Ohio legislative Republicans have not committed to an override of Republican Gov. Mike DeWine’s veto of a bill requiring voter ID for absentee ballots, but they did offer strong criticism of their fellow GOP members.
Read the full storyCategory: The Midwest
Ohio Republicans on the Death Penalty: The General Assembly ‘Has Already Spoken’
Gov. Mike DeWine on Tuesday revealed his stance on the death penalty, ruffling the feathers of many Ohio Republicans in the process.
“I believe Ohio should abolish the death penalty. The Legislature could take this action, and I think they should take this action,” the governor said during a press conference.
Read the full storyOhio Cracks Down on CDLs for Foreign-Born Drivers
Amid federal scrutiny and concerns about commercial driver’s licenses being in the hands of unqualified drivers, Ohio is cracking down on CDLs for those drivers not born in the United States. The CDLs of 1,200 foreign-born drivers will be downgraded to a Class D by the state for failing to adequately meet standards proving they are in the United States legally.
Ohio Department of Public Safety spokesman Bret Crow confirmed the downgrade to The Center Square last week. “Those receiving this notice who believe their documents do meet the updated federal standards may request a hearing with the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to dispute the downgrade and/or submit additional documentation to BMV to prove their eligibility,” he said.
Read the full storyNotre Dame Seeks Foreign Worker Under H1-B Visa Program to Teach English
The University of Notre Dame says it cannot find any American to teach English and so it must fill the job with a foreign worker visa.
Read the full storyOhio State University Announces $100 Million Settlement in Sexual Assault Cases
The Ohio State University said Wednesday it has reached a $100 million settlement with all but one of the 280 former students who claimed a campus doctor sexually assaulted them decades ago.
The settlement marks a significant step toward ending the eight-year legal battle over allegations that the school had been aware of hundreds of claims that Dr. Richard Strauss, who committed suicide in 2005, sexually assaulted primarily male athletes in the mid-1970s to 1990s and did nothing.
Read the full storySherrod Brown Dodges ICE Question as Ohio’s U.S. Senate Battle Heats Up
As he seeks a comeback, former Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, spoke with CNN about what another term of his would look like, sparking chatter about his stance on Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Read the full storyRamaswamy, Ohio Republicans Address Fraud in Press Conference
In the wake of a recent investigative report from The Daily Wire’s Luke Rosiak on suspected Medicaid fraud in Columbus, Ohio, Republicans held a press conference on Tuesday to lay out their plans for tackling the issue. Rosiak also spoke, discussing his findings.
As Rosiak recapped, Ohio has home health centers, a program allowing people to get paid for offering “companionship,” with the Medicaid beneficiaries often being their own relatives.
Read the full storyOhio’s School Choice Program Moves Through the Courts
The 10th District Court of Appeals this week heard arguments regarding Ohio’s school voucher program, EdChoice, and will decide whether to uphold a judge’s ruling that the program is unconstitutional.
A decision from Common Pleas Court Judge Jaiza Page was appealed last July by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, who has defended school choice.
Read the full storyDeWine Names Ohio AG Yost’s Replacement
Republican Gov. Mike DeWine on Monday announced Ohio Department of Public Safety Director Andy Wilson is his pick to serve for the remaining six months of outgoing Attorney General Dave Yost’s term.
Last Thursday, Yost made his resignation official, effective June 7. He’ll leave his current post to work for Alliance Defending Freedom.
Read the full storyOhio Attorney General Dave Yost Signals Resignation at Peace Officers Memorial
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost indicated Thursday that he will resign from office, telling families of fallen officers and other attendees at the annual peace officers memorial that “Today will be the last time I am here in this role.”
Read the full storyMusic Spotlight: Jacob Tolliver
Jacob Tolliver came upon my radar at the end of last year when I featured his high-octane version of “Here Comes Santa Claus” in my 2025 Country Christmas Roundup. I hadn’t heard anyone bang a piano like that since Jerry Lee Lewis. Turns out, Lewis was a major influence on young Tolliver.
