Catching Our Eye News Roundup, Sept. 28, 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.

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Catching Our Eye

• Billionaires, Epstein, and Ohio’s U.S. Senate race. The Associated Press’ Julie Carr Smyth reports, “Billionaire’s political contributions make the Epstein files a focus of Ohio’s US Senate race.”

Billionaire Les Wexner has long been a magnet for political campaigns seeking contributions — especially in his native Ohio, where the retail tycoon directed a generous portion of his giving to candidates from both parties. Then came the Epstein files.

Jeffrey Epstein, the late convicted sex offender, was Wexner’s former financial adviser. That relationship and Wexner’s history of political donations has figured prominently in Ohio’s U.S. Senate race, which could end up as the most expensive in the country this year…

Epstein’s Ohio connections are expected to surface anew early next month, when a traveling display showcasing the Justice Department files comes to the state.

• Data centers. The Toledo Blade’s Danny Eldredge reports, “Acton, activists urge vote on data centers alongside Ohio gas tax holiday.”

Dr. Amy Acton and Conserve Ohio are encouraging the Ohio General Assembly to pass a data center moratorium when lawmakers return to Columbus next week.

• Eyes on Springfield. The Dayton Daily News’ Cornelius Frolik reports, “‘The world is watching Springfield’: Faith leaders demand ICE changes.”

Faith leaders (last) week stepped up their calls on U.S. lawmakers who represent Ohio to take action to try to release Haitian ICE detainees and end immigration enforcement activities in Springfield.

Pastors from churches in Springfield and other communities held a press conference outside of U.S. Rep. Mike Turner’s Dayton office on Tuesday, Sept. 8, where they demanded that the Republican congressman and other Ohio elected officials restore Temporary Protected Status for Haiti and provide Haitian nationals who reside here realistic ways to obtain permanent protected status or U.S. citizenship.