China’s stranglehold on critical minerals is now a national crisis

February 13, 2026

In the 1970s, when OPEC halted oil shipments to the United States, Congress established a “Strategic Petroleum Reserve.” It was an emergency measure to stockpile oil against a future crisis. Now, 50 years later, the United States is building a new strategic reserve. With China repeatedly threatening to halt exports of rare earth metals, the Trump administration has launched “Project Vault”—a $12 billion plan to stockpile critical minerals ahead of potential shortages. Much like the 1970s oil reserve, this “vault” will store key metals and minerals to blunt future supply ...

Next frontier is building digital assets framework

February 11, 2026

Ohio has a long history of producing people who attempt what others insist cannot be done. When two bicycle mechanics from Dayton argued that human flight was possible, the response was fear — warnings about danger, disorder, and defying nature. When an Ohio inventor promoted electric light, critics predicted fires, chaos, and threats to public safety. History settled the argument anyway. Flight shrank the world, electricity powered modern life, and the warnings that once dominated debate now read like footnotes. The lesson is simple: caution matters, but fear disguised as prudence ...

DeWine regrets he signed sports gambling legislation

February 2, 2026

While Frank Sinatra sang about “regrets, I’ve had a few, but then again, too few to mention,” Mike DeWine was quick to mention his biggest regret during his seven years as governor: signing the bill to legalize sports gambling. In a 60-minute interview earlier this week, DeWine said: “On the negative side, I’ve been pretty open about saying that if I had to do it over again I would not have signed the gaming bill. I don’t think I fully appreciated how many millions of dollars these gaming companies would spend coming into the state of Ohio to get more and more people ...

Sizing up state election, most Democrats face uphill battles

January 27, 2026

Despite a history of losing in Ohio, Democrats say they are optimistic about this year’s election. A Democrat has not won an executive branch race for state office since a 2008 special election for attorney general. That came two years after Democrats had remarkable gains in the state, largely because of the unpopularity of the Republican brand, particularly George W. Bush, who was then the president. It was short-lived for Democrats with Republicans winning all the statewide races in 2010 with close contests for governor and attorney general. But except for Sherrod Brown in 2012 ...

Can the U.S. solve its electricity crisis?

January 15, 2026

As America moves into 2026, consumers are looking for relief from an ongoing “affordability crisis.” While prices for some key items have mercifully held steady—or even come down—other costs such as rent, dining out, and hospital visits continue to climb unabated. U.S. electricity—the one sector that affects all consumer industries in some way—is also racing upward. America’s electricity costs have jumped 32% in just the past five years. That’s a major problem for our new digital economy. Why are electricity prices rising so rapidly? Soaring power demand—particularly ...

Communities keep momentum in fight against addiction

January 14, 2026

As we begin 2026, I am filled with optimism for the progress Ohio is making in the fight against addiction. Across our state, communities are working together to save lives, support families, and restore hope. This year, we have both the responsibility and the opportunity to build on that momentum. This past year marked a turning point for the OneOhio Recovery Foundation, the nonprofit organization created by our state’s leaders to manage and invest 55 percent of the funds received from the national opioid settlements. Through its first cycle of regional grants, the Foundation awarded ...