Latest Local Articles
“Operation Buckeye” is the ‘cutesy’ name that ICE has given their occupation of Central Ohio.
This is a documented (but incomplete) map of their abductions and the level of escalation…
Public Safety Theater Comes Home
Columbus is arguing about “public safety” again — but this time, the debate isn’t happening in a…
Columbus Democrats Hate Democracy
ICE is on the streets of Columbus arresting people. Supposedly Columbus officials and police are…
Limping along
ICE Targets School Zones in Columbus, Families Detained
On December 19th, school let out early in Columbus, and children did what children always do.…
Immigration Enforcement in Columbus Ohio
Recorded at 6:00 PM EST today 12/18/2025, this footage shows the Hampton Inn and Suites on…
Trump Go Down
One year into Trump 2.0, he’s gaining speed on his sled down the mountain.
“A…
Dr. Bob and Dan-o play goofy Christmas tunes
Dr. Bob and Dan-o Dougan become Goofy Goobers celebrating Xmas songs.
…
ICE raids in Columbus - hallmark of fascism
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents terrorized Columbus today, trolling parking…
US Visitor Rules
Amid ICE agent abuse arrests in Ohio, advocate says it "fails to police its own ranks"
This article first appeared at…
Movie extolling the beauty of state parks fails to mention the state also fracks them
Save Ohio Parks volunteers across Ohio are distributing literature outside theatres and museums…
War Comes Home . . . Again
I stare blankly at the news. Little men with guns once again stir the country – the world – into…
The Ancient Octagon Earthworks of Ohio Were Likely Designed by Shaman-Midwives
Almost everyone who visits the Octagon sites winds up asking: Why would anyone think of building…
What will Mike DeWine choose?
This article first appeared on Substack.…
We can all be like Peaches
If you feel as if you have no power to make a positive impact you might be right. The people…
Great Power Imperialism or Democratic Global Governance?
Pundits frequently remark on the warm and friendly relationship between Vladimir Putin and…
P.O.V: Wes Flexner’s 2025 Albums of the Year List
2025 is a year in music where everything was special if you’re from Columbus, Ohio.…
Columbus Liberation Center Grand Opening celebration
Today, the Columbus Liberation Center, staffed by organizers from the Party for…
Ohio Republicans and Democrats Celebrate!
Those church bells you’ve been hearing every day aren’t an accident.
After decades of…
Ohio Republicans pass bill their own voters will hate
Yesterday, Ohio’s Republican supermajority passed …
Don’t let AEP rewrite the rules on rooftop solar – Act Now
Over Thanksgiving, when you were enjoying some downtime with your family and friends, AEP pulled…
Cracker Jack President
The peace prize given to Donald Trump by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (…
P.O.V: Neo-Liberal Chandelier Year in Review 2025
Look At Me
Mobb Deep’s 2025 song with the Clipse Look At Me…
Heer to Serve filling gaps in Columbus' housing crisis
In the past four years, homelessness has increased by 53 percent in Franklin County. Each year,…
Thank You Jennifer Anne Adair
Columbus City Schools (CCS) are facing their greatest challenge in years. Not only does the…
You Need to Understand the Supreme Court’s “Shadow Docket”
If you want to understand how the Supreme Court’s MAGA majority has undermined democracy, you…
More songs against the Tangerine Man on Everybody Knows
Dr. Bob Fitrakis and Dan-o Dougan found a lot of artists who expressed their dislike of the…
Why is Trump Orchestrating His Murderous Boat Bombings?
What if this Venezuelan murdering scheme is more than just Trump being a bully with manhood…
Donald Trump, Union Buster
Although President Donald Trump…
Letter to the Editor: City wants to exempt itself from rules it imposes on homeowners
To the Editor:
As a resident of German Village and Chair of the German Village Society’s…
Letter to the Editor: When Laws Protect Profits Over Lives, Justice Fails
To the Editor:
Accountability is the bedrock of American justice. Yet, as I fight to end…
Masks slipping at the Statehouse
This article first appeared on Substack.
…
On Global Warming: A Plain Explanation of an Unavoidable Truth
The planet isn’t melting because of politics, culture, or morality. It’s melting because humans…
We’ve Always Done It This Way!
I was attending my first meeting of the Columbus…
In Memoriam: James Heddle
James Heddle, part of a social justice documentary filmmaking team with his wife Mary Beth…
Book Shelf Analysis: Tariq Ali’s Extreme Center
Tariq Ali’s book Extreme Center discusses various factors which led into Donald Trump and…
Political Theater
The recent City Council tax dollars giveaway to the Fury Women’s Volleyball team is another ugly…
5 ways to support the Central Ohio Worker Center
This year, we have given over $12,200 directly to low wage and immigrant…
Apology Accepted. Invoice Due.
In addition to approving $500,000 for a…
Freepoint Hebron Cited for 3rd Air Violation as They Plot Toxic PVC Expansion
While regulators catch them venting gas for 60 hours straight, the company pushes "…
Free Advertising for Private Schools
Republicans aren’t the only people who support private schools in Ohio.
