Although it sounds like a facility where mutant superheroes might train, X-Lab actually is Xavier University's economic development program. Operated by the Williams College of Business, the lab is holding a unique competition: 35 entrepreneurs submitting ideas in a bid to win consulting services from X-Lab to help start or expand their business.  

Two people that most readers have never heard of before were the deciding factor last week about who became the latest member of Cincinnati City Council, in a process that's left a bad taste in the mouth of many voters. The pair in question was Miles Lindahl and Dawn Jackson — Councilwoman Laketa Cole's chief of staff and council aide, respectively — and when Wendell Young agreed to keep them on, Cole selected him as her replacement.  

With Cincinnati facing a potential $51 million deficit in 2010 due to stagnant tax revenues and a City Council narrowly divided by one vote on most major issues, the outcome of this fall's election could have a huge impact on the city's future. Of the current nine members of City Council, only one isn't seeking reelection because of term limits. If history is any indication, the incumbents are all likely to succeed, yet this might be the year when some challengers crack through and displace a few.  

Scaring voters shitless is a classic political tradition. Whether it's convincing us to fear crime, poor people, public transportation, African Americans, foreigners, gays, nuclear power or the flu, politicians often win elections by playing to the darkest human instincts. "Vote for me or die" is the underlying message of these sorts of campaigns. Instead, if you value hope over fear and progress over the status quo, you'll join us in rejecting political candidates and organizations that prey on our fears. Plan to vote the CityBeat ticket.