Cincinnati Edition

Federal investigators on Thursday charged FirstEnergy Corp. with conspiring to commit honest services wire fraud. The company has agreed to pay a $230 million monetary penalty.

As parents and students gear up to go back to school next month, there is uncertainty about whether public schools will be able to require vaccines against COVID-19.

The right to know how various government entities conduct their business is a cornerstone of democracy. That's why each state in the U.S. has laws stipulating that local governments must divulge most public records in a timely and complete manner. In the wake of multiple corruption allegations against local elected officials, however, how well are public records laws working to make sure journalists and the public have access to such vital information?

President Joe Biden makes his first presidential visit to Cincinnati on Wednesday. He'll speak at a CNN town hall at Mount St. Joseph University. The president is expected to cover the COVID-19 pandemic and the economy. This is his third trip to Ohio as president and many will be watching to see if infrastructure will come up in his talk as our region deals with the failing Brent Spence Bridge.

Ohio lawmakers have drafted new legislation that would provide greater access for mothers to doulas during the birthing process. Could this new bill, H.B. 142 , be another step in preventing infant mortality statewide, particularly among families of color?

American families are starting see their first monthly checks as a result of a historic expansion of the child tax credit. The expansion in March means that families will now be eligible to receive up to $300 a month per child. It could have a major impact on the child poverty rate nationwide.

The June jobs report is out and the U.S. economy added 850,000 jobs last month. It's an encouraging pickup from the slower pace of jobs growth over the past three months and a sign that overall economic growth is tracking stronger than in the first quarter of the year.

You see it come out of every paycheck — that small deduction for local income taxes. But where that money goes could change soon, and that might have big implications for budgets in cities like Cincinnati.

In many states including Ohio, our courts lack comprehensive data on criminal sentences. This leaves judges with no way to evaluate their sentences against similar cases says Ohio Supreme Court Justice Michael Donnelly and Hamilton County Court of Appeals Judge Pierre Bergeron , and it gives judges largely unrestrained sentencing power.

Rob Braun is hard at work on the farm. The longtime former WKRC-TV anchor is raising cattle and growing kale and lettuce with his family in Pendleton County. Braun hung up his suit jackets for a white cowboy hat in 2019 when he left Local 12 News after decades on the anchor desk, and he isn't looking back.

On Cincinnati Edition 's weekly news review, live Friday:

Avondale, one of Cincinnati's most populous neighborhoods, has been without a dedicated grocery store since 2008. That's earned it a designation as a "food desert" and sparked calls for help from those in the community.

Shortly after the launch of the Cincinnati Innovation District, which featured high profile guests like Gov. Mike DeWine, the COVID-19 pandemic arrived here and shut down much of our world. Despite the social and economic challenges bought on by the coronavirus, however, the nascent district managed to thrive anyway.

The Cincinnati neighborhoods of Avondale, Evanston and South Cumminsville are the focus of a new podcast.

Economists have long talked about a mismatch between America's labor needs and its workforce. While many people struggle to find jobs that pay a livable wage, employers looking for people skilled in trades like electrical work are having a hard time finding enough qualified applicants.