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Thirst for fame can prove deadly

Editorials

The tragic deaths of Hayden Panettiere and Jason Arday can be tied to the same phenomenon. It’s not new but has accelerated in today’s influencer culture: youth’s hunger for fame. Panettiere was an accomplished actress who, buried in depression and addiction, died from an apparent drug overdose at 36. Arday was a serial fabulist who talked his way into becoming the youngest black professor at Cambridge University. When his fabrications came crashing down around him, he took his own life. “Fame is the thirst of youth,” the poet Byron wrote over two centuries ago. He asked ...

Ohio schools have new way to tackle chronic absenteeism

Editorials

“Every minute counts,” Heather Dodd, director of pupil services for Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools, told WKYC-TV at the start of the school year. “If your child’s late to school, those minutes count. If they have a doctor’s appointment, those minutes count. They all count towards chronic absenteeism.” Surprised? Ohio law changed this year, and parents will have to be aware that not only are schools keeping a much closer eye on chronic absenteeism (and doing a better job communicating with parents on the matter), but they are also tracking it in hours — not just days. ...

College admission tests make much-needed return

Editorials

Did you know that the SAT is racist? During Woke I, as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez now calls it, “antiracists” said the SAT’s creators “were avowed eugenicists.” No wonder black people get lower scores. Even if the test isn’t racist today, it still gives unfair advantages to white kids because their parents are more likely to afford SAT tutoring. My new video shows anti-SAT ads from activist groups like FairTest that said, “Real learning is not standardized, so why judge children just by test scores?” During Woke I, FairTest won. Most colleges stopped ...

Orchids & onions

Editorials

ORCHID: To the Board of Mahoning County Commissioners for recently allocating $60,000 of federal opioid settlement funds toward hiring a mental health professional for the county’s jail. That “navigator” will serve as a liaison among jail staff, inmates and the county court system. He or she will ensure that court officials are informed of mental-health challenges prisoners face and to determine what resources they need, particularly to avoid reincarceration. Given that local and county jails have effectively become de facto mental health hospitals for many inmates, the potential ...

Spirited back-to-school giveaway

Editorials

My church in Columbus, Ohio, Vision of Breath with Life Ministries, hosts an annual back-to-school giveaway in August on the far east side of town, in the Leawood neighborhood. The need for assistance with school supplies, clothing and food in this area is great, as the poverty rate is just over 18%. Parents of school-age children living in this residential section are definitely feeling the economic pinch as school supply prices have risen. Even the basics like pencils, erasers, glue sticks, scissors and notebook paper have gone up. According to the Groundwork Collaborative and The ...

In a world full of AOCs, become a Leavitt

Editorials

Even famous and successful women can’t avoid the reality of trade-offs. Earlier this month, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez announced on Instagram that she is freezing her eggs. The 36-year-old congresswoman even gave herself an injection on camera. AOC said she would have to give herself another round of shots before her upcoming appearance on ABC’s “This Week.” “I want you all to see that, because women can do anything,” she said. “And I think it’s badass that I’m gonna be, you know, giving myself shots in the green room, get my glam on, roll out, talk ...