Local
Data centers are breaking Ohio's grid. The proof has been sitting in a public document since January
This article first appeared here
This is not the conclusion of an environmental group or a community activist. This is what the grid operator wrote in its own planning document.
PJM Interconnection publishes an independent load forecast every year. January 2026’s edition contains a table on page five that should be required reading for every Ohio lawmaker who voted for House Bill 15, every regulator who approved fracking on state park land, and every official who has stood at a podium and described data center growth as an unqualified win for Ohio.
May 15-21, various times
Gateway Film Center, 1550 N. High St., Columbus
Stea; This Story, Please! is a documentary about New York-based independent investigative journalist Amy Goodman who has been reporting from hotspots around the world for decades: from East Timor to Morocco, Nigeria, and Gaza, and closer to home during 9/11 and the Iraq War.
Goodman and a small group of colleagues present the daily online, TV, and radio news program Democracy Now!, which has been on the air since 1996 with no government funding, thanks to contributions from donors, foundations, and news consumers.
Thursday, May 14, 6pm
1004 Parsons Ave, Columbus
Recommended donation: $15
Art plays a critical role in building our movements against racism, war, and poverty. From the songs of freedom in the Civil Rights movement, to the posters of the late 60s, to the music of Tupac, art is essential in building our spirit to fight! Join us at the Columbus Liberation for our own art workshop: designing Cyanotypes for Socialism!
Bring your favorite blank material or use one of the provided tote bags and be ready to make art for the movement.
This article first appeared here.
While Amazon builds data centers next to elementary schools and American Electric Power (AEP) scrambles to keep the lights on, Ohio has spent a decade making it nearly impossible to build the one thing that could have solved the problem: clean energy.
That is the central finding of a new report released Monday by Save Ohio Parks, a statewide environmental advocacy group, at a press conference held just blocks from an Amazon facility that sits directly across a residential street from homes in Hilliard’s Carr Farms neighborhood.
Everyone's favorite festival will be here before you know it, and the volunteer schedule for our 54th annual festival is now live. ComFest only happens because community members like you show up and pitch in. Thank you!
We’d be honored if you would join us again this year. Signing up only takes a few minutes. Please take a look at the FAQ and role descriptions below.
FAQ:
What do I wear?
- The dress code is simple: comfortable shoes, breathable clothing- shorts, a dress, a kilt - whatever keeps you cool.
I have some physical limitations, can I still help?
- Absolutely. Most shifts can accommodate specific needs; let us know what you require and we'll work it out.
What is the time committment?
- Most shifts run just three to four hours.
What's in if for me?
Tuesday, May 12, 4pm
4:00 PM (Rally) 4:30 PM (Showtime)
Ohio Statehouse, 1 Capitol Square, Columbus
Protest Against HB 249 (Ohio's proposed drag ban). An event by Trans Experimental Action
Primary vote reflected a “dynamic shifting” and “different energy” amongst local and state Democrats
Some of Columbus’s best progressive activists and their wisdom can be heard at the Free Press’s monthly Salon, and this past Saturday afternoon was no exception as the recent primary vote was unpacked and dissected.
Hosted at Old First Presbyterian Church on the Near East side, our guest speakers were Morgan Harper, former congressional candidate and executive director for Columbus Stand Up!, and Don Leonard (pictured above), who arguably can now be described as a rising star in Ohio’s progressive community.
Harper believes the Ohio Democratic primary vote reflected a “dynamic shifting” and a “different energy” occurring amongst both local, state and national Democrats.
“We had a ton of first-time candidates, Don included,” said Harper. “He wasn’t alone. Joe Gerard vs. Joyce Beatty. Joe got 20 percent. Bryan Hambley vs. Allison Russo. Bryan is a doctor and decided he was going to run for Secretary of State and ran a real campaign. They had a solid, solid showing.”
Columbus Stand Up! joined organizations across Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, and California to launch a new regional coalition fighting back against rising utility bills and corporate profiteering by AEP.
Monday, May 11, 2026, 6:30 PM
Bob Crane Community Center, 3600 Tremont Rd, Upper Arlington
This forum will bring together educators, students, and community leaders for a thoughtful discussion on education policy and its real-world impact on higher education in Ohio. Featured speakers include Dr. Hasan Kwame Jeffries from OSU, Rachel Coyle, co-founder of How Things Work at the Statehouse, and student speaker Hana El Nemr.
Stay informed, ask questions, and be part of the conversation.
Register for free below and consider a suggested contribution of $10 to help offset costs.
Register HERE.
There are few things as constant and enduring as a mother's love. Although today, the second Sunday in May, is the day this country has set aside to pay tribute to mothers everywhere, the men of Eta Nu Nu of the illustrious Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., pay tribute to mothers every day.
Mothers will do things for their children that others will not; support their children (no matter how old they are) when others won't and will help them see the forest for the trees, when they, for whatever reason, cannot. The men of Eta Nu Nu are fully aware that their mother's love has shaped them, guided them, nurtured them and contributed greatly to the men they have become. It is impossible to repay that debt. On this day, however, it is important that the men of Eta Nu Nu make clear that without mothers there would be no us.