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daviddewitt.bsky.social
Editor in Chief and Opinion Columnist. @ohiocapitaljournal.com
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“Trump’s Policy Bill Could Add $2.4 Trillion to Debt, Analysis Shows.” www.nytimes.com/live/2025/06...

Billions in cuts to federal food assistance are looming in the Republican One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which slashes federal spending on domestic programs to extend tax cuts passed during President Trump’s first term. The cuts hit rural America hardest buff.ly/ssDIuCp

Nearly five years on, questions remain about how exactly the Ohio House Bill 6 bribery scheme unfolded and where FirstEnergy officials got the money. Half a dozen former FirstEnergy employees will testify in a PUCO hearing next week buff.ly/g4rgY9E

Commentary: What problem is Senate Bill 153 is trying to solve? None. Ohio Republicans know rampant voter fraud and mass noncitizen voting are not Ohio problems. It's a fake issue they're using as a false pretext to attack voters and ballot initiatives buff.ly/e9gcHjz

Ohio is “weak” on policies to strengthen elementary teachers’ math instruction, according to a new report by the National Council on Teacher Quality buff.ly/ute987r

A new study of Ohio Medicaid showed the Affordable Care Act expansion group of nearly 770,000 would bring the state an economic benefit of more than $1 billion over the next five years if it survives Republican cuts at the federal and state levels buff.ly/dFah8nD

As threats build to Medicaid, many Ohioans who stand to be affected don’t know it, advocates said Saturday, even though Republicans in Congress could end up ending health care for more than 750,000 Ohioans buff.ly/JeF6aKC

A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from invalidating work permits that granted legal status to 5,000 Venezuelans, a subset of the nearly 350,000 whose temporary legal protections the U.S. Supreme Court last month allowed to be terminated buff.ly/EUKjOzQ

“Acting FEMA Chief Told Staff He Didn’t Know About U.S. Hurricane Season.” www.nytimes.com/2025/06/02/u...

The US Department of Homeland Security over the weekend took down a public list of cities and jurisdictions that the Trump administration labeled as “sanctuary” cities after a sharp rebuke from a group representing 3,000 sheriffs and local law enforcement buff.ly/eBMbr1H

The Public Broadcasting Service and Lakeland PBS in Minnesota sued the Trump administration Friday, arguing an executive order seeking to cut off their federal funding violates the Constitution and would “upend public television.” buff.ly/UTZPl8P

The Trump administration released significantly more detail about its budget request Friday evening, requesting lawmakers cut domestic spending by $163 billion and keep funding for defense programs flat buff.ly/XvT61Pn

Billions in cuts to federal food assistance are looming in the Republican One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which slashes federal spending on domestic programs to extend tax cuts passed during President Trump’s first term. The cuts hit rural America hardest.

Commentary: What problem is Senate Bill 153 is trying to solve? None. Ohio Republicans know that rampant voter fraud and mass noncitizen voting are not Ohio problems. It's a fake issue they're using as a false pretext to attack citizen ballot initiatives and make it harder to vote.

Commentary: What problem is Senate Bill 153 is trying to solve? None. Ohio Republicans know that rampant voter fraud and mass noncitizen voting are not Ohio problems. It's a fake issue they're using as a false pretext to attack citizen ballot initiatives and make it harder to vote.

“Trump and Allies Sell Domestic Policy Bill With Falsehoods: President Trump has sought to assuage some lawmakers’ concerns over the bill’s price tag and cuts to Medicaid with inaccurate claims.” www.nytimes.com/2025/06/02/u...

Nearly five years on, questions remain about how exactly the Ohio House Bill 6 bribery scheme unfolded and where FirstEnergy officials got the money. Half a dozen former FirstEnergy employees will testify in a PUCO hearing next week.

Ohio is “weak” on policies to strengthen elementary teachers’ math instruction, according to a new report by the National Council on Teacher Quality.

Increasing inequality; the privatization of infrastructure, security, finances—we’ve seen this before, Cullen Murphy writes. Are we headed for a new feudal age?

The Big Beautiful Bill gives federal workers a choice: Relinquish your rights, become an at-will employee, & pay 4.4% into your pension. Or maintain those rights (some collectively bargained for) & pay 9.4%. The pension is defined benefit. So it's just a shakedown for basic rights:

“Firings, pardons and policy changes have gutted anti-corruption efforts, experts say. Trump changes in the Justice Department have fostered what critics say is the ripest environment for corruption by public officials and executives in a generation.” www.nbcnews.com/politics/jus...

A lawless regime

A new study of Ohio Medicaid showed the Affordable Care Act expansion group of nearly 770,000 would bring the state an economic benefit of more than $1 billion over the next five years if it survives Republican cuts at the federal and state levels.

As threats build to Medicaid, many Ohioans who stand to be affected don’t know it, advocates said Saturday, even though Republicans in Congress could end up ending health care for more than 750,000 Ohioans. buff.ly/JeF6aKC

A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from invalidating work permits that granted legal status to 5,000 Venezuelans, a subset of the nearly 350,000 whose temporary legal protections the U.S. Supreme Court last month allowed to be terminated.

