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Guest column/How America buried asbestos victims in data gap

Between 1999 and 2017, Ohio recorded 12,697 asbestos-related deaths. That number includes 2,353 mesothelioma deaths and 996 asbestosis deaths. In Sandusky County alone, 104 people died from asbestos-related illness during that period. These deaths occurred in our lifetimes, in our communities, among our neighbors. Yet if you tried to find a comprehensive national registry tracking who was exposed to asbestos, where they worked, when the exposure occurred, and what health outcomes followed, you would find nothing. The United States maintains no national mesothelioma registry and no ...

History in the Hills: A look back at WW I

I am very proud of all my children, especially my oldest son, Paulie. He is smart, compassionate and is growing into a fine young man. What’s gratifying to me, though, is that he is developing a genuine love for history. As a child of two historians, he has always been exposed to our past, either through TV shows, books, trips to historic sites or the constant chatter from my wife and I about what we remember from the past and how things have changed. He likes to tease us when we start a story with the phrase “well, back in my day …” A huge part of his interest in so many ...

Guest column/Don’t import Europe’s failures: Fix U.S. drug pricing system

Millions of older Americans struggle every day to afford the medications they need. Too often, they make impossible choices: Splitting pills, skipping doses or forgoing prescriptions altogether because of the price. President Donald Trump recognizes the problem. His administration is weighing whether Medicare should cover GLP-1 medications for weight loss, a decision that could have major implications for access and cost. The White House has also recently worked with several pharmaceutical companies on voluntary “most favored nation” deals, which will secure more affordable ...

Newsroom memories

It’s likely that in each of every life, there are moments that you can remember the exact time, date and place they occurred. For me, one of those moments happened at 11:04 a.m., Feb. 4, 1981. That happened to be a Wednesday, and the weather outside was not much different than what we have been experiencing for the past week or so. It also was the first time I walked into the newsroom at the Herald-Star, ready to start a career as a sports writer. The room held a lot more people than it does now, and after I had finished filling out all of the necessary paperwork, the time ...

Guest column/Completing one year of delivering for Ohioans

Wednesday marked one year since I took the Oath of Office to serve as one of Ohio’s U.S. Senators after J.D. Vance left the Senate to become the Vice President of the United States. As I reflect on that milestone, I write to Ohioans today with one message: Thank you. Ohioans have consistently trusted me to serve and represent them, most recently as Lt. Governor, and it is an honor now to represent you, your family, and our shared Ohio values in Washington. On Jan. 21, 2025, I arrived without an office, a phone, or even a pencil, but I got right to work with one goal in mind: ...

Guest column/Captain America certainly would be disappointed

We keep being told to relax. To stop overreacting. To understand that this is just politics, and politics shouldn’t come between friends and family. I think that is an interesting response to a government threatening elections, seizing foreign resources, and killing civilians at home. This is beyond simple arguments over policy, and most would agree that we are arguing over morality at this point. However, therein lies the rub. I am no longer convinced that we are arguing about morality, either. Morality went out the window years ago. What replaced it is winning. Not justice. Not ...