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Wildfire smoke from Canada and Minnesota pushed farther into the U.S., engulfing Washington, D.C. in haze on July 18, 2026. Millions in the Great Lakes, Northeast, and Mid-Atlantic experienced unhealthy air. The Cleveland Guardians postponed their MLB game. A National Weather Service forecaster said smoky conditions could persist for at least a week as fires continue to burn.
A yearlong freeze on Medicaid funding for Ohio reproductive health clinics that provide abortion has expired, and clinics are working to restore services. Planned Parenthood permanently closed two clinics due to the cuts, and visits dropped 55% in Southwest Ohio.
Gary Siders Jr., the Ohio father arrested in the 'House of Horrors' case, was charged with four counts of public indecency in May 2026, a month before his arrest. The alleged incidents occurred on four days in May. Siders and three family members have pleaded not guilty to child endangerment charges.
Records reveal at least three Siders family members married as young teenagers, including a 14-year-old who wed a 48-year-old in Ohio. The family faces felony child endangerment charges for allegedly holding 16 children in a squalid room. Ohio law still permits 17-year-olds to marry under certain conditions.
Columbus, Ohio, is seeing its highest multifamily housing permit rate since 2019, with plans to build up to 88,000 new homes over the next decade through its 'Zone In' plan. Las Vegas, Oklahoma City, and Birmingham also report upticks, bucking a national decline.
Deshawn Butler, 35, faces a federal felon-in-possession charge after his 21-month-old son Jashawn accessed an unsecured gun safe and fatally shot himself on July 11. Butler initially posted bond on a state child endangerment charge but was taken into federal custody. He faces up to 15 years in prison.
The latest Annie E. Casey Foundation Kids Count Data Book shows 68% of Ohio fourth graders lack reading proficiency, a 4% increase from 2019. Math non-proficiency rose 6% since 2019. Ohio ranks 12th in education but 27th in child well-being.
This commentary analyzes the property tax proposals of Ohio gubernatorial candidates Vivek Ramaswamy and Amy Acton, arguing that both promise relief but lack specific funding details. It contends that Ramaswamy's rollback plan could strain local services, while Acton's approach remains unclear, highlighting the difficulty of solving the property tax crisis.