This summer, WCRS FM will celebrate ten years of broadcasting from the Free Press Carriage House in Olde Towne East. While the physical WCRS Studios have been closed for the last two months, there is reason to celebrate how far WCRS has come from its humble beginnings.

WCRS FM began broadcasting in 2007 at 102.1 FM, a low-power frequency which was accessible in the East and Northeast Parts of the Columbus Metropolitan area, and translated on 98.3 FM, a translator frequency reaching the Central parts of Columbus.

When describing what the programming that WCRS has to offer, then-Simply Living Director Marilyn Welker said in a 2008 Short North Gazette article on the purpose of WCRS, “There is such a lack of voices of different perspectives relative to community service and ethnic issues and cultural celebration. It’s not on the Columbus radio stations.”

One of the most important political metrics is the approval-disapproval ratings of public officials.

The greater the approval percentage the more likely an officeholder will get re-elected.  

The greater the approval percentage of a non-officeholder the more likely that person will get elected to public office.

Ohio's Republican Gov. Mike DeWine has earned skyrocketing approval ratings for his swift and decisive actions to protect the public during the pandemic caused by the spread of the coronavirus. Call him Mr. Popularity.

Public opinion surveys have put DeWine's approval rating in the 80-89 percent range, the highest in the country among governors and double the approval rating of Republican President Donald Trump. Interestingly, every governor in the country has an approval rating in their state higher than the President's.

DeWine looks like a lock for re-election in 2022 if he seeks a second term. If he chooses to "go political" in the fall and campaign for other Republicans in Ohio, even Trump,  he will be a powerful influential force because of his popularity.

I’m adding Christian Sorensen’s new book, Understanding the War Industry, to the list of books I think will convince you to help abolish war and militaries. See the list below.

The cleverly named On the Record threatens to dethrone the so-called “King of Hip-Hop.” The 97-minute documentary may be to music mogul Russell Simmons what the #MeToo movement and Ronan Farrow’s reportage have been to that other entertainment industry icon, Harvey Weinstein. But unlike the exposes of the disgraced movie producer, Record delves into matters of race, as well as of sex and gender.

Record’s protagonist is Drew Dixon, daughter of a 1990’s Washington, D.C. mayor, Sharon Pratt Dixon, and her father Arrington Dixon was a D.C. City Councilman. Growing up in the milieu of African American politics, Dixon saw Hip-Hop as a musical genre that expressed the voices, issues and concerns of Black people through an art form and decided to pursue a career in the music business. With an ear for talent Dixon rose in industry ranks, and she became an executive at Def Jam, the Hip Hop label co-founded by entrepreneur Simmons, who is also African American.

Saturday, Ma7 30, 10am-12pm
Ohio Statehouse, 1 Capitol Square
***On the sidewalk in front of the Ohio Statehouse facing High St.***

Bring your signs and face masks this Saturday, May 30 from 10 AM-12 PM for a demonstration to demand justice for Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd! We will be gathering in front of the Ohio Statehouse along High St. on the sidewalk. We CANNOT be on Capitol Square, so please be sure to stay on the sidewalk.

A couple of things:
1. We WILL be enforcing social distancing guidelines. We don’t want to give the police any reason to want to make any arrests or try to break up our demonstration. If that means we’re stretch out over a couple blocks on High St, so be it! The more the merrier!

2. It’s supposed to be cooler this Saturday, but definitely bring some water and sunscreen. It’s mentioned above but also wear a mask!