Gov. Mike DeWine said this week that the state is preparing for another surge in ICE activity in Ohio as temporary protected status expires for thousands of Haitian immigrants in the state. DeWine said he is working with county authorities near Springfield to try to ensure no one gets hurt if agents begin detaining immigrants. It’s certainly something to watch.
There is other political news in Ohio. Some 120,000 Ohioans have left the Obamacare health insurance rolls, likely because of rising premiums after Congress and the president failed to renew temporary subsidies.
Data centers continue to pop up around Ohio. Local leaders want the jobs, but residents fear an increase in electric bills.
And Ohio’s own JD Vance marks his first anniversary as the nation’s vice president.
We break it all down with an expert panel: reporters Jessie Balmert of the USA Today Ohio Network and Jake Zuckerman of Signal Statewide, along with progressive activist Morgan Harper and former state legislator Gene Krebs, a Republican from far western Ohio.
Snollygoster of the week
Our show used to feature a segment called "John Kasich GPS." This was the technology we used to track the governor's 2020 presidential campaign. We used it to follow his movements from Iowa to New Hampshire to Michigan, until he bowed out of the race.
It’s been more than five years, but we thought we’d use it again to get an update on Ohio’s former governor. He pops up regularly on cable television, so he’s not a recluse.
This week, he was on a bridge, bundled up against the cold and railing against President Trump’s immigration enforcement in a video for social media. A lot of people saw that video, with it garnering more than one million views.
And maybe his message got through, as Republicans seem to be softening their tone when it comes to the actions of immigration agents.