Cincinnati Edition

A recent open letter to be published in Harper’s Magazine October issue was signed by over 130 notable figures from academia and popular media and has re-ignited debate about the nature of free speech.

In the national conversation about race borne out of the uprisings against deadly police violence targeted at Black Americans, one particular book is getting renewed attention.

Over 25 million Americans aged 60 and older are economically insecure, living at or below 250 percent of the federal poverty level. Now, this financial insecurity is compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. But there may be a source for help that many older Americans are unaware of. According to the National Council on Aging, billions of dollars in public and private benefits go unclaimed every year.

On today's show, we take a look at how the Cincinnati Police Department has responded to 101 recommendations. Enquirer reporter Max Londberg is with us.

The Cincinnati Board of Education met Monday morning to further outline plans for fall classes. Superintendent Laura Mitchell laid out how the new blended learning model will work with staggered schedules, staff and students wearing masks, and students eating lunch in the classroom.

As local museums and galleries begin to reopen, each faces a unique set of challenges to make the guest visit engaging, educational and above all, safe.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said he would not issue any new health orders during a special address Wednesday night from the Ohio Statehouse. Instead, he urged all Ohioans to wear masks. DeWine said Ohio is sliding down a "very dangerous path." Hospitalizations in the state due to coronavirus have approached an all-time high.

Hamilton County has at least a 40,000-unit shortage of affordable housing, according to multiple studies. Meanwhile, rent has increased in Cincinnati by 43.6% in the last decade, according to Zillow.

As states reopen more of the economy, one thing hasn't changed for a portion of the population: working remotely.

For most of the last four months, Greater Cincinnati’s theater stages have been dark, shuttered by the coronavirus and remaining closed while social distancing is still the norm. Despite the economic struggles and added complexities of civil unrest, there are also stories of perseverance and creativity.

New "pop-up" drive-thru testing sites are making COVID-19 testing more accessible - and free - for neighbors in areas hardest hit by the virus.

The number of babies in Hamilton County dying before their first birthdays remained relatively the same in 2019, however there was a 24% decrease in the number of Black infant deaths.

In the latest issue of Cincinnati Magazine , local historian Greg Hand , author of the blog Cincinnati Curiosities , revisits a trio of historically significant events in the Queen City.

On Cincinnati Edition 's weekly news review, we check in on Ohio news with Ohio Public Radio Statehouse Bureau Chief Karen Kasler and Cincinnati Enquirer State Government reporter Jessie Balmert on Governor Mike DeWine's mandate about masks in some counties, including Hamilton and Butler.

Cincinnati's Collaborative Agreement is 18 years old. The historic policing agreement was negotiated after Cincinnati Police Officer Stephen Roach shot and killed Timothy Thomas in 2001. Now, as the nation faces unprecedented protests over police brutality and the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other Black men and women, will the Collaborative Agreement play a new role, and how will it be framed against new calls to defund the police?