The morning newsletter of the Ohio Capital Journal
Reporting for the People
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By David DeWitt | Editor in Chief
Good morning Ohio!
Ohio’s candidates for governor differ greatly when it comes to fracking in the state.
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By Megan Henry
Ohio Democratic candidate Dr. Amy Acton recently announced she would impose a three-year moratorium on the drilling of fracking waste injection wells and the injection of waste in Washington County. Libertarian candidate Don Kissick also supports a temporary pause on more wastewater injection activity in Washington County while the state conducts an investigation. Republican candidate Vivek Ramaswamy did not respond to questions sent to his campaign.
By Marty Schladen
Much of modern American philanthropy isn't helping the poor, it's using the current tax code to help the rich entrench their wealth, according to a new report, Gilded Giving 2026, by the Institute for Policy Studies.
By Doug Oplinger
Unpaid landing fees are mounting for the three air charter companies providing deportation flights out of the Akron-Canton Regional Airport for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
By Morgan Trau, WEWS
Both frontrunners for Ohio governor have proposed suspending the state’s gas tax as prices have soared and the race has become more competitive.
COMMENTARY
By Marilou Johanek
Forget about the disastrous war nobody wanted, or your wallet drained by crippling expenses. Instead, be afraid of a small, defenseless community politicians are scapegoating, and reject any candidate who dares acknowledge their humanity. 🙄
By Baiju Shah and Lisa Gray
If Ohio wants to remain the best place for starting and growing a business, it also needs to become the best place for every student to learn, prepare for a career, and build a successful life.
The big challenges and policy issues that cross state lines.
STATELINE
By Anna Claire Vollers
This fall, voters in at least nine states will decide whether to cut, cap or raise taxes through ballot measures that will give them a direct hand in steering state tax policy in a conservative or progressive direction.
By Sofia Resnick
More than half of women of reproductive age have seen or heard the false claim that hormones in contraceptives are harmful, and about 4 in 10 have been exposed to the false idea that hormones in contraceptives limit your ability to get pregnant in the future.
By Alex Brown
An eight-state coalition filed lawsuits Tuesday challenging the Trump administration’s payments to private companies to cancel offshore wind leases, escalating an ongoing legal battle over the government spending billions of dollars to block wind projects.
THE RUNDOWN
News from other states
By Lauren McCauley, Maine Morning Star
Highlighting the growing list of people killed by federal agents, members of Congress heard from family members of those killed about the Trump administration’s pattern of obstruction and lies about the shootings and victims, calling it “dual assassination.”
By Rudi Keller, Missouri Independent
Backers of a Missouri redistricting referendum late on Tuesday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene for a third time in three weeks in the fight over which congressional map must be used for the Nov. 3 elections.
NATIONAL NEWS
By Ashley Murray
President Donald Trump faces a “big decision” to make a deal with Iran or “annihilate” the country, he told the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday.
By Jennifer Shutt
U.S. Senate Democrats believe they could pick up as many as six seats following this November’s midterm elections, despite Republicans having better fundraising numbers and break-even polling in several states.
By Shauneen Miranda
Education experts and advocates on Tuesday urged Congress to repeal an incoming national school voucher program over concerns that it will divert critical funds away from public schools to private institutions.
By Ariana Figueroa
A New Hampshire federal judge seemed skeptical during a hearing that a civil rights group could continue with a challenge to block Trump’s second attempt to redefine the constitutional right to birthright citizenship, suggesting a new lawsuit might be needed.
By Jacob Fischler
Federal officials charged a Utah letter carrier Tuesday with throwing 300 primary ballots in a church parking lot dumpster, an incident that a top U.S. Justice Department official said made the case for stricter regulations of voting.
HISTORY THURSDAY
On this day, Sept. 24, in 1957, racial desegregation took centre stage when federal troops were dispatched to Little Rock, Arkansas, to maintain order and enforce the right of black students to attend the local public high school. Read more about the Little Rock Nine from Britannica
CATCHING OUR EYE
Militarizing American elections? NPR reports, “There's growing concern that Trump may deploy the National Guard ahead of elections.”
With Election Day less than 50 days away, a growing number of Democratic lawmakers, retired military leaders and civil society organizations are seeking assurance from members of the Trump administration that the U.S. military will not be deployed to or around polling places — while also preparing for such a move to occur.
Having armed federal agents — like the FBI or Immigration and Customs Enforcement — or military troops near the polls is clearly barred by federal law, but President Trump and several other key officials have recently sidestepped direct lines of questioning around the issue.
Some have even suggested that such a presence might be necessary to ensure trust in the vote, a claim that voting officials across the United States deny. Those voting officials say they plan on administering the midterm elections as usual and have been working hard to assure voters that plans are in place if armed federal officials do show up.Medicaid. The Columbus Dispatch’s Samantha Hendrickson reports, “Auditor finds Ohio doled out Medicaid money for dead, ineligible Ohioans.”
Millions in Medicaid benefits were paid out for Ohioans who were ineligible for them, or even dead, according to a new interim report from the Ohio Auditor of State's Office.
In total, the auditor's office found over $2 million in fixed monthly payments made to medical providers for those who shouldn't have had or didn't need Medicaid benefits.Medicaid work requirements. Signal Cleveland’s Celia Hack reports, “Bracing for new Medicaid work requirements? Here’s the latest updates.”
Health advocates, hospital systems and Ohio residents on Medicaid are all bracing for one thing in coming months: new work requirements for people getting government-sponsored health insurance.Police drones. The Dayton Daily News’ Avery Kreemer reports, “New Ohio law limiting police drone use in effect next month.”
Starting Oct. 6, Ohio will have a new law in place regulating law enforcement’s use of drones, including blocking lethal weapons and requiring warrants for drone surveillance.
“This law is the next logical step in ensuring public trust when our law enforcement and public safety agencies are using the technology provided through their tax dollars,” said state Rep. Bernie Willis, R-Springfield, in a press release announcing the forthcoming law.
THE POD
THAT'S ALL FOR NOW, FOLKS.
Mahalo!
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