Today’s News
Bill would pay for the phasing out of pot-sniffing police dogs
A bipartisan bill aims to resolve the circumstance of police departments statewide that have in their ranks nearly 300 K-9 officers trained to sniff out marijuana in a state where recreational use of the drug is now legal. House Bill 396, upon its enactment, would appropriate $6 million from the state General Revenue Fund to back a grant program for the purchase and training of replacement drug-sniffing dogs and the purchase of any related equipment [...]
Marijuana sales in Ohio could begin by mid-June
COLUMBUS (AP) — Recreational marijuana could be available for sale in Ohio by mid-June, after new licensing rules for dispensaries earlier this week cleared a legislative hurdle. Adult-use sales have been in limbo in the state since December, when an initiated statute approved by voters went into effect. Ohioans older than 21 were immediately able to legally grow and possess cannabis at home, but they had nowhere to legally buy it — prompting concern by [...]
Biden hiking tariffs on many Chinese products
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration has announced plans to slap new tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, advanced batteries, solar cells, steel, aluminum and medical equipment — an election year move that's expected to increase friction between the world's two largest economies. The tariffs come in the middle of a campaign between President Joe Biden and his Republican predecessor, Donald Trump, in which both candidates are vying to show who's tougher on China. Some economists [...]
Emerging industry readies for growth as floating wind turbines are honed
ORONO, Maine (AP) — As waves grew and gusts increased, a wind turbine bobbed gently, its blades spinning with a gentle woosh. The tempest reached a crescendo with little drama other than splashing water. The uneventful outcome achieved the effect desired by the engineers. The demonstration featuring a 13-foot-tall floating wind turbine in an indoor pool aimed to ensure it can withstand the strain of powerful water and wind when much larger versions are deployed [...]
Rental prices dropping in some metro areas
The real estate market was one of the industries hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic. Housing and rental prices skyrocketed in the years immediately after the pandemic. However, Realtor.com has some good news for renters: rental prices are finally dropping. Mortgages on starter homes in the biggest cities cost $1,027 more than the average monthly rent in February. Zillow places the median monthly rent in the United States at $2,075, That's still $586 cheaper than [...]
Republican attorneys general sue over rules on gas-powered trucks
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A large group of Republican attorneys general took legal action this week against the Biden administration and California over new emissions limits for trucks. Nebraska Attorney General Mike Hilgers is leading the group of GOP attorneys general who filed a petition with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to overturn an Environmental Protection Agency rule limiting truck emissions. A separate lawsuit against California claims a phased-in [...]
After a rookie renaissance, some prospects have struggled this season
BALTIMORE — Jackson Holliday's debut with the Baltimore Orioles went south in a hurry when the 20-year-old infielder managed only two hits in 34 at-bats, striking out in exactly half his plate appearances. If it's any consolation, there are a few other top prospects who can probably relate. Colt Keith in Detroit? He's hitting .177. Wyatt Langford of the Texas Rangers? He batted .224 before landing on the injured list. Milwaukee's Jackson Chourio has been [...]
Raw milk drinkers aren’t deterred by bird flu
Sales of raw milk appear to be on the rise, despite years of warnings about the health risks of drinking the unpasteurized products — and an outbreak of bird flu in dairy cows. Since March 25, when the bird flu virus was confirmed in U.S. cattle for the first time, weekly sales of raw cow's milk have ticked up 21 percent to as much as 65 percent compared with the same periods a year ago, [...]
Many universities are having trouble hiring, retaining athletic trainers, new survey finds
Colleges and universities are having a difficult time hiring, recruiting and retaining members of their athletic training staffs because of a number of below-market conditions, a survey shows. The survey, by the National Athletics Trainers' Association and the American College of Sports Medicine, of 1,120 athletic trainers at all collegiate levels identified four areas of most common concern: compensation, organizational culture, burnout and increased work responsibility, according to a joint statement. Among the findings, more [...]
Governments navigating how to spend opioid funds
Settlement money to help stem the decades-long opioid addiction and overdose epidemic is rolling out to small towns and big cities across the country, but advocates said they’re concerned that chunks of that money may be used in ways that don't make a dent in the crisis. As state and local governments navigate how to use the money, advocates say local governments may not have the bandwidth to take the right steps to identify their [...]
Legal News
Bill would give grants to child-care facilities
The sponsors of legislation designed to beef up child-care capacity throughout the state recently said their bill is in response to circumstances working parents and [...]
Bill introduced would protect NCAA and conferences from legal attacks
Two Republican congressmen introduced a bill last week that would provide the NCAA, college conferences and member schools with federal protection from legal challenges that [...]
Bill designed to help public-owned airports discard abandoned planes
Senate committee members at the Ohio Statehouse recently heard from backers of a bill that addresses what aviation industry officials say is the nuisance of [...]
Business News
Disney’s streaming business turns a profit for first time
The Walt Disney Co. swung to a loss in its second quarter because of restructuring and impairment charges, but its adjusted profit topped expectations and [...]
FAA opens investigation after Boeing says workers falsified inspection records
SEATTLE — The Federal Aviation Administration said it has opened an investigation into Boeing after the beleaguered company reported that workers at a South Carolina [...]
Airbus not expected to extend its sales lead over Boeing
FRANKFURT, Germany — In the latest round of their decades-long battle for dominance in commercial aircraft, Europe's Airbus established a clear sales lead over Boeing [...]
Real Estate
Rise in all-cash buys helping drive up prices for most expensive homes
LOS ANGELES — Well-heeled home shoppers are increasingly paying cash, helping turbo-charge price gains for the most expensive U.S. homes. The median sale price of [...]
Central Ohio home sales fall 3.7 percent in March
Home sales in central Ohio last month were down 3.7 percent compared to March 2023, according to new figures from Columbus Realtors. Sales through the [...]
Kate Ashford: Selling your home could boost your nest egg – but is it worth it?
A 2023 report from investment firm Vanguard estimates that about a quarter of Americans age 60 and over could move to a cheaper housing market [...]
Politics
Federal government considering changes to donor-advised fund regulations
WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress and the Biden administration are considering what, if anything, should be done to tighten restrictions on donor-advised funds, an increasingly popular [...]
New sanctions target Russian weapons development, ban uranium imports
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States last week imposed new sanctions on hundreds of companies and people tied to Russia's weapons development program, more than [...]
Temporary farmworkers to have more protections under new Labor rule
SANTA ROSA, Calif. (AP) — Temporary farmworkers will have more legal protections against employer retaliation, unsafe working conditions, illegal recruitment practices and other abuses under [...]