The Buckeye Institute announced Thursday it is filing an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court on a case it has been fighting on behalf of a professor who has called for an end to laws that force public-sector employees like him to accept compelled union representation.
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Even as John Kasich took over the governor’s office in January 2011, he had his eyes set on privatizing the State of Ohio’s economic development functions. A year after he left office, his brainchild, JobsOhio, sails ahead to new frontiers.
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Refugee resettlement in Ohio is up 22 percent under Gov. Mike DeWine, including hundreds from countries with “high burdens” of tuberculosis.
DeWine is one of more than 30 governors who have agreed to accept more refugees under a plan put forth by President Donald Trump in which a governor has to opt in for resettlement, the Associated Press reported.
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President Donald Trump is hitting the 2020 campaign trail with Toledo being his first stop in the New Year. Trump will visit Toledo’s Huntington Center on January 9. The registration form is here. You may only register up two (2) tickets per mobile number per event. All tickets are subject to first come, first serve basis. The campaign’s statement is here. It says, “@TeamTrump is coming to Toledo, Ohio for a @realDonaldTrump rally!” .@TeamTrump is coming to Toledo, Ohio for a @realDonaldTrump rally! pic.twitter.com/xVtYZuqsWU — Kayleigh McEnany (@kayleighmcenany) December 23, 2019 They said, “‘Ohio is booming thanks to President Trump and jobs are coming back to the state. Since President Trump’s election, Ohio has added 94,700 new jobs, including 14,700 manufacturing jobs,’ said Michael Glassner, Chief Operating Officer of Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. ‘President Trump is delivering on his promises, and he looks forward to celebrating those successes with the great men and women of Ohio.’” The campaign also said, “JUST ANNOUNCED: #KeepAmericaGreat rally in Toledo, Ohio on Thursday, January 9th!Join us at the Huntington Center with fellow patriots to celebrate America and @realDonaldTrump policies keeping it great. Register for tickets: https://donaldjtrump.com/events/toledo-oh-2020-jan-9”. JUST ANNOUNCED: #KeepAmericaGreat rally in…
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An alumnus of former Ohio Gov. John Kasich’s presidential campaign has joined George Conway in launching a new never-Trump super PAC with the explicit purpose of “defeating President Trump and Trumpism at the ballot box.”
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Democrats have a friend in The Plain Dealer.
Cleveland’s establishment newspaper has morphed into the Buckeye State’s PR Branch for the Democratic Party.
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During an interview with Fox & Friends Tuesday morning, Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH-04) made big news when he was asked whether he was going to be added to the House Intelligence Committee. Jordan, who is currently on House Oversight, responded, “We’ll see. That’s a call for Leader McCarthy. If Kevin and ranking member Nunes want that to happen, I just want to help our team.”
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Imagine America if federal officials relocated federal agencies from Washington, D.C. to Tennessee, Ohio, Michigan, and other states.
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Johnson & Johnson, the medical device company, agreed to a $20.4 million settlement with two Ohio counties in a federal lawsuit over opioid deaths. There are currently more than 100 lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies in the state seeking damages for their role in causing the opioid crisis.
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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Enforcement arrested 46 individuals over the course of a five-day enforcement action, the agency announced.
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Garrett A. Morgan was born on March 4, 1877 in Claysville on the outskirts of Paris, Kentucky to two former slaves. He was one of eleven children and his family was forced to live in a segregated portion of the city, so Morgan left for Cincinnati, Ohio at the age of 14 in search of better opportunities.
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Authorities conducted a large scale sting operation, busting a massive Ohio sex trafficking ring involving both a doctor and a church leader.
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How do you tell the story of the brothers who gave mankind the gift of flight? The men who realized ancient man’s distant dream of taking to the sky? It’s a daunting task, but luckily other gifted historians have attempted to tell their story.
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Two Planned Parenthood clinics in Ohio have shut down following the organization’s withdrawal from the federal family funding program Title X.
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Failed leadership in the past has caused Ohio to become one of the ‘most left’ states in America thanks to failing infrastructure, slow job creation and lethargic wage growth. The state simply isn’t competitive in the race to attract and retain businesses, and its showing. Since leaving Congress in January, I have been listening to Ohioans in cities and rural areas alike that feel angry, tired and frustrated. They want to know why our neighbors are winning and why Ohio is missing out on the Trump economy. I tell them all: we can thank John Kasich.
