Here are your morning headlines for Friday, April 27:
- Kent State to fire controversial history professor;
- Kucinich promises to return money from pro-Assad group;
- Tainted romaine lettuce sickens three Ohioans;
- Ohio health officials recommend Hepatitis A vaccine as cases rise;
- Gubernatorial candidates file final campaign finance reports;
- Cleveland man sentenced to more than 44 years in prison for shootout with police;
- Browns select Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield as new QB;
Kent State to fire controversial history professor
Kent State University says it plans to fire a controversial professor who admitted to lying to federal investigators. History professor Julio Pino pleaded guilty Thursday to one count of making false statements to the FBI. The charges are part of a 2016 investigation where Pino told the FBI he didn’t know a Facebook friend who made online threats against a judge in a child-custody case. Pino had already come under scrutiny for anti-Semitic writings and an anti-Israeli outburst. His lawyer had said that he planned to retire from his tenured position. The university said it’s moving forward in accordance with personnel policies in terminating Pino. He remains suspended from the university and is banned from campus.
Kucinich promises to return money from pro-Assad group
Democratic candidate for governor Dennis Kucinich says he will return a speaking fee paid to him by a pro-Syrian government group. In state ethics filings Kucinich originally failed to disclose a $20,000 speaking fee from a group that includes the Syria Solidarity Movement, which supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Kucinich has called the organization a “civil rights advocacy group.” In a letter to the Plain Dealer editorial board, Kucinich said the failure to disclose the fee was unintentional. Kucinich did not apologize for taking the money and denied supporting the Assad regime.
Tainted romaine lettuce sickens three Ohioans
Three Ohioans are among the 84 people across the U.S. sickened by bacteria tainted lettuce. The Centers for Disease Control updated the list today, adding the third Ohioan, a woman from the Youngstown area. A nationwide recall of romaine lettuce went into effect last week after E. coli contamination was discovered on whole and chopped lettuce. No deaths have been reported but more than 40 people have been hospitalized. Nine patients developed kidney failure.
Ohio health officials recommend Hepatitis A vaccine as cases rise
The state health department is recommending that people with certain risk factors receive a hepatitis A vaccine as the number of cases in Ohio has risen. The Department of Health says there have been 47 reported cases in Ohio this year, compared with five cases during the same period in 2017. Hepatitis A is a liver disease typically spread by ingesting even microscopic amounts of fecal matter from objects, food or drinks.
Gubernatorial candidates file final campaign finance reports
Attorney General Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor spent almost $10 million combined since December in their bitter fight for Ohio's Republican gubernatorial nomination. Campaign finance reports show the two spending about the same, roughly $5 million each. DeWine still ended the period with a whopping $7.4 million in the bank headed into the May 8 primary. That's more than four times the $1.6 million Democratic candidate Richard Cordray reported having on hand. Democratic contender Dennis Kucinich has $275,000 available. Democrat Joe Schiavoni has $73,000 in the bank.
Cleveland man sentenced to more than 44 years in prison for shootout with police
A man accused of wounding two police officers during a shootout at a Cleveland-area car dealership has been sentenced to more than 44 years in prison. Timmothy Schmidt, 31, of Willoughby Hills, who was also injured in the September shootout, said he was heavily medicated at the time. One officer was shot in the chest and the other in the leg.
Browns select Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield as new QB
The Cleveland Browns have a new quarterback. The Browns picked Oklahoma Heisman Trophy winner, Baker Mayfield, with the No 1. pick in last night's NFL draft. It was a surprising pick amid speculation the Browns might choose USC’s Sam Darnold or Wyoming’s Josh Allen. Mayfield's fiery personality has drawn comparisons to controversial former Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel. The Browns have already named Tyrod Tayler their starter as Mayfield develops. With their No. 4 pick, the Browns selected Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward.
