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What Vance brings to the GOP’s presidential ticket

Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, didn’t select Ohio’s Sen. J.D. Vance as his vice presidential running mate for his political experience. Vance’s fewer than 19 months in elected office probably works to his advantage. Prior to Trump winning the presidency in 2016, he had never held public office. Trump has successfully convinced many that elected officials — particularly those who serve in Congress or presidential administrations — are part of the “D.C. swamp” that has hurt the country. Vance wasn’t selected so Trump could win Ohio, once a swing state ...

Johnson’s resignation led to a series of moves

Republican Bill Johnson’s Jan. 21 resignation from the U.S. House put in motion a series of moves during the past few weeks that led to the election of his replacement and the appointment of two others to state legislative positions. Also, those two Republican appointees won’t have to run in a primary and when Democrats select a state Senate candidate on July 16, that person will go straight to the ballot as the party’s nominee without a primary. While we’ve seen candidates appointed by political parties before without a primary, this is the first time there will be three in ...

How to address America’s historic drug shortage crisis

The United States is facing an unprecedented drug shortage, with a record 323 active drug shortages at the start of 2024—the highest number since 2001. Two major factors are driving this crisis: foreign government subsidies and regulatory failures by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). America has become dangerously dependent on foreign manufacturers—particularly in China and India—for generic drugs that account for 91% of all U.S. prescriptions. In 2000, China and India accounted for 25% of the global share of active pharmaceutical ingredient filings. By 2021, India ...

Cutrona appointment not without some controversy

Overcoming an internal Republican political dispute that included significant pressure placed on those casting the deciding votes, Al Cutrona emerged as the successor to Michael Rulli in the Ohio Senate. It was a quick but not easy process that led to Cutrona, a Republican state representative from Canfield, getting the appointment to represent the 33rd Ohio Senate District on June 13 by a 4-2 vote among the Republican Party chairs and secretaries in the district. Cutrona got votes from those in Mahoning and Carroll counties while state Rep. Monica Robb Blasdel, R-Columbiana, got the ...

So, what went wrong with Rulli’s winning campaign?

The day before the special 6th Congressional District election, a Republican I’ve known for years texted me: “You get the feeling tomorrow’s special is going to be a lot closer than people think? I do.” On the night of the election, the Republican texted me, “Looks like I even underestimated how bad he did.” Michael Rulli, a Republican state senator with two grocery stores in Mahoning County, beat unknown Democrat Michael L. Kripchak 54.7% to 45.3% in a district that has an 18% advantage for Republicans based on voting results in partisan statewide elections over the past ...

Drone wars expose nation’s Achilles heel

As the U.S. struggles to counter China’s dominance of mineral supply chains, Americans must recognize far more is at stake in this industrial arms race than just economic competitiveness. Our national security hangs in the balance—and quite literally so do the lives of our sailors, soldiers, and marines. Consider the emergence of industrialized drone warfare in Ukraine. Drones, particularly small drones — not tanks or hypersonic missiles — have become decisive weapons. The surge in small drones has turned the front lines into a no-man’s land for soldiers and vehicles ...