crookedrivercast

Crooked River Cast Show 46

🎙️ Kill Trump? ICE Chaos, SNAP Crackdowns & Ohio’s Political Meltdown

Robert and Tom are back with another jam-packed episode of Crooked River Cast, breaking down a wild week in Ohio politics, national outrage spilling into local streets, and the policies hitting your wallet and your commute. From a Democratic AG candidate igniting national backlash, to ICE protests on the ice (yes, really), to the mystery of what happens to all that dirty data center water — this episode covers it all, Ohio-style.

Let’s get into it 👇

🔥 Ohio Dem AG Candidate Says He’ll “Kill Trump”

One Ohio Democratic Attorney General candidate set the internet on fire after posting a video saying voters should elect him so he can “kill Trump.” The backlash was immediate — and bipartisan — forcing a walk-back statement while raising serious questions about judgment and rhetoric in statewide races. Can you say TDS?

Sources:
🔗: Backlash erupts after Ohio Democratic AG candidate posts about ‘killing’ Trump: ‘Absolute psychopath’

🔗: BREAKING: Ohio Democrat AG Candidate Behind Viral ‘Kill Trump’ Video Issues Statement to The Ohio Press Network

🔗: South Euclid state Rep. Elliot Forhan’s hostile behavior justified legislative punishments, report concludes.

🔗: DaveYostOH – on X

📘 Facebook: DoucheBag Profile

🥫 SNAP Changes Start Now

Work requirements for SNAP benefits are expanding, and more Ohioans will soon need to meet employment thresholds to stay eligible. The changes are already underway — and they’re happening amid inflation, layoffs, and uncertainty. OMG, it’s 3 %! Do you agree this is good news? Let us know, email us at crookedrivercast@gmail.com

Source:
🔗: More people will soon be required to work to receive SNAP benefits

🏁 Who Is Casey Putsch?

Engineer. Entrepreneur. Political outsider. Casey Putsch is making noise as a GOP candidate for Ohio governor, challenging the establishment and even Vivek Ramaswamy’s orbit. Robert and Tom break down who he is, what he stands for, and why his message is landing with some voters.

Sources:
🔗: Casey Putsch for Ohio Governor Endorsement Speech
🔗: Who is Casey Putsch? Meet the GOP candidate challenging Vivek Ramaswamy for Ohio governor

🧊 ICE Official Resigns to Run for Office

A top ICE official has resigned to run for a battleground congressional seat in Ohio — instantly drawing attention from both sides of the immigration debate. This 28-year-old, number 2 at ICE she is going after Marcy Kaptur’s 43-year position. Look out for Madison D. Sheahan! Can you say driven and badass?

Source:
🔗: Top ICE official resigns to seek battleground congressional seat in Ohio

🏛️ Maple Heights Mayor Launches Auditor Campaign

Maple Heights Mayor Annette Blackwell is officially in the race for Ohio Auditor, adding another name to an already crowded statewide contest.

Source:
🔗: Maple Heights Mayor Annette Blackwell launches campaign for Ohio auditor

🤐 Mount Orab “Mega Site” NDA Raises Eyebrows

Brown County residents want answers after Mount Orab Village Council signed an NDA tied to a mysterious “mega site.” Transparency? Not so much. Keep up with what is going on in your county, stick together, this is screevy.

Source:
🔗: Brown County residents seek answers after village signs NDA related to ‘mega site’

💧 Dirty Data Center Water — Where Does It Go?

Ohio EPA is reviewing discharge permits as data centers expand — but what happens to the wastewater they produce? It’s a question that’s only getting louder as development accelerates.

Source:
🔗: Ohio EPA reviewing data center discharge permits amid water quality concerns

🚔 Lake County Sheriff Shrugs Off Snow

The Lake County Sheriff is under fire after refusing to declare a snow emergency — because, apparently, snow doesn’t scare him. Residents? Less amused. It is winter and this is Lake County.

Source:
🔗: Lake County sheriff faces backlash over snow emergency policy

Use this link from OHGO for all your traffic update people!🔗: OHGO

🏫 What’s the Deal With School Closings?

