Governor DeWine’s office sent out an email update on Thursday about COVID, the upcoming presidential debate and sporting events.
In COVID news, 67 counties remained in their current state of exposure while Portage County dropped from level 3 to level 2.
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In a video statement posted on Twitter Wednesday, Ohio State University President Kristina Johnson ignited controversy with a statement about Breonna Taylor.
In the 45 second clip Johnson said:
“Breonna Taylor deserves justice, and this does not feel like justice. We cannot accept what has happened in Louisville, we grieve the tragic and senseless loss of Breonna Taylor, a daughter, a friend, a niece, a loved one, who was unarmed and asleep. The breakdown in the justice system and the killings of unarmed Black and Brown people in our country has become all too familiar, tragically. This isn’t going to stop until we create an anti-racist world. We must come together to draw strength from each other and advance our collective vision for a better world where we’ll one day have justice for all. There is much work to be done.”
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Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost filed to block the payment of nuclear bailout money from House Bill (HB) 6.
HB 6, a bill that bailed out of the nuclear company First Energy, is at the center of the corruption scandal that led to the ousting and arrest of former Ohio Speaker of the House Larry Householder.
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Ohio’s Interim Health Director Lance D. Himes released an amended version of the “Dine Safe Ohio” order Wednesday.
The new order has permitted the use of “self service” food stations at “retail food establishments. The order stated that all “Retail food establishments that are regulated by the Ohio Department of Agriculture are permitted to resume use of their self-service food stations in accordance with guidance from the Department of Health.”
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Governor Mike DeWine discussed programs Wednesday aimed at helping Ohio deal with COVID.
In an emailed press release, DeWine’s office announced the creation of a new demographic dashboard which will allow those interested to break down COVID cases by race and ethnicity, as well as age and county. DeWine said the “dashboard will help better track health inequities and disparities” and that “this data will also help put critical decisions into context for policymakers.”
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With just 43 days before the election, President Trump has been hitting the campaign trail while his opponent appears absent from the important battlegrounds.
President Trump has two campaign stops in Ohio today, a state that Biden has largely been absent from since his nomination. The events, the “Great American Comeback” in Swanton, and “Remarks on Fighting for the American Worker,” showcase just how valuable the state is to the Trump Campaign.
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After the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, most of Ohio’s congressional representatives expressed condolences, almost none weighing in on whether or not Ginsburg’s replacement should be chosen before the election.
Of Ohio’s 16 congressional representatives, it appears only Representative Maria Fudge of Ohio’s 11th district has taken a stand on the issue, and then only by retweeting Connecticut Senator Chris Murphy’s statement on the subject.
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Governor Mike DeWine’s office released a review of the state’s COVID-19 status and response as well as a list of actions taken by the state.
The governor updated this week’s coronavirus numbers, which saw 69 counties remain at their current level of exposure, and Preble County being downgraded from a level 3 to a level 2. In other COVID-19 news, the state has it’s own dashboard for COVID tracking of children and schools in conjunction with the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association and local health departments.
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Ohio Governor Mike DeWine sent a letter to President Donald Trump Thursday asking that the new Space Force headquarters be located in Dayton.
“We are proud that Ohio is the birthplace, home, and future of aerospace,” Dewine stated, noting that “Ohio possesses a strong track record in populating science-rich jobs with a superior workforce.”
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Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed several new bills into law Wednesday.
The new laws include the expansion of the jurisdiction of Ohio courts and stopping state officials from interfering with religious services. House Bill 272 prohibits “a public official from ordering the closure of all places of worship in a geographic area,” and stops public officials “from changing the time, place, or manner of conducting an election, except in certain circumstances.”
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State Senator Andrew Brenner (R-Powell) took to Facebook Wednesday to ease fears that the controversial 1619 Project may be included in the standards or curriculum for Ohio’s K-12 schools.
A rumor had been going around that the Ohio Board of Education would be voting on whether or not to approve the project’s works as part of the states’ history curriculum.
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Football players in Little Miami, Ohio are being disciplined for showing their support to first responders and police on 9/11.
Bradley Williams and Jared Bentley carried Thin-Blue, and Thin-Red Line flags onto the football field on the 19th anniversary of the attack on the Twin Towers, Local 12 reported.
