Remember the scary red Communist China ads, commercials and fliers urging Ohioans not to sign petitions repealing House Bill 6? One of the most wildly misleading political campaigns in Ohio history on Wednesday surfaced in the trial of former House Speaker Larry Householder. The one-minute ad, populated by alarming pictures of the Chinese military, warns “The Chinese government is quietly invading our American electrical grid” and “coming for our energy jobs” via “a special interest group.” Actually, an FBI agent has testified for days, Householder was behind a special interest group handing a $1.3 billion nuclear bail-out to FirstEnergy. The details that keep dropping show a riveting, depressing view of Ohio politics. And they’ve only just begun. - Laura |
Overnight Scores and Weather |
Cavs vs. Detroit Pistons: Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley lead Cavs over Pistons, 113-85, without Donovan Mitchell or Darius Garland Northeast Ohio Thursday weather forecast: Windy conditions expected |
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Potter Stewart U.S. Courthouse in Cincinnati, the location of the ongoing corruption trial of ex-Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and lobbyist Matt Borges. (Joshua A. Bickel, Associated Press file photo) |
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Householder trial; As part of FirstEnergy's multipronged effort to protect House Bill 6, which granted the company a nuclear bailout, its executives directly lobbied Gov. Mike DeWine to support emergency legislation to thwart a campaign to repeal the law. That’s according to text messages introduced into evidence Wednesday in the corruption trial of former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder, report Andrew Tobias and Jake Zuckerman. Testimony from an FBI special agent outlined two plans put in motion that involved expanding Householder’s grip on power. One of the most memorable political ad campaigns in recent Ohio history – falsely claiming Communist China was behind a repeal attempt of HB6 -- also entered the trial. A top Ohio labor leader has dropped his attempt to block Householder from forcing him to testify as a witness in the case. And Householder again used his campaign funds to pay $300,000 in legal bills last year, a practice repeatedly found to be illegal under state law, but he refunded the money a day later. Jail workers: Mismanagement, disrespect and distrust at the jail are among the reasons that 11 Cuyahoga County corrections officers cited in their own exit interviews. The records give a glimpse of what working conditions are like in the jail as interim Sheriff Steven Hammett announced abruptly and without providing a reason Monday that he is resigning his post, Kaitlin Durbin reports. Super Bowl bets: If you have a sixth sense for guessing the color of Gatorade, too bad! You can’t place that bet in Ohio. Sean McDonnell reports that though sports betting is now legal in Ohio, the Ohio Casino Control Commission’s rules don’t allow the “fun” prop bets that surround sporting events such as Sunday’s Super Bowl — like the coin toss or how long the national anthem lasts. Today in Ohio: In the first month that sports betting has been legal in the Buckeye State, more than 2.25 million unique accounts are using gambling apps. We’re talking about the explosion of betting on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast. |
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Dollar General: Dollar General has agreed to take a number of measures to ensure prices on store shelves are the same as what customers are charged at checkout under an agreement reached Wednesday with Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost. Jeremy Pelzer reports Dollar General employees will be required to charge the shelf price of an item if a customer claims they’re being charged more at the register. State of the Union: The morning after President Joe Biden delivered a one-hour-and-13-minute State of the Union speech, Ohio Republicans largely trashed the address, while the state’s Democrats praised the priorities he stressed, Sabrina Eaton reports. Amtrak expansion: Gov. Mike DeWine said Tuesday his administration has decided to apply for federal money to study the feasibility of expanding Amtrak service in Ohio for the first time in decades. Jeremy Pelzer reports this is the “first step” toward possibly adding new Amtrak lines along existing lines in Cleveland and Cincinnati, as well as potentially creating an entirely new route connecting those cities with Columbus, Dayton and other cities in between. Marijuana conditions: A State Medical Board of Ohio committee voted Wednesday to obtain more information on medical marijuana’s potential efficacy with autism spectrum disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and irritable bowel syndrome. Laura Hancock reports the committee will obtain expert witnesses and seek public comments. Biden laptop: Champaign County GOP Rep. Jim Jordan repeatedly questioned ex-Twitter employees Wednesday about the company’s decision to temporarily block dissemination of a New York Post article about Hunter Biden’s laptop before the 2020 election, Sabrina Eaton reports. |