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Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH-04) said former FBI Director James Comey “owes the country an apology” following the release of an inspector general report that confirmed Comey leaked sensitive FBI materials to the media.
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Former Ohio Gov. John Kasich said on CNN this week that he doesn’t “see the path right now” for mounting a successful challenge against President Donald Trump in the Republican primary.
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The Judy Ford Wason Center for Public Policy, a research institute at Christopher Newport University, accurately predicted that Democrats would pick up more than 40 seats in the U.S. House in the 2018 midterm elections. Now they believe President Donald Trump will lose key battleground states like Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania in 2020.
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Jim Renacci, a former congressman from Ohio and chairman of Ohio’s Future Foundation, was a guest of Stuart Varney’s on Fox Business Thursday where the two discussed the ongoing “dysfunction” in Washington.
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Federal authorities announced Monday they made an arrest in the investigation into the Aug. 4 mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio.
Authorities arrested Ethan Kollie, a friend of gunman Connor Betts, Friday and charged him with possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance and making a false statement regarding firearms, authorities announced Monday in a press conference.
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More than 200 mayors from across the country sent a letter to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), urging them to immediately call the Senate back to Washington, D.C. to take action on gun control legislation.
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On Tuesday’s Tennessee Star Report with Steve Gill and Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 am to 8:00 am – with Leahy on out of studio, Gill talked to Neil McCabe of One America News Network about the recent mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio and the shooters disturbing background.
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Gannett, the newspaper chain known for buying local newspapers and cutting back on operations, including news, is now on the receiving end of an acquisition — by the owners of GateHouse Media.
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In the wake of two weekend shootings that left 31 dead in Texas and Ohio, President Donald Trump called Monday for bipartisan action that includes increased background checks to catch “red flags” of potential shooters.
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I was at the end of a meeting with a mother whose child is a victim of the country’s opioid epidemic. “So, I’m trying to write about how the opioid epidemic is affecting us,” I informed her. She responded immediately: “It touches everyone, it’s everywhere. I mean, how did it get to this?”
“Where do I even start?”
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by Tyler Arnold Ohio Senate Republicans expect a budget bill compromise to be reached for a vote by Wednesday’s deadline, according to spokesperson John Fortney. “We are very close, and we expect the budget to be ready for a vote before the interim period ends,” Fortney told The Center Square via email. Republicans currently hold the leadership in both chambers of the state legislature, but feuds over what should be done with the budget surplus funds caused the legislature to miss a July 1 budget deadline. The two sides pushed through a temporary spending bill to keep the government open until Wednesday (July 17) so they could have more time to craft a bill that both chambers could support. The specifics surrounding this potential compromise have yet to be released, but both chambers previously passed bills that cut the state’s personal income tax and increased spending for environmental and educational wrap-around programs. One of the main points of contention between House and Senate leadership has been the small business tax credit. Gov. Mike DeWine and Senate Republicans want to maintain the current credit, but House Republicans want to scale it back. Current law provides a tax exemption on 75…
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Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH-04) slammed Democrats for their handling of the crisis at the southern border during a recent hearing before the House Oversight Committee. “What we’re going to hear from Democrats this morning is astonishing. It will be truly astonishing. For months they’ve declared there wasn’t even a crisis on the southern border” Jordan began his remarks. He quoted previous comments from the Democrats, who’ve called it a “fake crisis” and “fear-mongering of the worst kind.” “But weeks later, Democrats sure have changed their tune. The Chairman just recently said ‘Congress cannot ignore the humanitarian crisis at the border.’ For years now, Republicans have been warning about the crisis and working to find solutions, and all the while Democrats have denied there was even a problem. This is not about politics. It’s always been about preserving the integrity of our border and preventing the humanitarian crisis that we are all now witnessing,” Jordan continued. He criticized Chairman Elijah Cummings (D-MD-07) for failing to hold a hearing on the border earlier in the year. “Instead he prioritized political hearings like, well, like the hearing we first had—Michael Cohen. Think about this. The president made his emergency supplemental request only…
