Tag: Ohio

Schools find solution to cell phone distraction in classes

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WARRENSVILLE HEIGHTS, Ohio — For so many of us, our devices can be a huge distraction.

And for students who are supposed to be focused on learning in class — well, the appeal is often overwhelming, like at T-Squared Honors Academy in Warrensville Heights.

Coming back from the COVID-19 pandemic last year proved to be challenging, forcing school leaders to drill down and analyze their discipline data.

“It was really high and we had to come up with some type of solutions. We said, let’s look for the causes — what’s causing these problems and what are things we can actually change,” explained Jason Petz, Dean of Students.

Turns out the bulk of problems — 44% to be exact — were linked either directly or indirectly to cell phones.

Students were scrolling social media, playing games and late to class because they were making TikToks in the halls.

So the solution they came up with is to use pouches called Yondr to lock up students’ cell phones from the moment they walk into school to the time they are dismissed at the end of the day.

Bridgette Pacholka

You may have seen the Yondr pouches used at concerts and comedy shows for years now.

Teachers have loved the pouches, and it’s no surprise there was pushback from students there, at first.

“I come, put my phone in the pouch every day and understand how it helps because it has helped the whole school. Less altercations, less distractions,” said Shahid Wheeler, a senior at T-Squared.

Bridgette Pacholka

Sophomore Jaydah Anderson agreed, adding, “I see helping me, my grades are better, gets me more work done.”

Students can personalize their pouches and keep them with them at all times.

T-Squared was initially worried about enrollment dropping with the new policy since they’re a charter school, but have actually found more parents sending their kids because of it.

Bridgette Pacholka

“They’re collaboratively working in groups, whereas last year, maybe one kid would do the work and the rest would play on their phone,” Petz said.

Over at Mary Church Terrell, a Pre-K through 8th grade Cleveland public school, this is year two with Yondr pouches.

“It’s taken a layer of distraction and stress for some kids away so it’s great to see,” said principal Angie Boie.

Boie said transitioning to the pouches was surprisingly smooth for students, and most of all, it’s been refreshing to see kids just being kids again — at lunch, in the halls, at recess.

“Interacting, having fun, talking,” she said. “At recess, they’re playing football, basketball and just being kids.”

Yondr is used in 25 schools across Ohio — six of those in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, and 1,200 schools across the country.

In a survey of 900 schools nationwide, 74% reported an improvement in student behavior, with a 65% improvement in academic performance.

In case of emergency, educators we spoke with said teachers have phones readily accessible in their classrooms and students are able to go to the front office to contact their parents whenever they need.

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November 18, 2022
Donald Trump is no Grover Cleveland | CNN Politics

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A version of this story appears in CNN’s What Matters newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here.

CNN
—

Former President Donald Trump wants to do a full Grover Cleveland and match the only US president to lose a presidential election and then rise from the ashes to regain the White House four years later.

Other examples of former presidents trying to regain power have gone poorly. Theodore Roosevelt’s progressive rebellion split open a schism in the GOP; neither Herbert Hoover nor Martin Van Buren could get nominations from their parties after previous losses.

With the announcement of his third White House run, Trump is trying to emulate Cleveland, who won, lost and then won the White House in 1884, 1888 and 1892.

In many other ways, Trump, a native New Yorker, and Cleveland, the only president born in New Jersey, have little in common. Most of what’s below comes from reading about Cleveland at the University of Virginia’s Miller Center and also the University of California Santa Barbara’s American Presidency Project.

Trump, a Republican, lost the popular vote twice. He lost both the Electoral College and the popular vote to Joe Biden in 2020, but Trump also got fewer popular votes compared with Hillary Clinton, the former secretary of state and first lady, when he beat her in the Electoral College in 2016.

Cleveland, a Democrat, won the popular vote three times. He got more popular votes than his opponent when he won the White House in 1884 and 1892, and while he lost the Electoral College vote to Benjamin Harrison in 1888, Cleveland beat him in the popular vote. Regardless of the popular vote, Cleveland’s first win in 1884 was thanks to an extremely narrow 1,200-vote margin that delivered him New York’s decisive electoral votes.

Trump rejected his loss. The former president skipped Biden’s inauguration, still won’t admit he lost in 2020 and has infected the Republican Party with a vein of denialism.

Cleveland held the umbrella as his opponent became president. At a rainy inauguration in March 1889, Cleveland held an umbrella over Harrison’s head as the latter took the oath of office.

Trump is one of the oldest presidents. Seventy when he took office in 2017, Trump would be 78 if he wins and takes office again in January 2025. That would make him the second-oldest president after Biden.

Cleveland was a young president. Just 47 when he first took the oath of office, Cleveland was 55 when he won reelection. Cleveland died at 71, an age at which Trump was in the first half of his term.

Trump revels in the campaign. He lives for winding speeches eaten up by adoring crowds.

Cleveland barely campaigned. Candidates of the day didn’t campaign as much, but when he first won the White House in 1884, Cleveland gave just two campaign speeches.

He was similarly disinterested in campaigning four years later, which could explain his defeat in 1888, but doesn’t explain how he won again in 1892.

Trump is famous for denying scandals. One example: He disputed paying hush money to women who alleged affairs with him despite the confirmation of his former attorney Michael Cohen, who set up the payments.

Cleveland admitted an affair. Attacked by Republicans in 1884, Cleveland admitted he may in fact have fathered an illegitimate child with a woman later sent to an insane asylum.

“Ma, Ma, Where’s my Pa,” went the attack ad of the day. Cleveland turned honesty into a campaign attribute and urged supporters to tell the truth.

Trump imposed tariffs. One of Trump’s lasting policy legacies are the tariffs he imposed on China and other countries.

Cleveland fought tariffs. A reason he lost in 1892 was Cleveland’s opposition to high tariffs, an unpopular position exploited by Harrison.

There are, however, some other similarities between Trump and Cleveland.

They both married younger women. Melania Trump is 24 years younger than her husband, Donald. Cleveland married his wife Frances during his first term in the White House, still the only marriage of a sitting president conducted at the White House. Frances Cleveland was 21 at the time and had been Cleveland’s ward after her father, Cleveland’s former law partner, died.

They both considered using troops on Americans. Trump considered calling out the military on protesters in front of the White House, and some of his advisers considered trying to impose martial law as they sought to overturn his defeat in 2020.

Cleveland called out federal troops to put down the Pullman railcar strike, a controversial and unprecedented use of force against striking workers.

(Related: Today, the odds of a railroad union strike are on the rise after a third union rejected a proposed contract. Read more.)

They both promised to clean up Washington. Trump won in 2016 promising to “drain the swamp” in Washington, and Cleveland’s main issue was to put corrupt Republicans in check, something that resonated with anti-corruption Republicans known as the “Mugwumps.”

They both cut down on some immigration. The issue that most animated Trump was building a wall at the southern border. He also curbed legal immigration to the US and imposed a travel ban on certain countries. Cleveland renewed the Chinese Exclusion Act and prevented Chinese laborers from returning to the US. But Cleveland rejected a law that would have imposed a literacy test on immigrants.

They both relied on the South. Trump could not win his home state of New York like Cleveland did, but both men relied on a southern base of support for their political power.

Joshua Zeitz wrote for Politico recently that when Cleveland ran in 1892 after losing in 1888, it was largely out of boredom. Trump, meanwhile, seems to be more interested in revenge for what he falsely calls a fraudulent election.

CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correct Martin Van Buren’s political party. He was a Democrat.

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November 16, 2022
Republicans lose control in some state legislatures

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Republicans lose control in some state legislatures – CBS News

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CBS News anchor Anne-Marie Green details how Democrats also did better than expected in down-ballot races, winning back control of some state legislatures, during this year’s midterm election.

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November 15, 2022
DEA’s most corrupt agent says he’s not the only one who laundered money for Colombia cartels

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José Irizarry accepts that he’s known as the most corrupt agent in U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration history, admitting he “became another man” in conspiring with Colombian cartels to build a lavish lifestyle of expensive sports cars, Tiffany jewels and paramours around the world.

But as he used his final hours of freedom to tell his story to The Associated Press, Irizarry says he won’t go down for this alone, accusing some long-trusted DEA colleagues of joining him in skimming millions of dollars from drug money laundering stings to fund a decade’s worth of luxury overseas travel, fine dining, top seats at sporting events and frat house-style debauchery.

The way Irizarry tells it, dozens of other federal agents, prosecutors, informants and in some cases cartel smugglers themselves were all in on the three-continent joyride known as “Team America” that chose cities for money laundering pick-ups mostly for party purposes or to coincide with Real Madrid soccer or Rafael Nadal tennis matches. That included stops along the way in VIP rooms of Caribbean strip joints, Amsterdam’s red-light district and aboard a Colombian yacht that launched with plenty of booze and more than a dozen prostitutes.

This photo obtained by The Associated Press shows Jose Irizarry in Cartagena, Colombia, in 2017. Irizarry accepts he is the most corrupt agent in U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration history, admitting he conspired with Colombian cartels to build a lavish lifestyle. But he says he won’t take the rap alone, accusing long-trusted DEA colleagues of joining him in skimming millions from money laundering stings to fund a decade’s worth of high living.

/AP

“We had free access to do whatever we wanted,” the 48-year-old Irizarry told the AP in a series of interviews before beginning a 12-year federal prison sentence. “We would generate money pick-ups in places we wanted to go. And once we got there it was about drinking and girls.”

All this revelry was rooted, Irizarry said, in a crushing realization among DEA agents around the world that there’s nothing they can do to make a dent in the drug war anyway. Only nominal concern was given to actually building cases or stemming a record flow of illegal cocaine and opioids into the United States that has driven more than 100,000 drug overdose deaths a year.

“You can’t win an unwinnable war. DEA knows this and the agents know this,” Irizarry said. “There’s so much dope leaving Colombia. And there’s so much money. We know we’re not making a difference.”

“The drug war is a game. … It was a very fun game that we were playing.”

Irizarry’s story, which some former colleagues have attacked as a fictionalized attempt to reduce his sentence, came in days of contrite, bitter, sometimes tearful interviews with the AP in the historic quarter of his native San Juan. It was much the same account he gave the FBI in lengthy debriefings and sealed court papers obtained by the AP after he pleaded guilty in 2020 to 19 corruption counts, including money laundering and bank fraud.

But after years of portraying Irizarry as a rogue agent who acted alone, U.S. Justice Department investigators have in recent months begun closely following his confessional roadmap, questioning as many as two dozen current and former DEA agents and prosecutors accused by Irizarry of turning a blind eye to his flagrant abuses and sometimes joining in.

With little fanfare, the inquiry has focused on a jet-setting former partner of Irizarry and several other trusted DEA colleagues assigned to international money laundering. And at least three current and former federal prosecutors have faced questioning about Irizarry’s raucous parties, including one still in a senior role in Miami, another who appeared on TV’s “The Bachelorette” and a former Ohio prosecutor who was confirmed to serve as the U.S. attorney in Cleveland this year before abruptly backing out for unspecified family reasons.

