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My wife and I are doctors. We have an opportunity to lead by example by getting the COVID-19 vaccine.
Officials recently confirmed the alarming news that the virulent UK strain of COVID-19 has been found in various counties in Ohio. New strains of the virus also are spreading in New York and California and will no doubt make their way to our state before long. The emergence of these variants underscore how crucial it is that […]
Inside Ohio Republicans’ 10-month war on the state health department over COVID-19
Ohioans were living with the coronavirus for about two months before GOP lawmakers initiated what would be a nearly yearlong effort to squash the state health department’s ability to issue public health orders. The earliest version of the idea was to limit any order issued by the Ohio Department of Health to a two-week window. […]
Fighting infant mortality: Racism top of the pile for Black family struggles
The Ohio Legislative Children’s Caucus took a direct look at racism as the prime factor for the state’s infants and mothers struggling to stay alive, particularly in Black communities. In a recent meeting of the caucus, legislators laid out priorities for the current General Assembly, some of which are included in bills already under consideration […]
Health expert: New covid vaccine not only is as good, it might be better
There’s been lots of good news on the vaccine front. Not only are Pfizer and Moderna quickly ramping up production of their vaccines. Johnson & Johnson last week received approval for the one it developed. Then the company quickly announced a partnership with Merck to vastly increase production. These developments and others have President Joe […]
Health orgs donating to lawmakers who oppose public health measures can’t have it both ways
You can’t have it both ways. You can’t be a science-driven, public health advocate and support clear threats to best safety practices during a monumental public health crisis. You can’t be for saving lives during a viral pandemic with prudent safeguards and for politicians out to weaken or scrap them altogether. You can’t vigorously oppose […]
Senate passes coronavirus relief aid; bill now returns to the House
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate passed President Joe Biden’s nearly $2 trillion stimulus plan Saturday afternoon after wrangling over an amendment to trim unemployment benefits derailed the bill’s passage for nearly an entire day. Ohio Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown supported the bill while Ohio Republican U.S. Sen. Rob Portman voted against it. The Senate […]
Black Ohioans are 13% of state population, but 5.6% of the vaccine recipients
Of more than 1.8 million Ohioans who have received at least one COVID-19 vaccination dose, only 5.6% went to Black Ohioans, who comprise about 13% of the population. The inequity is the latest example of disparate health outcomes in the state and nation along racial lines. The math is slightly worse among the nearly 1 […]
Anti-discrimination ‘Fairness Act’ back in legislature with more GOP support
A bill to add LGBTQ people to the list of those protected from discrimination in the state of Ohio is once again coming to the legislature, this time with more bipartisan support. As she has done in every General Assembly since she became a senator in 2011, State Sen. Nickie Antonio, D-Lakewood, is sponsoring the […]
A year into pandemic, DeWine says Ohio on the right path to lift restrictions but can’t ease up yet
A year into pandemic, DeWine urges Ohioans not to ease up
Bill to allow armed school personnel returns to committee as court case awaits decision
As the Ohio Supreme Court considers whether school boards should be allowed to determine firearm policies in their districts, a new bill to do just that entered the Ohio House on Thursday. Similar to a bill that died in the last General Assembly, House Bill 99 would allow personnel to be armed on school grounds […]
Sweeping voting rights package passes U.S. House
The House passed sweeping voting rights, redistricting, campaign finance and ethics reform, late Wednesday night along party lines in a 220 to 210 vote, but the historic package will face an uphill battle in the Senate as no Republicans currently support the bill. From Ohio, all 12 Republican congressmen opposed the bill while all four Democrats representatives supported it. […]
Senate imposes limits on aid for state, local governments in COVID relief bill
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate voted Thursday to begin debate on President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill, after drafting a number of revisions that, among other changes, tweak the aid intended for state and local governments. The legislation approved in the House outlines $350 billion in direct aid to state, local governments, territories and […]