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DUBLIN, Ohio (WCMH) -- New renderings show how development company Crawford Hoying plans to build Cameron Mitchell's first boutique hotel in Dublin's Bridge Park.

The proposal submitted to the city of Dublin says the hotel will be home to about 130 guestrooms with amenities including a fitness center, pool and luxury spa within a seven-story tower. The complex will be located southeast of the State Route 161 roundabout at Riverside Drive and West Granville Road, and will also feature about 24 condos in an eight-story tower.

Million-dollar neighborhood approved for 14-acre Dublin reserve

Four food and beverage concepts, multiple restaurants, a pool bar, an event venue with a 4,000-square-foot ballroom, and a series of meeting rooms round out the planned hotel's offerings. Crawford's proposal is scheduled to receive another review from the city's planning and zoning commission on Thursday.

• The hotel will be home to about 130 guestrooms with amenities including a fitness center, pool and luxury spa within a seven-story tower. (Courtesy Photo/City of Dublin)
• The hotel will be home to about 130 guestrooms with amenities including a fitness center, pool and luxury spa within a seven-story tower. (Courtesy Photo/City of Dublin)
• The hotel will be home to about 130 guestrooms with amenities including a fitness center, pool and luxury spa within a seven-story tower. (Courtesy Photo/City of Dublin)
• The outline also shows that a four-story office building with ground level retail will span about 96,000 square feet on the property's southeast corner. (Courtesy Photo/City of Dublin)

The outline also shows that a four-story office building with ground-level retail will span about 96,000 square feet on the property's southeast corner. Crawford originally planned for this building to be condos, but announced early last year it was pivoting to office space while negotiating with "some pretty significant leases" for more office users at Bridge Park.

A series of streetscapes will connect the office building to the hotel, which is Mitchell's first foray into the hotel industry after 30 years of business. Described as a boutique hotel, the complex will be a "one-of-a-kind, culinary-forward lifestyle hotel concept."

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"This will undoubtedly be one of the premier hotels in the Midwest, combining the legendary culinary experience we’re known for with a preeminent hospitality focus," Mitchell said in a previous release. "We’ve been working on this project idea with Crawford Hoying for years, and not only will it be the best hotel in the city, but it will also be a place for Columbus residents and visitors alike to gather, celebrate, dine, and relax."

A three-level, partially below-grade parking garage will serve the entire development with about 415 parking spaces, and open green space on the property will be accessible to the public.

Construction on the entire development is expected to begin in 2026.

BLACKLICK, Ohio (WCMH) — A nearly 10,000-square-foot Franklin County estate, with a grand interior featuring wood paneling, fireplaces and exposed brick, has hit the market for $3.5 million.

The house, at 7975 Wills Run Lane in Blacklick, is in the gated Colts Neck community on 4.5 acres. Listed by Jack Curtis of Keller Williams Capital Partners, the residence was custom-built in 1996 by Kevin Knight Builders.

The interior includes seven large bedrooms, five full bathrooms, and three half baths. The sanctuary-like primary suite is situated on the first floor. To get around its four stories, the home has an oversized elevator. Also part of its design are laundry areas on three floors.

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The property is perfect for entertaining, with multiple indoor gathering areas and passageways that transition to an outdoor retreat. Outside, privacy abounds in the fully fenced backyard with mature trees and professional landscaping. Offering additional exterior spaces for get-togethers are an in-ground saltwater pool and an adjacent hot tub.

• Courtesy photo / reEquity Group at KW Capital Partners
• Courtesy photo / reEquity Group at KW Capital Partners
• Courtesy photo / reEquity Group at KW Capital Partners
• Courtesy photo / reEquity Group at KW Capital Partners
• Courtesy photo / reEquity Group at KW Capital Partners
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• Courtesy photo / reEquity Group at KW Capital Partners
• Courtesy photo / reEquity Group at KW Capital Partners
• Courtesy photo / reEquity Group at KW Capital Partners
• Courtesy photo / reEquity Group at KW Capital Partners
• Courtesy photo / reEquity Group at KW Capital Partners
• Courtesy photo / reEquity Group at KW Capital Partners
• Courtesy photo / reEquity Group at KW Capital Partners
• Courtesy photo / reEquity Group at KW Capital Partners
• Courtesy photo / reEquity Group at KW Capital Partners
• Courtesy photo / reEquity Group at KW Capital Partners
• Courtesy photo / reEquity Group at KW Capital Partners
• Courtesy photo / reEquity Group at KW Capital Partners
• Courtesy photo / reEquity Group at KW Capital Partners
• Courtesy photo / reEquity Group at KW Capital Partners
• Courtesy photo / reEquity Group at KW Capital Partners

Car enthusiasts will find space for 10 automobiles or recreational vehicles in several garages. Alternatively, these outbuildings could be used for hobbies or storage.

