Tag: ohio

Ohio Republican claims Democratic Party ‘actually killed Charlie’ Kirk

A Republican congressman accused Democrats of killing Charlie Kirk while simultaneously pleading with liberals to ‘lower this rhetoric to a normal place.’

Kirk, 31, the conservative activist founder of Turning Point USA, was shot while speaking at a Utah college last week. Tyler Robinson, 22, is in custody as a suspect in the murder, and the FBI announced on Monday that his DNA has been linked to evidence in the case.

FBI Director Kash Patel said on Monday that investigators were able to retrieve text messages from the shooter, including an exchange ‘in which he claimed that he had an opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and he was going to do it because of his hatred for what Charlie stood for.’

Reports indicate that Robinson’s roommate was a male who was transitioning, and that the bullets in the gun allegedly used to kill Kirk contained, suggesting the reason behind the murder may be political in nature, though authorities have not released a motive.

A major figure on the right, Kirk’s death immediately evoked a buffet of emotions on Capitol Hill, including fear, anger, deep sadness and loss. Both Democrats and Republicans have mourned the young father of two’s passing last week.

Since the public and tragic assassination, lawmakers have also been in a frenzy to tone down the extreme language peddled by politicians on both sides of the aisle.

But some, while calling for calmer political rhetoric, have inflamed the national dialogue.

Rep. Michael Rulli, R-Ohio, went on Fox Business on Monday and said that Democrats are to blame for Kirk’s assassination.

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Ohio School Offical Appears to Coach Parents on Circumventing State Laws to Put Male Trans Student on Girls Team

Accuracy in Media has released a disturbing video that appears to show an Ohio school official coaching parents on how to circumvent laws keeping girls safe by keeping boys out of girls’ sports and spaces.

In 2023, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine vetoed House Bill 68, which sought to prohibit gender-affirming care for minors and to restrict transgender athletes’ participation in girls’ and women’s sports.

Last year, the State Senate voted to override DeWine’s veto.

But that didn’t stop an Ohio school official from brainstorming ways to bypass the law.

The video, shared by Accuracy in Media, shows undercover investigators, posing as prospective parents of a trans student, meeting with Princeton City Schools Assistant Athletic Director Tamette Duckworth.

The video shows Duckworth strategizing with investigators to help the alleged transgender student join the girls’ teams and access female facilities.

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Ohio governor calls kratom an imminent public health risk, pushes for ban

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is urging the Ohio Board of Pharmacy to classify kratom as a Schedule I drug, citing it as an “imminent public health risk” due to its potential dangers, particularly for teenagers and babies.

Kratom, which is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration, is sold in products like the Feel Free drink at gas stations and stores in Ohio and Kentucky.

The governor’s proposal would make Ohio the first state to take such strong action against kratom.

Doctors at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital are raising alarms about its risks.

Dr. Stephanie Merher, a neonatologist, said, “Some of the moms who have taken this and not taken anything else, they have actually needed to go on buprenorphine or methadone to get off of this. It’s that potent.”

She has treated babies exposed in utero who exhibit symptoms similar to opioid withdrawal, including fussiness, tremors and difficulty eating.

Dr. Shan Yin, medical director of the Cincinnati Drug and Poison Information Center, explained that kratom and kava, another ingredient in Feel Free, create a “speedball-like” effect. He noted, “It’s also at this point, unregulated. So, you never know quite what’s in it.”

Feel Free is sold as an herbal product, not a controlled substance, and carries a “21+ only” warning, which the company says it voluntarily implemented. However, that is not required under federal or Ohio law, so anyone can purchase it in the state.

Kentucky lawmakers enacted a 21-plus age limit on kratom last year, while Indiana banned it completely in 2014. Ohio currently has no restrictions.

Earlier in August, Ohio House Minority Leader Dani Isaacson (D) told WLWT he wants to protect kids from the synthetic form form of Kratom known as 7-OH. “You can buy it at convenience stores and gas stations and vape stores in super concentrated forms with no age restrictions. It’s not behind the counter. And so we need to do something about it.”

Botanic Tonics, the maker of Feel Free, disputes the safety concerns, asserting that its product contains only natural, whole-leaf kratom, not the concentrated synthetic form known as 7-OH.

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Columbus Jewish organization reports anti-war protests to police after rise in antisemitism

After the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, antisemitism spiked in central Ohio. Jewish Columbus reported threats and harassment against Jewish people to police, but WOSU found the organization also reported protest activity that was critical of Israel.

Some believe Jewish Columbus’ actions blurred the lines between hate speech and protected speech by reporting both to police. The group defended its actions to WOSU at first, saying it didn’t believe the protests as a whole were antisemitic. Now, Jewish Columbus says it is reporting both antisemitic attacks on Jewish people and events it believes are against Zionism.

Hamas killed 1,200 Israelis when it invaded Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. Israel retaliated, invading the Gaza Strip.  In the nearly two years since, it is estimated that more than 60,000 Palestinians, mostly civilians, have been killed.

Here in Columbus and around the U.S., people took to the streets to protest after Israel’s counterattack began, alleging Israel was committing genocide.

