America has a local news crisis. From 1998 to 2017, local newspaper circulation has plummeted 50%, taking it with it thousands of jobs and folding dozens of papers. As a publication that focuses on local politics, we at The New Political believe strongly in the importance of local news. We asked our opinion writers to discuss why local reporting is so …

Vote Ohio is a weekly series about what you need to know before voting this November. The first video goes over state positions that are being voted on and what makes them important.  

The blistering heat of the southern hemisphere’s summer season bears down on the streets of Buenos Aires. But it’s more than just the subtropical climate that keeps Argentinians’ blood boiling: the country’s representative democracy lends itself to a robust activist community. After over a decade of left-leaning politics, conservative President Mauricio Macri won the presidency one year before Donald Trump …

This week, most of Graduate Student Senate was spent listening to a presentation with “breathtaking” data about sexual misconduct.  Graduate Student Senate heard a lengthy presentation from Dean of Students Jenny Hall-Jones about Ohio University’s systems of response to sexual misconduct on its campuses at its meeting Tuesday. Data was given that places Ohio U in the norm for rates …

The New Political executive staff has named Kat Tenbarge Editor-in-Chief for the 2017-18 academic year. Marianne Dodson and Connor Perrett were selected to be Managing Editor and Digital Managing Editor, respectively. The following editorial reflects the joint vision of the new top-tier editors. Dear Athens, The effects of the United States’ political system are significant, whether in the form of an …

Athens has some new competition for a couple of City Council seats. A majority of the competitors are Democrats, with only one Republican vying for a spot. Sarah Grace Grace is one of three candidates running for an at-large seat on the council. She is an OU alumna, local small-business owner and a former candidate for Ohio’s 94th District seat. …

Editor’s Note: This is the third in a three-part series about Ohio’s heroin crisis. A symptom of a larger disease, opioid abuse and pharmaceutical abuse have ravaged the Midwest — and people are finally waking up to it.   The path out of addiction twists and turns, and it is littered with obstacles. The National Institute on Drug Abuse puts …

When Ohio State University student Reagan Tokes went missing in February, she became one of the hundreds of people that go missing in Ohio every year. Tokes’ case ultimately ended tragically with her death. However, the vast majority of missing people — 97 percent of those reported missing in 2015 — are ultimately recovered safely within a few days, according …

Over the past few months, a number of horrific events have been broadcast on Facebook through the use of Facebook Live. The most recent tragedy to be shown live on the social media outlet occurred just a few days ago on Easter Sunday. Steve Stephens, a Cleveland resident, broadcasted himself killing 74-year-old Robert Godwin Sr. using Facebook. With the video …

In the rocky world of foreign policy, building global relationships is a necessary precursor to success. It’s time, then, to stop viewing USAID as valueless charity and instead recognize it for what it is: a wise and principled investment. The Trump Administration has signaled that USAID is on its way to the chopping block. The State Department and foreign aid is expected …

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 Just last year, scientists at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory found a way to synthesize ethanol using nanotechnology. This discovery was made accidentally, according …

In August 2016, a thread popped up on a forum from a user with a grainy black and white avatar. “C-Bus in the house!” The post goes on to describe various city attractions. The user lists off parks and university centers to hang out and recruit members. They also mention a good target for activism: The Ohio Statehouse Holocaust Memorial. …

Editor’s Note: This is the second in a three-part series about Ohio’s heroin crisis. A symptom of a larger disease, opioid abuse and pharmaceutical abuse have ravaged the Midwest — and people are finally waking up to it. Opioids have ravaged families and communities with increasing frequency over the past few years, as Southeast Ohio has witnessed first-hand. Ironically, one …

Rep. Jay Edwards, R-94th District, visited the Ohio University College Democrats to introduce himself and speak about issues and bills currently in legislature. Edwards said the opioid crisis is a crucial matter for Athens. He discussed in detail a new bill created to resolve the crisis, and commented about how doctors should be held accountable for the amount of opioids …

Editor’s Note: Some of the images in this post are graphic and may be considered disturbing by some readers. The images in question refer to anti-abortion images circulated by Columbus-based anti-abortion group Created Equal. Last Wednesday, Ohio University Bobcats for Life held an anti-abortion protest with the help of Created Equal. This protest took place on South Beach (Morton Field) …

Editor’s Note: This is the first in a three-part series about Ohio’s heroin crisis. A symptom of a larger disease, opioid abuse and pharmaceutical abuse have ravaged the Midwest — and people are finally waking up to it. Ohio: where a state in the throes of addiction experienced a staggering 13 percent increase in opioid overdoses just from 2014 to …

