Friday, May 22nd, 2026

Welcome to Friday’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 day in 1980, Pac-Man launched in Japan as Puck Man, until Namco realized vandals could easily alter that "P" into something inappropriate. The name change stuck, and so did the game.

A new bill has been introduced that would require bars to make drug-detection test strips available for their customers. Find out why in the Top of the Fold.

Also, in honor of the long weekend, we have compiled the best Memorial Day playlist ever. Find it in the Peach Section.

Ohio lawmakers are pushing bipartisan legislation that would require bars to make drug-detection test strips available to customers, allowing them to check for substances like GHB and Rohypnol before drinking.

The bill comes amid growing concerns about drink-spiking incidents, with one study finding roughly 10% of college students surveyed reported having their drinks tampered with.

More on this story here.

Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced indictments against eight people for stealing a combined $542,176 from Medicaid by billing for services never rendered, while three others face charges for stealing money directly from nursing home residents.

Bill Davidge, who captained Ohio State's hockey team, helped launch the Miami University program and spent two decades as a scout and broadcaster for the Columbus Blue Jackets, died this week at age 72.

Davidge was a central Ohio hockey pioneer who built the sport from the ground up in Ohio and was remembered by the Blue Jackets as the greatest advocate and ambassador the organization had ever known.

More on Bill Davidge here.

A HuffPost report by Anthony Orrico documents a TikTok and X trend in which self-identified MAGA supporters say they plan to fly to Los Angeles to cast ballots for former reality TV star Spencer Pratt in the June 2 mayoral primary, citing California's lack of a voter-ID requirement. 

The article notes California does require ID at registration and that anyone attempting to vote under another person's name would face up to three years in prison. Pratt's campaign did not respond to a request for comment.

Read the full article here.

Weather permitting, the 110th running of the Indy 500 goes green Sunday at 12:30 p.m. ET on FOX, followed by the NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte at 6 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime Video. Both events are sold out, so find a good seat on the couch.

Memorial Day falls on May 25, and for most people, it means the first real weekend of summer — cookouts, road trips, and a long-overdue exhale.

The day honors U.S. military personnel who died in service. It started as Decoration Day after the Civil War and became a federal holiday in 1971. Flags fly at half-staff until noon. At 3 p.m. local time, the National Moment of Remembrance asks everyone to pause, wherever you happen to be.

The National Memorial Day Concert airs on PBS from the Capitol lawn Sunday evening, and Monday morning, the President lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington.

Then the pools open, the grills come out, and people head wherever they've been meaning to go since March.

Solemn in the morning, easygoing by the afternoon. Most of Ohio is expecting rain this weekend — but the day means what it means, rain or not. Have a great weekend.

We took an office poll, phoned a few friends, and argued about it for longer than we should have, and landed on these two Memorial Day playlists — one for the classic rock crowd and one for the country fans. Enjoy!

The Classic Rock List

Start with Tom Petty's "American Girl" and just try not to smile. Chuck Berry's "Back in the USA" keeps things moving. Lynyrd Skynyrd (of course) earns two spots — "Simple Man" for when the afternoon slows down, and "Free Bird" – the official theme song of the USA gold medal hockey team and, well, because someone at your cookout is going to ask you to play it. 

David Bowie's "Heroes" is about ordinary people doing extraordinary things under pressure. Feels right for the day. "Brothers in Arms" by Dire Straits is the most serious song on the list — a slow, quiet gut punch about what war actually costs. Don't skip it. Bob Seger's "Turn the Page" is for anyone who's ever been far from home doing a hard job.

Cinderella's "Coming Home" speaks for itself. Whitesnake's "Still of the Night" and 38 Special's "Hold on Loosely" are there for when the sun goes down, and nobody's ready to call it a night.

The Country List

Trace Adkins' "Arlington" is narrated by a soldier buried at Arlington National Cemetery. It will stop you cold. Tim McGraw's "If You're Reading This" is a letter home from a soldier who didn't make it back. Put these two on early before the crowd gets loud.

Toby Keith pulls double duty — "American Soldier" is a tribute, "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue" is a gut-check. David Ball's "Riding with Private Malone" is one of the most underrated songs on this list, a Vietnam-era story that sneaks up on you. Billy Ray Cyrus' "Some Gave All" reminds you what Monday is actually for.

John Michael Montgomery's "Letters from Home" puts you on both ends of that mailbox. "Bring Him Home" is a quiet prayer. Lee Greenwood closes it out. Sing along.

Turn it up. They earned it.

Should schools be required to meet a certain reading curriculum by the government?
- Yes, there needs to be a standard schools have to meet - 30%
- No, how students get taught should be up to the schools - 10%
- Yes and no, the government should require kids to know how to read, but shouldn't tell schools how to achieve that - 60%

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