Today’s News
A plea for bipartisanship after a 2020 victory? Some Democrats say that isn’t going to fly
WASHINGTON (AP) — When John Hickenlooper announced his Democratic presidential campaign, he vowed to sit down with the Senate’s top Republican if he wins in 2020 — the kind of milquetoast pitch for bipartisanship that White House hopefuls have made for generations. But for some Democrats, Hickenlooper’s pledge landed with a thud. Still stung by President Barack Obama’s fierce battles with Republicans and at odds with nearly every policy the GOP has pursued during the [...]
No dental insurance? Discount plans can provide savings
WASHINGTON — No dental insurance? You’re not alone. Roughly 1 in 4 Americans don’t have dental coverage, according to industry figures. Employers are by far the biggest provider of dental benefits in the U.S., accounting for nearly half of all enrollees, followed by the government’s Medicaid plan for low-income people. Researchers have shown that costs are a bigger obstacle to dental care in the U.S. than all other forms of health care. Dental discount plans [...]
Toyota investing $750 million at five American plants, creating 600 jobs
BUFFALO, W.Va. (AP) — Toyota Motor Corp. on Thursday announced it is investing an additional $750 million at five American plants that will bring nearly 600 new jobs, including the production of two hybrid vehicles for the first time at its Kentucky facility. It marks yet another expansion of the Japanese automaker’s U.S. presence, bringing to nearly $13 billion the amount it will spend by 2021. The latest investments are at facilities in Alabama, Kentucky, [...]
New York inaugurates its $25B mini-city, Hudson Yards on West Side
NEW YORK — A towering sculpture called Vessel — made up of 2,500 twisting steps the public can climb — has opened as the visual centerpiece of Hudson Yards, a $25 billion urban complex on Manhattan’s West Side that is the city’s most ambitious development since the rebuilding of the World Trade Center. When fully complete, the 28-acre site will include 16 towers of homes and offices, a hotel, a school, the highest outdoor observation [...]
Inspector General’s report: Private contractor improperly used state resources; wrongfully awarded contract
The owner of a Blacklick IT services firm has been debarred by the Ohio Department of Administrative Service from performing contract work for the state after an investigation revealed unfair bidding practices and illegal use of state property, an Inspector General’s report found. Information Technology Consultant Demitra Burkhart, who was working for the state of Ohio through her private company AIN Systems was found to have been using state resources to conduct her private consulting [...]
Hero or villain, Ocasio-Cortez remains a media fixation
NEW YORK — Believe it or not, there are other members of Congress besides Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. You wouldn’t know that by how the freshman Democrat from New York has become a media fixation like no other politician since President Donald Trump. She’s been a cover subject in both New York tabloids, a punchline on “Saturday Night Live,” the target of a Washington Post investigation and depicted as a Hamburglar at a conservative conference — and [...]
Nonprofit group helps connect busy workers with volunteer opportunities
It started with a Craigslist post and now a decade later Columbus Gives Back, a nonprofit organization that connects busy professionals with volunteer opportunities, is still going strong. Since its inception Columbus Gives Back has worked with more than 160 nonprofits and more than 1,400 events. “It’s a concept that still makes sense 10 years later,” said Caleb Miller, the board president of the organization. Miller has worked with the organization for three years and [...]
Sole saver: Pennsylvania man stays busy as a cobbler
MCMURRAY, Pa. — Bill Wells has spent the past 33 years saving soles. Wells is a cobbler, and the 81-year-old works seven days a week to repair shoes at his shop, Charles the Cobbler, in this town about 15 miles southwest of Pittsburgh. He is, as far as he knows, the only cobbler left in Washington County, and the craftsman has his hands full. He repairs more than 300 pairs of shoes a week — [...]
Vulnerable to attack: Businesses should boost cyberattack defenses
NEW YORK (AP) — When cyberthieves attacked Empire Industries’ computer network, technology manager Rich Shemanskis could see files in the process of being infected by malicious software. “We were looking at the network, and I noticed it, and another guy noticed it. We’re looking at the files and watching them change,” Shemanskis recalls about the attack three years ago. Shemanskis told staffers to quickly shut down their PCs, which helped limit the malware’s spread, but [...]
Legal News
Sexual misconduct cases busted non-disclosure agreements
The Ohio State University Moritz’s College of Law will host a lecture next week about non-disclosure agreements. Julie Macfarlane, a law professor with the University [...]
Ohio Democrats make another attempt at $15 minimum wage
Democrat lawmakers have resuscitated an effort to raise the state’s minimum wage, an issue that has lost momentum in recent years as the economy took [...]
OSU professor mulls minimum two-year moratorium on legal marijuana
Marijuana is now legal for medical use in Ohio, which joins 32 other states and the District of Columbia on the decriminalized track of the [...]
Business News
Central Ohio unemployment up slightly in January to 4.5%
Central Ohio’s unemployment rate ticked up slightly in January to 4.5 percent compared to 4.1 percent in the same month a year ago, according to [...]
Legal industry adjusting to growing prevalence of artificial intelligence
In this day and age, artificial intelligence is prevalent in many situations and is a hot topic of discussion in almost every industry. A new [...]
State business leaders launch initiative to help students
The mission of a new non-profit organization made up of Ohio business leaders is simple: Preparing students for success in life must be a priority. [...]
Real Estate
Oregon housing squeeze sets stage for statewide mandatory rent control
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — Faced with a housing shortage and skyrocketing rents, Oregon is poised to become the first state to impose mandatory rent controls, [...]
Number of homes for sale in central Ohio is gradually increasing, but market remains tight
There could be a glimmer of hope for central Ohio homebuyers. The number of homes available for sale crept up slightly in January, according to [...]
Columbus is good market for first-time homebuyers
The Columbus area was identified as a top area for first-time homebuyers, according to an online loan marketplace. LendingTree ranked the city seventh among the [...]
Politics
New Mexico weighs America’s first government-run pot shops
SANTA FE, N.M. — New Mexico would become the first U.S. state to set up its own government-operated marijuana stores and subsidize medical cannabis for [...]
Trump’s national monument changes return to spotlight
SALT LAKE CITY — As Democrats in Congress prepare to scrutinize President Donald Trump’s review of 27 national monuments, most of the recommendations made by [...]
In Dems’ ‘Medicare for All’ battle cry, GOP sees ’20 weapon
WASHINGTON (AP) — “Medicare for All” has become catnip for Democratic presidential candidates and many lawmakers, yet Republicans prepping for next year’s congressional races are [...]
