heading into its second day of hearings on same-sex marriage
today. Yesterday, the Supreme Court held hearings for Proposition 8, a ballot initiative in California that overturned the legalization of gay marriage. Today, the court will hold hearings on the Defense of Marriage Act, the law that banned same-sex marriage at a federal level.
The Washington Post posted more in-depth information about the legal arguments
here
.
Cincinnati’s seasonally unadjusted unemployment rate
fell sharply
in February, from 8.6 percent in January to 7.5 percent. Unemployment in Hamilton County also fell from from 7.9 percent in January to 7.1 percent in February, and Greater Cincinnati’s rate fell from 8 percent to 7.4 percent. The dropping unemployment rates were matched with more people employed and less people unemployed.
Ohio’s budget director says he thinks the state’s across-the-board income tax cuts
will remain
in the 2014-2015 budget, even as lawmakers take out other proposals put forward by Gov. John Kasich. The plan originally suggested by Kasich was widely criticized for disproportionately benefiting the wealthy, which
CityBeat covered in further detail
here
.
Cincinnati is moving toward semi-automated trash collection, which the city has outlined in full detail
here
. This spring and summer, approximately 90,000 households will receive a 65-gallon trash cart that will be assigned to each address. As part of the broader policy, the lids on the trash carts will have to be fully closed to be collected, and residents will have to call the city to request a pickup for bulky items. The city says semi-automation will save money, improve worker safety, free employees for other services, increase recycling and help keep neighborhoods cleaner and pests out.
In response to USquare development workers not being paid prevailing wage, council members Laure Quinlivan, Cecil Thomas and Wendell Young are planning to pass a legislation that will require any construction project using at least 30 percent in city funds to pay all its workers prevailing wage. “These men were being pressured to sign documents stating they were paid prevailing wage when it was closer to minimum wage,” Quinlivan said in a statement. “These workers lost their jobs when they blew the whistle, and on their behalf, we intend to end worker exploitation on projects with significant city investment.”
UC Health, the University of Cincinnati’s medical wing, says it wants to
run ambulances in northern Kentucky
. It recently submitted applications for permission through Kentucky’s Cabinet for Health and Family Services, which requires providers prove the need for some facilities and services before they can be opened.
open a downtown clinic
on April 1.
dismissed charges
against Punxsutawney Phil, the famous Pennsylvania groundhog who predicted an early spring.
is a shark with two heads.
This article appears in Mar 27 – Apr 2, 2013.