States begin banning ‘surveillance pricing’ that uses personal data to charge more
Maryland, New Jersey and Connecticut took different approaches as retail groups in at least 11 states pushed back, calling some proposals too broad.
Economy
US Senate stopgap fails to renew more than $38B a year in state transportation funding
California alone would lose nearly $1.1 billion yearly, while Democrats and Republicans clash over restoring the funding in future spending bills.
Spending deal freezes Trump proposal to gain power over federal grants, extends highway law
Democrats say the paused OMB rule would let political appointees cancel grants at will, and DeLauro is pushing for a permanent ban before the new Dec. 11 deadline.
More than 1 million Ohioans aren’t getting essential safety-net benefits, analysis shows
Just 1 in 5 eligible Ohio households got energy assistance in 2023, and federal SNAP cuts of $186 billion could push participation even lower.
Electric bills hit new highs across Ohio, state data shows
Experts point to PJM's slow approval of new power plants, data center demand, tariffs on grid steel and aging infrastructure as prices climb toward 2030.
More on Economy
The biggest battery east of the Mississippi is located in Ohio and will help power an AI complex
Developer Eolian bet on farmland near Amazon and Intel sites a decade ago, and now the wager could ease PJM's price spikes for AI data centers.
Online prediction markets rile up state lawmakers
Kalshi has sued Iowa to block enforcement while 44 state attorneys general say federal regulators have no authority over sports prediction contracts.
Trump looks to veterans to fill trucking jobs after booting immigrants from industry
The industry faces a shortage of up to 80,000 drivers after roughly 28,000 foreign-born truckers lost licenses under a March federal rule.
Ramaswamy blamed American culture for foreign hiring. Now he wants Ohio to expand subsidies to biggest H-1B sponsors
Amazon, Meta, Microsoft and Google topped H-1B approvals in 2025 while collecting Ohio tax breaks Ramaswamy's incentive boards would keep extending.
Investors are buying Ohioans’ unpaid property tax debts, with 18% interest
Ohio counties are selling record levels of residents’ property tax debts to private investors, who charge up to 18% interest when they collect. Bipartisan lawmakers have proposed eliminating the lien sales outright, while gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton has called for a crackdown.
Pro-data center industry group behind ad campaign in Ohio, Oregon, five other states
Ohio's Connected Ohio and similar groups in six states share ad scripts funded by a coalition whose members include Microsoft, Google and Meta.
Jon Husted spent 6 years courting data centers. Now he tells Ohioans facing higher bills: 'We are the problem.'
Husted's remark comes as Ohio's data center tax break cost $1.6 billion in 2025 and AEP Ohio disconnections hit 15%, four times FirstEnergy's rate.
A $100M Ohio energy fund lacks transparency — and excludes renewables
An attorney general candidate's ethics complaint alleges JobsOhio's board chair has lobbying ties to AEP, which could gain from pending nuclear legislation.
State AGs expand consumer work as prices rise and Trump guts federal protections
Bipartisan coalitions of state AGs won a Ticketmaster monopoly verdict and a $45 million CashApp settlement after Trump's CFPB dropped or scaled back both cases.
Trump imposes new host of tariffs on trading partners, alleging they use forced labor
Critics call the forced-labor justification predetermined, as Yale researchers estimate the new tariffs could cost households about $1,100 a year.
Ohio governor candidate suggested consolidating universities. Economists think it’s a bad idea.
Facing backlash, Ramaswamy has softened his March proposal as a Scioto Analysis survey found economists split on savings but united that fewer degrees would result.
More Ohioans are getting their power shut off as energy costs surge
AEP Ohio's disconnection rate hit 15%, quadruple FirstEnergy's, as the utility's CEO earned $36 million last year while bills climbed 53% since 2021.
Landmark federal housing law tries new ways to boost local building
The law ties CDBG funding to housing growth starting in 2029, but a 24% HUD staffing cut has officials doubting the agency can implement it.
Tiffin mayor says developer turned to annexation after Hopewell Township refused to rezone 149 acres
A 1999 sewer agreement, not zoning plans the mayor calls preliminary, is why the annexation process bars neighbors from any hearing or appeal.
US House and Senate split on ending Trump’s war in Iran, as gas prices rise
The Senate resolution failed 47-49 as two Republicans skipped the vote, while Hegseth put the war's cost so far at $37.5 billion with $67 billion more requested.
