Data center opponents give Ohio lawmakers an earful
Residents demanded a data center moratorium, citing water contamination risks, secrecy through NDAs, and inadequate state oversight during the committee's only public hearing.
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Ohio Senate committee to hear support for 24-hour abortion waiting period in committee this week
A court blocked the same waiting period after voters approved a constitutional amendment protecting abortion rights, but the Medical Board drafting rules includes an anti-abortion activist.
The affordability crisis is getting worse in Ohio and the U.S., but it’s not new
A Brookings Institution analysis finds 40% of Ohio households can't make ends meet, a crisis dating to 2014 with steeper impacts on families of color and single parents.
Just before moratorium, two last Ohio data centers get a $42 million tax break
DeWine exempted the Cologix project from his moratorium announced days earlier, after the tax break's cost ballooned to $1.57 billion in 2025.
As political pressure mounts, Ohio’s data centers buy $10,000 in ads and lobby up
Google, Meta, and Amazon have deployed 51 lobbyists and spent $10,000 on ads as Gov. DeWine pauses tax breaks after discovering the exemption cost the state $1.6 billion in 2025.
Trump’s $1.77 billion ‘slush fund’ may be on the way out after GOP objections
GOP senators threatened to block a $72 billion immigration bill unless Trump scraps the fund, which could pay Jan. 6 rioters and grant Trump tax immunity.
New investigation says group linked to Jim Jordan got $250K from private prison company
The $250,000 donation came to light only by accident, 11 days after Jordan voted for a bill that would dramatically expand ICE detention.
OhioSEE program is providing glasses to students in about 230 school districts in 15 counties
The $10 million pilot program has already issued nearly 1,200 pairs of glasses to K-3 students, with plans to expand statewide using $200 million in federal rural health funds.
Vivek Ramaswamy says a Black baby is safer on Chicago streets than mother’s womb
The remark, which fact-checkers say misrepresents Planned Parenthood's history, resurfaces as Ramaswamy faces Democrat Amy Acton in Ohio's governor race.
Progressive blogger arrested outside statehouse, charged with harassment
Byrnes was arrested on a warrant from Kirtland police, allegedly over text messages to state Sen. Jerry Cirino, a frequent target of his online criticism.
Trump ‘slush fund’ echoes scorned 19th-century spoils system, academics say
A federal judge halted the $1.776 billion fund after lawsuits from Jan. 6 police officers and others, as academics warn it mirrors the 19th-century spoils system.
Trump ordered limits on voting by mail. The Postal Service is moving to make states comply.
The proposal exempts military and overseas voters and excludes primaries, even as five lawsuits challenge the order ahead of November midterms.
Bondi testifies before US House panel on Epstein files, but Dems blast her for evasion
Democrats say Bondi refused to answer questions about Trump's knowledge and blamed acting AG Blanche, while a DOJ lawyer sat in on the unsworn, off-camera interview.
Ohio photo voter ID amendment prompts pushback across political spectrum
Voting rights groups and voting-restriction advocates both opposed the amendment at a hearing, citing concerns the measure lacks a free ID provision and leaves absentee voters unprotected.
Ohio religious lobby group asks federal prosecutors to investigate mail-order abortion providers
The Center for Christian Virtue wants federal prosecutors to enforce a 150-year-old law to ban abortion pills by mail, defying Ohio voters' 2023 approval of abortion rights.
More cities are pressing pause on data centers as local backlash grows
Seven in 10 Americans oppose nearby data center construction, while dozens of cities enact moratoriums citing electricity costs and environmental concerns.
Trump’s ‘anti-weaponization’ fund blocked for now by federal judge
Judge Brinkema temporarily halted the $1.8 billion fund, which critics say violates the Constitution and could reward Trump's political allies.
How Trump’s giant ‘slush fund’ sparked lawsuits, roiled Republicans and revived Jan. 6
A federal judge temporarily blocked the fund on May 29, and GOP senators are withholding votes on immigration bills unless guardrails are added.
Ohio lawmakers begin hearings on data centers
Seven in ten Americans oppose data centers in their neighborhoods, but Ohio regulators are weighing how to allocate costs as 77 new facilities are planned by 2030.
Survey of Ohio lawmakers reveals Statehouse’s predictions for the 2026 midterms
Ohio lawmakers predict Ramaswamy will beat Acton 64%-29%, but view Brown's Senate comeback as a long shot at 35% against Husted.