Here are your morning headlines for Wednesday, July 20th:
- Ohio Supreme Court rules congressional district map currently in use for 2022 election unconstitutional
- Ohio Democratic Party calls for AG Yost to resign over comments about child rape case
- DeWine re-ups anti-abortion lobbyist’s appointment to Ohio Medical Board
- Two more Cleveland-area Starbucks stores vote to join union
- Akron high school football legend Tim Flossie dies at 73
- Clase earns save in AL’s ninth-straight All-Star victory over NL
- Weather: Sunny, hot, with strong thunderstorms tonight
Ohio Supreme Court rules congressional district map currently in use for 2022 election unconstitutional
(Statehouse News Bureau) -- The Ohio Supreme Court has tossed out a second Republican-drawn map of Congressional districts, ruling the 15 districts were gerrymandered in violation of the Ohio Constitution. In a 4-3 ruling, the court said Republicans again divided the areas around Akron, Cleveland and Cincinnati in ways that reduced Democrats' chances of winning a fair share of the districts. The ruling will affects the 2024 elections. The map was used in the May primary and will still be used in the general election in November.
Ohio Democratic Party calls for AG Yost to resign over comments about child rape case
(Statehouse News Bureau) -- The Ohio Democratic Party is calling on Republican Attorney General Dave Yost to resign over his comments about the case involving a 10-year-old pregnant child who was raped and went to Indiana to get an abortion. Party Chair Liz Walters said Yost questioned the girl's story publicly and then created misinformation about how she could have received an abortion under the state's ban on abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected. There are no exceptions for rape or incest. Yost said the girl may have qualified for an Ohio abortion based on the law's exceptions to prevent the death or the "substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function" of the mother. The Republican Party called the resignation request disgraceful.
DeWine re-ups anti-abortion lobbyist’s appointment to Ohio Medical Board
(Ohio Capital Journal) -- Ohio's governor, Republican Mike DeWine, plans to re-nominate Mike Gonandakis, the leader of the state's largest anti-abortion group, to the state's medical board for a third, five-year term. Gonandakis is the president of Ohio Right to Life. He is also a lobbyist and has represented health care clients and medical marijuana companies. He has served on the medical board in one of the three positions set aside for appointees representing the interests of consumers. A spokesman for the governor said Gonandakis' appointment does not create any conflict of interest, since the "vast majority" of medical licensure issues are unrelated to abortion or medical marijuana.
Two more Cleveland-area Starbucks stores vote to join union
(Cleveland Scene) -- Workers at two more Cleveland-area Starbucks locations have voted to unionize. The president of the North Shore AFL-CIO says employees at a location in Cleveland Heights and another on the Cleveland-Lakewood border have voted in favor of forming unions. Another Starbucks location at University Circle will be counting votes on Friday. Baristas at the Starbucks on West Sixth Street in downtown Cleveland officially unionized in May after a unanimous vote, becoming the second location in the state.
Akron high school football coaching legend Tim Flossie dies at 73
(Akron Beacon Journal) -- Akron high school football coaching legend Tim Flossie has died. He was 73. His daughter, Jill Ammerman, said her father died Monday after battling several illnesses for the last six months. Flossie coached programs at Central-Hower, Barberton and Firestone, but is best remembered for leading Buchtel to two state championships.
Clase earns save in AL’s ninth-straight All-Star victory over NL (MLB.com) -- Guardians closer Emmanual Clase earned a save in the American League's 3-2 win over the National League in last night's All-Star Game in Los Angeles. He struck out the side in the ninth inning with just ten pitches, one ball and nine strikes, in his first appearance in the Midsummer Classic.
Weather: Sunny, hot, with strong thunderstorms tonight
(National Weather Service) -- Mostly sunny and hot. High 91. Heat index values will be as high as 96. Tonight, rain likely, strong storms with 60 to 70 mph wind gusts possible. The National Weather Service is not ruling out an isolated tornado. Low 70.
