On Thursday's Cincinnati Edition we have a full hour of national politics along with your phone calls at 513-419-7100 and emails at [email protected] .

The Brood X cicadas are just about finishing their visit - 17 years in the making - in which they emerge from the ground to mate and fly around us. Their short above-ground lifespans have just about ended, and now their children look forward to 2038.

This year, Cincinnati observed the 20th anniversary of the police killing of Timothy Thomas, which eventually led to a series of reforms collectively called the Collaborative Agreement. Despite acclaim for those reforms, debate continues about elements of the Collaborative, including a police accountability board called the Citizen Complaint Authority.

Some childcare advocates are calling on lawmakers to change a budget proposal that would impact Ohio early learning centers. The Senate budget proposal would make changes to Ohio's Step Up To Quality program, which rates participating childcare facilities with one to five stars. Senate President Matt Huffman says the requirements to get those stars are too burdensome and many providers choose not to participate.

Now that more of us are gathering together indoors as pandemic restrictions ease, there are still precautions you can take to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Ahmad Sedaghat, MD, PhD, director of the UC Division of Rhinology, Allergy and Anterior Skull Base Surgery says a HEPA purifier able to significantly reduce airborne COVID-19 particles in the air.

Iran is often discussed in American media for its adversarial role on the global stage, but less frequently are we exposed to stories from individual Iranians and their daily lives, hopes and dreams.

On Cincinnati Edition 's weekly news review:

UFO investigators are moving their headquarters to Cincinnati. The Mutual UFO Network (MUFON), which describes itself as the world's oldest and largest civilian UFO investigation and research organization, has nearly 600 investigators across the nation and the globe. The move from Irvine, California, to Cincinnati comes at an exciting time for those looking to the skies.

Though Kings Island's history spans nearly 50 years, the Mason, Ohio, amusement park has never been the subject of a comprehensive telling of its story.

In addition to a disproportionate and deadlier impact on seniors, the COVID-19 pandemic has also had another devastating impact - more deaths from Alzheimer's and dementia. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were at least 42,000 more deaths from Alzheimer’s and other dementias in 2020 compared with the average of the five years prior.