Statewide news stories impacting the heartland and beyond.
Statewide
BY JEFF SKINNER STATEWIDE -As Ohio solidifies its position as a primary Midwestern hub for hyper-scale data centers and corporate cloud processing against citizen wishes, a quiet but rapid expansion of artificial intelligence surveillance infrastructure is drawing fierce resistance from civil liberties advocates. Critics warn that the intersection of
Selective Service
BY JEFF SKINNER STATEWIDE - The U.S. Selective Service System is prepping a major upgrade to its mobilization infrastructure, issuing a federal solicitation for an automated, cloud-based "Conscription Readiness Simulation" system. The new platform is designed to war-game massive, end-to-end national draft scenarios. According
smart meters
BY STAFF CONTRIBUTOR STATEWIDE - Earlier this month, The Ohio Register reported about growing opposition to wireless smart meter installation. While some utility providers are offering “opt out” programs for consumers willing to pay fees, Ohio Administrative Code 4901:1-10 allows electric providers to install digital meters with the RF
agenda 2030
This post was originally made on The Heartland Beat STATEWIDE — In the heart of Ohio’s suburbs and bustling interstates, a quiet expansion of surveillance technology is reshaping how unaccountable entities and foreign nations track everyday drivers. Defense contractor Leonardo US is promoting ELSAG SignalTrace, a signals intelligence upgrade that
Springfield
BY JEFF SKINNER SPRINGFIELD - The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that the Trump administrations' efforts to end Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and Syrians can proceed, rejecting lower court injunctions and limiting judicial challenges to the program’s termination. In a 6-3 decision written by Justice
Statewide
BY JEFF SKINNER STATEWIDE— As reports indicate Iran has again closed the Strait of Hormuz amid fresh Israeli strikes in Lebanon that appear to violate a fragile ceasefire, Ohioans are staring down the barrel of higher gasoline prices at the pump, pricier groceries at the supermarket and mounting electricity bills
AxOHtax
COLUMBUS — In a boost to Ohio homeowners frustrated with rising property taxes, the grassroots Ax Ohio Tax initiative announced Friday it will carry forward its petition drive and target the November 2027 ballot for a constitutional amendment to permanently abolish taxes on real property. Brian Massie, president of the Committee
Statewide
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A little-noticed provision in the House version of the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act could dramatically expand and institutionalize military cooperation between the United States and Israel, prompting concern among some Ohio lawmakers, residents and national security observers about long-term costs, sovereignty and foreign policy
Data centers
BY NICK ROGERS STATEWIDE - Senate bill 294, the “Declare the state’s energy siting policy,” is setting the bar high for energy output requirements from Ohio’s existing power plants while, at the same time, setting up further roadblocks for “renewable” energy developments such as wind and solar farms. Advocates
Healthcare
STATEWIDE - Children’s Health Defense filed a petition in federal court Monday seeking to compel the Federal Communications Commission to comply with a 2021 court order on radiofrequency radiation exposure limits. The nonprofit group asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to issue a
Data Centers
BY JEFF SKINNER STATEWIDE - The Ohio Legislature has pushed forward House Bill 126, a bill designed to restrict local officials from bringing lawsuits against data center companies that could cause unstated damage to local areas, such as draining aquifers or polluting water supplies with contaminants while claiming to ‘investigate’ validity
Statewide
By Nick Rogers STATEWIDE - The National Call for Safe Technology (NCST), a citizen advocacy group who describes themselves as “…a rallying cry for better wireless device safety testing, up-to-date WiFi exposure guidelines, homeowner rights to refuse "smart" meters, ADA accommodations for individuals impacted by electromagnetic sensitivity,