By Amanda Lynn Barker As the social fallout from the pandemic continues to accelerate across Cincinnati, social service providers and street outreach workers are reporting rapidly increasing numbers of people who are experiencing homelessness outside. This is not surprising, given the political factors that are exacerbating an already tenuous economic environment. In his April 2, 2020, press conference, Governor DeWine announced that over 400,000 Ohioans have applied for unem

By Bill Woods Scary! Weird! Strange! Lonely! Tragic! Otherworldly! Unsettling! These are just a few words that neighbors have used to describe what we are all now experiencing. It is safe to say, none of us, unless we are over a hundred-years old, have lived through anything like the Coronavirus Pandemic. In a sense, the whole world has been brought to a halt. Everything we were doing before the middle of March has been put on hold. For activists this period of time is partic

By Mikhaila Fogel and Samantha Searls 4/20/20 Update: Alexis has been released! Thank you Gov. DeWine for commuting Alexis’ sentence! Original Article: In 2015, a teenage victim of sex trafficking was sentenced to 21 years to life in prison for a crime that occurred during an attempt to escape from her trafficker. Alexis Martin was 15 years old at the time, and despite Alexis’s age, she was tried in the Ohio court system as an adult. Alexis was kidnapped at the age of 14 and

By Press Release In response to the growing realities and impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, Produce Perks Midwest has increased its support for Ohio’s vulnerable populations. We are coordinating with local, state and national partners to help individuals access healthy food, and to support Ohio farmers, farmers’ markets and grocery- retailers. In order to better support Ohio’s families and farmers, the Produce Perks program will provide an UNLIMITED match on SNAP purchases du

By Amanda Lynn Barker During this historical moment, we are all subject to the uncertainty of a crisis situation. Drones fly through cities, broadcasting empty streets across social media channels. We live day by day, or perhaps week by week, waiting for news of reassurance that our lives will return to what we recognize as normal. Some of us might feel hopeless, fearing for the instability that follows two, three, and four weeks without a paycheck. Some of us might feel a ce

By Bill Woods Cincinnati confronts a major affordable housing crisis. A recent study by LISC found that a 40,000 affordable housing unit deficit exists in this city and Hamilton County. What caused this crisis, and what can be done to effectively address it? Today's affordable housing crisis didn't emerge over night. In fact, the problem has been critical since the mid-1980s, and it has simply grown worse over time. While less and less money was allocated to public housing pr

By Bill Woods Government and politics in this country has been anything but normal in 2020. The year began with the impeachment of the President followed by his acquittal in the Senate. At the same time, a diverse group of candidates representing a variety of views campaigned for the Democratic nomination for President. Four women, two African Americans, a Hispanic American, an Asian American, an avowed Socialist, a billionaire, and an openly Gay candidate were part of this m

By Katelyn Lusher When I was growing up, my mom didn’t work. Until I went to college and my youngest sister was old enough to stay home alone, my mom stayed at home and took care of my three siblings and me. From 2001 to 2009, she was also homeschooling at least one kid and somehow managed to keep the house clean, take us to church youth group events and sports, and cook dinners. When I think about it now, I realize that my dad’s job granted us the privilege to have one paren