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Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution grants the power of the pardon to the president--probably the most absolute power granted in the document. Designed as a tool for justice and mercy, it has at times sparked intense public controversy. The recent pardon of President Biden’s son, Hunter, and the commutations granted to federal death row inmates has, once again, rekindled the need to reexamine this power.

The concept of the pardon was adopted from the British monarchy, where it was a royal prerogative rooted in the belief that sovereigns could temper justice with mercy. In Federalist No. 74, Alexander Hamilton defended the power by arguing that the pardon was necessary to provide “exceptions in favor of unfortunate guilt” and to serve the public good, especially during times of rebellion or unrest.  

Sunday, December 29, 5:30-6:30pm
Old First Presbyterian Church, 1101 Bryden Rd., Enter the church via the rear door.

A twenty-to-thirty-minute silent meditation will be followed by discussion and refreshments. The benefits of meditation are innumerable. These include greater mental clarity, a reduction in stress, improved emotional balance, and increased spiritual development. Meditation benefits everyone. Different meditation practices will be presented, throughout the year, by practitioners of those traditions. This group will meet each Sunday, 5:30-6:30pm.

For more information, call or text 614-619-0784.

Hosted by Old First Presbyterian Church.

Saturday, December 28 and Sunday, December 29; 12noon-4pm; Ohio History Center, 800 E. 17th Ave.

Join us for the citywide Kwanzaa celebration where tradition meets creativity! This year’s program features an array of hands-on crafts and captivating performances, designed to honor and celebrate the rich heritage of Kwanzaa.

Kwanzaa is a seven-day celebration that honors community, family and heritage of African American culture and African traditions. Kwanzaa comes from the Swahili word that means “first harvest” and is based on the principles of Nguzo Saba (the Seven Principles). For the December 28 and 29 events, the Ohio History Connection and TAWI Family Village will celebrate Kwanzaa with African drumming, music, dance, storytelling and hands-on art activities. We will feature a Kwanzaa ornament display made by some of our school partners, with a winning ornament being featured and recognized at the culmination of the celebration. This is a free, family-friendly event. The events at the museum will be part of events that are taking place throughout the community.

At Christmas during World War I, soldiers spontaneously laid down their arms during the historic Christmas Truce

At the Ohio Statehouse December 17, a gathering of Pro-Palestine advocates demonstrated against the codifying of the IHRA (International Holocaust Reembrance Alliance) definitions in the Ohio Revised Code. The IHRA definition states that to criticize the State of Israel for its actions in the genocidal murdering of over 45,000 people or its decades of apartheid, is an act of anti-semitism. 

Police Funding Up, Community Safety Measures Down:

This budget goes against public health best practices that tell us to invest in social determinant-focused programs like affordable housing, quality health services, food security, and after-school programs, We must loudly reject this proposal to save lives and keep institutional thugs off our streets. A deep dive into the Columbus 2025 public safety budget reveals potential consequences for community health and safety, link here.

Rising Police Budget: 

Police Funding Up, Community Safety Measures Down:

This budget goes against public health best practices that tell us to invest in social determinant-focused programs like affordable housing, quality health services, food security, and after-school programs, We must loudly reject this proposal to save lives and keep institutional thugs off our streets. A deep dive into the Columbus 2025 public safety budget reveals potential consequences for community health and safety, link here.

Rising Police Budget: 

Late last night we learned that President Biden will commute the death sentences of 37 of the 40 men currently on federal death row. This is a huge success, and we congratulate everyone who has had a hand in accomplishing this unprecedented task.  

A broad  coalition of democratic organizations from across the state have mobilized to protect free speech rights from a secretive attempt by right-wing lawmakers to make public criticism of the state of Israel illegal in the state of Ohio.

This is the story of how they did it – how people of all different backgrounds came together on short notice, learned to navigate the convoluted cutlure of the Ohio statehouse, and faced down a powerful lobby determined to shield the state of Israel and its supporters in the US government from accountability for the ongoing genocide in Gaza.

Faten Odeh, the executive director of the Cleveland chapter of The Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR-OH), had heard rumblings of states intending to codify the IHRA definition of antisemitism into law, but could have never anticipated how fast legislation around the definition would develop in Ohio. Perhaps a bigger surprise was how quickly she, along with Ann Ghazy, Jawhara Qutiefan, and a myriad of other organizers were able to mobilize large numbers of people to help protect free speech from government overreach.

Please urge Gov. Mike DeWine to veto a new provision that will make Ohio less transparent by enabling additional costs to public records requests to law enforcement.

A change in open government and public records was snuck into House Bill 315. They have added language to House Bill 315 that says body cam footage and dash cam footage can only be provided by a police department after charging the public $75 per hour (with a cap of $750) for the agency to “retrieve, download, review, redact, seek legal advice regarding, and produce the video record.”

Take Action Before Gov. DeWine Signs the Bill

WE NEED YOU!

How will families understand police incidents? How will reporters get access to footage? How can they hide transparency behind a costly payment scheme?

TAKE ACTION | Call Governor DeWine: (614)-466-3555

Use the script below: