Gov. Mike DeWine unveiled Tuesday the formation of the Congregate Care Unified Response Teams that will help test residents and staff in Ohio’s nursing homes, according to the governor’s press release.
Nursing homes across America, including Ohio, have been hotspots for the coronavirus.
Read the full story
Ohioans seeking to collect electronic signatures for petitions during the coronavirus must temporarily stop doing so, a federal appeals court ruled.
The U.S. 6th District Court of Appeals said in its Tuesday judgment that even though the coronavirus has made it “difficult” for petitioners to gather signatures, it does not mean it can’t be done.
Read the full story
Gov. Mike DeWine announced this week the recommendations that the Minority Health Strike Force established to address the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on Ohio’s black community.
According to DeWine’s press release, black people make up “14 percent of Ohio’s population, but represent 26 percent of positive COVID-19 cases, 31 percent of COVID-19 hospitalizations, and 17 percent of COVID-19 deaths in Ohio.”
Read the full story
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services released numbers on Friday that showed truly how devastating the coronavirus has been on Ohio’s economy.
The data shows Ohio’s unemployment rate jumped 11 percentage points between March and April.
Read the full story
Federal officials gave Fisher Sand and Gravel a $1.28 billion deal to build 42 miles of the border wall along the southern border in Arizona, The Arizona Daily Star reported. This May 6 deal is the biggest contract ever given for border wall construction, according to CBS News. The wall will stretch between Nogales, Arizona and Tohono O’odham Nation’s eastern boundary, The Daily Star said. The per-mile cost of this project will be $30 million, which is more than normal due to the difficulties with the land contours of this 42-mile stretch. “While there may be similarities between projects, each project cost is contingent upon its unique characteristics, such as geotechnical, topographical, hydrological and hydraulic, underground utilities, final real estate access, and the cost of materials and labor,” Army Corps of Engineers spokesman Jay Field told The Daily Star. Tommy Fisher, who runs the North Dakota-based company, successfully launched a campaign to get President Donald Trump and federal officials to award him the contract. Republican North Dakota Senator John Hoeven said in a statement, according to KFYRTV, “Fisher Industries is a large employer in North Dakota and we appreciate the contributions this company is making to strengthen our border…
Read the full story
Ohio saw more than 46,000 people file for unemployment benefits last week, according to numbers released by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS). This marks the first time Ohio’s unemployment weekly claims have been under 50,000 when the coronavirus hit the state two months ago, and Gov. Mike DeWine shut down the economy. Even though last week’s data reached this milestone, the weekly filings from the week ending May 16 only went down by 5,000 claims from the week ending May 9. Ohioans asking for government assistance should continue to go down as of last weekend, 90 percent of Ohio’s economy had opened up, the Associated Press reported. Since mid-March, more than 1.2 million people have filed for unemployment benefits in Ohio. Nationally, America has seen 38.6 million people claim unemployment during the same nine-week span. Ohio has accounted for three percent of America’s unemployment benefit claims during this time period. According to WBNS, ODJFS has given benefits to 619,000 Ohioans totaling over $2.8 billion. This accounts for 52 percent of people who asked for government assistance. ODJFS continues to deal with hackers trying to infiltrate its system. This time, around 24 people who claimed unemployment…
Read the full story
Attorney General Dave Yost led an effort of 15 Republican state attorneys general to file an amicus brief Monday that supports the federal government’s position of dismissing its case against Gen. Michael Flynn.
In early May, the Department of Justice (DOJ) dropped all charges against the former National Security Advisor.
Read the full story
Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH-13) sent a letter to Senate Majority Mitch McConnell Monday urging him to pass the HEROES Act, which is a $ 3 trillion bill aimed at helping Americans affected by the coronavirus.
“On Friday, The House of Representatives acted by passing the Heroes Act, a bold legislative package that responds to the challenges this pandemic poses to our nation,” he said. “Americans are depending on their Representatives and Senators to take swift and immediate action to bring relief. I write today to urge you to immediately bring up the Heroes Act for consideration in the Senate.”
