Tariff refunds for small businesses past due, US Senate Dems tell Trump administration
Sens. Wyden and Markey say only $20.6B of $166B in court-ordered refunds has been paid, with $60B not even in process, and demand answers by June 24.
Economy
A $1,778 tax cut for a family of 4: What Amy Acton's affordability agenda would mean for working Ohio households
Acton's plan pairs a refundable earned income credit with a child tax credit DeWine proposed but Republicans stripped from the state budget.
US Senate Dems press federal agency to increase oversight of prediction markets
The letter, led by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, cites a soldier charged with earning $400K on Polymarket using classified intel as prediction market trading has surged.
Spending among Ohio consumers slows as gas threatens to go even higher
Exxon and Chevron warn oil could hit $150–$160 a barrel as diesel stocks hit a 40-year low, while U-M sentiment data shows consumers already cutting spending.
Ohio Republicans back off effort to kill a beefy tax credit for data centers
Lawmakers around 10 p.m. Wednesday nixed a vote on a data center package, aborting efforts to eliminate or lower a tax break that saved Big Tech $2 billion last year.
More on Economy
Inflation reaches 3-year high of 4.2%, fueled by war Jon Husted called 'good news for the global economy'
Sen. Jon Husted, who called the Iran war good news and voted against ending it, now faces a reelection battle as gasoline hits $4.15 and grocery prices climb.
Projected Social Security benefits cliff creeps up to 2032
A new SSA report shows the trust fund depletes a few months sooner than last year's estimate, which would cut benefits to 78% for 68 million recipients unless Congress acts.
Ohio lawmakers introduce sweeping new data center legislation
The bill cuts a $1.6 billion tax break in half and targets NDAs, but Sen. DeMora warns the rapid one-day timeline to a Senate floor vote will produce bad law.
Local leaders, construction industry defend data centers before Ohio lawmakers
Sen. Brian Chavez says legislation could clear an Ohio Senate committee within days, even as witnesses split on NDAs, sales tax breaks, and transparency rules.
States face more budget pressures amid rising costs, slow growth
Nearly half of states are cutting spending to balance budgets, while Pew found the median state's reserves could cover just 47.8 days of operations in 2025.
Gov. Mike DeWine’s data center advice for Ohio cities and towns: Go make a deal
The governor said the state can’t close its borders to data centers, but that local governments should ‘be aggressive’ in cutting deals with developers.
Ohio has committed at least $2.3 billion in sales tax breaks for data centers
Google, Meta and Amazon each get sales tax exemptions worth $600 million apiece over 40 years, according to new data obtained by Signal Statewide. The long-term total could be “significantly higher,” officials say.
Big tech defends data centers before Ohio lawmakers
Tech giants faced skeptical lawmakers and fierce public opposition over nondisclosure deals, tax breaks, and power grid impacts.
Ramaswamy's tax plan rewards the wealthy and corporations while shifting the bill to working Ohioans
Ramaswamy's own financial disclosure shows $768,968 in capital gains in 2025—the exact income his proposal would exempt from state taxes.
Bipartisan JobsOhio oversight bill gets first hearing
The bill would require JobsOhio to pay fair market value for future liquor franchise extensions worth billions, after lawmakers questioned whether the nonprofit truly delivers statewide economic benefits.
Economists say a gas tax suspension wouldn’t give Ohioans meaningful relief
A survey of 19 economists found only one believed the benefits would outweigh infrastructure costs, with most citing deferred road maintenance.
First-time homebuyers face hurdles despite gradual improvement
While affordability has improved slightly, first-time buyers still face a shortage of starter homes, with the median buyer age hitting 40 as families turn to multi-generational living.
Rising costs of fuel, other goods squeeze already strained abortion funds
Abortion funds say fuel prices and inflation are forcing some to temporarily close as demand has more than doubled since the Dobbs decision.
Data center opponents give Ohio lawmakers an earful
Residents demanded a data center moratorium, citing water contamination risks, secrecy through NDAs, and inadequate state oversight during the committee's only public hearing.
The affordability crisis is getting worse in Ohio and the U.S., but it’s not new
A Brookings Institution analysis finds 40% of Ohio households can't make ends meet, a crisis dating to 2014 with steeper impacts on families of color and single parents.
