News In Focus with Chris Long

The excessive government spending from 2020 – 2024 through the Biden era and the COVID response has caused the U.S. dollar to lose 20% of its value from 2020 – 2025.  The COVID era government payments to businesses and individuals, over 4 trillion dollars in government spending, caused the federal deficit to skyrocket, at the same time devaluing the dollar in your pocket in a dramatic fashion. Everything was costing more while your dollar was valued less. Do the math.  $5,000 in 2020 would take $6,450.98 today, reflecting a cumulative price increase of 29.02 percent and an average annual inflation rate of 4.34 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

When younger Americans are complaining that they can’t buy an affordable car or save for a downpayment for a home, they are stating reality. These are working young adults in their 20’s and 30’s, and for them the American Dream is slipping away. One young conservative pointed out to me who had a lapel pin with the active debt clock on it that read 39 trillion dollars, that it was 34 trillion when President Trump took his oath of office on January 20, 2025. He said, “This is a bipartisan problem.” He is right. These are complex problems and we didn’t get here overnight. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent addressed the 40 trillion dollar federal debt and discussed the Administration's plans to reduce the federal deficit with tarriffs, economic growth, and going after waste, fraud, and abuse.  Tune in to learn more!

Candidate Spotlight with Gubernatorial Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy

Gubernatorial Republican Candidate Vivek Ramaswamy’s Statement on Data Centers

Today I am announcing my policy pledge to Ohioans on data centers. If a data center is built in your community, then (i) you will no longer have to pay for your home’s electricity, (ii) you will pay lower property taxes, and (iii) the data center will be required to abide by all air and water quality standards without exception, and we will take the necessary steps to protect Ohio’s fertile farmland. If any one of these three conditions is not met, the data center won’t be built. Period. I will work with Ohio’s state legislature to codify these commitments into law immediately after I assume office.   To ensure urgency, I will further issue an executive order on my first day in office to immediately halt the approval of any new data center project announcements in Ohio, until the above-mentioned data center legislation takes effect. These policy objectives are consistent with the principles I have articulated over the first 18 months of my campaign, and today I am making a legislative commitment to codify them into state law. 

 Vivek also spoke of the threat that the Democratic Socialists present to our Constitutional form of government. Tune in and tell a friend.  

The Data Center Debate - The need for more transparency and local control

Kim Georgeton, digital commerce and salesforce consulting expert, has researched the data center mania - why they are here in Ohio in the Midwest and why they are popping all over the state. Kim has been researching the concerns of residents of local communities concerning water usage, power grid usage, and why there seems to be a disregard for local citizens when it comes to the placement and construction of the new data centers. Kim wrote a letter to the EPA with the concerns from local residents, urged others to do the same, and as a result, the Ohio EPA has made an announcement that they will not be granting a blanket permit to all data centers to discharge waste coolant water from their facilities, but that each data center will be reviewed on a case by case basis. 

Tune in to learn more about this important issue. 

Improving Education by Banning Cell Phone Use During School Hours- Discussion with Jane Timken

S.B. 158, legislation introduced by State Senator Timken was signed into law this past year. The new school year will see the implementation of a ban on cell phone use during school hours. The bill allows for use for emergencies and health issues, but bans the every day use of the cell phone in the classroom. Senator Timken explains how this will improve student attention in the classroom and improve educational scores, as students will be focused more on the academics without the distractions of social media during the school day. One district in Texas that banned cell phone use last year reported that students checked out over 200,000 books district-wide at local libraries. Students returned to reading books. There was also improvement in interpersonal discussion with their peers and family members as a result of the restricted use of cell phones. Tune in and tell a friend. 

Reading Tutoring with Students - LifeRead Volunteers Get the Job Done

On this program, we discuss the LifeRead Volunteer Reading Tutoring Initiative - What the program has accomplished since its launch in August of 2024, the emphasis on reading tutoring with phonics, and tackling Ohio's literacy challenge one student at a time. If you would like to be a LifeRead volunteer reading tutor, you can sign up at www.liferead.org LifeRead volunteers have been invited back to the schools to continue our important work with the students this school year. If your school would like to have LifeRead Volunteer Reading Tutors, please contact us at www.liferead.org 

If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be. - Thomas Jefferson

Candidate Spotlight with Shawn Stevens- House District 61

Shawn Stevens is a resident of Delaware County. He is a member of Genoa Baptist Church. He attended Miami University in Ohio where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics, and later earned an MBA from Ohio State University. Shawn spent ten years on the Delaware County Board of Elections and is a past president of the Ohio Association of Election Officials. 

Today on the program, we discussed the problem of Medicaid and government fraud. We discussed data centers, the national debt, and affordability issues. To learn more about Shawn's campaign, visit www.stevensforohio.com 

Tune in and tell a friend. 

Jennifer Jackson, co-host of Doyle and Jen Live! on Salem Columbus, has written a new book, "An American Heart," a timely reminder of who we are, where we have come from, and what binds us together. It is a call to tuck the love of God, family, and the country deep into our American hearts, serving as a firm place to stand in a season of upheaval and uncertainty. About the author - Jennifer Jackson is an author, speaker, and co-host of Doyle and Jen Live! With over 25 years of ministry experience, she serves as an outreach pastor alongside her husband, Doyle, at The Church Next Door in Columbus, Ohio. Jennifer is founder of Simply for Women, a ministry dedicated to helping women flourish through prayer and Biblical truth. You can purchase the book on Amazon or at Jenniferjackson.com. 