At this time Jewish Columbus, a branch of the Jewish Federations of North America, started seeing a rise in antisemitism. The group and its umbrella organization have increased security and established an intelligence apparatus across more than 100 locations in U.S. cities, including Cincinnati and Cleveland.

Jewish Columbus reported these antisemitic acts to police, but went a step further. WOSU found through a records request to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office that Jewish Columbus was also reporting any protest activity it thought was critical of Israel’s actions.

Jewish Columbus told police about Students for Justice in Palestine events at Ohio State University and Ohio Wesleyan University.

It also reported a candlelight vigil at the Ohio Statehouse hosted by the Noor Muslim Student group.

This small group of mostly young women and girls stated on Instagram in Nov. 2023 they were gathering for a silent tribute to the victims in Gaza.

There were no protests or speeches.

But Jewish Columbus reported the vigil to police anyway.

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Authorities Hit White Man Who Was Savagely Beaten During Cincinnati Brawl with a Criminal Charge Following Outcry from Black Community Leaders

One of the two victims identified by police during last month’s street brawl in Cincinnati has been hit with a criminal charge.

As Fox News reported on Wednesday, authorities charged the unidentified 45-year-old White man with disorderly conduct for his part in the July 26 fight.

Police are not legally allowed to identify the man at this time. This is because under Marsy’s law, victims of crimes are allowed to have their names withheld from the public.

Authorities also did not specify what he specifically did to warrant a disorderly conduct charge.

This news comes after black community leaders in Cincy last week demanded the white man’s prosecution, citing a video appearing to show him slapping one of the black individuals before the all-out assault. A racial slur can also be heard, though it’s not clear whether the white man or someone else uttered it.

Community leaders said this proved the white guy should be facing at least the exact charges as the other seven thugs who brutally beat him and a white woman.

Many spoke out against this perceived ‘injustice’ during a discussion at New Prospect Baptist Church in the Cincy neighborhood of Roselawn.

“If the riot is because of a slap, who incited the riot?” asked Rev. Damon Lynch. “Why are the only people being charged are the ones who look like me?”

While the charges are not as severe as the black individuals, the community leaders at least partially got their wish.

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Leaked Emails Show EPA Sought To Discredit Scientist After Ohio Train Derailment Disaster

Leaked emails from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) show that the agency sought to discredit an independent scientist who questioned official data on contamination following the East Palestine, Ohio train derailment and fire in February 2023.

Following the official EPA announcement that were no dangerous levels of toxins in the area and that it was safe for residents to return home, independent testing expert Scott Smith reported finding high levels of dioxins in the soil in East Palestine.

According to News Nation, when Smith’s findings were reported in spring of 2023, former EPA administrator Judith Enck said the agency should pay attention to Smith’s test results.

Instead of taking new samples and doing similar testing, leaked emails show that the EPA began collecting Smith’s personal information and monitoring his actions in an effort to discredit the environmental scientist.

Smith’s personal information and whereabouts were distributed to more than 50 EPA employees, his dog’s picture was circulated and drones were documented hovering near the scientist on multiple occasions.

Lesley Pacey, with the Government Accountability Project, told NewsNation that the EPA’s response was “troubling” since it was a matter of public health.

Pacey said, “What the EPA seems to have done here in East Palestine is that they were more interested in controlling the narrative and controlling what was going out to the community, from the community and back to the community,” adding, “They were definitely controlling the narrative of nothing to see here, no long-term health impacts.”

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Cincinnati Beating Suspect Cites Jan. 6 at Hearing, And Judge Drops Bond by 99% from Original Total – $300k Down to $2,500 Out of Pocket

If you ever find yourself in trouble with the law, just bring up Jan. 6, 2021. At the very least, it might get your bond lowered.

Court proceedings are unfolding for the suspects involved in the viral Cincinnati attack that took place July 26.

Judge Alan Triggs had originally set the bond for two individuals at a $200,000 secure bond and a $300,000 secure bond. These were for 24-year-old Dekyra Vernon and 25-year-old Aisha Devaughn, respectively according to WCPO.

Triggs has now lowered both bonds for these women to $25,000, of which each must pay 10 percent.

Vernon’s defense attorney, Clyde Bennett II argued that his client was being overcharged and that the events of that night had been mischaracterized.

“Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the United States Capitol. That’s a riot. When you get together, you assemble and you plan to commit a crime, that’s not what happened down on Fourth Street, judge,” Bennett argued.

Footage posted to social media platform X from that night indicates where the two women were when things became violent.

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‘Our Aim… Lobby for Somalia’: Ohio State Rep. Ismail Mohamed Urges Support for Somali Causes in Non-English Video

Ohio state Rep. Ismail Mohamed (D), one of the first Somali Muslims elected to the Ohio General Assembly, spoke entirely in Somali in a recently posted video in which he thanked Somali National TV and discussed efforts to honor a Somali historical figure, organize Somali American political representation, and lobby on behalf of Somalia.

