Monday, March 30th, 2026

Welcome to Monday’s edition of The Pennant. To listen to this newsletter, click the “Listen Online” link in the top right corner of this email.

A new bill that would change voting laws is being proposed in Congress. Find out how it would affect Ohioans below.

Also, scroll down to read a devoted reader’s letter to the editor.

A new law, the SAVE America Act, would require voters to provide proof of citizenship. While some leaders in Congress are working to block it, supporters say the measure is intended to protect election integrity.

If it passes, some Ohioans — including certain married women — may need to gather additional documents before heading to the polls.

Read more here.

A travel magazine ranked Columbus the second-best city in the United States for people born between 1965 and 1980 to live, thanks to affordable homes and a low cost of living.

According to the story, Columbus has a strong job market and lots of fun things to do, making it a great place to settle down before retirement.

For more, read here.

A new poll shows the race for Ohio governor is essentially a toss-up, with Democrat Amy Acton and Republican Vivek Ramaswamy separated by just one point, well within the poll's margin of error.

Find more about it here.

After pausing its 2025 redistricting plan amid public backlash, Dublin City Schools is restarting the process, this time with a greater emphasis on community input before boundary maps are drawn.

The district faces two distinct challenges: a logistical problem and a trust problem. Overcrowding has created real consequences for students and staff alike, including fewer course options, larger class sizes, and added strain on facilities. But when the district launched its initial plan, leading with data and maps before soliciting community input, the response made clear that the approach matters as much as the outcome.

Many families say they are in limbo. "The pause in redistricting has created a lot of uncertainty, particularly for young families trying to make housing decisions or plan for the future," said Maggie Dennis, a Dublin parent. Parents are largely hoping for a plan that prioritizes proximity to schools, though many say their confidence in the district remains high regardless of where the lines ultimately fall, a sentiment rooted in a shared belief that all Dublin schools are strong. As Dennis put it, "There's a sense that families are ready for a decision so they can move forward with more certainty."

To address both challenges, the district has called on two outside firms: Planning Next and Fallon Research & Communications. Planning Next, a Columbus-based urban planning and consulting firm familiar with Dublin's growth patterns, will analyze enrollment trends, project future student populations, and identify capacity imbalances across schools. Fallon Research, a public opinion firm, will focus on the trust side, gathering community feedback, measuring public sentiment, and helping the district understand what families are willing to accept before any concrete proposals are made. The firm's own data underscores the urgency: roughly half of Dublin residents feel the district does not adequately listen to the public, and 54% say the area is growing too fast.

No new boundary maps were presented at Monday's meeting. The district is deliberately taking a slower approach, aiming for a more deliberate rollout built on community feedback rather than a repeat of last year's backlash.

Redistricting is moving forward. The real decisions just haven't been revealed yet.

The Pennant Editorial Staff

The verdict was a long time coming.

A Los Angeles jury found Google and Meta liable Wednesday in a landmark social media addiction lawsuit — a decision that could reshape thousands of similar cases brought by parents, attorneys general, and school districts. At least half of American teens use YouTube or Instagram every single day. The companies built that. They profited from it. And now they are being held accountable for it.

But one verdict does not tell the whole story.

What do a $375 million judgment against Meta and a federal settlement over government censorship have in common? They both expose the same uncomfortable truth — that when it comes to social media, nobody has been playing it straight with the American people. Not the corporations. Not the government. Nobody.

A New Mexico jury did not simply find Meta liable. They found it willfully broke consumer protection laws while children were being stalked by predators on its own platforms. Internal messages showed employees knew exactly what was happening and chose to do nothing. When Mark Zuckerberg encrypted Facebook Messenger, he made it harder for law enforcement to catch the people hunting children online. That was not an accident. Children paid the price for it.

At the same time, a federal settlement now bars the Surgeon General, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and a government cybersecurity agency from pressuring platforms to remove speech the government found inconvenient. Evidence revealed a coordinated effort reaching the highest levels of the Biden administration to silence lawful viewpoints. This was not a conspiracy theory. It happened.

In the span of one week, Americans were forced to reckon with two damning realities — social media companies enabling predators while those same platforms were weaponized for government censorship. The institutions meant to protect the public were doing the opposite.

Here at The Pennant, we have examined what excessive screen time is doing to students in our own hallways. According to the Mayo Clinic, it pulls kids away from homework, hobbies, and family time, costing younger students foundational skills and putting older students' futures at risk. Teachers are now doubling as digital wellness coaches — an unfair burden that is a direct consequence of choices made in Silicon Valley.

These companies knew. The research existed. They kept the money flowing anyway.

The reckoning was always coming. The only question now is whether it arrived in time to matter.

Dear Editor,

Public schools are places of learning, and all students should have the opportunity to study different cultures and traditions. However, an elementary school in Upper Arlington crossed the line between education and endorsement of one particular religion during Ramadan.

Hanging in the hallway were two banners reading "Ramadan Mubarak" — meaning "Blessed Ramadan." It is a deeply religious greeting wishing blessings, mercy, forgiveness, and spiritual growth.

There were no other banners representing other religions. There was no banner saying "He Has Risen" or "Passover Blessings." No religious banners should adorn the hallways of public schools. Individual classroom teachers could easily incorporate lessons surrounding holidays at this time of year. Students would benefit greatly from discussing the religious traditions of their families, and there are many wonderful children's books describing the history of these religions that could be utilized.

By displaying a religious phrase from only one religion, the school is suggesting that one religion is more important than another.

It is troubling that not one staff member dared to ask for the banner to be removed. What does it say about a school's culture when no one understands the difference between teaching about religion and promoting it? What does it say when staff members are afraid to point out the obvious?

DEI is still alive and well in our schools.

Mary P.

Should high schoolers be allowed to receive NIL money?
- Yes - 25%
- No - 50%
- Undecided - 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.

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