Nvidia Weighs $250 Billion Ohio Backstop

Nvidia is in talks to guarantee roughly $250 billion in financing so OpenAI can lease the 10-gigawatt data center campus going up outside Piketon, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The site is the former Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Pike County, where uranium was enriched for decades. SB Energy, SoftBank’s power arm, broke ground in March, and the first 800-megawatt phase is targeted for 2028.

The guarantee would cover construction debt and the lease itself, not the chips. A separate deal to finance those could reach $350 billion.

OpenAI isn’t profitable and has no investment-grade credit rating, so Nvidia’s backing would let SB Energy borrow on better terms. Nvidia has already put $30 billion into the company.

Total cost could top $500 billion, making it the largest data center project announced anywhere. Terms aren’t settled, and the deal could still fall apart.

Murder Charge in North Royalton Shooting

Prosecutors charged Edward Biesiada of North Royalton with murder Monday in the shooting death of the city’s building commissioner, David Smerek.

Smerek, 52, of Brunswick, was shot Friday afternoon inside the city’s Service Center on Royalton Road. Officers arrested Biesiada outside the building minutes later, and he has been jailed since.

Records in the North Royalton Mayor’s Court show Smerek cited Biesiada on July 20, four days before the shooting, for a low-level misdemeanor property-condition violation. The murder charge was filed in Parma Municipal Court.

City Hall, the Service Department building, and the community splash pad were closed through Monday, and the city posted armed officers.

Mayor Paul Marnecheck II said Smerek joined the city as an inspector 13 years ago and was promoted to commissioner in 2024. “Our community has lost a true treasure, a faithful servant and a positive light in our world,” the mayor said.

Ramaswamy Says He Won’t Close Universities

Vivek Ramaswamy told a Strongsville town hall this month that it is “incorrect” to say he wants to shut down Ohio’s public universities, and that his concern is about duplicative programs.

The Republican nominee for governor wrote in a March column that Ohio should consider where “enrollment collapse has made independence untenable.” At an April event he said the state shouldn’t fund “subpar universities.”

Pushback came from his own party. Gov. Mike DeWine rejected the consolidation idea, and Senate Finance Chair Jerry Cirino, R-Kirtland, said in June, “I don’t know how much he knows about how higher ed works in the state of Ohio.”

A survey released Monday by Scioto Analysis found 11 of 14 Ohio economists agreed that cutting the number of public universities would reduce long-term economic output; none said it would raise it. They split 6-6 on whether consolidation would save the state money, with two remaining uncertain.

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➤ Northwest Ohio: The Ohio Air National Guard’s 180th Fighter Wing is scheduled to conduct nighttime training flights through Thursday. Residents may hear jets until around 11 p.m. and see flares. (More)

➤ Ashtabula County: Two adults have measles, and the county health department has notified people who may have been exposed at a Sugarcreek livestock sale July 17, a Trumbull County horse auction July 18, and Hillcrest Hospital’s emergency room in Mayfield Heights that same day. (More)

➤ Ironton: City Council gave first reading Thursday to an ordinance barring any government entity in the city from contracting for or using automated license plate readers like Flock Safety’s. (More)

➤ Struthers: More than 500 shoppers turned out Sunday for the Struthers Farmers Market’s return to South Bridge Street, and several vendors sold out in the first hours. The city relaunched it this year with the Mahoning County health department. (More)

➤ Bowling Green: Municipal Utilities electric customers can collect up to $100 an appliance for turning in working refrigerators, freezers, window air conditioners, and dehumidifiers, with free pickups running through Sept. 30. (More)

➤ Cleveland: Playhouse Square CEO Craig Hassall said renovation of the former Greyhound station on Chester Avenue is likely three to five years out, with ideas ranging from a cabaret to a food hall. (Read Story)

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➤ Ohio State football was picked to win the Big Ten in three preseason media polls. Buckeyes receiver Jeremiah Smith was named the conference’s preseason Offensive Player of the Year in all three. (More)

➤ Browns receiver Jerry Jeudy disputed a viral video that appeared to show him backing Deshaun Watson over Shedeur Sanders in Cleveland’s quarterback competition, saying the clip was edited to create a false narrative. (More)

➤ The Cavaliers agreed to a one-year, $2.8 million deal with Mario Hezonja, the reigning Spanish league MVP. The former No. 5 pick returns to the NBA after six seasons in Europe. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | Tennis | Soccer

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➤ The Sunbury City Council unanimously approved developer Local Provision’s plan for three buildings totaling 34,000 square feet just west of the downtown square, with room for 12 businesses. (See Details)

➤ Two planned hotels will add to Dublin Bridge Park’s in-demand hospitality district. (See Renderings)

➤ A Pickaway County manufacturing plant marked a major milestone as Anduril’s Arsenal-1 facility produced its first product in Ohio: the YFQ-44A drone, also known as Fury. (More)

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➤ Gov. Mike DeWine cut the ribbon Saturday on a carousel hand-carved and painted in Marion by Carousels and Carvings, with all 88 Ohio county names worked into the design. It opens Wednesday as part of the 171st Ohio State Fair in Columbus. (See Video)

➤ Sporty’s Flight School at the Clermont County Airport in Batavia is offering discovery flights that let first-timers taxi, take off, and land a small plane, and it hosts free Young Eagles flights for kids ages 8 to 17 once a month. (Read Story)

➤ An Amherst Fire Department crew pulled a kitten out of a sewer catch basin Saturday after a resident called for help, and the police department posted photos of the rescue and thanked the firefighters. (See Photos)

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➤ What cold feet tell you about your heart. Cold feet can be a warning sign for a much deeper circulation problem that comes from a weak heart and clogged arteries…And could lead to serious clots or cardiac events. 7-second “feet test” can predict a heart attack (could SAVE your life).

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

➤ Rushing the Social Security claiming decision could cost retirees tens of thousands over a lifetime, so which choice makes sense for you? (Listen Now)

➤ Gunfire erupted at a crowded Seattle food festival, leaving three dead and forcing thousands of visitors to flee. (Hear Episode)

➤ Authorities say a Secret Service agent took part in a fraternity hazing that nearly killed a University of Miami pledge. (Listen Now)

The 171st Ohio State Fair opens Wednesday. What do you head for first?

1. The butter cow
2. Fair food
3. The livestock
4. The rides/carousel
5. Not my thing
6. Other

Yesterday’s Results:

What’s the farthest you’ve ridden a bicycle in one trip?

1. 6-20 miles: 25%
2. 5 miles or less: 23%
3. 21-50 miles: 19%
4. More than 50 miles: 18%
5. Never rode a bicycle: 15%

Which Ohio congressman was the primary author of the first section of the 14th Amendment?

Show me the answer