Economists and pundits alike are going wild over the United Kingdom’s recent “double dip” recession. The 2008-09 recession prompted the election of a conservative coalition led by Prime Minister David Cameron. Cameron decided the best path for economic recovery was “austerity,” a program of reduced government spending and smaller government debt. The new coalition—with the aid of Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne—sought to drastically slash the government budget. With the addition of increased taxes, the plan was dubbed “Tax and Axe.”

DeWine Looks to Throw Book at Repeat Offenders
Attorney General Mike DeWine desires legislation that would provide repeat offenders with "long, long sentences" after a new study showed those offenders are responsible for one third of all violent crime convictions, the Columbus Dispatch reports.

Kasich: Welfare Recipients Should Be Drug Tested
Gov. John Kasich said he is pleased that a proposed program to drug test welfare recipients has been put into a separate bill, but opponents claim that the ramifications of such legislation could do irreparable harm, the Columbus Dispatch reports.

FitzGerald for Governor in '14? Joining potential candidates U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Niles), former Gov. Ted Strickland and former Attorney General Richard Cordray, Cuyahoga County Executive Ed FitzGerald told the Cleveland Plain Dealer that he is considering a run for governor in 2014.

Hannah News Service