Read the full story
Gov. Mike DeWine released a statement asking that Kentucky Democratic Senate candidate Amy McGrath not use his image in an “attack ad” against Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
“Ohioans are focused exclusively on getting through COVID-19 and getting our people back to work, and I’m proud to work with partners at the local and federal level to get it done. It’s for that reason that I’m particularly disappointed with an attack ad by Amy McGrath that uses my image against my friend, Mitch McConnell,” DeWine said in a statement Saturday.
Read the full story
Gov. Mike DeWine announced on Thursday that child care services can reopen on May 31.
Child care services in Ohio have been limited since March 26 when the state issued measures to combat the coronavirus.
Read the full story
Gov. Bill Lee announced Friday that Tennessee is lifting its capacity restrictions for restaurants and retail on May 22.
“Tennesseans have worked incredibly hard to do their part and help slow the spread of COVID-19 so that our state can begin to reopen. Thanks to their continued efforts, we’re able to allow restaurants and retail businesses to operate at greater capacity and large attractions to open in a safe and thoughtful way,” Lee said.
Read the full story
Ohio received a little over 51,000 unemployment claims last week, according to the Ohio Department of Jobs and Family Services (ODJFS).
This marks the third consecutive week that unemployment claims have been less than 100,000. Furthermore, the number of jobless claims people have filed has reduced over 40,000 claims in the last two weeks.
Read the full story
Gov. Tim Walz announced late Wednesday that he will extend Minnesota’s peacetime emergency order for thirty days.
“Our actions have saved lives, but the threat of COVID-19 remains,” Walz said. “The next stages of this pandemic are going to challenge us – an extension of Minnesota’s peacetime emergency will allow us to protect Minnesotans’ health and wellbeing and continue to respond effectively to this rapidly-evolving situation.”
Read the full story
Franklin County in Ohio saw another surge in drug-related overdoses last weekend, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
Dr. Anahi Ortiz, the Franklin County coroner, told The Dispatch that 11 people had died.
Since the Wuhan virus came to Ohio, Franklin County has been one of state’s hardest-hit areas in terms of overdoses.
Read the full story
Ohio officials are rethinking the policy of removing unemployment benefits for workers who refuse to work during the COVID-19 ordeal, according to the cleveland.com.
On Friday, VICE reported someone hacked into the state’s unemployment benefits system website. This hack allowed people to send “junk data” to part of the website where employers “can report employees who quit or refuse work when it is available due to COVID-19.”
Read the full story
Gov. Mike DeWine took a stand Thursday against Ohio House Republicans who are trying to limit the Ohio Department of Health (ODH)’s powers during the coronavirus pandemic.
On Wednesday, House Republicans on the House State and Local Government Committee (HSLGC) passed an amendment to a 2019 regulatory reform bill that would limit ODH’s orders to two weeks, The Ohio Star reported.
Read the full story
Ohioans waiting to go to bars, eat at restaurants, get their hair cut, or nails done will not have to wait much longer, as Gov. Mike DeWine announced that next Friday these businesses will open in some capacity.
“Reopening Ohio is a risk, but it’s also a risk if you don’t move forward. We’re on a dangerous road that has never been traveled before in Ohio and the danger is that we relax and stop taking precautions,” DeWine said. “All of us collectively control this. I ask you to take calculated risks and make good judgments. Continue social distancing, washing your hands, and wearing face coverings. If you aren’t concerned with what happens to you, do it for others.”
Read the full story
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a motion on Thursday to dismiss its case against Michael Flynn.
“The United States of America hereby moves to dismiss with prejudice the criminal information filed against Michael T. Flynn pursuant to Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 48(a), the motion reads. “The Government has determined, pursuant to the Principles of Federal Prosecution and based on extensive review and careful consideration of the circumstances, that continued prosecution of this case would not serve the interests of justice.”
Read the full story
The Texas Supreme Court has ordered the release of Shelly Luther, the Dallas salon owner who was sent to jail for violating the state’s coronavirus stay-at-home order.
State District Judge Eric Moyé on Tuesday sentenced the owner of the Salon A La Mode to seven days behind bars for “disobeying a judge’s temporary restraining order prohibiting her from operating her salon,” according to CBS-DFW.