The expanding investigation comes as the nation’s premier narcotics law enforcement agency has been rattled by repeated misconduct scandals in its 4,600-agent ranks, from one who took bribes from traffickers to another accused of leaking confidential information to law enforcement targets. But by far the biggest black eye is Irizarry, whose wholesale betrayal of the badge is at the heart of an ongoing external review of the DEA’s sprawling foreign operations in 69 countries.

The once-standout agent has accused some former colleagues in the DEA’s Miami-based Group 4 of lining their pockets and falsifying records to replenish a slush fund used for foreign jaunts over the better part of a decade, until his resignation in 2018. He accused a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent of accepting a $20,000 bribe. And recently, the FBI, Office of Inspector General and a federal prosecutor interviewed Irizarry in prison about other federal employees and allegations he raised about misconduct in maritime interdictions.

Jose Irizarry, a once-standout DEA agent sentenced to more than 12 years in federal prison for conspiring to launder money with a Colombian cartel, speaks during an interview the night before going to a federal detention center, in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Wednesday, Jan. 5, 2022. “You can’t win an unwinnable war. DEA knows this and the agents know this,” Irizarry says. “There’s so much dope leaving Colombia. And there’s so much money. We know we’re not making a difference.”

Carlos Giusti / AP

“It was too outlandish for them to believe this is actually happening,” Irizarry said of investigators. “The indictment paints a picture of me, the corrupt agent that did this entire scheme. But it doesn’t talk about the rest of DEA. I wasn’t the mastermind.”

The federal judge in Tampa who sentenced Irizarry last year seemed to agree, saying other agents corrupted by the “allure of easy money” need to be investigated. “This has to stop,” Judge Charlene Honeywell told prosecutors, adding Irizarry was “the one who got caught but it is apparent to this court that there are others.”

The Justice Department declined to comment. A DEA spokesperson said: “José Irizarry is a criminal who violated his oath as a federal law enforcement officer and violated the trust of the American people. Over the past 16 months, DEA has worked vigorously to further strengthen our discipline and hiring policies to ensure the integrity and effectiveness of our essential work.”

AP was able to corroborate some, but not all, of Irizarry’s accusations through thousands of confidential law enforcement records and dozens of interviews with those familiar with his claims and the ongoing investigation, including several who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss them.

The probe is focused in part on George Zoumberos, one of Irizarry’s former partners who traveled overseas extensively for money laundering investigations. Irizarry told AP that Zoumberos enjoyed unfettered access to so-called commission funds and improperly tapped that money for personal purchases and unwarranted trips, using names of people that didn’t exist in DEA reports justifying the excesses.

Zoumberos remained a DEA agent even after he was arrested and briefly detained on allegations of sexual assault during a trip to Madrid in 2018. He resigned only after being stripped of his gun, badge and security clearance for invoking his Fifth Amendment rights to stay silent in late 2019, when the same prosecutor who charged Irizarry summoned him to testify before a federal grand jury in Tampa.

Authorities are so focused on Zoumberos that they also subpoenaed his brother, a Florida wedding photographer who traveled and partied around the world with DEA agents, and even granted him immunity to induce his cooperation. But Michael Zoumberos also refused to testify and has been jailed outside Tampa since March for “civil contempt” — an exceedingly rare pressure tactic that underscores the rising temperature of the investigation.

“I didn’t do anything wrong, but I’m not going to talk about my brother,” Michael Zoumberos told AP in a jailhouse interview. “I’m basically being held as a political prisoner of the FBI. They want to coerce me into cooperating.”

Some current and former DEA agents say Irizarry’s claims are overblown or flat-out fabrications. The former ICE agent scoffed at Irizarry’s accusation he took a $20,000 bribe, saying he raised early red flags about Irizarry. And the lawyer for the Zoumberos brothers says prosecutors are on a “fishing expedition” to bring more indictments because of the embarrassment of the Irizarry scandal.

“Everybody they connect to José is extraneous to his thefts,” said attorney Raymond Mansolillo. “They’re looking to find a crime to fit this case as opposed to a crime that actually took place. But no matter what happens they’re going to charge somebody with something because they don’t want to come out of all of this after five years and have only charged José.”

Making Irizarry’s allegations more egregious is that they came on the heels of a 2015 Inspector General’s report that slammed DEA agents for participating in “sex parties” with prostitutes hired by Colombian cartels. That prompted the suspension of several agents and the retirement of Michele Leonhart, the DEA’s administrator at the time.

Central to the Irizarry investigation are overly cozy relationships developed between agents and informants — strictly forbidden under federal guidelines — and loose controls on the DEA’s undercover drug money laundering operations that few Americans know exist.

Every year, the DEA launders tens of millions of dollars on behalf of the world’s most-violent drug cartels through shell companies, a tactic touted in long-running overseas investigations such as Operation White Wash that resulted in more than 100 arrests and the seizure of more than $100 million and a ton of cocaine.

But the DEA has also faced criticism for allowing huge amounts of money in the operations to go unseized, enabling cartels to continue plying their trade, and for failing to tightly monitor and track the stings, making it difficult to evaluate results.

A 2020 Justice Department Inspector General’s report faulted the DEA for failing since at least 2006 to file annual reports to Congress about these stings, known as Attorney General Exempted Operations. That rebuke, coupled with the embarrassment brought on by Irizarry’s confession, prompted DEA Administrator Anne Milgram to order an outside review of the agency’s foreign operations, which is ongoing.

“In the vast majority of these operations, nobody is watching,” said Bonnie Klapper, a former federal prosecutor in New York and outspoken critic of DEA money laundering. “In the Irizarry operation, nobody cared how much money they were laundering. Nobody cared that they weren’t making any cases. Nobody was minding the house. There were no controls.”

Rob Feitel, another former federal prosecutor, said the DEA’s lax oversight made it easy to divert funds for all kinds of unapproved purposes. And as long as money seizures kept driving stats higher — a low bar given abundant supply — few questions were asked.

“The other agents aren’t stupid. They knew there were no controls and a lot of them could have done what Irizarry did,” said Feitel, who represents a former DEA agent under scrutiny in the inquiry. “The line that separates Irizarry from the others is he did it with both hands and he did it over and over and over. He didn’t just test the waters, he took a full bath in it.”

Irizarry, who speaks in a smooth patter that seamlessly switches between English and Spanish, was a federal air marshal and Border Patrol agent before joining the DEA in 2009. He said he learned the tricks of the trade as a DEA rookie from veteran cops who came up in New York City in the 1990s when cocaine flooded American streets.

But another key part of his education came from Diego Marín, a longtime U.S. informant known to investigators as Colombia’s “Contraband King” for allegedly laundering dope money through imported appliances and other goods. Irizarry said Marín taught him better than any agent ever could the nuances of the black-market peso exchange used by narcotraffickers across the world.

Irizarry parlayed that knowledge into a life of luxury that prosecutors say was bankrolled by $9 million he and his Colombian co-conspirators diverted from money laundering investigations.

To further the scheme, Irizarry filed false reports and ordered DEA staff to wire money slated for undercover stings to international accounts he and associates controlled. Hardened informants who kept a hefty commission from every cash transfer sanctioned by the DEA also stepped in to fund some of the revelry in what amounted to illegal kickbacks.

This photo provided by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration shows U.S. currency confiscated in “Operation White Wash” in 2016. The long-running overseas investigation resulted in more than 100 arrests and the seizure of more than $100 million and more than a ton of cocaine.

AP

Irizarry’s spending habits quickly began to mimic the ostentatious tastes of the narcos he was tasked with targeting, with spoils including a $30,000 Tiffany diamond ring for his wife, luxury sports cars and a $767,000 home in the Colombian resort city of Cartagena. He’d travel first class to Europe with Louis Vuitton luggage and wearing a gold Hublot watch.

“I was very good at what I did but I became somebody I wasn’t. … I became a different man,” Irizarry said. “I got caught up in the lifestyle. I got caught up with the informants and partying.”

Irizarry contends as many as 90% of his group’s work trips were “bogus,” dictated by partying and sporting events, not real work. And he says the U.S. government money that helped pay for it was justified in reports as “case-related — but that’s a very vague term.”

Case in point: an August 2014 trip to Madrid for the Spanish Supercup soccer finals that was charged as an expense to Operation White Wash.

But Irizarry told investigators there was little actual work to be done other than courtesy calls to a few friendly Spanish cops. Instead, he said, agents spent their time dining at pricey restaurants — racking up a 1,000-euro bill at one — and enjoying field-side seats for the championship match between Real and Atletico Madrid.

Joining the posse of agents at the game was Michael J. Garofola, a then-Miami federal prosecutor and erstwhile contestant on “The Bachelorette” who posted a thumbs-up photo on Instagram standing next to Irizarry and another agent — all clad in white Real Madrid jerseys.

“Soaking up the last bit of Spanish culture before saying adios,” he posted a few days later outside a pub.

Irizarry alleged that Garofola also joined agents, cartel informants and others in the Dominican capital of Santo Domingo in 2014 for a night at a strip club called Doll House. In a memo to the court seeking a reduction in his sentence, Irizarry recalled being in the VIP room with another agent and Garofola, racking up a $2,300 bill paid for by a violent emissary of Marín with a menacing nickname to match: Iguana.

Garofola said the trips included official business and he was told everything was being paid for out of DEA funds.

“There were things about those trips that made me question why I was there,” Garofola told AP. “But Irizarry totally used me to ratify this behavior. I was brand new and green and eager to work money laundering cases. He used me just by my being there.”

When Irizarry was awarded with a transfer to Cartagena in 2015, the party followed. The agent’s rooftop pool, with sweeping ocean views, became an obligatory stop for visiting agents and prosecutors from the U.S.

One that Irizarry recalls seeing there was Marisa Darden, a prosecutor from Cleveland who he says traveled to Colombia in September 2017 and was at a gathering where he witnessed two DEA agents taking ecstasy. Irizarry says he didn’t see Darden taking drugs.

Federal authorities have taken a keen interest in that party, quizzing Irizarry about it as recently as this summer. At least one DEA agent who attended has been placed on administrative leave.

Darden went on to become a partner in a high-powered Cleveland law firm and last year was nominated by President Joe Biden to be the first Black woman U.S. attorney in northern Ohio. But soon after she was confirmed, Darden abruptly withdrew in May, citing only “the importance of prioritizing family.”

Darden refused to answer questions from AP but her attorney said in a statement that she “cooperated fully” with the federal investigation into “alleged illegal activity by federal agents,” an inquiry separate from the FBI background check she faced in the confirmation process.

“There is no evidence that she participated in any illegal activity,” Darden’s attorney, James Wooley, wrote in an email to AP.

A White House official said the allegations did not come up in the vetting process. And U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, an Ohio Democrat who put Darden’s name up for the post, was also unaware of the allegations in the nomination process, his office said, and had he known “would have withdrawn his support.”

