Columbus Zoo Plans $175M Aquarium

The Columbus Zoo unveiled plans Friday for a $175 million aquarium that officials say would be the largest in Ohio.

The John F. Wolfe Aquarium is set to be built on seven acres in the northwest section of the zoo’s parking lot, span 100,000 square feet, and hold more than 1 million gallons of freshwater and seawater.

The aquarium will house more than 10,000 animals across 300 species in 27 exhibits, with galleries featuring the Amazon River Basin, the Scioto River, the Pacific Northwest, the Open Ocean, and the Indo-Pacific Reef.

The project is anchored by a $50 million gift from The Robert F. Wolfe and Edgar T. Wolfe Foundation, which the zoo said is one of the largest donations ever made to a U.S. zoo or aquarium. Construction is expected to begin in 2027 and be completed by 2029.

Court Upholds Ohio Social Media Law

A federal appeals court upheld an Ohio law requiring parental consent before children under 16 can open social media accounts.

A Cincinnati-based panel of the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a lower court ruling that had blocked the measure. The requirement was included in the 2023 state budget and promoted by supporters as a way to protect children’s mental health.

In a 2-1 decision, the majority found the rule doesn’t violate the First Amendment. The dissenting judge said the law places unconstitutional limits on minors’ access to protected speech.

The majority opinion called the consent rule a “marginal burden” aimed at addressing potential harm social media poses to minors. NetChoice, which filed the lawsuit, said it would review its legal options.

Largest Skyline Chili Opens Downtown

Skyline Chili opened its largest restaurant ever Friday on Cincinnati’s Fountain Square, a 9,000-square-foot location that replaces a former March First Brewing site.

The restaurant, located at 10 Fountain Square Plaza in downtown Cincinnati, is the chili chain’s first location with a taproom, using infrastructure left over from March First. It also includes a dedicated carryout and DoorDash pickup window on Sixth Street.

Along with the cheese coneys and three-ways longtime customers expect, the menu adds new and exclusive offerings, including all-day breakfast, beer, and wine. Guests can also purchase Skyline Chili merchandise.

➤ Statewide: Conserve Ohio, the group behind a proposed constitutional amendment to ban large data center construction, said the issue won’t appear on this November’s ballot as organizers target the 2027 ballot. (More)

➤ Statewide: Proposed legislation would allow Ohioans to collect a reward for reporting fraud that results in an “audit for fraud, an investigation of fraud, the discovery of fraud, or the filing of a civil or criminal action for fraud.” (More)

➤ Butler County: The National Weather Service confirmed an EF-2 tornado that began in Indiana crossed into Butler County early Thursday after weakening to an EF-0 by the time it reached Ohio. (More)

➤ Perrysburg: Nearly $4 million in grants will fund restoration work on the Audubon Islands in the Maumee River, protecting habitat for fish, birds, and other wildlife between Maumee and Perrysburg. (More)

➤ Dayton: City leaders launched an initiative to reimagine the future of U.S. 35, studying how the busy corridor could better connect surrounding neighborhoods. (More)

➤ Marysville: One person was hospitalized Friday after a semitruck and a Jeep crashed on U.S. 36, causing the truck to dump gravel across the road. (See Photos)

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➤ Sauce Gardner, a former University of Cincinnati cornerback now playing for the Indianapolis Colts, told reporters he’s 24—not 25—because he was born Aug. 31, 2001, not a year earlier as many online references suggested. (More)

➤ The Cleveland Cavaliers hosted a 10-year championship anniversary celebration for fans, honoring the 2016 NBA championship team with festivities, a full-sized outdoor court, and references to iconic moments from the Finals. (More)

➤ Cincinnati Reds ace Hunter Greene began his rehabilitation assignment three months after undergoing a procedure to remove bone spur fragments from his right elbow. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: World Cup | MLB | WNBA | Golf

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Exxon Has an Unlikely New Competitor

Energy giants like Exxon have been buying up land in America’s lithium hotspot. Now they’ve got a new neighbor. 

EnergyX has acquired the rights to nearly 50K lithium-rich acres right next door. It’s not just the acres turning heads, either. 

Their tech can recover up to 3X more lithium than traditional methods. They just brought America’s largest lithium facility of its kind online. Now, with backing from the DoE, General Motors, and POSCO, they’re advancing America’s next major lithium supply. 

50K people have already invested. Join them as an EnergyX shareholder by the July 16 investment deadline.

➤ Ohio gas prices fell an average of 23 cents over the past week to $3.90 per gallon, with the highest prices in Cleveland and the lowest in Lima. (See Prices)

➤ Avelo Airlines launched nonstop service from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport to Concord, North Carolina, and New Haven, Connecticut. (More)

➤ Lego Jurassic World: The Exhibition at the Cincinnati Museum Center features more than 6 million Lego bricks, including a life-size T. rex, interactive dinosaur-building activities, and more. (Details)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes, straight from the heart of the country. Clicking the link will take you directly to these stories:

➤ The government quietly changed three retirement rules this past year, and a single Social Security check is the first thing affected. (Hear More)

➤ Authorities say a Mexican mayor staged her own kidnapping to embezzle roughly $2 million in government funds. (Listen Now)

➤ A Michigan plumbing crew on an emergency call found an engagement ring that had been missing for more than a decade. (Podcast Available)

What’s your favorite aquatic animal?

1. Dolphins
   
2. Orcas
   
3. Sharks
   
4. Sea turtles
   
5. Octopuses
   
6. Seals
   
7. Otters
   
8. Other (reply and tell us!)

Yesterday’s Results:

Which name would you choose for the Columbus Zoo’s baby giraffe?

1. Patches: 33%
2. Jasper: 29%
3. Tim: 23%
4. BJ St. Pierre: 15%

The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium partners with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to help rehabilitate which aquatic mammal commonly found in Florida?

Show me the answer