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Altered U.S flag in background during video call troublesome

Editorials

One can understand why U.S. Rep. Dave Taylor, R-2nd Dist. (southwestern Ohio, near Cincinnati), would want to distance himself from the appearance of an altered U.S. flag that appeared in the background — tacked onto a bulletin board behind a staffer — during a video call last week. But he has gone from describing the appearance of a flag that had a swastika tied into the red lines of the traditional U.S. flag as “vandalism,” to saying this is actually part of an effort in which he claims “numerous Republican offices” were “targeted” by a person who was allegedly handing ...

Coal is a key solution to soaring electricity prices

Columns

Electricity bills are climbing almost everywhere, and the reasons have little to do with ideology. Three forces are driving prices higher: massive new utility spending on infrastructure, rising natural gas costs, and growing capacity shortages in electricity markets as power demand soars from the AI revolution. In some states, prices have jumped more than 60% since 2022. The Trump administration inherited this mess and now has its work cut out for it. The strategy the administration has embraced is built around reinforcing dispatchable power—the generating resources that run when ...

Ban on intoxicating hemp by Gov. DeWine goes up in smoke

Columns

Gov. Mike DeWine’s ban on the sale of intoxicating hemp items ended before it could even take effect. DeWine, a Republican who has long opposed the sale of the products, announced Oct. 8 that he was declaring an “adulterated consumer product emergency,” effective Tuesday because the items present “a threat to public health and safety.” The products contain THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and aren’t regulated like the state’s adult recreational and medical marijuana industry. DeWine has long argued that several of the products are geared toward children as they are in packets ...

Hibernating bats need all the help they can get

Editorials

Most Ohio residents are used to thinking about seasonal changes in the rules such as burn bans or parking in such a way that the snow plow can get through. Perhaps less familiar is Ohio’s fall bat exclusion restriction period — from Oct. 15 through March 31. No, it has nothing to do with baseball’s off-season. This is a requirement that residents obtain permits before removing or relocating bats from homes or buildings. When white-nose syndrome (a cave fungus) showed up several years ago, Ohio started protecting bats, especially during their overwintering period. Despite that ...

Disability Rights Ohio needs to be able to access records

Editorials

A few years back, there was a trend among legislators to change laws regarding public records in a way they claimed was meant to better protect victims, especially children and particularly vulnerable older victims. The interpretation of those laws, however, has turned out to protect not the victims, but those who may have committed crimes (or at the very least been negligent) against those victims. When news organizations, advocacy groups or even other government bodies request documents that might help them better understand the details of incidents that, for example, result in the ...

Let’s make trick-or-treating safe for all of our children

Editorials

Halloween-related happenings across our communities are well underway. Of course the big day for kids will be here soon. Most everyone will be celebrating trick-or-treating on Oct. 31. What is nice is that it doesn’t fall on a school night this year — it’s a Friday. And if the weather cooperates hundreds of children will gleefully be frocking out and about in search of goodies. In every costume imaginable! Conscientious parents, grandparents and guardians already practice year-round safety when it comes to loves ones. But we would be remiss not to offer some safety tips. We ...