Householder files are clear proof that Ohio government is for sale to those willing to pay: Today in Ohio

CLEVELAND, Ohio — The list of companies and organizations that supported Generation Now, a dark money nonprofit allowed to raise unlimited sums from donors and spend it on Larry Householder’s political aims, is long.

We’re talking about trades unions, American Electric Power, nursing homes, casinos, shale gas interests, telecommunications companies, payday lenders, health insurers and more, and what that says about Ohio government, on Today in Ohio.

Listen online here.

Editor Chris Quinn hosts our daily half-hour news podcast, with impact editor Leila Atassi, editorial board member Lisa Garvin and content director Laura Johnston.

You’ve been sending Chris lots of thoughts and suggestions on our from-the-newsroom text account, in which he shares what we’re thinking about at cleveland.com. You can sign up here: https://joinsubtext.com/chrisquinn.

Here’s what we’re asking about today:

FirstEnergy’s role in supporting Generation Now, which was Larry Householder’s dark money bribery fund, is well known, but it turns out a bunch of other interests pumped cash into the fund, too. Who are these companies and agencies that handed over cash to the most corrupt official in Ohio history?

Speaking of Householder, when does he finally go to prison. Talk about Justice delayed.

Now that party labels for Ohio Supreme Court races are listed on the on the ballot, do Republicans have a strategy for taking all seven of the seats? The election is not until 2024, but has the battle begun?

How has the pandemic made lasting changes to the commercial real estate market? How are property owners responding?

Is creative writing a new way to cope with the modern-day stresses of working in healthcare?

You go to the gas pump and you see unleaded 88 is cheaper than unleaded 87. Or you see something called flex fuel that is way cheaper than everything. What is it, and will this cheap gas actually save you money?

The last we discussed Roundwood Manor, the mansion of the industrialists who developed Shaker Square and Terminal Tower, the owner was trying to turn it into condos. Hunting Valley wouldn’t let her. What’s the future of his historic landmark?

Back to the end of the pandemic emergency. Three years in, can we see anything we think is permanent in how the approach to work has changed in America?

Finally, the end of the pandemic emergency means changes in testing, vaccines and COVID reporting. What is the upshot?

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Read the automated transcript below. Because it’s a computer-generated transcript, it contains many errors and misspellings.

[00:00:00] Chris: We haven’t talked about first energy and its rotten scheme in a little while. We’re talking about it on today in Ohio. It’s the news podcast from cleveland.com and the plane dealer in which we have conversations about the stories we have on our platforms and the stories behind those stories. I’m Chris Quy.

I’m here with Lisa Garvin, Laura Johnston and Layla Tassi, and Lisa is up on First Energy. The utilities role in supporting generation now, which was Larry Householder’s Dark Money Bribery Fund is well known, but it turns out a bunch of other interests pumped cash into the fund too. Who are those companies and agencies that handed over cash to the most corrupt official in Ohio History?

Three.

[00:00:47] Lisa: Yeah, there was a list that came out during the trial of the house Bill Six, bribery, scandal, and it included a list of contributors to the generation now, uh, nonprofit, which is a 5 0 1 that would, [00:01:00] could keep its money secret and its donor secret. And this came out, you know, from the F B I investigation and lots of testimony about it in the, in the bribery trial.

So generation now. Collected about 64 million total in its three and a half years of existence. 93% of that money, about 60 million, uh, came from First Energy and its subsidiaries. But by 2019, when they shifted their focus, it became up to 97% of the money. So other big donors, nursing homes, there were several nursing homes.

Ohio Healthcare Association donated $495,000 Suburban nursing and mobile homes, which is weird. Connection to me. But anyway, a hundred thousand dollars American Electric Power of Columbus gave $700,000. And its c e o Nick a Akins. Met with Jeff Longstreth and Larry Householder back in 2020. After that meeting, you wrote a $100,000 check and $500,000 to another Householder [00:02:00] nonprofit group.