Another federal prosecutor named by Irizarry and questioned by federal agents was Monique Botero, who was recently promoted to head the narcotics division at the U.S. attorney’s office in Miami. Irizarry told investigators and the AP that Botero joined a group of agents, informants, Colombian police and prostitutes for a party on a luxury yacht.

Botero’s lawyers acknowledge she was on the yacht in September 2015 for what she thought was a cruise organized by local police, but they say “categorically and unequivocally, Monique never saw or participated in anything illegal or unethical.”

“Irizarry has admitted that he lied to everyone around him for various nefarious reasons. These lies about Monique are part of a similar pattern,” said her attorney, Benjamin Greenberg. “It is appalling that Monique is being maligned and defamed by someone as disgraced as Irizarry.”

Irizarry’s downfall was as sudden as it was inevitable — the outgrowth of a lavish lifestyle that raised too many eyebrows, even among colleagues willing to bend the rules themselves. Eventually, he was betrayed by one of his closest confidants, a Venezuelan-American informant who confessed to diverting funds from the undercover stings.

“José’s problem is that he took things to the point of stupidity and trashed the party for everyone else,” said one defense attorney who traveled with Irizarry and other agents. “But there’s no doubt he didn’t act alone.”

Since his arrest, Irizarry has written a self-published book titled “Getting Back on Track,” part of his attempt to own up to his mistakes and pursue a simpler path after bringing so much shame upon himself and his family.

Recently, his Colombian-born wife — who was spared jail time on a money laundering charge in exchange for Irizarry’s confession — told him she was seeking a divorce.

Adding to Irizarry’s despair is that he is still the only one to pay such a heavy price for a pattern of misconduct that he says the DEA allowed to fester. To date, prosecutors have yet to charge any other agents, and several former colleagues have quietly retired rather than endure the disgrace of possibly being fired.

“I’ve told them everything I know,” Irizarry said. “All they have to do is dig.”

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November 14, 2022
Police: Armed suspect shot after man, woman found slain

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TOLEDO, Ohio — Police in Ohio shot and killed an armed suspect after finding a man and woman shot to death in a Toledo home, authorities said.

Lucas County dispatchers were notified shortly before 11:30 p.m. Thursday about a shooting, police said. Toledo officers found a 36-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman with gunshot wounds. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.

Detectives later found an armed suspect in a vehicle belonging to one of the victims at Weiler Homes about five miles away in east Toledo. Police said that despite de-escalation efforts, the man emerged holding the weapon, and officers eventually shot him. He was pronounced dead at a hospital shortly after 5 a.m. Friday.

The Toledo Blade reports that the county coroner’s office on Friday identified the man and woman killed as Brent Roscoe and Malinda Moore. The name of the man shot and killed by police wasn’t immediately released. The officers involved have been placed on administrative leave as is standard practice.

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November 12, 2022
CMA Awards 2022: See the full list of winners | CNN

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CNN
—

Country music threw a party on Wednesday night as the CMA Awards were presented.

First-time nominee Lainey Wilson topped the list of nominees going into the show and ended the night with major wins, including new artist of the year and female vocalist of the year.

The emotional Wilson declared in one acceptance speech: “I know I’m new to a lot of folks, but I won’t let y’all all down. I promise you.”

Luke Combs also had a big night, taking the stage both as a performer and winner. Combs won the coveted entertainer of the year award and album of the year.

The night kicked off with a moving tribute to the late Loretta Lynn, with Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire and Carrie Underwood taking the stage together. Jerry Lee Lewis, who died last month at age 87, was also honored in a performance by Elle King and The Black Keys.

Other performers included Kelly Clarkson, who performed with Kelsea Ballerini and Carly Pearce, and Luke Bryan, who pulled double duty as host alongside Peyton Manning.

Dierks Bentley and Wilson were also among a gaggle of artists who took the stage to honor Alan Jackson, the recipient of the Willie Nelson Lifetime Achievement Award.

Below is a list of winners:

Luke Combs *WINNER

Miranda Lambert

Chris Stapleton

Carrie Underwood

Morgan Wallen

“Buy Dirt” – Jordan Davis featuring Luke Bryan

“half of my hometown” – Kelsea Ballerini featuring Kenny Chesney

“Never Wanted To Be That Girl” – Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde

“‘Til You Can’t” – Cody Johnson *WINNER

“You Should Probably Leave” – Chris Stapleton

“Growin’ Up” – Luke Combs *WINNER

“Humble Quest” – Maren Morris

“Palomino” – Miranda Lambert

“Sayin’ What I’m Thinkin’” – Lainey Wilson

“Time, Tequila & Therapy” – Old Dominion

“Buy Dirt” – Jordan Davis featuring Luke Bryan *WINNER

“Never Wanted To Be That Girl” – Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde

“Sand In My Boots” – Morgan Wallen

“Things A Man Oughta Know” – Lainey Wilson

“You Should Probably Leave” – Chris Stapleton

Miranda Lambert

Ashley McBryde

Carly Pearce

Carrie Underwood

Lainey Wilson *WINNER

Eric Church

Luke Combs

Cody Johnson

Chris Stapleton *WINNER

Morgan Wallen

Lady A

Little Big Town

Midland

Old Dominion *WINNER

Zac Brown Band

Brooks & Dunn

Brothers Osborne *WINNER

Dan + Shay

LOCASH

Maddie & Tae

“Beers On Me” – Dierks Bentley with BRELAND & HARDY

“If I Didn’t Love You” – Jason Aldean & Carrie Underwood

“Longneck Way To Go” – Midland featuring Jon Pardi

“Never Say Never” – Cole Swindell with Lainey Wilson

“Never Wanted To Be That Girl” – Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde *WINNER

Jenee Fleenor, Fiddle *WINNER

Paul Franklin, Steel guitar

Brent Mason, Guitar

Ilya Toshinskiy, Banjo

Derek Wells, Guitar

“I Bet You Think About Me” (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault) – Taylor Swift featuring Chris Stapleton

“Longneck Way To Go” – Midland featuring Jon Pardi

“Never Say Never” – Cole Swindell with Lainey Wilson

“Never Wanted To Be That Girl” – Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde

“‘Til You Can’t” – Cody Johnson *WINNER

HARDY

Walker Hayes

Cody Johnson

Parker McCollum

Lainey Wilson *WINNER

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November 9, 2022
Opinion: A really bad night for some high-profile Trump-backed candidates | CNN

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CNN
—

CNN Opinion contributors share their thoughts on the outcome of the 2022 midterm elections. The views expressed in this commentary are their own.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sent a clear message to every Republican voter Tuesday night: My way is the path to a national majority, and former President Donald Trump’s way is the path to future disappointments and continued suffering.

Four years ago, DeSantis won his first gubernatorial race by less than a percentage point. His nearly 20-point win against Democratic candidate Charlie Crist on Tuesday sent the message that DeSantis, not Trump, can win over the independent voters who decide elections.

DeSantis’ decisive victory offers a future where the Republican Party might actually win the popular vote in a presidential contest – something that hasn’t been done since George W. Bush in 2004.

Meanwhile, many of the candidates Trump endorsed in 2022 struggled, and it was clear from CNN exit polls that the former President – with his 37% favorability rating – would be a serious underdog in the 2024 general election should he win the Republican presidential nomination for a third time.

My friend Patrick Ruffini of Echelon Insights tweeted a key observation: DeSantis commanded huge support among Latinos in 2022 compared to Trump in 2020.

In 2020, Biden won the heavily Latino Miami-Dade County by seven points. DeSantis flipped the county on Tuesday and ran away with an 11-point win.

In 2020, Biden won Osceola County by nearly 14 points. This time, DeSantis secured the county by nearly seven points, marking a whopping 21-point swing.

DeSantis combined his strength among Latinos with his support among working class Whites, suburban white-collar voters and rural Floridians. That’s a coalition that could win nationally, unlike Trump’s limited appeal among several traditional Republican voting segments.

Last year, it was Republican gubernatorial candidate Glenn Youngkin of Virginia who scored an earthquake in a Biden state by keeping Trump at arm’s length and focusing on the issues. Tonight, it was DeSantis who ran as his own man (Trump rallied for Marco Rubio but not DeSantis at the end of the campaign) and showed what you can do when you combine the political instincts required to be a successful Republican these days with actual governing competence.

DeSantis made a convincing case that he, rather than Trump, gives Republicans the best chance to defeat Biden (or some other Democrat) in 2024. With Trump plotting a reelection campaign announcement soon, DeSantis has a lot to think about and a solid springboard from which to launch a challenge to the former President.

Scott Jennings, a CNN contributor and Republican campaign adviser, is a former special assistant to President George W. Bush and a former campaign adviser to Sen. Mitch McConnell. He is a partner at RunSwitch Public Relations in Louisville, Kentucky. Follow him on Twitter @ScottJenningsKY.

Let it go. If election night confirmed anything for me it is this: We can all – voters, doomscrollers, pundits and election deniers included – stop believing every election revolves around former President Donald Trump. Instead, when asked in exit polls across the country, younger people, women and other voters in key demographics said their top concerns were inflation, abortion rights, crime and other quality of life issues.

What a relief. It finally feels like a majority of voters want to re-center American politics away from the toxic, conspiracy theory-driven rhetoric we’ve experienced over the past several years.

Yes, Republicans are still projected to take control of the House of Representatives, with a narrow (and narrowing) majority – but will that make much difference? Despite the advantage Democrats had in the chamber the past two years, President Joe Biden has still had to battle and compromise to get parts of his agenda passed. How the balance of power will settle in the Senate is unclear, with a few races in key states still undecided as of this afternoon. It will likely hinge, again, on Georgia, and a forthcoming runoff election between the incumbent, Democrat Raphael Warnock, and his GOP challenger, former football star Herschel Walker.

No matter what party you claim, there were positive signs coming out of the midterms. My hometown, Philadelphia, and its surrounding suburbs, came up big in another election – rejecting the Trump-backed New Jersey transplant, Dr. Mehmet Oz, and helping to send Democratic candidate John Fetterman to the US Senate. Pennsylvania voters also rejected an election denier, Doug Mastriano, in the race for state governor, and made history by electing Democrat Summer Lee as the state’s first Black woman to serve in Congress.

Maryland voters, meanwhile, elected Democrat Wes Moore as their state’s first Black governor. And in New England, Maura Healey became Massachusetts’ first female governor. She’s also the first out lesbian to win a state governorship anywhere in the US.

Democracy, freedom and equality also won out on ballot issues.

In unfinished business, voters tackled slavery, permanently abolishing “involuntary servitude” in four states – Vermont, Oregon, Alabama and Tennessee. (Louisiana held on to the slavery clause under its constitution, however.)

Despite efforts to limit voting rights across the nation, voters in Alabama approved a measure requiring that any change to state election law goes into effect at least six months before a general election. And, in Kentucky, voters narrowly beat back an amendment that would have removed constitutional protections for abortion rights – one of several instances in which voters refused to accept restrictive reproductive rights measures.

