Ohio
Opinion: JD Vance to Springfield, Ohio: 'You're expendable'
As a vice presidential pick, JD Vance has been a big mistake, as even some of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago mafia and media friends concede.
A younger version of Trump, Vance brings no new voters to the Republicans’ side; their ticket is MAGA squared. He’s likely lost more than a few votes, by maligning millions of “childless cat ladies” — not least pop icons Taylor Swift and Jennifer Aniston. He spends much of his time on the defensive for past comments, even as he creates new controversies on his rounds of right-wing podcasts, talk-radio shows and conservative conferences. Instead of cleaning up his messes, he doubles down, allergic (like Trump) to apology. And Trump, confronted more than once about something Vance has said, dismissively notes he hasn’t spoken with his would-be veep. Ouch.
Opinion Columnist
Jackie Calmes
Jackie Calmes brings a critical eye to the national political scene. She has decades of experience covering the White House and Congress.
Yet as rotten a second banana as Vance is, he’s a downright disaster at his day job: U.S. senator for Ohio.
Most officeholders pride themselves on providing good constituent service, especially in troubled times. Vance, bizarrely, is suddenly the uncontested master of constituent disservice, to the point of putting lives at risk.
The problems he’s made lately for tens of thousands of his constituents in Springfield, Ohio — all to demagogue the immigration issue — amount to political malpractice, the likes of which we’ve never seen before as Trump is so fond of saying about almost anything. Only this time it’s true.
For weeks, Vance has singled out Springfield as the epitome of a (white) American community overrun by people of color from another country — in this case, Haitians who’ve fled their nation’s epic poverty and violence to settle legally in Ohio, welcomed by employers desperate for hard workers. Vance, who once wrote so movingly about “hillbilly” families like his own coming to Ohio from Kentucky, seeking opportunity but enduring hostility, is so intent on advancing politically that he’s now the hostile one.
And once Trump picked up Vance’s lies about Haitian immigrants stealing and eating Springfieldians’ cats, dogs, ducks and geese — broadcasting the conspiracy talk to 67 million people who watched him debate Kamala Harris on Tuesday last week — all hell broke loose for Vance’s constituents.
Despite local officials’ assurances from the start that the reports were social-media-spawned claptrap, more than 30 bomb threats closed city hall, two elementary schools, two hospitals and two universities for a time. The threats, which have continued this week, turned out to be hoaxes. But the fear and disruption in Springfield were real. By Tuesday, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine had dispatched state troopers to Springfield schools to encourage frightened parents to send their children to class, even as he warned of hate groups descending on Springfield. “It makes me sad that we have to get to this point,” one mom told the local paper.
Indeed. But her senator wasn’t sad, just mad — that he’s getting bad press. Consider this snippy, selfish tweet from Vance on Tuesday: “I’m still waiting on a correction and apology from the left wing journalists. They lied about these bomb threats to silence us. Why? Because they don’t want to talk about Kamala Harris’s border policies making housing unaffordable for American citizens.”
Apology? Reporters didn’t lie; there were bomb threats. Those trying to silence Vance’s fear-mongering aren’t journalists but Springfield’s police chief, school superintendent, Republican mayor and governor. Springfield Mayor Rob Rue has repeatedly implored Vance and Trump to stop: “All these federal politicians that have negatively spun our city, they need to know they’re hurting our city, and it was their words that did it.”
And “left wing journalists” aren’t the only ones checking Vance’s falsehoods. Conservative commentator Kevin D. Williamson this week had the best take in a Dispatch article subtitled “A pretty long story about a thing that didn’t happen”: “You can send little J.D. to Yale to make him polished, you can send him to Silicon Valley to make him rich, and you can send him to the Senate to make him powerful, but you cannot stop him from being what it is he apparently wants to be: Cleetus the Gap-Toothed Twitter Troll.”
Speaking of apologies, Vance has yet to offer one to Nathan Clark, the father of an 11-year-old boy killed last year in a bus accident. Clark publicly asked Vance to apologize for exploiting his son’s death as murder by a Haitian immigrant.
DeWine, meanwhile, has been all over television fact-checking Vance’s whoppers. Far from pet eaters, the Haitian residents are valuable employees at Springfield businesses who’ve lifted the local economy, the governor said on Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.” He acknowledged, “When you go from a population of 58,000 and add 15,000 people onto that, you’re going to have some challenges” — housing, healthcare, language and cultural differences. “And we’re addressing those.”
Not Ohio’s junior senator. “If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that’s what I’m going to do,” he defiantly told CNN on Sunday.
The cardinal rule for vice presidential picks is do no harm. Vance is doing plenty. Which is why he’s a terrible nominee, and an even worse senator.
