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 eye. We call this feature Catching Our Eye and have published it here.
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Catching our eyes
• Consequences of the corruption scandal. Julie Carr Smyth of the Associated Press reports: “Republicans are planning gigantic spending to keep their Ohio Senate seat. The bribery scandal adds to their challenges“
As he seeks to remain in the U.S. Senate this fall, Ohio Republican Jon Husted has been unable to escape the shadow of a $60 million bribery scandal that has dogged state politics for more than five years.
Husted was recently called to testify as a defense witness in a related criminal trial of two former energy executives; he may have to repeat his testimony after a hung jury led to a mistrial in March. A judge in Akron has scheduled a retrial to begin on September 28, meaning Husted could return to the witness stand a week before early voting begins for the November election.
The former lieutenant governor and secretary of state of Ohio has never been charged or charged with any wrongdoing. But the extensive public records that emerged in the wake of the scandal raised questions about Husted’s contacts with key players who were charged or imprisoned in the program, which involved legislative approval of $1 billion in financial aid for two of the state’s nuclear power plants.
• JD Vance vs. Pope. Dan Horn reports from the Cincinnati Enquirer:JD Vance told Catholics to stop arguing. Then he dealt with Pope Leo“
Pope Leo XIV and JD Vance made headlines over their public dispute over the Iran War. But two of America’s most prominent Catholics have been preparing for this moment for more than a year.
The pope and the vice president disagree on a range of issues, from the death penalty and climate change to President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration.
• Iran was. The Wall Street Journal reports: “Behind Trump’s public bravado during the war, he struggles with his own fears“
The drama-fueled president brings an even more intense version of his unconventional, maximalist approach to a modern situation – waging war. He vacillates between a combative and conciliatory approach, and behind the scenes he grapples with how badly things can go wrong.
At the same time, the president sometimes loses focus, spending time on the details of his plans for the White House ballroom or mid-term fundraising and telling advisers he wants to move on to other topics.
• Insider trading? BBC News reports: “Suspicions of insider trading related to Trump’s presidency.“
Throughout US President Donald Trump’s second term, investors bet millions of dollars just ahead of his major announcements.
The BBC analyzed trading volume data in several financial markets and compared it with some of the president’s most notable statements that influenced markets. A consistent pattern of spikes was detected hours and sometimes minutes before a social media post or media interview was made public.
Some analysts say this is a sign of illegal insider trading, in which people place bets based on information not available to the general public.
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