Today’s News
Cutting them off: Owners ponder limits on alcohol at parties
NEW YORK (AP) — The alcohol will flow less freely, and sometimes not at all, at some small business parties this holiday season. Owners concerned about sexual misconduct and the safety of staffers and guests are eliminating or limiting the open bar, making their events alcohol-free or switching from a traditional cocktail party to activities including games and contests. Human resources consultants and employment law attorneys say they’re fielding more questions about alcohol and parties [...]
Investigation launched into abuse claims by South Korea’s ‘Garlic Girls’
SEOUL, South Korea — The so-called Garlic Girls who swept to fame during their stirring run to an Olympic curling silver medal have alleged they were verbally abused by a South Korean official and subjected to unreasonable orders from coaches. South Korea’s sports ministry this week announced a joint investigation with the national Olympic committee into the allegations. The five-member women’s curling team sparked unprecedented national attention for their sport in February before losing to [...]
The big question for Amazon’s two chosen cities: Will it pay off?
WASHINGTON (AP) — The awarding of Amazon’s second headquarters to two affluent localities has fanned intense speculation around a key question: For the winning cities, will the economic payoff prove to be worth the cost? Amazon’s decision will bring to Arlington, Va., and the Long Island City section of New York a combined 50,000 jobs and $5 billion in investment over the next two decades. But the influx is sure to swell already-high home prices [...]
Settlement expected to improve Ohio’s special education system
An organization championing the rights of Ohio special education students announced last week that it had arrived at a settlement with the state in a 25-year-old class action lawsuit seeking sufficient resources for the public instruction of disabled students. Disability Rights Ohio said the settlement in the long-standing special education class-action lawsuit should improve the academic achievement of students with disabilities, in part by supporting their inclusion in regular classrooms. “This settlement will create a [...]
Gene-edited food is coming, but will shoppers buy?
WASHINGTON (AP) — The next generation of biotech food is headed for the grocery aisles, and first up may be salad dressings or granola bars made with soybean oil genetically tweaked to be good for your heart. By early next year, the first foods from plants or animals that had their DNA “edited” are expected to begin selling. It’s a different technology than today’s controversial “genetically modified” foods, more like faster breeding that promises to [...]
Authorities: Prosecuting Pike County massacre case could last several years
WAVERLY, Ohio — Prosecuting an Ohio family of four arrested in the gruesome slayings of eight people from another family could take years to conclude, a county prosecutor said as the first break in the more than two-year-old case was announced. This week’s announcement marked the culmination of a massive investigative effort that began after seven adults and a teenage boy were found shot in the head at four separate homes in April 2016. The [...]
Local startup uses new technology to improve pathology work
Columbus-based Deep Lens is a digital pathology startup company featuring a technology that been in the works for more than a decade. Dave Billiter co-founded the company more than a year ago and invented Virtual Imaging for Pathology Education and Research, or VIPER, technology more than a decade ago. The company obtained $3.2 million in seed financing last month and is providing VIPER free of charge to pathologists to improve their day-to-day workflow. Billiter developed [...]
Hazelnut harvest falls short of expectations
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Hazelnut growers in Oregon were anticipating a record-high crop in 2018, although it appears the harvest is coming in short of expectations. The Capital Press reported that the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service predicted 52,000 tons of hazelnuts in August, which would have beaten the previous record of 49,500 tons in 2001. Instead, local processors say they are looking at between 46,000 to 48,000 tons, which is higher than last year’s [...]
Amazon’s NYC home in ‘opportunity zone’ for Trump capital gains tax break
NEW YORK — Much of the New York City neighborhood selected by Amazon for one of its new headquarters is in a federal “opportunity zone,” a designation created by President Donald Trump’s tax overhaul that offers developers potentially millions of dollars in capital gains tax breaks to invest in high-poverty, low-income areas. Critics question whether Long Island City, the fast-gentrifying Queens neighborhood across the East River from the skyscrapers of midtown Manhattan, needs such breaks. [...]
Legal News
Proposal would make it legal to post a photo of your ballot
A pair of Republican lawmakers are making an attempt — albeit late in the legislative session — to extend free speech right up to the [...]
Proposed Cyber Reserve would be part of state’s organized militia
A pair of Republican lawmakers has introduced a measure into the Ohio House of Representatives that would create a militia-grade force that would focus on [...]
Long trip: Psychedelic advocate nears goal of legal ecstasy
WASHINGTON — Growing up amid the tumult of the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam War, Rick Doblin says he became convinced that humanity was [...]
Business News
Amazon’s sprawling empire is hard to escape
NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon is hard to escape. Whether you’ve bought shoes at Zappos, picked up milk at Whole Foods or listened to an [...]
Coalition formed to back ticket fee for arts
Some small business owners in central Ohio have helped form a new coalition to support a 7 percent ticket fee on admissions to arts, culture [...]
California-based tech firm opens office in Dublin
A San Francisco-based technology company opened its first central Ohio office earlier this month. Veeva Systems, which provides cloud-bases software for the global life sciences [...]
Real Estate
Clintonville office building approved for energy efficiency upgrades up to $950K
The Ohio Air Quality Development Authority approved financing for energy efficiency upgrades proposed for a 1960-era Clintonville office building situated along a busy stretch of [...]
Report: Columbus quickest market to recover from housing crisis
Central Ohio’s recovery from the housing bust was among the fastest of the 35 largest markets in the country. In Columbus, 88 percent of homes [...]
Zillow predicts central Ohio housing market to remain strong this winter
Winter is not expected to put a big chill on the central Ohio housing market this year — Columbus ranks fifth among the best places [...]
Politics
Democrats eye Trump’s tax returns but expect a long fight
WASHINGTON — Getting President Donald Trump’s tax returns is high on the list of Democratic priorities now that they have won the House. By law, [...]
Midterms offer clues for Trump, Dems in ’20 presidential bid
WASHINGTON — Last week’s midterm elections offered revealing lessons for both parties as battle lines begin to emerge for the 2020 presidential election. For Democrats, [...]
Democrats and Republicans rush to avert third party spoilers
PHOENIX (AP) — Two congresswomen running for U.S Senate in Arizona are crisscrossing the state, raising millions of dollars and trying to exploit every possible [...]
