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What is ‘Transgender Awareness Day’ actually about?

It’s finally springtime, which can only mean one thing. Not Easter, or Passover or Ramadan. No, March 31 was International Transgender Awareness Day, an annual day dedicated to transgender awareness. Taking to social media, the Democratic Party announced that “Trans rights are human rights.” So “This Transgender Day of Visibility, we honor the resilience of transgender and nonbinary Americans and celebrate their incredible courage,” they added. “To our trans neighbors on this trans day of visibility: I see you, I cherish you, and I stand with you in the face of the ...

Ohio, W.Va. have plenty of work ahead

Residents of this region pride themselves on a pioneering spirit that has spread across generations of those who helped fuel and build this country. But these days, we’re falling behind as others have picked up the torch. In fact, according to WalletHub’s “Most and Least Innovative States (2026),” Ohio ranks 40th in the country, and West Virginia ranks a predictable 49th. According to the study, the most innovative places are Washington, D.C., Massachusetts and California. Those measures are based on data points such as the share of STEM professionals, research and ...

Columbiana is inspirational

I never thought two days in Columbiana would be so inspirational. The Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber and Columbiana Area Chamber of Commerce held their first signature event since executing an affiliation agreement this year. It was the 73rd annual Harvey Awards, named for Harvey Samuel Firestone, the prominent American industrialist and the founder of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Co. The event was held at The Barn at Firestone Farms. The very place where Mr. Firestone grew up. The very place where Firestone, Thomas Edison and Henry Ford would frequently camp out and discuss how ...

War takes physical, emotional toll

As the war with Iran has been going on for four weeks, 13 U.S. service members have been killed. Ohioans have been honoring the lives of three members of the state’s Air National Guard who died in a refueling plane crash on March 12 while supporting Operation Epic Fury: Capts. Seth Koval and Curtis Angst, along with Master Sgt. Tyler Simmons, who was recently posthumously promoted to this rank. Local news stations in Columbus spent several days covering and highlighting the achievements of these young men who paid the ultimate sacrifice in serving their country. Watching these ...

Is Ramaswamy digging himself a hole in Ohio?

Vivek Ramaswamy wants to be Ohio’s governor, but he’s finding that Ohio’s reliably red reputation isn’t giving the Republican much of a bump just yet. In fact, Youngstown native Amy Acton — who once led the Ohio Department of Health under current Gov. Mike DeWine — had a slight edge over Ramaswamy in a recent poll. Acton, the presumptive Democratic candidate, led her presumptive GOP rival 45.9% to his 44.9% in a Quantus Insights poll released March 16. The poll surveyed 809 likely voters during the weekend of March 13-14. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus ...

Free speech in America exists not just for laughs

Following reports that Bill Maher will receive the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt refused to believe it. “This is fake news,” she told CNN. “Bill Maher will NOT be getting this award.” Ah, guess again. On Thursday, the center confirmed that Maher was the pick. (This reversal was first reported by Politico.) The annual award, presented by the Kennedy Center, will be given June 28, right before the performing arts center closes for a two-year renovation. In the spirit of the honor, Maher thanked “the Mark ...