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Photos of Esther Flores and her work and David Yost

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The “Columbus Way” is notorious for co-opting the ideas of grassroots activists for its own gain. Just ask former mayoral candidate Joe Motil, and it has happened again. This time to the “Saint of Sullivant Avenue,” the moniker the Free Press gave to Esther Flores who has worked tirelessly to help Hilltop and Franklinton “street sisters and brothers” in their struggle with addiction to illicit street drugs.

Flores, a registered nurse, runs the 1DivineLine2Health “harm reduction” drop-in at 2424 Sullivant Avenue. She’s been helping the addicted and all the challenges they bring, such as human trafficking, violence, homelessness, and disease, since 2015. She had the courage to be a Sullivant Avenue harm reduction pioneer and has risked everything to help thousands, many of whom are women and their children.

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Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

Hoarded wealth that could transform millions of lives corrupts. The unprecedented wealth of today's multi-billionaires corrupts absolutely.

The incredible imbalance of wealth in today's United States corrupts not just the tiny number of people hoarding most of it, but also the political and social system in its entirety.

Forbes magazine recently introduced its list of billionaires like this:

"The world’s billionaires have always been rich and powerful—but never more than now. That’s particularly true in the United States, where Donald Trump was sworn in (again) as America’s billionaire-in-chief in January. This time around, he’s giving the billionaire class more control over the government than ever before. His right-hand man is the planet’s richest person. His administration includes at least ten billionaires and billionaire spouses."

A century after Upton Sinclair’s exposé "The Jungle" ripped open the carcass of America’s meatpacking industry and shocked the nation, the horrors of America’s slaughterhouse industry just got worse

Sows in Factory Farm Gestation Crates, courtesy of CIWF USA/Jo-Anne McArthur /We Animals Media Non-Commercial use

The blades move ever faster, slicing through flesh—animal and human alike. Workers, pressed shoulder to shoulder in a factory of blood, push through exhaustion, through pain, through the deafening machinery, knowing that slowing down isn’t an option.

Pigs scream, their bodies trembling from stress and drugs, their legs buckling beneath them. Some won’t even make it to slaughter—collapsing from heat, injury, or sheer terror before they reach the kill floor.

The Moroccan software engineer and Harvard graduate Al Saad recently made international news for her protest against Microsoft's alleged involvement in supplying AI technology to the Israeli military during the Gaza conflict. During Microsoft's 50th anniversary celebration, she interrupted a speech by AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman, “You claim that you care about using AI for good, but Microsoft sells AI weapons to the Israeli military,” Aboussad shouted at Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman. "
EMM logo

Tuesday, April 8, 2025, 1:00 – 1:30 PM
Due to the number of executive orders, immigration raids, and other policy changes, Episcopal Migration Ministries is scheduling weekly immigration calls. EMM will share updates and resources and will be joined by the Office of Government Relations and the Chief Legal Officer.

Spanish interpretation will be available.  

Register here.

 

As “Deep Throat,” the whistleblower who was FBI associate director Mark Felt, tells Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward in the film “All the President’s Men” as Woodward unravels the Watergate scandal: “about the White House—the truth is, these are not very bright guys.” 

 Fifty years later, that is again the truth.

How much of Donald Trump’s directive on U.S. tariffs imposed on nations all over the world—that in recent days has caused a stock market loss of trillions of dollars—is a result of his not being very bright?

The Trump tariffs “are reckless, careless, just plain dumb,” declared U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut after the move last week.

Trump through the years has insisted that he is a “stable genius.” 

Through the years, the opposite has been charged.

Joe Motil

Mayor Ginther's and Columbus City Council's decades long continuation of granting tax abatements to wealthy developers and corporations have robbed hundreds of millions of dollars from our Columbus Public School coffers, let alone contributing to escalating property taxes that are forcing senior homeowners into foreclosure or having to unnecessarily sell their homes to unscrupulous investors. Columbus City Council will be voting tonight on two Enterprise Zone 10-year 75 percent tax abatements totaling $5.125 million.   

With the upcoming Republican Party's state budget cuts in public education dollars a certainty, how in good conscience can a Democrat-controlled City Council located in the state’s largest public school district give away $5.1 million in property tax abatements in exchange for one company’s 15 $20-an-hour jobs and the other company’s 12 $24-an-hour jobs? These jobs will result in a meager $2,550 per month of City income tax revenue, or $30,600 annually, versus a property tax giveaway of $510,029 annually. 

Blueprint

I don’t know where Blueprint’s 2005 record, 1988 stands in the history of Columbus records. I know it’s one of the best albums our city has ever released. I just haven’t made a ranking.

In the least, I won’t rank every Columbus record I like while reviewing a concert in Grandview. I know Blueprint’s 1988 is one of the most important records our city created. Blueprint performed Columbus Classic 1988 at Natalie’s. We were bumping a Rhymesayers Classic complete.

Natalie's was packed. I looked around. I understood why people attended. I worked with Blueprint’s Weightless Recording for years.

I promoted the original release party for 1988 with Blueprint’s label Weightless in 2005. I’ve seen Print at DJ PRZM’s events, Scribble Jam, Newport, Comfest,  Skully’s, and Carabar etc. RIP PRZM.

I’ve watched Print in San Francisco, and various Illinois cities. I watched Detox and Blueprint every week for three years at Cafe Bourbon Street during So What Wednesdays. DAYMON DODSON RIP. Peace Sinkane.

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