Read the full story
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has been discharged from the hospital following a brief stay for a non-surgical gallbladder treatment, according to CNN. “She is doing well and glad to be home,” a short statement from the Supreme Court read. “The Justice will return to The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, for follow-up outpatient visits over the next few weeks to eventually remove the gallstone non-surgically.” On Tuesday Ginsburg was hospitalized on Tuesday, according to a Supreme Court press release. “Following oral arguments on Monday, the Justice underwent outpatient tests at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, D.C., that confirmed she was suffering from a gallstone that had migrated to her cystic duct, blocking it and causing an infection,” the press release said. Ginsburg, who is 87 years old and the oldest member of America’s highest court, has fought numerous ailments over the last couple of years. In 2019, the Democratic Supreme Court Justice underwent successful treatment for a malignant tumor on her pancreas. Ginsburg told CNN in January that she was cancer-free. In 2018, the justice fractured three ribs after falling in her office. Then a month later, she underwent surgery for a left-lung lobectomy. President Bill Clinton appointed…
Read the full story
Gov. DeWine announced on Tuesday that he is slashing Ohio’s budget for the remainder of the 2020 fiscal year due to the state general suffering heavy revenue loss due to COVID-19.
Read the full story
Gov. Mike DeWine defended the news media and Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton during Monday’s press conference after several incidents occurred over the weekend when Ohio extended its lockdown order until May 29 last Friday.
Read the full story
Rep. John Becker (R-Union Township) plans to introduce a bill when the Ohio General Assembly opens up again next week that would make all public health orders issued by the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) Director Amy Acton advisory measures rather than mandatory measures, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer.
Read the full story
Gov. Mike DeWine announced Friday that the Ohio Department of Health (ODH) extended the state’s stay-at-home order till May 29.
Read the full story
Another 92,920 Ohioans filed for unemployment benefits last week, which means that 1,075,486 Ohioans have filed for unemployment benefits during the last six weeks, according to the Associated Press.
Nationally, 3.8 million people asked for government assistance last week. This means that America has seen 30.3 million people jobless claims over the last six weeks.
Read the full story
Gov. Mike DeWine said he will no longer require people to have face coverings on who enter businesses set to open under the Responsible RestartOhio plan, according a statement statement released Tuesday.
When the governor announced details about reopening Ohio’s economy on Monday, face coverings were required by the public to enter businesses. However, he changed the rule due to the fact some Ohioans found this rule “offensive.”
Read the full story
State Rep. Nino Vitale (R-Urbana) told Ohio Future Foundation (OFF) Chairman Jim Renacci that Ohio needs to end its lockdown. “I don’t think the government should be locking us down at all,” he said during OFF’s Facebook live forum Wednesday night. Vitale has been one of the most vocal House Republicans who has criticized Gov. Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton for shutting down almost all of Ohio’s economy. He, along with 32 other House Republicans, created a plan the “Open Ohio Responsibly Framework” that recommended business start opening on Friday, which DeWine announced will happen. “Many businesses have already modified their operating protocols to safely function in this current environment. Businesses/organizations recognize if they do not make it safe for their employees and customers, they will not come back,” the plan states. We believe it is time to trust Ohioans. They have respectfully followed the guidelines and NOW is the time to responsibly open all businesses. Two weeks ago, Vitale also called on DeWine and Acton to ease restrictions to allow hospitals and doctors to perform elective surgeries. A major concern Vitale expressed to Renacci was what was going to happen to the healthcare…
Read the full story
Senator Marsha Blackburn joined Fox Business’s Morning with Maria Tuesday to discuss her new legislation that wants to hold the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) responsible for the way it has handled the coronavirus.
Read the full story
Rep. Mark Green (R-TN-07) sent a letter to Chairman Adam Smith and Ranking Member Mac Thornberry of the House Armed Services Committee asking them to fund Fort Campbell’s hospital after the base saw soldiers go to New York, New Jersey and Boston to help fight the coronavirus.
Read the full story
Gov. Mike DeWine released details on what Ohio’s economy will look like when it opens up on Friday.
“We put this plan together based on all the information we have about how dangerous COVID-19 still is right now, balanced with the fact that it’s also dangerous to have people not working,” DeWine said. “COVID-19 is still out there. It’s still killing people. We’re asking Ohioans to be reasonable and rational. Please don’t take huge chances, and please use common sense when you go out and where you go out.”
