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A new poll from Public Policy Polling (D) shows that while former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is sewing up the Republican nomination, the process is dragging him down in key swing states — PPP numbers from Ohio show that a 56 percent majority of general election voters now view Romney unfavorably, which leads to a seven point deficit in a matchup with President Obama. Obama leads Romney 49 - 42 in the new Ohio poll, a state where the political ground has shifted greatly over the last few months. After the massive defeat of SB 5, the anti-union legislation pushed...

Former Sen. Rick Santorum and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich lead the way in states with upcoming primaries, according to The State Column. In Ohio, Gingrich leads with 26 percent, followed by former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney with 25 percent. Santorum is not far behind, with 22 percent, while Texas Rep. Ron Paul has 11 percent. Ohio’s primary election will be held on Super Tuesday, March 6. Gingrich’s name is not on the ballot in Missouri, where Santorum leads with 45 percent, followed by Romney with 34 percent...

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Mitt Romney might want to relish his likely victory in Florida because he has trouble ahead of him in Missouri and Ohio. According to a new Public Policy Polling poll, Romney is trailing Newt Gingrich 30-24 among likely Missouri caucus voters. Sandwiched in between Romney and Gingrich is Rick Santorum who polled at 28 percent in Missouri’s caucus. Missouri is voting in both a caucus and primary this year. The primary election won’t select the candidate the state is giving delegate to because Missouri was going to be penalized for moving its state election up this year....

Willie Nelson sold out a 1,400 seat theater in Lorain, Ohio, on Sunday (Jan. 29) in support of Congressman Dennis Kucinich (D - OH). As a result of redistricting, Kucinich has been forced into a primary battle with fellow Democrat Mary Kaptur, whose campaign funding was recently reported as almost seven times that of Kucinich. "Dennis and I go a long way back," Willie said before the show (quote via the Chronicle-Telegram). "Anything I've been interested in seeing done, he said, 'What can I do to help?'" The pair first met in 2002, after the Congressman's Prayer for America speech,...

HAMILTON, Ohio -- A teenager described how she was raped six years ago by a man who fled to Mexico after he was charged with sexually assaulting the girl. The victim, now 15 years old, told jurors Monday that she'd been riding her bike on Father's Day, 2005, when Alfredo Cruz waved her over. The teen said she rode over to Cruz, now 31, and he picked up the purple bicycle with her on in it and took her into his house. She said Cruz put her bicycle in a closet and ordered her to take off her clothes. "He...

Lawyers for four suspects involved in an alleged stolen clothing case claim their clients are victims of racial profiling. "Anybody in the business would know this is a profiling case," said Atty. Gary Rich. "I believe without a doubt. Illegal aliens, or drugs in the car, no drugs found and my clients legal." Rich's client, Jesus Fabian, was the only one of the four to be released on bond. The other three remain jailed on an Immigration and Naturalization Services hold. Last week, the Ohio State Highway Patrol stopped the vehicle and seized nearly $78,000 worth of stolen clothes, including...

State Reps. Ron Maag (R-Lebanon) and Andy Thompson (R-Marietta) have introduced two bills that seek to reform, or "de-Taft," portions of Ohio's concealed carry law. House Bill 422 seeks to repeal requirements that a concealed carry licensee inform an approaching law enforcement officer that the licensee is a licensee and is carrying a concealed handgun. According to rep. Maag, Ohio is one of only four states that have such a requirement. The idea for repealing the notification provision has been the subject of frequent discussion since last June, when Canton police officer Daniel Harless was caught on dash cam video...

So they are holding a news conference about the Cincinnati Casino Construction collapse when a Ride Go Bus drives into the news conference and side swipes a news van. The driver, female minority, parks the bus, gets out and begins yelling at the folks holding a news conference. She basically says it's there fault she hit a PARKED vehicle and that she is just trying to do her job. You can't make this stuff up!

CINCINNATI - Police say several people may have been hurt in a construction accident at the site of the Horseshoe Casino Friday morning. Emergency crews are responding to an accident that happened around 8 a.m. Officials have shut down the intersection of East Gilbert Avenue and Court Street to traffic. 9 News crews at the scene say there are reports of a deck collapse, which caused the injuries. 9 News crews say more than 10 people are seeking medical attention for injuries they sustained in the accident

DAYTON — A woman is dead following the attempted burglary of a residence on Burbank Drive, according to police. The woman was fatally shot by the resident of 1932 Burbank Dr., after she broke in to the residence Saturday afternoon and was confronted by a resident of the home. The resident told the unarmed woman to stay put after he discovered her intruding, but the woman threw an object at him. He then shot the woman in the chest using a semiautomatic handgun, according to Dayton Police. When asked if the resident was justified in firing his weapon, Lt. Kenneth...

