Free Republic

PORTSMOUTH— The novel coronavirus has put so many Ohioans out of work that the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services has received more than 1 million calls in March, overwhelming the system’s servers and phone lines — and creating untold frustration for newly jobless Ohioans struggling to apply for unemployment. Here are some brief answers to your most common questions. Why can’t I reach the unemployment office? Too many people are calling or using the website at once. If you’re unable to get through, the only recourse at this time is to keep trying until your application is submitted....

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A federal appeals court in Cincinnati, for now, has declined to get involved with a lawsuit over how abortion providers in Ohio can continue to provide their services amid a public-health order restricting non-essential surgeries during the coronavirus pandemic. A three-judge panel from the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday issued an order dismissing Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s appeal of a ruling from Senior U.S. District Judge Michael Barrett issued last week. The ruling temporarily blocked Ohio officials from using Health Director Dr. Amy Acton’s health order to completely bar women from access to...

Ohio state Rep. Tavia Galonski (D) said that she will make a "referral for crimes against humanity" over President Trump's promotion of the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for novel coronavirus, despite its unproven benefits and lack of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. "I can't take it anymore. I've been to The Hague. I'm making a referral for crimes against humanity tomorrow," Galonski tweeted late Sunday. "Today's press conference was the last straw," Galonski added. "I know the need for a prosecution referral when I see one." Trump has repeatedly promoted hydroxychloroquine, which is approved to treat conditions...

Democratic state representative in Ohio said she "can't take it anymore" and vowed to refer President Trump to the International Criminal Court for "crimes against humanity" over Trump's promotion of a drug that has not been conclusively proven to fight the coronavirus. State Rep. Tavia Galonski tweeted Sunday after President Trump spoke about hydroxychloroquine at his daily press briefing. The drug, normally used to treat malaria, is one of several that the president has pointed to as showing promise in the fight against COVID-19, but its effectiveness has been a subject of debate. "I can’t take it anymore. I’ve been...

How do you know if killing a baby in an abortion is “essential?” If the abortion clinic says so. That’s akin to letting a rapist determine if his sexual assault truly constitutes rape, but it’s the decision U.S. District Court Judge Michael Barrett just issued in the dispute between the state of Ohio and abortion businesses over whether abortions are medically essential procedures. Ohio is one of several states that included elective abortions in their bans on non-essential medical procedures during the global health crisis. The orders are meant to save lives by conserving medical resources and preventing further spread...

CLEVELAND, Ohio – There is a time in the future when Ohio will lift its stay-at-home order to limit the spread of the coronavirus. Residents will emerge from isolation, once again able to see family and friends. Many of the businesses that closed their doors will reopen....Experts say the fallout from the prolonged period of isolation could have a profound and lasting impact on everything from mental health to the way businesses operate. It could cause at least a temporary change in societal norms because many people might be wary of seeing a movie in a crowded theater or even...

Ohio will suffer more death and destruction after a judge allowed abortion facilities in the state to continue elective abortions during the coronavirus pandemic. Even though there is nothing essential about aborting an unborn baby, Ohio District Court Judge Michael Barrett ruled late Monday that closing abortion facilities would cause “irreparable harm” to women, according to National Review. Ohio is one of several states that included elective abortions in their bans on non-essential medical procedures during the global health crisis. The orders are meant to save lives by conserving medical resources and preventing further spread of the virus. However, Planned...

Planned Parenthood, along with other pro-abortion organizations, sued government officials in four states on Monday after abortion in those states was deemed a “non-essential” procedure during the coronavirus pandemic. Last week, the abortion corporation also sued the state of Texas for its temporary suspension of elective abortions. Iowa, Ohio, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Texas each issued orders that either call for — or appear to call for — abortion to be included in non-essential medical procedures that must be postponed during the COVID-19 crisis. As emergency medical teams and hospitals face a shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) for staff members...

A federal judge has blocked Ohio’s ban on abortion during the coronavirus pandemic just hours after Planned Parenthood, Preterm Cleveland, and other abortion facilities made the request. Senior U.S. District Judge Michael Barrett temporarily blocked the ban for 14 days, but he also said he may issue a preliminary injunction to allow abortions to continue while the abortion facilities prepare their legal fight. Earlier this month, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost sent letters to abortion facilities ordering them to stop committing “non-essential and elective” surgical abortions. The letters were sent after a request was made by the Ohio Department of...