The goal of DeWine’s Responsible RestartOhio plan is to “protect the health of employees, customers, and their families, supporting community efforts to control the spread of COVID-19,” according to the governor’s press release.
Set to open on May 1 is the healthcare industry. Ohio will allow doctor visits, well-care checks, out-patient surgeries, imaging procedures, diagnostic tests, and dental and veterinary services.
Read the full story
As Alice DeWine, the daughter of Gov. Mike DeWine, battles for the Greene County prosecutor position, a federal super PAC named Protecting Ohio Action Fund (POAF) has supported her campaign by spending $321,821 on it, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
Read the full story
Ohio saw another 108,801 people file for unemployment claims last week, according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS).
Nationally, America saw 4.4 million people file for unemployment benefits as people continue to lose jobs due to state lockdown orders, the Department of Labor numbers show.
The coronavirus pandemic continues to wreck havoc on Ohio’s economy as 964,566 Ohioans have asked for government assistance over the last five weeks. During this same time period, more than 26 million people have filed for unemployment assistance, according to PBS.
Read the full story
California Highway Patrol (CHP) will not issue any more event permits on any state properties after people on Monday protested the state’s lockdown measures, according to The Sacramento Bee. “Permits are issued to provide safe environments for demonstrators to express their views,” the CHP said in a statement to The Bee. “In this case, the permit for the convoy was issued with the understanding that the protest would be conducted in a manner consistent with the state’s public health guidance. “That is not what occurred, and CHP will take this experience into account when considering permits for this or any other group.” The Bee reported Monday that protesters gathered in Sacramento to drive around the state Capitol while hundreds of others stood “shoulder to shoulder cheering them on as they expressed opposition to the governor’s stay-at-home order.” While the protests were going on Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom spoke at his coronavirus press conference. “My understanding is the protest that CHP has supported has physical distancing that was allowable on the basis of people being in their vehicles and not congregating as a group,” the governor said. According to KTLA, Newsom told reporters that he was going to reach out…
Read the full story
Registered Ohio voters have not taken advantage of the extended primary election deadline as numbers released Tuesday by Ohio Secretary of State (OSOS) Frank LaRose shows low turnout.
With less than a week until the primary election deadline, only 1,667,883 Ohioans have requested a vote-by-mail absentee ballot. Ohio has 7.7 million registered voters, according to The Columbus Dispatch. This means that less than 22 percent of registered Ohioans have requested an absentee ballot.
Gov. Mike DeWine pushed back Ohio’s original primary election date from March 17 to April 28 after declaring a health emergency due to the coronavirus. People are expected to vote by mail rather than in-person. Only certain situations will allow Ohioans to vote in-person.
Read the full story
The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) Research Center released a survey Tuesday that said 80 percent of small business owners are still waiting to receive a loan from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP).
“Small businesses were prepared and ready to apply for these programs, the only financial support options for most, and it is very frustrating that the majority of these true small businesses haven’t received their loan yet,” Holly Wade, NFIB Director of Research & Policy Analysis, said. “Small businesses make up nearly half of the economy and it’s crucial that their doors stay open.”
Read the full story
Gov. Mike DeWine announced Monday that he created the Minority Health Strike Force due to the coronavirus disproportionately impacting minority groups.
Ohio Department of Health (ODH) data shows that 22 percent of Ohioans who have tested positive for the Chinese virus in Ohio are black, which makes up 14 of the state’s population, according to the governor’s press release.
Read the full story
Ohio has almost 10,000 confirmed coronavirus cases as of Saturday, according to the Ohio Health Department (ODH). This number may seem like a lot, but the percentage of people testing positive for the Chinese virus remains low in the state.
Read the full story
Reps. Tim Ryan (D-OH-13) and Ro Khanna (D-CA-17) introduced a bill Tuesday that would provide additional payments to Americans who are struggling during the Chinese coronavirus pandemic.
This week an estimated 80 million Americans started to receive $1,200 stimulus checks from the federal government to help amid these difficult times.
