True hate crimes are not as common as some would have us believe — but when they do occur, swift, severe punishment ought to be meted out. Last week, a federal judge in Cincinnati sentenced Izmir Koch, 34, to 2 1/2 years in prison because he lied to the FBI and violated the federal hate ...

Expect ultra-liberal politicians and special interest groups in Ohio to label the tax breaks just signed into law by Gov. Mike DeWine as something for “the rich.” But it isn’t, as residents most in need of relief will learn. Part of the two-year, $69 billion state budget, the changes ...

Substance abuse is both a personal crisis and a public health challenge. Resources to battle it must be viewed in that light. If a new study of how people purporting to be heroin users are treated by some health care providers is any guide, relatively minor federal policy changes could ...

There is plenty of bad news and there are plenty of truly bad people for those of us in journalism to tell you about. Occasionally, really good people surface, however. You ought to know about them, too. You may never have heard of Rodney Smith Jr., of Huntsville, Alabama. Lots of other ...

When could anyone have expected that being a champion in the battle against cancer would be a political liability? It will be, if some of his opponents for the Democratic Party nomination for president have their way. While he was vice president, Joe Biden had called for more research into ...

Officials at Mount Carmel Health System near Columbus appear to be working hard to correct the problems that made possible the deaths of at least 25 people due to excessive doses of painkillers, for which only one person — William Husel — is facing charges. At least 23 other employees ...

Giving local officials as much control as possible over public schools normally is the best policy. Education bureaucrats in state capitals simply are not familiar enough with local needs to handle the job well. But what if local officials are doing a terrible job? Is it fair to children to ...

Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein may yet spend an appropriate amount of time in a federal prison. He should have been sent away years ago. Why that did not happen needs to be explained. Epstein, 66, has been arrested by federal authorities in New York, on charges of sex trafficking involving ...

Among disagreements holding up adoption of a two-year budget for Ohio state government is one that could affect public schools in our area. Legislators were to have submitted a new budget proposal to Gov. Mike DeWine by June 30. When that deadline could not be met, an interim spending plan to ...

Even before President Donald Trump threatened to use tariffs on Mexican goods imported into the United States, that country’s leaders seemed to be doing more than their predecessors to keep potential illegal immigrants from crossing our southern border. Now, however, the campaign has ...

Equal pay for equal work has been one justification cited by those who believe the U.S. Soccer Federation’s World Cup-winning women’s team should be paid as much as those on the men’s team. But that is misleading: In an important way, the women are doing more valuable work. U.S. Sen. ...

Trust that Roman Catholic Church officials will do the right thing about allegations of sexual misconduct by members of the clergy is in question in many countries, not just the United States. What Pope Francis and others in the Catholic hierarchy do about the matter is watched closely ...

Elephants are among the most majestic creatures on the planet. Yet in some places, they are being killed off at an alarming rate. Poachers, who often cut the tusks out of dead elephants and leave their carcasses to rot, are responsible for many of the killings. Ivory still can bring a nice ...

Substance abuse is both a personal crisis and a public health challenge. Resources to battle it need to be viewed in that light. If a new study of how people purporting to be heroin users are treated by some health care providers is any guide, relatively minor federal policy changes could ...

An arrest record, even for a non-violent offense, can be enough to keep a job applicant on the rolls of the unemployed. Ohio lawmakers are now considering a change that would help some of those folks continue to move forward. A bill passed by the House of Representatives and under ...

Oh, no, county-level election officials in Ohio may be thinking. Not another mandate from Columbus. Indeed there is one — and it is of critical importance. Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose is ordering county boards of elections to upgrade security against cyberattacks. Knowledge of the ...

"The second day of July, 1776 will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God ...

Across the country, one in 167 pregnancies ends in a stillbirth. That translates to a fetal mortality rate in the U.S. of about 3.98 per 1,000 pregnancies. But in Ohio, the rate is 4.39 per 1,000. Ohio’s Department of Health is working to do something about that, and has partnered with ...

Still think we haven’t painted ourselves into a corner in this country with the taxpayer-funded public assistance programs that now keep so many families afloat? A study by the Ohio Chamber of Commerce Research Foundation shows 20 percent of Buckeye State businesses have had problems with ...

Pool season is in full swing, with children and adults laughing and screaming. But the laughing and screaming of children playing in the water can quickly turn tragic. More than 300 children younger than age 5 drown every year in swimming pool accidents across the country, and more than 3,200 ...