Tuesday, May 5th, 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.

Today is Cinco de Mayo, a day meant to commemorate the Mexican army's 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla.

Today is also Primary day in Ohio. Find out what’s on the ballot in the Top of the Fold. And remember, your voice matters, so don’t forget to vote!

Over the weekend, Spirit Airlines officially announced its closure. A TikToker is trying to revive them. Find out how in our Business section.

Ohio voters are casting ballots today in races that could shape control of Congress and statehouses heading into November. The state's governor and U.S. Senate primaries top the ticket. 

Ohio's U.S. Senate seat — vacated when JD Vance became vice president — draws perhaps the most national attention. Appointed GOP Sen. Jon Husted faces no primary challenger, while former Sen. Sherrod Brown seeks the Democratic nomination.

Republicans argue Husted's moderate record gives him broad appeal; Democrats contend his appointment, rather than election, leaves him politically untested.

Click here for more information.

The Ohio Supreme Court ruled Sunday that petitioners failed to gather enough valid signatures to trigger a recall election targeting Whitehall Mayor Michael Bivens and two city council members, saying the city clerk wrongly certified the petitions using an incorrect voter threshold.

Petitioners now have 10 days to collect additional signatures to keep the effort alive.

Continue reading here.

Ohio shoppers can buy school supplies and clothing tax-free Aug. 7-9, but the 2026 sales tax holiday covers a narrower list of items than in the past.

Among the changes, only clothing priced at $75 or less and school supplies priced at $20 or less will qualify.

Items ordered online during the three-day window qualify even if they arrive later, but purchases by businesses, restaurant meals, alcohol, tobacco, and motor vehicles are all excluded from the break.

Find more information here.

When Spirit Airlines shut down last weekend, voice actor Hunter Peterson had an idea: what if regular Americans just bought it themselves? He posted a TikTok saying that if 20% of U.S. adults each paid around $30 to $40 — about the price of a Spirit ticket — they could buy the whole airline. 

He called it "Spirit 2.0: Owned by the People."

According to Yahoo News, the video got nearly 3 million views, and more than 36,000 people pledged nearly $23 million on his website, which then crashed due to heavy traffic.

There's just one problem: experts say Spirit's planes and other assets are worth about $1.3 billion. The pledges cover less than 2% of that.

For the full story, visit Yahoo News.

Ohio's back-to-school tax holiday sounds generous until you read the fine print. Only clothing priced at $75 or less and school supplies capped at $20 qualify, making this less a tax holiday and more a government-approved coupon. Columbus giveth, and Columbus decides what you can buy with it.

Ohioans are overtaxed, and they know it. The state ranks 15th-highest in the nation, with residents surrendering roughly 9.3% of their income to state and local governments. 

Property taxes have grown so punishing that the "Ax Ohio Tax" committee is pursuing a constitutional amendment to abolish them entirely — because homeowners are tired of renting their own homes from the government.

Republican lawmakers have rightly pushed to eliminate Ohio's income tax, arguing that cuts dating to the Kasich era have strengthened the economy and grown state revenue. They're right. Government doesn't grow economies — people and businesses do. Get out of their way. 

Three days of bureaucrat-approved sales tax breaks aren't relief. It's a press release. It’s a performance. Real tax reform means trusting Ohioans with their own money — not dangling a holiday with an asterisk.

Ditch the restrictions. Cut taxes broadly and permanently. Ohioans don't need Columbus telling them what a school supply is worth.

The Pennant welcomes letters to the editor and reader comments. Send correspondence to: [email protected]

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]