Judge invites Ohio attorney general to discuss opioid crisis

A federal judge who's overseeing lawsuits from around the country against the pharmaceutical industry has invited Ohio's attorney general to brief him on the impact of the opioid epidemic in the state. Judge Dan Polster in Cleveland is overseeing a consolidated case involving dozens of suits filed by communities against drugmakers and drug distributors.

Cordray choosing ex-Rep. Betty Sutton as running mate

Two Barack Obama alumni will form a gubernatorial ticket Wednesday as Richard Cordray chooses Betty Sutton as his running mate, a source close to the Democrat's campaign confirmed. Cordray was tabbed by Obama as the first head of the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a post he left in November to run for governor.

Stivers touts net neutrality bill; critics call it ‘ridiculous’

U.S. Rep. Steve Stivers is pushing legislation that he says will maintain a "free and open" internet, but a former member of the Federal Communications Commission said it would do anything but. An industry group representing content giants such as Google, Facebook and Amazon also is criticizing the bill, calling it "net neutrality in name only."

DeWine urging Congress to restore DEA’s power to fight opioid epidemic

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine joined 43 other state attorneys general to ask Congress to repeal a law they argue has damaged the Drug Enforcement Agency's ability to crack down on drug manufacturers and distributors that have contributed to the nation's sweeping opioid epidemic. In a letter Tuesday to House and Senate leadership, the attorneys general argue that a bill passed by voice vote in 2016 made it more difficult for the DEA to take action against drug companies that were flooding communities with prescription painkillers.

What do Virginia election results portend for Ohio?

WASHINGTON - Democrat Ralph Northam's surprisingly easy victory Tuesday in the Virginia governor's race is a warning to Republicans that President Donald Trump's unpopularity, combined with a deep party split, could cripple their candidates next year. One year after Trump relied on a nationalistic message of cracking down on immigration to win the presidency, Republican Ed Gillespie's emphasis on many of those same issues ricocheted as he was defeated in the Virginia's governor contest by almost 300,000 votes while the GOP lost 15 seats in the Virginia House of Delegates.

Efforts aimed at more dog breeder regulations move forward

Animal rights advocates wanting some dog breeders in Ohio to meet additional animal care standards have won approval to move forward in their efforts. State Attorney General Mike DeWine has certified the advocates' petition summary for a ballot proposal requiring dog breeders with eight or more unspayed females and annual sales of more than 15 dogs to meet certain standards.

Renacci says ‘liberal’ Husted running a “dishonest campaign”

The U.S. House member from Wadsworth posted a video on Twitter that claimed Husted has a "liberal record" while portraying the two-term secretary of state as dishonest and "not as conservative as he pretends to be." Renacci's campaign said the video was in response to a Tweet by a pro-Husted super-PAC, Ohio Conservatives for a Change, that questioned the congressman's support for drug education for children in Ohio schools.

Ohio judge shot in ‘ambush’ outside courthouse, returns fire and kills attacker

An Ohio judge was shot Monday morning outside his courthouse in what authorities called an ambush attack that ended when the judge and a probation officer returned fire, killing the attacker. Police said a man apparently waiting for Judge Joseph Bruzzese, who sits on the Jefferson County Court of Common Pleas, ran up to the judge and began shooting when he approached the courthouse.

Judge shot, wounded near Ohio courthouse; gunman killed

STEUBENVILLE, Ohio - A judge walking from his car into the county courthouse was shot by a gunman Monday morning but managed to fire back before a probation officer stepped in and ultimately killed the suspect, authorities said. Jefferson County Judge Joseph Bruzzese Jr. was shot at around 8 a.m. near the courthouse in Steubenville, just across the Ohio River from West Virginia's northern panhandle, roughly 30 miles west of Pittsburgh.

A Key Vote on Healthcare, Ohio’s Portman Remains Noncommittal at GOP Dinner Featuring VP Pence

The Ohio Republican Party's state dinner this weekend brought in hundreds of party faithful, and included two leaders with different perspectives on the Senate health care bill. And that puts the person who'll actually be voting on it in a tough position.

Former U.S. Rep. Ralph Regula Passes Away At Age 92

The district Regula represented before his 2009 retirement included all of Stark and Wayne counties and parts of Ashland and Medina counties. U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio offered his condolences on Regula's passing, in part, saying, ""Without Ralph, there would be no Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

GOP candidate for governor stops in Marietta

JANELLE PATTERSON The Marietta Times Ohio Gubernatorial candidate U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci, of Wadsworth, center, speaks to members of Marietta Noon Rotary Thursday. The Republican candidate, 58, of Wadsworth, near Akron, spoke with local pastors and representatives of Buckeye Hills Regional Council, made an appearance at the Marietta Noon Rotary Club meeting, toured Broughton Commercial Properties and held a commercial roundtable at Artex Oil before closing out the local visit with a meet and greet at Freedom Gate Church with local Republican party members.

Jim Renacci staffs his 2018 gubernatorial team with Ohio Trump campaign veterans

U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci, who has worked to position himself as the most Trump-esque of the 2018 slate of GOP candidates for governor, is following in the president's footsteps when it comes to staffing his campaign, too. Renacci's campaign team has hired a slew of operatives who worked last year on Donald Trump's coordinated campaign.

Whaley Wants To Revive Partnership Between State Of Ohio And Its Families And Communities

Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley is running for governor in Ohio in 2018 with a focus on bringing back partnerships between the state of Ohio and its cities and families. Whaley, a Democrat, was elected mayor of Dayton in 2013 and before that served on the Dayton City Commission.