The Columbus City…
Nadia Rasul Tops Hilliard City Council Race, Powered by Deep Community Roots
In an election that signaled both political and generational change, longtime…
The Greatest Story Never Told
Unless you’ve recently been abducted by ICE you already know about Columbus City Councilmember…
Dear Mom… Am I a Socialist?
There wasn’t a secret handshake. No incense or candles.
On a whim, I attended a meeting of…
Anduril intends to put Pickaway County on the world map – as a target
A Pickaway County resident spoke out last night against re-zoning for the Anduril Arsenal-1…
De La Soul - Cabin in The Sky
De La Soul’s David Jolicoeur aka Dove died Feb 12, 2023. Dave was the Andre…
An appeal from Bob Krasen - Medicare for All
Columbus Free Press Libby Award, November 9, 2025
Bob Krasen, Healthcare for All…
Public Letter of Apology to Ms. Townsend
On behalf of the citizens of the City of Columbus I want to apologize to Ms. Averi Townsend for…
Dan-o and Dr. Bob say "No Kings"
Dr. Bob Fitrakis and Dan-o Dougan play songs not so complimentary of Trump.
…
A Bold Campaign to Confront Global Crises
Although the world is experiencing severe global crises, there are new efforts underway to…
Solar News This Week-November 16, 2025
California's sees record growth in battery storage
At the United Nations (UN)…
Lights. Action. Hardin!
Local Columbus politics has officially “jumped the shark” and become a performance for the…
Ayman Soliman: “We are way more stronger than we think”
Imam Ayman Soliman – the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital chaplain wrongly arrested by ICE earlier…
Parents, Educators, Students, and Community Members Unite to Call for an Equitable Process Before Any Addition School Closures
In response to the district’s ongoing budget shortfall and the possibility of additional school…
BAD BILLS at the Ohio Statehouse
This article first appeared here…
Pulte is a Mortgage Mess and Has to Go
Bill Pulte is the administrator of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, which oversees Fannie Mae…
Ohio highway patrol has contract with firm that tracked abortion patient
Flock Group, Inc. has had some explaining to do this year. Billed as an intelligent platform…
Yes, I lost my election last week, but here’s where I – and LGBTQ+ Ohio – really won
This article first appeared on the…
First Pedophile
This article first appeared on Substack…
Ohio Immigrant Alliance family reunion in Columbus with special guest Ayman Soliman
The Ohio Immigrant Alliance (OIA) is hosting its first ever Family Reunion and Fundraiser on…
Book Shelf Analysis: Tariq Ali - You Can’t Please All
I sawTariq Ali while watching Democracy Now. Tariq is a British Pakistani intellectual…
Lawsuit Filed Over Ohio Dept of Natural Resource’s Use of Outdated Rules for Dangerous Injection Wells Near Marietta
Buckeye Environmental Network (BEN), represented by Earthjustice, has filed a lawsuit against…
Is the Time Right for Socialist Offensive? Lessons from Mamdani and Gramsci
Abstract
Following Gramsci, the text cautions against romanticizing Mamdani's NYC…
Broken by Design. Part 1.
Surveys. You see them online from the City of Columbus Department of Development and the…
Columbus Free Press honors local community activists
The Columbus Free Press celebrated our 55th anniversary last Saturday, November 8 and…
The Marine Corps Commandant Should be Replaced
Any time a public official makes an on-the-record pronouncement to the press, it represents an…
Press Release TRANSLATION
Editor's note: The election results from November 4th's Columbus City Council District 7…
Doctor songs on Everybody Knows
Dr. Bob and Dan-o Dougan bring us songs about doctors, nurses and medicine, including Dear…
Jesse Vogel Won District 7. Twice.
Thank you to the Franklin County Board of Elections for running a fair election on November 4th…
Lezlie Combs to receive Free Press Libby Award for Community Activism
Versión en español a continuación
Celebrating our 55th year, the …
Are the Tea Leaves Sending an Off-Year Election Message?
There’s no argument about one thing in looking at the results of the off-year elections:…
Solar News This Week - 11/02/25
80 percent fear rising electricity costs
A recent poll by Sunrun, the…
Remy is Just a Symptom
By now you’ve seen the November 4 election results. Some good decisions, but some truly bad…
“Unusual” Voter Guide
In reading the updated Oct 17 VOTER GUIDE from the Columbus Dispatch it’s important to…
Honor Paul Becker at this year's Free Press Annual Libby Awards Event
Versión en español a continuación
Celebrating our 55th year, the …
Book Review - Freedom Season: How 1963 Transformed America’s Civil Rights Revolution
To quote the blues singer Big Maybelle, “There was a whole lotta shakin’ goin’ on” in 1963. It…
Election Bingo card
"I witnessed evil": Anti-LGBTQ+ hate groups support Ohio’s public drag ban
This article first appeared on the…
Don’t Read the Ballot!