Celebrating America's 250th with the Reading of the Declaration of Independence

The Statehouse was truly converted into the one-room schoolhouse on March 20th with a civics education for all in celebrating our nation's 250th birthday. The Statehouse Reading of the Declaration of Independence with Students and Officeholders was a huge success! One hundred-twenty students and faculty from twelve different schools participated, with 200 attendees in total. It was grades 3-12, like the one-room schoolhouse. After the reading, during the lunch sponsored by LifeRead Volunteer Reading Tutoring, students heard verbal essays from office holders on “What America Means to Me.” After the lunch program, students were taken on a special tour of the Ohio Statehouse, including a special sitting in the Ohio House chamber, led by Reps. Jack Daniels, Sarah Fowler Arthur, Gary Click, Bill Roemer, and Melanie Miller. The kids had a great time at the People’s House and learned about our nation’s founding documents. ......

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the
political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the
earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle
them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes
which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by
their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of
Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their
just powers from the consent of the governed, ....

To learn more about LifeRead, visit www.LifeRead.org

 

Suspend the Gas Tax in Ohio that will help beat back inflation for all Ohioans

This has broad bipartisan support. It is our money that has been collected by the state. Give it back to the hardworking men and women of this state. There are so many benefits to this.

#1 It puts real money immediately in people's pockets. 

#2 It will stimulate the entire Ohio economy. 

#3 It is a great way to celebrate our 250th birthday as a nation. 

#4 It will drive commerce into Ohio, as people will travel to Ohio to get the cheap gas. And while they are here, they will spend money in restaurants, parks, and entertainment.

Here to discuss the call to suspend the Ohio gas tax is Tom Zawistowski, President of We the People Convention. Tom is leading the charge on suspension of Ohio's gas tax to help give Ohioans relief. We are proud to partner with We the People Convention on this noble effort to help our fellow Ohioans. 

The Ohio Christian Alliance is calling on the Ohio General Assembly to pass this immediately in a special summer session. It will be voted on by over 60 votes and won't need the Governor's signature. Call your representative today and urge them to suspend the entire 38.5 cent gas tax until the $1.2 billion is given back to the Ohio taxpayer through the gas pump. 

The Ohio House and Senate Should Pass the Suspension of the Ohio Fuel Tax by Veto Proof Majorities so that DeWine CANNOT Veto the Bill! EVERY DEMOCRAT & EVERY REPUBLICAN LEGISLATOR SHOULD VOTE FOR THIS! Contact House Speaker Huffman and Senate President McColley and tell them to bring this bill to the floor for a vote before the 4th of July holiday.  CLICK HERE TO CONTACT HUFFMAN CLICK HERE TO CONTACT McCOLLEY CALL YOUR HOUSE AND SENATE REPS TODAY!!! CLICK HERE TO CONTACT YOUR HOUSE MEMBER CLICK HERE TO CONTACT YOUR SENATOR

Congressman Max Miller Discusses the Affordability Issue and How Congress is Addressing the Problem

Young MAGA is asking questions. President Trump campaigned on the affordability for those under the age of 40 to be able to buy a car, buy a home, higher wages, bringing American jobs back - the America First agenda. 

Congressman Max Miller of Ohio's 7th Congressional District is aware of these concerns and is addressing them with his work in Congress. The current typical age of a first-time homebuyer is 39 years of age. That is to have a 20% down payment, good work history, with high wage income. The American Dream is slipping away for those 40 and younger, and they know it. 

The Biden era runaway spending and skyrocketing inflation is still with us, and President Trump is trying multiple approaches to slay that dragon. 

To assess the cost of inflation in real terms, $40,000 in 2020 had lost 18% of its value in three years by 2023. In other words, what would cost $40,000 in 2020 would now cost you $47,092 in 2023 That is a decrease of 18% value of your money. From 2018 to 2023, there was a 21% devalue. What was $40,000 in 2018 would have to be $48,514 in 2023. President Trump is right in that inflation has slowed or leveled off, but the real problem is that wages have not increased, and for many that were receiving government subsidies through the COVID years, both employers and employees and everybody in between, that funding ended a year and a half ago. It is now a dollar-for-dollar proposition with the dollar in your pocket being far less in value than it was before the outrageous inflationary spending over the last five years. It's a race against time to turn around the economy. The concern is that if this is not turned around in time, the younger generation that cannot buy a car or a home, and are barely getting by, will choose socialism and vote for it at the polls.  It will take time to turn around the U.S. economy, one that is not funded by government subsidy, but rather by the ingenuity and workforce of the American people.

But, key policy decisions on the federal level will have profound bearing on how this all shakes out. As one young patriot recently told me, the national debt is now $39 trillion and counting. It was $34 trillion when President Trump was sworn into office for his second term. This is a bipartisan problem. Congressman Miller is aware of the problem and is working to tackle the issue. Tune in to News in Focus and tell a friend. Take time to listen to the 20-minute interview.