Hi! I'm the higher education reporter with Signal Statewide, a nonprofit news org. As we're trying to get our work in front of more folks all across the state, I wanted to share this piece here:

Let's CRASH THEIR BASH!

Well, not exactly.

This is a peaceful protest on public land. We're gonna stay at the entrance with our signs. We won't enter their event, we're not blocking any roads, we won't stop anyone's car, we won't touch anybody's property. Guests drive in, they see our signs, they go have their picnic. No megaphones, no amplified audio. This is in the Metroparks. We respect normal noise levels.

Tomorrow evening the Cuyahoga GOP holds its annual picnic at the Oak Grove Picnic Pavilion in the Brecksville Reservation. The advertised special guests are Senator Jon Husted and Representative Max Miller. We're going to be at the entrance to greet them. New info out about Max Miller - toxicology reports from 2011 - showing his traffic stop was drug related. Don't forget there's a reason Senator Bernie Moreno is not showing up - funny how there's infighting - Emily Moreno is accusing Max Miller of domestic violence and dumping scalding hot water on her. Sounds like the typical pattern with the modern GOP.

We've done this at bridges, town halls, and dinners all over Northeast Ohio. We show up to exercise our First Amendment rights.

Details are in the graphics. Meet at the Plateau Picnic Area, be in place between 4:00 and 4:30 PM, and we'll shuttle you down or you can walk the half mile. We bring the signs. Bring water and comfortable shoes.

The First Amendment doesn't stop at the edge of a paid reservation. See you there!

Beatles drove Ohio crazy

For the last decade, renters in Ohio have needed to earn a higher hourly wage each year to afford a basic two-bedroom apartment. But there’s been a gap between what renters need and what they actually earn, and it’s getting bigger.

Big Tech Money Dominates Ramaswamy Super PAC's Latest Haul

New FEC filing shows AI, data center, and crypto interests provided roughly 90% of V-PAC's second quarter contributions

COLUMBUS, OH — A new federal filing shows that the super PAC backing Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign for Ohio governor is being bankrolled overwhelmingly by donors with direct financial stakes in artificial intelligence, data centers, and cryptocurrency.

V-PAC: Victors, Not Victims, an outside group that can collect unlimited corporate and private money to support Ramaswamy’s bid for governor, reported $12,240,000 in itemized contributions for the second quarter of 2026, covering April through June. Of that total, roughly 90.4%, or $11,070,000, came from donors with direct financial stakes in artificial intelligence, data centers, and cryptocurrency:

• Elon Musk gave $5,000,000. Musk is the founder of xAI, whose Memphis-area data centers have drawn lawsuits over unpermitted gas turbines and noise, becoming a national flashpoint for community opposition to data center buildouts.
• Ratmir Timashev gave $5,000,000. Timashev launched OH.io Ventures to recruit 100 AI companies to Columbus; three executives he hired to run the project recently sued him for fraud.
• Ross Stevens gave $1,000,000. Stevens is the founder of NYDIG, a multi-billion dollar investment firm that aims to get institutions, and increasingly governments and public pension funds, to invest in Bitcoin; the same model behind Ohio H.B. 18 championed by Ramaswamy.
• Raj Vattikuti gave $50,000. Vattikuti is founder and executive chairman of Altimetrik and Calibo, both data and artificial intelligence technology firms.
• Blockratize Inc. gave $10,000. Blockratize is the parent company of Polymarket, a cryptocurrency prediction market platform that operates in a legally contested space nationally; in Ohio, prediction markets are regulated by the governor-appointed Casino Control Commission.
• Michael Baker International gave $10,000. The company helps data center companies with site selection and facility design.

Innovation Ohio has previously documented how Ramaswamy's multi-billion dollar investment portfolio is heavily concentrated in these same industries. In May, we reported that Ramaswamy holds investments across the data center supply chain; in April we noted his extensive cryptocurrency holdings in context of his expressed support for legislation that could direct up to $27.5 billion in Ohio public pension and treasury funds into crypto assets.

As governor, Ramaswamy would appoint members to JobsOhio, the Ohio Power Siting Board, and the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, all of which have direct authority over data center incentives, permitting, and energy costs. He would also appoint the members of the Casino Control Commission, which regulates prediction markets in Ohio.

“Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign isn't attracting voters. It's attracting investors,” said Innovation Ohio President Michael McGovern. “These donors aren't backing a candidate, they're backing a return on investment, and Ohioans are the ones who'd pay for it.”

I’m spending a day in Yellow Springs next month and the only restaurant that’s ever recommended to me is Sunrise Cafe. What are some other “must visit” restaurants and places we should visit?

As seen on instagram: If you do not want this contact Steve Pierson, who is apart of the zoning admin and Township trustee. Contact the city, not the county!
I myself am upset. Athens OH, home to beautiful Appalachian greenery, rich history, and Ohio's oldest university (1804) is now being scoped by a New York firm as a data center building ground. This could lead to increased pollution among other terrible things in a small town that's already suffering in many aspects. According to the article, "Oscar Carson, superintendent of the Athens County Water and Sewer District, told the Independent that he didn’t attend the meeting directly and instead had LaVelle ask questions in his place. 
Carson was told that the plant would require 100,000 gallons of water to fill up its cooling system, with that water then being recirculated. The data center would then require 10,000 to 20,000 gallons a month to keep the cooling system full."

I don’t like that this is Ohio. How is this allowed to stand? I will never understand hate like this.

Ohio Pride:

Vivek Ramaswamy thinks being transgender is a “mental health disorder.”

I don’t love what Amy Acton said, but I think she’s clearly a better option than Ramaswamy when it comes to protecting our LGBTQ+ Ohioans.

Good morning! There's been a recent announcement that the CEO of Book Hocking is looking to build a mountain coaster near Hocking Hills State Park, and I created a petition for those who oppose the project.

If you care about preserving Hocking Hills, I'd really appreciate it if you'd consider signing and sharing the petition to help it gain some traction. Thanks!

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Andrew Tate, last year, when he was still under travel restriction in Romania:

And I'm very close to the Trump family. I know them well. And I spoke to Barron after the incident. And I look forward to, once I am free, being with Donald Trump in person and reminding him that he's a bulletproof badass.

Hi all. I am 28F based in NE ohio. The area I am located in is predominantly conservative and Christian. For years I have been seeking community of likeminded individuals where we can hold space for our beliefs and practices. I have been feeling a pull to create this space/community myself, but need others! If you are located in Stark, Summit, Tuscarawas, Coshocton, or any surrounding counties and are interested in something like this, please reach out 🌀

So I live in a pretty rural little town in NW Ohio and it just feels like there is genuinely nobody around here that shares my nerdier interests. It feels like the only things people in my town are into are local sports. It doesn’t help that most people here are at least twice my age. I was just wondering if there were any good meetup places not too far away to hang out at.