Morning News and Stuff

People are feeling better about downtown and Over-the-Rhine, according to a new survey. Out of respondents who said they visited downtown, about 83 percent said their opinion of Over-the-Rhine was more favorable now than it was in the last year. Bars and parks topped activities, while dining and events on Fountain Square topped attractions.

The E.W. Scripps Company posted its

best TV revenues ever

thanks to the presidential election. The company’s consolidated revenues rose 31 percent to $220 million. The company recently netted a

$750,000 tax break

from Cincinnati City Council to hire for 125 new local jobs and retain 184 current employees.

The University of Cincinnati’s Women's Health Center will

open a branch in West Chester in spring 2013

. The new offices will have 47 exam rooms, large and small conference rooms, a retail store and a café.

Ohio Republicans are

renewing their anti-abortion agenda

. Much to the dismay of pro-choice groups, Gov. John Kasich appointed two people from Ohio Right to Life to important positions, and the Ohio Senate is now looking into a new version of the heartbeat bill. Starting with a hearing Wednesday, Ohio Republicans will also move to

defund Planned Parenthood

.

In his post-election presser, Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted suggested

basing Ohio’s electoral vote on congressional districts

. Due to how Republicans redrew district boundaries, that would have given Mitt Romney most of Ohio’s electoral votes even though Romney lost the popular vote. Districts were redrawn by the Republican-controlled process to give Republicans an advantage in congressional races. The First Congressional District, which includes Cincinnati, was redrawn to include Republican-leaning Warren County, which shifted the district in favor of Republicans and diluted Cincinnati’s Democratic-leaning urbanites. The proposal seems like another attempt at voter suppression from a secretary of state that has been heavily criticized for

how he and his party handled the run-up to the election

.

Redistricting also helped Ohio Republicans

take Congress

.

Last-minute negotiations may push

Ohio’s puppy mills bill

to the finish line. The state currently has a reputation as one of the worst for abusive puppy mills, and the bill would try to place some additional regulations on the mills. CityBeat previously covered

the puppy mill and dog auction problem in Ohio

.

A new study found Ohio may be

one of the worst states to retire in

. The state did poorly in terms of property crime and life expectancy of seniors, but it was found to have good economic conditions, a relatively low tax burden and lower-than-average cost of living.

Ohioans’ food stamp benefits

will drop by $50 a month next year

. The change is coming due to a shift in how the federal government calculates utility expenditures for food stamp recipients.

Ohio’s Third Grade Guarantee, which requires holding back third-graders who do not meet state reading standards, now has some research supporting it. A

new study

found girls who struggle to read early on are more likely to become teen mothers. However, other research shows holding kids back hurts more than helps. After reviewing decades of research, the National Association of School Psychologists found grade retention has

“deleterious long-term effects,”

both academically and socially.

In response to President Barack Obama’s re-election, the infamous boss of Ohio-based Murray Energy fired more than 150 workers around the country. One of those workers decided to

leak a letter

from the boss. The letter blames the firings on Obama’s supposed “war on coal,” but i

t’s likely the coal industry would be facing trouble even if Obama wasn’t in office

.

Climate change just got a lot worse. It might make

some coffee beans go extinct

.

Two gay penguins

became dads

at the Odense Zoo in Denmark.

Ever wanted a microscopic glimpse at a Pop Tart? Well, you're getting it anyway.