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by Todd DeFeo A bill aimed at allowing students to transfer general education course credits from one public university in Ohio to another could bring with it potentially higher costs for schools, according to a fiscal analysis of the bill. The state House unanimously passed House Bill 9, which lawmakers hope allows more students to graduate in four years and reduces student debt. The bipartisan legislation would require institutions to notify students if they are eligible for an associates’ degree. It would also allow students to pay in advance for required classes, but that are either at capacity or unavailable – allowing the student to take the course at a later date. “HB 9 is going to be a great asset in our continual drive to restore Ohio’s promise as an opportunity state for students and employers alike,” state Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney, D-Cleveland, said in a statement. “We owe it to Ohio’s future – our students – to keep our promise to make college more affordable so that every student who works hard has the opportunity to get ahead by graduating on time and without a mountain of student debt,” Sweeney added. “HB 9 makes it easier for every…
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Mount Carmel Health System CEO Ed Lamb announced Thursday that he’s terminated the employment of 23 individuals and will resign at the end of the month after a former doctor was charged with 25 counts of murder. “This was a difficult decision, but one that is in the best interest of our organization, our colleagues and the people we serve,” Lamb said in a press release. He also revealed that the employment of “23 colleagues, including 5 physician, nursing and pharmacy management team members” was terminated effective immediately. As The Ohio Star previously reported, Dr. William Husel was charged June 6 with 25 counts of murder for ordering “excessive and potentially fatal doses” of fentanyl for former patients. It’s reportedly one of the largest murder cases ever brought against a medical provider in America, and the largest Franklin County Prosecutor Ron O’Brien has seen in his 45-year career in the area. O’Brien said that each count in the indictment alleges that Husel “purposely caused the death” of all 25 patients. The indictment goes on to accuse Husel of ordering fentanyl doses ranging from 500 to 2000 micrograms and administering them to patients, which “shortened their life and hastened or…
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by Todd DeFeo Democratic lawmakers from Cuyahoga County are seeking information about a “possibly reckless change” that moved the 2020 presidential primary to St. Patrick’s Day. Nine lawmakers from the Cleveland area sent a letter to Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose regarding the change of date from March 10 to March 17. The move is in the biennial state budget, which is pending before state legislators. State lawmakers did not agree on a state budget by the June 30 deadline but instead passed a 17-day extension, and Democrats hope to change the date of the primary before the final budget passes. “The only silver lining of this situation is that the legislature has an additional short time to reconsider and remove a last-minute provision in the budget bill: the movement of the 2020 presidential primary election to March 17, St. Patrick’s Day,” the lawmakers wrote. “We urgently need information from your office about the impacts of this rushed and possibly reckless change,” they added. “St. Patrick’s Day is a huge day of celebration in Cleveland and in our districts and we are very concerned about the effect this will have on people’s ability to vote that day.” Among…
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Phantom Fireworks, an Ohio-based company, is facing scrutiny from so-called “non-partisan watchdog” groups after the company donated $750,000 worth of fireworks to President Donald Trump’s “Salute to America.” The company’s CEO, Bruce Zoldan, was invited to an Oval Office meeting in May to discuss the impact of tariffs with fellow business leaders. Zoldan and his colleagues have been clear that a 25 percent import tax on Chinese goods would be “devastating” for the fireworks industry. “It would be pretty devastating,” Phantom Fireworks Vice President Bill Weimer recently told ABC News. “The problem is there’s no alternative source for us to get the fireworks. We have to stay with China.” So some were turning their heads when Trump announced on July 2 that Phantom Fireworks and Fireworks by Grucci were donating supplies for the Independence Day celebration. “Thanks to Phantom Fireworks and Fireworks by Grucci for their generosity in donating the biggest fireworks show Washington D.C. has ever seen. CEOs Bruce Zoldan and Phil Grucci are helping to make this the greatest 4th of July celebration in our nation’s history,” Trump wrote on Twitter. Thanks to “Phantom Fireworks” and “Fireworks by Grucci" for their generosity in donating the biggest fireworks…
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by Todd DeFeo State lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow Ohioans to carry firearms without the need to obtain a concealed weapons license. House Bill 178 would extend to Ohio residents who are at least 21 years old and federal law does not prohibit them from having a firearm. It does not apply to any so-called “restricted deadly weapon,” which includes various military-style arms. The House Federalism Committee voted 7-4 in favor of the bill following a debate that was “very contentious” at times, state Rep. John Becker, the committee’s chairman, acknowledged before the vote. However, he noted, there was some consensus from the two sides. “One of which is the second amendment. … I didn’t hear anybody come in here and say nobody has the right to carry a gun,” Becker, R-Union Township, said. “The other point that I think everybody is in agreement on is gun safety. “Everybody wants to be safe. Nobody wants bad guys to have guns. That’s something we all agree on,” he added. “Obviously we have some very stark disagreements on how to achieve public safety.” The bill pits two vocal opponents against one another. While gun proponents applauded the plan,…