Mohamed appeared in a video posted online in which he spoke exclusively in Somali, with English captions providing a translation. Mohamed, elected in 2022 as one of the first Somali Americans to serve in the Ohio General Assembly, addressed viewers in the video.

According to the English captions, Mohamed began by thanking Somali National TV and its management before describing two “historic achievements” in Ohio, particularly in Columbus. The first, he said, was naming a street after Sayid Mohamed Abdullah Hassan, whom he called “the father of Somalia whose dignity and honor is unequaled by any other Somali throughout the history” and “worthy enough to have a street named after him.” When discussing the street naming, the video showed a photo of Mohamed standing beside a street sign bearing Hassan’s name. Mohamed explained, “I’ve pioneered the idea of commemorating a monument even before I got elected.”

He went on to note the presence of “20 or more different political representatives,” including Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) at the federal level, and more than ten Somali American representatives serving at city and state levels. Mohamed described a “tight-knit organization” of Somali American officials who communicate in a group chat. “Our main objective is to discuss things that concern Somalia. It’s our country and our people. Our aim as a united front is to lobby for Somalia, helping waive Somalia’s national debt and maritime crisis,” the captions read. Mohamed called on residents of Columbus to “please vote,” adding, “We need your support. We want you to knock doors.”

This is not the first video of its kind. Minnesota state Sen. Omar Fateh (D), now a candidate for mayor of Minneapolis whose platform is similar to that of New York Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, posted a campaign video directed at Somali voters in which his only English-language phrase was “rental assistance program.”

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HORROR: Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Doctor Federally Charged with Possessing Over 153,000 Images and 470 Videos of Child Sexual Abuse — Victims as Young as Newborns

A former physician at one of the nation’s most respected pediatric institutions is facing federal charges for allegedly amassing one of the largest known personal collections of child sexual abuse material in recent history.

Howard M. Saal, 73, a former geneticist and dysmorphologist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, appeared in federal court this week after investigators say they uncovered a horrifying trove of over 153,000 images and 470 videos of child pornography, with some victims reportedly being as young as newborns.

According to charging documents, the nightmare began when a Hamilton County Sheriff’s detective assigned to the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force received a cyber tip tracing child pornography image searches back to Saal’s home IP address, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio.

The tip included a disturbing image depicting two naked girls, estimated to be just 10 years old, engaged in explicit conduct.

When investigators executed search warrants, they allegedly discovered a staggering digital archive of abuse. The FBI says many files involved infants, toddlers, and prepubescent children subjected to unspeakable acts.

Authorities claim there is currently no evidence linking the materials to any patients or children connected to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. But given the nature of Saal’s profession, working directly with children, the revelation is sparking outrage and demands for a deeper investigation.

Saal now faces federal charges carrying mandatory minimum sentences of five years and potential prison terms of up to 20 years for each count. If convicted, he will likely die in prison.

“I am incredibly proud of the work of our Regional Electronics and Computer Investigations unit and their diligence in investigating this individual,” said Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey said in a statement.

“We encourage anyone who thinks they may be a victim of Dr. Saal to contact our detectives. We will continue to seek out dangerous individuals and bring justice to victims’ families.”

“The FBI and our partners will continue to fiercely investigate those who attempt to sexually exploit children,” stated FBI Cincinnati Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola. “I want to thank the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office for their work on this investigation and for their strong partnership. Law enforcement is always more effective when we work together to address crime issues impacting our community.”

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Seventh Suspect Arrested in Cincinnati Mob Attack Against White Couple

A seventh suspect was arrested in connection with the Cincinnati mob attack against a white couple attending a jazz festival late last month.

Gregory Wright, 32, was arrested and charged with one count of aggravated riot and aggravated robbery.

The other six suspects indicted are (via WXIX):

  • Aisha Devaughn, 26, of Evanston
  • Dominique Kittle, 37, of Walnut Hills
  • Jermaine Matthews, 39, of East Price Hill
  • Montianez Merriweather, 34, of South Cumminsville
  • Patrick Rosemond, 38, of Reading
  • Dekyra Vernon, 24, of Evanston

WXIX reported:

Cincinnati police have arrested the seventh suspect in connection with what Cincinnati’s police chief calls a “violent attack” Downtown, according to Hamilton County court officials.

Court documents show that Gregory Wright, 32, is facing one count of aggravated riot and aggravated robbery.

Jail records show that he was booked into the jail at 4:30 p.m. Monday.

The Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Crime Stoppers posted on their Facebook page on Friday that police were searching for the seventh suspect, who has now been confirmed to be Wright.

Central Business District Commander Adam Hennie claims that the suspect took a gold chain off the victim’s neck while he is being beaten on the ground.

“The suspect then walks away from the location and places property in his pocket, then proceeds to film the rest of the events,” Commander Hennie said.

Cincinnati mob violence victim who goes by ‘Holly,’ blasted Democrat leaders for being soft on crime during a press conference with GOP Ohio Senator Bernie Moreno last Wednesday.

Last week Holly said she is suffering “very bad” brain trauma after the horrific attack by a mostly black mob at a jazz festival last weekend.

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