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Lack of affordable housing still plagues low-income Ohioans

Editorials

Affordable housing remains a challenge for Ohioans — and that challenge only grows as rent puts a greater strain on an increasing number of households. According to the 2026 Gap Report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition and the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio, there are 422,098 extremely low-income renters in the state, and 73% of those report spending more than half their income on rent. That is an increase from 66% only five years ago. “For people at the bottom of the pay scale, rent is gobbling up most of their paychecks. But this report shows the rent ...

Fix what’s broken at home so we can defend ourselves abroad

Editorials

In 2024, for the first time in almost a century, the United States spent more financing its national debt than it did, as a percentage of GDP, on national defense. In 2024, interest on our national debt expenditures came in at 3.1% of GDP and defense spending at 2.9%. This has been the case through this year, although it’s too soon to say what the picture will finally be for 2026. But it’s very close. We’re in this situation because of the massive increase in federal spending, and the massive increase in federal borrowing to finance the spending. At the same time, defense ...

Senate six declare war on Iran war

Editorials

Readers, does it seem we’re going through one constitutional crisis after another? Six Democratic senators told a scrum of journalists that President Donald Trump’s newly launched war on Iran, with Israel, pushed them past a breaking point. They vowed to force public hearings and debate on the war, which is costing about a billion dollars a day without a clear endpoint. Sen. Cory Booker (N.J.) voiced the strongest case against the escalating war in the Middle East. “The president jumped into a war of choice with no oversight, no hearings,” he said. “The Senate has to do ...

Next governor must follow DeWine’s lead on education

Editorials

In his final State of the State address, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine was right to spend so much time on education — particularly reading. If we aren’t giving Buckeye State children the best start possible, it’s hard to see how public officials are going to be able to get much else right. They’ll just be playing catch-up. But there are bright spots on that horizon. DeWine’s persistence regarding the Science of Reading may be helping our youngest readers improve their reading performance. The governor and his team at the Department of Education and Workforce must be seeing evidence ...

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Letters to the Editor

Another reminder of Catholic priest abuse is in the Tribune this morning. This time it involves Bishop Thomas Tobin,the ex-bishop here in Youngstown. Will this ever stop? Back to Ohio. The church wants the Ursuline state civil cases dropped. How despicable! And the diocese want the federal cases left at the fed level. Why? So the cases can be swept under the rug there. Parishioners should quit contributing to the perverted organization until ALL parties are held responsible. — Warren The most un-presidential president in American history has referred to the half of Americans who ...

Is Railway Safety Act all it purports to be?

Editorials

The White House is calling on Congress to include a railroad regulation bill as part of a larger transportation funding package this year. It’s not the first time President Donald Trump has supported it, and the legislative branch would be wise to ignore his counsel again. The Railway Safety Act was first introduced in 2023 after the train accident in East Palestine where chemicals were vented and burned, causing environmental damage and horrific visuals. Then-Sen. JD Vance was among the bipartisan group of legislators who introduced the bill. Trump, then campaigning for president, ...