Job Dangerfield

Industrial campus breaks ground near Rickenbacker as Pepsi expands Milo-Grogan plant

Columbus homicide trend shifts as midyear numbers reach 2025 level

Hilltop police substation breaks ground on Sullivant Avenue

City leaders have broken ground on a new Columbus Division of Police substation in the Hilltop neighborhood, a two-story facility on Sullivant Avenue scheduled to open in November 2026. A city news release says the state-of-the-art substation, serving 8 Precinct, will be built at 1860 Sullivant Ave. and span approximately 13,500 square feet. Mayor Andrew J. Ginther and other officials attended the construction start, framing the project as part of broader investments in public safety infrastruc

Columbus named national leader in gun violence reduction

Columbus has been ranked fifth among large U.S. cities for reductions in gun victimization between 2021 and 2025, according to a new report by the Center for American Progress highlighted this spring by city officials. In an April 7 report titled “What City Leaders Say Is Helping Drive Down Gun Violence in Their Communities,” the Center for American Progress found that gun victimization in Columbus decreased 63.5 percent from 2021 to 2025. The city, citing the report, says gun victimization has

Columbus moves to expand homelessness prevention with $13M shelter board proposal

COLUMBUS, Ohio — July 16, 2026 Mayor Andrew J. Ginther has introduced legislation authorizing $13 million in city funding for the Community Shelter Board as Columbus moves to expand emergency shelter, homelessness prevention and housing stabilization services across the city. The funding proposal, advancing to Columbus City Council, represents the city’s annual investment in the board and is framed by the administration as part of a broader strategy to prevent homelessness and intervene earlie

The Sports Stories America Isn’t Talking About: Police Violence, Gang War, and Migrant Health in Brazil

RIO DE JANEIRO — As U.S. sports media fixates on NIL deals, suspensions and trade rumors, a different reality is unfolding in football‑mad Brazil: stadiums once built for global spectacle are now entangled with deadly police raids, gang wars and a fragile health infrastructure that leaves migrants and the poor most exposed. A Raid That Rewrote the Record Books In late October 2025, Rio de Janeiro authorities launched what would become the deadliest police operation in the city’s history. Du

Still Standing Strong: Columbus Black Theatre Festival Amplifies Black Voices of Triumph

The Columbus Black Theatre Festival returned this Fourth of July weekend with its 14th annual showcase, “Still Standing Strong: Voices of Triumph,” transforming the Van Fleet Theatre into a stage for Black resilience, memory and imagination. Across four performances from July 2–5 at the Columbus Performing Arts Center, Mine 4 God Productions presented seven original one-act plays by playwrights from around the world, directed and brought to life by local Black artists. **Festival origins and mi

Curfew, Courtrooms and the Streets: Columbus Confronts a Violent Summer in Real Time

Columbus is tightening how late its kids can be outside at night and debating whether a former deputy should walk free on bond, all while the mayor warns that a fifth of this year’s shootings hit the city in just one week. On Tuesday, the capital of Ohio feels less like a mid‑size city in cruise control and more like a place fighting to hold the line on what “safe” means when the sun goes down. Curfew Clock Starts Earlier For Columbus Youth** Columbus City Council passed an ordinance Mond

The Underreported Power Player: Tina Davis and the New Architecture of Music Business Power

Tina Davis is a power story, not just a title story. Her rise at EMPIRE reflects how music’s center of gravity has shifted toward executives who can move between A&R, artist development, distribution and brand building in a single lane. Davis is president of EMPIRE, where she was promoted in June 2023 after serving as head of A&R and senior vice president of A&R. She also has run Phase Too, her artist management company, since 2008. That background gives her a rare view of the business from bot

NBA tanking rules analysis

The NBA’s latest anti-tanking approach is a step forward, but it does not fully remove the incentive to lose. Recent discussion around league penalties and draft reform reflects a familiar problem: teams can be punished for obvious noncompetitive behavior, yet still find rational ways to chase draft position when the payoff is high enough. The core issue is economic. As long as the league’s draft system rewards worse records with better odds, rebuilding teams will keep weighing short-term losse

NFL blockbuster trades deep dive

June 1 reshaped the NFL’s trade market — and the biggest story may be what the deals say about how teams now value stars, timelines and cap flexibility. The trade of Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett to the Rams and Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown to the Patriots gave the league two instant headline moves, but the deeper takeaway is structural: front offices are increasingly willing to move premium players for long-run draft capital and roster control. The Garrett deal was especially stark. ESPN

Hip-Hop’s Billboard Slide Signals a Bigger Shift in Mainstream Music

NEW YORK — Hip-hop’s recent absence from the top tier of the Billboard Hot 100 is more than a chart blip. It points to a broader shift in what listeners buy, stream and promote across the music industry. For the first time in decades, no rap songs appeared in the chart’s Top 40 on the Oct. 25, 2025, ranking, according to Billboard. Billboard said the drop reflected a recent slide in rap’s commercial dominance, though the outlet also noted that rule changes affected how long-running songs st

Ebola outbreak in Central Africa deepens as World Cup coverage dominates attention

A public health emergency in the DRC and Uganda has claimed more than 170 lives, yet global media focus remains on soccer. The Empirical examines how cultural events can eclipse critical health crises. --- As the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off across the United States, Mexico and Canada, a deadly Ebola outbreak is spreading in remote regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda with little global attention. The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, was declared by the World Hea

Wembanyama’s first Finals run ends with hard lessons for Spurs

Victor Wembanyama’s debut NBA Finals ended in a 4-1 loss to the Knicks, exposing gaps San Antonio must close before its generational talent can lead the Spurs to a title. The Empirical breaks down what the series revealed. --- Victor Wembanyama’s first trip to the NBA Finals ended in disappointment, but the loss also offered a clearer view of the gaps San Antonio must close before its young star can carry the Spurs to a title. The Knicks won the 2026 NBA championship in five games, closing out t

Downtown Columbus at a Crossroads: Mega-Development Paused, New NWSL Team Approved, Safety Push Underway

By Job W. Dangerfield COLUMBUS, Ohio — Downtown Columbus is navigating a defining moment in 2026 as a $600 million redevelopment project stalls, the city lands a record-breaking National Women's Soccer League franchise, and officials roll out expanded safety measures for one of the nation's fastest-growing urban cores. The convergence of these developments reveals a city balancing explosive growth ambitions with real-world economic headwinds, housing challenges, and public safety concerns