Today’s News
Bill would increase class time for Ohio students
A southwest Ohio state lawmaker recently revealed to committee members in the Ohio House of Representatives the details of legislation he’s authored that would add up to 53 hours of additional instruction to the academic year for school students. Rep. Adam Bird, R-New Richmond, told members of the Education Committee that House Bill 145 proposes to return some of the lost instructional time taken away from Ohio students more than a decade ago. “In 2014 [...]
Ohio farmers produce 6% more eggs in January
Amid elevated egg prices across the country, egg production in Ohio is up 6 percent from a year ago, according the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a higher rate than what has occurred nationally. The state’s farms produced slightly more than 1 billion eggs in January, the most recent month for which statistics are available. The number of chickens laying eggs was also up 6 percent this January. The rate of lay during January was 2,565 [...]
American companies look to increase rare earths production
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Several companies contacted America’s only rare earths mine soon after China responded to President Donald Trump’s tariffs this month by limiting exports of those minerals used for military applications and in many high-tech devices. “Based on the number of phone calls we’re receiving, the effects have been immediate,” said Matt Sloustcher, a spokesperson for MP Materials, the company that runs the Mountain Pass mine in California’s Mojave Desert. The trade issues [...]
Netflix’s first-quarter profit is $2.9 billion, a 24 percent increase from a year ago
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Netflix fared better than analysts anticipated during the first three months of the year. The numbers released last week indicated Netflix is still building on the momentum that enabled it to add 41 million worldwide subscribers last year — the biggest annual gain in the company’s 27-year history. It’s unclear precisely how many more subscribers Netflix picked up during the January-March period, however, because the report marks the first time that [...]
Mortgage rate climbs to 6.83 percent
The average rate on a 30-year mortgage climbed to its highest level in eight weeks, a setback for home shoppers in the midst of the busy spring homebuying season. The rate rose to 6.83 percent last week from 6.62 percent, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said. A year ago, the rate averaged 7.1 percent. Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners refinancing their home loans, also rose. The average rate increased to 6.03 percent [...]
Judge strikes down Ohio law limiting kids’ social media use
COLUMBUS (AP) — A federal judge permanently struck down an Ohio law last week that would have required children and teens under 16 to receive parental consent to use social media apps. U.S. District Court Judge Algenon Marbley’s decision came in a lawsuit filed by NetChoice, a trade group representing TikTok, Snapchat, Meta and other tech companies. The organization’s complaint argued that the law unconstitutionally impedes free speech and is overly broad and vague. The [...]
Google’s digital ad network declared illegal monopoly
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google has been branded an abusive monopolist by a federal judge for the second time in less than a year, this time for illegally exploiting some of its online marketing technology to boost the profits fueling an internet empire currently worth $1.8 trillion. The ruling issued by U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Virginia comes on the heels of a separate decision in August that concluded Google’s namesake search engine has [...]
China-founded Temu, Shein say they’re raising prices
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — China-founded e-commerce sites Temu and Shein say they plan to raise prices for American customers starting this week, a ripple effect from President Donald Trump’s attempts to correct the trade imbalance between the world’s two largest economies by imposing a new tariff on goods shipped from China. Temu, which is owned by the Chinese e-commerce company PDD Holdings, and Shein, which is now based in Singapore, said in separate but nearly [...]
Tariffs on China could be costly for U.S. solar
President Donald Trump’s new trade policies for China threaten to crimp a massive source of solar panels and parts for American companies, with industry officials saying the cost of projects will certainly rise as China retaliates. China accounted for at least 80 percent of the components of solar panels as recently as 2022, according to an International Energy Agency report, especially polysilicon, glass and solar cells. Solar also demands increasing critical mineral supplies, of which [...]
Jobless benefit claims fall as labor market remains strong
WASHINGTON (AP) — Applications for jobless benefits fell again during the latest reporting period as the labor market continues to hold up despite fears of a tariff-induced recession. Jobless claim applications fell by 9,000 to 215,000 for the week ending April 12, the Labor Department said. That’s below the 225,000 new applications analysts forecast. Weekly applications for jobless benefits are considered a proxy for layoffs, and have mostly stayed between 200,000 and 250,000 in recent [...]
Legal News
Texas judge throws out rule capping credit card late fees
HOUSTON (AP) — A Texas judge threw out a federal rule that would have capped credit card late fees after officials with President Donald Trump’s [...]
NCAA lawsuit settlement progresses with few changes to judge for final decision
The $2.8 billion legal settlement designed to reshape college sports is now before a federal judge for a final decision. Attorneys who hashed out the [...]
Dozens of student pilots sue United over fraud allegations
Dozens of former student pilots who say they racked up tens of thousands of dollars in debt for tuition are suing United Airlines and its [...]
Business News
Starbucks imposes new dress code for baristas
Starbucks is imposing new limits on what its baristas may wear under their green aprons. Starting May 12, employees will be required to wear a [...]
Intel sells majority stake in Altera in $8.75B deal
Intel has announced that it is selling the majority of its Altera chip business to technology investor Silver Lake in a deal valued at $8.75 [...]
Ranchers hope changes in trade policies increase demand for American beef
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Rancher Brett Kenzy said he hopes President Donald Trump’s tariffs will make imported beef expensive enough that Americans will turn to [...]
Real Estate
Proposal for Midwest carbon dioxide pipeline faces backlash from landowners
MANSFIELD, S.D. (AP) — Jared Bossly was planting soybeans one spring night in 2023 on his 2,000-acre farm in South Dakota when he spotted a [...]
Historic ocean liner to become world’s largest artificial reef
A historic ocean liner will become the world’s largest artificial reef once it reaches its final resting place off Florida’s Gulf Coast. Competing diving businesses [...]
Report: Multifamily housing demand remains high in central Ohio
A new report indicates that the Columbus region’s apartment market remains tight, with a historically low vacancy rate and a decrease in the construction of [...]
Politics
Reasons for location of Space Command HQ inconclusive
WASHINGTON (AP) — A review issued last week by the Defense Department inspector general could not determine why Colorado was chosen over Alabama as the [...]
Bill would implement sales, use taxes on short-term rental stays in the state
A pair of lawmakers in the Ohio House of Representatives is championing a bill to extend state and local sales and use taxes to short-term [...]
Emissions exemptions awarded to coal plants
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has granted nearly 70 coal-fired power plants a two-year exemption from federal requirements to reduce emissions of chemicals such [...]