The Spectrum: Tim Ryan; Vivek Ramaswamy; Ohio property taxes
Democratic ex-Congressman Tim Ryan said his party's brand is toxic. Hear what he says needs to happen in order to win back Ohio voters.
All eyes are on who Vivek Ramaswamy might choose as his gubernatorial running mate. We'll tell you which names are being floated to join the ticket.
Attorney General Dave Yost drops out of Ohio's 2026 race for governor
Columbus is part of a growing list of governments suing the Trump administration. Hear what Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein hopes to accomplish with the three lawsuits he's filed.
An effort to amend the state's constitution and abolish property taxes is a step closer to getting on the ballot. Will it put pressure on lawmakers at the statehouse to deliver smaller relief? Republican strategist Katie Eagan and Democratic strategist Joe Rettof weigh in.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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Newsweek
24 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Roy Cooper's Chances of Flipping North Carolina's GOP Senate Seat—New Poll
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Former Democratic Governor Roy Cooper held a lead over Republican Michael Whatley in the latest poll of North Carolina's Senate race released on Thursday. Why It Matters Democrats view North Carolina as perhaps their best opportunity to flip a Senate seat in the 2026 midterms, when they are hoping a "blue wave" will give them a chance at winning back a majority despite a challenging map. The decision to run by Cooper, who enjoyed positive approval ratings during his time as governor, has fueled Democratic optimism about their chances. But Republicans believe Whatley, who serves as the RNC chair and is endorsed by President Donald Trump, will be a strong candidate against Cooper—and Democrats have not won a Senate race in the Tar Heel State since 2008 despite several close races. In the 2024 presidential race, North Carolina gave Trump a narrow victory of about three percentage points. The new poll underscores the competitive nature of the critical battleground race. What to Know The Harper Polling survey provided to Newsweek by the John Locke Foundation showed Cooper leading Whatley, but neither candidate had support from a majority of respondents. Cooper received support from 47.3 percent of respondents, while 39.1 percent said they planned to cast their ballot for Whatley in November next year. Forty percent said they would "definitely" support Cooper, while only 24.7 percent said they would "definitely" support Whatley. The poll surveyed 600 likely voters from August 11 to August 12, 2025, and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.98 percentage points. Former Governor Roy Cooper speaks during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 22, 2024. Former Governor Roy Cooper speaks during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 22, found that 47 percent of respondents view Cooper favorably, while 40 percent view him unfavorably. Whatley was more unknown among North Carolina voters, with 51 percent saying they had never heard of him. Fifteen percent viewed him favorably, while 11 percent viewed him unfavorably. Voters were split about who they would support on the generic ballot for Congress—46 percent said they would support a Republican candidate, while 46.1 percent said they would support the Democratic candidate, according to the poll. Donald Bryson, CEO and president of the John Locke Foundation and publisher of the Carolina Journal, told Newsweek the poll findings are not surprising but provided a "great baseline" of the state of the race. "Roy Cooper has vast name ID having been attorney general for 16 years, governor for 8. He's been in elected office in North Carolina since 1986. With all of that resume, it would be strange if he had a lower name ID that Michael Whatley," he said. Whatley having lower name recognition is also not surprising as he has never held elected office in the state, Bryson said. He said that is not "necessarily a negative for Whatley," who will need to drive up Cooper's negative numbers and his own name ID over the coming year. What is more concerning for Whatley is the poll's findings that 62 percent of North Carolinians believe tariffs will make prices higher for everyday North Carolinians, Bryson said. "That is something that if I was working on his campaign as a consultant or a campaign manager, how do we answer this question on when the price of goods goes up due to the tariff regime put in place by the Trump administration—how do we spin this as good for the state of North Carolina?" he said. Whatley's fate and criticism will likely be "tied to Trump," Bryson said. Roy Cooper Leads Earliest Polls of North Carolina Senate Race The poll is in line with the other early surveys of the Senate race. An Emerson College poll released last month similarly showed Cooper with a lead over Whatley. Forty-seven percent of respondents said they would cast their ballots for Cooper, while 41 percent said they would support Whatley next November. The poll surveyed 1,000 