Tolliver’s dad is a drummer, but other than that, there wasn’t a lot of direct musical influence growing up. However, on his mother’s side, his great-grandmother was a Wagner and was related to composer Richard Wagner. On his dad’s side, Sir Bartholomew Taliaferro (the anglicized form of Taliaferro is Tolliver) was a shopkeeper and musician for Queen Elizabeth I in 16th-century Venice. Sir Taliaferro was also pals with William Shakespeare, and his “Merchant of Venice” is loosely based on him.
Read the full storyOhio Governor Under Fire for Backing Haitian Migrants in Springfield
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine is facing sharp criticism from within his own party over his defense of Haitian migrants in Springfield, as conservative activist and founder of the Ohio-based We the People Convention Tom Zawistowski accused him of siding with immigrants over Ohio citizens and backing what he called a failed immigration policy.
Read the full storyNIH Opens East Palestine Office to Study Long-Term Health Effects of Ohio Train Derailment
The National Institutes of Health opened an office Tuesday in East Palestine, Ohio, to study the long-term health effects of the 2023 toxic train derailment, which caused a major environmental disaster that impacted thousands of residents in the surrounding area.
A Norfolk Southern train transporting the toxic chemical, vinyl chloride, unexpectedly derailed three years ago, after a hot railcar wheel bearing sparked a fire. The derailment forced 38 train cars off the tracks, 11 of which were carrying the hazardous material.
Read the full storyMysterious Liquid Sprayed on Ilhan Omar Identified
Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar was sprayed with apple cider vinegar during her town hall event in Minneapolis, Minnesota, according to forensic investigators.
A man seated in the front row sprayed Omar’s chest with a syringe-like device lunging at her from his seat before being detained by law enforcement. Forensic investigators determined the substance was apple cider vinegar in the following hours, according to KARE, a local Minneapolis outlet.
Read the full storyICE Deputy Director Announces Ohio Congressional Bid
In the wake of a historic immigration enforcement action, the nation’s deputy director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced Thursday she is stepping down to run for Congress in Ohio.
Read the full storyRamaswamy Bodyguard Arrested on Drug-Trafficking Charges: Report
A bodyguard for billionaire and Republican Ohio gubernatorial hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy’s family was arrested recently on drug-trafficking charges, according to a criminal complaint reviewed by Newsweek on Thursday.
Prosecutors claimed Justin Salsburey and his wife Ruthann Rankin received over 250 packages containing drugs between August 2024 and December 2025, and a search of the couple’s home allegedly found 264 grams of blue fentanyl pills, 938 grams of methamphetamine pills, and 19 grams of MDMA.
Read the full story26-Year-Old Charged with Felony Vandalism After Damaging Windows at VP Vance’s Cincinnati Home
Law enforcement officials arrested a man outside Vice President J.D. Vance’s Cincinnati home early Monday morning.
Read the full storyCommentary: Kimberly-Clark’s Deal with Kenvue Is Good News for Ohio, Thanks to Trump
In the past, certain presidential administrations created layers of regulatory hurdles for companies to clear before they could complete mergers and acquisitions and invest in American manufacturing.
Read the full storySomalis Reportedly Filled Ohio Strip Mall with Potentially Fraudulent Childcare Centers
Several Somali-owned daycare facilities, including a cluster located at a strip mall, are being examined by ABC6 Investigates for potential fraud in Columbus, Ohio.
Calls to investigate alleged fraud at Somali-owned childcare centers intensified after a viral video from independent journalist Nick Shirley, who was seen canvassing multiple Somali-run daycare centers accused of fraud in Minnesota. Following the attention, ABC6 Investigates reported Monday that it identified several Somali daycares in northeast Columbus that are now under review.
Read the full storyJohn Fredericks Reports Live from Indiana as State Lawmakers Weigh Redistricting Bill
Reporting live from the Indiana State Capitol on Tuesday, radio show host John Fredericks described an intense political scene as lawmakers consider a mid-census redistricting bill.
Indiana is pursuing mid-census redistricting as Republican lawmakers argue that other states – particularly Democratic-led states like California and Illinois – have already undertaken aggressive partisan map-drawing outside the normal 10-year census cycle.
Read the full storyOhio Republican Releases Plan to End Dual Citizenship
Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, has introduced a bill that would outlaw dual citizenship in the United States.