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by Tyler Arnold Starting this month, any local government that uses traffic cameras to issue tickets will be financially punished by the state. To discourage localities from using these cameras as a means to generate revenue, state government will remove all financial incentives for using them. The state will reduce the locality’s funding from the local government fund by the amount of revenue that the locality generates from fines issued because of information received from these cameras. If the total revenue generated from these cameras is higher than the state’s annual funding for the locality, then next year’s funding for the locality will also be reduced by that additional amount. In a study published almost a year ago, conducted by the Cleveland-based Case Western Reserve University, researchers found that it is unlikely that red-light cameras reduce accidents, but that they may actually increase accidents. The study showed cameras make people more likely to slam on their breaks to avoid a ticket, which increased the amount of cars that were rear-ended. Gary Daniels, chief lobbyist for the Ohio ACLU, did not provide an opinion on this legislation, but said that the ACLU’s concern with the cameras is whether people receive…
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by Margaret Mary Olohan A judge temporarily blocked an Ohio bill that bans abortions after a baby’s heartbeat can be detected. Senior U.S. District Judge Michael Barrett issued a preliminary injunction Wednesday temporarily preventing the heartbeat bill from going into effect, according to Cleveland.com. The heartbeat bill, S.B. 23, was originally signed by Republican Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine on April 11 and banned abortions after detection of a baby’s heartbeat. Physicians could face fines of up to $20,000 in fines if they violate the law. Barrett said in the ruling that the heartbeat bill placed an undue burden on women and their right to abortion. “This Court concludes that S.B. 23 places an ‘undue burden’ on a woman’s right to choose a pre-viability abortion, and, under Casey, Plaintiffs are certain to succeed on the merits of their claim,” Barrett wrote, according to Cleveland.com, referencing the 1992 U.S. Supreme Court case Planned Parenthood v. Casey. The ruling temporarily halts the bill pending further court rulings. “All Defendants, their officers, agents, servants, employees, and attorneys, and those persons in active concert or participation with them who receive actual notice of this Order, are preliminarily enjoined from enforcing or complying with S.B.…
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Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) recently issued a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo requesting information about the “dissemination of data” from the country’s Terrorist Screening Database (TSDB), commonly referred to as the terrorist watchlist. Omar was joined by ten of her congressional colleagues in crafting the letter, including Reps. Tim Ryan (D-OH-13), Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-07), Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13), and Mark Pocan (D-WI-02). “In our oversight role as members of Congress, we are entitled to information as to which countries receive this sensitive and classified information about American citizens, many of whom have never been charged, arrested or convicted of a crime,” the letter states, according to a press release from Omar’s office. “We are also extremely concerned that the federal government is sharing watchlist information with countries with dubious human rights records, including Saudi Arabia and China,” the letter continues. “Giving the same people who violently murdered Jamal Khashoggi access to the watchlist puts lives in danger. We have also received credible reports that Uyghur activists have been added to the watchlist at the behest of the Chinese government. It is unacceptable for U.S. resources to contribute to the brutal repression of political dissidents abroad.” The letter concludes…
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by Tyler Arnold A narrowly divided Supreme Court ruled Thursday that federal judges have no authority to block politically gerrymandered maps. The 5-4 decision fell along ideological lines with the five conservative judges signing onto the decision and the liberal judges dissenting. “We conclude that partisan gerrymandering claims present political questions beyond the reach of the federal courts,” Chief Justice John Roberts said in his opinion. “Federal judges have no license to reallocate political power between the two major political parties, with no plausible grant of authority in the Constitution, and no legal standards to limit and direct their decisions.” Roberts said that the court has been asked to overturn politically gerrymandered lines for the past 45 years, but that it has never done so. If the court made decisions on whether maps were gerrymandered to favor a specific party, he said that judicial reviews would recur with every new round of redistricting. “That intervention would be unlimited in scope and duration,” Roberts said. He said it would be “an unprecedented expansion of judicial power.” Roberts emphasized that the Court is not condoning politically gerrymandered maps, but that the issue can be resolved by state courts enforcing state laws…
