In case you haven’t heard, last week President Donald Trump bombarded a Syrian airbase with 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles after it appeared the Syrian government used chemical weapons on civilians. Naturally, this has ignited some comments from Ohio’s politicians. Assad regime committed war crimes that can not be tolerated. U.S. response was appropriate and necessary. #SyriaStrikes — John Kasich (@JohnKasich) …

Ohio Rep. Jay Edwards, R-Nelsonville, introduced a bill this week aimed at fighting Ohio’s opioid crisis through prescription drug reform. House Bill 167, introduced by Edwards at a Wednesday press conference, would limit the dosage of prescription opioids for acute pain that physicians can prescribe. This would require physicians to follow Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines that suggest …

This week, President Trump signed an executive order revoking Obama’s Clean Power Plan which aimed to reduce carbon emissions within 25 years by requiring states to meet standards set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency. States did not immediately get on board with the plan. Ohio notably joined a lawsuit against the Obama administration opposing the implementation of the order. …

Three of Ohio’s most prominent Republicans have weighed in since the American Health Care Act failed to receive enough votes to pass in the House last week. Each of them laid forth a path that demonstrates three different strategies for Republicans moving forward. Ohio governor and former Republican presidential candidate John Kasich suggested President Donald Trump find a group of …

Remember the American Health Care Act that was supposed to be voted on yesterday, the seventh anniversary of the passage of Obamacare, in the House? It didn’t happen, but maybe Friday. The White House says the vote will be held Friday morning “in the light of day,” according to Axios. But House members aren’t sure when exactly the vote will …

The GOP health care bill debate has made its way to the states, and nowhere is this debate more prevalent than in Ohio. Gov. John Kasich penned a letter alongside other governors calling for more flexibility for states. Meanwhile, two Ohio congressmen are among a growing coalition of House Republicans who are dissatisfied with the American Health Care Act. Republican …

President Donald Trump presented his budget proposal to Congress this morning. It’s filled with cuts to various different agencies and boosts in areas such as defense spending. This has naturally attracted criticism from both sides of the aisle. Republicans have spoken out against the broad budget cuts, and Democrats have tailored their messaging toward critiquing the administration’s cuts to programs …

By the numbers: Trump’s approval rating according to 538’s new aggregate: 43.7 percent Rick Perry’s confirmation vote margin: 62-37 All-time DOW high after Trump’s speech: 21,000   Sessions recuses himself but still falls short of Ohio Democrats’ demands Today at a press conference, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced he would recuse himself from any investigations into Russian interference in last …

Numbers from Trump’s speech: Trump’s proposed infrastructure budget: $1 trillion Arizona’s Obamacare premium increase: 116 percent Americans living in poverty: 43.1 million Trump addresses Congress and Democrats Trump took a calm tone to the Capitol tonight as he addressed a joint session of Congress. The president stayed on the same topics he has since his inauguration, but he was noticeably …

By the numbers: Percent of votes that were illegal in November election: .0014 percent Trump’s proposed military spending increase: $54 billion Proposed EPA budget cut: ¼ of current budget   Kasich meets with Trump on Obamacare reform Last Friday, Ohio Gov. John Kasich met with President Trump in order to discuss Obamacare reform. Kasich, who notably expanded Medicaid in Ohio, …

By the numbers: Votes needed by candidates to be named new DNC chair this Saturday: 447 Public money spent by State Treasurer Josh Mandel on TV ads for treasury marketing: $1.84 million Favorability rating of Obamacare: 45 percent   Some Ohio Republicans dodge constituents while others face them head-on During their week away from the Capitol, some of Ohio’s Republican House …

By the numbers: Trump administration’s projected GDP growth: 3-3.5 percent Constituent faxes to Senators per hour: up to 300 Faxes sent to Rob Portman: 0 (He doesn’t accept faxes) Kasich is meeting with Trump but questions arise over who reached out Last night, CNN reported Ohio Gov. John Kasich was meeting with Trump on Friday. Press Secretary Sean Spicer confirmed …