Moreno, who was born in Colombia, legally immigrated with his family at age 5, and became a naturalized citizen at 18, recently introduced The Exclusive Citizenship Act of 2025, which would require those who are citizens of the United States and a foreign country to choose a single citizenship rather than remain dual citizens.
Read the full storyCommentary: The Bill That Can Fix Ohio’s Shoplifting Problem
Walk into your local pharmacy or grocery store and try to buy Tide laundry detergent or razor blades. You’ll have to find an employee with a key. Everyday items are now locked behind glass like fine jewelry. That’s what happens when theft stops being the exception and becomes a business model.
This isn’t petty shoplifting. It’s coordinated, large-scale theft that is battering our economy. Organized criminal gangs and networks are stealing truckloads of merchandise, raiding railcars, and clearing shelves before selling stolen goods online. The Association of American Railroads reports freight theft has risen roughly 40 percent over the last year, costing millions of dollars in losses and property damage.
Read the full storyOhio Church Secures a Win Against ‘Petty Tools of Government’
A church in Bryan, Ohio, recently notched a win that religious liberty advocates believe will set a new precedent after the city attempted to shut down the church using fire codes.
Last Friday, Ohio’s Sixth District Court of Appeals reversed an injunction against the church, called Dad’s Place, and its pastor, Chris Avell, from being able to carry out religious ministry to the homeless and provide them with temporary shelter. The legal questions in the case centered around the relationship between religious liberty and municipal codes, with an eye to ensuring religious organizations are not unnecessarily burdened.
Read the full storyOhio Speaker Matt Huffman Honored with AFP-Ohio’s 2025 Taxpayer Torch Award
Ohio is making changes in many ways, especially when it comes to opportunity. That’s the sense one gets from Republican Speaker Matt Huffman of the Ohio General Assembly. Huffman was the recipient of the 2025 Taxpayer Torch Award from Americans for Prosperity’s Ohio chapter, with The Daily Signal present.
Read the full storyCommentary: Strengthening Career Education Depends on a Robust Workforce Pell Program
Pell Grants have long been a cornerstone of access to higher education, helping tens of millions of qualifying students at colleges and universities across the country. The program was originally designed to propel low-income students in traditional degree pathways, but as the nature of work shifts, so must our educational programs. Thanks to lawmakers in Washington D.C., the Pell Grant program has been modernized to meet the needs of today’s workforce and economy with its expansion to provide funding for short-term high-quality work force development program.
Read the full storyOhio School Districts Caught in Federal Title IX Controversy Amid Education Department’s Defiance of Court Order
A federal watchdog is raising concerns over the U.S. Department of Education’s handling of Title IX enforcement, highlighting two Ohio school districts as part of a broader pattern of investigations carried out in direct violation of a federal court injunction.
Read the full storyPoll: Ohio Voters Set to Reject Sherrod Brown… Again
Ohio voters appear to already be souring on former three-term Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown’s comeback bid after rejecting the ex-senator at the ballot box last November, according to recent polling.
Read the full storyOhio Congressional Districts Must Be Redrawn This Fall
While politics is pushing redistricting efforts in other states, Ohio is under a rule of the people to change congressional maps before the midterm elections.
Thanks to a constitutional amendment passed by voters in 2018, congressional districts drawn without bipartisan support from the Ohio Redistricting Commission must be redrawn every four years.
Read the full storyTwo Universities Hit with Civil Rights Complaint for Allegedly Continuing Illegal DEI
Protect the Public’s Trust (PPT) filed a civil rights complaint against the University of Iowa (UIowa) and Iowa State University (ISU) on Thursday after videos surfaced of administrators at both schools claiming to have found ways to skirt anti-diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) laws.
Read the full storyACLU-Ohio Sues Seneca County for ICE Records
A second Ohio county is facing a lawsuit for not releasing information pertaining to contracts with U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio wants public records from the Seneca County Sheriff’s Office that relate to documents and communications connected to its agreement with ICE to handle federal immigration functions.
Read the full storyCommentary: Exposing Waste, Fraud, and Abuse at Ohio Non-Profit Hospitals
On August 14th, the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest (CMPI) released a report detailing instances of waste, fraud, and abuse at Ohio non-profit hospitals. At a time when healthcare costs are skyrocketing nationwide, the findings in the report are shocking to say the least.
