View From The Pugh

View From The Pugh

By Chris PughComedy
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View From The Pugh episodes

  • Ohio Election Day 2021: "Off" years are still important

    Mary Schuermann Kuhlman

    Ohio News Connection

    The 2021 general election in Ohio may not have the same level of excitement as the 2020 presidential election, but the end results are just as important.


    Ohio voter turnout for 2020 was just 74%. The 2018 mid-term was 55%, and the 2017 general election had just 30% turnout.

    However, Jen Miller - executive director of the League of Women Voters of Ohio - said even in these "off" years, every eligible voter should show up to ensure their voice is heard.

    "This election is important because we're talking about local school boards, local judges," said Miller. "Those elected officials that can really affect our daily lives, how funding will be spent in our communities, what policies are implemented."

    Ballot issues include tax levies to fund fire, police, parks, and road repairs.

    Early voting started four weeks ago and ends today. Tomorrow, Election Day polls are open from 6:30 a.m. until 7:30 p.m.

    A proper ID is required to vote, and Miller said voters can find their polling location and other important election information at vote411.org.

    "A lot of folks are frustrated with our government," said Miller. "They feel as though our government is dysfunctional. The best thing you can do is vote and make sure that you've done your research, especially in those local races."

    There are also two special elections.

    In the 11th Congressional District, voters will replace Marcia Fudge, who left to serve the White House. Democrat Shontel Brown and Republican Laverne Gore are vying for that seat.

    And the 15th Congressional race is between Democrat Allison Russo and Republican Mike Carey. Republican Steve Stivers left to head the Ohio Chamber of Commerce.

    Miller contended that Ohio has a solid elections system with multiple ways to access the ballot and strong security measures to ensure accuracy. But she added there's always room for improvement, including automatic voter registration.

    "When voters go to the DMV and their registration is out of date, that can automatically be updated," said Miller. "That helps every voter because it makes our voter rolls more accurate and more secure. It reduces provisional ballot counts and, overall, makes our system more efficient."

    She argued that other measures to expand voting access would include allowing online absentee requests, and expanding early voting centers and drop boxes per county.

    This story was produced in association with Media in the Public Interest and funded in part by the George Gund Foundation.

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    3 min
  • How Columbus-area schools are dealing with supply-chain issues in lunchrooms

    Columbus Dispatch reporter Megan Henry discusses her story about how supply chain issues have hit Columbus area schools.

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    9 min
  • How Scioto County handled the closure of three of its parishes

    Columbus Dispatch reporter Danae King talks about how three of Scioto County's seven parishes closed last year and how members handled the change.

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    12 min
  • Inside the hard-fought Worthington School Board election

    Megan Henry discusses her recent story about a contentious Worthington School Board Election, donated money and allegations against candidates. In addition, she talks about how critical race theory and mask mandates are shaping many school 

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    14 min
  • Columbus police consider increasing police chaplains from 9 to 100

    Columbus Dispatch reporter Danae King joins Chris to discuss her recent story about if having Columbus police chaplains at crime scenes will improve community relations?

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    12 min
  • Is Will Ferrell just a big tease?

    Chris gets mad at Will Ferrell since he said he had a change to do “Elf 2,” but didn’t do well. Chris thinks he’s just a big tease. Check out what Joe and Paul say.

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    21 min
  • Ohio groups make the case for school-based health care

    Mary Schuermann Kuhlman

    Ohio News Connection

    Children's advocacy groups are making the case that school-based health centers are a worthy investment for Ohio's kids.


    Tracy Najera, executive director of the Children's Defense Fund-Ohio, said being able to get health-care needs met at school gives children and families a "medical home" for primary care and other services. She said a child's physical and mental wellness is foundational for success in academics and life.

    "Especially during this pandemic, children and families have been struggling and truly suffering," she said. "Behavioral-health issues have reached crisis levels - and many children, in general, haven't been receiving their well-child visits."

    Ohio has at least $3 billion in recovery funds from the American Rescue Plan Act not yet allocated, and the Ohio Children's Budget Coalition is asking the governor's office to invest $25 million per year over two years to help school districts around the state expand or establish school-based health programs. Najera said that investment could fund between 15 and 30 projects.

    The convenience of a school-based health center not only helps improve access to care, Najera said, but it also reduces absenteeism.

    "That's one less day of work that the parent misses, and one day less of school that a child is missing," she said. "So, really bringing the services to where the children are makes a whole lot of sense."

    Najera added that the centers are a part of a "whole-child" agenda being promoted by the Ohio Children's Budget Coalition.

    "Children need food, they need housing, they need education, they need health care - they need all these things to really thrive and flourish," she said. "Children don't come in pieces, and neither should our budget and policy decisions."

    A new American Academy of Pediatrics report said the number of school-based health centers has more than doubled in the United States since 1998. There are more than 60 in Ohio schools.

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    3 min
  • Budget reconciliation plan could lower Rx prices for Ohioans

    Mary Schuermann Kuhlman

    Ohio News Connection

    Congress has an opportunity to help lower prescription-drug costs for Ohioans, who, along with other Americans pay roughly three times as much for the same medications as people in other countries.


    The average annual cost of prescription drugs increased 26% between 2015 and 2019, while the average income for Ohioans rose only 14%.

    Mindi Patterson of Dayton says her 48-year-old sister-in-law paid more than $800 a month for insulin to manage her Type 1 diabetes. After losing her job and health insurance in December 2018, she turned to an over-the-counter insulin.

    "She purchased that as a last-ditch effort to make it to the 26th when she got her last paycheck where she would be able to afford her medication," said Patterson. "On Christmas morning, she passed away. She went into diabetic ketoacidosis from rationing her insulin."

    The budget reconciliation package being debated in Congress would allow the federal government to negotiate prescription-drug prices for people on Medicare and private insurance.

    Drug companies argue it would hamper the development of new medications. But polling found that most Americans believe pharmaceutical companies still would make enough money to invest in research even if prices were lower.

    Cincinnati-area state Rep. Brigid Kelly - D-31st - said there is broad support for federal action to address rising prescription-drug prices.

    "More than nine in 10 Americans support giving Medicare the power to negotiate for lower drug prices," said Kelly. "That means it's supported by Democrats, that means it's supported by Independents, that means it's supported by Republicans; that means it's supported by people in urban areas, rural areas, men, women."

    Meanwhile, lowering drug prices continues to be a pressing issue for Patterson, whose two sons and her husbands have Type 1 diabetes. With her husband on permanent disability, she said the family struggles to afford insulin.

    "We have actually dug through trash to pull out previous diabetic supplies we've used to re-use them," said Patterson. "We have asked other people in the community for help getting supplies. When your medication is life or death, you try to figure it out to the best of our ability. "

    About eight in ten U.S. adults recently polled said the cost of prescription drugs is unreasonable.

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    3 min
  • How to make the transition from education to career smoother for young people

    Public News Service

    New research suggests ways to make the transition from education to career pathway smoother for young people, many of whom aren't landing the right job until their 30s; and Republicans block voting rights reforms for a third time.

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    7 min
  • Obama cautions against tribalism

    Public News Service

    Former President Barack Obama cautions against tribalism; House Democrats want immigration relief to be included in reconciliation; and will Trump face a subpoena from the January 6th committee?

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    4 min

About View From The Pugh

From the publisher's feed

Podcast from Chris Pugh, Craig Shoup, Joe Frost and Paul Yanchek with regular guest appearances from Robert McCune, George Thomas and Bob Garver that discusses pop culture and sports.