Ohio's minimum wage increased marginally to begin 2025, but remains well below the cost of living in our region.

Why it matters: It's likely to be a hot topic in 2025, with a push to put an increase to a statewide vote ramping up again.

State of play: Each year, the state minimum wage increases by the rate of inflation — this time from $10.45 per hour to $10.70 for non-tipped employees.

• Tipped employee minimum wage increased from $5.25 per hour to $5.35.

By the numbers: The 25-cent increase may keep pace with inflation, but someone holding a full-time job with that wage would still fall far short of cost-of-living estimates from the City of Columbus.

• The city estimates a minimum cost of living of $2,507 per month in Central Ohio.
• A full-time worker making $10.70 would earn just over $1,700 every four weeks.

The big picture: The federal minimum wage is just $7.25 per hour, though states can opt for a higher one.

• Of 30 states that have done so, all are higher than Ohio's rate except Michigan ($10.56), Montana ($10.55) and West Virginia ($8.75).

What's next: The national organization One Fair Wage has worked to increase minimum wage rates across the country, and its Ohio chapter sought to place a constitutional amendment guaranteeing a $15 minimum wage on the November 2024 ballot.

• Those efforts fell short, but the group says it's trying to reach the November 2025 ballot.

What they're saying: Policy Matters Ohio, a progressive think tank, supports increasing Ohio's minimum wage.

• The research group found that a $15 minimum would benefit nearly 1 million workers, adding an average $2,128 per year to their pockets totaling more than $2 billion annually.

The other side: The Ohio Chamber of Commerce opposes an increased minimum wage.

• Legislative attempts have all failed to progress in the Republican-led Statehouse.

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Amy Acton, the former state health director who led Ohio's initial COVID-19 response, has announced a campaign for governor, per AP and other reports.

Why it matters: The Democrat hopes to leverage her pandemic popularity and name recognition to flip the governor's seat in 2026 after four terms of Republican control.

State of play: Acton has no elected office experience and previously considered a Senate run in 2021.

• She could become the first woman elected as governor.
• Attorney General Dave Yost is planning a gubernatorial campaign on the Republican side, while Gov. Mike DeWine is term-limited from running again.

Flashback: Acton was thrust into the spotlight during the governor's daily pandemic press conferences in 2020.

• She earned widespread recognition for her calm explanations and push for public closures amid the virus' early spread.

Yes, but: State health orders also drew sharp criticism from Republican lawmakers who enacted legislation curbing the health director's power and from protesters who demonstrated outside her home.

• Acton resigned in June 2020, spent a few months as DeWine's health adviser, then left the administration that August.

Since then, Acton has held stints leading Kind Columbus and RAPID 5, a nonprofit dedicated to outdoor recreation, before turning her attention to the governor's race last year.

🚨 The man accused of killing Blue Jackets player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, pleaded not guilty yesterday to charges of first-degree aggravated manslaughter and second-degree reckless vehicular manslaughter. (The Athletic)

🎨 The Fran Ryan Center opens today in Olde Towne East, offering creative art studios, a consignment shop and senior programming.

• An open house is 4-7pm, 865 E. Capital St. (Columbus Recreation and Parks)

🎙️ WOSU's "All Sides" has a new host: Amy Juravich, who most recently served as the radio station's program director and midday host. (Dispatch)

🦠 Ohio State researchers highlighted the way long COVID has upended workers' lives, from limiting their hours and income to them being fired. (HR Dive)

• OSU continues working to find a cure, supported by a National Institutes of Health grant.

👋 Alissa here. If you think you can flawlessly juggle multiple tasks, think again.

Driving the news: Last semester, I helped an Otterbein student with her capstone story project about the "myth of multitasking."

• Full disclosure: Amanda, a psychology and journalism double-major, is really bright and didn't need much mentoring.

The intrigue: I learned that "multitasking," as society calls it, isn't really a thing.

• Research suggests very few people can truly multitask without costs to their performance and productivity, she notes.

Reality check: Amanda created three quick, interactive quizzes for readers to test their multitasking mastery.

• 😬 I took them and … yeah, it didn't go so hot.

Try them: So you think you can multitask?

It's cold and snowy, which means it's the perfect time to curl up with a good book.

🙏 Thanks to readers who sent their recommendations after we shared some last week:

Bobbie S.: "Little Avalanches" by Becky Ellis. Parts are "laugh out loud" funny, other parts tragic. It's a wonderful story.

Jill L.: "Orbital" by Samantha Harvey; "Life After Kafka" by Magdaléna Platzová; "The Light Eaters" by Zoë Schlanger; "The Wildes" by Louis Bayard and "Ira Gershwin: A Life in Words" by Michael Owen.

📚 Plus: Reader Terry G. shared a fun "white elephant" idea.

What he's saying: "Each of us picks one or two books we have read in the last year and put them in a pile, recently a virtual pile on Zoom. We randomize the selection order and each person can select a new book or steal from the already 'opened' books."

• "The person who contributed the book that is selected provides a short book report as to why that particular book was significant … and we come away with a list of great books to read in the coming year."