Migration is a basic act of being human. It doesn’t matter whether you came from Kansas or Kenya, South Carolina or South Korea — Ohio is your home now.

The slew of anti-immigrant executive orders from the White House, and intimidation tactics against families, communities, schools, and workplaces, mean we need to raises our voices now. Help show that we are UNITED in ensuring local municipalities work for the good of all residents, because immigrants are beloved members of our Ohio family.

When I was a child attending Cleveland Indian baseball games at the old Municipal Stadium a thin man in an Indians’ baseball cap ran up and down the aisles hawking scorecards and calling out, “Scorecard, scorecard, you can’t tell the players without a scorecard.”

He was right. The scorecards would give you the player’s name, number, and position. Then you would open to a page where you could engage in the fine art of keeping score, tracking the runs, hits and errors, through esoteric notations on the scorecard.

Baseball has changed over time. Designated hitters changed the game’s strategy; limits on visits to the mound and the pitch clocks sped up play. Scorecards are now digital. And the Cleveland Indians changed their name to the Guardians.

Which brings me to Syria.

The topic of Syria seems to have the full attention of the Senate Intelligence committee when it comes to reviewing the deposed Assad Regime, but lacks an understanding of the role that the CIA has played in putting al-Queda, or whatever you want to call it, in the driver’s seat in Damascus.

As Trump and his minions take a wrecking ball to the American economy and social contract, he may have done one thing right. He has issued an executive order to release documents on the political assassinations (JFK, RFK, and MLK) as well as the attack on 9/11. While this is very welcome news for the thousands of dedicated researchers who have studied these events for several decades, the order lacks specifics. Interested parties such as Jefferson Morley's JFK facts, the Mary Farrell foundation, Jim DiEugneio's Kennedys and King website, Len Osanic's fabulous site Black Op Radio (and others) are working diligently to achieve an acceptable outcome. More than 70% of the population support this on a bipartisan basis. Our country yearns for transparency.

Health care is big business in the United States. So big it can be hard to wrap your head around.

America’s largest health care company, the UnitedHealth Group, pulled in over $100 billion in revenue in just the fourth quarter of 2024 alone. For the full year, the giant’s insurance division, UnitedHealthcare, just reported record revenue of $298.2 billion.

These staggering revenue totals actually fell below investor expectations. Right after the announcement, UnitedHealth Group shares slipped 6 percent on the New York Stock Exchange.

Saturday, February 1, 7pm, Columbus Mennonite Church, 35 Oakland Park Ave.

Serious and comical love songs, fun trivia questions, and delicious home-made sweets will highlight the 15th annual Valentine’s concert by Bill Cohen and friends from 7pm to 9pm on Saturday, February 1.

With guitar and piano, Bill will sing favorites, from the 1940s through the 1990s, made famous by John Denver, the Everly Brothers, Sam Cooke, James Taylor, Sting, Patti Page, and even “Weird Al” Yankovic.

Ann Fisher will be on hand to add some romantic flute accompaniment on several songs. David Maywhoor will keep the beat on percussion, and Dean Gledhill will add extra sparkle on lead guitar. Plus, the all-girl trio, The Harmonettes, will sing smooth backup vocals.

While the songs will reflect the ecstasy, warmth, heartache, and pain that love can bring, there will be a lighter side too, as Bill poses trivia questions about famous and infamous couples and love songs throughout the decades. Plus, expect a couple of surprises.