It is a common understanding in the retail industry that "if you break it, you buy it". That same principle applies to a community destroyed by a reckless corporation as well as a community broken by a careless customer. The overdue bill owed by Norfolk Southern for its wanton destruction of East Palestine is a hefty one that far exceeds the $387 million claimed lost in its 1st Quarter Report on the "Eastern Ohio Incident". However, not a dollar has been paid so far to directly compensate property owners for their colossal loss of value. Making matters worse is Norfolk Southern's refusal to even consider purchasing damaged property at pre-disaster value. That must change.

Nazis disrupted a drag brunch on the Westside last week. Social media exploded over the news that white supremacists were disrupting a children’s event and were surprised by the inability of Columbus Division of Police to ensure the Nazis were barred from exposure and scaring the community with their black ski masks.

Up until a few weeks ago, when three Democratic lawmakers joined mostly young people at the Tennessee legislature demanding stricter gun legislation in the wake of yet another mass shooting, the First Amendment was sacrosanct: It states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Hey China, quit threatening us! We’ll kick your ass.

Yeah, bad China, maybe worse than Russia, e.g.:

“The People’s Republic of China, which is increasingly challenging the United States economically, technologically, politically and militarily around the world, remains our unparalleled priority.”

The words are those of Avril Haines, director of national intelligence, addressing a Senate committee recently. As the New York Times noted, she “reinforced the message that President Biden and his top foreign policy aides have been sending on China. . . . that while Russia is a medium-term challenge, China is the greatest long-term rival of the United States and is the only nation with the power and resources to reshape the American-led international order.”

Our premier guest JERRY ASHTON has retired Billions of dollars in medical debt, freeing millions of American citizens from the burden of servitude to global corporate loan sharks.

Ashton’s legendary RIP Medical Debt organization uses contributions to pay off overdue bills run up in hospitals and elsewhere, but bought by predatory collection agencies and then turned against ordinary citizens.

Begun at the Occupy Wall Street actions many years ago, Ashton has used thousands of private donations to liberate many many families from unsustainable financial burdens.

Abolish Medical Debts was famously featured by John Oliver on his “Last Week Tonight” Show, in which Olver donated Big Money to liberate many many families from their overdue payments.

Jerry is a captivating, personable presenter who gives us a full hour of breakthrough brillianc

Wednesday, May 3, 12:30pm, Trinity Episcopal Church on Capitol Square, 125 E. Broad St.

The Day of Action to stop HJR 1 has been changed to Wednesday, May 3!

The Ohio House session during which we believe that the vote on HJR 1 will take place has been moved to Wednesday, May 3; please join us then. We will gather at Trinity Episopal Church, 125 E. Broad St., across the street from the Ohio Statehouse; we will then march over to the House Chamber at the Ohio Statehouse.

Together, we plan to make it clear that we won’t put up with this attack on our rights and the Ohio Constitution!