@jackiekcalmes
Michigan coach Dusty May on team’s ‘big and lofty goals’
Wojo asks Dusty May about celebrating win over Minnesota: ‘All glory is fleeting’
Olivia Olson scored a career-high 31 points and hit the game-winning jumper as No. 8 Michigan edged No. 13 Ohio State 88-86 in overtime in a Big Ten classic in Columbus, Ohio.
Olson also had nine rebounds while Syla Swords added 22 points for the Wolverines (23-5, 14-3 Big Ten), who moved ahead of Iowa for second place in the conference behind UCLA.
Swords’ 3-pointer with 10 seconds left in regulation seemed to decide it, but a foul by Brooke Daniels with no time left saved the Buckeyes. Jaloni Cambridge (22 points) sank three straight free throws to force the extra session.
Ohio State (23-6, 12-5) then forged an eight-point lead with 1:40 left in overtime before the Wolverines came all the way back.
Macy Brown scored eight straight for Michigan, including two triples, to tie it 86-all with 15 seconds remaining and set up Olson’s game-winner.
Horizon League men
Oakland 86, (at) IU Indy 74: Oakland (16-14, 12-7 HL) picked up its 12th conference win of the season and defeated IU Indy (7-23, 3-16 HL).
Oakland maintained a steady performance, scoring 43 points in both halves and dominating the paint with 60 points, never trailing at any point of the game.
“The first seven minutes of this game, we played really good basketball,” head coach Greg Kampe said. “We needed to get that confidence back in ourselves, playing good again right into March. Today we were really good.
“We guarded really well, we guarded with physicality today, we guarded with energy, we flew through the passing lanes. And the big thing is, we followed the game plan.”
Senior Brody Robinson led the way with 19 points, including two three-pointers from beyond the arc, and recorded a career-high 13 assists, to land him in the program’s top-10 in a single game in the Division I era.
As losses mount, Bulls ‘move forward’
The Chicago Bulls look to avoid matching the third-longest losing streak in franchise history when they host the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night.
Chicago has dropped 10 straight games this month since last winning against the Miami Heat on Jan. 31.
The Bulls are 0-4 on a seven-game homestand as the Charlotte Hornets ran roughshod at Chicago with a 131-99 victory Tuesday.
Chicago revamped its roster at the trading deadline with players like Nikola Vucevic, Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu and Kevin Huerter going to new destinations.
Roles have changed and the club is without recent acquisitions Jaden Ivey (left knee) and Anfernee Simons (fractured left wrist) due to injuries. Collin Sexton also was acquired during the flurry of activity.
“The trades happened. You’ve got to move forward and you’ve got to figure it out,” second-year forward Matas Buzelis told reporters. “I know we are capable when we are on the same page. We have to come in every day ready to work and try to get better. When you trade half the team and bring in new guys, it’s tough. But it’s no excuse.
“When we control the things we can control, we are going to be a great team. (Coach) Billy (Donovan) always says you get 10 guys who are on the same page and ready to fight and you can win anything.”
Buzelis exploded with a career-best 32 points during the loss to the Hornets. He knocked down six 3-pointers – his second most of the season – while topping 20 points for the third time this month.
The 21-year-old from Lithuania is averaging 15.3 points while starting all 59 games.
“I am going to be what the team needs me to be,” Buzelis said. “If that’s scoring, that’s what it’s going to be. I try to figure out during the game what the team needs.”
Local schedules
Men
Wednesday
▶ Oakland 86, IU Indy 74
▶ Robert Morris 73, Detroit Mercy 62
Thursday
▶ Michigan State at Purdue, 8
▶ Ferris State at Grand Valley State, 7:30
▶ Parkside at Michigan Tech, 7:30
▶ Roosevelt at Northern Michigan, 7:30
▶ Lake Superior State at Wayne State, 7:30
▶ Saginaw Valley State at Purdue Northwest, 8
Friday
▶ Michigan at Illinois, 8
▶ Miami at Western Michigan, 6
Saturday
▶ Parkside at Northern Michigan, 3
▶ Roosevelt at Michigan Tech, 3
▶ Ferris State at Davenport, 3
▶ Saginaw Valley State at Wayne State, 3
▶ Lake Superior State at Purdue Northwest, 4
▶ Central Michigan at Buffalo, 2
▶ Detroit Mercy at Oakland, 3
Women
Wednesday
Michigan 88, Ohio State 86 (OT)
Western Michigan 58, Buffalo 43
Miami 78, Eastern Michigan 60
Central Michigan 68, Toledo 64
Youngstown State 72, Detroit Mercy 60
Northern Kentucky 84, Oakland 59
Thursday
Ferris State at Grand Valley State, 5:30
Parkside at Michigan Tech, 5:30
Roosevelt at Northern Michigan, 5:30
Lake Superior State at Wayne State, 5:30
Saginaw Valley State at Purdue Northwest, 6
Saturday
Maryland at Michigan, 2:30
Roosevelt at Michigan Tech, 1
Parkside at Northern Michigan, 1
Ferris State at Davenport, 1
Saginaw Valley State at Wayne State, 1
Lake Superior State at Purdue Northwest, 2
Massachesetts at Western Michigan, noon
Central Michigan at Kent State, 1
Eastern Michigan at Northern Illinois, 2
Northern Kentucky at Detroit Mercy, 1
Oakland at Cleveland State, 2
Sunday
Ohio State at Michigan State, noon
Luke Perez arraigned in court for tacking Michael Newman
The arraignment of Luke Perez, the Ohio State University professor under suspension for tackling Michael Newman, a filmmaker and independent journalist.