Read the full story
Gov. Bill Lee announced on Thursday a new economic recovery group aimed at getting Tennessee’s economy going again. “COVID-19 has not only created a public health crisis, it has hurt thousands of businesses and hundreds of thousands of hardworking Tennesseans,” said Gov. Lee. “As we work to safely open Tennessee’s economy, this group will provide guidance to industries across the state on the best ways to get Tennesseans back to work.” Over the last four weeks, over 324,000 Tennesseans have filed for unemployment benefits, according to WSMV. The group of 30, which is made up of business leaders, state legislators and state officials, is led by Tennessee Department of Tourism Development Commissioner Mark Ezell, according to the governor’s press release. “This public-private partnership will prioritize connection, collaboration, and communication across industries, the medical community and state government,” Ezell said. “We’re grateful to these leaders for serving at a critical time in our state’s history.” This new economic group comes on the same day, President Donald Trump announced his three-step plan to re-open America. In his plan, Trump has given state governors to power to open individually rather than all at once. “All of American society is engaged and mobilized…
Read the full story
Hawaii Governor David Ige announced Wednesday that state employees might have to take pay cuts.
“Let me be very frank with you, due to this crisis, the main sources of state revenue have been drastically reduced,” he said. “State government needs to look very different going forward.”
The Democratic governor said he has had ongoing discussions with union representatives and state legislators, but no decision has been made yet.
Read the full story
While Michiganders protested on Thursday the authoritarian like measures Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has implemented during the coronavirus pandemic, a person trying to unseat Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH-04) had harsh things to say about them.
Shannon Freshour, a progressive who is competing against two other Democrats for the party’s nomination, tweeted her true feelings about the protesters.
“Republicans everywhere want people to die while claiming to be pro-life,” Freshour said. “Also um gridlock would be an effective tool if there was traffic but y’all only blocking yourselves and your fellow hate-mongering, confederate supporting traitors.”
Read the full story
Tennessee U.S. Senate candidate Manny Sethi laid out a plan Wednesday that would help get American companies out of China.
Read the full story
Denmark reopened its kindergarten and elementary schools on Wednesday after it closed all schools on March 12, according to the BBC.
The only students that went back to class are kids that are eleven years old or younger, the BBC reported. In Denmark, kids are only required to go to school between the ages of 5 and 16.
Denmark has established certain conditions for students when they returned. For instance, children are not allowed to bring toys from home, and they must have washed their hands before coming to school, the local.dk reported.
Read the full story
Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-TN-04) said on The Jeff Poor Show Monday that he supports the way President Donald Trump has been dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.
“I don’t know what they could have done differently. I think they are handling it well,” DesJarlais said.
“I am impressed with the president and his team in what they’ve done and how they are trying to salvage the economy,” the representative added. “I do think things will open up and brighter times are not far away.”
Read the full story
Ohio Department of Health (ODH) Director Amy Acton announced during Monday’s press conference that the state is training volunteers to help with “contact tracing,” which is a process that helps identify people who may have contacted an infected person.
The ODH has been working with medical and professional schools to help train these volunteers in an attempt to better allocate state resources for the coronavirus.
“Let’s just say we have the testing. You want to know someone is infectious the second they are. So, the quicker you can identify them is the very first step,” Acton said.
Read the full story
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA-12) said Thursday the House of Representatives blocked the Senate’s $250 billion small business relief proposal based on the fact that no data existed to support this idea.
Read the full story
A day after Gov Mike DeWine said Ohio had a personal protective equipment (PPE) shortage, he announced a partnership with manufacturers that will address it.
Read the full story
The University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) model has updated its Ohio projection to show that both the peak hospital resource day and highest fatality day have already happened.
Read the full story
Tennessee saw 112,438 people file for unemployment benefits last week, according to the state’s department of labor.
Read the full story
People gathered in front of the Ohio state capitol to protest the way the state has handled the coronavirus pandemic.
Currently, Ohio is under a “Shelter-at-Home” order until May 1, which it has been under since March 23.
Around 100 people came to Ohio’s capital Columbus Thursday to protest, according to Tom Bosco, an ABC6 journalist. On their way to the building, Bosco said people were chanting “Open Ohio.”
Read the full story