Parents are questioning how — and when — districts decide to close schools during extreme weather. Robert and Tom dig into the inconsistency and frustration.

Source:
▶️ YouTube: Parents question school closure policies during extreme weather

🧊 Cleveland Protests ICE… On the Ice

Hundreds marched through downtown Cleveland protesting ICE following deadly shootings in Minnesota, bringing national tension straight to Ohio streets. Professionally printed the signs for a fully funded protest.

Source:
🔗: Hundreds protest ICE, march through city streets in downtown Cleveland following deadly shootings in Minnesota

🚨 Brooklyn City Official Fired After ICE Comment

A Brooklyn city official has been fired after a controversial social media comment tied to the Minnesota ICE shooting sparked outrage.

Source:
🔗: Brooklyn city official fired after social media comment about Minnesota ICE shooting

🌟 Good Things

🛷 All Downhill From Here

Sledding, skiing, tubing, and tobogganing season is here — and Northeast Ohio has options. Get out there, have some fun!

Source:
🔗: Going downhill: Where to sled, ski, innertube and toboggan in NE Ohio

🚴 Ohio Guy Bikes Across Frozen Great Lakes

One Clevelander biked across all five ice-covered Great Lakes this winter — because why not? Eric McKinney’s own winter plans: be the first recorded person in the world to bike on all five Great Lakes.

Source:
🔗: Meet the Clevelander Who Biked Across All Five Ice-Covered Great Lakes This Winter

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Crooked River Cast Show 45

🎙️ Salt Shortage, Snowpocalypse & Trump at Davos

Show #45 kicks off on a fun and heartfelt note as Tom wishes Robert a very happy birthday — including a story about Robert’s 15-year-old daughter drawing him a birthday card with a speedometer hitting 51 mph that read: “Wow, that was fast!” 🚗💨

And yes — she also got her temps just in time to drive in the Snowpocalypse ❄️, which is where things immediately take a sharp turn into Ohio chaos, global politics, and Washington power plays. From there, Robert and Tom dive straight into Trump’s Davos speech, healthcare policy, ICE drama in Ohio, and why nobody can find road salt when they actually need it.

🌎 Trump at Davos

Trump didn’t just show up at Davos — he took over the room. From calling out global power brokers to floating the idea of America buying Greenland, it was classic Trump: think big, go bold, and let everyone else catch up. Some people clutch their pearls when he speaks this plainly, which raises an interesting question — why? Whether you see it as genius or chaos, it’s straight out of The Art of the Deal, and it had the entire world watching.

🔗 Sources:

▶️ YouTube: LIVE: Trump speaks at World Economic Forum 2026 in Davos (full speech)

Greenland clip:
▶️ YouTube:Asking Greenlanders About Becoming Part of The United States

🏥 How “Great” Is Trump’s Healthcare Plan?

The fine print matters. The administration released a document called The Great Healthcare Plan — but does it actually improve healthcare access or just rebrand old policies?

Official White House PDF:
🔗: The Great Healthcare Plan

🚨 Ohio Commissioner Calls ICE & DHS “Terrorists”

That escalated quickly. A Lucas County Commissioner went on record calling ICE, DHS, and U.S. Border Patrol “terrorist organizations” — a serious accusation with massive implications. But when reporters asked him to explain or defend the claim, he suddenly went quiet. If you’re going to drop rhetoric that explosive, you should be ready to stand behind it.

What do you think? Was this reckless political theater or a legitimate critique of federal agencies? Email the show and tell us where you land — we want to hear your take. Douche or no douche?

Sources:

🔗: Ohio Commissioner Silent When Questioned on Calling ICE, DHS & Border Patrol Terrorist Groups

🧂 Ohio’s Rock Salt Shortage

Snow everywhere. Salt nowhere. Just as Northeast Ohio got buried in snow, cities suddenly ran out of rock salt — leaving roads slick and drivers frustrated.