Read the full storyKarissa Ella Releases New EP Growing Wings
I have been a big fan of Karissa Ella since I first featured her in 2022. Her song, “I Hope Heaven’s Like” is such a beautiful song that you must hear to appreciate fully. While she captures hearts with her soulful sound and magnetic energy, what sets her apart among the growing number of country artists is her sincerity. She believes the words that she writes and sings, which come across in her music.
Karissa Ella has a new EP, Growing Wings, and she has written six of the seven songs. Raised in rural Ohio, the Midwestern girl writes what she knows and sings about it effortlessly.
Read the full storyJudge Called ‘Activist’ by DOJ Attorney Says ICE Must Release Abrego Garcia to Maryland, Give 72-Hours Notice Ahead of Deportation
U.S. District Court Judge Paula Xinis, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, on Wednesday issued a ruling to block the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from immediately detaining Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the alleged human smuggler, if he is released from Department of Justice (DOJ) custody in Tennessee.
Xinis’ ruling will block federal immigration authorities from arresting Abrego Garcia if he is released from DOJ custody in Nashville, despite his status as an illegal immigrant who has been subject to a final deportation order since 2019. This will seemingly allow Abrego Garcia to return to Maryland, where he will be subject to periodic check-ins with federal authorities.
Read the full storyTennessee Nonprofit Asks SCOTUS to Hear Case Dealing with Bureaucratic Permit Delays
The Beacon Center of Tennessee is asking the Supreme Court to hear a property rights case that could have wide sweeping effects across the country.
On Monday, the Beacon Center filed a petition to the Court to review the Richmond Road Partners v. City of Warrensville Heights.
Read the full storyAppeals Court Hears Oral Arguments for Ohio Lawsuit Challenging Biden-Era Price Controls on Prescription Drugs
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth District last Wednesday heard oral arguments in the court case brought by the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) over a portion of the controversial Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) passed by Congress under former President Joe Biden, which contains provisions requiring drug manufacturers to sell specific products at prices set by the federal government.
Filed in June 2023 against former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, the lawsuit claims the IRA infringed upon the First Amendment rights of companies to set their own prices, created a negotiation process that robbed drug manufacturers of their Fifth Amendment right to due process, established excessive fines in violation of the Eight Amendment that are imposed on manufacturers unwilling to sell at the government-approved prices, improperly delegated authorities to HHS, and that the legislation exceeded the powers assigned to Congress in the U.S. Constitution.
Read the full storyNew Documents Reveal Ohio AG Yost Taking All-Expense-Paid Trip with Pfizer-Backed Front Group
New documents obtained by The Ohio Star reveal that Attorney General Dave Yost participated in an all-expense-paid trip to France that was organized by the nonprofit Attorney General Alliance (AGA), which received more than $3 million in donations from Pfizer’s political action committee over less than a decade.
These documents, including an event programming and email correspondence between Yost’s office and AGA, reveal previously unreported details about the conference, including that Yost submitted an invoice for $12,184.60 to be reimbursed by AGA for his and his wife’s flights to France.
Read the full storyCommittee Hears Ohio Senate’s Budget for First Time Since Public Release
The state senate’s proposed Ohio budget was back in front of the Finance Committee on Wednesday for the first time since Republican leadership called its two-year plan bold.
The plan, which includes the final phase-in of a flat income tax rate, the elimination of property tax levy options and a ban on certain school districts from asking for new taxes, is getting both applause and criticism.
Read the full storyLocal Property Tax Authority Likely Headed for Ohio House Vote
An ongoing effort to reign in property taxes in Ohio continues to move forward.
A bill that moves some power away from the state to local county auditors could receive a floor vote as soon as Wednesday.
Read the full storyAnti-Corruption Legislation Hits Ohio General Assembly
With the final piece of House Bill 6 now gone, Democrat lawmakers in Ohio now want to close campaign spending loopholes that led to the largest bribery scandal in state history.
Read the full storyOhio AG Dave Yost Suspends Campaign for Governor
Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced the suspension of his gubernatorial campaign on Friday in an email to supporters.
