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Joe Burrow gets diplomatic about JD Vance's Bengals visit

Burrow, who's previously caught political flak from both sides, dodged the drama like a true quarterback.

News

Joe Burrow sounded more like a seasoned politician than a quarterback this week when speaking about Vice President JD Vance&#x27;s visit to practice.Why it matters: Burrow dodged potential drama like a defensive lineman breaking through the O-line.

Cincinnati 2026 voter guide: Key races, ballot issues and deadlines

From statewide races to local levies, here's what to know in Cincinnati and Hamilton County.

Election

The Nov. 3 general election is fast approaching, so here&#x27;s what to know about your ballot in Cincinnati and Hamilton County. <h2 class="text-h6 !font-sans !font-normal !leading-[1.2em]">🗳️ How to vote </h2>The big picture: Early in-person voting continues through Sunday, Nov. 1.

What's at stake in Ohio's 2026 statewide races 

Voters will choose who oversees elections, investigations and state spending.

Four statewide offices — attorney general, secretary of state, auditor and treasurer — are up for grabs in Ohio this election season, along with two Ohio Supreme Court seats.State of play: All four executive seats are open, with three term-limited Republicans seeking <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="other jobs" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2025/02/12/ohio-2026-elections-yost-larose-sprague-faber" data-vars-content-id="34b65a54-625a-4c7e-87c3-9a06e4492e46" data-vars-headline="What&#x27;s at stake in Ohio&#x27;s 2026 statewide races " data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2025/02/12/ohio-2026-elections-yost-larose-sprague-faber" target="_self">other jobs</a>.

Governor race turns personal as Ohio debates fade

The atmosphere raises questions about whether voters can meaningfully evaluate candidates' ideas.

Politics

Ohio&#x27;s race for governor has <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="turned intensely personal" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/10/21/ramaswamy-ad-acton-mother-ohio" data-vars-content-id="587aaa36-5291-4cc2-85fb-7f9d57e87d85" data-vars-headline="Governor race turns personal as Ohio debates fade" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/10/21/ramaswamy-ad-acton-mother-ohio" target="_self">turned intensely personal</a> and top statewide candidates aren&#x27;t debating as election season hits its final stretch.Why it matters: Political attacks aren&#x27;t new, but the atmosphere raises questions about whether voters can meaningfully evaluate candidates&#x27; ideas, the leader of a local academic center focused on civil politics tells us.

Your guide to Halloween weekend in Cincinnati

From trick-or-treating to haunted houses, here's where to get spooky around town.

Things to Do

Cincinnati is getting spooky this Halloween weekend, with haunted houses, costume parties and plenty of family-friendly frights.

New network helps local artists find paid work

A free network connects more than 300 Cincinnati artists with clients and business resources.

Culture

Cincinnati&#x27;s creative class has plenty of talent. Now, there&#x27;s a network helping artists turn that talent into a paycheck.Why it matters: The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Cincinnati Artist Network" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cincyartistnetwork.com/" data-vars-content-id="4d1d2eef-4051-40cd-88f0-73562e89d4b1" data-vars-headline="New network helps local artists find paid work" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cincyartistnetwork.com/" target="_blank">Cincinnati Artist Network</a> (CAN) is working to make the starving artist stereotype a thing of the past by connecting local creatives with paying clients and business resources.

New documentary explores Cincinnati's 30-year ties to Guatemala

A new documentary traces decades of connections between the city and the Central American nation.

A new documentary from former Cincinnati investigative reporter Laure Quinlivan explores three decades of ties between the city and Guatemala through classrooms, coffee and churches.Why it matters: Cincinnati and Guatemala are more connected than the 1,500 miles between them might suggest, increasingly shaping local businesses, schools and neighborhoods.

Inside Hierophany & Hedge, Covington's magical oddities shop

Two lifelong fantasy lovers built the enchanting shop they'd always dreamed of finding.

There&#x27;s a portal to another realm in Covington. It&#x27;s disguised as a storefront, filled with magical curiosities and guarded by a cat with a military rank.Why it matters: Hierophany &amp; Hedge has become a sanctuary for Greater Cincinnati&#x27;s oddballs, offering a little enchantment in an otherwise ordinary world.

