Ohio
Ohio's 'medically baseless and genuinely dangerous' gender-affirming care ban upheld by judge
An Ohio judge has upheld the state’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth, as well as its ban on trans girls and women in women’s sports.
Two families of young trans people filed a lawsuit against the state’s law in March after Ohio lawmakers passed the legislation in January by overriding Gov. Mike DeWine’s veto. The families argued that the law violates the Ohio Constitution because it deals with more than one subject — sports and health care — which goes against the single-subject rule.
While the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas temporarily ruled in favor of the families in April, Franklin County Judge Michael J. Holbrook overturned its decision Tuesday, allowing the state’s law to go into effect. Patients under 18 can no longer receive gender-affirming care, save for an exception allowing those already on the treatment to continue.
Holbrook wrote in his ruling that those “dissatisfied with the General Assembly’s determinations” must settle their grievances “through their vote as opposed to the judicial system.”
“This is a devastating result for our clients and families like theirs across the state of Ohio,” Harper Seldin, senior staff attorney at American Civil Liberties Union, said in a statement. “HB 68’s ban on medical treatments for gender dysphoria remains medically baseless and genuinely dangerous to the current and future well-being of transgender youth in the state. We are particularly appalled the court claims the ‘regulation of transgender individuals’ is a legitimate subject for the legislature under the state constitution.”
Ohio is now one of 24 states that completely bans gender-affirming care for youth, according to the Movement Advancement Project. In six states, healthcare practitioners who provide such care can be charged with a felony.
The American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, the World Medical Association, and the World Health Organization all agree that gender-affirming care is evidence-based and medically necessary not just for adults but minors as well.
Freda Levenson, ACLU of Ohio’s legal director, ensured that the “fight” is not over, and that the organization will be “appealing immediately.”
“This loss is not just devastating for our brave clients, but for the many transgender youth and their families across the state who require this critical, life-saving health care,” Levenson said. “While this decision by the court is a genuine setback, it is not the end of the road in our fight to secure the constitutional rights of transgender youth, as well as all Ohioans’ right to bodily autonomy.”
Ohio
Ohio woman broke into ex’s home while he was sleeping, started shooting: police
STRYKER, Ohio (WKRC) – An Ohio woman allegedly broke into her ex-husband’s home while he was sleeping and threatened to kill him before opening fire.
According to a criminal complaint obtained by Law&Crime, 31-year-old Amanda Heller broke into a man’s home on April 26. The man was identified as Heller’s ex-husband by local outlet WTOL.
After the victim woke up, Heller allegedly threatened to kill him before taking out a handgun and firing twice.
No injuries were reported in connection to the shooting, Law&Crime reported. Nobody else was in the home at the time of the incident, authorities reported.
Heller was arrested and charged with felonious assault, attempted aggravated murder, aggravated burglary, domestic violence, and improperly discharging a weapon at or into a habitation or school.
Ohio
Ohio voters literally can’t believe our eyes. Danger of AI ads not overblown | Letters
AI influencers are all over your feed
AI influencers may not change minds — but they can amplify division and inflame political tensions online.
We can’t believe our eyes
Re “AI political ads bring fears over ’26 election,” May 27: I fully support House Bill 185. It probably doesn’t go far enough. This is a prime example of “don’t believe everything you see on the Internet.”
I am being inundated with emails and text messages from organizations and people I do not know. I block them as spam, but it doesn’t seem to do any good. About the only way to combat this is to attend a live debate between candidates, but most people do not have the time to do that.
I use AI every day with caution. We need better ways of identifying AI-created falsehoods.
Edwin Heller, Dublin
Tell voters what’s real
Re “AI political ads bring fears over ’26 election,” May 27: I don’t think AI should be used in political ads, but there is no way to stop it.What we can and should do is require campaigns to certify that their ad did or did not use AI to generate or edit content that:
- Makes a real person appear to say or do something they didn’t say or do.
- Alters footage of a real event or place.
- Generates a realistic-looking scene that didn’t actually occur.
We grade movie content. Why not political advertising? The public needs a way to help distinguish truth from fiction.
Richard Wires, Columbus
Ban political ads, already
Re “AI political ads bring fears over ’26 election,” May 27: Political ads should be banned. Those using – AI-generated or not. I don’t trust anything I read online anymore, and especially political ads.
People read/see those ads, don’t research the information in them, and vote according to, oftentimes, the misinformation in those ads. The huge amounts of money being spent on ads is sinful!
Lyn Miller, Smithville
Food cuts hurt hungry families
While President Donald Trump and Republicans continually find new ways to enrich their billionaire funders and friends, they’ve made the largest cuts to SNAP in history, making it more difficult for over 40 million Americans, including 16 million children and 8 million seniors, to access healthy foods and forcing them to rely on the cheapest foods (usually the most ultra-processed}.
They’re especially hurting American children and setting them up for worse health outcomes than previous generations by making it harder for them to access healthy foods.
They’ve cut funding to support farm-to-school programs and food banks, passed the largest cut to food assistance in history, and are pushing to end the decades-old practice of putting fluoride in water to reduce tooth decay. Most appalling, they’ve even allowed food companies to use cancer-causing chemicals in snack foods targeted to children.
Meanwhile, they’ve allowed food companies to take advantage of inflation to raise prices to increase their profits. A Kroger executive suggested that inflation is good for business when he testified the chain has hiked the milk and eggs prices beyond the costs from inflation.
This is one more reason that we must do all we can to get Republicans out of office.
Russ Smith, Strongsville
Ohio
I-TEAM: FBI searches multiple Stansley Mining properties in NW Ohio
TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) – The FBI was part of a search of multiple properties related to Stansley Mining on Friday, a spokesperson for the agency confirmed.
A Public Affairs Officer for the FBI Cleveland Division confirmed to the 13 Action News I-TEAM that authorities searched a business in the area of Siliva Road in Sylvania, as well as property in Ottawa County by State Route 590 in Benton Township.
Officials with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation told the 13 Action News I-TEAM that they executed a search warrant at the property in Benton Township. Ohio BCI’s environmental division and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency were involved in the search.
It’s unclear exactly what officials were looking for. The FBI spokesperson said there wasn’t additional information to share at this point, but added there is no threat to the public.
Stansley Mining is the entity that owns Rocky Ridge Development, a company at the center of extensive 13 Action News coverage after its South Toledo mining operation was improperly working in a residentially-zoned area.
Latest Local News | First Alert Weather | Crime | National | 13abc Originals
Copyright 2026 WTVG. All rights reserved.
-
Hawaii50 seconds agoMind-bending mural brings greenery into the city
-
Idaho6 minutes agoIdaho Chukar Foundation hosts rattlesnake, skunk, and porcupine avoidance training
-
Illinois13 minutes agoDriver injured after crashing through two garages, hitting two houses in Niles: police
-
Indiana16 minutes agoMooresville police officer involved in ‘serious crash,’ investigation underway
-
Iowa21 minutes agoU.S. Senate candidate Josh Turek spends Saturday campaigning in eastern Iowa
-
Kansas28 minutes agoSheriff: 2 Kansas suspects arrested, stolen items recovered
-
Kentucky31 minutes agoTroopers: Woman killed, 2 juveniles seriously injured in Pendleton County crash
-
Louisiana36 minutes agoLouisiana Gov. signs Caleb Wilson Hazing Prevention Act