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by Todd DeFeo Ohio is giving tax credits that could reach an estimated $23.4 million to 10 companies planning to expand their businesses in the state. The companies plan to create a total of 1,559 new jobs and retain 1,788 jobs statewide, according to development officials. The projects are expected to result in more than $105 million in new payroll and bring about more than $139 million in investments statewide. Companies only earn the tax credits, approved by the Ohio Tax Credit Authority (TCA), if they meet specific criteria as part of an agreement with the state. “As always, these are estimated values of the potential tax credits if all elements approved by the Tax Credit Authority are met,” Lisa Colbert, public information officer for the Ohio Development Services Agency, said in an email. “These are not actual tax credits. The Job Creation Tax Credit is a performance-based credit. So, the actual value of the tax credit is based on jobs created and new payroll tax generated, as verified.” In the largest project, Mercy Health, which operates 43 hospitals in seven states, is expanding its Cincinnati campus and expects to create 500 full-time positions. The TCA approved a 12-year…
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by Tyler Arnold In a joint filing, both sides of the Ohio abortion lawsuit have requested that the U.S. district court delay information gathering until after a similar case in Kentucky is settled. Both Kentucky and Ohio passed legislation to prohibit abortion after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which can be as early as five and a half weeks into the pregnancy. After a lawsuit was brought by abortion rights advocates, a federal court struck down Kentucky’s legislation. The state has appealed the ruling. A district court has also blocked some of the Ohio law from going into effect. The government cannot charge doctors under this legislation until the judge issues a ruling. Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed this legislation in April. Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin signed his state’s legislation back in March. Under the Ohio law, a doctor who conducts an abortion after the fetal heartbeat could face up to a year in prison with a fifth degree felony. The State Medical Board could also take further disciplinary action, which could include up to $20,000 in fines. Although there is no rape or incest exception, the bill does provide an exception if the mother’s life is at…
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Ten Democratic presidential candidates took to the debate stage in Miami, Florida Wednesday night for the first of a two-night event. President Donald Trump weighed in on the debate with just one word: “BORING!” BORING! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 27, 2019 He later criticized NBC News after moderators Chuck Todd and Rachel Maddow had to cut to a commercial break to deal with microphone difficulties. “NBC News and MSNBC should be ashamed of themselves for having such a horrible technical breakdown in the middle of the debate,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “Truly unprofessional and only worthy of a FAKE NEWS organization, which they are!” .@NBCNews and @MSNBC should be ashamed of themselves for having such a horrible technical breakdown in the middle of the debate. Truly unprofessional and only worthy of a FAKE NEWS Organization, which they are! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 27, 2019 Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH-13) represented the Midwest during the first round of debates. Klobuchar highlights Early on in the debate, Klobuchar earned a round of applause after taking a shot at Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, who said he was the only candidate on stage who had…
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Cities in eight states from Maine to Massachusetts topped a list of the “Most Post-Christian Cities in America,” a new study released this month found. The Northeast region stands in stark contrast to the sole Tennessee city of Knoxville who barely cracked the top 100 – coming in at #99. The study, conducted by Barna research, is part of an ongoing survey of Americans based on a random sample of 21,378 adults conducted over a ten-year period. To be identified as post-Christian, an individual had to meet nine or more of the following factors: – Do not believe in God – Identify as atheist or agnostic – Disagree that faith is important in their lives – Have not prayed to God (in the last week) – Have never made a commitment to Jesus – Disagree the Bible is accurate – Have not donated money to a church (in the last year) – Have not attended a Christian church (in the last 6 months) – Agree that Jesus committed sins – Do not feel a responsibility to “share their faith” – Have not read the Bible (in the last week) – Have not volunteered at church (in the last week)…
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Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH-13) said that if he’s elected president he would make sure “every aspect of society” is focused on curbing climate change. Ryan recently sat down with The New York Times for its “Meet the Candidates” series where he answered a number of questions about his presidential platform. “I do. Yes. We have to marshal every aspect of our society, our government, our free enterprise system, our educational institutions, our venture capital—all has to be pointing in the direction of reversing climate change,” Ryan said in response to whether he thinks it’s possible for the next president to stop climate change. “I think if we do it right, if we engage the free enterprise system, if we align the environmental incentives with the financial incentives, that we can actually do it a lot quick than most people think,” he added. On the issue of health care, Ryan reiterated his belief that the country needs to “move towards a single-payer system.” “We need to move towards a single-payer system,” he told The Times. “I think the natural next step is to have some public option for people to be able to buy affordable, accessible, quality health care. We…