By the numbers: Kasich’s approval rating: 61 percent Ohioans with health coverage due to Medicaid expansion: 692,532 Savings from Ohio’s medicaid plan: $1 billion / year Kasich sticks up for the press and defends Medicaid expansion This morning on CNN’s State of the Union, Ohio Gov. John Kasich spoke out against some of Trump’s behavior. When Jim Sciutto asked Kasich …

By the numbers: Percent of Americans who hold an unfavorable view of Russia: 65 percent Obama’s presidential rank in historian’s eyes: 12th Trump’s approval rating: 44.7 percent We’re fact checking yesterday’s Trump update today because it was half Trump quotes, and that calls for some sort of checking. On Trump’s claim that he had the largest electoral victory in history: …

By the numbers: Word count of Mark Zuckerberg’s letter against Trump-style isolationism: 5,800 Undocumented immigrants arrested last week: 680 Average number of immigrants arrested a week during Obama years: 675 Trump announces Labor Secretary pick, raves against the press This afternoon at a press conference, Trump revealed his pick for labor secretary: Alexander Acosta (who was not present). Trump then …

Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the author and Ohio University Students for Liberty. They do not reflect those of The New Political or its editorial team. By C.J. Fogarty In light of the recent ban on several predominantly Muslim nations, fulfilling one of Donald Trump’s more controversial campaign promises, a general statement on immigration …

By the numbers: Android devices infected with Chinese malware strain last year: 10 million Time since last Galaxy S3 (Trump’s phone of choice) security update: Over a year Shortest tenure as National Security Adviser: 24 days Trump campaign aides linked to Russia Yesterday, National Security Adviser Michael Flynn resigned amid concerns about his contacts with a Russian official. Now the …

By the numbers: Democratic senators who voted for Trump’s nominee for Treasury Secretary: 1 Average viewers of Sean Spicer’s press briefings: 4.3 million Views for SNL’s second Spicer skit: 9.2 million   Flynn’s resigns amid fallout from Russian connections National Security Adviser Michael Flynn has caught the attention of intelligence officials due to his relationship with Russia. To catch you …

By the numbers: Cases Trump has won concerning the immigration ban: 0 Patriots players skipping White House visit: 5 Times Trump administration has referenced nonexistent terror attacks: 3 Trump loses appeal on Immigration Ban Three judges from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled against the Trump administration and its request to reinstate the immigration ban after a judge …

By the numbers: Candidates who have rejected WH communications job: 2 Sanders-Cruz debate ratings: 2.46 million Obama executive orders revoked by Trump: 0 Gorsuch speaks out against Trump’s comments on fellow Judge In case you forgot, Trump lashed out against Judge Robart after he put a nationwide stay on the administration’s immigration order. Trump took to Twitter calling him a …

If you missed last night’s riveting meeting, here’s a rundown of the most prominent topics on Athens City Council’s agenda: Council said no to centralization of local income tax. The auditor and Ohio Municipal League recommended Council not condone the new centralized tax collection policy implemented by the state of Ohio. Council agreed to write a resolution to the state …

By the numbers: Days since Merrick Garland was nominated by former President Obama: 321 Years Gorsuch has served on the 10th Court of Appeals: 11 Gorsuch’s Judicial Common Score: +0.50   The 101st Justice of the Supreme Court: Neil Gorsuch One year ago, Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia suddenly died and left a vacancy in the highest court of …

President Donald Trump shared a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, their first contact with Trump in his official capacity as president. The political bromance between the two was sparked much earlier, however, and poses a grave threat to U.S. interest.   While the call shared between the two leaders is of little importance by itself — it …

By the numbers: Justices on the Supreme Court: 8 Executive orders signed so far: 6 Obamacare replacement plans: 4 Next executive order trickles down South Dakota and trumps up old debate On Tuesday President Trump signed an executive order bringing back the Keystone XL Pipeline, alongside the Dakota Access pipeline. The Keystone XL was the ideological predecessor to the Dakota …

