Monday, October 12th, 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.

On this day in 1492, Christopher Columbus reached the Bahamas, his first landfall in the Americas. Ohio's capital is now the world's largest city named for him.

Top of the Fold today: President Trump rallies in Youngstown, and on Columbus Day, the capital’s Christopher Columbus statue remains in storage amid a lawsuit.

And before you vote, find out what each local levy would cost your household, plus today’s editorial on why campaigns target people, not issues.

YOUNGSTOWN — President Donald Trump holds a midterm rally today at the Covelli Centre, his second Ohio visit in nine days as he campaigns for Sen. Jon Husted and gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy in two closely watched races. 

Doors open at 2:30 p.m., and Trump is expected to speak about 6 p.m. 

He rallied supporters in Vandalia on Oct. 3, and Vice President JD Vance visited Lima on Friday.

COLUMBUS — Post offices, most banks and state offices are closed today for Columbus Day. 

In the city that bears the explorer’s name, the Christopher Columbus statue removed from City Hall in 2020 remains in storage. 

Mayor Andrew Ginther ordered it removed amid racial justice protests, saying it did not reflect the city. 

Italian-American groups, who filed a federal lawsuit in April seeking its return, call the removal discriminatory and say the statue honored their community’s contributions. 

A proposal unveiled last year would place it in a new city park.

CINCINNATI — A University of Cincinnati political scientist says Democrat Amy Acton likely sees little risk in refusing to debate Republican Vivek Ramaswamy. 

Candidates usually skip debates when they expect a landslide, and this race isn't one, but Acton likely figured declining wouldn't hurt her much, David Niven told News 5 Cleveland. 

He said Ramaswamy's eagerness to debate suggests the race isn't going as well as he hoped. Acton says she won't debate someone she calls a "chronic liar."

By The Pennant Staff

Ohioans will decide hundreds of local tax issues Nov. 3, from school levies to fire, library, and park measures. Before you vote, take a few minutes to find out what each one would mean for your household budget.

Start by seeing what's on your ballot. The Ohio Secretary of State's site lets you look up your personal sample ballot by county: go to www.voteohio.gov.

Next, check the cost. Your county auditor sets your property value and calculates your tax bill, and many auditors offer online tools that estimate how much a levy would add to your bill if it passes. Franklin County's Levy Estimator, for example, lets you enter your address and see the estimated cost of each property tax issue on your ballot.

To find your county auditor, use the County Auditors' Association of Ohio directory at Directory of County Auditors – CAAO, which links to all 88 offices. If your county doesn't have an estimator, call the auditor's office. Staff can tell you what a levy would cost on your home.

Know the cost before you cast your vote.

The military calls it psychological operations: campaigns that move people through emotion rather than reason. Psyops work on fear, anger, loyalty, and more because those feelings move people faster than facts. 

The U.S. military isn't supposed to aim them at Americans, but political campaigns don't have a problem with it.

Watch as this painful election season continues to unfold. A debate over property taxes, moratoriums, school choice, or gas prices — the list goes on — won't fit in a 30-second ad. A villain is much easier. So the issue gets a face, the face turns ominous, and in lieu of a series of facts, the voter is offered an invitation to despise someone in the other tribe.

Shocked face. Ominous music. Fade to black. Paid for by a PAC.

Jeff Bezos made the point last week in an interview with Fox News' Bret Baier. A politician busy "picking villains and pointing fingers," he said, probably doesn't have a solution. We'd add a corollary. The less qualified the candidate or the weaker the argument, the more personal the campaign becomes. You don't have to share his politics or envy his Amazon fortune to see the pattern that has cast a political spell over millions of voters.

There's research out there that backs him up. Studies published in 2017 and 2021 found that emotional, moralizing posts and attacks on the other side spread far faster online. Outrage is the cheapest fuel in politics, and algorithms reward it. And the result? Character is in the crosshairs, not the facts.

We've seen this ourselves. After this page took a position on Grove City's Issue 28, many letters from the amendment's supporters ignored the amendment and attacked The Pennant. We understand the impulse to hate the messenger. But a ballot issue doesn't get better or worse based on who is discussing it. Dislike the message, but respond with evidence and facts, not an emotional fit.

To be clear, none of this puts character off-limits. Records, judgment, and honesty matter. The line is crossed when the attack replaces civil debate.

Consider this self-test for the next three weeks. When an ad, post, or mailer makes you furious, ask: What's the policy? What's the evidence? What does the person who made this want me to feel?

If the answers are "none," "none," and "outrage," you're the target. Campaign consultants treat us like Pavlov's dog, ringing the bell to trigger the response they want.

None of us should be forced to live through campaigns aimed at our central nervous systems. Do yourself a favor: Insist on arguments, not algorithms.

Questions or comments? Email [email protected].

Are you a rabid OSU football fan?
- Heck yeah! O-H! - 75%
- No, and what of it? - 5%
- I'll watch them play, but I'm not a fanatic - 30%

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]