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This article first appeared on the Buckeye Flame

The staff of The Buckeye Flame arrived at one of Ohio’s largest Pride celebrations in 2024 to find our table sandwiched between a cellphone company and a grocery-store chain. 

To our left, the cellphone company was giving out gift cards and T-shirts. To our right, the grocery store chain was giving out high-quality tote bags and industrial strength carabiners. The enthusiastic staffers, with Chappell Roan blaring behind them, beckoned Pride-goers over to their tables to grab their free stuff.

All throughout the day, people would come to our table straight from one of our corporate neighbors, totes open and at the ready.

“What do you have?” people would demand, truly without salutation or preamble. 

Our retorts of, “The truth!” or “Queer journalism!” never went over well. 

After Wednesday night’s devastating airplane crash, President Trump opened his White House Press Briefing by turning straight to DEI as the cause of the collision and directing each of his secretaries to come up and also blame programs focused on increasing diversity in the workplace. Trump’s instinct to instantly turn the biggest aviation disaster in two decades into a political rally is the new standard and a clear example of how his second administration will continue to pursue these kinds of disasters. 

Trump’s quick jump to blame DEI efforts was not just bad because he has turned a national incident into a political talking point, but also because he uses DEI as a disguise to attack minority groups in an official role as president. In the White House press conference, he singled out Pete Buttigieg, the nation’s first gay department head, and his “diversity” as the reason that this crash happened. Following his criticism of Buttigieg, Trump then listed out groups of people who he believed had been hired under previous programs that corrupted the intellectual integrity of the department, including “dwarves” and “people with severe mental disabilities.”

On January 20 and 21, 2025, President Trump by executive order instructed all Federal Government offices to disregard all DEI initiatives; has ordered agencies to combat private-sector DEI mandates, policies, and programs; has eliminated federal funding for a more just and equitable country.

But the need for attention to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives remains as important as ever in all aspects of life in the USA, especially in health care.

Diversity – the practice and quality of including people from a range of social and ethnic backgrounds. We know that no two people are alike. Our genetic make-up, geographical origins, cultural background, religious practice, economic and educational opportunities, age, and ability make us all different in wonderful ways. This is a reality regardless of Presidential Proclamation and something to be appreciated as we build shared communities, foster creativity, and strive to create an environment where basic human rights are met.

Central Ohio’s well-known Leonard Peltier advocate Michael Eckhardt is a Free Press Hero. The Free Press honors Michael this week for his tireless and dedicated work for Leonard Peltier’s freedom.

Finally, on the last day of his presidency, Biden performed a most remarkable act – commuting the sentence of Native American political prisoner Leonard Peltier. NPR reported “vehement opposition” from the FBI, a factor that’s prevented previous presidents from releasing him. Biden added Leonard’s long-awaited commutation to his huge number of pardons and clemency actions. Thousands of activists worldwide, who persistently lobbied the federal government during five decades for Leonard’s release, are relieved and ecstatic. Leonard is now 80 years old and his health is failing.

NBC News just reported that President Biden has commuted the sentence of Leonard Peltier and he will spend his final days in home confinement. 

This article first appeared on Ohio Capital Journal

An Ohio woman who was criminally charged after having a miscarriage in her home has filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Warren, city police officers, a local hospital and its owners.

Brittany Watts filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio Eastern Division claiming violations of the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment, along with the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA), a law that establishes the right for anyone to be admitted to a hospital in an emergency situation regardless of their ability to pay or insurance status, and for them to receive “necessary stabilizing treatment,” according to Watts’ attorneys from the firm Loevy & Loevy.

Mark Stansbery, Free Press Board member, again did a fabulous job facilitating the first Free Press Second Saturday Cyber Salon in 2025 on January 11.

See Video here.

The theme was “Organizing for the challenges of 2025, from despair to active resistance! - Housing First!”
The first speaker was Kate-Curry-DaSouza, a former longtime Near East Area Commissioner and Columbus City Council District #7 candidate. Kate spoke about Housing First!, that means that everyone deserves housing, and how we must work with public officials to understand this with dialogue moving to action. She talked about the criminalization of the houseless and how they are blamed for their problem. She explained that she’s on the short list for an appointment to Columbus City Council and the problems with the current “ward” system that forces candidates to still run at-large. Check out Kate’s website here.

Steven Rhodes, local designer and construction consultant, is proud to announce that the Clintonville Passive House project is the first in central Ohio to received Phius ZERO Certification.

Clintonville Passive House is a single-family home designed and self-built by Steven Rhodes at an infill location in Clintonville. This is the first single-family certified passive house in central Ohio. The house is all electric and is projected to use less than half the energy of a similarly sized, newly code-built home. A rooftop solar array adds net zero energy performance to the comfort, indoor air quality, and durability inherent in a passive house. 

Phius Certified Projects have had their designs and energy models approved by the Phius Certification Staff, and have been inspected on-site by certified third-party quality assurance professionals trained by Phius to work on Phius projects. The rigorous Phius certification process ensures the building is designed and built to perform up to the targets determined by the climate-specific, cost-optimized Phius Standard.

Dr. Bob and Dan-o picked songs that include their names like Dr. Robert by the Stones, Bobby is his Name, Daniel by Elton John, Danny Boy and some unexpected picks such as "Bob" by Weird Al -- a Bob Dylan-esque song entirely made up of palindromes.  

Listen live at 11pm January 3 and 10 streaming at wgrn.org or on the radio at 91.9FM
and
Mondays at 2pm streaming January 6 and 13 at wcrsfm.org or on the radio at 92.7 or 98.3FM

Archived on Mixcloud here

Before Biden leaves office, he may want to consider drafting hundreds of pardons for his supporters and allies.  These pardons do not have to be announced publicly, but Biden can have them in a back file just in case they are needed or requested later.

Trump has made it clear that people will be investigated and prosecuted on the basis of revenge rather than in the name of justice.  Supporters of Biden and the Democrats may be targeted not because they did anything wrong, but because they opposed Trump and the Republican agenda in some way.

Now many of Biden 's wealthy supporters can afford to defend themselves in court for years because they have the resources. The Clintons, the Pelosis, George Soros, and others can let their legal teams defend them and have frivolous charges dismissed.