act of 2021, could reach the floor of the U.S. Senate any […]
Consumer groups want antitrust probe of hospital suppliers
The middlemen who buy things like medical equipment for hospitals have vastly consolidated their control of the marketplace in recent decades, nine consumer groups are saying. Now the groups want the Federal Trade Commission to mount a formal investigation to see if the companies are stifling competition among medical suppliers, artificially raising costs and unnecessarily […]