Report. Reflect. Respond.
Tuesday, June 30th, 2026
Welcome to Tuesday’s edition of The Pennant. To listen to this newsletter, click the “Listen Online” link in the top right corner of this email.
This Day in History: On June 30, 1971, Ohio became the 38th state to ratify the 26th Amendment, lowering the voting age to 18 and clinching the fastest ratification in U.S. history.
A recent AARP poll shows which gubernatorial candidate is leading. Check it out in the Top of The Fold.
Also, there’s an update on the construction of the New Albany Intel Plant. Read what it is in our Editorial Section.
Top of The Fold
Ohio Governor's Race Tightens As The Money Rolls In
COLUMBUS — A new AARP poll has Democrat Amy Acton leading Republican Vivek Ramaswamy 47% to 44% for governor and Sherrod Brown up 48% to 45% over Jon Husted for U.S. Senate, with both Democrats leading riding strong support from voters under 50 (the age gap behind both races).
Both gubernatorial campaigns have now raised between $10 million and $11 million in the first half of 2026 — Acton at $10.58 million on an average donation of $24, Ramaswamy at $10.29 million on top of a record $25 million of his own money (where the donations came from).
Republicans Weigh Overriding Dewine On Mail-In Id, Submetering
COLUMBUS — About a dozen Ohio House Republicans say they want to override Gov. Mike DeWine's vetoes of bills requiring photo ID for mail-in ballots and rewriting utility submetering rules, a push led in part by submetering sponsor Rep. David Thomas.
But the math is steep — an override needs 60 House votes, at least four Republicans who backed the ID bill say they won't go along, and any vote would have to wait for the lame-duck session after the November election.
Heat Dome To Push Ohio Index Past 100 Through Thursday
COLUMBUS — A heat advisory takes hold at noon Tuesday through 8 p.m. Thursday, with highs in the mid-90s and heat index values topping 100 across much of Ohio, as Akron and Canton open cooling centers.
Page One
National
WASHINGTON — U.S. and Iranian officials will resume talks Tuesday in Qatar at Tehran's request, President Trump said Monday, as both sides test a fragile ceasefire frayed by weekend strikes. The $6 billion question hanging over the U.S.-Iran deal.
NEW YORK — After two DSA-aligned candidates toppled establishment Democrats with backing from socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic Socialists of America are setting their sights on the Mountain West next. Inside the socialist left's battle for the Democratic Party.
WASHINGTON — A dangerous heat wave will cover much of the U.S. ahead of the July Fourth holiday, the National Weather Service warns, with more than 100 record highs expected through Saturday. The cities where records could fall this week.
Statewide
COLUMBUS — Ohio school districts are cutting jobs to close budget gaps and suing the state over more than $2 billion in private-school voucher spending after public schools last year saw their smallest funding increase in a decade. More than 300 districts say Ohio's vouchers are unconstitutional.
COLUMBUS — The U.S. Marshals Service is renewing efforts to locate Gordon Eugene Lambert, an inmate who escaped from the Orient Correctional Institution in Pickaway County in 1987 and is believed to be living under an alias.
WARREN — An Ohio woman is suing the Ohio Lottery Commission to block her son from collecting winnings on a ticket she alleges he bought with money stolen from her bank account.
CLEVELAND — A grand jury indicted Garett Fortune, 54, on 20 felony counts, including grand theft, money laundering, and six counts of securities fraud, stemming from an alleged scheme involving investors in his cannabis candy company.
ALLIANCE — The Alliance Police Department warned residents of a serial prowler targeting elderly women by allegedly displaying explicit content on a cellphone through house windows and entering several homes.
250th Aniversary
Ohio's Birthday Party Spreads Across All 88 Counties This Week
By The Pennant Staff
The Fourth of July always brings out the flags and the grills, but this year, Ohio has an extra reason to celebrate. The country turns 250, and the state has spent months planning events to mark the occasion.
The biggest one sits in the middle of downtown Columbus. On Saturday, the Ohio Statehouse, Columbus Commons, and the Ohio Theatre host the Ohio Signature Homecoming & Picnic from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., with food, music, and activities for families. It's one of four signature picnics statewide, joined by gatherings in Lima, Cincinnati, and Toledo. More than 160 smaller community picnics are planned through July, so most people won't have to drive far to find one.
The night before, Red, White & BOOM! returns to the Columbus riverfront on July 3, an event that usually pulls in well over 400,000 people for a parade, street festival, and fireworks.
The party isn't only a central Ohio thing. North Canton runs a full day of races, a parade, and an evening drone show. Up on Lake Erie, the Marblehead Lighthouse hosts a cookout and swimming before fireworks light up the water near Cedar Point. Chardon and Eaton have their own festivals going too.
You can find what's happening near you on the America250-Ohio events calendar.
Editorial
Intel's Missed Promises Drove The Ohio Chip Delays — And Left The State Exposed
By The Pennant Editorial Staff
NEW ALBANY — Intel's New Albany chip campus was supposed to be making semiconductors by now. Instead, the company told state officials that its first factory won't finish until 2030, with production in 2030-31 and a second plant trailing into 2032.
The blame for that slide rests mostly with Intel. When it announced the project in 2022 — the largest investment ever made by a company in Ohio's history at more than $28 billion — the company promised an aggressive 2025 start.
That date first slipped to late 2026, then to the end of the decade. Intel says it is matching factory openings to customer demand, but it has also leaned on a $2 billion SoftBank infusion to steady its books. You can read Intel's revised timeline.
But Ohioans should understand where their own leaders dropped the ball.
Continue reading the editorial here.
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.
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