Casinos gave a fair amount of money. Jack Entertainment, 75,000. Penn National Gaming, which is Bar Stool Sports, $125,000, but big donors were unions. The United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America gave $210,000 affiliated construction trades of Ohio, $250,000, and a big donor political education patterns, which is an arm of the International Union of Operation Engineers, local 18 in Cleveland, they gave 395.

Thousand dollars. So a lot of money flowing into generation now, but when it started, generation now was first used to support G O P candidates in 2018 Ohio primaries, who would later vote for Larry Householder as house speaker. But then they started refocusing to house Bill six by 2019.

[00:02:52] Chris: Look, if people take nothing else away from this scandal, it’s this, all of these [00:03:00] entities felt that to get anything out of the legislature, they had to pay into a dark money fund.

It is 100% the definition of pay to play, and we know that’s how it worked because there were quotes from Larry Householder during the trial where if somebody wasn’t on his team, he wasn’t gonna move their legislation. Dave Greenspan being one of ‘em. His cause was dead because he wouldn’t do Larry Householder’s bidding.

These companies, these nursing homes, everybody else felt that they had to pay into a corrupt dark money fund or they wouldn’t get taken care of by the legislature. How bad is that? That’s the message. This is Ohio government. This is how it runs.

[00:03:45] Lisa: Yeah. And you know, there were all ki I can name other donors as well.

At and t gave some money. I mean, so everybody thought that their money would, uh, grease the skids in the legislature.

[00:03:56] Chris: Uh, that’s the way it used to be in Cuyahoga County. When Deora and [00:04:00] Russo were running it, it was a pay to play kind of scheme and nobody who honest, wanted to do business in the county.

That’s harder on the state level. If you’re at and t you can’t just say, well, we’re gonna skip Ohio. So they, they put money in, they shouldn’t. It’s corrupt. You shouldn’t be buying favors by paying in the dark money funds. That’s how IO works. And nothing has changed. Not a single thing has changed from then to now.

A dark money fund could be created right now in which corruption would rage and we wouldn’t know about it. It is the lasting impression of HB six in this scandal. So,

[00:04:36] Lisa: big story and I, I know that somebody we talked to, and I can’t think, it might have been somebody from Case or a law professor who said that actually 5 0 1 four s are the perfect money laundering instrument.

[00:04:47] Chris: I know it, it, it really is. Look, Jake Zuckerman has said from the beginning, this case would blow the door off how Ohio government runs. And he is absolutely right. This story that he wrote [00:05:00] and uh, published yesterday is the clearest evidence that Ohio is one stinky, rotten government and everybody participating in it is tainted.

You’re listening to

to,

[00:05:12] Laura: I just wanted say that Jake just got these records from the Householder trial and that. You know, he’s gonna be going through a bunch of recordings and, and stuff that flashed up on the screen really quickly during the federal trial where you can’t have your computer and you couldn’t have a camera in the courtroom.

So we’ll see what else we can dig out. You know, I think it’s not over yet.

[00:05:32] Chris: Well, and I should say if anybody who was in Ohio government takes offense at these characterizations, prove it. Do something to close down dark money funds that if, if you don’t believe you are part of a corrupt system, fix it Cuz otherwise you are complicit in it existing.

It’s today in Ohio. Speaking of householder. When does he finally go to prison? I’m getting emails from people saying the fishermen have been [00:06:00] convicted and gone to prison. Faster jail, faster than Larry Householder. Why isn’t he in prison? This is justice delayed. Lisa, what is the timetable

[00:06:08] Lisa: here? Well, I, I do know that things and sentencing move slower in federal court, so that might be part of it.

But Larry Householder will be sentenced on June 29th for, uh, counts of racketeering and conspiracy and connection. Connection with the 60 million House Bill six bribery. Um, Matt Borges will be sentenced the very next day, but he on similar charges, but specifically for bribing a political operative who was running a campaign to repeal house bill six and he.

