Report. Reflect. Respond.
Wednesday, July 29th, 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 this day in 1958, NASA was created after President Dwight Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act. Two Ohioans would come to define it: John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth, and Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon.
The Ohio State Fair opens today in Columbus after a $460 million rebuild of the fairgrounds, and federal agents are preparing to target Ohio's Haitian community. Both are in Top of the Fold.
Ryan Day, Julian Sayin, Jeremiah Smith and Jaylen McClain take the podium at Big Ten media days at noon today. Our friends at the Buckeye Insider and The Buckeye Weekly Podcast are covering it from Chicago.
Top of The Fold
Ohio State Fair Opens Today After $460 Million Overhaul
COLUMBUS — The 171st Ohio State Fair opens today at the Ohio Expo Center and runs through Aug. 9, the first year fairgoers will see the finished $460 million rebuild of the grounds.
Gates open at 7 a.m., the butter cow is back, and $2 gets a rider on the SkyGlider or the new Ohio-built carousel until 2 p.m.
ICE Expected To Target Ohio's Haitian Community As Protections End
SPRINGFIELD — ICE plans to arrest Haitian migrants in Ohio and fly them to Haiti, possibly this week, according to federal documents obtained by CBS News, with Fox News reporting Springfield's large Haitian population makes the state a focus.
Haiti's Temporary Protected Status ended Monday; Gov. Mike DeWine's office said it knows of no unusual ICE activity.
Ohio's Tax-Free Weekend Is Nine Days Out, And It's Smaller
COLUMBUS — Ohio's sales tax holiday runs Aug. 7 through 9 and covers only clothing under $75 and school supplies and materials under $20.
Last August the break ran two weeks and applied to almost anything under $500, but lawmakers moved it back to the old three-day format and sent the money to a fund that keeps school districts whole under the new property tax caps.
Page One
National
WASHINGTON — Trump demanded Monday that the Senate scrap its August recess until it passes the SAVE America Act, a proof-of-citizenship voting bill backed by Ohio Sen. Jon Husted that Republicans lack the votes to advance.
COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina buries Sen. Lindsey Graham today with a State House procession and an F-16 flyover in Columbia. The four-term Republican died July 11 at age 71.
WASHINGTON — A salmonella outbreak tied to nearly 1.6 million recalled egg cartons has sickened 98 people in 17 states. To see where the eggs were sold, go here.
Statewide
LAKEWOOD — City leaders are weighing a lawsuit against FirstEnergy over two years of repeated outages, and have refiled a PUCO complaint; the utility cites heat-driven strain and says it is investing in upgrades.
ASHVILLE — Anduril unveiled the first Ohio-built Fury semi-autonomous fighter drone Monday as part of its contract with the U.S. Air Force.
COLUMBUS — Starting Aug. 3, U.S. 33, also known as Riverside Drive, will close between Fishinger Road and state Route 161 for 45 days
COLUMBUS — Cobra, a bar known for its Asian American food and drinks, won Best U.S. Restaurant Bar at the Spirited Awards.
TOLEDO — A Toledo man won $1 million on a scratch-off lottery ticket, then bought a second ticket and won another $25,000.
Government
Fauci Testifies Before Senate Committee This Morning
By The Pennant Staff
WASHINGTON — Dr. Anthony Fauci appears before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee this morning. The hearing begins at 8:30 a.m. EDT in the Dirksen Senate Office Building. Committee Chairman Rand Paul, R-Ky., subpoenaed Fauci after Fauci told the panel he would not appear voluntarily.
Paul posted 1,141 pages on Saturday that he says are Fauci's diary entries from December 2019 through December 2022. Paul said the entries show that what Fauci wrote privately about the virus's origin differed from what he said publicly. Other entries describe media attention and meetings with celebrities.
The committee is expected to question Fauci about federal grants tied to the Wuhan Institute of Virology, gain-of-function research, and his previous sworn testimony. Fauci has denied misleading Congress and has said the evidence indicates the virus passed from an animal to a person. Democrats have described the investigation as politically motivated, and a 2024 House minority report concluded his earlier testimony was accurate.
President Joe Biden issued Fauci a full, unconditional pardon Jan. 19, 2025, covering federal offenses dating to Jan. 1, 2014. The pardon does not cover statements made under oath today.
Sports
Buckeyes Hit The Podium In Chicago At Noon
By Edward Griffin
CHICAGO — Ohio State takes its turn on Day 2 of Big Ten media days today, with Ryan Day scheduled at the podium at noon inside the Hilton Chicago.
Quarterback Julian Sayin, receiver Jeremiah Smith and safety Jaylen McClain are making the trip with him. Sayin threw for 3,610 yards and 32 touchdowns in his first full season as the starter, though the Buckeyes dropped their final two games. Smith already has 2,558 yards and 27 touchdown catches through two years, more than any Big Ten receiver has put up that fast. McClain won the safety job as a sophomore and finished with 53 tackles.
Our friends at Buckeye Insider and The Buckeye Weekly Podcast will cover the event and provide updates throughout the day.
The Back Page
Previous Poll Results
Have you noticed a significant increase in your electric bill the last 12 months?
- Yes - 67%
- No - 8%
- Unsure - 25%
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]