Still, the highlight of my midterms night was watching 25-year-old Maxwell Frost win a US congressional race in Florida – holding a Democratic seat in a state whose 2022 results skewed red, no less. More and more, we are seeing young people energized, voting and stepping up with fresh ideas to lead this democracy. I’m here for it.

Roxanne Jones, a founding editor of ESPN The Magazine and former vice president at ESPN, has been a producer, reporter and editor at the New York Daily News and The Philadelphia Inquirer. Jones is co-author of “Say it Loud: An Illustrated History of the Black Athlete.” She talks politics, sports and culture weekly on Philadelphia’s 900AM WURD.

Voters made Tuesday a bad night for former President Donald Trump. Despite his efforts, many of his favorites not only lost but denied the GOP the usual out-party wave of wins that come in midterm elections. This leaves a diminished Trump with the challenge of deciding what to do next.

In the short term, the man who so often returns to his well-worn playbook resumed his years-long effort to ruin Americans’ confidence in any election his team loses. “Protest, protest, protest,” he told his followers, even before all the polls closed. In a sign of his declining power, no mass protests ensued.

Nevertheless, false claims of election fraud will likely be a major theme if he follows through on his loudly voiced hints that he plans to run for the White House again in 2024.

To run or not to run is now the main question. It’s not an easy choice. Trump could end up like other one-term presidents he has mocked, George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter, who retreated from politics and devoted themselves to new interests. However, he has other options. He could revive his television career – Fox News? – or return to his businesses. Or, he could develop a new role as leader of an organization that can exploit his prodigious fundraising ability, and give him a platform for grabbing attention, while leaving him plenty of time for golf.

Running could forestall the various legal problems he faces, but he has lawyers who might accomplish the same goal. Fox News is unlikely to pay enough, and his businesses are now being watched by a court-appointed overseer. This leaves him with a combination of easy work – fundraising and pontificating – combined with his favorite pastimes: fame, money and fun. What’s not to like?

Michael D’Antonio is the author of the book “Never Enough: Donald Trump and the Pursuit of Success” and co-author, with Peter Eisner, of the book “High Crimes: The Corruption, Impunity, and Impeachment of Donald Trump.”

Democrat Kathy Hochul won the New York State gubernatorial race, and thank goodness. Her opponent, Lee Zeldin, is not your typical moderate Republican who usually stands a chance in a blue state. Instead, he’s an abortion opponent who wanted voters to simply trust he wouldn’t mess with New York’s abortion laws.

Zeldin was endorsed by the National Rifle Association when he was in Congress. He is a Trump acolyte who voted against certifying the 2020 election in Congress, after texting with former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and reportedly planning to contest the outcome of the 2020 election before the results were even in.

New Yorkers sent a definitive message: Our values matter, even in moments of profound uncertainty.

Plus, Hochul made history as the first woman elected to the governor’s office in New York.

This race was, in its final days, predicted to be closer than it actually was. Part of that was simply the usual electoral math: The minority party typically has an advantage in the midterms, and Republicans are a minority in Washington, DC, with a Democrat in the White House and a Democratic majority in Congress. And polling in New York state didn’t look as good for Hochul as it should have in a solidly blue state: Voters who talked to pollsters emphasized crime fears and the economy; abortion rights were galvanizing, but didn’t seem as definitive in an election for a governor vastly unlikely to have an abortion criminalization bill delivered to her desk.

The polls were imperfect. It turns out that New Yorkers are, in fact, New Yorkers: Not cowed by overblown claims of crime (while I think crime is indeed a problem Democrats should address, New York City remains one of the safest places in the country); determined to defend the racial, ethnic and sexual diversity that makes our state great; and committed to standing up against the tyranny of an anti-democratic party that would force women into pregnancy and childbirth.

However, Democrats shouldn’t take this win for granted. The issues voters raised – inflation, crime – are real concerns. And the reasons many voters turned out – abortion rights, democratic norms – remain under threat.

Hochul’s job now is to address voter concerns, while standing up for New York values: Openness, decency, freedom for all. Because that’s what New Yorkers did today: The majority of us didn’t cast our ballots from a place of fear and reaction, but from the last dregs of hope and optimism. We voted for what we want. And we now want our governor to deliver.

Jill Filipovic is a journalist based in New York and author of the book “OK Boomer, Let’s Talk: How My Generation Got Left Behind.” Follow her on Twitter.

North Carolina’s Senate race received less attention than contests in some other states – possibly a result of the campaign having lesser-known candidates than states like Georgia, Pennsylvania and Ohio.

In the waning weeks of the race, multiple polls had the candidates – Democratic former state Supreme Court chief justice Cheri Beasley and Republican US House Rep. Ted Budd – separated by a percentage point or less.

Perhaps more than in any other Senate campaign, the issue of crime loomed large in North Carolina, with Budd claiming in his speeches that it had become much more dangerous to walk the streets in the state. That talking point, along with his focus on inflation, appeared to help propel him to victory in Tuesday’s vote.

Beasley, by contrast, focused much of her attention on abortion, making it a central plank of her campaign that she would stand up not just for women’s reproductive rights, but workplace protections and equal pay.

The two candidates were vying for the seat being vacated by retiring Republican Sen. Richard Burr. Despite being seen as a red state – albeit that is less solidly Republican than neighboring southern states – North Carolina has elected Democrats as five of the last six governors and two of the last six senators.

Former President Barack Obama won the state in 2008 but lost it in 2012 by one of the closest margins in the nation. And while Donald Trump won the state in 2016 and 2020, he never received 50% of the vote.

Douglas Heye is the ex-deputy chief of staff to former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, a GOP strategist and a CNN political commentator. Follow him on Twitter @dougheye.

Many of us suspected that Democratic Florida Congresswoman and former House impeachment manager Val Demings would have an uphill battle unseating incumbent Sen. Marco Rubio, and weren’t entirely surprised when she lost the race. With 98% of the vote counted, Rubio won easily, garnering 57.8% of the vote to Demings’ 41.1%.

As it turns out, Tuesday was a tough night all around for Black women running statewide. Beyond Demings’ loss, Judge Cheri Beasley narrowly lost her Senate bid in North Carolina.

And in the big heartbreak of the night, Stacey Abrams lost the Georgia governor’s race to Gov. Brian Kemp – a repeat of her defeat to him four years ago, when the two tangled for what at the time was an open seat.

Abrams shook up the 2018 race by expanding the electoral map, enlisting more women and people of color who turned out in record numbers – but she fell short of punching her ticket to Georgia’s governor’s mansion. And on Tuesday she lost to Kemp by a much wider margin than in 2018.

Had Abrams succeeded, she would have been the first Black woman to become the governor of a US state. After her second straight electoral loss, America is still waiting for that breakthrough.

Meanwhile, an ever bigger winner of the night was Florida’s Gov. Ron DeSantis, who handily defeated Democrat Charlie Crist.

DeSantis’ big night solidifies what some feel is a compelling claim to front-runner status for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, on what turned out to be a strong election night for Republicans in the state.

It’s hard for a Democrat to win statewide in the deep South. And as Demings, Beasley and Abrams have shown, it’s particularly tough for a Black woman to win statewide in the region: In fact, it’s never been done.

All three women were well-qualified and well-funded stars in their party. But, when we look at the final vote tallies, it tells a familiar story. Take Demings, for example, a former law enforcement officer – she was Orlando’s police chief – and yet, she did not get the big law enforcement endorsements. Rubio did, although he never wore the blue.

That was a big red flag for me, and it showed how much gender and race still play in the minds of male voters and power brokers of my generation and older. For Black women, a double burden of both race and gender at play. It is the nagging story of our lives.

As for Abrams, I think Kemp was helped by backing away from Trump and modulating his campaign message to appeal to suburban women and independents.

Abrams, meanwhile, just didn’t have the same support and enthusiasm this time around for her candidacy. And that is unfortunate, but for her to lose by such a big margin says much more.

At the end of the day however, these three women have nothing to regret. They ran great campaigns, and they created great future platforms for themselves. And they each put one more crack in the glass ceiling facing candidates for the US Senate and governors’ mansions.

Sophia A. Nelson is a journalist and author of the new book “Be the One You Need: 21 Life Lessons I Learned Taking Care of Everyone but Me.”

Reflections on the morning after Election Day can be a little fuzzy: Chalk it up to a late night, incomplete data and a still-forming narrative. Still, as a longtime Pennsylvania election-watcher, I see three clear takeaways:

1) Pennsylvanians don’t take to extreme anti-establishment candidates. The GOP candidate for governor, Doug Mastriano, broke the mold of just about any statewide candidate in the last few decades.

The state that delivered wins to center-right and center-left candidates like my father Gov, Dick Thornburgh, Sen. Bob Casey and Gov, Tom Ridge gave establishment Democrat Josh Shapiro a wipeout double-digit victory.

2) “You’re not from here and I am” and “Stick it to the man” proved to be sufficiently powerful messages for alt-Democrat John Fetterman to win his Senate race, albeit by a much smaller margin.

Amplified by more than $300 million in campaign spending (making PA’s the most expensive Senate race in the country), those two simple themes spoke to the quirky, stubborn authenticity that is a longstanding strand of Pennsylvania’s political DNA.

3) In the home of Independence Hall, independent voters made a significant difference. Pretty much every poll since the beginning of both marquee races showed the two party candidates with locked in lopsided mirror-image margins among members of their own party.

Over 90% of Democrats said they’d vote for Shapiro or Fetterman and close to 90% of Republicans said the same of Mastriano or Oz. The 20 to 30% of PA voters who consider themselves independent voters may have been more decisive than most tea-leaves readers gave them credit for.

Most polls showed Shapiro and Fetterman with whopping leads among independent voters. They may not have been the same independent voters: Shapiro’s indy supporters could be former GOP voters disaffected by Trump, and Fetterman’s indy squad could be young voters mobilized by the abortion rights issue (about half of young voters are independents nationally).

The growing significance of this independent vote in close elections may increase pressure on both parties to repeal closed primaries so that indy voters can vote in those elections. Both parties will want to have more time and opportunity to court them in the future.

With Florida ripening to a deeper and deeper Red, Pennsylvania may loom larger and larger as the most contested, consequential swing state in the country: well-worth watching as we move inexorably to 2024.

David Thornburgh is a longtime Pennsylvania civic leader. The former CEO of the Committee of Seventy, he now chairs the group’s Ballot PA initiative to repeal closed primaries. He is the second son of former GOP Governor and US Attorney General Dick Thornburgh.

The line of students registering to vote on Election Day stretched across the University of Michigan campus, with students waiting for over four hours. There was a palpable sense of excitement and urgency around the election on campus. For many young people, especially young women, there was one motivating issue that drove their participation: abortion rights.