Paid money to get inside dirt on that campaign so they could deep fix it. Um, both men face up to 20 years in prison. Others who are, you know, supposed to be sentenced, pled guilty. Former first Energy lobby lobbyist wants Abe. Well, uh, there’s no sentencing date set for him or for householder political aid.

Jeff Longstreth, who testified [00:07:00] during the trial that no jail time for him would be preferable, but he gave up a lot of good information. He was one of the star witnesses in the trial, so we’ll see what happens with suspect. And long stress. And then another defendant lobbyist, Neil Clark, died by suicide back in 2021.

And Generation now is actually defendant in this case. But we can’t exactly throw the nonprofit in jail, but we’re throwing all of its operators in jail. Hopefully,

[00:07:25] Chris: I, I’m betting that the sentencing. Is the trigger for the next step. We’re all waiting for the looming indictments of the first energy executives who funded this whole thing.

Their lawyers have said in court, they expect those indictments any moment. And I wonder if the prosecutors just wanna wrap this up, get these guys sentenced, get ‘em in their orange jumpsuits and move on. I should say too, I’ve, I’ve heard from some people when we’ve discussed the conviction of Larry Householder, that they’re saying, you know, you sound almost exultant.

It’s like, yes, anybody who cares about honest government should be exultant. Mm-hmm. That a crook like Larry [00:08:00] Householder got convicted. I make no apologies for being exultant that this slime ball who did all this dastardly stuff is gone to prison. And we should point out parts of HB six remain on the books.

Mm-hmm. And have defenders like, Bill sights.

[00:08:16] Lisa: Yeah, I I do hope that Mr. Householder saved that orange knit cap that he was wearing to trial, cuz it’ll match his jumpsuit.

[00:08:25] Chris: Good luck. Yeah, that was a really poor fashion choice you are listening to today in Ohio. Now that party labels for Ohio Supreme Court races are listed on the ballot, do Republicans have a strategy for taking all seven of the seats?

The election is not until 2024, but has the battle begun, Laura?

[00:08:44] Laura: Oh, it’s on already. Franklin County Common. Please Judge Dan Hawkins is the latest entrance in the race. He’s part of a three candidate G O P slate. They’re attempting to remove two. Two of the three sending Democratic justices and then keep a third Republican seat in the Republican [00:09:00] hand.

The judge says, I believe my decades of experience as a prosecutor and judge have prepared me to serve Ohio’s a justice. He says he wants to, he doesn’t wanna legislate from the bench, which, I mean, does any judge ever say they do wanna legislate from a bench? We’ll, we’ll have to see what the actions are, but he has been a Franklin County judge for years and kept on winning, even though the county has been fairly democratic during that time.

[00:09:23] Chris: Uh, look, it’s, um, the, the party labels, it’s something the voters clearly wanted to see. Mm-hmm. Because it did change the way they voted in the last election. Democrats say, oh, it’s unfair. It’s unfair. But that, that’s an argument to deprive the voter of information they, they clearly want. We could have seven Republicans and no de Democrats serving on the Supreme Court in the not distant

[00:09:44] Laura: future.

Absolutely. The November, 2022 election was the first one with re partisan labels. Republicans swept that, so I think they’re banking on this success. They’ve got Hamilton County Common. Please Judge Megan Shanahan. Chief’s seeking a seat, as well as Justice Joe Deeds he’s [00:10:00] currently serving, was appointed by Governor Mike DeWine, so we’re not sure exactly if he’s running for his same seat or who’s running.

We don’t know the entire slate of candidates. We don’t even know if the Democrat’s on the current, uh, Um, judge judges are going to be running, so that’s yet to be seen. And again, 2024. So we’ve got a little ways they don’t campaign quite the same as politicians, but you know, Hawkins will be going on a speaking tour around the state.

[00:10:27] Chris: It is a presidential election year, so maybe all those people that are. That are rabid to reelect, Joe Biden will show up and elect democrats. Ha ha ha. You’re listening to Today in Ohio. I think we’re wrapping up the, the end of the pandemic emergency discussions today. We have several. The first is, how has the pandemic made lasting changes to the commercial real estate market?

