Catching Our Eye News Roundup, Oct. 8, 2026

Every morning in the Ohio Capital Journal’s free newsletter, The Eye-Opener, we round up the news and commentary from across Ohio and around the country and world that is catching our attention. We call this feature Catching Our Eye, republished here.

Please subscribe to our free daily newsletter to get all the Ohio news you need to know right to your inbox every weekday morning.

If you already subscribe, please share with your family and friends so they know about the Ohio Capital Journal too: https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/subscribe/

Catching Our Eye

• In closing. The Statehouse News Bureau’s Jo Ingles reports, “Candidates for Ohio governor roll into final weeks of campaign with closing messages.”

Acton said as governor, she’ll push for a tax cut for working families and would help with health care costs by making drugs more affordable, alleviating medical debt. And she said ensuring data centers pay their fair share would making costs lower for everyone, including small businesses…

Republican candidate for governor Vivek Ramaswamy has also been traveling the state, promising to lower costs. One thing he’s touting is how he worked with his running mate, Senate President Rob McColley (R-Napoleon), to bring the legislature back in session last week to pass a 90-day suspension of the state’s fuel tax.

• Refugees. WYSO’s Shay Frank reports, “‘There is no place to go.’ Ukrainian family battles red tape trying to remain in the U.S.”

The family came legally through a two-year renewable admission program called parole, which is granted to immigrants on a case-by-case basis for urgent humanitarian reasons.

They’re among the estimated 240,000 Ukrainians who received parole as of 2025, when the “Uniting for Ukraine” program was paused. Many, like Tetiana’s family, are stuck in legal limbo, waiting to find out if they’ll be able to renew their parole and remain in the U.S.

“Going back to Ukraine isn’t an option for many and for most and going to Europe, a lot of programs have closed and so these people are in limbo. There is no place to go,” Tetiana said.

• Husted embracing Trump. Cleveland.com’s Anna Staver reports, “In tight Ohio Senate race, Husted embraces Trump support, but that comes with risks.”

President Donald Trump keeps coming to Ohio to lend Sen. Jon Husted the one thing he can’t get on his own: Trump’s turnout. “I’m going to ask you to just pretend that I’m running,” Trump told the crowd Saturday at Butler High School near Dayton.

But that support comes with risks. The closer Husted stays to the president, the more he risks absorbing blame for voter frustration over the cost of living, the war in Iran and data centers.

• Mail-in ballot requests. Signal Ohio’s Andrew Tobias reports, “Ohio mail-in ballot requests plummet compared to recent midterm elections.”

The drop comes as President Donald Trump has made unfounded claims that voting by mail is rife with fraud while also trying to exert federal control of the process. In-person early voting meanwhile was up in all 56 counties where data is available.