One of the most important and contentious issues on the ballot in Michigan was Proposal 3 (commonly known as Prop 3), which codifies the right to abortion and other reproductive freedoms, such as birth control, into the Michigan state constitution. Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, many Michiganders have feared the return of a 1931 law that bans abortion, even in cases of rape and incest, and contains felony criminal penalties for abortion providers.

Though the courts have prevented that old law from taking effect, voters were eager to enshrine reproductive rights in the state constitution, and overwhelmingly voted in favor of Prop 3 with over 55% of voters approving the proposal. This is a major feat given the coordinated campaign against the proposal. Both pro-life groups and the Catholic Church strongly opposed it, and many ads claimed it was “too confusing and too extreme.”

The issue of abortion was a major focal point of the gubernatorial campaign between Gov, Gretchen Whitmer and her Republican challenger, Tudor Dixon. Pro-Whitmer groups consistently highlighted Dixon’s support of a near-total abortion ban and her past comments that having a rapist’s baby could help a victim heal. Whitmer’s resounding win in the purple state of Michigan is certainly due, in part, to backlash against Dixon’s extreme positions on the issue.

After the overturning of Roe vs. Wade, so many young voters felt helpless and despondent about the future of abortion rights. However, instead of throwing in the towel, Michigan voters showed up and displayed their support for Whitmer and Prop 3, showing that Michiganders support bodily autonomy and the right to choose.

Isabelle Schindler is a senior at the University of Michigan’s Ford School of Public Policy. She is a field director for College Democrats on her campus and has worked as a UMICH Votes Fellow to promote voting.

From the beginning, the US Senate race in Ohio wasn’t expected to be close. In the end, it wasn’t – with author and political newcomer J.D. Vance defeating Rep. Tim Ryan by over six percentage points.

Republicans also swept every statewide office in Ohio, including the elections for justices on the Ohio Supreme Court who, for the first time, had their political party listed next to their names on the ballot. This will give the Republicans a dependable majority on state’s highest court, which is significant since there is an ongoing unresolved legal battle over the drawing of state and federal legislative districts.

It is now safe to say that Ohio, for so long the quintessential swing state, is a Republican state. What happened is simple to explain: White, working-class voters have become a solid part of the Republican coalition in the Buckeye State. In 2016, then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump convinced these voters that the Democratic Party had abandoned them to progressive and internationalist interests with values they did not share. This shift was symbolized by the movement of voters in the former manufacturing hub of Northeast Ohio, once the most Democratic part of the state, to the GOP.

The question going into 2022 was whether the Republicans could keep these voters if Trump was not on the ballot. The Democrats recruited Rep. Tim Ryan to run for the Senate because he was from Northeast Ohio, having grown up just north of Youngstown. They hoped that he could win those working-class voters back, and Ryan designed his campaign around working-class economic interests, distancing himself from Washington, DC, Democrats and even opposing President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness program. Once the votes were counted, however, Ryan performed only slightly better than Biden had in Northeast Ohio. In fact, he even lost Trumbull County, the place where he grew up and whose voters he represented in Washington for two decades.

Ohio Democrats will face another test in two years, when the Democratic Senate seat held by Sherrod Brown will be on the ballot. Brown won in 2018, but given last night’s result, the Republicans will have no problem recruiting a quality candidate to run for a seat that, right now, at least leans Republican.

Paul Sracic is a professor of politics and international relations at Youngstown State University and the coauthor of “Ohio Politics and Government” (Congressional Quarterly Press, 2015). Follow him on Twitter at @pasracic.

Pennsylvanians clearly rejected the worst of right-wing extremism on Nov. 8, sending a strong message to former President Donald Trump that his endorsement doesn’t guarantee victory in the Keystone State.

Trump proved to be a two-time loser in the commonwealth this election cycle, despite stirring up his base with screaming rallies for Republican candidates Dr. Mehmet Oz, Doug Mastriano and Rep. Scott Perry.

And a lot of people are breathing a long, hard sign of relief.

Mastriano, who CNN projects will lose the race for the state’s governor to Democrat Josh Shapiro, scared many Pennsylvanians with his brash, take-no-prisoners Trump swagger. He inflamed racial tensions, embraced Christian nationalism, and once said women who violated his proposed abortion ban should be charged with murder. On top of all that, he’s an unapologetic election denier.

Dr. Oz, meanwhile, couldn’t shake his carpetbagger baggage, and Oprah’s rejection – on November 4, she endorsed his rival and now-victorious candidate in the Senate race, John Fetterman – seems to have carried more weight than Trump’s rallies, at least in the feedback I’ve received from readers and community members.

All of this should compel some serious soul-searching among Republican leadership in Pennsylvania. What could have they been thinking to place all their marbles on someone so outside of the mainstream as Mastriano? Did they think Pennsylvanians wouldn’t check Oz’s address? Will they rethink their hardline stance on abortion?

In a widely-watched House race, Harrisburg City Councilwoman Shamaine Daniels made a valiant Democratic effort to unseat GOP Rep. Scott Perry, after the party’s preferred candidate pulled out of the race. But her lack of name recognition and inexperience on the state or national stage impacted her ability to establish a base of her own. So the five-term incumbent, who played a role in efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, will return to Washington – though perhaps with a clipped wing.

Many Pennsylvanians may be staunch conservatives, but we proved we’re not extremists – and we won’t embrace Trump or his candidates if they threaten the very foundations of democracy.

Joyce M. Davis is outreach and opinion editor for PennLive and The Patriot-News. She is a veteran journalist and author who has lived and worked around the globe, including for National Public Radio, Knight Ridder Newspapers in Washington, DC, and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty in Prague.

In the last two years, President Joe Biden, Sen. Jon Ossoff and Sen. Raphael Warnock, all Democrats, won in the Peach State. There has been a raging debate in Georgia political circles since then as to whether these races signal a long-term left turn toward the Democratic Party, caused by shifting demographics, or whether they were merely a negative reaction to former President Donald Trump. Tuesday’s results point strongly to the latter.

Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who had rebuffed Trump’s demand to overturn the 2020 presidential result, cruised to a convincing reelection on Tuesday with a pro-growth message by defeating the Democrats’ rising star Stacey Abrams by some 300,000 votes. His coattails also propelled other Republican state candidates to victory – including the Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger who had also defied the former President – and helped to keep the Georgia General Assembly firmly in GOP hands.

However, before sliding Georgia from a purple political state back into the solid red state column, we still have one more contest to look forward to: a runoff for the US Senate, echoing what happened in Georgia’s last set of Senate races.

Georgia requires candidates to win over 50% of the vote and the presence of a Libertarian on the ticket has thrown the heated race between Warnock, the incumbent senator and senior pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, and Georgia football great Herschel Walker into an overtime runoff campaign to be decided on December 6.

Both Walker and Warnock survived November 8 to fight another day despite different strong headwinds facing each of them. For Warnock, it has been Biden’s low favorability rating – hovering around 40% nationwide, and only 38% in Georgia, according to Marist. For Walker, it has been the steady drumbeat of personal allegations rolled out over the past few months, some admitted to and others staunchly denied.

Warnock has faced his challenge by emphasizing his willingness to work across the aisle on some issues and occasionally disagreeing with the President on others. Walker, who is backed by Trump, has pulled from the deep well of admiration many Georgians feel for the former college football star.

Both of these strategies were strong enough to get them into a runoff, but which strategy will work in that arena? The answer could be crucial to determining which party controls the US Senate, depending on the result of other races that have yet to be called. Stay tuned while Georgians enjoy having the two candidates for Thanksgiving dinner and into the holiday season.

Edward Lindsey is a former Republican member of the Georgia House of Representatives and its majority whip. He is a lawyer in Atlanta focusing on public policy and political law.

In his bid to win a seat in the US Senate, Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan tried to appeal to working class voters who felt abandoned by establishment Democrats. Those blue collar voters – many of them formerly members of his party – overwhelmingly supported Trump in 2016 and again in 2020.

Unfortunately for Ryan, his strategy failed. He lost to J.D. Vance by a decisive margin, according to election projections.

It was, perhaps, a predictable ending for a candidate who threw away the traditional approach of rallying your base and instead courted the almost non-existent, moderate Trump voter. And it’s a shame. Had Ryan won, Ohio would have had two Democratic senators. The last time that happened was almost 30 years ago, when Howard Metzenbaum and John Glenn represented our state.

But in wooing Republicans and right-leaning moderates, Ryan abandoned many of Ohio’s left-leaning Democrats who brought him to the dance.

That approach was perhaps most evident in his ads. In a campaign spot in which he is shown tossing a football at various computer screens showing messages he disapproves of, he hurls the ball at one emblazoned with the words “Defund the Police” and dismisses what he disdainfully calls “the culture wars.”

Another ad showed Ryan, gun in hand, hitting his mark at target practice, as the words “Not too bad for a Democrat” appear on the screen. To imply you’re pro-gun rights when majority of Americans support gun control legislation – and when your party explicitly embraces a pro-gun control stance is bewildering. Ryan’s ads on the economy began to parrot the anti-China rhetoric taken up by Republicans. And when President Joe Biden announced his student debt plan in an effort to invigorate the Democratic bringing economic relief to millions of millennial voters, Ryan opposed the move.

As a Black woman living in a metropolitan area, I would have liked to see him reach out to communities of color, perhaps by making an appearance with African American members of Ohio’s congressional delegation Rep. Joyce Beatty or Rep. Shontel Brown. But I would have settled for one ad addressing the economic or social concerns of people who don’t live in the Rust Belt.

Ryan might have won if he’d gotten the kind of robust backing from his own party that Vance got from his – and if he’d courted his Democratic base.

Brianna N. Mack is an assistant professor of politics and government at Ohio Wesleyan University whose coursework is centered on American political behavior. Her research interests are the political behavior of racial and ethnic minorities. She tweets at @Mack_Musings.

Wisconsin remains as split as ever with Democratic Gov. Tony Evers surviving a challenge from businessman Tim Michels and Republican Sen. Ron Johnson barely holding off a challenge from Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes.

In late February, Johnson, who Democrats hoped might be a beatable incumbent, was viewed favorably by only 33% of Wisconsin’s voters, according to the Marquette University Law School poll. He was viewed unfavorably by 45% of the electorate with 21% saying they didn’t know what to think of him or hadn’t heard enough about him. He finished the election cycle still seen unfavorably by 46% with 43% of the voters holding a favorable view of him.

However, Democrats decided to run possibly the worst candidate if they wanted to win against Johnson. At one point in August, the relatively unknown Barnes actually led Johnson by 7%. But familiarity with Barnes didn’t help him. Crime was the third most concerning issue for Wisconsin voters this election cycle, according to the Marquette University Law School poll, and Johnson’s campaign successfully attacked Barnes for statements in support of decreasing or redirecting police funding and for reducing the prison population. In the end, Johnson came out victorious.

So, with Republicans winning in the Senate, what saved Evers in the gubernatorial race? Perhaps it was women voters.