The US Department of Homeland Security over the weekend took down a public list of cities and jurisdictions that the Trump administration labeled as “sanctuary” cities after a sharp rebuke from a group representing 3,000 sheriffs and local law enforcement. buff.ly/eBMbr1H

The Trump administration released significantly more detail about its budget request Friday evening, requesting lawmakers cut domestic spending by $163 billion and keep funding for defense programs flat.

More Republican-led states are giving paid parental leave to public school teachers and other state employees, signaling a broader acceptance of family-friendly workplace policies once championed primarily by Democrats buff.ly/eddDkeO

Commentary: Ohio can solve the electric grid’s biggest problem and grow food doing it. The state can proactively seize opportunities with the growth of AI data centers, including using local energy and harnessing waste emissions to support agriculture buff.ly/MaydP9K

A proposal in the Ohio Senate would extend online gaming to include casino games, lottery and horse betting. But dramatically expanding the scope and availability of gaming has drawn a wide array of critics buff.ly/G9e0gCb

The Public Broadcasting Service and Lakeland PBS in Minnesota sued the Trump administration Friday, arguing an executive order seeking to cut off their federal funding violates the Constitution and would “upend public television.”

As Ohio food assistance recipients await decisions on the federal and state level about whether they will see large cuts to benefits, some state legislators are trying to iron out other details related to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program buff.ly/w5JXrh2

The executive director of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks is trying to get the word out: If the budget passed by the U.S. House of Representatives becomes reality, it could trash the state budget and make many, many Ohioans go hungry buff.ly/DK3KjxO

A federal judge in California said Thursday he is considering an order to preserve work permits for a small group of Venezuelans with temporary protected status, which allows migrants to live in the U.S. for a set period without fear of deportation buff.ly/RUCoiCy

"Trump admin cuts $3.7B for industrial decarbonization and carbon capture: The decision will devastate ambitious efforts to cut emissions from heavy industry ranging from food production to chemicals." buff.ly/6YtWLUd

"Abortion opponents are coming for mifepristone using what medical experts call ‘junk science.' Using flawed studies, abortion opponents are building a body of research meant to question the safety of the abortion pill, a key target for the movement." buff.ly/mSsIWRR

The US Supreme Court Friday said it will allow the Trump administration to remove deportation protections for 500,000 nationals from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela who were given permission to temporarily remain and work by the Biden administration buff.ly/NWnjKUK

Elon Musk said Friday he will continue to advise President Trump despite stepping away from his official role. He also declined to answer a question about a bombshell New York Times report detailing his ongoing use of drugs, including ketamine and ecstasy buff.ly/PlvYtpq

A federal judge in Maryland slammed the Trump administration Friday for its “blatant lack of effort to comply” with her order to report steps taken to facilitate the return of a second wrongly deported man to a notorious mega-prison in El Salvador buff.ly/HhUmFU0

More Republican-led states are giving paid parental leave to public school teachers and other state employees, signaling a broader acceptance of family-friendly workplace policies once championed primarily by Democrats.

Commentary: Ohio can solve the electric grid’s biggest problem, and grow food while doing it. The state can proactively seize opportunities with the growth of AI data centers, including using local energy and harnessing waste emissions to support agriculture.

The attorneys for former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and former Republican leader Matt Borges are feeling "hopeful" after a Cincinnati politician convicted of bribery got a pardon from President Donald Trump buff.ly/kCQJcwu

A proposal in the Ohio Senate would extend online gaming to include casino games, lottery and horse betting. But dramatically expanding the scope and availability of gaming has drawn a wide array of critics.

As Ohio food assistance recipients await decisions on the federal and state level about whether they will see large cuts to their benefits, some state legislators are trying to iron out other details related to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

The executive director of the Ohio Association of Foodbanks is trying to get the word out: If the budget passed by the U.S. House of Representatives becomes reality, it could trash the state budget and make many, many Ohioans go hungry. buff.ly/DK3KjxO

Community-based violence intervention programs have long worked with law enforcement to deescalate conflict and prevent shootings. But the Trump administration has abruptly terminated at least 373 public safety grants worth $500 million for these programs buff.ly/DqvaR6c

Tech giant Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, had a representative testify this week on an Ohio bill to require age verification to download from app stores buff.ly/pkxT5EX

Editor Commentary: After first meeting Athens NEWS publisher Bruce Mitchell, I knew kismet had found us — a shared bulldog energy for public accountability against corruption. Bruce built a powerhouse local Ohio newspaper with an ethos that still inspires buff.ly/gsKBeRW

Federal officials are raising questions about exploding drug discounts under a program meant to fund services for low-income patients, and Ohio's Cleveland Clinic is at the center of some of them buff.ly/onhvOWr

In March, Franklin County, Ohio judges passed a pair of local rules barring immigration arrests at the county courthouse. A new measure in the state Senate aims to invalidate such restrictions statewide buff.ly/un2MkHs