Kabir Bhatia

When it comes to recycling plastic, most people check for a number on the bottom of every container. But what does that number actually mean, and why are some plastics not recyclable? This installment of our series, Reduce, Reuse, Refocus traces the life cycle of a piece of plastic.

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose says the state’s voting systems are secure and ready for 2020. But Jen Miller of the League of Women Voters is concerned about voter turnout.

A new service launched by the Ohio Department of Health this month offers free, confidential help for people under 18 who are trying to stop using e-cigarettes and tobacco – a growing issue that the Surgeon General is calling an epidemic.

The “My Life, My Quit” initiative is an outgrowth of the Ohio Tobacco Quit phone line for adults. But the new program for teens offers help over the phone, by text or online.

Standing on the banks of the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland’s Industrial Valley, the river looks like chocolate milk surrounded by industry – or the remnants of industry slowly being reclaimed by nature. But in 1969, this was one of the nation’s most polluted waterways

Presidential hopeful Kamala Harris was in Cleveland on Sunday night for the Cuyahoga County Democrats’ annual dinner.

The California senator spoke before more than 700 people and began by condemning the shooting at a synagogue near San Diego on Saturday, saying it was driven by hatred that has received new fuel over the past two years.

A month after the last Chevy Cruze rolled off the line at GM’s Lordstown plant, some laid off workers are moving away and businesses in the Mahoning Valley are feeling the effects.

Vermont Senator and presidential candidate Bernie Sanders was in Lordstown yesterday for a town hall on education, the economy and how they’re tied to the city’s future.

Doctors from Ohio State University are working to bring more black men into the medical field, which they say will also lead to better outcomes for patients in underserved communities.

Tim Ryan rallied voters in his hometown over the weekend, garnering support for his bid for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination amid a crowded field.

An analysis of Ohio’s major public universities shows that the schools have been increasingly spending more to subsidize athletic programs, with a total of $186 million last year for ten schools, excluding Ohio State.  WKSU’s Kabir Bhatia spoke with Rich Exner, data analysis editor at Cleveland.com, about the trends he’s seeing in the numbers on athletic spending.

A new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland shows that for the past half century, the wealth gap between white and black households has increased – and that’s due to several factors.

With the flu season less than half over, at least two young people in Ohio have died from the illness, including a 13-year-old Cleveland girl last week.

Dr. John Bower is an infectious disease specialist at Akron Children’s Hospital. He said some patients are concerned that the vaccine will actually bring on the flu, or that it simply is not effective.

 Frank LaRose will be sworn-in Saturday as Ohio's next Secretary of State.  The job has a number of responsibilities, but the one getting the most attention in recent years has been the secretary’s role in Ohio elections. 

In a conversation with WKSU’s Kabir Bhatia, LaRose talked about his new position.  One of the things he’s going to be focused on is the conversation surrounding voter fraud and voter suppression.

Gov. John Kasich signed a bill this week increasing how often food assistance recipients must be certified for eligibility. And the move is drawing fire from the state’s foodbanks.

House Bill 119 requires people on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to be certified every quarter, as opposed to annually, as it is now. Backers of the legislation say the purpose is to uncover fraud more quickly.

GM’s plant in Lordstown, which is slated to cease production next year, could have a future with one of the automaker’s competitors.

Today is considered by many as the start of the Christmas season. One of the most popular holiday attractions in Cleveland is the house used for filming the 1983 movie, “A Christmas Story.” But what’s the house’s impact been on the neighborhood?

Michelle Albert is giving a tour of 3159 W. 11^th Street in Cleveland. That’s the house where “A Christmas Story” was filmed. The producers probably didn’t expect that 35 years later, the living room of the house would be packed with fans of the movie.

A new poll by the University of Akron finds that Ohio voters are almost evenly split between Republicans and Democrats heading into this fall’s election.

The report by the University of Akron's Bliss Institute shows that 45 percent of 1,000 respondents want Democrats in control of the state, versus 47 percent who favor Republicans.

That's a change from most midterm elections, which are usually difficult for the sitting President's party, according to the Bliss Institute's Dave Cohen.

The University of Akron and Stark State College have announced a partnership to allow students to proceed from a 2-year program to a 4-year degree with much greater ease.

The first debate between Sen. Sherrod Brown and Rep. Jim Renacci touched on a number of topics last night, including which candidate is more in-touch with Ohio.

The debate in Cleveland was mostly low-key as Brown – a Democrat seeking a third term – and Renacci, a Republican who was elected to the House in 2010, fielded questions from moderators and audience members.

An open carry walk at Kent State University on Saturday ended just a few hundred yards into its planned route. 

Organized by a recent Kent State graduate, the event started around 2:30 p.m. across from the school's library. Police from throughout the state were on-hand in riot gear, and kept the open carry group separated from a large group of protestors.