The overturning of Roe v. Wade meant Wisconsin’s abortion ban from 1849 went back into effect. Michels supported the no-exceptions law but then flip-flopped and said he could support exceptions for rape and incest. Johnson, for his part, successfully deflected the issue by saying he wanted Wisconsin’s abortion law to go to referendum.

Another issue that may have soured women voters on Michels was the allegation of a culture of sexual harassment within his company. Evers’ campaign unsurprisingly jumped at the opportunity to argue that “the culture comes from the top.” (In response to the allegations against his company, Michel said: “These unproven allegations do not reflect the training and culture at Michels Corporation. Harassment in the workplace should not be condoned, nor tolerated, nor was it under Michels Corporation leadership.”) Michels’ divisive primary fight against former Lt. Gov. Rebecca Kleefisch also didn’t help his appeal to women voters, especially in Kleefisch’s home county of Waukesha, formerly a key to a Republican victory in Wisconsin.

If Republicans are going to win in 2024, they need to figure out how to attract the support of suburban women.

James Wigderson is the former editor of RightWisconsin.com, a conservative-leaning news website, and the author of a twice-weekly newsletter, “Life, Under Construction.”

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November 9, 2022
Eastern Michigan holds off Akron 34-28 for 6th win

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AKRON, Ohio — Austin Smith and Samson Evans each accounted for a pair of touchdowns and Eastern Michigan became bowl eligible with a 34-28 victory over Akron on Tuesday night.

Eastern Michigan (6-4, 3-3 Mid-American Conference) secured its fifth bowl appearance in six seasons and the program’s seventh overall.

Smith threw a touchdown pass in each half. Evans had a 9-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and broke loose for a 23-yard score early in the third to give the Eagles a 31-14 lead. Smith was 16-of-28 passing for 190 yards and Evans had 133 yards rushing on 24 carries. Dylan Drummond had five receptions for 90 yards, including a 40-yard touchdown catch.

Jesus Gomez’s 43-yard field goal for the Eagles capped the scoring.

Cam Wiley got Akron close, running for 11- and 56-yard touchdowns early in the fourth quarter to pull to 31-28. Wiley finished with 18 carries for 144 yards. He also had a 1-yard score in the second quarter.

DJ Irons and Jeff Undercuffler were a combined 18-of-34 passing for 223 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions for the Zips (1-9, 0-6).

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November 8, 2022
Woman testifies that husband wanted 8 family members killed

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WAVERLY, Ohio — A woman who helped plan the 2016 slayings of eight members of another family, a crime that shook rural southern Ohio and stymied investigators for over two years, says the massacre was her husband’s idea.

Angela Wagner made the claim while testifying Tuesday at the murder trial of her 31-year-old son, George Wagner IV, who could face the death penalty if he is convicted. She was expected to return to the stand Wednesday.

The slayings stemmed from a child custody dispute involving another of Angela Wagner’s sons and one of the victims, authorities have said.

Angela Wagner said that her younger son, Jake, had wanted to kill his child’s mother, but that her husband, George “Billy” Wagner III, objected because he believed the woman’s family would seek revenge.

“They’ll know, and then they come for Jake. They’d shoot him, if not all of us,” Angela Wagner said her husband told told her. He also said the rest of the woman’s family “had to be murdered,” she testified.

Angela Wagner pleaded guilty in September 2021 to 14 counts and agreed to testify against her older son and her husband. In return, prosecutors dismissed eight counts of aggravated murder and agreed to not seek the death penalty.

Jake Wagner pleaded guilty in April 2021 to shooting five of the victims, saying he had no choice but to kill the mother of his daughter, a toddler at the time.

George Wagner IV — who is accused of helping to plan the killings — is the first person to go on trial for the killings. His father has pleaded not guilty and likely won’t go on trial until next year. Mark Collins, an attorney representing George “Billy” Wagner III, declined comment Wednesday citing the judge’s gag order in the case.

The four members of the Wagner family were not arrested until more than two years after the slayings.

Those killed were 40-year-old Christopher Rhoden Sr.; his ex-wife, 37-year-old Dana Rhoden; their three children, 20-year-old Clarence “Frankie” Rhoden, 16-year-old Christopher Jr., and 19-year-old Hanna Rhoden, the mother of Jake Wagner’s daughter; Clarence Rhoden’s fiancee, 20-year-old Hannah Gilley; Christopher Rhoden Sr.’s brother, 44-year-old Kenneth Rhoden; and a cousin, 38-year-old Gary Rhoden.

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November 2, 2022
Fishermen accused of stuffing fish with weights plead not guilty to cheating

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Two men accused of stuffing five walleye with lead weights and fish fillets during a lucrative fishing tournament on Lake Erie pleaded not guilty to cheating and other charges on Wednesday.

Jacob Runyan, 42, of Broadview Heights, Ohio, and Chase Cominsky, 35, of Hermitage, Pennsylvania, made no comments during their brief court appearances in Cleveland. Their attorneys declined to comment about the case after the hearing.

Assistant Cuyahoga County Prosecutor James Gutierrez also declined to comment, referring questions to a spokesperson.

The cheating allegations surfaced Sept. 30 when Lake Erie Walleye Trail tournament director Jason Fischer became suspicious because Runyan and Cominsky’s fish were significantly heavier than walleye of that length typically are. An angry crowd at Gordon Park in Cleveland watched Fischer cut the walleye open and announce there were weights and fish fillets stuffed inside them.

An officer from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources confiscated the fish as evidence.

Runyan and Cominsky were indicted earlier this month on felony charges of cheating, attempted grand theft, possessing criminal tools and misdemeanor charges of unlawfully owning wild animals.

Both were released Wednesday on personal bonds of $2,500.

The first place prize in the tournament totaled around $28,000.

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October 26, 2022
Cox First Media names industry veteran as its new publisher

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DAYTON, Ohio — A company that publishes three newspapers in Ohio has named a media industry veteran as its new publisher.

Suzanne Klopfenstein will formally assume her new role with Cox First Media on Jan. 1, when current publisher Jana Collier retires. But the company said the Springfield, Ohio, native will begin working now with Collier and other executives to ensure a smooth transition.

Dayton-based Cox First Media includes the Dayton Daily News, the Springfield News-Sun, the Journal-News, Dayton.com and Cox First Media advertising services. Together, these brands reach more than 444,000 people through daily print and digital publications, and the products have a total paid circulation of 104,805 and 172,000 newsletter subscribers.

Klopfenstein has 30 years of media experience, most recently as senior director of sales for Cox First Media. She joined Cox Enterprises and the Dayton Daily News in 1993 and has been at the forefront of Cox First Media’s digital advertising and audience strategies.

Collier has worked for Cox for 34 years and has been publisher since 2020.

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October 25, 2022
Ohio shooter of 5 family members claims he ‘had no choice’

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WAVERLY, Ohio — An Ohio man convicted of shooting five of eight family members killed in a 2016 massacre testified Monday he had no choice but to kill the mother of his child.

Jake Wagner pleaded guilty last year to shooting the five victims, an attack that investigators said resulted from a custody dispute between two families.

As part of his plea deal, Jake Wagner had agreed to testify against his older brother, George Wagner IV, in exchange for being spared the death penalty.

George Wagner IV, whose trial has entered its eighth week in Pike County court, faces the death penalty if he’s convicted in the slayings of the Rhoden family near Piketon. George Wagner is the first person to go on trial for the killings.

Jake and George’s mother, Angela Wagner, also has pleaded guilty to helping plan the slayings, and is expected to testify. Jake and George’s father, George “Billy” Wagner III, has pleaded not guilty. He likely won’t go on trial until next year. The four members of the Wagner family were not arrested until more than two years after the slayings.

Special prosecutor Angela Canepa has not accused George Wagner, 31, of shooting anyone in April 2016, but she said he took part in planning, carrying out and covering up “one of the most heinous crimes in Ohio history.”

The two families had been close for years, but Canepa described the Wagners as being obsessed with gaining control over the child that Jake Wagner had with Hanna Rhoden.

The Wagner family had pressured Hanna Rhoden to sign away custody of the 3-year-old girl, but Hanna vowed in a Facebook message sent four months before the massacre that “they will have to kill me first,” Canepa has said.

Jake Wagner, who said he feared his daughter might suffer abuse, testified Monday that Hanna Rhoden’s comment was his “tipping point” when he decided Hanna, 19, had to die.

George Wagner was with his brother and his father when they drove to three separate locations where all eight victims were killed, went inside with the pair and helped his brother move two of the bodies, Canepa said previously.

Jake Wagner testified Monday that that was the tipping point that led him to conclude he had to kill Hanna, who was 19 at the time of her death. He said the other intended victims were Hanna’s brothers Frankie and Chris Rhoden and their father, Chris Rhoden Sr. The other four victims were killed because they could have been witnesses, Jake Wagner testified.

Jake Wagner also testified that George Wagner was supposed to kill Chris Rhoden Sr. but didn’t fire, so Jake Wagner shot Rhoden himself.

Defense attorney Richard Nash has said George Wagner is not like the rest of his family and had nothing to do with the killings.

The Wagners spent three months planning the massacre, buying masks, ammunition and a device to jam phone signals, Canepa said. The two brothers even dyed their hair in the week leading up to the killings, she said.

Several discoveries, Canepa said, led investigators to the Wagners including a shell casing found outside the Wagner’s home that matched one from a gun that killed five of the victims.

Those killed were 40-year-old Christopher Rhoden Sr.; his ex-wife, 37-year-old Dana Rhoden; their three children, 20-year-old Clarence “Frankie” Rhoden, 16-year-old Christopher Jr., and Hanna; Clarence Rhoden’s fiancee, 20-year-old Hannah Gilley; Christopher Rhoden Sr.’s brother, 44-year-old Kenneth Rhoden; and a cousin, 38-year-old Gary Rhoden.

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October 24, 2022
Democrats and Republicans make closing pitch to voters before midterms

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Democrats and Republicans make closing pitch to voters before midterms – CBS News

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CBS News senior White House and political correspondent Ed O’Keefe reports on the closing arguments from candidates in high-profile midterm races in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Ohio and Texas.

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October 23, 2022
Princeton student Misrach Ewunetie found dead, officials say

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PRINCETON, N.J. — A Princeton University student from Ohio who went missing near campus roughly a week ago was found dead Thursday, Mercer County Prosecutor Angelo Onofri said.

Misrach Ewunetie, 20, was found by an employee at about 1 p.m. behind tennis courts on the campus facilities grounds, Onofri said. There were no obvious signs of injury “her death does not appear suspicious or criminal in nature,” but an official cause of death will be determined after a medical examiner’s review, he said.

“Misrach’s death is an unthinkable tragedy. Our hearts go out to her family, her friends and the many others who knew and loved her,” University Vice President W. Rochelle Calhoun said in a statement.

An extensive search was launched for Ewunetie after she was reported missing. A large law enforcement presence remained on campus and in nearby areas Thursday.

