Today’s News
Bye bye bugs? Scientists fear non-pest insects are declining
OXFORD, Pa. (AP) — A staple of summer — swarms of bugs — seems to be a thing of the past. And that’s got scientists worried. Pesky mosquitoes, disease-carrying ticks, crop-munching aphids and cockroaches are doing just fine. But the more beneficial flying insects of summer — native bees, moths, butterflies, ladybugs, lovebugs, mayflies and fireflies — appear to be less abundant. Scientists think something is amiss, but they can’t be certain: In the past, [...]
Is $1,100 too much to pay for an iPhone? Get an older one for less money
NEW YORK — The $1,100 price tag on Apple’s latest iPhone turned heads when the company announced it this month. But for less than half as much, you can still get a good camera, a decent-sized screen and other popular features. Just buy a 2-year-old iPhone 7. That phone was Apple’s first to come with water resistance and its first to lose the standard headphone jack. Its 4.7-inch screen is adequate and on par with [...]
Florence shows how storm coverage is politicized
NEW YORK — Donald Trump Jr.’s attack tweet last week showing CNN’s Anderson Cooper waist-deep in flood waters has driven home the point that politics — not just weather — was an important subtext of the media’s coverage of Hurricane Florence. “Stop lying to make @realDonaldTrump look bad,” the president’s son admonished Cooper, triggering a harsh response from the CNN journalist, who was part of his network’s team covering Florence’s landfall in North Carolina. “I [...]
Economy keeps growing even though oil prices are rising
DALLAS (AP) — America’s rediscovered prowess in oil production is shaking up old notions about the impact of higher crude prices on the U.S. economy. It has long been conventional wisdom that rising oil prices hurt the economy by forcing consumers to spend more on gasoline and heating their homes, leaving less for other things. Presumably that kind of run-up would slow the economy. Instead, the economy grew at its fastest rate in nearly four [...]
Furniture with ports and plugs to connect you
We’re a nation of multitaskers, often keeping an eye on our phones or other devices even while lounging on the sofa watching television. And those devices need power. Who wants to keep getting up to plug stuff in when you’re bingeing a great show, reading a good book or otherwise chilling? Turns out, you don’t have to. Furniture makers are responding to our multi-tasking lifestyle with seating and surfaces featuring integrated sockets and USB ports. [...]
Many older luxury cars match the appeal of today’s high-tech rides
Ask Schumacher Place resident Steve Wagner, owner of one of the few thousand Ford Continental Mark IIs ever made, about luxury cars today and he’s likely to shake his head dismissively. Sure they have all the bells and whistles, but they practically drive themselves, he says. He puts the ride of his ’56 Ford handmade masterpiece up against any top-of-the-line Mercedes or BMW made today. “Both have very luxurious rides,” Wagner said. “My ’56 Cadillac [...]
Report: Ohio shale gas output up 43 percent in last two quarters
Ohio’s horizontal shale region saw a 43 percent increase for shale gas and 11 percent increase in oil between the last two second quarters, according to data provided by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. The Utica and Marcellus shale formations in eastern Ohio provide a vast amount of low-cost natural gas, natural gas liquids and crude oil. The region accounts for more than 85 percent of U.S. shale gas production and helped Ohio’s shale [...]
Nothing to ‘C’ here: Importance of NHL captains is changing
Ryan Johansen remembers how the Columbus Blue Jackets didn’t have a captain until one day it clicked and everyone knew it should be Nick Foligno. “There was just no doubt,” Johansen said. “It’s just one of those things you don’t want to force. You don’t want to rush. You don’t want to regret. Once someone is a very clear option to being named captain, then it’s usually done.” For more than a century, NHL teams [...]
Even luxury auto brands are having to move toward SUVs
Luxury automobile brands may need to improve their offerings in the sports utility vehicle department to maintain sales levels, according to automotive experts and publications. Doug DeMuro, an automotive journalist whose written for a variety of online news sites and magazines, believes more brands need to replicate the Mercedes-Benz G-Glass. “If you're BMW, you should have a Mercedes G-Class competitor. If you're Volvo, same thing. If you're Lexus, Acura, Cadillac, whatever. Get a competitor to [...]
Trump’s tariffs could sow trouble for GOP in farm districts
SPANGLE, Wash. (AP) — In the aptly named Harvester Restaurant, wheat farmer Roy Dube makes clear he’s no fan of President Donald Trump’s trade policy. “We get him elected into office and he pulls us out of trade agreements,” Dube said last week as local farmers gathered to hear Democratic House candidate Lisa Brown. Dube says China is buying less wheat from eastern Washington farmers and Trump’s policies have opened the door for Australia and [...]
Legal News
Los Angeles takes step toward banning the sale of fur products
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Los Angeles, one of the world’s major fashion centers and long a symbol of glitz and glamour, is taking steps to [...]
Central Ohio lawmaker proposes measure to bolster reporting of sex misconduct in schools
A Hilliard state senator has introduced a bill to reinforce the state laws meant to shield Ohio school children from any sexual misconduct in which [...]
House proposal goes after brain drain, student debt
A bill stalled in a committee in the Ohio House of Representatives is the means its sponsors believe can make a serious dent in a [...]
Business News
Here are five things for small businesses to know about disaster recovery
NEW YORK (AP) — Many small business owners whose companies were hit by Hurricane Florence are embarking on an uncertain path to recovery. While these [...]
Ohio State Fair organizers pen deal with Texas company to provide rides
At the conclusion of a six-month selection process, the Ohio Expositions Commission selected Forth Worth, Texas-based Talley Amusements as ride provider for the Ohio State [...]
Six startups chosen for 10-week lab at BMW Financial Services in Hilliard
BMW Group Financial Services has announced the selection of six startup companies to undergo a 10-week lab at BMW Financial Services Collaboration Lab at the [...]
Real Estate
Report: Central Ohioans paying spending a little more on their mortgages
The share of income spent on a monthly mortgage payment in central Ohio ticked up in the second quarter of 2018, while the share spent [...]
‘Hidden costs’ of homeownership in Columbus area is on par with national average
Central Ohio homeowners on average pay almost $10,000 per year in hidden costs, according to a recent analysis. In Columbus, where the median home value [...]
Rising home prices in Columbus may be easing
Homebuyers may finally be getting some relief in central Ohio’s housing market. The share of listings with a price cut was at 15.1 percent in [...]
Politics
Leaked docs show Assange bid for Russian visa
LONDON (AP) — Julian Assange had just pulled off one of the biggest scoops in journalistic history, splaying the innards of American diplomacy across the [...]
Primary season sets up a brawl for November votes
The stage is set for a November brawl that could loosen President Donald Trump’s grip on Washington. Elections in New York Thursday marked the end [...]
Upcoming redistricting is a backstory of 2018 midterms
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — The task of drawing new boundaries for thousands of federal and state legislative districts is still about three years away, yet [...]
