CLEVELAND, Ohio — Northeast Ohioans got lucky Friday night with a rare show of the Northern Lights in the sky, thanks to a massive geomagnetic storm.
Can we see it again tonight?
Pro-abortion rights candidates and legislation have won in Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia and Pennsylvania.
United States pro-abortion rights advocates are celebrating a series of major electoral victories for Democrat candidates that are set to advance abortion rights, even in traditionally conservative states like Ohio and Kentucky.
Residents in several US states went to the polls on Tuesday to cast their ballots for governors, state legislators and other local offices, as well as to weigh in on state referendums.
Abortion rights issues featured prominently in many of these races.
In Ohio, voters were asked to decide on an amendment to the state constitution that would guarantee the right to have an abortion. With 93 percent of the ballots counted, the amendment was on track to comfortably pass the measure, with 55.8 percent of voters saying “yes,” CBS News reported.
The outcome extended an unbeaten streak for abortion access advocates since the US Supreme Court’s decision last year to overturn its 1972 Roe v Wade ruling and eliminate a nationwide right to end pregnancies.
US President Joe Biden hailed the Ohio result, saying: “Tonight, Americans once again voted to protect their fundamental freedoms – and democracy won.”
Advocates scored another key victory in Virginia, where Democrats retook full control of the General Assembly after two years of divided power. This will allow them to continue blocking Republican Governor Glenn Youngkin’s plan to pursue a ban on most abortions beyond 15 weeks after conception.
“It’s official: there will be absolutely no abortion ban legislation sent to Glenn Youngkin’s desk for the duration of his term in office, period, as we have thwarted MAGA Republicans’ attempt to take total control of our government and our bodies,” Virginia Senate Democratic Caucus Chair Mamie Locke said in a statement, referencing Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan.
In Kentucky, Democratic Governor Andy Beshear, who campaigned on abortion rights, was set to win a second four-year term, according to projections from pollster Edison. His victory is a major feat in an ultra-conservative state that voted for Trump by more than 25 percentage points in 2020.
Despite Beshear’s victory, he is powerless to reverse the near-total ban on abortion imposed by the state’s conservative Supreme Court.
In Pennsylvania, Democrat Dan McCaffery, a former judge and prosecutor who has positioned himself as an abortion rights defender, won an open seat on Pennsylvania’s Supreme Court. This preserves a strong Democratic majority on the court that is grappling with a challenge to state law on the use of public funds for abortion access.
The success of abortion rights legislation and candidates validates Democrats’ strategy of placing abortion-related referendums on the ballot, including in conservative states.
They will press on with strategy in 2024 elections, pushing similar referendums in swing states Arizona and Florida.
The victories are also an encouraging sign for US President Joe Biden, who is trailing in the polls ahead of next year’s presidential elections and facing scrutiny for his response to the Gaza war.
Access to abortion in the US has come under renewed threat since the conservative Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, the landmark ruling that granted the right to abortion for nearly five decades.
This led to 14 states introducing near-total bans on abortion in 2022, and six others passing strict limits on abortion access.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The summer heat can lead to an increase in violent incidents.
Last May, High street in Columbus experienced two different gun violence incidents on the same day.
11 guns were recovered from the scene and three police officers fired their weapons when responding. The Short North Alliance, along with Columbus Police and City Council, has organized a plan to try to make sure nothing like this happens again.
Those visiting the Short North this summer might notice an increase of officers patrolling the area on bicycles. These officers join the special unit that makes up the Short North Crime Interdiction Program.
Paid parking in the Short North has been extended until midnight. COTA has expanded their services until 11 p.m. and there are now 15 designated rideshare pickup zones that can be utilized from midnight to 4 a.m.
The Short North Alliance received a public safety grant of about $500,000. With these funds, they have extended and expanded their Short North Alliance Outreach Team.
“We’ve added hours of service available through the Short North ambassador team,” said Betsy Pandora, who serves as the executive director of the Short North Alliance. “Those are community members here that help provide safety services to our business owners and to patrons. Whether that’s escorting people to their vehicles when they’re leaving for the evening and more.”
Along with the ambassador program, patrons will notice cameras placed throughout the area.
“We’ve also seen a number of cameras be utilized as a way that we’re supporting safety in the community,” said Pandora. “Some of those are temporary cameras that are moved in fixed places. Some of them are permanently installed throughout the neighborhood that are all real time cameras that can be monitored as an added advantage to helping to support safety.”
Columbus isn’t the only city in Ohio that is gearing up for a safe and fun summer. Cleveland has called for “all hands on deck” to release a summer safety plan in the coming weeks after 10 incidents and three homicides last weekend. This will include things like street lights, trash collection, towing abandoned cars and more.
Cincinnati, on the other hand, is creating a plan to specifically address teen violence. Due to a shortage of about 200 officers, the city’s curfew team is asking parents to pay extra close attention to their children’s behavior this summer and enforce curfews of their own.
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Northeast Ohioans got lucky Friday night with a rare show of the Northern Lights in the sky, thanks to a massive geomagnetic storm.
Can we see it again tonight?
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TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – A strong solar storm made the Northern Lights visible Friday night, including in Northwestern Ohio and Southeast Michigan.
13 Action News viewers have been submitting amazing pictures of the aurora borealis. You can view hundreds of photos, and submit your own, in the photo album below.
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