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Brenda J. Linert

French law could limit sharing police videos

Allegations of police brutality aren’t exclusive to the United States. And neither is the growing trend of passersby — often random members of the public — stopping to video record police stops and arrests. We are blessed in America with liberties that our founders had the foresight and fortitude to create, granting us rights that are unfathomable to citizens in many countries. They include things like photographing and video-recording public activities. Now, even France, (a representative democracy like most Western-style governments) is challenging that freedom. The ...

CARES funds spent on more than basics

Improving technology to give students better remote access to their teachers seems like good use of CARES act funding. So does purchasing ambulances or personal protective equipment for first responders treating COVID-19 patients. This year’s Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Stimulus bill set aside billions of dollars to help in the economic fallout from COVID-19. It’s supposed to help individual Americans get by, pay for unemployment benefits, create a Paycheck Protection Program for forgivable small business loans and offer aid to large corporations, and to provide relief ...

Easier voting also can make fraud easier

Voting in the Nov. 3 general election in Ohio probably could have been easier. For instance, in the name of voting ease, several states mailed ballots ahead of the election to every registered voter. To help make the process more convenient, some countries across the globe now even are experimenting with online voting. But adding ease and conveniences like this undoubtedly also adds opportunity for improper voting or, to use the current favorite buzzword of our president and his supporters, voter fraud. The connotation that comes with the term “voter fraud” often leaves ...

Everybody knows it’s not over until it’s over

There’s a vast difference between the 5 million popular votes that separate Donald Trump and Joe Biden in the race to the White House and the small margin of 370 votes separating Trumbull County candidates Michael O’Brien and Martha Yoder in the race to the Ohio statehouse. But the two political battles have one major thing in common. Votes still being tallied might make all the difference. As they say, it ain’t over till it’s over. Indeed, Democrats in Ohio’s 64th statehouse district, which covers parts of Trumbull and Ashtabula counties, probably don’t want to hear ...

Oddities of this pandemic-year election

What a surreal election this has been. And I’m not even talking about the large number of incumbent upsets in local races, the days and days of ballot counting or the public accusations from our president of fraud and attempts to “steal” the election from him. Yes, civil suits have been filed, with more still to come. And there is other insanity. At least one lawsuit filed in Arizona stems from voters’ use of officially issued — wait for it — Sharpie markers that allegedly bled through to the other side of the paper ballot, apparently limiting the Phoenix metro vote ...

Feeling rested after that extra hour of sleep?

If you’re reading this and you haven’t yet turned your clock back, you’re probably already late for church. Or were you early for church? I can never keep those straight. Either way, we’re told we should have awoken today feeling exceptionally rested since we supposedly gained an extra hour of sleep. Or an extra hour to binge watch NCIS on Netflix. Or some graveyard shift workers might have gained an extra hour of work. When my boys were babies, the beginning and end to daylight saving time was always a struggle. Just when you get them into a good sleep routine, ...