Although it feels secluded, the house is surprisingly located minutes away from Downtown Columbus and John Glenn International Airport. Also nearby are New Albany, Hoover Reservoir and Easton Town Center.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — It was an uneventful week at the pumps in central Ohio as average gas prices remained unchanged from one week ago.

According to GasBuddy’s survey of 500 stations in and around Columbus, Ohio, gas prices did not budge from last week, averaging out at $2.94 per gallon. The current price is 14.6 cents per gallon higher than four weeks ago and 12.9 cents lower than this time one year ago.

Columbus Gas Prices Tracker

The cheapest gas station in the Columbus area was priced at $2.39 a gallon on Sunday, while the most expensive was $3.19, a difference of 80 cents per gallon. In Ohio, the average price of gas also stood still at $2.91 per gallon.

Nationally, gas prices experienced a small dip of 1.4 cents per gallon to average out at $2.99, but the price of diesel went in the opposite direction, climbing by 2.5 cents, settling in at $3.66 per gallon.

What is price cycling?

While no news is generally good news, experts believe prices in the Midwest are expected to rise due to unforeseen refinery issues and increased oil production for the month of December.

“The national average once again briefly dipped below the $3 per gallon mark, but the drop will be short-lived,” said Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy. “Gas prices are likely to rebound soon in the Great Lakes states due to ongoing refinery challenges. For now, expect the national average to hover in the low-$3 range, potentially drifting lower once refinery issues are resolved.”

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Attorney General Dave Yost is urging the Ohio Supreme Court to uphold a contested state law banning gender transition treatment for minors.

Yost, the state's chief legal officer, filed written arguments on Oct. 20 in the case against House Bill 68, the state law that prohibits doctors from performing such medical treatment on children. Yost asked the justices to consider the case earlier this year after the Tenth District Court of Appeals ruled in March that the law is unconstitutional. Watch a previous NBC4 report on the March decision in the video player above.

The attorney general's brief argues the appeals court erred when it said H.B. 68 "infringes on parents' fundamental right to direct the medical care of their children." Yost called the ruling a "dangerous twist on the question of 'who decides,'" saying that Ohioans -- through their elected representatives -- decided that transition treatment should be reserved for adults.

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"It's our job to defend the law that was passed by the democratic process through the elected representatives of the people, but maybe even more importantly than that, it's to protect the kids," Yost said in a statement. "It's very important to understand that this case is not about what adults do with their own bodies; that's between them and their doctors, it's a free country. This is about protecting kids."

"We're trying to protect children in their most vulnerable years, but beyond that, it's really important to recognize that the Tenth District got this seriously wrong, they're trying to take away democracy, your government, and hand it over to a bunch of elected, so-called experts," the attorney general continued.

Yost's brief followed Nationwide Children's Hospital's announcement in September that it will no longer prescribe "gender-affirming medications." Although the hospital said it's "currently in compliance with state and federal regulations," the decision is "in order to proactively plan and support our providers and patients in a rapidly changing regulatory environment."

Freda Levenson, ACLU of Ohio legal director, said in a statement at the time that the organization is "actively fighting Ohio's ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth." The group, which filed the lawsuit against H.B. 68 on behalf of two families with trans children, said they "will do everything we can to ensure trans youth receive lifesaving medical care moving forward."

The Ohio Supreme Court announced in July it would take up Yost's appeal and review the H.B. 68 lawsuit, after saying in late April that the state can continue enforcing the law while litigation continues.

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H.B. 68, which also bans trans female athletes' participation in women's sports, faced a contentious road while advancing through Ohio's legislature. The measure was condemned by top Ohio doctors, including Nick Lashutka, president of the Ohio Children's Hospital Association, who argued at the Statehouse in 2023 that "it is a dangerous precedent for government to dictate when medication is appropriate in pediatrics."

While the Statehouse approved H.B. 68 in December 2023, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine vetoed the legislation the following month. The governor said he made his decision after visiting patients at five children's hospitals, arguing that "these are gut-wrenching decisions that should be made by parents and should be informed by teams of doctors." Still, both chambers of the Statehouse moved to override DeWine's veto.

