Real News for Real Ohioans
Buckeye State
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Gov. Mike DeWine has now granted 323 pardons through Ohio’s Expedited Pardon Project, nearly seven years after launching the program in 2019.
The program helps Ohioans with older, low-level convictions who have remained crime-free for at least 10 years. More than 340 applicants are still working toward a pardon.
With DeWine leaving office in January, the program’s future under the next governor remains uncertain.
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🚨Federal prosecutors have charged THREE Ohio noncitizens with illegally voting in federal elections, including one woman accused of voting in at least 10 elections.
Cary Ann Patterson, 59, allegedly voted in at least 10 elections, while Arshed Zuberi, 69, is accused of voting in at least six. Eliza Moss, 63, also faces charges for allegedly voting in multiple elections.
All three are lawful permanent residents, not U.S. citizens. Each faces up to one year in prison if convicted.
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Ohio is moving to enforce its gambling laws against Kalshi after a federal appeals court sided with the state in its fight over sports prediction markets.
The Sixth Circuit ruled that Kalshi failed to show its sports-event contracts are protected from state gambling laws under federal commodities law.
Gov. Mike DeWine says Ohio will now enforce state law against the platform, arguing its sports contracts amount to gambling and should be subject to the same licensing and regulatory requirements as sportsbooks.
Enbridge Gas Ohio customers could see their monthly bills increase under a proposed rate hike now before state regulators.
The latest proposal would increase the fixed monthly charge for residential customers by about $7.03, regardless of how much natural gas they use.
The Ohio Consumers’ Counsel is urging the PUCO to reject or reduce the increase. Enbridge originally sought about $163 million in additional annual revenue, citing higher operating costs and infrastructure investments.
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Ohio lawmakers have passed a 90-day suspension of the state’s motor fuel taxes.
The measure would suspend Ohio’s 38.5-cent-per-gallon gasoline tax and 47-cent-per-gallon diesel tax, while using roughly $725 million in surplus state funds to replace revenue used for roads and the State Highway Patrol.
Retailers would be required to pass the full tax savings on to customers.
The bill now heads to Gov. Mike DeWine’s desk.
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🚨18 Ohio Medicaid providers have been indicted for allegedly defrauding the program of more than $355,000, Attorney General Andy Wilson announced.
The cases include providers accused of billing Medicaid while incarcerated, after a patient died and for care that was never provided.
One Columbus-area provider alone is accused of causing more than $167,000 in losses through inflated claims.
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New federal data shows where 4.5 MILLION migrants released after crossing the southern border between 2018 and 2025 said they were headed, and Ohio became a destination for migrants from around the world.
The Cincinnati area saw significant migration from West Africa, while Columbus also became a destination for new arrivals. Springfield, meanwhile, experienced a substantial increase in its Haitian population.
The data analyzed by the Associated Press tracked migrants from more than 150 countries as they dispersed far beyond traditional immigration hubs.
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Ohio has become the center of the nation’s data center ballot fight.
Voters nationwide will decide 38 local data center measures in 2026. Ohio alone accounts for 20 measures across 17 jurisdictions — more than half of the national total.
The measures range from proposed bans and zoning changes to requirements that voters approve future projects, putting major decisions over Ohio’s data center expansion directly in local voters’ hands.
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Ohio is cracking down on foreign money flowing into lawsuits after Gov. Mike DeWine signed House Bill 105.
The new law prohibits litigation funding agreements involving entities not domiciled in the U.S. and requires commercial litigation funders to register with the Ohio Attorney General. It also bars funders from interfering with decisions in the underlying lawsuit.
The law takes effect Oct. 6.
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Ohio students just posted their best reading and math proficiency rates in FIVE YEARS.
The 2026 School Report Cards show English proficiency reached 62.2%, while math climbed to 56.4% after the first full year of required Science of Reading instruction.
But as scores improve, a bigger battle is growing over the tests themselves, with Ohio’s teachers union calling for less reliance on standardized testing in how schools are evaluated.
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Ohio’s largest physician association’s political arm is backing Vivek Ramaswamy for governor over Democrat Amy Acton, a physician and former Ohio health director.
The Ohio State Medical Association PAC says its endorsement reflects Ramaswamy’s positions on physician-led care, strengthening Ohio’s physician pipeline and reducing administrative barriers for doctors.
Ohio Sen. Jon Husted’s data center bill STALLED in the Senate one day after passing the House 417-3 with broad bipartisan support.
The bill would require state regulators to consider making large data centers cover the added grid costs needed to serve them.
New Mexico Sen. Martin Heinrich objected, arguing the proposal didn’t go far enough.
The Buckeye Institute says Ohio should NOT ban new data centers, but developers should bear more of the costs they create.
Its new proposal calls for data centers to pay full local property taxes, cover the infrastructure needed to serve them and publicly disclose development agreements.
The group says Ohio can address concerns over data centers without imposing blanket moratoriums.
Ohio lawmakers are considering new limits on tax breaks for data centers as the industry rapidly expands across the state.
Rep. Tristan Rader’s HB 957 would block new sales tax exemptions, while Rep. Daniel Troy’s HB 999 would prohibit property tax exemptions for data centers. Both measures have been introduced in the Ohio House.
The debate comes after state estimates showed data center sales tax exemptions cost Ohio roughly $1.57 BILLION in foregone revenue in 2025.
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NEW DETAILS: The man accused of “lunging” at Amy Acton never got near her, according to Mahoning County Prosecutor Lynn Maro.
Maro says the available video shows Patrick Havas walking into the tent recording and calling out Acton’s namebefore security intervened. She says the footage does not support felony charges.
Havas was carrying two pistols, a Taser and brass knuckles, but authorities say he never brandished them. He has pleaded NOT GUILTY to four misdemeanor charges.
‼️A federal audit found the Ohio Department of Development failed to properly oversee MILLIONS in federal funding for the state’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership.
Auditors questioned roughly $20 MILLION in costs, citing improper spending on food, entertainment and lobbying, along with failures to verify expenses by regional partners.
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