
Report. Reflect. Respond.
Thursday, April 30th, 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 April 30, 1921, the American Professional Football Association reorganized in Akron, Ohio.
The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled same-sex partner cannot claim parental rights without marriage. Find out why in the Top of The Fold.
Also, the FBI has found the missing drones. Read about the situation in our editorial section.
Top of The Fold
Strait of Hormuz Hits Ohio Wallets
Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has cut off a waterway carrying 20% of the world's daily oil supply.
Brent crude topped $112 a barrel Tuesday, with analysts warning it could hit $115.
Ohio drivers felt it immediately. Regular unleaded jumped 30 cents in a single day to $4.29 a gallon.
More here.
Ohio Supreme Court Rules Same-Sex Partner Cannot Claim Parental Rights Without Marriage
The Ohio Supreme Court ruled that a woman cannot claim to be a legal parent to her ex-girlfriend's three children because the two were never married, even though same-sex marriage was banned in Ohio when they were together.
The case was sent back to a lower court to look at other options.
For more on this, go here.
Ohio Bill Would Require Human Review of AI Hiring Decisions
Two Democratic lawmakers have introduced legislation that would bar Ohio employers from relying solely on AI when making hiring, promotion, or disciplinary decisions.
The bill would also give workers the right to request a human evaluation.
Page One
National
DC - A former senior adviser to Dr. Anthony Fauci has been charged with destroying and concealing federal records tied to investigations into COVID-19's origins, along with running a kickback scheme. David Morens, 78, faces up to 51 years in prison if convicted on all five counts. (More)
Virginia - The Virginia Supreme Court is weighing whether Democrats followed proper constitutional procedures in passing a voter-approved redistricting amendment, with Republicans arguing the process was procedurally flawed. In a potential setback, the court declined to certify the results, blocking the new congressional map from taking effect while litigation continues. (More)
Florida - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis unveiled a new congressional map this week that would shift the state's delegation from a 20-8 to a 24-4 Republican majority, targeting Democratic seats in Tampa, Central Florida, and South Florida. The plan is expected to be immediately challenged in court. (More)
Statewide
Statewide - In honor of former Republican Sen. James Carnes, who died Saturday, Gov. Mike DeWine has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff May 4, the day of Carnes' funeral. (More)
Cleveland - Educators and community members packed a school board meeting to challenge district leaders over layoffs and a consolidation plan that includes closing or merging 29 schools ahead of the 2026-27 school year amid declining enrollment and funding pressures. (More)
Findlay - The University of Findlay and Ohio State University have joined forces to support veterinary medicine in Ohio as part of Ohio State's College of Veterinary Medicine's Protect Health in Ohio initiative. (More)
Toledo - The Toledo Public Schools board unanimously approved its "Transformation 2.0 Plan,” which includes closing and repurposing elementary schools and reassessing athletics to address a $68 million budget deficit. The teachers' union is critical of the plan. (More)
Columbus - Republican Heather Hill was deemed ineligible for the May 5 primary ballot by Secretary of State Frank LaRose after her running mate, Stuart Moats, withdrew from the race on Wednesday. Hill says she intends to continue her campaign and appeal the decision. (More)
Wilmington - Resident Jessica Sharp is suing the city, claiming officials failed to give proper public notice before approving zoning changes that cleared the way for a proposed Amazon Web Services data center near her home. (More)
Government
Abandoned "Brownfield" Sites Could Solve Ohio's Data Center Problem
By The Pennant Staff
Former data center CEO Jim Connaughton told Congress on March 11 that outdated permitting — not contamination or cost — is the real obstacle to building data centers on brownfield sites, proposing an "Approve, Build, and Comply" model to cut regulatory delays. Connaughton, who chaired the White House Council on Environmental Quality under President George W. Bush, said a project with zero environmental impact still took three and a half years to win approval.
Ohio's Rep. Bob Latta questioned Connaughton directly, asking what Congress needs to do to move brownfield projects faster. Connaughton's answer: the problem is a redundant regulatory process, not actual environmental risk.
The exchange is directly relevant to Ohio, where communities from Licking County to Clinton County are pushing back on data centers consuming farmland. Some companies have already begun eyeing brownfield sites as an alternative — and on March 20, the federal government broke ground on a massive 10-gigawatt data center campus on the site of a decommissioned uranium enrichment plant in Pike County, now being rebranded as the PORTS Technology Campus.
If it works there, Ohio policymakers might have a model — and a congressman already on record asking the right questions.
Editorial
The Drones Were Never Explained
By The Pennant Editorial Staff
From mid-November through December 2024, unidentified aircraft filled the skies over New Jersey and New York. The FBI collected over 3,000 tips. Nobody could explain any of it.
White House National Security Communications Adviser John Kirby reported that there was "no evidence at this time" of a national security threat, which is a careful way of saying they had no idea what was happening.
CBS News noted that New Jersey Senator Andy Kim told reporters he wasn't "getting the kind of communication and engagement" from the FBI or Homeland Security that the public deserved. New Jersey's Governor wrote a letter to President Biden asking for help. Elected officials held closed-door briefings and emerged with nothing.
Then, in January 2025, the Trump White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the drones were FAA-authorized flights — hobbyists, researchers, recreational flyers. Case closed. Story over.
Except it wasn't a real answer. It was a dismissal. We were told to move on.
Read the full editorial here.
The Back Page
TRIVIA: What is the official nickname of the state of Ohio?
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