WOSU Public Media

11/23/2025

The workers' aim is to improve wages, paid time off and increase safety for library employees.

Some employees at the Columbus Metropolitan Library are working to unionize about 600 workers. The Ohio Federation of Teachers is the union employees would join.

11/22/2025

Lawmakers have gone back and forth over modifying recreational ma*****na laws since it became legal for Ohioans 21 and older in December 2023. Efforts to regulate mostly unregulated h**p have been rolled into that debate, though a federal h**p ban taking effect late next year has most recently caused strife.

A six-member committee of Ohio lawmakers met to recommend a slew of changes to cannabis law as well as a ban on intoxicating h**p, including h**p-derived beverages.

11/22/2025

The Ohio House is poised to pass a Republican-backed bill would require public schools to show students videos on fetal development produced by an anti-abortion group. A committee made changes to the measure before passing it along party lines Tuesday.

The Ohio House will soon vote on a Republican bill that would require students to see videos on fetal development—which opponents say is anti-abortion propaganda.

11/22/2025

Columbus City Council approved more than $900,000 in settlements Monday.
They include a nearly $85,000 payout to settle a complaint against Councilmember Emmanuel Remy. Averi Townsend, a former legislative aide, claims Remy treated her harshly in conversation about a paid leave issue.

The settlement was one of four approved by Columbus City Council on Monday, totaling more than $900,000 in payouts from the city.

11/22/2025

Thanksgiving is always the fourth Thursday of November. But many Americans don't wait that long to share a fall feast with their loved ones — that is, if they celebrate Friendsgiving. Friendsgiving is exactly what it sounds like: A gathering close to the date of Thanksgiving, starring many of its starchy staples, usually served potluck-style, with friends instead of relatives.

The word's definition may be obvious, but Friendsgiving can mean different things to different people. Here are expert tips for how to celebrate it.

11/22/2025

An arresting self-portrait by Frida Kahlo, featuring the artist slumbering beneath a tangle of vines in a carved canopy bed with a skeleton reclining above her, set records at a Sotheby's auction on Thursday night in New York. The 1940 painting, called El sueño (La cama), is the most expensive artwork by a woman ever auctioned. It also broke the previous auction record for Kahlo's work.

The artist's 1940 painting, El sueño (La cama), was expected to sell for $40 to $60 million on Thursday night. It sold for $54.7 million.

11/22/2025

🍸 He was Bond. James Bond.
But behind the tux and martini was a man determined to escape his own legend.
🎬 Sean Connery vs James Bond dives deep into the story of a working-class Scotsman who became a global icon — and spent his life trying to break free from 007’s shadow.
📺 Don’t miss this fascinating portrait of fame, identity, and legacy. Sunday, Nov. 23 at 8 p.m. on WOSU TV.

11/22/2025

No matter the month, central Ohio art lovers can always indulge in their passion for great music and performances. On this edition of All Sides Weekend, host Christopher Purdy is talking to three key members of the central Ohio arts community.

Creativity is always in the air in central Ohio.

11/22/2025

In the past, public art initiatives have mainly been located in select areas of Columbus. The aim is to spread art across neighborhoods deprived of art.

The Greater Columbus Arts Council launched the Greater Columbus Public Art Strategy, the city’s first plan to expand and fund public art across neighborhoods deprived of it.

11/21/2025

The Constitution is clear: States control their own election processes, with Congress able to set guidelines for federal races. The president has virtually no authority when it comes to voting. But Trump is testing that, and those in his circle have pushed fringe theories for how he can change how ballots are cast and counted.

Less than a year from the midterm elections, state and local voting officials from both major political parties are actively preparing for the possibility of interference by the Trump administration.

11/21/2025

When the Trump administration announced it was giving the green light to the design for a female crash test dummy, it was welcome news to the advocates who have long fought for better female representation in vehicle safety. This dummy has been on a long journey. And she's not at the end of the road yet.

After years of limbo, the U.S. government has given the green light to a crash test dummy based on the female body. But will it be used right away? Not so fast.

11/21/2025

According to two people who were briefed on the plan by the Trump administration, and who asked not to be named for fear of retribution, the administration has forged six new agreements between the Education Department and other agencies, offloading day-to-day operations of congressionally-required programs while retaining a small contingent of staff at the department.

Opponents of the changes say Congress explicitly located some of these offices inside the Education Department, and the White House cannot legally move their work without Congress' approval.