The ACLU filed its lawsuit against H.B. 68 later that spring, putting the law temporarily on hold and setting up a five-day Franklin County trial in July 2024. Ultimately, Common Pleas Judge Michael Holbrook ruled that the legislation could go into effect, given that it didn't violate Ohio's constitution. The ACLU then appealed Holbrook's decision to the Tenth District.

View Yost's full Oct. 20 brief below:

2025-10-20-HB68-AppealDownload

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- If a Tuesday in November when many people work seems like a random time to hold elections, blame 19th-century farmers.

Federal statute places Election Day on the Tuesday that falls between Nov. 2 and Nov. 8, or the Tuesday after the first Monday in November. The date was chosen in 1845 by Congress, which sought to establish one set date for all Americans. See previous coverage of this upcoming Election Day in the video player above.

Trial begins for Connor Grubb: Police officer fatally shot pregnant Ta’Kiya Young

Before 1845, states could hold elections any time they wanted to within the 34 days before the Electoral College met in the first week of December. According to Congress, election results in earlier voting states began to influence results in later ones, creating concerns about fraud as travel and communication became faster.

Congress said the first week of November allowed about one month between citizen votes and the Electoral College's formal vote casting. Congress formalized that date for federal elections, allowing all states to cast votes for president, Senate and the House of Representatives concurrently. State and local elections do not have to fall on a uniform day, but most follow the general election schedule.

According to a report on the Electoral College for the Congressional Research Service, Congress also considered how different dates would affect the largely rural American public. In 1845, most Americans -- especially most citizens who could vote -- were typically Christian and lived in rural areas.

Congress chose November because that was typically when the harvest was gathered but before snowy weather set in. Elections were typically held in the county seat, so voters often had to take the day to travel. Farmers were much more easily able to spare the time after the harvest.

The Congressional report said travel time also contributed to picking a Tuesday. Sundays were generally seen as a day of rest and worship, so picking a Tuesday guaranteed a full day of travel before Election Day without interfering with Sunday. Religious commitments similarly complicated Friday and Saturday, narrowing it to a weekday.

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Wednesday was ruled out because it was the day many communities held their weekly markets, and Congress did not want to interfere with Thursday travel from marketplaces either. Oxford researchers said farmers, huntsmen and fishermen would travel to centralized markets in larger cities or towns and set up shop for the day. Within 50 years, the market system would no longer be the norm, but the date stuck.

By process of elimination, Congress had settled on its date. Nearly 200 years later, there have been attempts to change Election Day to fit modern societal norms.

According to Pew Research, 27 of the 36 countries that are members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development hold their national elections on weekends. Israel and South Korea hold their elections on weekdays but make the days national holidays so work won't interfere with voting. Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, Norway, Denmark and the Netherlands join the U.S. in weekday elections.

Election Day is a paid public holiday in 13 states, and 17 states require employers to give paid time off to vote. Ohio law does require employers to allow employees to take time off for voting, but Ohio is one of 19 states that does not require employers to offer paid time away.

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Congress has considered legislation to move Election Day to a weekend in hopes of improving voter turnout, but no attempt has succeeded. The U.S. lags behind many other countries in election participation. Pew Research found the U.S. rose above 60% voter turnout in the last few presidential elections, but many other countries see turnout above 75%.

Early and absentee voting offer other ways to vote ahead of Election Day. This year, Election Day falls on Nov. 4, and voters must cast their ballots between 6:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. at their polling location.

Central Ohio Weather and Radar

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- As we enter November, our thoughts turn to what kind of winter lies ahead. In fact, late next weekend, a strong cold front could bring scattered flurries in parts of central Ohio and lake-effect snows in northern Ohio in a quick, short-lived cold blast behind an Alberta clipper system.

On average, the first measurable snow of the season in Columbus arrives around Nov. 20, and the first inch or greater about Dec. 7. These dates, based on the 1991-2020 period, are about a week later compared to the late 20th-century, which reflects a winter warming trend.

Early indications for this winter

An early indicator is sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, part of the cyclical pattern known as El Niño-Southern Oscillation, or ENSO, which influence the position of the jet stream and storm track.

NOAA's Climate Prediction Center issued a La Niña advisory in early October, with a 55% chance of returning to neutral conditions in January-March 2026. The opposite phase, or warm pattern, is called El Niño, which last occurred in the winter of 2023-24.

The predominant large-scale weather influence early this winter will be a weak La Niña, which favors a mild November and December with relatively light snowfalls. Things are likely to shift to a more typical Midwestern winter mode in January and February, based on the history of La Niña seasons.