Source:

▶️ YouTube: Northeast Ohio cities dealing with rock salt shortage during peak of winter season

🐀 Critter Corner

🗳️ Election Day Could Become a Holiday

Finally making voting easier? Ohio lawmakers are floating the idea of turning Election Day into a state holiday. Like it’s currently, it’s that hard to vote.

Source:

🔗: Ohio lawmakers propose bill to make Election Day a holiday

📹 Daycare Cameras to Stop “Fraud”?

Parents get surveillance, not answers. So… are they even investigating? Ohio Republicans are pushing for cameras in daycare classrooms to combat supposed “fraud,” yet there’s been no solid evidence presented that widespread fraud actually exists. Meanwhile, millions of taxpayer dollars are flowing out of Ohio’s childcare system, and instead of following the money, lawmakers want to put surveillance cameras on kids and teachers.

Let’s be honest — that’s not just ineffective, it’s creepy. If there’s real fraud happening, the answer isn’t turning daycares into reality TV… it’s doing a real audit and fixing the system. Ohio can do better than this.

Source:

🔗: Ohio GOP lawmakers want daycare cameras to combat ‘fraud’ that hasn’t been proven

💊 Ohio Pushes for More Abortion Pill Restrictions

The fight continues. Despite voters backing reproductive rights, new legislation aims to further restrict abortion pills.

Sources:

🔗: Reproductive Rights Regulated, Tested in Ohio Republican Bills, as Dems Continue Attempts to Protect

🔗: Sen. Jon Husted cites Ohio case in push for abortion drug restrictions

🚁 Using Drones as First Responders

Eyes in the sky over Ohio. Police departments across Northeast Ohio are rolling out “drones as first responders” to reach emergencies faster, assess danger, and track suspects before officers even arrive on scene. On paper, it sounds futuristic — but in practice, it raises some big questions.

One of the wildest examples came out of Stark County, where deputies used a drone to track down a man who fled a crash into the woods. Efficient? Sure. But it also begs the question: Why risk a high-speed chase when you can just run a plate or let a drone do the tracking? Technology is changing policing fast — whether we’re ready or not.

Sources:

▶️ YouTube: Police in Northeast Ohio plan to use ‘drones as first responders’ to help with emergency calls

🔗: Stark County Sheriff’s deputies use drone to find wanted man who fled crash into woods

🚗 Willoughby Hills Speed Cameras = Big Money

Slower cars, faster cash. The city says speeding is down — but revenue is way up. Love that money!

Source:

🔗: Willoughby Hills’ photo enforcement program shows dramatic reduction in speeding

⚖️ Judge Celebrezze Follow-Up

More fallout in Cuyahoga County. Former judge Leslie Ann Celebrezze has now had her law license suspended. Finally, the system seems to be working here in this case.

Source:

🔗: Ohio Supreme Court suspends law license of former Cuyahoga County Judge Leslie Ann Celebrezze

🌟 Good Things

🍽️ Cleveland Supper Clubs Are Thriving

Strangers. Food. Real conversations. As solo dining rises, Cleveland’s supper clubs are bringing people together the old-school way.

Source:

🔗: As Solo Dining Becomes Commonplace, Cleveland’s Supper Clubs are Bucking the Trend

🦫 A Fisher Returns to Ohio

First sighting in 100+ years! A fisher — a rare mammal — has been spotted in Ohio for the first time in more than a century.

Source:

🔗: Animal spotted in Ohio for first time in more than a century

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Crooked River Cast Show 44

🎙️ Sanctuary Showdowns, Saturated Fats & Ohio on the Brink

Robert and Tom are back for the second Crooked River Cast show of the year, and Ohio wasted no time setting the mood — the first kind-of major snowstorm of the season hit as the guys fired up the mics. From winter weather headaches to national policy shakeups, this episode barrels straight into Trump’s sanctuary city funding crackdown, RFK Jr.’s food fight, ICE activity in Ohio, government fraud, and the slow-motion collapse of familiar Cleveland institutions.

The episode also drops on Tom’s 55th birthday 🎂. Snow on the ground, candles on the cake, and chaos everywhere else — welcome back to Crooked River Cast.

