Cleveland Browns

President Donald Trump campaigned for U.S. Sen. Jon Husted at a Youngstown rally Monday, drawing attention for personal remarks about Husted's appearance rather than policy substance. Trump also announced a planned U.S. Navy submarine component repair center for the Cleveland area, describing a roughly 46,000-square-foot facility to manufacture and maintain submarine parts. The project stems from an August presidential memorandum on rebuilding the Navy's shipbuilding base, but no funding, site, or firm details have been confirmed, and the application deadline for the broader program isn't until mid-November.

The rally drew additional scrutiny after a protester wearing a shirt referencing the Epstein files was confronted and struck by audience members before being escorted out by deputies. Rather than condemning the incident, Trump mocked the protester's weight from the stage as the crowd cheered. Youngstown's mayor criticized the episode, saying attendees have a right to be present without being attacked. No charges have been filed, and the protester's identity has not been confirmed.

Republican Zac Haines and Democrat Cara Jacob, both political newcomers, are competing to represent Ohio Senate District 7, covering all of Warren County and part of Hamilton County, in the Nov. 3 election. The seat is open because incumbent Sen. Steve Wilson is term-limited. Haines, of Symmes Township, is CEO of a Blue Ash marketing agency; Jacob, of Montgomery, is a neurologist and professor at the University of Cincinnati.

The candidates diverge sharply on key issues. Haines favors continued income tax cuts, property tax relief tied to homeownership tenure or age, and lighter business regulation, including on data centers, which he wants governed by stronger transparency and accountability rules. Jacob opposes recent state tax cuts she says favored corporations, including the stadium subsidy for the Cleveland Browns, and calls for a property tax "circuit breaker," expanded homestead exemptions, and an end to tax exemptions for data centers. On housing, Haines emphasizes boosting supply through deregulation, while Jacob backs wage growth, limits on bulk housing purchases by investors, and expanded childcare access. Both say the state should better fund local schools and services.

Ohio's Republican-controlled legislature convened a special session and passed a bill suspending the state's 38.5-cent-per-gallon gas tax for 90 days, funded through the general fund surplus rather than road-project money, addressing Gov. Mike DeWine's earlier concerns. The Legislative Service Commission estimates average drivers could save up to $55 over the suspension period.

Republicans used procedural moves to keep debate limited to the gas tax bill, blocking Democratic attempts to introduce broader affordability measures, including utility bill relief, a bigger child tax credit, a larger homestead exemption, and a resolution urging President Trump to end the war in Iran, which Democrats blame for rising fuel prices. Democrats also proposed redirecting sports-stadium funds, including money earmarked for the Cleveland Browns' Brook Park stadium, toward consumer relief, and pushed for a data center moratorium sought by advocacy group Conserve Ohio. Senate President Rob McColley said such issues risked derailing the gas tax bill. Democrats call the tax holiday an election-year move benefiting Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who trails Amy Acton in polling.