If La Niña lingers through the entire winter, the cumulative snowfall will likely be below average in central Ohio, probably 16-24 inches, with the lighter totals in the southeastern counties.

Last winter (2024-25) hinted at a weak La Niña in the early going, but it didn't last long enough to qualify, although the results could serve as an approximate guide for the start of the upcoming season.

Autumn and the beginning of winter were very mild, with little snow until the first week of January 2025. Then, the bottom dropped out, with blasts of frigid air into early February. The bulk of the winter snowfall (14.8 inches) came in January (11.8 inches).

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The amount of sea ice surrounding the Arctic region, and snow cover in Siberia and northern Asia, also play a role in the buildup of frigid air capable of reaching the U.S. The more snow and ice, the colder the air masses that reach the northern and central states when the jet stream dips south.

Other variables that could tip the scales to more cold and snow in midwinter are Arctic and tropical climate drivers, including a southward migration of the polar vortex, and subtropical moisture feeding Pacific systems that cross the nation, with mainly snow north and rain or mixed precipitation along and south of the primary storm track.

Additionally, a pool of warm water in the central North Pacific could strengthen a ridge in the jet stream over the northeastern Pacific, allowing colder air to flow south into the nation's heartland.

Weak La Niña Winters

Looking back at weak La Niña seasons patterns this century, when compared to the average Columbus snowfall (28.2 inches) and temperature (32.2 degrees), statistical clues emerge regarding the nature of the winter to come.

WINTERTOTAL SNOWFALL
(Oct.-May)AVERAGE TEMPERATURE (Dec.-Feb.)2000-0126.329.12005-0612.934.72008-0923.229.92016-17 9.337.12017-1829.832.42022-2312.537.7

Five of the six La Niña winters were less snowy compared to the 30-year average (1991-2020), while temperatures averaged above normal in 60% of those winters. Interestingly, the year after six moderate La Niña winters going back to 1950 (chillier waters than in a “weaker” pattern), half of the winters were fairly cold and snowy.

What is a typical La Niña winter in North America?

La Niña occurs when colder-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean loom off the coast of Peru and Ecuador. Warm water is pushed westward by strengthening easterly trade winds, allowing deeper, colder waters to reach the surface off the coast of South America.

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This climate regime causes the jet stream to shift farther north across the northeastern Pacific into western Canada, with a split flow sending moisture south of blocking high pressure into the Pacific Northwest. Farther east, a northwesterly flow over the lakes brings frequent lake-effect snowfalls in northeastern Ohio in early winter.

The average winter storm track, which follows the jet stream, tends to dive southward over the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes, where heavier precipitation occurs. A northward turn near the Ohio River Valley brings milder air in contact with cold Canadian air, resulting in mixed rain/snow or rain, sometimes ending as snow showers. (Significant snows usually fall 100 to 150 miles northwest of the storm track.)

Above-average snowfall is generally limited to the Mountain West and northern tier of states, from the High Plains to the Great Lakes and northern New England. Drier conditions prevail in the Southern states, with below-normal snowfall from the Midwest to the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic region.

Winter of 2022-23

The variability in La Niña winter was illustrated in the winter of 2022-23, which was initially mild in Ohio, until a major Christmas Eve snowstorm and blast of frigid air that sent the temperature plummeting to -7 degrees in Columbus, with a wind chill of -34 on December 23, 2022. Yet temperatures in January-February 2023 averaged about 8 degrees above normal., and merely a trace of snow fell in February, with a final winter tally of a meager 12.3 inches.

La Niña was also present in the winters of 2016-17 and 2017-18. The winter of 2016-17 was exceptionally mild, delivering only 9.3 inches of snow in Columbus.

However, a weaker La Niña in 2017-18 brought a totally different result, pointing to the role of other factors beyond Pacific climate systems, especially on the weaker end.

Both December 2017 and January 2018 averaged several degrees below normal, with nearly 20 inches of snow falling in Columbus. February brought a complete reversal, with temperatures more than 6 degrees above normal. March and April were cold and snowy, raising the season snowfall to 30.7 inches.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — One person is dead after a two-vehicle crash on an interstate exit ramp in north Columbus.

According to Columbus police, two vehicles, a semi-truck and an SUV, were involved in a crash on the Gemini Place exit ramp from Interstate 71 South. The crash occurred at 4:28 a.m. and one person was pronounced dead at the scene.

