News
From hospital, Justice Ginsburg slams Trump birth control rules
WASHINGTON — Hospitalization for a gallbladder condition didn’t stop U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg from assailing Trump administration’s birth control rules on Wednesday. Ginsburg, 87, was hospitalized at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore on Tuesday night, but was animated as she participated in an oral argument via teleconference surrounding a Trump administration policy that allows […]
Householder: No bills from House to combat spread of COVID-19
Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, R-Glenford, said Wednesday the majority caucus isn’t working up any bills designed to slow the spread of COVID-19. He said the House is crafting legislation designed to repair damage the new coronavirus has caused, like a state unemployment system overwhelmed with 1 million claims in six weeks or uncertainty around […]
Ohio House passes bill to limit Dr. Acton’s power to issue health orders
A small group of Ohio legislators may be given the chance to put the state’s COVID-19 health orders to a vote. The Ohio House of Representatives has approved a bill that would give that group authority to approve or reject certain orders from Dr. Amy Acton, the director of the Ohio Department of Health. The […]
Ohio testing plan largely silent on reopening businesses, employees
Ohio leaders on Monday announced plans to quickly scale up coronavirus testing as the state allows a phased reopening of businesses. But even though a draft White House report predicts that the U.S. daily deaths from the disease will rise dramatically during the reopening, the Ohio plan offers few details for workers and employers who […]
After confusing primary, advocates and leaders begin planning for fall election
Ohio’s lengthy, unpredictable primary election finally concluded last week. Now the fight is on to determine how the November general election will proceed. That will be an election with a presidential race and other hot ticket items on the ballot, leading to a much larger turnout compared to the election held primarily through the mail […]
Legislators seek delay in school forecasts as cuts to education announced
House Democrats want to give school districts temporary relief from planning their economic future while the state plans multi-million-dollar cuts to education. In a new bill, introduced this week by state Rep. Lisa Sobecki, D-Toledo, and state Rep. Joe Miller, D-Amherst, school districts would have a 30-day extension on submitting the required five-year economic projections. […]
Trump intelligence nominee grilled on ‘deep state’ conspiracy theory
WASHINGTON — Last summer, Texas Republican Rep. John Ratcliffe withdrew himself from consideration to be the national intelligence director, just days after President Donald Trump nominated him for the job. Key Senate Republicans appeared reluctant to fully embrace the nominee — who has a reputation as a conservative firebrand in the U.S. House — and Ratcliffe faced accusations […]
Nearly $1 million in grants going to 48 domestic violence shelters across state
Nearly $1 million in grant funding is being distributed to domestic violence shelters and groups across the state of Ohio, Attorney General Dave Yost announced Tuesday. “While we have been asked to stay at home, sometimes home isn’t the safest place,” Yost said in a news release. “Thanks to the General Assembly, this money will […]
As economy reopens, Ohio falls short on coronavirus testing
Despite what Gov. Mike DeWine describes as capacity increases, the raw number of Ohioans being tested for COVID-19 per day has failed to ascend to scale to bring the scope of Ohio’s outbreak into full view. State data shows less than 5,000 Ohioans per day on average in the last week have been tested for […]
Pandemic could have major impact on census data
There was a Ferris wheel destined for Athens, Ohio. When Mayor Steve Patterson was thinking of ideas to help boost participation in the 2020 census, he and other officials came up with one giant reward for college students’ participation. “Everyone that brought proof that they’d filled out the census would get a free ride, and […]
Trump’s critics warn his order to keep meat plants open imperils workers
WASHINGTON — Democratic senators are accusing President Donald Trump of putting workers at risk by ordering meat and poultry processors to remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic. Senate Democrats including Democratic Ohio U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown are asking Trump to amend an executive order he signed last week, which declared meat plants to be “critical infrastructure” and […]
State rep. won’t wear mask because faces are the ‘likeness of God’
Having already claimed that face masks do not work, state Rep. Nino Vitale offered a new reason Monday why he wouldn’t wear a mask during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic — because faces are the “likeness of God.” Vitale, a Republican from Urbana, has been among the most outspoken critics against the health orders issued by […]