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2020 hopeful Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH-13) wants to introduce social-emotional learning standards to every public school in the country. The Ohio Star’s Beth Lear recently did a deep dive on the Ohio State Board of Education’s efforts to bring social-emotional learning to the state. “This is part of a national movement to psychologize education falsely advertised as improving academic achievement and preventing violence and suicide,” said Dr. Karen Effrem of Eagle Forum. Effrem said she was concerned that social-emotional learning standards would lead to an erosion of parental rights, over-medication of vulnerable students, and inaccurate mental health assessments from personnel not trained as mental health experts. “Many of us on the state board of education are concerned about the state getting involved in social and emotional learning for a variety of reasons,” State School Board Member Kirsten Hill told The Ohio Star. “Measuring children’s feelings, values, attitudes, dispositions and behaviors is difficult to do and then sharing this highly sensitive and personal information with parties beyond the teacher and the school breaches privacy. There are student surveys being conducted that parents aren’t aware of. Is the school role going to expand into mental health treatment?” If it’s up to…
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Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH-13) said during a Thursday night appearance on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah that President Donald Trump “hasn’t done a damn thing” for the economy. Noah began the interview by congratulating Ryan for making the first Democratic debate, scheduled for June 26 and 27 in Miami. “Most people would’ve never given me a chance to get on the debate stage, and here we are. And that’s kind of the beginning of the game. We’re in the game and we’re excited to get our message out,” Ryan said. “Do you really believe you have a shot in this game?” Noah responded. “I know you don’t believe you’re out of it, but why?” “Where I come from—I represent the forgotten communities of the country, and I think if you look at the history of these races—Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Donald Trump—the winner usually comes out of nowhere,” Ryan said, emphasizing throughout the interview that he represents “the forgotten people.” “I think the shine’s coming off the apple,” Ryan said in regards to Trump’s economic policies. “I think people are saying you made all these promises and you haven’t delivered. And so my argument to the…
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A jury ordered Oberlin College to pay $33 million in punitive damages Thursday to Gibson’s Bakery, an on-campus business that the school falsely accused of racial profiling. As The Ohio Star reported last week, the Gibson family was awarded $11 million in compensatory damages. State law caps punitive damages at twice the amount of compensatory damages awarded, meaning the figure will likely be reduced to $22 million, according to Legal Insurrection. At the end of the day, the Gibson family will walk away with at least $33 million in total damages ($11 million in compensatory, and $22 million in punitive after state caps). “Oberlin College tried to sacrifice a beloved fifth-generation bakery, its owners, and its employees at the altar of political correctness to appease the campus ‘social justice warfare’ mob,” said Legal Insurrection CEO and Cornell law professor William Jacobson. “The jury sent a clear message that the truth matters, and so do the reputations and lives of people targeted by false accusations, particularly when those false accusations are spread by powerful institutions.” As of June 30, 2018, Oberlin College reported that it had an endowment of $887.4 million. “Throughout the trial the Oberlin College defense was tone-deaf…
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On the House floor Tuesday morning, Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-OH-11) shared a letter she received from a constituent that calls for the impeachment of President Donald Trump and describes his supporters as “racist” and “just plain dumb.” According to Fudge, the letter was written by Dr. Ronald S. Williams, who serves as the senior pastor of Mount Zion Fellowship in Highland Hills, Ohio. “A mobster, a conman, gangster in the White House? I think so,” the letter begins, asking why the U.S. Congress hasn’t “started a formal impeachment investigation.” “Nancy Pelosi is a woman who I respect, however, I do believe her hesitancy to impeach this president is her opinion based upon polls and her belief that it would further polarize the country. However, the country is already divided and polarized,” it continues. The letter, written by a Christian pastor, goes on to belittle Trump supporters for having views that are “steeped in religious beliefs.” “It is glaringly apparent that many who support the present administration are either racist, steeped in religious beliefs, ignorant or, as my mother used to say, just plain dumb,” the letter states. “They have chosen to support a president who has a proven record…
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by Todd DeFeo The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will benefit Ohio’s economy, and Congress should proceed with ratifying the deal, the state’s lieutenant governor said in a letter to federal officials urging them to act. Lt. Gov. Jon Husted sent a letter to members of Ohio’s congressional delegation expressing his support for the trade deal and urging them to ratify the agreement this year. He also sent the letter to President Donald Trump, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California. Canada and Mexico are Ohio’s two biggest export markets, accounting for more than 51 percent of the state’s total exports, Husted said in his letter. In 2018, Ohio sent $21 billion in goods to Canada and nearly $7 billion to Mexico. “It is necessary that the United States implement an updated trade agreement with Mexico and Canada to reflect the dramatic technological changes that have occurred since ratification of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA),” Husted wrote. “The new agreement will better serve the interests of American innovators, workers, farmers and job creators. Mutually beneficial trade leads to freer markets, fairer trade, and greater economic growth in the United States and across North…
