Report. Reflect. Respond.
Thursday, May 14th, 2026
Welcome to Wednesday’s edition of The Pennant. To listen to this newsletter, click the “Listen Online” link in the top right corner of this email.
On this date in 1998, Frank Sinatra died of a heart attack in Los Angeles at age 82.
The Case regarding EdChoice is headed to the appeals court. Find out why in the Top of the Fold.
Also, it is projected that Ohio families will be facing higher energy bills soon. Read by how much in our Cost of Living section.
Top of The Fold
EdChoice Voucher Case Heads to Appeals Court
More than 300 Ohio public school districts argued before the 10th District Court of Appeals that the state's EdChoice voucher program violates the Ohio Constitution by diverting public school funding to private schools.
A decision is expected in the coming months, with the case almost certainly headed next to the Ohio Supreme Court. (Voucher)
For more on the coverage of this hearing, see The Pennant Editorial.
OSU Asks Court to Dismiss Dozens of Strauss Abuse Cases Over Pre-1986 Claims
A federal judge is weighing Ohio State's motion to dismiss roughly 80 Richard Strauss abuse cases involving survivors who were assaulted before a 1986 law that allowed individuals to sue state universities under Title IX.
10 Columbus Teens Indicted on Hundreds of Charges in Theft and Robbery Spree
Columbus police announced Tuesday that 10 teenagers between the ages of 15 and 18 have been indicted on a combined 281 felony charges tied to a two-year crime spree involving 168 incidents, 551 victims, 42 stolen guns, and nearly $600,000 in stolen merchandise.
A 15-year-old alone faces 102 charges, and police say the group organized nightly, assigning roles for who would steal cars, grab guns, and run from police helicopters.
Page One
National
Space - Google is in discussions with SpaceX about launching solar-powered satellites equipped with AI processors as part of Project Suncatcher, the company's effort to build an orbital data center network in space. (More)
DC - House Republicans launched an oversight task force to investigate alleged widespread Medicaid fraud in Ohio, after a report found 288 home health companies sharing the same Columbus addresses billed the federal government more than $250 million between 2018 and 2024. (More)
DC - A CIA veteran testified Wednesday before Sen. Rand Paul's Senate Homeland Security Committee, alleging that intelligence officials suppressed evidence of a Wuhan lab leak and changed document conclusions in the middle of the night. (More)
Statewide
Statewide -A new state security measure requires Ohio SNAP recipients to unlock their EBT cards before making online or out-of-state purchases, after nearly 56,000 suspicious out-of-state transactions drained more than $6.3 million from 12,900 Ohio accounts in the last six months. (More)
Also Statewide - Ohio is launching a $20 million campaign warning pregnant women and young people about marijuana risks, after polling found 51% of women who are pregnant or planning pregnancy reported using the drug. (More)
Butler County - St. Clair Township has passed a data center moratorium, but fears it may be meaningless if neighboring Trenton annexes roughly 600 acres of township land to build a second mega data center alongside the Prologis project already underway. (More)
Dayton - The Modern College of Design in Kettering, a private graphic design school founded in 1983, is closing June 23. A virtual commencement is set for June 7. (More)
Columbus - Dueling petitions have emerged over Columbus FOP President Brian Steel after he called NAACP Columbus Chapter President Sean Walton Jr. a "poverty pimp" at a post-conviction press conference. (More)
Cost of Living
Ohio Families Face Higher Power Bills — and Less Help to Pay Them
By Edward G
Ohio families will pay an estimated $672 to cool their homes this summer, about $30 more than last year, according to the National Energy Assistance Directors Association. Nationally, cooling costs have jumped 37% since 2020.
For low-income Ohioans, the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program helps roughly 250,000 households each year, but the average Summer Crisis Program grant is just $303, not enough to cover half the summer bill. President Trump's budget proposal called the $4 billion program "unnecessary," and while Congress has pushed back on similar cuts before, advocates are worried this time.
Sens. Jon Husted and Bernie Moreno have not taken strong public positions on the program. Many Ohio families may soon open a power bill they cannot pay.
Editorial
The EdChoice Coverage Had a Point of View. It Should Have Said So.
By The Pennant Editorial Staff
Several Ohio news outlets covered last week's EdChoice voucher hearing before the 10th District Court of Appeals. Most of the stories followed the same basic shape — and most of them had the same problems. The state appealed a June 2025 ruling that found EdChoice unconstitutional, bringing the case before the appeals court.
Who Got the Microphone
The articles and most of the TV reports quoted people who oppose school vouchers with long, emotional quotes that were easy to connect with. People who support vouchers got shorter, more technical quotes. A group called "Vouchers Hurt Ohio" was mentioned over and over without anyone pointing out that the name itself is an opinion, not a fact.
A research group called Policy Matters Ohio was called "nonpartisan" in several of the stories. However, the group's funders include the Ford Foundation, national labor unions, and the Ohio Association of Public School Employees, the union representing workers in the public schools that stand to benefit if the voucher program is struck down.
That is not a disqualifier, but it is context every reader deserves. Good reporting names its sources. Better reporting explains who they are.
The Back Page
The Pennant welcomes letters to the editor and guest columns from readers. Submissions may be edited for length, clarity, and AP style. The Pennant reserves the right to verify all information contained in submissions before publication.
Please send all submissions to [email protected]