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The stinking hypocrisy of disgraced ex-Ohio State President Ted Carter is wafting across the Oval. It’s almost as bad as the hypocritical stench coming off Trump, MAGA and evangelical Christians, but not quite. 

At least Carter came clean, admitting to the “inappropriate relationship” that forced his resignation. Nevertheless, losing Carter was welcome news for many students and alumni who, to put it mildly, have been grossed out by the university’s shift to the (white) right.

Carter deceived many, not just his wife. And did so with a straight face. Just ask the hundreds of graduating students and their families at OSU’s last commencement.

Back in December, just a few days before Christmas, Carter chose himself to deliver OSU’s 441st commencement. Certainly, his “inappropriate relationship” at this time was still ongoing. However, this is what he told the 3,500-plus students seated on the floor in front of him and their families, who occupied every single one of the 19,500 seats in the Schottenstein Center. 

When you look at what Trump is doing, ARE YOU ANGRY? Please say yes. I know we’re tired, but our democracy depends on us caring enough to continue the fight. With your help, No Kings III on 3/28 will be the biggest protest America has ever seen. It’s our chance to FIGHT BACK against the brutality and stupidity of an illegal war, against the corruption, lies and indecency of Donald Trump and everyone around him. 

Help us spread the word! Check out the graphics in this folder created by the amazing Mishka Griffin, and download and share them on social media. The folder includes graphics for each of the 22 events in central Ohio!

In a historic two day escalation, a coalition representing nine local entities from Washington County arrived at the Ohio Statehouse on Thursday, March 5 to hand deliver resolutions demanding a three year moratorium on Class I and Class II injection wells. This movement follows a massive gathering in Marietta on Wednesday evening and a two part action in Columbus today that included a protest of the Ohio Oil and Gas Association awards and a press conference at the Statehouse.

A new report from Innovation Ohio finds that major technology companies are dramatically increasing electricity demand in Ohio while taxpayers and ratepayers shoulder the costs.

The report, “Data Centers, Ohio’s Electric Grid, and Your Power Bill,” documents how tax breaks and energy demand from data centers operated by companies like Google, Amazon, and Meta Platforms are driving new pressure on the state’s electric grid and shifting costs onto Ohio households.

Large data centers operate thousands of servers around the clock and can use as much electricity as entire cities. Yet the report finds Ohio continues to subsidize the industry through tax breaks that now cost $140 million per year, even as infrastructure upgrades and higher electricity demand push up energy prices for residents.

Last month we heard from Ohio's Speaker of the House, Matt Huffman, that if an overwhelming portion of his caucus wanted to pass legislation ending the death penalty, he was "not going to block that from coming to the floor."

We are grateful that Gov. DeWine has not allowed any executions to take place during his tenure as Ohio's governor. We were expecting him to issue some kind of death penalty announcement in January - here we are in March and we are still waiting... but we know that there are constant chatters about the death penalty around the Statehouse.

We are echoing a series of action opportunities pushed by our friends at Ohioans to Stop Executions(OTSE): each week in March, we need your help in reaching out to your state representative and Speaker Huffman. Due to the large volume of calls and to ensure that there is regular communication to the Speaker, we are asking that you call on the day that you receive this message - it will be either a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday.

Last month we told you about Senate Bill 294, which would "declare the state's energy siting policy" by instructing the Ohio Power Siting Board on which kinds of power projects they can approve and which they can't.

Sponsored by George Lang and Mark Romanchuk, SB 294 has been called a "de facto statewide ban" on solar and wind energy.

The Serpent Mound Star Knowledge Spring Equinox Peace Summit offers three days of ceremony with indigenous elders, musical experiences through song, dance and drumming, workshops, presentations and other spiritually transformative opportunities. It takes place Friday 3/20-Sunday 3/22 from 9AM-6PM each day at Woodland Altars, 33200 State Route 41, Peebles, Ohio where most presentations will be indoors. The gathering site is six miles from the mound. Admission ranges from $44 to $111 and there is an option for a livestream Zoom access by love donation in any amount. This family friendly gathering offers free admission to children under 17. Tickets can be purchased on site or in advance through the Eventbrite link on the event page at
https://www.facebook.com/events/3759533794349544 or https://alternateuniverserockshop.com/events.

Tuesday, March 10, 6:00PM
Columbus Liberation Center, 1004 Parsons Ave

This Women’s History Month, we’re diving into the hidden histories of the women and movements that have radically shaped our rights and fight back!

Often erased by the media and our textbooks, women played an anchoring role in the fight to expand our democratic and civil rights! From the labor wars to the fight for Black freedom, women have been at the helm!

Join us at the Columbus Liberation Center on Tuesday, March 10th at 6pm to dive into the lessons these women revolutionaries have for our fight back movement today.

This morning, news broke that Ted Carter, president of The Ohio State University, has abruptly resigned over an “inappropriate relationship” with someone who received “access to top officials” while “seeking public resources to support her personal business.”

I’ve been told that Columbus City Hall is where good ideas go to die.

One part of the Monday, March 2 “Our City Our Say” meeting was the opportunity to communicate with other people who 1. Love Columbus, and 2. Aren’t afraid of doing something different. It was your standard small group brainstorm activity that provided a well-fertilized garden of ideas from just your average citizens.

1. A City Council “Scorecard.” There is no job description or evaluation for the part-time job of City Council (no attendance policy either). Why not create a simple “Scorecard” to rate the effectiveness of each council member? More accountability and responsibility to the people?

Last Nov. only about 11 percent of Columbus residents even took the time to vote. What if 50 percent of residents voted? A simple “Scorecard” might give the kind of feedback that voters and non-voters have been desperate for.