With the assaults on the Islamic State (IS) strongholds of Mosul, Iraq, and Raqqa, Syria, underway, it appears the group we know today is facing its last days. This is not to say it will disappear completely, but the organization will look very different in a year or so. This begs the question: what comes after the Islamic State? Does …

The United States struck the Shyrat Air Base in Syria with 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles following the Assad regime’s barbaric gassing of civilians, including children. The move was a long-overdue response to the repeated atrocities committed by Bashar al-Assad’s regime and should be received as a welcomed attempt to maintain the international norm against chemical weapons While the Trump administration’s …

Student Senate passed a bill asking Ohio University to address the needs of international, immigrant and undocumented students on Wednesday. The bill is identical to one passed in February. It is being used to re-apply pressure to OU administrators on the topic of protecting immigration status. “We’re not asking the university to break any laws but to protect their students …

Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted met with OU College Republicans yesterday in the basement of Red Brick to discuss his experiences in life and in office, as well as what he might do if he decides to pursue a gubernatorial campaign. Although Husted said he wouldn’t make the decision on whether to run for governor for several more weeks, …

Ohio University’s south campus Wednesday morning had more gore than many current PG-13 movies. Protesters gathered in opposition to an event held by Bobcats for Life and Created Equal, a Columbus-based pro-life organization. The event was characterized by a large “JumboTron” screen that displayed arguments against abortion and graphic videos. Jacob Hoback, president of Bobcats for Life, said the event …

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 I used to view a military intervention as simply an isolated event with no negative consequences. I also used to believe that any regime change …

Panelists from campus institutions tackled workplace assault at a discussion hosted by Ohio University Student Senate on Tuesday. The conversation, held during Sexual Assault Awareness Month, appeared timely in light of recent scandals at the university. In 2016, the Athens Police Department reported 30 rapes, which is exponentially more than in prior years. OU has dealt with the aftermath of …

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) …

As spring comes into full effect, more people are outside enjoying the warmer weather. But with this increase of outside activity, one thing to be aware about is where we’re disposing of trash. Not only do we need to be conscious of recycling, but we also need to think about trash we are leaving on the ground. And although littering …

Women in Ohio make 75 cents for every dollar paid to men, the 10th largest wage gap in the U.S., a report released last week found. The report also showed a larger wage gap for women of color. The analysis, conducted by the National Partnership for Women and Families, looked at the median yearly pay for women and men who …

Supporters of Take Back the Night rallied together for survivors of sexual assault, violence and rape Thursday by marching through the streets of Athens. Take Back the Night is a nationwide movement working towards sexual education, safety and empowerment. The movement at Ohio University, in its 38th year of existence, consists of a week-long series of events made possible through …

Andrew Escobedo, an English department faculty member who was placed on leave in March 2016 after being accused of sexually assaulting multiple graduate students, has requested a faculty hearing. The hearing was requested via an email to Interim President David Descutner on Monday. This was in response to Descutner’s March 2 notice to Escobedo expressing that the university planned to …

Ohio University College Republicans elected Ryan Evans as its president for the 2017-2018 school year. In Evans’ nomination speech, he spoke about some of the past accomplishments of the past year. His goal is to increase retention rates for the organization and work toward making the organization more prestigious. “From what I learned in the last year being on exec …

New drilling wells may dot the landscape of Monroe County following a $5.2 million bid in March for the rights to explore and drill for oil and gas on 1,180 acres of land in the Wayne National Forest. The Wayne National Forest, which covers over a quarter million acres of Appalachia, has seen such bids before; the U.S. Bureau of …

Images, banners and chalk messages cropped up around Ohio University’s main campus on Wednesday for an initiative by the OU Sierra Student Coalition calling for OU to divest from its fossil fuel industry ties. The initiative is a joint effort with the Ohio Student Climate Resistance (OSCR) and is aimed at standing up against fossil fuel industries. The actions follow …

Former Obama speechwriter Kevin Samy and filmmaker Chris Roessner presented the Dog Whistle Project. to Ohio University College Democrats Tuesday night. The initiative was created to combat political doublespeak, which the speakers alleged is often used to promote a hidden agenda. Samy and Roessner started the organization partly because of the rise of Milo Yiannopoulos and his speeches to college …

Graduate Student Senate elected its 2017-18 executive positions, with 232 graduate students voting in the election April 3-4. At Tuesday’s meeting, it advocated for sexual assault awareness and protection of undocumented immigrants. GSS also passed resolutions regarding its budget and attendance policy, and it announced a plan to rebrand. GSS elected its 2017-18 administration Graduate students at Ohio University elected …

