Local
Tuesday, October 28, 2025, 12:00 – 5:00 PM
Oval on Ohio State University campus
All funds raised will go to supporting the Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA) in their efforts to provide necessary resources to those in need.
Sponsored by Students for Justice in Palestine.
One of the symptoms of late state capitalism is CORPORATOCRACY; the merging of government with the greed of the business world. Now you know what to call it!
Ohio experienced this when Republicans sold their souls to AEP and coordinated the largest corruption scandal in state history. Not to be outdone, Columbus City government has adopted the same strategy embracing Zone-In as a disguise for the corporate take-over of the city. Phase one was a MASTERPIECE of political theater coordinated by a professional marketing company (that worked behind the scenes with developers and real estate investors). Still no master plan, less than 4 percent of the city involved in the decisions, and MILLIONS of TAX-PAYER DOLLARS spent on hiring outside consultants to help make the decisions. Need another example?
I recently won an election for a seat on the Clintonville Area Commission on a simple but urgent platform: put community needs before campaign donors, developers, and political insiders at City Hall.
I didn’t run because I was looking for a title. I ran because something is fundamentally broken in how Columbus is governed. In this city, competitive elections barely exist. The scales are tipped, the rules are rigged, and outcomes are too often decided by appointments and money , not voters.
Area commission elections—small as they may seem—are one of the last remaining places where democracy, even a symbolic version of it, still survives in Columbus. And that is exactly why they matter.
Development Isn’t the Problem—Who Controls It Is
You may have heard about the federal SAVE Act, which would prevent millions of eligible American citizens from voting.
But there’s also an Ohio version of the SAVE Act moving through the Statehouse. It’s even more dangerous, and more likely to pass.
Due to an unprecedented number of applications, the Fund for Immigrant Legal Assistance (FILA) has exhausted its resources. Donations—always tax-deductible—are urgently needed to continue supporting immigrant families to pay their legal fees and expenses. What can you do?
Send a tax-deductible donation to FILA.
Hold a collection at your religious congregation or social club for FILA
Hold a house party for FILA
Do you have fundraising expertise?
Contact us at the HUB by responding to this email or emailing directly at fila@firstuucolumbus.org
Celebrating our 55th year, the Columbus Free Press will honor five outstanding community activists and a community organization at our November 2025 Salon and Awards event on Saturday, November 8 from 1:30-4:30pm at the First Unitarian Universalist Church, 93 W. Weisheimer Road. One of our "Libby" Award for Lifetime Achievement in Community Activism honorees is Bob Krasen.
Bob worked in Columbus for non-profits, United Cerebral Palsy, American Red Cross Blood Services, and Vision Center of Central Ohio. He volunteered for 12 years with Suicide Prevention Services.
After retiring in 2006, he became a volunteer in Healthcare for All Ohioans / SPAN Ohio, assuming a leadership position in 2014 as Columbus Regional Coordinator. He continues in active membership, stepping down from leadership positions in 2023.
Celebrating our 55th year, the Columbus Free Press will honor five outstanding community activists and a community organization at our November 2025 Salon and Awards event on Saturday, November 8 from 1:30-4:30pm at the First Unitarian Universalist Church, 93 W. Weisheimer Road. One of our "Libby" Award honorees is Bob Krasen.
Bob worked in Columbus for non-profits, United Cerebral Palsy, American Red Cross Blood Services, and Vision Center of Central Ohio. He volunteered for 12 years with Suicide Prevention Services.
After retiring in 2006, he became a volunteer in Healthcare for All Ohioans / SPAN Ohio, assuming a leadership position in 2014 as Columbus Regional Coordinator. He continues in active membership, stepping down from leadership positions in 2023.
Healthcare for All Ohioans is a state wide volunteer organization started in 2003, to promote passage Healthcare for All legislation in Ohio as the Ohio Health Care Act, (HB 289 & SB 78, 2025-26). The organization also supports the passage of Enhanced and Improved Medicare for All (HR 3069 & SR 1506, 2025-26) in Congress.
Saturday, October 25, 2025, 6:00 PM
The Makoy, 5462 Center St., Hilliard, Ohio 43026
More information and link to tickets here.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)'s keynote speaker is The Hon. Cori Bush, a lifelong advocate for justice and human rights. This will be an inspiring evening of resilience, unity, and vision as we reflect on our shared values and look ahead to the new chapter of civil rights in America.
Friday, October 24, 7:00 PM on Zoom
American Hospitals is the fourth in a series of documentaries produced by the Unfinished Business Foundation, founded by Richard Master, CEO of MCS Industries Inc., who took a deep dive into the economics of the U. S. health-care system after his company was hit year after year with double-digit health insurance rate increases. Master teamed up with filmmakers Vincent Mondillo and Henry Nevison to produce Fix It: Healthcare at the Tipping Point; Big Pharma: Market Failure; Big Money Agenda: Democracy on the Brink, and now, American Hospitals.
American Hospitals takes a deep dive into the out-of-control cost of hospitals and their transformation into a money-driven big business. How can we incentivize hospitals to provide the highest quality care with the lowest affordable cost to the community?
