Report. Reflect. Respond.
Thursday, April 23rd, 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 23, 1980, the number one song in America was "Call Me" by Blondie — the track was recorded for the soundtrack of the film "American Gigolo”.
While the polls may be close, one gubernatorial candidate is dominating the other in campaign funds. Find out who in The Top of the Fold.
According to recent data, more and more high school students are pursuing alternative routes to the traditional four-year education system. Find out why in our Education Section below.
Top of The Fold
Ramaswamy Pumps $25M of His Own Money into Ohio Governor's Race
Vivek Ramaswamy has invested $25 million of his own money into his Ohio governor's campaign, giving him a massive fundraising advantage with $50 million raised total compared to Democrat Amy Acton's $9.3 million.
Ramaswamy holds $30 million in cash heading into the Ohio May 5th primary.
For more on this story, go here.
Senate Bill 1 Forces Ohio Public Universities to Cut Nearly 90 Degree Programs
Senate Bill 1 has pushed Ohio's public universities to eliminate nearly 90 undergraduate degree programs that average fewer than five graduates per year.
Several schools, including Cleveland State, Miami University, and the University of Akron, have yet to finalize their cuts pending spring graduation data.
Read more here.
2026 NFL Draft Kicks Off Today in Pittsburgh
Four Ohio State players — Arvell Reese, Caleb Downs, Sonny Styles, and Carnell Tate — could all be selected in the top 10 picks of the NFL Draft.
If five Buckeyes are selected in the first round, as many experts project, Ohio State would tie its school record and reach 100 all-time first-round draft picks.
More on the draft here.
Page One
National
DC - Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer left the Trump administration Monday amid an inspector general investigation into allegations she drank on the job, had an inappropriate relationship with her security guard, and used taxpayer money for personal travel. (More)
Virginia - Virginia voters approved a measure to redraw the state's congressional districts, which could shift the state's 11-seat delegation from a 6-to-5 Democratic edge to a 10-to-1 Democratic advantage. The measure now heads to the Virginia Supreme Court, where Republicans are expected to mount legal challenges to preserve the existing maps. (More)
Alabamba - The Southern Poverty Law Center, which built its identity fighting the Ku Klux Klan but struggled for relevance as the KKK faded, was indicted Tuesday on 11 federal counts for secretly paying more than $3 million to extremist group leaders while telling donors the money was being used to dismantle them. (More)
Statewide
Parma - A student shot and died Monday afternoon in the cafeteria of Valley Forge High School in Parma Heights. Authorities evacuated students to a nearby Tri-C campus, and the district closed both Valley Forge and Normandy high schools on Tuesday and Wednesday. (More)
Maple Heights - A 22-year-old Maple Heights woman, Aniyah Cheyenne Blair, ran a red light early Sunday, struck and killed 74-year-old Donna Godly on Cleveland's Lee Road, and drove away before police tracked down her damaged Jeep and arrested her on felony charges. (More)
Cleveland - Five Romanian nationals have been indicted on federal charges for allegedly conspiring to steal nearly $1 million in SNAP food assistance benefits from low-income families in Ohio and California. Four of the defendants were arrested, and one faces an additional charge for illegally reentering the U.S. after being deported twice. (More)
Pike County - Three of four Wagner family members have pleaded guilty or been convicted in the 2016 Pike County massacre that killed eight people, while patriarch George "Billy" Wagner awaits a trial set to begin no earlier than October 2026. (More)
Cincinnati - A Gratis police officer resigned, and the police chief remained on paid leave after the two showed up unannounced at three Cincinnati schools to conduct welfare checks on behalf of ICE, though school officials turned them away, and no students were contacted. (More)
Toledo — Toledo health officials have issued a public health advisory after a collapsed sewer and failed bypass pump sent raw sewage spilling into Swan Creek, where E. coli levels have exceeded safety limits — warning residents to avoid the waterway from Eastgate to the Maumee River and all connected waterways. (More)
Education
More Ohio Students Are Skipping the Four-Year Track
By Morgan B.
Career and technical education is having a moment in Ohio. Twenty-six percent of Ohio's class of 2024 earned industry-recognized credentials during high school — up from just 2 percent of the class of 2014 [The Thomas B. Fordham Institute], according to a recent Fordham Institute report. For context, about one in four Ohio high schoolers were enrolled in a CTE program during the 2022-23 school year, up from roughly one in six a decade ago.
The appeal isn't hard to understand. CTE programs offer hands-on training, certifications, and a direct path into the workforce without the weight of college debt. Top programs are concentrated in high-demand fields like healthcare, IT, skilled trades, and advanced manufacturing.
State leaders are taking notice. Ohio spends $700–$800 million annually on CTE, and Gov. Mike DeWine approved $300 million to help schools upgrade equipment for their programs. Fordham research director Aaron Churchill notes that roughly half of Ohio's 18-to-24-year-olds are currently enrolled in college — meaning the other half needs a different on-ramp to the workforce.
The investment push comes with a quality caveat: Churchill told Spectrum News that ensuring programs are actually preparing students for the job market is just as important as expanding access to them.
Editorial
Before You Call Someone a Fascist, Maybe Look Up What One Is
By The Pennant Editorial Staff
The word "fascist" gets thrown around so much these days that it has lost almost all meaning. Scroll through X for five minutes, and you'll find conservatives calling liberals fascists and liberals calling conservatives fascists. Everyone's a fascist. Nobody's a fascist. But the truth is, almost nobody can tell you what one actually is.
So, this is an honest attempt by The Pennant editorial staff to try and fix that. Wish us luck.
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]