Read the full storyVivek Ramaswamy Earns Endorsement of Ohio Republican Party in 2026 Gubernatorial Race
The Ohio Republican Party officially endorsed businessman and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy for Ohio governor on Friday.
Read the full storyOhio GOP Civil War: Jack Windsor Details Power Struggle Among Republicans Over 2026 Gubernatorial Race
Jack Windsor, president and editor-in-chief at The Ohio Press Network, said businessman and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s bid to be the next governor of the Buckeye State has displayed how the Ohio Republican Party is deeply split between the “old guard” and the “new guard.”
Read the full storyEast Palestine Schools Sue Norfolk Southern for $30 Million
Citing broken promises and unpaid response costs, the East Palestine City District Board of Education sued Norfolk Southern on Wednesday.
Read the full storyTennessee Lawmakers Push Fines Critics Warn Would Penalize Transparency Efforts in Federal Discount Drug Program
Legislation under consideration in the Tennessee General Assembly would prohibit efforts to increase the transparency of the federal program, which requires drug manufacturers to sell discounted drugs to specific entities with the goal of expanding affordable healthcare but does not require hospitals to transfer these savings directly to the prices consumers pay for drugs.
The legislative summary for Senate Bill (SB) 1414, by State Senator Richard Briggs (R-Knoxville), claims the legislation would expand an existing law that prohibits “discrimination against 340B entities. ” 340 B entities are specific hospitals and clinics that receive lower prices for prescription drugs under the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program established under the Public Health Service Act of 1992.
Read the full storyAG Dave Yost Pushes Congress to Allow Yearlong E15 Gas Sales, Says Bill Good for ‘Ohio’s Motorists, Farmers, and Energy Providers’
Attorney General David Yost on Monday joined a push for the U.S. Congress to allow for yearlong sales of E15 gasoline, a fuel blend for modern vehicles from which 15 percent is derived through renewable agricultural sources and 85 percent through normal gasoline, arguing bipartisan legislation submitted recently to accomplish this goal would benefit Ohio farmers and the rest of the country.
“Ohio’s motorists, farmers and energy providers all stand to gain from this proposal,” Yost said in a statement published by his office. “It’s good for our state’s economy, and it’s a key step toward energy independence for our country.”
Read the full storyVivek Ramaswamy Nets Early Endorsements from Trump, Musk After Analyst Says President’s Support Leads to Easy Victory
Ohio gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy received early endorsements from President Donald Trump and Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) leader Elon Musk shortly after his Monday announcement, receiving key support an Ohio political pundit recently said would prove pivotal in the primary contest.
Trump endorsed Ramaswamy in a Monday night post to Truth Social, where he described the former businessman and presidential candidate as “Young, Strong, and Smart!”
Read the full storyTom Zawistowski: Republican Establishment in Ohio ‘Threatened’ by Vivek Ramaswamy’s Gubernatorial Campaign
Tom Zawistowski, president of the Ohio-based We the People Convention, said the Republican establishment in Ohio is “threatened” by businessman and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s bid for governor.
Read the full storyVivek Ramaswamy Launches Bid for Ohio Governor
Businessman and former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy officially launched his bid for Ohio governor on Monday during a campaign rally at CTL Aerospace Inc. in his hometown of Cincinnati.
Read the full storyMore Money Headed to East Palestine for Medical Services
Ohio is sending an additional $750,000 in taxpayer funds to move a primary care facility in East Palestine to a new location.
The money is expected to help East Liverpool City Hospital create the new location for the facility in the small, eastern Ohio village impacted two years ago by a train derailment and toxic chemical release.
Read the full storyEcuadorian Man on Most Wanted List Arrested by ICE in Ohio After Spending Six Years Fleeing Murder Charge
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed Wednesday that its agents were involved in the arrest of an alleged murder and Ecuadorian national who was evading a warrant from his home country while living in a suburb of Columbus, Ohio.
An ICE press release confirmed the February 12 arrest of Luis Naula-Candelario in conjunction with the U.S. Marshals Service, with the agency describing Naula-Candelario as “a criminal alien from Ecuador who is wanted in his home country for murder.”
Read the full story