News
Visitors flock to national parks after Trump waives fees. Is that safe?
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is urging Americans to head to national parks as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread. Many people are heading outdoors to seek a reprieve from being cooped up at home. But in Ohio and elsewhere, some fear that the sudden influx of visitors to national parks could put those parks […]
Ohio primary election voting officially extended through April 28
Voting for the Ohio Primary Election has been extended through April 28 and will be conducted through mailed-in absentee ballots. On Wednesday, the Ohio legislature approved a process that will extend voting following a postponement of the March 17 primary due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was approved as part of a larger bill addressing […]
Lawmakers announce $2 trillion coronavirus response deal
WASHINGTON — U.S. Senate leaders announced a compromise with the White House on a massive $2 trillion spending package that would send checks to Americans and provide aid to small businesses in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The deal was announced early Wednesday morning after days of heated negotiations on Capitol Hill. Senate Majority Leader Mitch […]
Of 564 COVID-19 cases in Ohio, a quarter required hospitalization
About 25% of Ohioans with confirmed COVID-19 cases have been hospitalized in the two weeks since officials detected the disease in the state, a concerning sign as health experts warn of an overload on the state’s hospitals. Data released Tuesday afternoon show 145 people have been hospitalized due to the new coronavirus, or about 26% […]
Legislators get to work figuring out how Ohio’s primary election will proceed
The Republican answer to Ohio’s primary election confusion lays the foot down from the opening sentence. “Secretary of State Directive 2020-06, issued on March 16, 2020, is void.” The election was postponed due to COVID-19, and the power to set voting dates rests with the Ohio General Assembly. In the absence of any initial legislative […]
State, abortion clinic lawyers now clashing over health order specifics
State leaders declined to comment Tuesday on orders the Ohio Attorney General’s Office made to halt surgical abortions as part of a coronavirus-related health order. In an order signed March 17 by Ohio Department of Health director Dr. Amy Acton, non-essential and elective surgeries were halted in order to conserve personal protective equipment, or PPEs. […]
With Cleveland COVID-19 cases on the rise, MetroHealth board member says to ‘reopen America’
There were still 10 more minutes until Ohio’s “stay at home” order was set to go in effect, but Cleveland businessman Bernie Moreno was already complaining about it. “We can’t shelter in place forever,” Moreno said on Twitter late Monday evening, “or there may not be anything on the other side!” Moreno is a prominent […]
Federal funds coming to help state community health centers, seniors
Federal funding will be coming to the state, targeted at helping community health centers during the coronavirus outbreak. Community health centers across the state are each getting a piece of a $3.2 million in monies secured as part of a coronavirus funding passed recently. The money is being distributed from U.S. Department of Health and […]
Ohioans get vastly different COVID-19 messages from Ohio leaders, Trump
One offered sympathy, the other sarcasm. Gov. Mike DeWine was sober and pensive as he addressed Ohioans about the state’s first COVID-19 death, a Toledo man who happened to be an old friend of his. The governor quoted scripture at length and offered condolences to the deceased’s family. At his presidential lectern a day later, […]
‘No ordinary time’: COVID-19’s 14-day blitz in Ohio
Two weeks ago, public health officials first detected three cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, in Ohio. The next 14 days were a whirlwind of 439 subsequent positive diagnoses, six deaths caused by the virus, a primary election postponed with 12 hours’ notice, a blanket cancellation of K-12 in-person classes, and […]
New federal sick leave law – who’s eligible, who’s not and how many weeks do you get
On March 18, President Donald Trump signed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act into law. The legislation is an emergency intervention to provide paid leave and other support to millions of workers sidelined by school closures, quarantines and caregiving. An obvious question you’re probably wondering is, “How will it affect me?” The bad news is […]
Bills to prevent utility shutoffs, evictions and foreclosures introduced in Ohio House
Two separate bills have been introduced in the Ohio House to address economic hardships stemming from the coronavirus pandemic, including one to prevent evictions and foreclosures and the other to prevent utility shutoffs. On Sunday, state Reps. David Leland, D-Columbus, and Jeffrey Crossman, D-Parma, introduced a bipartisan bill to put a stop to evictions and […]