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The Ohio House is currently considering a bill that would reduce the number of state-mandated standardized tests students are required to take by eliminating four end-of-course exams, including the American history and American government exams. House Bill 239, referred to as the Testing Reduction Act, was introduced by Reps. Gayle Manning (R-North Ridgeville) and Erica Crawley (D-Columbus), and is scheduled to receive its third hearing Tuesday in the House Primary and Secondary Education Committee. “During my 37 years in an elementary school classroom, I experienced first-hand how stressful standardized testing can be for students. In order to prepare students for the standardized test, teachers often give local diagnostic assessments. I believe so much weight is placed on a score of a standardized test, and creativity in the classroom is dwindling. Every student is different and not every student will excel on a standardized test,” Manning said when testifying on the bill. In 2012, the Ohio Legislature passed into law Senate Bill 165, which required schools to teach America’s founding documents, like the U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Bill of Rights. In her testimony, Manning maintained that these documents will still be taught even if the American…
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Oberlin College was ordered by a jury last week to pay $11 million in damages to a family bakery on campus that was falsely accused of racial profiling, but the monetary reward could triple during a punitive damages hearing scheduled for Tuesday. As The Ohio Star reported Sunday: The bakery, called Gibson’s Bakery, has operated on campus since 1885 and had a business relationship with the school until November 2017, when the bakery sued the school for numerous offenses, including libel, slander, and interference with business relationships. The conflict started in November 2016, the day after President Donald Trump’s election, after a black male student was stopped for shoplifting. He and two of his female peers eventually pleaded guilty to shoplifting and aggravated trespassing, but the damage to Gibson’s Bakery was already done. Students accused the business of racial profiling, organized protests outside of its storefront, and distributed flyers on campus that accused the bakery of having “a long account of racial profiling and discrimination.” On Friday, an Ohio jury ordered the college to pay $11 million in damages to the bakery for siding with the student protesters. In response to verdict, Oberlin College Vice President and General Counsel…
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by Steve Bittenbender A multistate organization in charge of improving the quality of one of the country’s most important rivers voted on Thursday to adopt a new plan on how to ensure states meet water pollution standards. By a 19-2 vote, with one abstention, the Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) passed a measure at its meeting in Covington, Ky., that now gives states more flexibility in regulating water standards. It capped a more than more than four-year review process for the panel on how those standards are established. The states represented on the commission are Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Richard Harrison, ORSANCO’s executive director and chief engineer, told The Center Square the review came about as the commission looked at the best way to utilize its resources. While the commission, which was established in 1948, had established mandatory requirements for the states, commissioners began to wonder if those regulations were duplicative of federal standards established in the Clean Water Act. Last October, the commission proposed a measure that would have essentially done away with the standards. However, after significant pushback from the public, the commissioners tabled that “and went back to…
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A jury has ordered Oberlin College to pay $11 million in damages to a family bakery on its campus that was falsely accused of racial profiling and faced months of student protests. The bakery, called Gibson’s Bakery, has operated on campus since 1885 and had a business relationship with the school until November 2017, when the bakery sued the school for numerous offenses, including libel, slander, and interference with business relationships. The conflict started in November 2016, the day after President Donald Trump’s election, after a black male student was stopped for shoplifting. He and two of his female peers eventually pleaded guilty to shoplifting and aggravated trespassing, but the damage to Gibson’s Bakery was already done. Students accused the business of racial profiling, organized protests outside of its storefront, and distributed flyers on campus that accused the bakery of having “a long account of racial profiling and discrimination.” On Friday, an Ohio jury ordered the college to pay $11 million in damages to the bakery for siding with the student protesters. “The verdict sends a strong message that colleges and universities cannot simply wind up and let loose student social justice warriors and then wash their hands of…
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