All Sides with Amy Juravich

President Trump was in Youngstown this week trying to energize Republican voters. Sen. Jon Husted was there to keep his seat and defeat Sherrod Brown. Husted needs Trump’s supporters; he needs Trump to shower him with praise. I am not sure this is what Jon Husted had in mind.

“I don't do this with men very often. I started examining his body because I didn't know he was a great athlete. And I looked, and I watched up and down. I looked at his ass, and I looked at the whole thing," Trump said. "And then I looked at his hands. Look at his hands. He's got these like claws. And I got it. You are a great athlete. I didn't know that because he doesn't talk about that. Congratulations. Now they finally know.”

Believe it or not, that was the most newsworthy thing to come out of that rally. Whether it helps Jon Husted or not, we shall see.

What is hurting Jon Husted is President Trump’s approval rating in Ohio. A recent New York Times/Sienna poll had 60% of Ohioans disapproving of President Trump’s performance. In the Youngstown area, the northeast industrial corner of Ohio that really has helped Trump win Ohio three times, the president’s disapproval rating also stands at 60%.

The reasons why he is unpopular are the war in Iran and rising gas and diesel prices, something the president tried to downplay in Youngstown.

“And then we did a little stopover in Iran, and their whole country is, let's put it this way, they're never going to have a nuclear weapon. And it's going to end very soon, and as soon as it ends, your gasoline comes down," he said. "But remember, your prices, your gas prices are lower than when Biden was president, and he didn't do anything about Iran. The Islamic Republic of Iran didn't do anything.”

The stopover in Iran is now in its eighth month.

That is perhaps why, according to the RealClear Polling average, Sherrod Brown has a 3-point lead, and Amy Acton has a 4-point lead over Vivek Ramaswamy.

The races are still toss-ups in a state that has been very solidly red for 10 years.

To help us get a grasp on where things stand, we welcome a man who studies Ohio politics very closely, University of Cincinnati political science professor David Niven.

Snollygoster of the week

A mystery group has spent a couple hundred thousand dollars promoting socialist candidate for U.S. Senate Greg Levy. As Cleveland.com and The Columbus Dispatch reported, the mystery group is sending out mailers that urge people to join the revolution and send a worker to the Senate.

But Levy did not send the mailers, and he condemned them on social media.

According to Federal Election Commission records, the group Enough Promises Ohio, out of Reynoldsburg, has sent the mailers. The same group reports it has sent out $17,000 in mailers supporting or opposing Sherrod Brown.

The group is using a printing firm linked to conservative candidates and President Trump's PAC.

So either this group and printing firm think socialism is the way to solve America's problems, or they are trying to bolster the socialist candidate to take votes away from Sherrod Brown in what shapes up to be a close race.

It is likely the latter. For that, Enough Promises Ohio, whoever you are, you get our Snollygoster of the Week award.

Now, Democrats have played this game too, with Libertarian candidates in an effort to take votes away from Republicans.

We're less than a month away from the midterm elections.

With Democrats surging in the polls and the possibility of reliably red areas voting blue, could the Democrats take both the House and the Senate?

Some races, like the Ohio governor's race between Republican Vivek Ramaswamy and Democrat Amy Acton, could see historic results and reliably red areas could turn blue for the first time in decades.

We're talking about national politics with Ken Rudin, host of the Political Junkie podcast.

Guest:

• Ken Rudin, political journalist/host of the "Political Junkie" podcast

WOSU is currently in the middle of our fall drive. When you donate, you can receive a gift for your contribution. Available gifts include a WOSU Railroad logo hoodie or a pair of WOSU Railroad logo crew athletic socks.

It’s cookie-baking time! As part of our fall membership drive, Alex Copeland is back by popular demand with more creative cookie advice.

If there's one dessert that comes to mind to represent fall and winter, it's cookies! And for the holidays, decorated cookies are a staple.

From holiday parties to cookie exchanges to making memories with your kids, cookies are front and center for the next couple of months.

On this hour of All Sides, we’re talking all about cookies, baking and the cookie business with Alex Copeland, the cookie artist behind Columbus' Plenty O’Cookies.

Guest:

• Alex Copeland, owner, Plenty O'Cookies

WOSU is currently in the middle of our fall drive. When you donate, you can receive a pair of tickets to attend a holiday cookie decorating workshop at WOSU on Nov. 18 as a thank you gift.

The Palace Theatre in downtown Columbus turns 100 this November.

The Columbus Association for the Performing Arts (CAPA) has lots of events planned to celebrate including a big concert.

The Palace was built in 1926 as a live performance venue that anchored Columbus' grand LaVeque Tower.