🏛️ Trump Takes Aim at Sanctuary Cities

Federal funding is on the chopping block. Trump announced plans to strip federal funding from sanctuary cities and states starting February 1, escalating the immigration battle nationwide — and potentially hitting Ohio communities hard.

🔗 Source:
Donald Trump ending federal funding for “sanctuary cities” Feb. 1

🧈 RFK Jr. Declares War… on the War on Saturated Fats

Butter might be back! Jr. says new dietary guidelines will finally end the decades-long war on saturated fats, calling out flawed science and corporate food influence. The conversation gets even more interesting with a viral South Park-style spoof laying out the new food pyramid.

Sources:
🔗:New dietary guidelines will ‘end war on saturated fats’: RFK
▶️ YouTube: Watch: RFK Jr. uses South Park spoof to showcase new food pyramid – YouTube

📉 America Sees Net Negative Migration

A first in 50 years. For the first time in half a century, the U.S. experienced net negative migration in 2025 — a seismic shift with massive economic and political implications.

Source:
🔗: Experienced Negative Net Migration in 2025 for the First Time in 50 Years | National Review

🚔 Prepare for More ICE Raids in Ohio

Tension rising statewide. Following an ICE-related shooting and escalating protests, officials warn Ohioans to brace for additional ICE enforcement actions.

Source:
🔗: In the Wake of ICE Shooting, Protests in Ohio, Preparation for More Raids – Cleveland Scene

🧾 Ohio Fraud Update: “Cost of Doing Business”

You paid for it anyway. A response from Governor DeWine’s office raised eyebrows after fraud was brushed off as something the state has “known about for decades.”

Sources:
🔗: Constitutionalist 🇺🇸 on X – Dan Tierney statement on X
🔗: Curt (@wcdispatch) on X
🔗: Lane (@Sober_In_Dublin) on X

🏛️ GOP Members Cross the Line on Obamacare Subsidies

Betrayal or Bipartisanship? Three Ohio Republicans joined Democrats to restore ACA subsidies, igniting backlash from voters who didn’t send them to D.C. for compromise.

Source:
🔗: Ohio Republicans join Democrats to restore Obamacare subsidies

🩺 Moreno Outlines Senate ACA Strategy

Reform withour chaos? Senator Bernie Moreno lays out a plan to cut costs, reduce fraud, and avoid political implosion while reforming ACA subsidies.

Source:
🔗:OHIO EXCLUSIVE: US Sen. Bernie Moreno Outlines Senate Push for Reformed ACA Subsidies, Aiming to Cut Costs and Fraud While Averting Political Chaos

🖥️ Norton Data Center Deal Pulled

Ah, Not happening. The controversial Norton data center proposal has officially been withdrawn — raising questions about transparency, infrastructure, and local leadership.

Source:

🔗: Norton data center proposal withdrawn – The Barberton Gazette

🏟️ The IX Center’s Last Dance

End of an era. Cleveland’s IX Center hosts its final shows, marking the end of a landmark venue that defined decades of trade shows, car expos, and home & garden events.

Source:
‘🔗: It’s bittersweet’: IX Center hosts its final set of shows before transition

🚒 Cleveland Fire Chief Gets an Easy Out

Convenient timing. The Cleveland Fire Chief retires amid an investigation tied to a controversial social media post — with plenty of unanswered questions left behind.

Source:
🔗: Cleveland Fire Chief retires amid investigation into social media post

🌟 Good Things

🏈 Hall of Fame Village Moves Forward

Canton keeps building. Canton’s Hall of Fame Village secured a $70M loan to continue development on a new water park and hotel — a big win for Northeast Ohio.

Source:
🔗: Canton’s Hall of Fame Village gets $70M loan for water park, hotel

🎶 Erin Stoll Comes Home

Local talent returns. Erin Stoll brings her Homecoming Tour to Wadsworth with Doug Kleiner, supporting the Wadsworth Square Foundation.

Source:
🔗: Erin Stoll Homecoming Tour with Doug Kleiner – Wadsworth Square Foundation

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