Cincinnati Edition

Not long after leaving prison in 2015, Troy Parker was ready to launch his own business. Using the public library as his office, he founded his own commercial cleaning company, began hiring employees and taking on clients. After five years in business, Innovative Labor and Cleaning Services, Inc was a success. Then the pandemic hit.

With the COVID-19 pandemic leading to virtual learning in many schools this fall, it is an unprecedented time to be serving on a local school board. Perhaps that is in part why a Cincinnati program focused on educating aspiring school board members is experiencing growing demand.

With ongoing protests against police violence and conversations around police reform, Cincinnati Police Union President Sgt. Dan Hils has questions for City Council. In fact, he handed them to council members directly last week.

Two film festivals will soon play in Cincinnati, though in two different formats due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the 2020 presidential election upon us, election scholars are now predicting several dire scenarios. Along with the threat of Russian hackers, some are now worried that should President Trump lose, he may refuse to concede. Legal scholar Richard Hasen points to four dangers threatening the voting process in 2020 in his book Election Meltdown: Dirty Tricks, Distrust, and the Threat to American Democracy .

On June 24, 1973, the patrons of the Up Stairs Lounge enjoyed an evening of socializing in a bar that was their refuge from anti-gay abuse. But that evening, a fire set on the steps leading up to the lounge, killed 32 people. The arson remains unsolved.

Freakonomics Radio with host Stephen Dubner has joined the WVXU lineup on Sundays at 12 p.m. The show explores the hidden side of everything with entrepreneurs, intellectuals, provocateurs and many other guest interviews.

Many people are noticing an uptick in polarizing political factions lately, even within their own party. Is an inner party insurgency a new phenomenon? Or can we look not too far back in our political past to find examples of struggles for political power arising on the fringes?

Cincinnati has a new interim city manager. Paula Boggs Muething, who has been city solicitor since 2014, stepped into the role vacated by Patrick Duhaney in June. Muething takes the helm after the city faced its largest budget deficit in its history brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. At time of nationwide protests and calls for police reform, Cincinnati is also facing a spike in homicides.

Earlier this week, Gov. Mike DeWine referred to some online rumors that have reportedly been echoed by some Ohio lawmakers, as "garbage" and "ridiculous." No, the governor said, the government is not planning to take kids away from parents and place them in FEMA camps in order to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Some Cincinnati neighborhoods, including Winton Hills, South Cumminsville and Mount Airy, are carrying a higher burden than others when it comes to energy costs.

The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on American families’ economic situation was recognized early on by governments at multiple levels who instituted a variety of relief measures, particularly related to rent and evictions.

There is no uniform policy for police pursuits across Hamilton County. Some police chiefs, including Cincinnati Police Chief Eliot Isaac, support establishing a uniform police vehicle pursuit policy for the region. A recent symposium of 44 law enforcement agencies in the county convened to discuss pursuit policy.

Last week, Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley addressed the topic of police reform in the city by introducing the U.S. Conference of Mayors' Police Reform and Racial Justice report . The report includes policy directives for cities and police departments. At the same time, the mayor is calling for more funding for police to combat gun violence.

Cincinnati City Council Member Chris Seelbach is moving forward with legislation to ban single-use plastic bags by retailers. Seelbach shelved the ordinance at the beginning of the pandemic. Now we could see a vote by mid-September with one revision to the proposal.

WVXU's weekend schedule is changing. Beginning Saturday, Sept. 12 at 7 p.m., you can hear Bullseye with host Jesse Thorn. The pop-culture radio show presents in-depth interviews and irreverent original comedy.

Like many industries, nonprofits are feeling the economic pinch caused by the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. But beyond money woes, local organizations are also working to let potential volunteers and board members know there are safe ways to join up.

This week on Cincinnati Edition 's Friday news review:

In response to the state of the nation, Cincinnati Public Schools wants to be the first district in Ohio to adopt what it calls an anti-racism policy, focusing on how racism affects its Black students and staff. The draft policy aims to eliminate all forms of racism from the district.

As the protests against racial injustice began spreading across the nation this summer, Cincinnati Public Schools Superintendent Laura Mitchell wanted to give young people the opportunity to share their experience surrounding inequality and empower them to create change.