And Layla, how? Are the property owners responding to that? Well, so as

[00:10:53] Leila: of February of 2022, there was a Gallup poll that showed that half of Americans work from home at least part of [00:11:00] the week. And the popularity of this hybrid work model has forced the real estate market to accommodate for that preference, both at home and in the workplace in commercial real estate.

Reporter Megan Sims tells us that employers are trying to revamp their workspaces to make them more enticing for workers who have grown accustomed to the comforts of working at home. So we’re talking about fewer cubicle farms and more open spaces that feel a lot like living rooms with sofas and comfy seating, and also state-of-the-art conference rooms and kitchens.

Building owners are, are often taking this. Extra step of creating spec suites in their buildings. So these are office spaces that are move-in ready so business owners can see exactly what kind of space they’d be getting. It’s higher risk to invest in setting up these spaces before you have a tenant, but apparently it’s worth it because they gotta get.

You gotta get people to come back downtown, for example. Amenities are really important for office space. Two businesses want access to in-house [00:12:00] fitness centers, o outdoor spaces, dining options, lounges and and retail. I thought it was interesting to hear how parking garage owners have also adapted to hybrid work models.

They can cut a deal with businesses where they limit the number of swipes that they have for getting into the garage. So if you have some employees who working from home some days, You only need so many spots on any given day in the in the garage. Not everyone needs a dedicated parking space every day.

Oh, so. Well,

[00:12:27] Chris: there is a problem with that philosophy. The, the whole reason you wanna bring people together is for that chemistry and what you get by being together. If you space out everybody over the week, so you have fewer parking spaces, you lose some of that critical mass that you have in our newsroom.

We’re we’re there the same three days every week, two days in the summer, because we want people to have those fiery conversations that. Do you wanna hire yourself famous for Layla? So I’m, I’m not sure. I mean, if I, if we spaced it out and [00:13:00] said you have to come in three days, anytime between Monday and Friday.

I think there’d be a lot of days without that critical mess. I

[00:13:06] Leila: think that’s true. But, but imagine that the other side of our business comes in on the other days of the week and we share parking spaces that way, you know, our advertising and marketing folks. Oh,

[00:13:16] Laura: good point. I, I wanna say that it’s not the comfy couches that I, that I like.

About working from home. Like are they gonna put a washing machine in the same so into my load? Yeah. Everyone brings a dirty laundry washer. Do it. Yeah. I’d mean like that. People don’t like it because they’re as comfy seating. They like it because they can like walk their dog. Yeah. So unless you’re allowing them to bring their dog and their laundry to work, like I don’t really, and their

[00:13:39] Leila: kids getting, you know, can I get the kids off the bus and have ‘em plop down and do their homework in the lounge?

[00:13:45] Lisa: But you know, there, there are downsides to the opens concept. When I worked at MD Anderson, I worked in a cube firm, but right after I retired, they moved to this totally open concept. Mm-hmm. In another building. And it was so bad that people were putting up [00:14:00] barriers just to block their, because you’re looking, you know, right.

In somebody’s face or whatever. So, I don’t know. Open concepts to me are still kind of, The jury’s out on

[00:14:08] Leila: that. I think our newsroom has a open concept and we came from the cubicle farm about 10 years ago, so it, it, you know, I think everyone is pretty well adapted to it now in our newsroom. But, um, but I agree that, I mean, you do see anyone who’s taking a phone call leaves the space and finds some quiet corner to do it.

Yeah, no.

[00:14:27] Chris: My first two newsrooms didn’t have cubicles. We had a series of desks. We were all pretty close, and nobody left. You didn’t have cell phones. You, you picked up the wired phone and everybody did their work just fine. I’m not sure I, I go back to what Lars says. I, I hear from people pretty regularly.