It drew large crowds for vaudeville and music shows. The theatre was nearly lost about 50 years ago.

On this hour of All Sides, we will discuss the efforts to save and restore the Palace Theatre, the events planned for the 100-year celebration, and the past, present and future of the arts in central Ohio.

Guest:

• Chad Whittington, president/CEO, CAPA

WOSU is currently in the middle of our fall drive. When you donate, you can receive a pair of tickets to attend "Palace 100: The Genius of Ray Charles" on Nov. 14.

photo: Brad Feinknopf

For most Ohio State fans, Brutus Buckeye is simply the mascot on the sidelines.

But behind that giant Buckeye head are students who are balancing classes, early-morning workouts, practices and hundreds of appearances.

For an entire year, Columbus Dispatch journalists Sheridan Hendrix and Adam Cairns followed the Brutus team behind the scenes, from tryouts and mascot camp to football games, community events and a run at a national championship.

Their reporting became the new book Being Brutus, which explores the history, work and people behind one of Ohio State’s most recognizable traditions.

Guests:

• Sheridan Hendrix, higher education reporter, The Columbus Dispatch
• Adam Cairns, photojournalist, The Columbus Dispatch

WOSU is currently in the middle of our fall drive. When you donate, you can receive a copy of Being Brutus.

photo: Sue Ogrocki / AP

Paula Poundstone is no stranger to NPR listeners, especially fans of the weekly quiz show, “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me.” She's been a regular on the hit NPR show for years.

Poundstone is also a comedian, author, podcaster, former presidential correspondent for late night television and so much more.

She joins All Sides this hour to talk about her comedy tour and her upcoming visit to Columbus.

Guest:

• Paula Poundstone, comedian/podcast host/panelist on "NPR's Wait Wait Don't Tell Me"

WOSU is currently in the middle of our fall drive. When you donate, you can receive a pair of tickets to see Paula Poundstone live on Oct. 30 at the Lincoln Theatre.

Photo: Chris Pizzello / Invision-AP

Who doesn’t love a good ghost story?

The kind of tale that sends shivers down your spine. Why do we love ghost stories? They connect us to the past, spark our imaginations, and remind us that the supernatural is always just a shadow away.

If you love spooky stories, you’re going to love this hour of All Sides. We’re talking about all things haunted in central Ohio.

WOSU is currently in the middle of our fall drive. When you donate, you can receive a pair of tickets to the OSU Hallowed Halls of Horror Walking Tour on Nov. 2.

Guest:

• Bucky Cutright, founder/co-owner, Columbus Ghost Tours

For more than a decade, WOSU’s magazine program "Broad & High" has introduced viewers to artists and musicians in the Columbus and central Ohio region.

The program has gone behind the scenes and explored the creative process of visual and performing arts.

This coming season will mark 14 years on the air.

Over the next hour, we’ll meet the creative team behind and in front of the camera for a preview of the upcoming season.

We’ll also meet some of the local artists who will be profiled in the coming weeks on "Broad & High."

Join us for a preview of the season premiere on this hour of All Sides.

Guests:

• Kate Quickel, host, Broad & High
• Carrie Beyer, producer, Broad & High
• Fred Fochtman, painter/art restorer
• Renee Dion, musician/educator

The Levy for Developmental Disabilities in Delaware County has regularly appeared on the election ballot for years.

However, last May was the first time the ballot failed to pass by a narrow margin.

But the levy will be back on November’s ballot. This time it must pass for the DCBDD to continue providing services and programs for developmentally disabled individuals.

Along with Delaware County, 11 other Ohio counties are facing the same predicament.

Coming up on this hour of All Sides, we’re discussing the impact the failure of this levy could have on families and what's needed to keep these programs operational.

Guests:

• Adam Herman, CEO, Ohio Association of County Boards
• Patricia Hollingsworth & Howard Heffelfinger, co-chairs, Focus on Abilities
• Kristine Hodge, superintendent, Delaware County Board of Developmental Disabilities
• Chase Waits, director of communications and community engagement, Delaware County Board of Developmental Disabilities

What skills will matter most in a workplace are increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence?

A new Battelle study finds employers are putting more value on critical thinking, communication and adaptability.

How do you stay vigilant against scammers now that they have ever-more sophisticated ways of getting your money?

Scammers are using AI deep-fakes and cryptocurrency to trick people. We will learn how to protect ourselves.

Welcome to "Opt Out" October, a time to retake control of your data and devices.

It's all coming up on this week's Tech Tuesday.

Guests:

• Lou Von Thaer, president/CEO, Battelle
• Kenyetta Bagby, manager, Office of Consumer Affairs, Ohio Department of Commerce
• Russell Holly, director of commerce content, CNET