Local

Four years ago, the editors of the Columbus Free Press gave me the chance to write a monthly column about the local media as the Columbus Media Insider. Over time, the editors let me write broadly about media and politics.

I will always be grateful. Nearly every newspaper journalist yearns to be a columnist.

Thank you, Robert Fitrakis and Suzanne Patzer, for making my dream come true.

And thank you, dear readers, even those of you at the Columbus Dispatch.

The sale of the Dispatch by the Wolfe family to GateHouse Newspapers led to the launch of my column in July 2015.

I noted in my first column that chain newspaper ownership results in major staff cuts. Around Labor Day, 2015, dozens of heads rolled. Today there are about half as many journalists putting out the newspaper as before.

The paper's coverage has shrunk and the errors have increased as much of the design and editing has been shifted to a hub in Texas.

Tuesday, July 9, 6-8pm
Driving Park Library, 1422 E Livingston 
Join us to get updates on local environmental issues, take action to support the transition to renewable energy, and learn more about how you can get involved.Hosted by Ohio Beyond Coal

On Independence Day this month, many people celebrated with fireworks and barbeques while forgetting the United States’ history of settler colonialism, slavery, genocide, imperialist wars and internment camps. Meanwhile, migrant children are still be in detention centers and are deprived of basic human essentials such as soap, toothbrushes and blankets.

Public outrage is growing over the civil rights violations and dehumanization of children. The Coalition to Close the Concentration Camps formed to call for mass mobilizations of concerned people, activists, organizations, and social justice groups to demand the closure of the camps.

The Whole Thing is a budding fully-cooked, vegan catering company by Jessica Kapusta, that provides delicious vegan, gluten-free and other avoidant alternative foods for those with allergies, sensitivities and ethics of nonviolence, all in one. Hence, “The Whole Thing!”

Vegan, Gluten-Free, Soy-Free, Paleo? (yes, people do exist who are vegan-paleo-keto-adkins-eatrightforyourtype-with other allergies). No problem for The Whole Thing catering!

I met with Jessica last month, and I got to try her fresh bagel assortment (cinnamon, plain and everything) and vegan cream cheezes (plain and cinnamon) and what a delightful treat that was! So, when you are ordering for your next office luncheon, and you know you have people on your team who often left out because their dietary requirements are not accommodated – stop the discrimination and remember to add “The Whole Thing” to your catering list.

Social media has had a huge impact, both negative and positive, on the day-to-day lives of most people who use sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Around the world, there are almost 3.5 billion people who use social media — a good portion of whom use these sites every single day. With so many people plugged into social networking, the users and content that is shared on these pages have the potential to reach hundreds of people that any one individual knows. For victims of domestic violence, social media can be a dangerous place where their abusers can both stalk and publicly humiliate their former partners in an effective and far-reaching way.

All Hands on Deck!  Tell Your Ohio Senator and Representative NO ON HOUSE BILL 6.

FIND your legislators and their phone numbers at http://legislature.ohio.gov. Call by July 16.

Ohio House Bill (HB) 6 is a huge proposed bailout for FirstEnergy, the electric utility that owns Ohio’s two nuclear power plants, Davis-Besse and Perry, both located on Lake Erie where they threaten the drinking water of millions. 

The latest incarnation of the ever-changing HB 6 would give FirstEnergy about $157 million/year through 2026. This would come from Ohio’s electric ratepayers – even those outside FirstEnergy territory. The regressive measure would add about $1/month to residential bills and would hit small businesses hard.  

Monday, July 8, 2019, 7:00 PM

Sunday, July 7, 1pm
394 E. Town St.
It's time to get everyone together at a family reunion for the whole city on Sunday July 7th from 1 to 6pm!

Interdependence Day is a party to model the kind of village we want our city to be: a place where we have each others' backs, celebrate each others' talents, and live our best lives together.

We're doing this on a budget of $0.00, which means that whatever we have will come from our community.

The 4th of July is Independence Day, a celebration of rugged individualism, American empire, and all that.

July 7th is INTERDEPENDENCE DAY, a celebration of our community and our responsibility to each other.

Come chill with us starting at 1pm, when we'll have have tables, games, an open mic, and an ongoing dance floor. At 3pm we'll start our BBQ Cook-off for those who think they have the skill on the grill.

We'll end the day at 5pm with the Longest Table, a free potluck dinner where we all sit down to eat together and celebrate each other's culinary talents.

Ending bigotry has gone mainstream among the enlightened people of the developed world.

Did you spot the acceptable bigotry in that sentence?

We’re against racism, sexism, and more kinds of bigotry than I could ever list.

But the 96 percent of humanity that’s not within the United States is hardly worthy of concern.

Millions of lives in Yemen lack the value of one Washington Post reporter dismembered with a bone saw. A third of the United States would gladly murder a million innocent North Koreans, the pollsters tell us. Not a million handicapped Americans, not a million atheist Americans, not a million gay Americans. We’re above all that. A million North Koreans. Or a half million Iraqi children, judging by the respect still afforded to Madeleine Albright to this day.

Friday, July 5 at 10 AM – July 7 at 3 PM
Two Dollar Radio, 1124 Parsons Ave.
Booksellers at A Room of One's Own — a tremendous bookshop in Madison, WI — came up with the idea of celebrating the Independence Day holiday differently this year.

#BookstoresAgainstBorders is an initiative where shops across the country will contribute a percentage of sales made between July 5 and July 7 to RAICES, one of the most effective organizations giving legal aid to immigrants detained at the U.S. border. They are working to advocate for and represent immigrants and refugees through the American legal system, and have a program to specifically provide representation to unaccompanied children coming over the border.

A portion of all sales (books, food, drink, and otherwise) made between July 5 and July 7 at Two Dollar Radio HQ will be donated to RAICES.