‘Big Crypto’ behind critical ads of Sherrod Brown again — without talking crypto
Ohio politics news and insights from the State Signals newsletter. Plus, local Democrats rebuke U.S. Rep. Marcy Kaptur over her transgender ad.
LATEST NEWS FROM SIGNAL STATEWIDE
Election 2026
Democrat Amy Acton joins fracking-waste fight in red Ohio
Campaigning in Appalachia, the gubernatorial candidate promised to honor a three-year moratorium in Marietta on injection wells that could store toxic liquid waste. Her message helped her win the backing of the town’s council president in a region long dominated by Republicans.
How Ohio college students can register to vote on campus or back home
Though potential changes around voting by mail have sparked confusion ahead of the Nov. 3 election, nothing is changing about voting in Ohio. Residents have until Oct. 5 to complete or update their voter registration.
Vivek Ramaswamy’s data center policy promises Ohioans free electricity. Is that really possible?
The Republican candidate’s plan goes far beyond what Republicans and Democrats have proposed in Ohio and in other states. Here’s what experts say about it.
GOVERNMENT
Fracking industry pays $11 million for first leases in Ohio’s only national forest
Five out-of-state gas companies win rights to drill under 2,800 acres of the Wayne National Forest, achieving a long-sought goal for the industry.
EDUCATION
‘Ghost students:’ Ohio’s community colleges are targets of financial aid fraud
Campus leaders asked the state for more help in their work to beat the bad actors, including money for fraud prevention software and a database to help identify repeat offenders.
HEALTH
Ohio delays SNAP ban on sugary drinks
Ohio was one of nearly two dozen states working to implement bans on SNAP sales for non-nutritious items such as soda or candy that were encouraged by the Trump administration.
STATE SIGNALS NEWSLETTER
Why a doctors’ PAC endorsed Vivek Ramaswamy over Dr. Amy Acton
Ohio politics news and insights from the State Signals newsletter. Plus, Gov. Mike DeWine is promising to address sloppy data around rape examination kits.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Ohio dispensary closes after reports of ‘serious adverse health effects’ from vape
Neither the state nor the dispensary offered details about the health events, but regulators say an investigation is ongoing. Vapen brand products are on what their manufacturer calls a “precautionary hold.”
NEWS FROM NOTUS
DOGE Cut Off Small Town America’s 250th Birthday Money
Ohio Humanities was planning history projects for the 250th when DOGE axed its funding last year. Then Trump redirected federal money for his own beautification projects.
Local Newsrooms
Signal Ohio is a nonprofit statewide network of local newsrooms.
Why Local News
Local news is in crisis. Across the country, including here in Ohio, the commercial news industry has been on the decline, leading to the loss of nearly three-quarters of journalism jobs since 2005, leading to less accountability, more polarization, and more government waste. With the volume of original reporting in Ohio communities reduced to a small fraction of what it once was, nonprofit news offers a path forward
