Politics & Gov
Ohio women lawmakers face misogyny, double standards when campaigning
When Kamala Harris was announced as the running mate for Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential campaign, the questions about her heritage, ethnicity and even eligibility for office came strongly from the opposition. Now that she’s running for the top job following President Joe Biden’s suspension of his reelection campaign, the emphasis on her skin […]
Confidence in the U.S. Supreme Court is cratering. What to do?
Reform of the U.S. Supreme Court is likely to be a big issue in this year’s presidential election and it’s not hard to see why. With President Joe Biden and others proposing fixes, an important question will be how to address problems with the highest court in the land. Huge numbers of Americans lost confidence […]
U.S. Senate fails to advance expanded child tax credit, despite broad House support
WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans and two independents blocked a bipartisan tax package Thursday that would have temporarily expanded the child tax credit and revived tax breaks for some business activities. The 48-44 procedural vote to advance the package was largely viewed as a messaging exercise by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer ahead of the August […]
U.S. Senate panel looks for ways to aid electric vehicle industry
WASHINGTON – Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham and Democratic members of the U.S. Senate Budget Committee discussed on Wednesday ways to boost U.S. electric vehicle manufacturing to be more competitive globally. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, the Democratic chairman of the committee, began a hearing Wednesday by calling electric vehicle production “an economic, national […]
Wall Street Journal reporter, former Marine, Putin critics freed in prisoner swap
WASHINGTON — The United States and Russia completed a multi-country prisoner swap Thursday that brought home several Americans, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan. The exchange included a total of 16 people from several countries who were detained by Russia, including seven of its own citizens held as […]
Ohio officials announce film production tax credits, Cincy makes Sundance shortlist
Ohio officials are giving out more than $36 million in tax credits for film, tv and theatrical productions in the state. The awards come on the heels of Sundance announcing Cincinnati is among six finalists to host the independent film festival when its current contract with Park City, UT runs out. Ohio’s Motion Picture Tax […]
Study says undocumented immigrants paid almost $100 billion in taxes
A new study shows that undocumented immigrants paid nearly $100 billion in federal, state and local tax revenue in 2022 while many are shut out of the programs their taxes fund. The findings run counter to anti-immigrant rhetoric that undocumented immigrants are “destroying” social programs. In 40 states, undocumented immigrants paid higher tax rates than the top […]
Federal judge in Alabama lets Title IX rule protecting LGBTQ kids go forward in four states
A federal judge has struck down an attempt by Alabama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina to halt enforcement of the Biden administration’s final rule for Title IX, shortly before the final rule takes effect nationwide on Thursday. The administration’s updated regulations — which seek to extend federal discrimination protections for LGBTQ students — have been met […]
After more than a decade of advocacy, a majority of injection wells in Athens County are suspended
After sounding the alarm on fracking waste injection wells for more than a decade, Roxanne Groff from Athens County is now finally starting to see some of the fruits of her and her friends’ labor. A handful of Athens County injection wells were suspended after Ohio Department of Natural Resources determined they pose an “imminent […]
New Ohio law allows human trafficking survivors to expunge certain criminal records
Christina LaPointe Jackson is in the process of getting her criminal record expunged for crimes she committed while she was a victim of human trafficking and she’s hoping a new law will help speed up the process. She had been trafficked by seven different people and has been arrested more than 30 times for various […]
In rare bipartisan vote, U.S. Senate passes package aimed at protecting kids online
This story mentions suicide. If you or a loved one are experiencing a mental health crisis or thoughts of suicide, please dial 988 or chat with a live counselor at 988lifeline.org. WASHINGTON — Legislation aimed at protecting children online sailed through the U.S. Senate Tuesday, marking what could be the first update since the late 1990s […]
LGBTQ+ elected officials in Ohio see path forward for new leaders
Just outside of Cincinnati, the village of Golf Manor makes up little more than a half-square-mile of land, with a population, according to the 2020 census, of 3,814, most of which are people of color. As of the beginning of the year, the village’s council included two openly LGBTQ+ members, Melody N. Mayle (who is […]