Report. Reflect. Respond.
Tuesday, August 18th, 2026
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On this date in 1969, Jimi Hendrix closed Woodstock with a Monday-morning set, playing "The Star-Spangled Banner" to a field that most of the crowd had already left.
Nvidia cut its Ohio data center backing by more than half, and two lawmakers want Flock cameras banned. Both stories are top of the fold today.
A bill to cut Ohio unemployment benefits from 26 weeks to 20 hasn't moved in more than a year. Find out what's holding it up in the government section of today's Pennant.
Top of The Fold
Nvidia cuts its backing for Ohio OpenAI data center to less than $120 billion
OHIO — Nvidia has cut the money it would put behind a huge OpenAI data center campus in southern Ohio, dropping from $250 billion to less than $120 billion after investors worried the chipmaker was risking too much of its own money.
The new deal would cover only the first part of the project, about five gigawatts, with a decision on paying for the rest coming later.
Ohio lawmakers push back on Flock camera changes
COLUMBUS — Two state lawmakers say new privacy controls announced by Flock Safety, which makes the automated license plate readers used by police, do not go far enough.
Rep. Levi Dean, R-Xenia, is drafting a bill to ban the cameras and other AI-assisted technologies in Ohio, while Rep. Tristan Rader, D-Lakewood, says elected officials should set the rules.
Rep. Phil Plummer, R-Dayton, a former sheriff, says the choice belongs to local governments.
More than 344,000 Ohio households lost power for nonpayment last year
COLUMBUS — Ohio's six regulated electric utilities disconnected 344,589 households for nonpayment between June 2025 and May 2026, or 7.7% of customers, according to an annual report filed with the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio.
AEP Ohio Power had the highest rate at 15%.
Ohio Consumers' Counsel Maureen Willis called it an affordability crisis and said smart meters now let utilities shut off service remotely, making disconnection easier and cheaper than sending a meter reader.
Page One
National
WASHINGTON — U.S. Central Command Adm. Brad Cooper visited the USS Abraham Lincoln and addressed mental health concerns after families raised alarms about the carrier's nine-month deployment.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Monday the U.S. would bomb Oman if it "gets in the way" of the standoff with Iran, as a 60-day ceasefire expired with no deal in sight.
DUBLIN — Wendy's has lost its six-year hold on the No. 2 U.S. burger chain spot to Burger King, posting a 7% sales drop as its rival's revamped Whopper drove sales up 8.5%.
Statewide
HAMBDEN — A grand jury indicted Hambden Township's former treasurer and assistant fire chief on felony charges of embezzling more than $1.5 million, money the indictment says covered gambling losses.
MEDINA — The city will host its fifth annual South Town Arts & Music Festival on Aug. 22, featuring live music, an art walk and food vendors.
COLUMBUS — Ohio State football has moved Senior Day from its final home game to its first, the Sept. 5 opener against Ball State, a change the program said is meant to keep players focused ahead of the Michigan game.
PORTSMOUTH — Two people were in critical condition Monday after a home explosion Sunday. The cause remains under investigation.
WARREN — A man said he received a threatening phone call from a family member about 10 minutes before his home was struck by gunfire.
Gonvernment
Ohio Bill to Cut Jobless Benefits to 20 Weeks Sits More Than a Year Without a Vote
By Edward Griffin
State Rep. Michelle Teska, R-Clearcreek Township, has introduced a bill that would reduce the maximum number of weeks a person can receive unemployment benefits in Ohio from 26 to 20. The measure has not moved out of committee in more than a year since it was filed.
Under current law, eligible claimants can receive up to 26 weeks of benefits in a benefit year. For benefit years beginning on or after the bill's effective date, the maximum would drop to 20 weeks, capped at 20 times the claimant's weekly benefit amount.
House Bill 376 was introduced June 23, 2025, and referred to the House Public Insurance and Pensions Committee. It has had two hearings, including proponent testimony from the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, NFIB Ohio, the Ohio Business Roundtable, and the Ohio Manufacturers' Association. The committee has not voted on the bill.
Proponents argue the reduction would improve the fund's solvency.
"Lowering the maximum duration of unemployment from 26 to 20 weeks — which still allows for five full months of benefits — will save the system approximately $165.8 million annually. Those savings over 10 years compound to over $1.8 billion," Kevin Shimp of the Ohio Chamber of Commerce testified.
Unless the bill passes before the 136th General Assembly adjourns at the end of 2026, it would die and have to be reintroduced next session.
Education
AI rules may not account for students with accommodations
OHIO — Ohio now requires every K-12 district to adopt a policy on artificial intelligence. State officials say the rules are meant to help students learn while reducing cheating.
But many students with IEPs and 504 plans already write with school-provided tools — speech-to-text, word prediction and grammar help. Those tools increasingly run on the same technology behind chatbots. That means a student following their own accommodation plan can turn in work that AI-detection software flags.
The companies that sell detection tools say a score is not proof. Whether Ohio districts wrote an exception for assistive technology is not yet clear.
The Back Page
TRIVIA: Which of the original 13 colonies was the last to ratify the U.S. Constitution?
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