I. That are dead set against a return to the office. They, they believe they’re getting their work done. It’s much more convenient for them, and they, they really don’t wanna do it. They, they’re, they’re furious that employers are, are forcing it. And we’ve talked about how it’s [00:15:00] good for the socialization.

The hybrid is, I guess, the long term answer. But you can’t tell me that You don’t get annoyed on Tuesdays when you have to get up and say, oh God, it’s in, in-office day. You gotta get dressed right.

[00:15:13] Leila: Yeah. The commute and getting ready, it takes a lot of time. Um, and honestly, even though there are distractions at home that you don’t have in the workplace, those distractions often I find, take less time to deal with than getting ready driving in.

And then some of the. You know, the little chit chat that goes on in the workplace. I mean,

right.

[00:15:33] Laura: Do just be rude and be like, I’m

[00:15:34] Leila: sorry, I cannot talk to you. I know there’s a lot, I mean, I, I do love seeing everybody and I have enjoyed the return to our newsroom culture, but it, it’s, there are days when you’re like, I did a lot of.

Chit chat and didn’t accomplish nearly as much as I would if I were at home at my desk. No, I get stuff.

[00:15:51] Laura: I think the one thing that Sean touches on in the story is for young employees who the, who haven’t established themselves, like the work from home is [00:16:00] hard because like you’re just a name, right? Like, how do you get promoted?

How do you get mentored if you’re not, you know, Talking to people, and this is true, getting that FaceTime every day, right?

[00:16:10] Chris: This is totally true. Yeah. It’s we’re, I don’t think we’ve reached the end of this road. It’s, it’ll be interesting to see what it looks like in 10 years.

[00:16:17] Laura: Well, that’s what Sean’s story said.

It was really, it was like it, it’s like an earthquake every day. Like nobody is settled.

[00:16:24] Chris: You are listening to today in Ohio is creative writing a new way to cope with the modern day stresses of working in healthcare. This was an interesting theory, Laura.

[00:16:33] Laura: Yeah, so writing can be a, a huge outlet for stress.

And Dr. Gotham Rao, he’s the Vision Chief of Family Medicine at, uh, rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital. He’s a published author of several fiction and non-fiction books. He’s single-handedly organized this meeting of about a dozen doctors and nurses in a greater c. Cleveland medical community for anyone interested in becoming a better writer.

So they all went to Case Western Reserve into the brownstone building, known as a writer’s house, and they [00:17:00] introduced themselves. They’re, they’re learning how to express themselves and even cope with medical stresses through writing. The idea is like you push creative boundaries. You find a safe, supportive space to try something new.

And I mean, I like to, I mean, obviously I, I’m in this profession because I like to write and I feel. This is not an original thought, but a lot of times you work out your feelings while writing. That’s why people keep a journal, right? Because sometimes you don’t understand your thoughts or feelings until you

[00:17:30] Chris: write them.

Yeah, it’s an interesting, we’re, we’re in a writing profession, so we write all the time. I don’t know that I would write to relax because that’s my day job, but for people that don’t, I, I guess this would be a cathartic way to work through your issues. Leila, you’ve mentioned you have somebody in your home, in the healthcare profession.

Do you see that person using writing to work

[00:17:54] Leila: through things he uses? He uses Wordle. You can only do one word all a day, [00:18:00] though. No, he does all the puzzles, but no, he’s not a writer. He

[00:18:03] Laura: foreign to me. Like Anna Quinlan in her book Write For Your Life has a whole chapter on how writing can ha help doctors and nurses.

And she says like that contemplation in self aim and. Examination that writing brings is really suited from the medical industry. And I recently sent him to a podcast of the author Abraham Verges. He’s a doctor talking about the covenant of water. He went and got his M F A, so he has an MD and an M F A because he wanted to tell a story outside of medical facts and figures.

And he says it moves people in a different way, that they actually feel it more, even if it’s fiction, which is fascinating.