Editor’s note: This is a featured writer’s first hand account of the Ohio Women’s March that took place in Columbus on Sunday. Walking over the bridge that crosses the Scioto River, the congregation was met with cold air. It chilled their lungs and turned their faces a shade of pink that matched the hats on many women’s heads and the signs …

Thousands of women from all over Ohio gathered in Columbus on Sunday to protest the impending presidency of Donald Trump. The Ohio Women’s March, a state-specific offset of the Women’s March on Washington that will be held on Saturday in Washington D.C., provided an opportunity for women who wanted their voices heard but were unable to attend the national march. …

Ohio is seeking a new drug for lethal injection executions, state officials announced at the beginning of January. However, instead of aiding in the execution process, the drug would be used to counteract the first drug in the state’s current lethal injection method. The drug, known as flumazenil, will only be given if complications arise from the sedative midazolam, the …

President-elect Donald Trump ran much of his campaign on the promise of repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act of 2010, commonly known as “Obamacare.”  This was in line with the Republicans’ strategy and House Speaker Paul Ryan’s own proposal dubbed The Patients’ Choice Act. Trump has broken down his plans into three points beyond repealing Obamacare and implementing Ryan’s …

City Council said at its committee meeting Monday it will write a letter to state legislators urging them to oppose an amendment by AT&T that would allow a wireless antenna to be put on any municipal buildings, and introduced a resolution to oppose the Dakota Access pipeline. The council will send a letter to state Sen. Lou Gentile, D-30th District, …

City Council suggested investing the money for the community pool project and heard a presentation on economic development in Athens County at its meeting Monday. Mike Burns, a representative from the investment firm who works with Athens on the pool project, reported Athens has maintained a high bond rating. “I was a little nervous when I did the first analysis …

Newly elected State Representative for the Ohio legislature Jay Edwards returned to Athens after an impressive win Tuesday night. Edwards won the overwhelming majority in three of the four counties in Ohio’s 94th District. The only county won by Democrat Sarah Grace was Athens County, the district’s most populated.  “I was really just humbled and honored that the people of the …

As millions of voters go to the polls on Nov. 8 to decide America’s next president, many are unwittingly breaking the law with their ballot selfies. A long-standing prohibition on showing a person’s ballot with “apparent intention” of who they are voting for prohibits photos with a marked ballot, thus making the much beloved ballot selfie a fifth-degree felony. In …

The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled the purging of voters from voter registration rolls was both unconstitutional and illegal, coming against Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted and his administration, who were purging voters due to inactivity. The October ruling decided purging registered voters was illegal and violated the National Voter Registration Act. Since 2011, more than two …

In 1975, Microsoft was founded, Sony released the first version of the Betamax and the first truly electronic voting machine was introduced into an official election in northeastern Illinois. The Video Voter, created by Frank Thornber Company in Chicago, was used for a short five years, but it was the first of a new class of voting machines. The Video …

Oct. 18 11:55 a.m.: This story has been updated to reflect additional comments from Sarah Grace concerning taxes filed for the PTO. Sarah Grace has pushed back against accusations that she did not file taxes for the East Athens Elementary Parent Teacher Organization during her time as treasurer from 2014-2016. Grace, who is the Democratic candidate for the 94th State …

Crime victim service providers across Ohio will be receiving approximately $79.5 million from Attorney General Mike DeWine’s office to better facilitate their efforts in helping victims of crime. The funds will be distributed among 365 different providers across Ohio that deal with issues ranging from child abuse to human trafficking. Some of the funds from the Ohio Attorney Generals Expanding …

Bailey Williams moved into his freshman dorm almost two months ago. Since then, he’s started fulfilling the requirements for his political science and economics double major, found a group of students who are just as passionate about democracy as he is, and also introduced former President Bill Clinton on the Hillary Clinton campaign trail. One of these things is not …

