Marty Schladen

After weeks of delay, federal food assistance to 1.4 millions Ohioans should resume by midweek, the Ohio officials said Monday.

One measure used by the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, Ohio says there's a 24% chance that the U.S. economy was in recession last month. And signs are mounting that if the economy isn't already in recession, it could be soon.

Scandal-plagued FirstEnergy wants to make customers pay $108 million it used for things like lobbying but said was for construction.

Not only are low-income Ohioans facing disruption of federal food help as the Trump administration thus far refused to release it. With nighttime temperatures dipping into the 30s, the future of federal energy assistance for heating and cooling is in doubt as well.

With exploding demand from data centers, adding nuclear generation might lower energy costs in Ohio, economists say.

Ohio hunger fighters said food banks are slammed as the Trump administration disrupted food assistance to 1.45 million in the state.

Advocates on both sides stumbled momentarily Wednesday when the Ohio Supreme Court considered whether big increases in certain utility charges are legal. Consumer groups are challenging a big increase in fixed charges by Columbia Gas.

As nearly 1.5 million low-income Ohioans face the loss of food assistance in the coming days, two statewide Republicans appear to be posing a choice to congressional Democrats: Pick between that and health care subsidies received by 514,000 low and middle-income residents.

Almost a quarter of Ohio's residents live in rural areas, and it's no secret that many have been losing ground for a long time. Forty groups last week proposed a raft of reforms to help rural communities.

Surveys by the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland last week indicated President Trump's tariffs might be cramping the regional economy.