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Chopping for Change: Hundreds of incarcerated women are participating in “Chopping for Change,” a culinary partnership between Lutheran Metropolitan Ministry, the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction and the Cuyahoga County Office of Reentry to help prepare people for release from prison. Molly Walsh reports that Monday through Friday, people who have been accepted into the program leave the prison to attend job-readiness seminars, culinary classes and work in the kitchen. They often provide meals for local homeless shelters or are the caterers for events. Rental fee: Cleveland plans to assess a new fee on visitors who rent cars at Hopkins International Airport and will use the money to relocate the car-rental facility back to the main airport campus. Susan Glaser reports the fee has not been set, but it will be between $4 and $8 per car and will be assessed per day. LeBron James Day: Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan declared Wednesday as LeBron James Day in the city, reports Megan Becka. Train derailment: Residents in East Palestine have sued Norfolk Southern Railway Co., alleging the railroad’s negligence led to the major derailment and chemical spill in the small city in Columbiana County. The lawsuit claims that Northfolk Southern “failed to exercise reasonable care to protect” residents by failing to maintain and inspect its tracks and rail cars and by failing to provide sufficient employees to run its trains. Dirty cities: Depending on how you feel - or where you live - Cleveland is either a relatively clean place or has room for improvement. Zachary Smith reports a federal study ranks Cleveland 57th out of 152 of the biggest cities in the United States. |
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Cable: Breezeline, a cable and internet provider available in many of Cleveland’s suburbs, is ditching the coax cable in favor of a cloud-based TV service that runs on your home’s WiFi. Every Breezeline customer who currently has TV service, which was delivered the traditional way through a physical cable, will be transitioned to Stream TV, Sean McDonnell reports. Malley’s: Malley’s Chocolates is looking at ways to expand and has sold off part of the company in order to do so. Sean McDonnell reports that Chicago-based Promise Holdings LLC and a group of Cleveland investors bought a minority interest in the company. Patent lawsuit: The Northeast Ohio inventors of a sauce dipping container popularized on the TV show “Shark Tank” sued Five Below stores and a New Jersey company, accusing them of patent infringement. Adam Ferrise reports North Royalton-based Milkmen Designs — the company that makes and sells the product Saucemoto — filed the lawsuit in federal court in Cleveland. |
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Body found: A woman’s body was found inside a car Wednesday morning on Cleveland’s East Side, police said. The victim is a 25-year-old woman, who died of a gunshot wound to the head, Molly Walsh reports. |
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Guardians promos: The Cleveland Guardians’ 2023 promotional schedule includes a José Ramírez bucket cap, "Free Shirt Friday," four bobbleheads, two jerseys and other giveaways, along with tried-and-true fan favorites like Dollar Dog Night, fireworks and more. Marc Bona has the schedule. Play controversy: Cleveland Play House’s production of “I’m Back Now” was canceled after the director stepped down and the playwright pulled the rights to the play, Joey Morona reports. In a series of social media posts, director Stori Ayers and playwright Charly Evon Simpson said their actions came in response to CPH leadership’s mishandling of a sexual assault reported by a cast member. Restaurant week: For those who like to try restaurants they haven’t been to, this is a good time: Cleveland Restaurant Week is set to run from March 6 through March 18. More than 30 members of Cleveland Independents, a consortium of local restaurants, are scheduled to participate in the promotion, reports Marc Bona. Live music: The spring and summer concert calendar is filling up fast as artists, booking agents, venues, and festivals all work to get their stuff together to ensure their treks crisscrossing through the states will reach the most folks and generate the most cash. Malcolm X Abram talks about a few who will be gracing us with their time and talent in exchange for our devotion and discretionary income. Home Pantry: The Home Pantry was opened by owner Alaina Caruso at the West Side Market in September 2022. It sold five types of jam, soup and cookie mixes, as well as pastry, cold salads and hot soups. Now, Paris Wolfe reports, she is adding hot sandwiches to the menu. Brite Winter: Brite Winter 2023 is happening on Feb. 25 in the West Bank of the Flats, featuring 20 local and regional music acts performing on three stages throughout the day, including headliners Welshly Arms. Malcolm X Abram reports general tickets for Brite Winter 2023 are available at vivenu.com and start at $10 online and $15 at the door. |
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Ohio teacher placed on leave after racist image shown during school announcements Read more Bed Bath & Beyond stores in Mentor, Brooklyn included in latest list of closings Read more Monica Wilson is Parma’s first Black City Council member Read more Richmond Heights to spend $1.2 million on 2023 road repairs, much more than in previous years Read more Brooklyn announces switcheroo regarding 2023 street construction projects Read more Fairview Park seeks Citizen of the Year nominations, celebrates new City Hall display Read more Parma Heights and Tri-C invite residents to participate in Citizens Police Academy Read more Lakewood continues to work toward affordable housing Read more Olmsted Township seeks new administrator Read more |
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