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Protesters from a group calling itself Charlotte Underground showed up at ICE director Tony Pham’s house to protest.
The organization, who describes itself as a “coalition of community members dedicated to ending state violence against Black and marginalized people” on it’s Facebook page arrived at Pham’s house, chanted, and yelled at police and neighbors.
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A nurse turned medical activist is accusing an Ohio Healthcare Provider of refusing to help her husband after she complained about the Hospital’s visitor policies.
Michelle Estel, says that she received a letter from Fairfield Medical Center (FMC), where her husband was receiving chemotherapy for his lymphoma stating that the hospital could no longer provide care to him since the relationship between he and the hospital was “no longer effective.”
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Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost called on Netflix to remove the controversial new movie “Cuties” from their platform.
In a joint letter to Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, Yost, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry, and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton requested that the platform “voluntarily remove” the movie “from your service due to the great harm it causes to our children.”
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An Ohio judge ordered Friday that voters be allowed to apply for absentee ballots for the November presidential election by using fax or email. The move was quickly halted by an appellate court.
Franklin County Common Pleas Judge Stephen McIntosh sided with Ohio Democrats in the legal dispute by allowing electronic absentee ballot applications to be filed. Ohio Democratic Chairman David Pepper called this ruling “a big win for Ohio Voters.”
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Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced in a press release Friday the formation of a new cold case unit.
Yost said in the release “we can make a difference, even when years have passed since a murder or sexual assault,” and told citizens to “consider how DNA testing advances have unmasked, time and time again, violent criminals who got away with living among us for too long.”
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Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said in an interview with Fox Radio that if the Big 10 refuses to change its stance on college football, Ohio State University (OSU) should sue.
Yost said that “it seems crazy,” that with so many other sports, including high school and amateur football being played that OSU will not be able to have a season.
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The Ohio Department of Health last month mandated the use of facial coverings by K-12 students. The mandate came with several exceptions, including for those who were unable to wear masks due to health issues and religious exemptions.
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Portland has seen several months of demonstrations, fluctuating between protests and riots since the death of George Floyd. Downtown Portland has been scarred by the unrest with graffiti and wooden barricades protecting businesses evident across the area.
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A Women for Trump meetup in Ohio quickly turned into a rally to impeach Governor Mike DeWine.
Around a hundred women who gathered at Donald Trump’s Ohio headquarters to show their support for the president chanted “impeach DeWine,” according to The Columbus Dispatch. The event featured South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, who recently spoke at the Republican National Convention.
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Universities across the country are taking more and more aggressive steps to prevent the spread of COVID.
The moves come as positive cases on university campuses have increased, though false positives remain an issue and some reports show that the number of COVID related hospitalizations at many major institutions remains at 0.
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Supporters of President Trump have held numerous rallies across the country this week.
Trump supporters in Oregon caravanned and rallied with hundreds of vehicles showing up for the event. The Oregon For Trump 2020 Labor Day Cruis Rally event page on Facebook received over 6000 responses with over a thousand people saying they would be attending.
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Ohio’s COVID numbers were updated yesterday, revealing a downward trend across the major COVID indicators.
778 cases of COVID were reported Sunday, which is well below the 21 day reported average of 1061 cases. Deaths and hospitalizations are also down, with a drop from an average of 21 to 17 deaths yesterday, and 29 fewer people being hospitalized than the average of 75.
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Governor Mike DeWine’s recent press conference touched on a number of issues facing Ohio and possible fixes.
In the Tuesday briefing, DeWine reminded citizens to take the proper safety precautions for Labor Day weekend. DeWine reported that Ohio had the “highest number of new cases since the end of July,” which he called a “stark reminder that this virus has not gone away and it continues to spread in our communities.”
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The Ohio Health Department lifted its restrictions Monday on adult daycare and senior centers.
The facilities were shut down in March as a result of the pandemic. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said at the time, “Our senior citizen’s centers provide very important support, these centers will close.” DeWine lamented the decision calling senior citizen centers the “heart of the community.”
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Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose has partnered with barbershops and beauty parlors across Ohio as part of a get out to vote initiative.
