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Lawmakers wise to take another look at HB 795

A group of lawmakers appears to have listened to advocacy groups and ordinary Ohioans, as they have stepped away from sections of state House Bill 795 that would have banned family members from serving as paid caregivers in the state. The anti-fraud effort is understandable, but as is often the case in Columbus, lawmakers took it a step too far. “How dare you come in my house and tell me who can care for my child! I’m not standing here telling you thank you,” Marlana Kendrick said last week, according to Statehouse News Bureau. “I drove two and a half hours from Cleveland ...

Why drinking alcohol is well worth the small risks

Is a glass of wine with dinner going to increase your chance of getting cancer or another serious illness? For the past few years, we’ve been deluged with studies and news accounts suggesting that the answer is yes. This week, the USDA reinstated a caution in its dietary guidelines about limiting alcohol. Note: This is the Trump administration. No sane person seeking guidance on a health matter would look to its science-trashing witch doctors. At the moment, they appear to be whipsawed by industry interests and other constituencies. But who cares? They forfeited credibility the ...

Orchids & onions

ORCHID: To Jennifer Blomstrom of Boardman for her potentially life-saving gift of a kidney to longtime friend and Boardman Township Administrator Jason Loree. Loree, who was diagnosed about two decades ago with polycystic kidney disease and today has only 18% normal kidney function, posted a lighthearted request on Facebook recently: “If anybody has an extra kidney laying around, let me know.” Sure enough, Blomstrom, who was born with a third kidney, quickly responded that she did have that extra one and would gladly donate it to Loree. Transplant surgery is scheduled for June 30. We ...

A toast to Yost for success at ‘Doing Big Good’

“Do Big Good.” That short but snappy commandment served as a fitting motto that Dave Yost lived by to characterize his mission as chief legal officer of Ohio. Though prissy grammar purists might take issue with his phrasing, few would deny that former state Attorney General Yost succeeded in fulfilling that promise to state residents. As he left office this week for a new job in the private sector, he also leaves behind a legacy of large-scale achievements to benefit Ohioans for the better for years to come. Yost on Monday ended a 25-year stint in public service as Delaware County ...

Will this be the unhappy birthday?

In one month, the United States will observe its 250th birthday. It is shaping up more like a memorial service for a lost loved one than a party to celebrate something special. Rather than anticipating a happy occasion, America at 250 is increasingly characterized by anger, name- calling and scandals. Performers are withdrawing from President Trump’s Freedom 250 Great American State Fair in Washington, claiming organizers lied to them about its partisanship. Trump, who has contributed mightily to the growing divisions among us, is threatening to make a “major speech,” mostly to ...

Loneliness: People do need people

Ashley, North Dakota, is a small farming town where the local diet leans hard on sausage, deep-fried chicken and strudel. It has something of a medical center, but the nearest trauma hospital able to handle the most serious injuries is almost four hours away in Fargo. Yet the elders in McIntosh County, with Ashley as its county seat, frequently live into their 90s, and sometimes beyond. It had the highest proportion of people 85 and older in the country. Doesn’t make sense until you see why it does. Stress levels are low. The farmers pursue a lifetime of physical exercise. When ...