As rancorous and partisan as Congress was in 2011, Capitol Hill looks to be even more politically charged this year, as House Republican leaders plan a sustained attack on the Obama administration’s domestic agenda. House Speaker John A. Boehner said Friday he has asked all House committee chairmen to review President Obama’s economic and jobs policies to find ways to counterbalance “the devastating impact these policies have on our economy.”

This summer a man was arrested, threatened with execution while handcuffed in the back of a cruiser, and then forced to deal with the real life tragedy of having to go through a criminal trial for something he shouldn't have been charged with in the first place. William Bartlett spent the next four months of his life having a prosecutor dangle sweetheart deals in front of him that always came with a catch: Plea to this and we'll drop the more serious charges. Sign a waiver that releases the city from any culpability or legal liability and we'll make this...

Indians pitcher Fausto Carmona has been arrested in his native Dominican Republic, according to multiple reports. Carmona is accused of using a false identity. According to ESPNDeportes.com, Carmona’s real name is Roberto Hernandez Heredia. He was arrested Thursday after leaving the U.S. Consulate in the Dominican Republic, where he went to get a visa in order to attend spring training in Arizona next month. “We were recently made aware of the situation that occurred today in the Dominican Republic and are currently in the process of gathering information,” Indians general manager Chris Antonetti said in a statement released by the...

Shots will fly as five members of UT's College Republicans attend a concealed weapons course this weekend. This day-long seminar will begin with a lecture explaining how to legally conceal and carry a firearm. The students will then demonstrate their shooting abilities with live ammunition at a shooting range. If their aim is accurate, participants who are 21 years old and up will be licensed to carry a concealed firearm in Ohio. This is the second time the College Republicans will have the opportunity to learn about carrying a concealed firearm. Scott Mazzola, Doug Dettert, Drew Ashcraft, Patrick Richardson and...

Republicans in the House of Representatives said on Wednesday they plan to introduce a bill to advance TransCanada's Keystone XL oil pipeline to try to override President Barack Obama's rejection of the $7 billion project. House Speaker John Boehner told reporters "all options are on the table" to craft a bill to fight for the pipeline, which Republicans say would create thousands of jobs and bolster the economic recovery. "There are legislative vehicles that will be moving in the weeks and months ahead," Boehner said. House Republicans have not yet decided what kind of legislation they will push, said Lee...

A Quinnipiac University survey of Ohio released on Wednesday shows Mitt Romney holding a comfortable edge over his Republican primary rivals in the key battleground state, leading with 27 percent of the vote. Former Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich are locked in a battle for second place, at 18 percent and 17 percent, respectively, while Rep. Ron Paul of Texas trails at just 10 percent. Texas Gov. Rick Perry sits in last place, at 4 percent.  Romney’s advantageous numbers in the Buckeye State -- whose primary will be held on Super Tuesday in early March --...

As of Tuesday, programs like elementary music, art and physical education are gone and libraries are closed. School days are shortened to just 5 1/2 hours -- leaving kids less time for instruction, and working parents scrambling. "What are kids gonna do with that big window of time when their parents are still working and all that idle time that they still have, to do God knows what?" parent Jeff Bodziony said. Hot school lunches are also thing of the past. In fact, lunch is a thing of the past. Students used to have lunch in the noon hour. Instead...

Link only per FR copyright rules: http://cincinnati.com/blogs/politics/2012/01/16/portman-will-endorse-romney-probably-pretty-soon/

President Barack Obama stood in the gymnasium of upscale Shaker Heights High School in suburban Cleveland on Jan. 4, in front of high school students and supporters. “Hello, Ohio!” he declared. “Ah, it is good to be back in Ohio … good to be back in Shaker Heights, home of the Red Raiders.” “Mr. President, I love you!” an audience member shouted. “I love you back,” he said, to the delight of the crowd. “And I'm glad to be back. I'm glad to be here.” Obama has traveled to Ohio 17 times since becoming president. His vice-president, Joe Biden, has...

MAYFIELD, Ky. - A group of Amish men were sent to jail in western Kentucky Thursday for refusing to pay fines for breaking a state highway law that requires their horse-drawn buggies to be marked with orange reflective triangles. The men have a religious objection to the bright orange signs, which they say are flashy and conflict with their pledge to live low-key and religious lives. ... "I totally understand your objection," the judge told Byler. "But you're in violation, and it's not up to me to change the law. It doesn't really matter what I think about any of...