The “Styling for Democracy” initiative comes after over 21,000 absentee votes for the state’s primary, about 1% of all absentee votes were lost. In an event in front of Columbus’ A Cut Above The Rest Barbershop, LaRose and local leaders called on the community to volunteer as election workers and vote in the upcoming election.
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Outrage is growing as Ohio State University remains silent about the Big 10’s decision to postpone football.
In an open letter on the decision, Big 10 Commissioner Kevin Warren said:
“We thoroughly understand and deeply value what sports mean to our student-athletes, their families, our coaches, and our fans. The vote by the Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors (COP/C) was overwhelmingly in support of postponing fall sports and will not be revisited.”
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Ohio State University (OSU) is “preparing for a variety of situations” after violations of the school’s COVID-19 guidelines lead to a wave of suspensions.
Two hundred twenty-eight students received interim suspensions due to breaches of the school’s “Together As Buckeyes Pledge,” The Ohio Star previously reported. The suspensions came after a weekend of partying that violated the new guidelines against large social gatherings of more than 10 people.
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Ohio State University (OSU) suspended 228 students Tuesday for violation of the school’s coronavirus guidelines, according to 10WBNS.
Students found hosting or attending parties were issued interim suspensions, though it is unclear if anyone in attendance was at high risk or had been in contact with anyone who tested positive for the coronavirus.
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Project Veritas (PV) and the Project Veritas Action Fund (PVA) have filed suit against the state of Oregon.
The lawsuit calls Oregon’s laws regarding undercover journalism “unconstitutional,” and says that the law prohibits journalists from “exercising their First Amendment rights to engage in undercover newsgathering.”
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The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) banned students last week from wearing face shields as a substitute for masks, according to Fox 19.
The ODH cited a CDC report that said “there is currently not enough evidence to support the effectiveness of face shields,” and the health organization also said it “does not currently recommend use of face shields as a substitute for masks.”
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Ohio will be allowing all sports this fall.
Governor Mike Dewine said in a press conference Tuesday that sports instill “discipline, brings order, structure in the lives of student-athletes, and certainly brings joy to those athletes and certainly to their families as well.” Other concerns mentioned were the mental health of students not allowed to play sports, and the importance of a final season for many student-athletes graduating next year.
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To showcase the plight of Black citizens living in Democratic-run Baltimore, Republican congressional candidate Kimberly Klacik took a simple approach: a walk through Baltimore’s downtown.
In a two-and-a-half minute video, Klacik (pronounced “CLAY-sick”) showcased Baltimore’s run-down buildings, asked citizens their thoughts on defunding police, and explained many of the issues facing the city.
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Violent crime in Akron, Ohio has increased, which is mirroring an alarming trend across the country.
Just this week an 8-year girl was murdered and a 14-year-old was wounded in a shooting at a birthday party, according to Fox 8. Furthermore, two men were killed in separate incidents, Fox 8 reported.
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Governor Mike DeWine announced all sports will be allowed this fall, as long as teams meet guidelines laid out by Ohio High School Athletic Association and the Ohio Department of Health (ODH).
The governor said in a press conference Tuesday that his office would release the specific health guidelines soon. Guidelines will include social distancing restrictions, limiting the number of spectators allowed in stadiums, and having health inspectors enforce the rules.
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A Cincinnati prosecutor pledged Monday to help police find and prosecute those responsible for a weekend wave of gun violence.
Cincinnati police said more than 20 people were shot, four fatally.
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President Trump visited Minnesota today as part of a push to counter Joe Biden’s campaign efforts in the state.
The president spoke to victims of the riots that rocked the state after the death of George Floyd, Breitbart reports. John Wolf, owner of a liquor store in Minneapolis told the story of how his business was targetted multiple times over the period of unrest, resulting in a million dollars in damages and lost merchandise. Wolf stated that he called police 10 times as rioters vandalized and looted his building, but no one came. “The feeling of helplessness that I had knowing that no one was coming was indescribable,” Wolf told the president. Wolf went on to say that “there’s nothing more important for elected officials than providing safety to residents and businesses. Without that, nothing works… I held up to my end. The city of Minneapolis didn’t.”