This Nov 4, Columbus Mayor Ginther is betting that you won’t read the ballot when voting on the…
Julialynne Walker to be honored at Free Press Awards Event
Versión en español a continuación
Celebrating our 55th year, the …
Trump's Revenge
While most new presidents would like to use their influence to make America a better country for…
Columbus Election Haiku
Vote November fourth?
Gerrymandered Columbus.
Not democratic.
Money rules this…
Letter to Editor: Columbus needs a change
These comments were always intended for private conversations but Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther…
Honor Heer to Serve with us at the Free Press Annual Awards Event
Versión en español a continuación
Celebrating our 55th year, the …
Columbus School Board race puts District’s future on the line
With three open seats on the Board of Education and no incumbents defending them, November 4 isn…
Reel Time with Richard: Painful memories of an eradicated past
My community is getting ready for the annual Columbus Jewish Film Festival, but a local theater…
Share your talent at the Annual Care & Share Timebank Variety Show
Sunday, December 21, 6:15pm, potluck at 6:30pm
First Unitarian Universalist Church, 93 W.…
Ohio Immigrant Alliance: Just Say No! to the Ohio National Guard in Our Communities
Use the last three days of October to …
The proposed Ohio HR 188 funds the current Israeli genocide in Gaza
Ohio lawmakers will vote this Wednesday October 29 on
Ohio House Bill 188 which calls for…
Solar News This Week - October 26, 2025
Renewable Energy thumps fossil fuels over past 12 months
Despite significant policy…
Join us to honor Jawhara Qutiefan at the Free Press Awards Event
Versión en español a continuación
Celebrating our 55th year, the …
Reclaiming Democracy in Columbus—Starting in Clintonville
I recently won an election for a seat on the Clintonville Area Commission on a simple but urgent…
Join the Free Press to honor Bob Krasen
Celebrating our 55th year, the Columbus Free Press will honor five outstanding…
Join the Free Press to honor Bob Krasen
Celebrating our 55th year, the Columbus Free Press will honor five outstanding…
Dismantle the House of Dynamite
This article firrst appeared on…
Find the cost of freedom on Everybody Knows
Dr. Bob Fitrakis and Dan-o Dougan talk about how freedom is in peril and play some songs that…
Turning Back from the Brink of Nuclear War
Early this year, legislators in the U.S. House of Representatives and in the U.S. Senate…
The Donkey in the Room
Yes, I admit that on Oct 21 I drove to the downtown Main Library for a debate with five of the…
White Heritage Center shoves Ohio State further to the right
As much as conservatives have tried to make the rest of America believe they’ve shed their white…
Tell the Commission: Fracking hands off Jockey Hollow Wildlife Area
An unnamed oil and gas company has submitted a “nomination” to the Oil and Gas Land Management…
Letter to the Editor: Expecting Different? Part Two-Vogel vs. Ross
For the first time in recent history, a seat on the Columbus City Council has become an actual…
No Thrones, No Crowns, no Kings
Architects of Ohio’s Death Penalty Call For Repeal
On the 44th anniversary of Ohio’s death penalty law taking effect, twenty-seven members of the…
I dreamed I saw Bruce Bostick last night
Amid this epic battle against fascism and in the wake of Oct. 18, the largest protest in US…
Always an Emergency!
Remember Phase 1 of Zone In when the Columbus Mayor and City Council screamed that…
ReadyNow! Emergency App for ICE encounters
Human Rights First’s Innovation Lab announced the launch of …
Reel Time with Richard Ades: Tortured Iranian prisoners on a quest for justice
This article first appeared on Reel Time with…
Sustainable Heroes: Catching Up with Chuck Lynd
Catch up with Simply Living’s founding member Chuck Lynd — a lifelong advocate for local…
Sawyer Fredericks’ CCR Farmfolk Isn’t Quite Superthug
I hadn’t heard Sawyer Fredericks. I saw Sawyer’s farm strum was scheduled at Rhumba Cafe October…
Athens County initiates divestment from Israel Bonds
Athens County’s new treasurer, Taylor Sappington, has chosen not to reinvest the $300,000 Israel…
Expecting Different?
I love Chinese food, but I have standards. What if there was a Chinese restaurant a mile away…
Project 2025 clashes with both historic KKK Act and modern Ohio initiative: Protecting Ohioans Constitutional Rights
A stark but unsurprising contrast in the philosophy of governance and civil rights enforcement…
Tom Hayes receives a hero's welcome at Columbus airport
Released American hostage Tom Hayes received a hero's welcome at John Glenn International…
Indigenous People's Day
The city of Columbus no longer celebrates "Columbus Day" and has removed all Christopher…
Give Peace a Chance
The situation in Gaza has been horrifying. Provoked by Hamas attack and killing of Israelis at a…
Trek Manifest discusses recording a live hip hop album
Trek Manifest is recording an entire album at Natalie’s with a live band October 11th.…
Protesting immigrant raids in Mt Vernon, Ohio
Armed federal agents violently attacked and assaulted the owner and some workers of Panchos…