Local
Tuesday, January 14, 4-5pm, this on-line event requires advance registration
This past November, world leaders gathered at the United Nations annual climate talks (COP29) with the main goal of securing an ambitious climate finance agreement, alongside reaffirming that nations will take meaningful steps to cut emissions and transition away from fossil fuels as was agreed upon last year.
The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) invites you to join a virtual discussion to learn more about our efforts to highlight scientifically necessary outcomes at COP29, how we engaged on the ground during these contentious international climate negotiations and called out the malign influence of fossil fuel interests, and where we go from here — including the impact of the incoming Trump administration which has threatened to exit the Paris Agreement.
Monday, January 13, 2025, 6:00 PM
Columbus Public Library, Main Branch, 96 S. Grant Ave., Columbus, OH 43215, meeting room A
As Trump takes office on January 20th, Martin Luther King Jr Day, the mass movement is reigniting to say NO to the billionaire agenda! A mass protest in defense of immigrant families, in support of women’s and LGBTQ+ rights, against the war machine and for people’s needs, and more, will be held at the Ohio Statehouse at 12PM.
Sponsored by the ANSWER Coalition, PSL Columbus, JVP Central Ohio, Columbus DSA, the Gateway Film Center union, Black Men Build Columbus, and more, this action aims to fight for our people’s rights on Day 1 of this new presidency.
In preparation for this action, weekly organizing meetings are being held and are open to all. Now is the time to get organized and join the working-class fight-back movement!
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.
The military detention facility at Guantánamo Bay is a horrific symbol of torture, indefinite detention, and injustice under the leadership of the United States.
It holds 15 Muslim men, many who have never faced charges or a trial. Hundreds of men and boys have been detained, tortured, and denied their rights at Guantánamo over the last 22+ years. All of these actions are human rights violations under international law.
Time and time again, President Biden said he was committed to protecting and upholding human rights — and these next two weeks are his final opportunity to make good on those promises.
Saturday, January 11 from 7-8pm
On Zoom to discuss:
Organizing for the challenges of 2025
From despair to active resistance! - Housing First!
Speakers on local social justice issues including housing.
Kate Curry-Da-Souza, former longtime Near East Area Commissioner and Columbus City Council District #7 candidate
and
Ben Colburn, working with Maryhaven and active with encampments
More TBA.
Co-sponsored by Simply Living
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/88981714025?pwd=ON50ZHvqYpQ1WckVxFbgSmQELOWqa…
Meeting ID: 889 8171 4025
Passcode: 006908
For info: colsfreepress@gmail.com
In the final hours of last year’s legislative session, Ohio’s legislature passed HB 8—a dangerous bill modeled after Florida’s harmful “Don’t Say Gay or Trans” law. This legislation forces schools to notify parents or caregivers if a student requests to use a different name or pronouns, even when that disclosure could put the student at risk of harm.
HB 8 endangers the lives of LGBTQ+ youth in Ohio. Transgender and nonbinary students deserve to trust their educators without fear of being outed to unsupportive families, and educators deserve a workplace where they do not have to fear retribution for supporting a student.
Governor DeWine has the power to halt this harmful legislation, but he needs to hear from you. Call or email Governor DeWine now and demand he veto HB 8. Regardless of the outcome, your message in support of our precious youth will resound loud and clear.
Every call and every email counts in the fight to protect Ohio’s children. Through our collective action, our children will see what side of history we are on, and right now, that could save a life. Together, we can send a strong message that discrimination has no place in our state.
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.
Is there any way Kamala Harris could have won the 2024 election? Certainly. If a series of circumstances beyond her control had occurred, she might have become president. If Biden had died in February 2021, she would have served out most of his term. If Biden had died in October 2024, the outpouring of sympathy votes might have been enough to help her win the election in November. If Biden had become seriously ill and resigned in October 2024, that also might have given her a boost. Also, Biden might have resigned after Harris lost the election to let her be president and make history even if she didn't serve long.
However, none of these events happened. We can only imagine what having a woman as president might have been like because now that possibility has passed and there may never be a situation where a woman could be president again.
Wednesday, January 8, Governor DeWine officially signed the Paystub Protection Act, with Central Ohio Worker Center (COWC) and Policy Matters Ohio staff by his side. In this important move, Ohio now joins 41 other states in requiring employers to provide earnings and deductions statements to each of the employer's employees.
The bill, which received unanimous support in both the House and the Senate earlier in 2024, goes into effect in April. The bill was sponsored by Representatives Dontravius L Jarrells and P. Scott Lipps, with 14 additional co-sponsors. COWC, along with Policy Matters Ohio, have been working to support the act's passage along the way. During testimony to the Ohio Senate in December, Claudia Cortez, Program Director of COWC, shared that this will “help ensure that workers are paid fairly and transparently by providing them with a clear breakdown of wages and deductions. Pay stubs are also often necessary for workers needing proof of income for housing, loans, and other financial requirements.”
Thursday, January 9, 2025 at 6pm
A presentation and discussion on unions and the state of the labor movement in Ohio.
Join us in person at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church (30 W Woodruff Ave, Columbus, OH 43210) or online at tinyurl.com/CORSmeeting.