registered voters from July 28 to July 30, 2025, and had a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. A Victory Insights poll showed a closer race, with Cooper winning 43 percent of respondents and Whatley winning 40 percent of respondents. It surveyed 600 likely voters from July 20 to July 30, 2025. While Cooper is not expected to face a competitive primary, as Democrats have cleared the field for him, it's unclear whether other high-profile Republicans will challenge Whatley, who has the support of Trump. Trump-backed candidates typically fare well in GOP primaries, giving Whatley an early advantage against other potential challengers. North Carolina—An Elusive Battleground for Democrats Democrats have made recent Senate races competitive in North Carolina but have struggled to prevail against Republicans in a state that has proven elusive for Democrats at the federal level in recent years. In 2022, Republican Tedd Bud, then a member of Congress, defeated Democrat Cheri Beasley by about three points. GOP Senator Thom Tillis narrowly defeated Democrat Cal Cunningham by less than two points in 2020. In 2016, former GOP Senator Richard Burr defeated Democrat Deborah Ross, now a member of Congress, by nearly six percentage points. At the same time, Democrats have held a grip on the governor mansion. Democrat Josh Stein, who succeeded Cooper, won November's gubernatorial race by nearly 15 points after Republican Mark Robinson faced a series of scandals on the campaign trail. Candidate quality is a key factor here, Bryson said, adding that the Republican base "tends to be more affected by national politics." What People Are Saying Bryson told Newsweek: "I think [Cooper is] in a really comfortable position now. I think it would be easy for the Cooper camp to feel like they're in a comfortable position and can coast for a little while. But I think what comes with that name ID and people being comfortable enough to say they would vote for him in this poll also comes with a long record." Roy Cooper in a video announcing his candidacy: "I never really wanted to go to Washington. I just wanted to serve the people of North Carolina right here, where I've lived all my life. But these are not ordinary times." Whatley wrote in a post to X: "President Trump asked me to run for Senate because North Carolina needs a strong, consistent conservative leader in the Senate. Someone who will fight to create jobs, protect our farmers, and make America the strongest country on the face of the Earth." What Happens Next The Cook Political Report and Sabato's Crystal Ball both classify the North Carolina Senate race as a pure toss-up.
Politico
24 minutes ago
- Politico
New York's Kathy Hochul faces a crime conundrum ahead of reelection
Hochul has successfully pressed fellow Democrats to change the law with provisions expanding the criminal charges in which a person can be held and giving more discretion to judges . This year, she won alterations to the state's discovery law that district attorneys wanted in order to reduce the number of dismissals in criminal cases. Hochul would also rather talk about an all-time low in New York City shootings and drop in felony crimes on subways — statistics she can tout as evidence her public safety approach is working. 'The Legislature has made three necessary fixes to bail since 2019, many crimes are at a historic low and Elise Stefanik is disconnected from reality,' said Democratic state Sen. James Skoufis, who also pointed to a recent New York Post frontpage trumpeting the sharp drop in shootings. (A Stefanik spokesperson called him 'clueless.') But New York Democrats are also warily watching the president's takeover of the Washington police department and move to deploy the National Guard to the streets of the nation's capital. Hochul this week also condemned the possibility that Trump, a Stefanik ally, would deploy the National Guard to New York City. 'If he crosses that bright line and decides that the 32,000 dedicated members of the NYPD are not doing their jobs — he's going to stand there and insult our law enforcement officers — I think people would be in outrage of that alone,' she said. The governor approved her own limited deployment of the New York National Guard to the city's subway system. The troops do not have arrest powers, but the move was meant to reinforce the perception of safety on mass transit. 'I've used them as a deterrent effect to stand there and just be a presence,' Hochul said. Democrats, though, are in something of a political cul-de-sac on crime, despite the steep drops in violent offenses. 'It's an issue that Democrats have failed to take any serious action on,' Erie County GOP Chair Michael Kracker said. 'The Republican Party has pledged to make the nation and the state safer. If Democrats fail to take action, Republicans will.' Citing crime statistics won't be enough for New Yorkers who don't feel safe in their own neighborhoods, he added. 'Ask your average New Yorker if they feel safer than they have over the last few years,' Kracker said. 'The answer is going to be a resounding no.' A version of this story first appeared in New York Playbook.