Cincy Death Club hosts monthly death cafes in Newport

A monthly gathering gives strangers space to talk openly about death and dying.

Death isn&#x27;t normally coffee shop small talk, but a monthly gathering at Roebling Books &amp; Coffee in Newport is making the inevitable less intimidating.Why it matters: Now celebrating its first anniversary, Cincy Death Club is breaking the taboo around mortality with death cafes: cozy conversations about life, death and everything in between.

Ohio native R.L. Stine gives a packed library goosebumps

The horror legend shared childhood memories, Kings Island stories and plenty of laughs.

R.L. Stine, the bestselling horror author and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="proud Ohio native" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2025/10/31/bexley-native-rl-stine-goosebumps-visit-ohio-street" data-vars-content-id="abb85e34-167e-4a9b-89d3-e357678eba0f" data-vars-headline="Ohio native R.L. Stine gives a packed library goosebumps" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2025/10/31/bexley-native-rl-stine-goosebumps-visit-ohio-street" target="_self">proud Ohio native</a>, brought more laughs than screams to a sold-out appearance Thursday at Cincinnati&#x27;s downtown library.Why it matters: For millennials who grew up devouring &quot;Goosebumps&quot; books in the &#x27;90s, the visit offered a chance to relive a little childhood magic — and introduce their own kids to the man behind the monsters.

Cincinnati Zoo livestreams birth for first time

Tessa, a 14-year-old Masai giraffe, is expecting her fifth calf. She could go into labor at any time.

Forget reality TV. The Cincinnati Zoo has a new show worth watching, and the star could go into labor at any moment.Driving the news: Tessa, a 14-year-old Masai giraffe, is expecting her fifth calf, and for the first time in its history, the zoo is livestreaming an animal birth.

Chili's ad with Snooki helps Florence, Kentucky go viral

The ad takes the leopard-clad "Jersey Shore" to the Florence Y'all water tower and other sites.

Snooki is in Florence, Kentucky, y&#x27;all.

Blink murals leave a lasting mark on Cincinnati

The lights may be gone, but dozens of murals have turned Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky into a sprawling outdoor art gallery.

Blink may be best known for its <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="dazzling lights and projections" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cincinnati/2026/10/08/2026-blink-festival-artists-behind-the-scenes" data-vars-content-id="dbbc1f55-31ff-4e23-b61e-15e4e62f4c76" data-vars-headline="Blink murals leave a lasting mark on Cincinnati" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cincinnati/2026/10/08/2026-blink-festival-artists-behind-the-scenes" target="_self">dazzling lights and projections</a>, but some of its most colorful creations stay after the festival ends.By the numbers: This year&#x27;s festival <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="added more than 20 murals" data-vars-click-url="https://www.blinkcincinnati.com/blink-event-guide/art-and-artists/murals" data-vars-content-id="dbbc1f55-31ff-4e23-b61e-15e4e62f4c76" data-vars-headline="Blink murals leave a lasting mark on Cincinnati" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.blinkcincinnati.com/blink-event-guide/art-and-artists/murals" target="_blank">added more than 20 murals</a>, including 10 around Findlay Market and 11 in Covington, as part of its Market Walls and Madison Walls collections.

Things to do in Cincinnati this weekend

It's Blink weekend in Greater Cincinnati, but if that's not your thing, we've got a few other bright ideas.

It&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Blink weekend" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cincinnati/2026/10/08/blink-cincinnati-route-quiz-itinerary" data-vars-content-id="ce08c640-5236-4bce-aa14-0e63234ec589" data-vars-headline="Things to do in Cincinnati this weekend" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cincinnati/2026/10/08/blink-cincinnati-route-quiz-itinerary" target="_self">Blink weekend</a> in Greater Cincinnati, but if that&#x27;s not your thing, we&#x27;ve got a few other bright ideas.Friday🎃 Go big or gourd home at <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Operation Pumpkin" data-vars-click-url="https://www.operation-pumpkin.org/" data-vars-content-id="ce08c640-5236-4bce-aa14-0e63234ec589" data-vars-headline="Things to do in Cincinnati this weekend" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.operation-pumpkin.org/" target="_blank">Operation Pumpkin</a> in Hamilton with giant pumpkin carvings, a weigh-off, live music and more than 100 artisan and food vendors.