Lemon Andersen stressed the importance of diversity in the media and shared his experiences in jail as a young Latino at the fifth 90 Minutes event on Wednesday. Andersen, a Hispanic actor, activist, spoken-word poet and writer, said he identifies more with his class than the Hispanic community. He got the nickname Lemon because growing up, he was blond and …

City Council committees convened Monday to hear a parking permit proposal and to discuss wastewater treatment plant updates. Community member and Board of Zoning Appeals member Joan Kraynanski proposed an ordinance that would allow residents on certain streets to apply for passes that would exempt their vehicles from 24-hour street parking restrictions. “I’ve been researching this for a long time,” …

Oct. 11: This article has been updated to include comments from Michael Lakomy, president of College Democrats of Ohio and updated statements from David Parkhill, president of Ohio University College Republicans. Ohio Sen. Rob Portman joined a long list of Republicans who renounced Donald Trump late Saturday, saying he “can no longer support” his party’s presidential candidate. “While I continue …

Americans spend a lot on health care. So much so, in fact, that in 2014 the United States spent nearly 18 percent of its gross domestic product on healthcare, almost double the global 10 percent average. This is largely a result of Americans spending more on specialist and on special procedures, though rapid growth in hospital admissions and cuts to …

Ohio is scheduled to resume inmate executions in 2017 after a three-year hiatus caused by the lack of available lethal drugs that are used during capital punishment. The last execution in Ohio was convicted murderer Dennis McGuire in January of 2014. “There’s ongoing litigation with approximately 80 plaintiffs regarding the death penalty in the state of Ohio,” Dan Tierney, spokesperson …

Athens City Council met Monday evening to discuss communications from residents and from the administration and to read various ordinances, including one about bridge inspections in Athens. “Council has received an Ohio Division of Liquor Control request for a C-1 permit request for Silver Serpent LLC,” President Chris Knisely said. “This is located at 55 N Court St., and this …

Ohio has recently joined a collection of other states in two separate lawsuits against the U.S. government regarding transgender rights and overtime pay. The federal government issued guidance through a joint letter in May from the Departments of Education and Justice. The letter focused on allowing transgender students more rights in public schools, including allowing students to identify with their …

Abortion rates in Ohio declined by 1 percent in 2015, reaching the lowest amount since 1976 with 20,976 documented abortions, according to the Ohio Department of Health. “The abortion rate has been going down steadily for the past 25 years. Thankfully, I think it is due to better education on the fact that it is a human life someone is …

Athens City Council discussed site plans for the proposed new community pool at their meeting Monday evening. The Finance and Personnel Committee, chaired by Jeffrey Risner, D-4th Ward, invited MSA Architects consultants to explain the two options for pool sites. Keith Hall, one of the architects, led the discussion. “We’ve been studying several ideas as to where to locate the …

“Silencing Free Speech,” an open forum that explored the layers of free speech in American politics and on campus, was held Thursday night in Galbreath Chapel. Kimberley Strassel, a member of the Wall Street Journal editorial board, was invited to campus by the George Washington Forum to open a discussion about how the First Amendment has been silenced at Ohio …

Ohio Gov. John Kasich visited the White House recently to meet with President Barack Obama. Kasich’s visit was prompted due to his support of the Trans Pacific Partnership, which is a contentious topic for those on both sides of the aisle. However, we saw something that we rarely see today: bipartisanship. Today, we live in a country with so much …

Free speech and expression dominated discussion at Student Senate’s Wednesday night meeting after the body failed to pass a resolution dealing with the purchase of paint for the graffiti wall. Resolution 1617-22 was brought up after the installation on Richland Avenue was defaced by racial epithets, controversial language and graphic content, over what had previously been an African mural painted …

The Ohio Department of Education released its 2016 report card on Thursday, which featured many new additions to the grading system, including a new letter grade for each section of the report card rather than just one grade. This is the first year that each component received its own A-F composite score. The main components included Achievement, Progress, K-3 Literacy, …