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What Ohio parents should know about Trump Accounts

The $1,000 investment benefit comes with eligibility rules and data privacy considerations.

Money

Ohio families are among the nation&#x27;s earliest participants in Trump Accounts, a new <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="federal investment program" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/02/trump-accounts-savings-etf" data-vars-content-id="7b91ea80-21d5-4400-95e2-7f681601354f" data-vars-headline="What Ohio parents should know about Trump Accounts" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/07/02/trump-accounts-savings-etf" target="_self">federal investment program</a> offering $1,000 to eligible babies.Why it matters: The money is meant to give children a financial head start, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="telling Axios" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/10/02/trump-accounts-bessent-axios-show" data-vars-content-id="7b91ea80-21d5-4400-95e2-7f681601354f" data-vars-headline="What Ohio parents should know about Trump Accounts" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/10/02/trump-accounts-bessent-axios-show" target="_self">telling Axios</a> it&#x27;s &quot;the most important benefit for young people since the GI Bill.&quot;

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.

News

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.

Old factories could fuel Cincinnati's next manufacturing boom

Startup 1872 is using AI and robotics to turn an old factory into a modern steel fabrication operation.

Business

Southwest Ohio&#x27;s next manufacturing boom might start in the same factories that powered its last one.Why it matters: The region&#x27;s manufacturing roots and engineering talent give it an edge as companies look to bring more production back to the U.S.

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.

Things to Do

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.

Ohio ranks third in book bans, but Cincinnati tells a different story

Earlier local reporting found most school book challenges didn't lead to removals.

Education

Ohio is among the nation&#x27;s leaders in <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="school book bans" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/10/13/ohio-school-book-bans" data-vars-content-id="7cf86a04-7efa-48e4-aac8-81945291ee83" data-vars-headline="Ohio ranks third in book bans, but Cincinnati tells a different story" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/10/13/ohio-school-book-bans" target="_self">school book bans</a>, but challenges to books in Greater Cincinnati schools have rarely resulted in outright removals.By the numbers: PEN America <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="documented" data-vars-click-url="https://pen.org/report/book-bans-spotlight-2026/" data-vars-content-id="7cf86a04-7efa-48e4-aac8-81945291ee83" data-vars-headline="Ohio ranks third in book bans, but Cincinnati tells a different story" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://pen.org/report/book-bans-spotlight-2026/" target="_blank">documented</a> 117 instances of school book bans in Ohio during the 2025-26 school year, the third-highest total nationally.

Miami embraces AI, with a healthy dose of doubt

Miami University just opened an AI center as fellow Ohio institutions colleges expand AI education.

Miami University is exploring where artificial intelligence can make our lives better — and where it might do more harm than good.Why it matters: AI isn&#x27;t going back in the box, campus officials say. And today&#x27;s students will help decide how it&#x27;s used tomorrow.

Fast Company ranking spotlights Cincinnati's innovation "cheat code"

UC's 1819 Innovation Hub is getting outside praise.

University of Cincinnati&#x27;s 1819 Innovation Hub ranks No. 23 on Fast Company&#x27;s 2026 list of the country&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Best Workplaces for Innovators" data-vars-click-url="https://www.fastcompany.com/best-workplaces-for-innovators/list" data-vars-content-id="870a1bf3-fd48-46e4-8529-0e53bc556edd" data-vars-headline="Fast Company ranking spotlights Cincinnati&#x27;s innovation &quot;cheat code&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.fastcompany.com/best-workplaces-for-innovators/list" target="_blank">Best Workplaces for Innovators</a>.Why it matters: It&#x27;s another national accolade Cincinnati can tout as it competes for businesses and talent.<ul><li>The recognition comes after <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="CNBC named Ohio" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/09/ohio-no-1-americas-top-states-for-business-rankings.html" data-vars-content-id="870a1bf3-fd48-46e4-8529-0e53bc556edd" data-vars-headline="Fast Company ranking spotlights Cincinnati&#x27;s innovation &quot;cheat code&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/07/09/ohio-no-1-americas-top-states-for-business-rankings.html" target="_blank">CNBC named Ohio</a> the nation&#x27;s top state for business this summer, adding to the Queen City&#x27;s pitch that companies don&#x27;t have to head to the coasts to find talent, research, capital and customers.</li></ul>

A century of Elder runs in the family

Five Panthers tell a century-long story of one family and a Price Hill institution.