Newsweek
24 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Ron DeSantis Touts Cheaper Price Tag at 'Deportation Depot' Facility
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration is moving forward with plans to open a second immigration detention center—this one dubbed the "Deportation Depot"—at a state prison in north Florida. The announcement comes as a federal judge weighs the future of the state's first such facility, a controversial holding center for immigrants at an isolated airstrip in the Florida Everglades, known as "Alligator Alcatraz." On Thursday, DeSantis announced that the new detention facility will be housed at the Baker Correctional Institution, located about 43 miles west of downtown Jacksonville. State officials said the site is expected to hold 1,300 immigration detention beds, with the potential to expand capacity to as many as 2,000. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and US President Donald Trump speak to reporters as Trump arrives at Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Ochopee, Florida, on July 1, 2025. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and US President Donald Trump speak to reporters as Trump arrives at Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Ochopee, Florida, on July 1, 2025. AFP/Getty Images The governor argued that the expansion is necessary to meet the needs of the federal government under President Donald Trump's administration. "There is a demand for this," DeSantis said. "I'm confident that it will be filled." Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has praised Republican-led efforts to increase immigration detention capacity nationwide, describing Florida's partnership as a potential model for other state-run facilities. DeSantis emphasized that repurposing an existing state prison offers significant savings compared to building from scratch. He estimated the build-out cost for the Baker site at $6 million—far less than the hundreds of millions of dollars the state has committed to the sprawling network of tents and trailers at the Everglades facility. "This part of the facility is not being used right now for the state prisoners. It just gives us an ability to go in, stand it up quickly, stand it up cheaply," he said, calling the location "ready-made." According to Kevin Guthrie, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management—the agency overseeing construction—it could take two to three weeks to get the Baker site operational. The prison has been closed since 2021, when the state announced plans to shutter it temporarily due to chronic staffing shortages. "A building that's been dormant now for a couple of years is going to have some unforeseen challenges," Guthrie noted. Among the necessary upgrades: installing air conditioning, which is not required in Florida prisons despite the state's sweltering heat. Staffing for the new facility will be handled by the Florida National Guard and state contractors "as needed," DeSantis said. The Guard has previously been deployed to assist with staffing Florida's prisons and is now supporting the state's immigration enforcement initiatives. Before settling on the Baker location, DeSantis had suggested placing the second facility at Camp Blanding, a Florida National Guard training site about 30 miles (48 kilometers) southwest of Jacksonville. The historic military installation served as a major U.S. Army training facility during World War II and now functions as a "continuity of government" site for Florida's executive branch. While Camp Blanding has some air capacity, DeSantis said it was not ideal. "Blanding does have air capacity, but probably not a big enough runway to handle large planes," he explained, adding that Baker's proximity to a regional airport made it a better choice. The governor promised that detainees at the new site will receive "the same services" available at the Everglades facility. Meanwhile, conditions at "Alligator Alcatraz" are under intense scrutiny. Attorneys representing detainees have described the environment as deplorable, claiming that individuals with COVID-19 symptoms are not being isolated, rainwater regularly floods tents, and officers pressure detainees to sign voluntary removal orders before they can consult with attorneys. "Recent conditions at Alligator Alcatraz have fueled a sense of desperation among detainees," lawyers wrote in a court filing. The concerns were outlined in a Wednesday filing ahead of a Monday hearing before U.S. District Judge Rodolfo Ruiz. Civil rights attorneys are asking the judge to guarantee detainees confidential access to legal counsel—something they say has been denied—and to designate an immigration court with jurisdiction over the facility. Attorneys claim they are often told that no federal immigration court in Florida has jurisdiction over detainees held at the Everglades site, complicating efforts to file petitions for bond or release. The judge's decision could influence not only the operation of the current facility but also the future of the state's expanded detention network. This article includes reporting by the Associated Press.