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Protesters calling to defund the police held a protest in front of Cleveland Mayor, Frank Jackson’s home.
A group of protesters from the Sunrise Movement surrounded the property early Friday morning for about 20 minutes with the intent of disturbing the mayor while he slept, Fox reports.
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An Ohio man is one of five being indicted in a $4 million Payroll Protection Program (PPP) fraud case.
The accused allegedly submitted, or assisted in the submission of a fraudulent PPP loan for five businesses according to the indictment. Khalil Gibran Green Sr. of Cleveland claimed to be the sole owner of Impact Creations LLC, a company that claimed to have 67 employees and an average monthly payroll of $332,000 on a PPP application.
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Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose stated that Ohio will not require masks to be worn at Ohio polls.
In a press conference Wednesday, LaRose went through the state’s guidelines and detailed some of the precautions Ohio would take in light of the recent pandemic. The secretary of state encouraged voters to take advantage of absentee voting, a system that’s caused some controversy recently, stating that the system “is completely safe.”
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A Wright State University (WSU) economics professor has been barred from teaching a class critical of Marxism to the general student body.
Professor Evan Osborne had his repeated requests to teach a class critical of communist economist Karl Marx to non-honors students denied, reports The College Fix.
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A Warren County Court judge ruled on Thursday against the director of the Ohio Department of Health Lance D. Himes injunction on contact sports.
The order allowed non-contact sports to re-open for their normal seasons, as long as certain precautions are followed. Contact sports, however, including football, basketball, wrestling, boxing, martial arts, and soccer would have been required to test players for COVID-19 several times per sporting event. Students would be required to test negative within 72 hours of a game, again during any tournament lasting more than three days, and every two days after that should the tournament last longer.
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A judge ruled Wednesday that the 10 p.m. last call order will stay in place during a lawsuit to determine it’s legality, according to WTRF.
NBC reported that a lawsuit filed by a number of Ohio restaurants and bars sought an emergency restraining order against the state’s order. The Ohio Liquor Control Board approved the emergency order at Governor Mike DeWine’s request, which mandated bars and restaurants to cut off liquor sales at 10 p.m. This emergency order went into effect last weekend.
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The Minneapolis Charter Council on Wednesday blocked the controversial ballot proposal to disband the police.
In a 10-5 vote, the city’s Charter Council opted to take an extra 90 days to review the proposal. This means that voters will not have the opportunity to vote on the proposal in November. In an online meeting, the Charter Commission members complained that the new measure was vague, might run afoul of state law, and put the council in charge of the proposed department, according to Forbes.
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President Trump will be visiting Ohio Thursday for the first time since the pandemic started. Governor Mike DeWine has moved his scheduled Thursday COVID-19 brief to the following day to make room for the president, WKBN reports.
The visit comes as the election continues to heat up between the president and Democratic challenger Joe Biden. Polls are mixed but poll averages from 270towin.com show President Trump up in Ohio by a narrow margin over Biden.
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Governor Whitmer has ordered that her recent and controversial mask mandate be enforced like any other law.
The new executive directive, ED 2020-8 states the “Department of State Police must enforce violations of COVID-19 executive orders and epidemic orders in the same manner as it would enforce any other violation of law, using enforcement discretion as appropriate.”
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Governor Mike Dewine announced Thursday that the Ohio Department of Health will soon release a new order mandating K12 students to wear masks as they return to school.
This announcement came after the Ohio Children’s Hospital Association (OCHA) and the American Academy of Pediatrics Ohio Chapter (AAPOC) issued a letter showing support for “face coverings/masks in our hospitals, schools, and communities.”
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A gun activism group will be giving free gun training to as many as 1500 women in the Detroit area.
The 9th Annual Laid Free Women’s Shoot will take place on August 15 and August 16. Put on by gun advocacy group Legally Armed In Detroit, the event seeks to train women on the safe handling and usage of a pistol.
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Parents across Ohio are rallying for on-campus learning and extracurricular activities to resume as the school year starts.
More than 100 people rallied in the rain in front of Brecksville-Broadview Heights City Schools offices on Monday, according to cleveland.com. While some were there to show their support for online-only programs the vast majority called for the immediate re-opening of campus learning.
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