Student Senate elections finished Tuesday, April 4, after a turbulent election cycle, resulting in a majority win by the Green Light ticket. The new executives are Green Light’s Landen Lama as president, Nicole Schneider as vice president and Zachary Woods as treasurer. Going into the 2017-2018 school year, Green Light will occupy 34 of Senate’s 39 seats. Two of these …

State Highway Patrol members barricaded the block surrounding the Sandusky State Theater today so Gov. John Kasich could announce an awardance of $20 million to fight the opioid epidemic through innovation. Kasich, along with the Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio Senate, drove over two hours from the Ohio Statehouse to Sandusky for the Republican’s second-to-last State of the …

Disney’s remake of “Beauty and the Beast” was a box office smash hit, earning the seventh spot on the list of biggest domestic box office launches in history. The movie is expected to surpass the earnings of the original and become one of Disney’s highest-grossing movies. All of these achievements have taken place despite the protest and backlash from more …

An already unique Student Senate election just become a little more interesting: outsider ticket Fight was disqualified from the election as of 11:50 a.m. today. This decision was a result of Fight failing to submit its financial report on time, shifting its infraction level from a class B to a class A, which results in disqualification. Disqualification in this manner …

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 …

Congress recently sparked an uproar with the passage of S.J. Res. 34, better known as the act which enables internet service providers to sell customer data and browsing history at a scale never before seen. The bill is likely to become law, especially now that President Trump has voiced his support of it. The key facet of the bill is …

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 tickets are running for Student Senate this year, with vastly different platforms and ideas for the future. Get to know Voice: Presidential candidate: Jordan Kelley is fourth-year B.S.S. student studying student development and has been part of Student Senate for four years a senator, commissioner, vice commissioner and on Student Senate staff. He has been an RA and currently …

Three tickets are running for Student Senate this year, with vastly different platforms and ideas for the future. Get to know Green Light: Presidential candidate: Landen Lama is a political science major and has two years of Student Senate experience as parliamentarian and chief of staff. He is also a Democratic central committee member for Fairfield County, representing the Democratic …

Last March brought snow to Athens, Ohio, but yesterday a different type of white powder blew into the Ohio University airport. JUST IN: Authorities seize large amount of drugs from plane that landed at OU airport. They suspect it’s cocaine – https://t.co/mr7oIoDeWy pic.twitter.com/BXKbvLR7l8 — WTTE FOX 28 (@fox28columbus) March 30, 2017 At around 2:30 p.m., the Department of Homeland Security …

Ohio University Police Chief Andrew Powers asked the Athens City Prosecutor’s office to dismiss the remaining charges related to the Baker Center sit-in on Feb. 1. “Although I still believe the February 1 gathering had become unsafe and that our response was appropriate, I respect the decision of the judge,” Powers said in a press release. Athens Municipal Court Judge …

Walter 235 does not look like an average Ohio University classroom. The U of desks and chairs rises up to create stands for the last debate of the 2017-18 Student Senate elections. Three sets of executive candidates took the floor, answering questions submitted by students and audience members. The debate began calmly, but at times the candidates became heated, while …

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 …

A report analyzing Ohio’s bail and pretrial services published last week recommended implementing several measures to improve the fairness and efficiency of Ohio’s various court systems. In line with similar studies across the U.S., the report, published by a special committee of the Ohio Criminal Sentencing Commission, found that “those with money, notwithstanding their danger to the community, can purchase …

President Trump released his budget proposal a few weeks ago, detailing what he calls his “Budget Blueprint to Make America Great Again.” One of his first steps in doing so is cutting funding to the Appalachian Regional Commission, an entity charged with economic development and innovation in Appalachia. Such a cut is a leap in the wrong direction; to make …

Athens and campus officials presented arguments against the American Health Care Act at the Athens County Courthouse on Thursday. Keller Blackburn, the Athens County prosecutor, spoke about how he believes the legislation proposed by U.S. House Republicans will be detrimental to Athens residents facing addiction problems. “We can either have productive members of society and recognize that addiction is a disease… or we can defund …

The International Socialist Organization discussed rebuilding the women’s movement at its event Thursday night. The event, “March, Strike, Organize,” was centered around a talk by Haley Swenson, a lecturer at Ohio State who is involved with ISO. “The women’s movement has been kind of dead in the water for about 40, almost 50 years,” Swenson said. “To reappropriate a phrase …