Jo Ingles

1 week ago | wosu.org | Jo Ingles

There's an effort to make changes to a federal program to provide broadband to the more than 1.5 million Ohioans who still lack access to reliable internet. Some lawmakers and union members are urging the state to stick with a plan that provides dedicated internet to rural areas that lack it currently. Rep. Lauren McNally (D-Youngstown) said $800 million is available through the Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment Program (BEAD).

1 week ago | wosu.org | Jo Ingles

A bipartisan bill would help Ohioans with medical debt pay it off without losing their homes or incomes or leaving their credit rating in tatters. It's a situation that Rachel Doan of Columbus knows all too well. In 2010, her seven-year-old son, Luke, was diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a disease that required expensive hospitalization and treatment. "My husband and I both had jobs. We had benefits," Doan said.

1 week ago | wosu.org | Jo Ingles

The head of the Ohio Democratic Party is leaving her post for a national job. The move comes just a year before statewide elections for governor and U.S. Senate. ODP Chair Liz Walters will be taking a job with TargetSmart, a Democratic political data firm in Washington D.C. Walters confirmed that in a post on X. In a story from Signal Cleveland, Walters said that she was not forced out and thinks the job in the nation’s capital poses a good opportunity for her.

1 week ago | wosu.org | Jo Ingles

The effort to repeal an anti-DEI law taking effect on Ohio’s public university campuses this summer can begin. Republican Attorney General Dave Yost has certified signatures and language submitted by a group that wants to repeal Senate Bill 1, the law that bans most mandatory diversity, equity, and inclusion programs on Ohio's college campuses. It also prevents faculty from striking and makes a host of additional changes.

1 week ago | wosu.org | Jo Ingles

Sometimes, when police are trying to arrest someone, they’ll barricade themselves from police, sometimes bringing others along. A bill at the Ohio Statehouse is aimed at cracking down on that behavior with harsher penalties. As U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Ohio, Peter Elliott said it’s becoming common for officers to encounter a barricade situation. “Every single week, we are dealing with barricaded subjects. It’s become off the charts lately.