Mayor from Ohio. (Getty image file photo.)
Each morning in the Ohio Capital Journal’s free newsletter, The Eye-Opener, we round up the news and commentary from across Ohio, the country and the world that catches our attention. We call this feature Catching Our Eye and have published it here.
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Catching our eyes
• Haitians. Cornelius Frolik of the Dayton Daily News reports: “Internal emails show DHS employee’s concerns about information used to justify terminating contract with Haiti TPS“
A U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services official raised concerns about information contained in a report on conditions in Haiti that the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security cited to justify her decision to end the country’s Temporary Protected Status…
A Sept. 26, 2025, email from a USCIS official said her supervisor “forced” her to include a section in the report on Haiti describing how TPS is a pull factor for illegal migration, even though the employee said there was no empirical evidence to support that claim, according to messages provided by attorneys representing Haitian TPS holders in a lawsuit against the federal government.
• Farmers using solar energy. The Associated Press reports: “Hosting solar energy could be a lifesaver for Ohio farmers. However, overcoming local opposition is challenging“
Through the window of his combine, Wayne Greier watches his teenage son Blake drive his tractor through an empty field and tow a plow into place for another uncertain spring planting season.
Greier wouldn’t worry less if the solar farm he dreamed of was built on his land. But local officials blocked it in 2023 under Ohio law, and Greier — struggling with earnest medical debt — had to sell some of his land to stay in business. The deal, which was abandoned, netted him about $540,000 in leasing fees each year.
• Teen mental health. Cleveland.comAs Karan Singh reports: “House Republicans are pushing to limit teens’ access to mental health while trying to expand its religious scope“
When it comes to the mental health needs of minors, lawmakers appear to disagree on the appropriate remedial approach.
This divide is most perceptible in two bills currently before the House, both sponsored by the same legislator and supported solely by Republicans: One opens the door to spiritual counseling in schools, while the other restricts independent pathways to licensed care.
• Kratom. Danny Eldredge of the Toledo Blade reports: “Ohio Lawmakers Approve Permanent Ban on Synthetic Kratom“
Synthetic Kratom will be permanently banned in Ohio after a fresh Ohio Board of Pharmacy rule clears the final hurdle.
The Joint Agency Rules Review Committee, a panel composed of members of the Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio Senate, allowed the rule to go into effect after considering testimony from several witnesses on Monday.
• Money. Jake Zuckerman of Signal Ohio reports: “Revealed information shows Ohio treasurer candidate showered with gifts from CEOs, fundraisers and lobbyists“
Financial disclosures show that last year, GOP treasurer candidate Jay Edwards received more than 42 gifts worth at least $75 each while preparing for his campaign.
The list of donors includes titans of industry and Edwards’ personal friends from southeast Ohio. This includes health care entrepreneurs, construction executives, campaign fundraisers and the vendor lobbyist who regularly hunts for state lottery contracts.
• Working in the shadows. ProPublica reports: “Shadow President“
From the wholesale gutting of federal agencies to the ongoing government shutdown, Russell Vought outlined the roadmap for Trump’s second term. Vought has consolidated power to such an extent that insiders say they feel as if “he is the commander in chief.” …
The Center for American Renewal’s ideas included how the president could invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy troops in American cities to quell protests, how the White House could freeze billions in federal funds without waiting for a congressional vote, and how agency leaders could defy government unions and lay off workers en masse. The advisory team also decided to create shadow versions of the OMB and the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel to anticipate legal challenges and counter internal dissent. In his 2024 speech, Vought explained: “I don’t want President Trump to have to waste a moment arguing in the Oval Office about whether something is legal or enforceable or moral.”
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