Today’s News
For trade students, online classes can’t replicate hands-on
PHOENIX (AP) — Like students across the country, Christa Schall was working toward graduation when the coronavirus closed her school. But unlike many, she can't finish her classes online — her cosmetology program, like the coursework at many technical and trade schools, requires hands-on training. Schall needs to cut, paint and style hair at the Aveda Institute in Austintown to graduate and get her license to practice, but weeks of closures have put her behind. [...]
Deadlocked Congress shifts virus focus to small business aid with goal of helping more employers reopen
WASHINGTON — Deadlocked over the next big coronavirus relief bill, Congress is shifting its attention to a more modest overhaul of small business aid in hopes of helping employers reopen shops and survive the pandemic. Bipartisan legislation that would give small employers more time to take advantage of federal subsidies for payroll and other costs is expected to pass the House this week, as lawmakers return to Washington for an abbreviated two-day session. Yet absent [...]
Some big names still remain unsigned in NFL’s odd offseason
NEW YORK — Offseason shopping is still in full swing in the NFL. Even with the status of the upcoming season uncertain because of the coronavirus pandemic, teams continue to tinker with their rosters by adding players they hope will help them win — whenever or if they actually play. Virtual workouts are being held all around the league, with some facilities beginning to reopen but still closed to coaches and players. General managers work [...]
Proposal calls for end of college transcript release as debt collections tool
Members of the Ohio House of Representatives took a first glance last week of a bill that would require Ohio’s public and private colleges and universities to release student transcripts regardless of student-owed institutional debt. The legislation, sponsored by a pair of northeast Ohio Democrats, is intended to enable college graduates to proceed into the workforce or a higher level of study with their transcripts rather than unpaid debt and ballooning fees of which a [...]
Forced to adapt in time of virus pandemic, businesses rethink how they make money
NEW YORK — Many business owners are changing the way they make money as they attempt to recoup revenue lost to the coronavirus outbreak. The changes can look subtle; for example, when owners of clothing stores decide to beef up their internet business. But often such adjustments involve an entire rethinking of the business model — the blueprint that encompasses the key aspects of running a company — with significant changes to staffing, technology and [...]
Big Oil loses appeal, climate suits go to California courts
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Big Oil lost a pair of court battles Tuesday that could lead to trials in lawsuits by California cities and counties seeking damages for the impact of climate change. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected arguments by energy companies and ruled state courts are the proper forum for lawsuits alleging producers promoted petroleum as environmentally responsible when they knew it was contributing to drought, wildfires, and sea level rise [...]
Poll: Half of Americans would get a COVID-19 vaccine
Only about half of Americans say they would get a COVID-19 vaccine if the scientists working furiously to create one succeed, according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. That's surprisingly low considering the effort going into the global race for a vaccine against the coronavirus that has sparked a pandemic since first emerging from China late last year. But more people might eventually roll up their sleeves: The [...]
Legal News
Proposed bill would mandate general assembly approval for lockdowns
As Ohioans transition to the latest pandemic-related public health order, which recommends high-risk residents stay at home as much as possible, members of the Ohio [...]
Proposed bill would disallow plastic bag fees, bans
A pro-business plan championing the much reviled recycled plastic grocery bag and other such auxiliary containers debuted in the Ohio Senate last week. Although the [...]
Me and we: Individual rights, common good and coronavirus
We, the people. But individual rights. The common good. But don't tread on me. Form a more perfect union and promote the general welfare. But [...]
Business News
Worry, haste, retail therapy: What have we bought and why?
NEW YORK (AP) — Between technical glitches and food worries, retail therapy and sheer amnesia, something has happened to shopping during the pandemic that can [...]
Federal meatpacking safety recommendations are largely unenforceable, fueling worker anxiety
MINNEAPOLIS — Federal recommendations meant to keep meatpacking workers safe as they return to plants that were shuttered by the coronavirus have little enforcement muscle [...]
Restaurant chains see sales improving as dining rooms reopen
Fast food restaurants — well equipped for drive-thru and takeout service — have fared better than sit-down restaurants as the coronavirus pandemic gripped the country, [...]
Real Estate
New-home sales across the country post surprisingly slight gain in April
BALTIMORE (AP) — New home sales ticked up 0.6 percent in April, a surprising gain amid the coronavirus outbreak that hints at the relative health [...]
Virus puts big dent in local home sales, which were down 15.1% last month
The first disruptive impact on the central Ohio housing market by the coronavirus and its accompanying societal shutdown was significantly noticeable in April’s home sales [...]
New home sales drop 4.4% in February
WASHINGTON (AP) — New home sales fell 4.4 percent in February with bigger declines expected in coming months as the coronavirus puts a major crimp [...]
Politics
States accused of fudging or bungling COVID-19 testing data
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — Public health officials in some states are accused of bungling coronavirus infection statistics or even using a little sleight of hand [...]
Poll shows a partisan split over virus-era religious freedom
NEW YORK — As the nation's houses of worship weigh how and when to resume in-person gatherings while coronavirus stay-at-home orders ease in some areas, [...]
Unique payout Alaskans get from oil wealth could be at risk
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Alaska has no income or statewide sales taxes, and it cuts residents a check every year from its oil wealth. But [...]