As Elder and St. Xavier renew their storied football rivalry Friday night, Dennis Daly Jr. has more than a century&#x27;s worth of reasons to root for the Panthers.Why it matters: The family&#x27;s Elder lineage stretches back to 1924, nearly the entire history of the Price Hill institution that opened in 1922.

CPS scores 3 stars for 1st time, but still room to improve

The school district jumped a half-point from 2.5 stars the past two years, but there's still room to grow.

Cincinnati Public Schools <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="earned three stars" data-vars-click-url="https://reportcard.education.ohio.gov/district/043752" data-vars-content-id="31ff1e06-0094-443e-bede-c838c580af71" data-vars-headline="CPS scores 3 stars for 1st time, but still room to improve" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://reportcard.education.ohio.gov/district/043752" target="_blank">earned three stars</a> on Ohio&#x27;s school report card for the first time.Why it matters: The improved rating means the district now meets state standards and comes as <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="CPS asks voters" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cincinnati/2026/08/05/hamilton-county-levy-cincinnati-public-schools-2026-ballot" data-vars-content-id="31ff1e06-0094-443e-bede-c838c580af71" data-vars-headline="CPS scores 3 stars for 1st time, but still room to improve" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cincinnati/2026/08/05/hamilton-county-levy-cincinnati-public-schools-2026-ballot" target="_self">CPS asks voters</a> to approve a November property tax levy.

For a new generation of Cincinnati teachers, 9/11 is history

Twenty-five years later, a new generation of educators is teaching an event they never experienced.

Lindsey King, 36, can still tell you what she ate for breakfast on Sept. 11, 2001, while Nolan Polk, 23, wasn&#x27;t even born yet.Why it matters: Now they&#x27;re both responsible for teaching it to Cincinnati Public Schools students.<ul><li>Twenty-five years later, 9/11 is crossing a generational line in America&#x27;s classrooms as younger educators teach an event they didn&#x27;t experience.</li></ul>

UC students cash in on co-op jobs

Co-ops are paid jobs built into academic programs that give students work experience before graduation.

For University of Cincinnati students, going to college can come with a significant paycheck.Why it matters: The school&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="cooperative education (co-op) program" data-vars-click-url="https://www.uc.edu/co-op" data-vars-content-id="9dfcffac-8e1a-44ef-8ea6-a23b2403374c" data-vars-headline="UC students cash in on co-op jobs" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.uc.edu/co-op" target="_blank">cooperative education (co-op) program</a> lets students earn money and build a resume before graduation, while employers get a months-long look at people they might eventually hire.

Metro offers new routes as back-to-school bus trips return

Thousands of Cincinnati Public Schools students are back on Metro buses this week.

Transit

School is back, and regular Cincinnati Metro riders are about to get thousands of new seatmates.Why it matters: Sharing a bus with the back-to-school crowd may be familiar to some after decades of CPS partnering with Metro.<ul><li>But the system carrying those students has <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="gotten more robust" data-vars-click-url="https://www.go-metro.com/reinventing-metro/" data-vars-content-id="269b207e-0dfa-4f53-8a52-6796033f78fa" data-vars-headline="Metro offers new routes as back-to-school bus trips return" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.go-metro.com/reinventing-metro/" target="_blank">gotten more robust</a>, with new routes and more frequent service.</li></ul>

CPS faces mounting pressure over income tax proposal

Cincinnati Public Schools' earned-income tax proposal could be headed for a reversal Monday

Cincinnati Public Schools&#x27; earned-income tax proposal could be headed for a reversal Monday after Republicans and Democrats came out against it in recent days.Why it matters: Everyone seems to agree CPS needs more money, but disagree on the best way to raise it.<ul><li>Monday&#x27;s meeting may be the last chance to settle on a plan before the Wednesday deadline to place items on the November ballot.</li></ul>

Cincinnati State finds next president in-house

Robbin S. Hoopes will replace Monica Posey as president next month.

Cincinnati State looked nationwide, but found its next president Robbin S. Hoopes sitting in the office down the hall.Why it matters: The longtime provost has helped oversee a decade of enrollment growth and an expanded role in the region.<ul><li>He will succeed Monica Posey, who retires Aug. 31.</li></ul>

Education 📚

Ohio ranks third in book bans, but Cincinnati tells a different story

Ohio ranks third nationally in school book bans

Miami embraces AI, with a healthy dose of doubt

Fast Company ranking spotlights Cincinnati's innovation "cheat code"

A century of Elder runs in the family