[00:18:38] Chris: Okay, you’re listening to today in Ohio. You go to the gas pump and you see unleaded 88 is cheaper than unleaded 87, or you see something called flex fuel that is way cheaper than everything.

Leila, what is this stuff? And will this cheap gas actually save you any money?

[00:18:55] Leila: Sean does a really good job of explaining the science behind fuel in this story. [00:19:00] Basically the number associated with these types of fuels refer to their octane, which measures how much heat and pressure a fuel can withstand before it ignites.

Most vehicles are designed for unleaded 87 and higher end vehicles take higher octane fuels. So unleaded 87, 89 and 91 all contain up to 10% ethanol, which is a type of alcohol made from a corn that’s used for fuel. But then you have these cheap gases. Unleaded 88 is 15% ethanol and flex fuel can be anywhere from 51 to 83%.

Ethanol, flex fuel can only be used in vehicles that are designed for it, by the way. So that, that’s one factor here. But ethanol has just two thirds the energy of pure gasoline. So the more ethanol in your fuel, the less energy it has per gallon. Unleaded 88 will get three to 4%. Fewer miles per gallon than regular unleaded 87, gasoline and flex fuel will get about 15 to 27% fewer miles per [00:20:00] gallon compared to 87, so you’re paying less per gallon of flex fuel or unleaded 88, but it burns less efficiently and you’ll be filling up more often.

So Sean says the flex fuel has to be at least 90 cents per gallon cheaper than unleaded 87 to make it worth it. Otherwise, it could just end up costing more to use flex fuel. Whether unleaded 88 saves the driver any money is is a little bit more debatable and squishy. It depends entirely on the fuel economy of the vehicle and the price of gas at individual gas stations.

But the upshot is that if unleaded 88 is at least 20 cents cheaper, Than regular. It, it’s probably worth it. That’s kind of the rule of thumb he laid out. If, if the difference is just a few cents, you should go with the regular.

[00:20:48] Chris: Although the big wrinkle is that you do have to go get gas more often, which is annoying and tedious.

Oh, totally. So if you’d like longer time between Phillips, that also plays into it. What do you [00:21:00] value more if you pennies or your time? Yeah.

[00:21:02] Leila: I hate going to the gas

[00:21:03] Chris: station. Me too. This was a no-brainer for me. No way. But it does, it does answer the question of why is the 88 cheaper than the 87? And you’re right, he did take the technology and make it.

Very accessible to all, which we appreciate, you know, listening to today in Ohio. All right, Lisa. The last time we discussed Roundwood Manor, the mansion of the industrialists who developed Shaker Square and Terminal Tower. The current owner was trying to turn it into condos, but Hunting Valley said no.

What’s the future of this historic landmark now?

[00:21:38] Lisa: Well, it can be yours for 4.5 million. Roundwood Manor was built in 1924 at 34 50 Roundwood Road in Hunting Valley. Um, it was for the Van Swear Engine Brothers. It was built by architect to Phillip Small. It’s current owner Sylvia. Corey did try to save it from redevelopment by converting it to condos, but hunting Valley, [00:22:00] uh, Officials would not let her do that.

It’s a really beautiful property. Actually. When it was built, it was originally 90,000 square feet and it had 50 rooms and 24 guest suites. But in 1946, it was bought by Stouffer Frozen Foods Magnet, Gordon Stouffer, and he reduced the square footage to its current. You know, footprint of 55,000 square feet.

It’s got eight acres, 10 bedrooms, 14 bathrooms, a 60 foot indoor pool, grand central hall, several dining rooms, a tennis court, large gardens, a seven car garage, and your taxes will only be 53,400. Driven $82 a year. So there you go. And they even have a Dickens room where there are, you know, books by the author Charles Dickens.

In 2018, it was on the National Register of Historic Places. I would think in Hunting Valley, 4.5 million is not a terribly high price. We’ll see how it moves.

