Top Stories

Article Icon 1Labor Group Backs Railroad Merger

The nation’s largest railroad union, based in North Olmsted, endorsed Union Pacific’s proposed $85 billion acquisition of Norfolk Southern, citing a deal over job protections.

The International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers Transportation Division represents more than 100,000 railroad workers across North America.

Leaders of other railroad unions and chemical manufacturers that rely on freight rail have raised concerns that the merger could reduce competition and increase shipping rates.

Union Pacific announced the proposed merger in July. The pairing would create America’s lone transcontinental railroad.

Article Icon 1Foreign Student Enrollment Drops

New enrollments by international students at The Ohio State University fell by nearly 38%, while overall international enrollment declined 4.9% from last fall.

A school spokesman said the numbers align more closely with historic trends after last year’s unusually high admissions. The school’s U.S. student population was up 1.1%.

Last month, President Trump proposed limiting the length of stay and other changes for student visa holders, citing abuses in the program.

Article Icon 1Northern Ohio Shines in Lake Erie Awards

Northern Ohio destinations stand out in Lake Erie Living Magazine’s 2025 Best of Lake Erie awards, highlighting the region’s tourism, dining, and lodging.

Vermilion earned Best New Look and Best New On-the-Water-Living, praised for its Waterwood neighborhood, Main Street Beach upgrades, and more.

Biggies Custard in Mentor-on-the-Lake won Best Cold Treat, touted for local flavors that include Lake Erie Salt Mine caramel ice cream and the Browns Town custard sundae.

In the Readers’ Picks categories, Geneva-on-the-Lake, Kelleys Island, Fairport Harbor, and Oregon received awards. See the full list of readers’ choices here.

Flying together with our sponsor

The Flyover

From a Caltech Garage to a $1 Trillion Market

In 2016, some innovative Caltech robotics students set out to transform fast food. That first garage-built prototype became the foundation of Miso Robotics.

Since then, Miso’s robots have worked 200K+ hours in live kitchens for brands like White Castle, frying 4M+ baskets of fries, chicken, and more. That traction convinced NVIDIA, Uber AI, and Amazon to help refine Miso’s AI and robots. As restaurants grapple with 144% employee turnover rates and $20/hour minimum wages, that’s a major edge. 

No wonder Miso’s first fully commercial robot, Flippy Fry Station, sold out of initial units in one week. 

Now, Miso is leveraging its new manufacturing partnership to scale U.S.-based production nationwide across a $4B annual revenue opportunity. 

And you can get up to 8% bonus stock and share in Miso’s growth as an early-stage investor.

Around Ohio

Statewide: Republican governor candidate Vivek Ramaswamy and U.S. Sen. Jon Husted endorsed each other for their 2026 races at an event in downtown Columbus. (More)

Butler County: County commissioners approved a $20.1 million property tax rollback effective in 2026, citing surplus revenues. (More)

Orient: Pastor Mark Robinette was posthumously awarded the Carnegie Medal for Heroism for leading his wife and two of his children to safety during a house fire. He died in the January 2024 blaze. (More)

Toledo: The city signed a partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to link a planned 1 billion-gallon reservoir to the current Lake Erie intake. The reservoir would provide up to 10 days of drinking water in the event of an emergency. (More)

Southeast Ohio: The state Division of Wildlife proposed lowering the white-tailed deer bag limit from three to two in Athens, Meigs, and Washington counties due to an outbreak of epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD), a virus transmitted by biting flies. (More)

Cincinnati: Duke Energy will relinquish naming rights to the city’s convention center in exchange for $1.6 million, ending a deal signed in 2004 and set to run through 2032. (More)

Ohio Sports

Archbishop Moeller is No. 1 in the USA Today Ohio Super 25 high school football poll. Anderson, Walsh Jesuit, Archbishop Hoban, Kirtland, and Elder also received first-place votes. (Rankings)

The Cincinnati Reds are offering $8 tickets, $3 beers, $2 hot dogs, and $1 ice cream during the final homestand as the team pushes for a postseason berth. (Details)

Cleveland Browns left tackle Dawand Jones, a former Ohio State offensive lineman, will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury suffered during Sunday’s win over Green Bay. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NHL | MLB | Soccer | WNBA

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Elevate your adventures with the Rift Falcon: a sleek, foldable‐propeller drone that captures crisp HD and 360° footage, dodges obstacles with smart sensors, and delivers extended flight time—all while folding down for effortless portability. Ships soon—save up to 56% with code DRONE25!

Ohio Business

➤ Starbucks fired a Middletown employee who allegedly wrote an offensive note on the cup of a customer who ordered one of the late Charlie Kirk’s favorite beverages. (More)

Meta said its data center under construction in New Albany will be the world’s first 1-gigawatt facility. (More)

Government officials from Ohio and Taiwan signed a $6.4 billion agreement supporting Taiwanese purchases of Ohio soybean and corn products. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ The #1 Washing Machine Hack I Wish I Knew Sooner. Your washing machine is probably gross… and it might be ruining your clothes. X-All Washing Machine Cleaner uses powerful AquaClean Max tablets to blast away mold, mildew, soap scum, and that “wet dog” funk hiding inside your washer, no scrubbing or harsh chemicals required. (LEARN MORE)

Flying together with our sponsor

“One of the Largest Industries Ever”

That’s what NVIDIA’s CEO said about robotics. And the numbers back it up. In Q4 2024, the sector raised nearly as much capital as in all of 2023. 

So it’s a big deal that NVIDIA, Uber AI and Amazon helped Miso Robotics perfect Flippy, its new fully commercial kitchen robot. No wonder initial units sold out in one week.

Miso already has 200K+ hours for brands like White Castle under its belt. With the $1T fast-food industry facing 144% employee turnover rates, Flippy provides 24/7 labor and can boost profits by up to 3X.

Now, Miso’s leveraging its new manufacturing partnership to scale U.S.-based production nationwide across a $4B annual revenue opportunity. 

Share in Miso’s growth as an early-stage shareholder today and get up to 8% bonus stock while supplies last.

This is a paid advertisement for Miso Robotics’ Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.misorobotics.com
Et Cetera

Sister René Parman, of the Sisters of the Humility of Mary, marked her 105th birthday with a round at Knoll Run Golf Course in Lowellville. Now legally blind, she said this season might be her last. (More)

Barry Manilow announced January 2026 dates for his farewell tour, including a Jan. 18 performance at Nationwide Arena in Columbus. (Details)

Gladys, a gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden, gave birth to a healthy male this past weekend. It’s her first offspring and the 51st gorilla born at the zoo. (Watch Video)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ These Brilliant Gadgets Are Taking the Internet by Storm. This collection of must-have gadgets delivers clever, useful tech that DOES something … no fluff, no gimmicks. Whether it’s solving everyday annoyances, upgrading your home setup, or just adding comfort, each product was picked for being “useful cool.” Most are under $60, ship fast, and backed by a guarantee. (LEARN MORE)

The Poll

Which Ohio MLB team do you think will make the postseason?

  1. Reds
  2. Guardians
  3. Both
  4. Neither

Yesterday’s Results:

Which is your favorite major Ohio airport?

  1. Akron-Canton: 15%
  2. Columbus: 15%
  3. Dayton: 14%
  4. Cincinnati-NKY: 14%
  5. Cleveland: 14%
  6. Toledo: 14%
  7. Rickenbacker: 14%
Ohio Trivia

Where did Ohio’s lone Civil War battle take place?

Show me the answer

The Ohio Flyover

Join The Ohio Flyover

Facebook Icon Instagram Icon Twitter Icon LinkedIn Icon