Catching Our Eye News Roundup, March 31, 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

Placing blame. The Toledo Blade Editorial Board writes, “Who should we blame?”

Apoorva Ramaswamy has shocking news in the opening commercial for her husband Vivek’s campaign for governor: “Ohio families are working hard but falling behind.” …

The ad, though, sends a weird message. Republicans have been in 100 percent control of state government since 2011, when Republican John Kasich replaced one-term Democrat Ted Strickland as governor, and then prior to Mr. Strickland for years before that. If Ohioans are falling behind, how is that not laid at the GOP doorstep?

Given Republican dominance of state politics since 1991 we’d like to hear much more from Mr. Ramaswamy on who to blame for Ohioans “falling behind” as well as his wife’s concerns about safety and great schools.

One would think that after 15 years of leadership, the party in power wouldn’t be saying people are “falling behind.”

More health care cuts? Axios reports, “GOP weighs health care cuts to pay for Iran war.”

Republicans are considering reductions in federal health spending to help pay for a budget bill containing as much as $200 billion to fund the Iran war and immigration enforcement.

Candidate arrest. WCMH’s Isabel Cleary and Orri Benatar report, “Congressional candidate describes arrest at Grove City protest.”

A congressional candidate who was arrested Saturday during a “No Kings” protest in Grove City spoke to NBC4 less than 24 hours after the incident. Democrat candidate Don Leonard sat down with NBC4’s Isabel Cleary to discuss his arrest, which went viral over social media.

In videos obtained by NBC4, Leonard is seen standing on the bed of a truck while speaking to protesters with a bullhorn. A pair of Grove City police officers arrive and ask to speak with him. Leonard complies and walks about 30 feet away with them, and one of the officers can be seen taking the bullhorn.

Ballot attempt. WCPO’s Ally Kraemer reports, “Proposed ballot measure could ban large-scale data centers across Ohio.”

The decision to ban large-scale data centers in Ohio could soon be up to voters after Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost verified a request for a ballot measure.

Ohio Residents for Responsible Development filed the request to get the ban on the ballot. The amendment would ban data centers using more than 25 megawatts a month.

…Huh? The Guardian reports, “JD Vance says aliens are ‘demons’ and details obsession with UFOs.”

JD Vance, the vice-president of the United States, said this weekend that he considers aliens to be “demons”…

“I don’t think they’re aliens, I think they’re demons anyway, but that’s a longer discussion,” he said.