COLUMBUS — After calling the Food and Drug Administration "reckless," Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine talked to President Donald Trump on a phone call early Sunday about mask-sterilizing technology and COVID-19 in Ohio. By: Zach McAuliffe items.[0].image.alt Photo by: Julie Carr Smyth/AP COLUMBUS — After calling the Food and Drug Administration "reckless," Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine talked to President Donald Trump on a phone call early Sunday about mask-sterilizing technology and COVID-19 in Ohio. WATCH LIVE "We had a good conversation," DeWine tweeted Sunday morning. Governor Mike DeWine ✔ @GovMikeDeWine I have just talked with @realDonaldTrump about this issue, and we...

The Ohio Department of Health is investigating complaints this week about abortion facilities continuing to abort unborn babies in violation of a state health order. The Columbus Dispatch confirmed the investigation Friday as state leaders work to preserve medical resources and prevent the spread of the coronavirus. As LifeNews.com reported, abortion facilities are ignoring Ohio Health Director Amy Acton’s mandate to stop non-essential medical procedures, which went into effect last week. People called each abortion facility and confirmed that they still are aborting unborn babies. Last Friday, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost ordered two abortion business to stop killing babies...

Yet, it has now become clear that our grant-making agencies and law enforcement authorities have allowed our direct competitors, particularly China, to effectively leapfrog America by stealing this research for their own gain. There is no federal requirement for universities and research institutions that sponsor foreign researchers to put policies in place to safeguard federally funded research and sensitive technologies from being stolen. And we’re already seeing the consequences. Most recently, Charles Lieber, chair of the Chemistry and Chemical Biology Department at Harvard University, was accused of lying to U.S. authorities about his participation in the Chinese government-run “Thousand Talents...

#Ohio: Trump 47% (+4) Biden 43% #Pennsylvania: Trump 47% (+2) Biden 45% #Wisconsin: Trump 45% Biden 45%

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a harsh toll on news media in the Pittsburgh region including layoffs, suspension of print editions and, in at least one case, permanent closure. All of the moves are tied to a significant loss of advertising revenues for publishing outlets in the last couple weeks as businesses were shuttered, and sports and cultural events came to a grinding halt. Trib Total Media on Monday combined its two print editions — the Westmoreland edition based in Greensburg, and the Valley News Dispatch based in Tarentum — into one edition saying it is “confronting serious losses during...

The attorney general's office in Ohio has ordered all of the state's abortion providers stop offering the procedure, saying it falls under the category of "non-essential and elective surgery." There are six clinics in Ohio that provide surgical abortions, and five of them have pushed back, saying that their services are not only essential, but also time-sensitive. Because of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, there are shortages of personal protective equipment, like masks. The Ohio Department of Health on Wednesday said "non-essential and elective surgeries" would temporarily be suspended so health care workers dealing with COVID-19 cases would have proper gear....

UPDATE 3/22/20: Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio is refusing to comply with the Ohio Attorney General’s order to halt elective surgical procedures in order to ensure vital personal protective equipment (“PPE”) is available to hospital workers dealing with patients who have contracted COVID-19. In a post on their Facebook page, Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio claimed it is “complying” with the order to stop providing non-essential surgeries and procedures. However, it then stated: Under that order, Planned Parenthood can still continue providing essential procedures, including surgical abortion […] Our doors remain open. The Ohio Attorney General’s office sent a letter...

Ohio issues stay at home order until at least 4/6/2020

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) has no intention of dropping out of the race for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, and as the July convention draws closer, his decision to keep his campaign alive may mean chaos for the Democratic party. Five more states have suspended their Democratic primaries amid concerns about coronavirus, and it may soon be impossible for any candidate to win a majority of delegates. The New York Times reports that Indiana, Connecticut, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Maryland have now joined Ohio in postponing their presidential contests, leaving the future of the Democratic presidential nomination uncertain. Ohio, of...

Ohio doctors are obtaining so many prescriptions of a possible coronavirus treatment for themselves, their families, their colleagues and their friends that it’s wiping out the supply for everybody else -- including victims of Lupus who will become more susceptible to the virus without their usual medication. As a result, Ohio’s pharmacy board, in an emergency meeting Sunday morning, barred pharmacists from dispensing chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine for COVID-19 unless a person has tested positive for the virus or otherwise approved by the pharmacy board’s executive director. In order to get either of those drugs the patient’s positive test must be...

Abortion clinics in Ohio have been ordered to cease abortion operations amid the COVID-19 outbreak as the state government and pro-choice groups spar over the definition of "essential" healthcare. On Friday, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost (R) sent a letter to two abortion clinics — Women's Med Center in Dayton and Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio's Cincinnati Surgery Center — ordering them to stop “non-essential” procedures that require equipment such as surgical masks. "You and your facility are ordered to immediately stop performing non-essential and elective surgical abortions. Non-essential surgical abortions are those that can be delayed without undue risk...