[00:22:58] Chris: I, I would choke every [00:23:00] year that I wrote. A tax check for $53,000. I just, what are you getting for that $53,000? You’re getting the same services as the people paying, you know, a quarter of that.

It’s just shocking how much property taxes are based on the value instead of the service you get for it. It, it’d be nice if they preserve it because these are folks that. That left their signature on Northeast Ohio. But who can afford to upkeep a mansion like that? That’s, that seems like just a money pit.

[00:23:28] Lisa: Yeah. But there are plenty of other, you know, mansions that go for that price and more in hunting Valley and Moreland Hills and. They’re probably upgraded though.

[00:23:36] Laura: I feel like this probably hasn’t had the same kind of, you know, state of the art kitchen kind of upgrades that a lot of people want if they’re paying that

[00:23:44] Lisa: much money.

Yeah, I don’t know. I haven’t looked at the pictures, but, um, you know, of course they did reduce the footprint, but it is an old house. It’s all, it’s, it’ll be a hundred years old next year. So

[00:23:56] Chris: surprised nobody’s looked at turning it into some sort of museum cuz

[00:23:59] Laura: people were looking, I [00:24:00] was thinking a really chic boutique hotel.

Like,

[00:24:03] Chris: yeah, but Hunting Valley wouldn’t allow it. They won’t. Probably Not hunting. Hunting Valley doesn’t want the proletariat coming inside their borders. That’s right. That’s why they condos. Condos. Right. They don’t want you

[00:24:14] Laura: coming in there. Plenty big enough for

[00:24:16] Chris: condos, man. Yeah, it would’ve been. It’s just they’re very snooty in Hunting Valley.

You’re listening to today in Ohio, back to the end of the pandemic emergency. We talked about the idea of hybrid work, but three years in, is there anything else permanent in how our approach to work has changed? Laura, I.

[00:24:34] Laura: So these changes are still shaking out. Um, 63% of young professionals say they work a hybrid schedule saying they remote work remotely from home and 11% completely remotely, and 26% to the office a hundred percent of the time.

But that switches all the time. Like if you ask them a year before, it was completely different numbers. So employees, employers have these option to call employees back to the office, but just like we talked about before, [00:25:00] you know Yeah. They can say no, it’s. Yeah, let, let

[00:25:02] Chris: the way, let, let’s get away from the hybrid.

What, what about the actual workday? How has that changed?

[00:25:08] Laura: Well, some of them said, you know, you don’t have to start at 8:00 AM anymore on the dot. You can start in the morning if that works better for you. And so they’re trying to be more flexible and meet their, their employees needs. More, more enhanced benefit.

[00:25:23] Chris: Yeah. And, and before the pandemic, nobody met remotely, even though you had the tools to do so. I mean, how often? Right.

[00:25:30] Laura: And people have realized that Zoom is really convenient. I mean, I don’t think anybody loves being on a Zoom call. I mean, I don’t know that anyone ever wants to hear you’re on mute ever again, but we say it.

All the

[00:25:42] Leila: time. Can I, can I confess something here? Yes. Listen. Um, when, when before the pandemic, when you guys trained us on teams, I didn’t pay attention to that at all because I was like, I’m never gonna use

[00:25:56] Lisa: this.

[00:25:58] Leila: I remember sitting there thinking, I’m [00:26:00] never ever gonna have a teams meeting. Why do I even need to know this?

Cuz we were, I

[00:26:04] Laura: didn’t. Isn’t it funny though, because when I was doing a bunch of interviews for my childcare series, you know, back, back in the old days when I was a regular reporter, I would just call people and we would just set up like, I’ll call you at this time, and now I feel like most of my interviews were by Teams or Zoom.

Like it’s become so easy that people are setting those up instead of phone calls because you can just put it on your calendar and then everybody just clicks the same button. You don’t even have to have a phone number.

[00:26:32] Chris: Well, it’s the multiple people too. I mean, our editorial board. I don’t think we’ve had anybody in person, have we?

Have we, Lisa? I don’t think we’ve had anybody in person.