Ewunetie was last seen heading into her dorm room at the Ivy League school in the early morning hours of Oct. 14, school officials said. But when her roommate returned to the dorm about 90 minutes later, Ewunetie was not there.

Family and friends said they had not heard from Ewunetie. Appearing Thursday on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” her brother, Universe Ewunetie, said his sister’s phone last pinged sometime after 3 a.m. Friday at a housing complex that’s about a 30-minute walk from her dorm, which he said was out of character for her to be in such a location.

According to her LinkedIn profile, Ewunetie was a junior pursuing a sociology degree with a computer applications certificate. She was valedictorian at Villa Angela-St. Joseph high school in Cleveland, Ohio, before accepting a full scholarship to Princeton.

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October 20, 2022
Vance, Ryan spar in second – and final – fiery debate in Ohio Senate race

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Youngstown, Ohio – Senate candidates Democrat Rep. Tim Ryan and Republican JD Vance faced off Monday night in their second fiery debate, clashing over the blockbuster issues of this election – the economy, abortion, the border and the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 – as well as who would best serve the state.

Former President Donald Trump won Ohio by eight points in 2020 but the race to fill the seat being vacated by retiring moderate Republican Sen. Rob Portman this year has proven to be competitive with just over three weeks to go before Election Day.

At the debate hosted by WFJM in Youngstown, the candidates spoke over each other and accused one another of putting their party first. It comes exactly one week after the candidates appeared alongside each other for their testy first debate, where they clashed over the economy, abortion rights and extremism.

Ryan, who is currently serving his tenth term in the House representing Ohio’s 13th Congressional District, which includes Youngstown, has focused his campaign on the economy and manufacturing – while also taking aim at China. He has attempted to distance himself from Democrats in control in Washington as they face headwinds heading into the midterms amid soaring inflation and with President Joe’s Biden’s approval rating being underwater in the state. He instead has painted his Republican opponent as an extremist who left Ohio for California and is only in the race for himself.

Vance, a venture capitalist and author of the memoir “Hillbilly Elegy,” grew up in Middletown, Ohio. He soared to victory in the May primary after being backed by Trump and billionaire Peter Thiel. On the campaign trail, Vance links Ryan to Mr. Biden, and has questioned what Ryan has to show for his 20 years in Congress.

This combination of photos shows Ohio Democratic Senate candidate Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, on March 28, 2022, in Wilberforce, Ohio, left, and Republican candidate JD Vance on Aug. 5, 2022, in Dallas.

AP Photo

“If you want to run against Nancy Pelosi, move back to San Francisco and run against Nancy Pelosi. You’re running against me,” Ryan shot back in response to Vance tying him to House Democratic party leadership. Ryan pointed out that he challenged Pelosi’s leadership in 2016.

The pair also clashed on abortion rights. In the previous debate, Vance said the 10-year-old Ohio girl who had to go to another state to get an abortion – a story that made national headlines – should have been able to get an abortion. On Monday, he was asked what other exceptions he would support, having previously rejected exceptions for rape and incest.

“My basic view is we need to protect life in this country,” Vance said, and he noted that it would likely be dangerous for a 10-year-old to carry a pregnancy to term. He also reiterated his that an undocumented immigrant was arrested for raping the 10-year-old girl, accusing Ryan and Democrats of not acting on border security.

When asked about Sen. Lindsey Graham’s 15-week federal abortion ban, Vance responded “if you can’t support legislation like that, you are making the United States the most barbaric pro-aboriton regime anywhere in the entire world.”

Last week, the House Jan. 6 committee voted to subpoena Trump. Ryan said Trump should respond to the subpoena. Vance said he would not pretend to give the former president legal advice.

“The Jan. 6 committee has shown from the very beginning that it’s not interested in the truth, that it’s interested in a political hit job that goes back to four years ago,” Vance said. He went on to accuse Democrats of being obsessed with the idea that Trump somehow had the election stolen by the Russians.

“There’s been a nonstop political effort to not honor the election of 2016 but I think that’s just as much of a threat to democracy as the violence on Jan. 6 January 6th,” Vance said.

The candidates also clashed over immigration. Vance accused Democratic leadership of wanting more immigrants, claiming it would mean Republicans are never able to win another election. Ryan responded accusing Vance of running around with those talking about replacement theory.

“You can believe in a border without being a racist, you can believe in the country without being a racist and this just shows how desperate this guy is for political power,” Vance responded – invoking his three biracial children.

“I think I struck a nerve with this guy,” Ryan countered.

With the economy being the most pressing issue for voters across the country, the debate began with a question about inflation. Ryan defended voting for the Inflation Reduction Act – pointing to investments coming back to Ohio, and he said he also advocated for tax cuts for working people. Vance argued the U.S. needed to stop spending money and for the U.S. to “really open up America’s energy sector.”

Ohio is often considered a battleground state, with former President Obama having won it twice and Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown was reelected in 2018. But Ohio has been trending more red in recent years, and Trump won it by eight points in both 2016 and 2020. Despite the political climate, the Senate race has proven to be competitive according to the latest polls. The Real Clear Politics average has Vance up by just two percentage points.

While Republicans are still positioned to retake the majority in the House in November according to the latest CBS News Battleground Tracker, the Senate remains a toss up. Several other Senate races are often considered more competitive by strategists as Democrats look to expand their majority in the 50-50 split Senate, but tens of millions are being spent in the Ohio Senate race in the final stretch of the election season.

And as candidates make their final pitches to voters, early voting is already underway in Ohio both by mail and in-person. At least 812,000 Ohioans requested absentee ballots. Those ballots started going out Sept. 23.

2022 Midterm Elections

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Sarah Ewall-Wice

CBS News reporter covering economic policy.

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October 17, 2022
Trump super PAC reserves millions in airtime in key states

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NEW YORK (AP) — Former President Donald Trump is finally opening his checkbook, reserving millions of dollars in airtime for ads to bolster his endorsed candidates in key midterm races just one month before Election Day.

Trump’s newly-formed MAGA Inc. super PAC will begin airing ads Saturday in Nevada, Georgia and Arizona, according to Medium Buying, an ad tracking firm. The group is already airing ads in Pennsylvania and Ohio, home to two of the most consequential and competitive Senate races in the country.

The Georgia spending is particularly notable, coming as Trump’s hand-picked Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker’s campaign has been rocked by reports alleging he encouraged and paid for an ex-girlfriend’s 2009 abortion. Walker, a longtime football icon, backed a national ban on abortion during his primary, and has said he does not believe in exceptions even in cases of rape, incest or when the health of a pregnant woman is at risk.

The Trump ad set to air in Georgia, which was shared with The Associated Press, does not include any mention of Walker. Instead it focuses on his rival, Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, and tries to cast Warnock and his party as too extreme.

“From D-Day to drag queen story time, America has lost its way,” its narrator says. “Chaos at the border. Crime in our neighborhoods. A collapsing economy. Biden and Warnock did that,” it claims.

In total, the super PAC appears to have spent close to $5 million on its initial investment. That includes $954,000 in Georgia, $512,000 in Nevada and $1.16 million in Arizona, according to Medium Buying, in addition to $1.34 million in Ohio and $829,000 in Pennsylvania, according to AdImpact, another ad tracking firm.

MAGA Inc. spokesman Steven Cheung declined to say how much additional spending Trump had planned beyond the initial reservations. “We’re not going to telegraph our spending but it’s a significant buy,” he said.

The super PAC’s first wave of ads are all negative spots aimed at turning voters off the Democratic rivals of Trump-endorsed candidates. The first attacked Pennsylvania Democrat John Fetterman, who is running against Republican nominee Mehmet Oz, by portraying Fetterman as soft on crime.

“John Fetterman wants ruthless killers, muggers and rapists back on our streets,” it charges, labeling the lieutenant governor “dangerous.”

The second targeted Ohio Democratic Senate candidate Tim Ryan for voting with his party as a member of Congress, using footage from a speech in which he joked that he would “suck up a little bit” to Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, “his future boss.” Ryan, who is running against Trump-endorsed Republican JD Vance, has run as centrist trying to win back the Rust Belt voters who have soured on the party in recent years.

The ads released so far notably do not feature or even mention Trump, who remains a deeply divisive figure, but one who is extremely popular with the Republican base.

Trump had been under growing pressure to finally start spending on midterm races after playing an outsize role in the primaries and pushing his favored candidates. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, in particular, had urged candidates with Trump’s support to ask him to open his checkbook heading into the race’s final stretch.

The notoriously thrifty former president’s Save America PAC, his main fundraising vehicle since leaving office, ended August with more than $90 million in the bank. Trump aides have discussed transferring a portion of that money to MAGA Inc., which could later be used to support a presidential campaign should Trump decide to run again, though campaign finance experts are divided on the legality of such a move.

Trump has continued to tease another presidential run, telling supporters at a rally in Warren, Michigan, last weekend, “We’ll be talking about great things hopefully in the not so distant future.”

“Oh I think you’re going to be happy,” he went on to say. “But first we have to win a historic victory for the Republican Party this November.”

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October 8, 2022
Ohio Reports Death of Monkeypox Patient
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Sept. 30, 2022 — Ohio health officials reported the death of a monkeypox patient, marking the third known death of a U.S. patient with monkeypox, according to CNN.

The Ohio Department of Health said Friday that an adult male with monkeypox died. He also had “other health conditions,” CNN reported, but no other details were released.

On Thursday, the CDC issued a new warning to health care providers about severe illnesses in people with monkeypox, particularly those with weak immune systems due to HIV or other conditions.

“During the current outbreak in the United States, 38 percent of people diagnosed with monkeypox were coinfected with HIV and most reported cases of monkeypox with severe manifestations have been among people living with untreated HIV,” the CDC wrote.

The CDC said some people in the U.S. have had “serious manifestations” of the monkeypox virus, including prolonged hospitalizations and “substantial” health problems. Some of the severe issues have included:

A persistent rash with tissue that is dying or wounds growing together, including some that required extensive surgery or amputation of a limb on the body

Injured tissue or wounds in sensitive areas, such as the mouth, urethra, rectum, or vagina, that cause severe pain and interfere with daily activities

Bowel wounds or injured tissue with significant swelling, sometimes leading to obstruction

Injured tissue or wounds that cause scarring with “significant” effects in areas like the genitals, bowels, or face

Involvement of multiple organ systems and associated conditions, such as encephalitis, myocarditis, conjunctivitis, and corneal ulcerations
The CDC noted that most people diagnosed with monkeypox have had mild or moderate illness, although severe cases can happen in anyone. The health alert urged health care providers to be aware of risk factors for severe monkeypox and said anyone with suspected or confirmed monkeypox should be tested for HIV.

Doctors should also check whether someone has a weak immune system due to another chronic condition or an immune-related medication, the CDC said. Before undergoing monkeypox treatment, patients with weak immune systems should stop other medications that could affect their immune system. Those with HIV should have antiretroviral therapy.
The first U.S. death due to monkeypox was confirmed earlier this month in Los Angeles County, California, CNN reported. Health officials said the person had a severely weakened immune system and had been hospitalized.