Ohio State University police officers are temporarily patrolling the academic building where a professor tackled a filmmaker attempting to question E. Gordon Gee, the university confirmed.
Officers have been present at Smith Lab since last week for a late Monday afternoon class, Profiles in American Leadership, which was co-taught by Luke Perez.
Perez, an assistant professor affiliated with Ohio State’s Salmon P. Chase Center for Civics, Culture and Society, was placed on leave Feb. 10 and was charged with assault after tackling Columbus filmmaker Mike Newman after his class had ended. Newman had tried to ask Gee, the two-time former Ohio State president and current Chase Center consultant, a question on camera. The incident was captured on video by a bystander and quickly went viral.
Ohio State spokesperson Ben Johnson said the police presence is “due to the class’s upcoming speakers.”
According to the Chase Center’s website, Profiles in American Leadership explores the question, “What does it mean to lead with purpose in a complex world?” through a series of guest speakers. Confirmed speakers for the class include Bishop Earl Fernandes, Rabbi Lewis Kamrass, former Republican U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, State Rep. Beryl Brown Piccolantonio (D-Gahanna) and Ohio Supreme Court Justice Melody Stewart, according to the class description.
“This is a temporary measure,” Johnson said. “OSUPD will help determine the most appropriate public safety approach, as they would with any campus unit.”
The police presence, however, does not mean Perez is back in the building. Johnson said Perez remains on administrative leave, and the university investigation is ongoing.
Both Perez and Newman were in Franklin County Municipal Court earlier this week for Perez’ arraignment on one count of assault, a first-degree misdemeanor. First-degree misdemeanors in Ohio are punishable by up to 180 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. Perez pleaded not guilty and was released on the condition he has no contact with the victim. The judge also granted Newman a temporary protection order against Perez.
According to the affidavit, Perez harmed Newman by “slapping Newman’s hand, with an open palm strike, causing his phone to fall to the ground. Perez then grabs Newman’s right shoulder, and slapped the left side of Newman’s face with an open palm, while pushing him to the ground.”
Though the judge granted the protection order, Perez is allowed to be on the Ohio State University campus, and the order will not require Perez to leave if Newman is on campus filming.
Higher education reporter Sheridan Hendrix can be reached at shendrix@dispatch.com and on Signal at @sheridan.120. You can follow her on Instagram at @sheridanwrites.
WAVERLY, Ohio (WSYX) — The U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Mexico lifted a shelter-in-place order for all Americans in Mexico on Tuesday, but there’s still fallout from the wave of cartel violence.
Sunday, the Mexican government killed a powerful drug lord, Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, with the help of U.S. intelligence. His death sparked violence by suspected gang members.
Farms across central Ohio legally employ workers from Mexico through the U.S Government, and they are preparing for them to arrive in America.
But Mandy and Cameron Way, who own Way Farms in Waverly, said there’s uncertainty about whether their employees will be able to travel to America soon.
The couple said one employee is scheduled to arrive in the U.S. next week after his consulate appointment in Mexico.
“The bus stop that he was going to be using, they are flipping buses and setting them on fire at this point as of yesterday,” said Mandy Way. “And he’s just commenting that he feels unsafe to travel, and we’ve advised him to stay safe. The work will wait. You need to take care of yourself.”
The Ways have been checking in on their employees since they heard about the recent violence. They said other central Ohio farm owners are doing the same.
“We’ve had other area farmers tell us that they’ve already been notified that their consulate appointments have been either canceled or relocated because of the violence,” Way said.
They said the employees need a visa to work in central Ohio, and the process is regulated by the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security and Labor, including their hourly wages. The Ways are also required to pay for their lodging, utilities, and transportation while in the U.S.
“They show up every day,” said Way. “They always ask, ‘What’s next? What more can we do?’ They’re enthusiastic to help and appreciative. And yes, it’s expensive, but they’re worth it.”
They said it’s a challenge to find people who are local who want to work long, hot hours in the field, seven days a week, for about eight months straight.
Right now, the Ways said their employees’ safety is most important.
“We feel for them,” said Way. “This will be their sixth season with us. So, they’re our family. We love them.”
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