[00:26:41] Lisa: No, not for the meetings. We, we met for the mayoral, the Cleveland mayoral race, and that was the last. Time.

[00:26:48] Chris: Yeah, that right. Which, okay, a year and a half ago. And it’s convenient because they don’t have to drive into where we are. One of the beauties of it is you used to have to drive to go meet somebody face-to-face.

And that sucks up time, [00:27:00] especially if traffic is thick at rush hour. This is quick. Everybody I think appreciates this is a time management tool, and you’re right. Mm-hmm. Uh, Layla, no one would’ve embraced this. Until the need became obvious and now everybody is continuing to use it. I can’t tell you how many meetings that I have on teams instead of person to person that we’re always are, are.

Do you think you’re having

[00:27:22] Laura: teams meetings that you would’ve had phone calls before?

[00:27:25] Chris: No, because on a phone call you, you can only have one other person. So I remember used to

[00:27:29] Laura: having to dial in, like we used to have that every day where we would all dial the same number and you’d hit like a button if you were the organizer of the meeting.

And I mean, it was like a 10 o’clock call we had, but now we all do it by teams.

[00:27:42] Chris: Yeah, that’s, um, right. It’s become, it’s just become, I, I don’t see it going away. Anything else in that story that looks like it’s gonna stick?

[00:27:51] Laura: I mean, I think they’re still shaking out. I, I think it’s gonna be a push pull for a while between what employees want and what employers want, and finding that balance.[00:28:00]

Um, And it’s gonna dependent on the industry.

[00:28:04] Lisa: Wasn’t there something about 4, 4, 10 hour days as opposed to five, eight hour

[00:28:09] Laura: days? Yeah, that was, Sean mentioned that in his story, and I think that’s a possibility if your employer is cool with that, right? If you’re gonna, you could do 10 hours, four days in a row instead of five days with eight hours.

I don’t know how. Workable. That is for a lot of people, but or a lot of businesses.

[00:28:26] Chris: Okay. Let’s wrap up the pandemic. Layla, the end of the pandemic means changes in testing, vaccines and covid reporting. What’s the upshot for regular people?

[00:28:35] Leila: So, in a nutshell, this means more out-of-pocket costs for those things.

Covid 19 testing vaccines, treatments. They eventually return to just typical healthcare coverage instead of being government subsidized as, as we had grown accustomed to. Covid is considered endemic now, so it’s just. Something we’re going to have to deal with like any other communicable disease that spreads every season.

So immediately we’re going to notice that [00:29:00] free covid tests from the federal government are, are a thing of the past. Insurance companies might not cover the cost of over-the-counter tests anymore, and there might be a cost to test administered at the pharmacy. The Ohio Department of Health will still, they still have a supply of free tests.

That will, um, be distributed to local health department schools and long-term health facilities and other community partners on request, and folks on Medicaid will still get free tests. Covid vaccines are likely to remain free for most people because they’re considered preventative. Under Obamacare and they’ll be co covered by insurers Ohio.

Medicaid will cover Covid 19 vaccines through September, 2024. People who don’t have insurance will get free vaccines through September 20, 24 as well at pharmacies, health departments and and federally qualified health centers. And then as for TR covid treatments, Ohio Medicaid will continue to fully cover treatments through September, 2024.

After that cost sharing is gonna begin, so for others, there may [00:30:00] be some out-of-pocket expenses depending on your insurance, and while health departments, physicians and hospitals will still have to report positive COVID 19 tests, the c D C is not going to be compiling community transmission models

[00:30:12] Chris: anymore.

Right. That was one of the big ones. The reports we’ve all become so used to will get thinned down. They’ll still keep track, but it’s not going to be like it has been. Like you said, it’s endemic. The emergency is officially over. That’s it for today In Ohio. For a Tuesday. Thank you, Lisa, Laura, and Layla, and thanks to everybody who listens to this podcast.

We’ll be back on Wednesday.