In August, a person in Texas died after contracting monkeypox. But health officials haven’t determined or disclosed whether the virus played a role in the patient’s death, CNN reported.

More than 68,000 monkeypox cases and 27 deaths have been reported worldwide, according to the latest CDC data.

In the U.S., more than 25,000 monkeypox cases have been reported, CDC data shows. Case numbers appear to be falling, CNN reported, which health officials have attributed to an increasing number of people who have been vaccinated against the virus.

Earlier this week, the CDC expanded eligibility for the Jynneos monkeypox vaccine to high-risk people who haven’t yet been exposed to the virus, according to Reuters. The CDC said high-risk people — such as men who have sex with men or those who live with HIV — were 14 times more likely to be infected if they were unvaccinated, as compared with those who were at least two weeks past their first vaccine dose.

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September 30, 2022
Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa stretchered off with head injury

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CINCINNATI — Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa sustained neck and head injuries after being slammed to the ground Thursday night against the Cincinnati Bengals and was stretchered from the field.

The Dolphins said Tagovailoa was conscious, had movement in all his extremities and was taken to University of Cincinnati Medical Center for further evaluation. The Dolphins said after their 27-15 loss to the Bengals that Tagovailoa was expected to be released from the hospital and fly home with the team.

Tagovailoa was chased down and sacked by 6-foot-3, 340-pound Josh Tupou with about six minutes left in the first half. He was spun around and thrown to the turf. While on the ground, his hands froze in front of his face. He remained down for more than seven minutes before being loaded on a backboard, stabilized and strapped to a stretcher after his facemask was removed.

Dolphins players gathered around as Tagovailoa was rolled off the field and the crowd chanted “Tua! Tua!”

Reaction came swiftly from around the NFL. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Broncos QB Russell Wilson promptly tweeted with concern for Tagovailoa’s well-being.

“Praying for you Tua,” Wilson wrote.

The 24-year-old Tagovailoa was suffering from a sore back and was listed as questionable for most of the week ahead of the game.

Tagovailoa briefly left Sunday’s 21-19 victory over the Buffalo Bills after appearing to be disoriented by what the team originally said was a head injury after taking a hard hit from Bills linebacker Matt Milano late in the first half. He missed just three snaps and returned after halftime, a decision that prompted a joint review by the NFL and National Football League Players Association of what went into the decision to allow him to return to the game.

The team and Tagovailoa said after the game the quarterback had a back injury that caused his awkward stumble and fall after he was slammed into the turf in the second quarter. The team said Monday that Tagovailoa was not in concussion protocol.

He said he “hyper-extended” his back after getting his legs caught under someone on a quarterback sneak.

After Tagovailoa’s injury Thursday, the NFLPA tweeted: “Player health and safety is at the core of the union’s mission. Our concern tonight is for Tua and we hope for a full and speedy recovery. Our investigation into the potential protocol violation is ongoing.”

Some criticized the decision to play Tagovailoa so soon after his injuries in Sunday’s game.

Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe tweeted: “That’s a serious injury . Tua shouldn’t have been out there with Sunday Thursday turn around. Sometimes players need protecting from themselves. Dolphins failed Tua.”

Before leaving Thursday’s game, Tagovailoa was 8 for 14 for 100 yards and an interception. He was replaced in the game by Teddy Bridgewater, who threw a touchdown pass to Chase Edmonds with 15 seconds left in the half.

The play of Tagovailoa, who won a national championship at Alabama, has been key for the 3-0 Dolphins. He came into the game second in the NFL with 925 passing yards.

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More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP—NFL

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September 30, 2022
Motorcycle Run Set to Honor Maxton Soviak, a Berlin Heights Native Killed in Recent Kabul Attack

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The ride is sponsored by Youngstown Harley-Davidson and will raise money for the Maxton Soviak Memorial Fund.

Press Release
–

updated: Sep 16, 2021

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio, September 16, 2021 (Newswire.com)
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A memorial motorcycle run will be held in Youngstown on Sunday, September 19, to honor Maxton Soviak, one of the 13 soldiers killed in action in the recent Afghanistan attacks. The memorial ride, sponsored by Youngstown Harley-Davidson, will raise awareness of and funds for the newly established Maxton Soviak Memorial Fund, which will pay tribute to Soviak’s contributions and sacrifices.

Soviak was a Berlin Heights native who enlisted in the United States Navy following his high school graduation in 2017. For the past four years, he proudly served his country as a Navy Corpsman. Soviak never said no to a new adventure and had an undying love for his family, friends, and country. He never met a stranger and made friends all over the world while enlisted in the Navy.

A trust fund has been set up to honor Soviak’s memory, with contributions supporting his family during this difficult time. The September 19 ride will show appreciation for Soviak’s and his family’s sacrifices and honor his memory.

The Maxton Soviak Memorial Bike Run will start at Youngstown Harley-Davidson, located at 5700 Patriot Blvd. Registration will open on-site at 9 a.m., with the ride beginning at 12 p.m. The Biker Brewhouse will provide breakfast to all riders. Registration is $20 per bike and $10 per additional rider. A 50/50 drawing will also be available at the event. All proceeds from the event will go directly to the Maxton Soviak Memorial Fund.

“We invite all local bikers to come down to Youngstown Harley-Davidson to show support for our servicemen and women killed in the recent Kabul attacks and especially to honor the memory of one of Ohio’s own, Maxton Soviak,” said Tom Orlando, General Sales Manager of Youngstown Harley-Davidson. “While there truly is no action we can do to fully repay Maxton and his family for their sacrifice, we hope this event will offer some small show of support and comfort for the family and let them know they are not alone. We’re anticipating a large crowd, so come early to show your support for the family and contribute to this important fund.”

To learn more about Maxton Soviak’s life, visit https://bit.ly/3956VBY. To learn more about Youngstown Harley-Davidson and the Maxton Soviak Memorial Bike run, visit https://bit.ly/2YZ7wU3.

About Youngstown Harley-Davidson

Since 2007, Youngstown Harley-Davidson has been the motorcycle mecca of America. Its six-acre compound offers an exciting array of experiences for bikers and is known as Harley-Davidson Bike Town. From bike sales and service to a motorcycle riding academy and on-site dining, Youngstown Harley-Davidson is the premier location in the country for bikers to visit and feel welcome. To learn more, visit https://youngstownharleydavidson.com/.

# # #

For more information about the Maxton Soviak Memorial Bike Run or media inquiries, please contact Jacquelyn Repomonto at jrepomonto@ytownhd.com.

Source: Youngstown Harley-Davidson

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September 16, 2021
Ohio’s showdown over abortion rights intensifies as group files signatures for ballot measure | CNN Politics

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CNN
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Ohio is poised to become the next major abortion battleground after groups seeking to enshrine abortion rights in the state’s constitution on Wednesday submitted hundreds of thousands of petition signatures to the secretary of state’s office.

If certified, those 710,000 signatures – nearly 300,000 more than state law requires – would place the proposed amendment on ballots in November alongside municipal and school board elections across the state.

The statewide vote would come the year after two of Ohio’s neighboring states – deep-red Kentucky and the political battleground of Michigan – supported abortion rights in their own ballot measures.

It would position Ohio, traditionally a presidential swing state that has shifted in the GOP’s favor in recent years, as the latest test of voters’ attitudes ahead of a 2024 presidential election in which the debate over abortion rights could play a central role in both the Republican primary and the general election.

“We know that Ohioans, just like our neighbors in Michigan and Kentucky – when they have the opportunity to vote for abortion access, they will,” said Lauren Blauvelt, vice president of Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio.

Abortion rights advocates on Wednesday said they were pulled into politics in the wake of the US Supreme Court’s decision last June to overturn Roe v. Wade’s long-standing federal abortion protections and return the issue to the states.

“I was never very political before all this started last year,” said Dr. Aziza Wahby, a Cleveland dermatologist who has become active over the last year with Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights, a group that was part of the effort to gather signatures. “This has made me pay more attention and I think it will do the same for others.”

The proposed amendment in Ohio would ensure “every individual has a right to make and carry out one’s reproductive decisions.” It could make Ohio the only state with a ballot measure on abortion rights this year.

Local officials have until July 20 to verify the signatures, with Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose having final approval to place the issue on this fall’s ballots by July 25.

Before the November election, though, is another key vote: an August 8 special election set by Ohio’s Republican-dominated legislature, in which voters will decide whether to raise the threshold for amending the state constitution from the current simple majority to 60%.

The debate over the constitutional amendment and the change to the amendment process has galvanized both sides of the abortion fight.

After filing U-Haul truckloads of petition signatures Wednesday, abortion rights advocates complained that the special election was slated for a moment when families will be wrapping up summer vacations and preparing for the start of school – a period when the state’s voters are not used to casting ballots.

“And they’re doing that on purpose because they know that their agenda is not the agenda of Ohioans,” said Kellie Copeland, the executive director of Pro-Choice Ohio.

Amy Fogel, who said she became awakened to politics during the Trump era and joined the grassroots group Red Wine and Blue, has spent months helping collect signatures for the citizen-led initiative for the November ballot. She said she was “absolutely heartbroken” when the August special election was approved by the Republican supermajority in the statehouse.

“It was just a blatant power grab to take away the majority vote of Ohioans,” Fogel said.

She said she and other volunteers would not be deterred by the new hurdle.

“We started out telling people to vote in November and now we have to tell them to make sure you plan an absentee ballot, vote early, or show up at the polls on August 8,” Fogel said. “You have to vote ‘No,’ to protect the Ohio constitution and majority vote in August and then ‘Yes,’ in November.”

It is confusing, she said, by design.

Amy Natoce, the press secretary for Protect Women Ohio, the coalition working to defeat the abortion rights ballot measure in November, dismissed suggestions that a special election in August was in any way undemocratic because of concerns over historically low voter turnout in the summer.

“There is no time like the present to protect Ohio’s constitution,” Natoce said in an interview. “Ohioans should be reminded of the fact that this is allowing them to determine how their constitution is amended. We’ve seen the other side saying one person, one vote, this takes away the people’s vote. Not at all.”

For the next month, both campaigns will be unfolding across Ohio – on “Issue 1,” to raise the threshold of support needed to change the constitution, and on the November ballot measure on abortion. From door-to-door canvassing to a multi-million dollar television ad campaign, both sides are intensifying their efforts ahead of the August and November elections.

“We’re going to continue in all 88 counties across Ohio,” Natoce said. “But we have to move ahead as if it will be on the ballot in November.”

Two former Republican governors, Bob Taft and John Kasich, have come out against the August 8 special election, saying such a consequential change to state law shouldn’t happen during a low-turnout summer election.

“I just think it’s a major mistake to approve or disapprove such a change at the lowest-turnout election that we have,” Taft said at a forum in Dayton last week. “This is a kind of change that really needs to be considered by all the people who go out and vote in a presidential election.”

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April 12, 2021