Latest traffic conditions in central Ohio

The exit ramp from I-71 South is currently closed as is the right lane on I-71 South in the immediate area. It is not yet known how the crash was caused.

NBC4 will have more on this developing story as details become available.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Jury selection is underway in the murder trial of a Blendon Township police officer who fatally shot a pregnant woman in a grocery store parking lot.

Connor Grubb, 31, is charged with four counts of murder, four counts of felonious assault and two counts of involuntary manslaughter in relation to the deaths of Ta’Kiya Young, 21, and her unborn daughter. If convicted of murder, Grubb could face a maximum sentence of life in prison. 

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Potential jurors filled out questionnaires late last week. On Monday, attorneys are scheduled to begin in-person questioning for members of the pool to determine their suitability and impartiality for the trial. Prosecution and defense attorneys have estimated the trial will take about 2-3 weeks. 

Use of force trials for police officers follow a different standard than the typical murder trial. Jurors will not have to determine if Grubb killed Young, but rather if Grubb’s use of force was “objectively reasonable” based on what he knew at the time, without the use of hindsight. 

The shooting

On Aug. 24, 2023, Young went to the Kroger at 5991 South Sunbury Road in Blendon Township, near Westerville. Surveillance footage captured Young in the liquor section of the store, placing multiple bottles into two large purses. 

Two other women walked in separately, and about a minute and a half later, they approached Young while she waited in line with more bottles in a shopping basket. After waiting in line for about a minute, Young walked out of the liquor store carrying the shopping basket and her personal bags alongside the two other women, setting off an alarm. 

Young and the two women then exited the Kroger; Young did not have the shopping basket with her but did have her purses containing liquor. A Kroger manager came outside and pointed out Young to Grubb and another Blendon Township officer, who happened to be in the parking lot helping someone get into a locked car. Young went to one car, which did not have a license plate, and the two other women went to another car. 

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Police-worn body camera footage shows the accompanying officer went to Young's driver's side window and ordered her out of the car multiple times. She asked why, and the officer said someone accused her of stealing from the store. Young responded, “I didn’t steal s—.” As the officer and Young argued, Grubb walked to the front of the car. 

Young began turning her wheel. Grubb, with his gun drawn and pointed at Young, placed his hand on the car’s hood. Young, still turning the wheel to the right, asked if he was going to shoot her.

As Young slowly started to drive forward, Grubb was briefly lifted off the ground. At the same time, he fired one shot, which struck Young in the chest. Her car rolled about 50 feet before hitting the Kroger building. 

The officers then broke Young’s driver’s side window, since her door was locked, before removing her from the car and placing her in handcuffs. Grubb called for medics about 20 seconds after Young was removed from the car. 

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Grubb ran to his car to retrieve a chest seal. A passerby wearing an OhioHealth shirt identified himself as an emergency room physician and helped provide aid for several minutes. After the chest seal was applied, the doctor said he could not locate a pulse, and the other officer began CPR. A rotation of responding officers kept up chest compressions until medics arrived about 12 minutes after the shot was fired.

As Grubb spoke to other responding officers throughout the incident, he said multiple times that Young tried to run him over. Young was taken to a hospital, where she and her unborn child died.

The aftermath

Grubb was placed on paid administrative leave immediately after the shooting and was moved to unpaid leave in June. The Blendon Township Board of Trustees voted to change Grubb’s employment status, citing financial issues for the township due to the failure of a levy in May’s election.

A few days after the shooting, nearly 100 protesters gathered at the Kroger, displaying signage saying “jail all killer cops,” “black lives matter” and “justice for Ta’Kiya.” Young’s family has also regularly held vigils in the grocery store's parking lot since her death. 

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In August, Young’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Franklin County Common Pleas Court against Grubb and Kroger. The lawsuit alleges Grubb and the Kroger employee "unnecessarily escalated" the altercation, ultimately leading to her death. 

About one month later, Young’s family also filed a federal lawsuit against the Blendon Township Police Department. That filing claims that the department has displayed a consistent and systemic failure to properly train and supervise its officers on the proper use of force, as well as a failure to properly discipline officers engaged in excessive force and other misconduct.

Who will be in the courtroom? 

Grubb, who started at the Blendon Township Police Department in early 2019, will be represented by attorneys Mark Collins and Kaitlyn Stephens. The pair has represented multiple law enforcement officials under prosecutorial scrutiny for their use of force, including Adam Coy, who fatally shot Andre Hill, and former Columbus vice officer Andrew Mitchell, who killed Donna Castleberry in 2018.

Montgomery County prosecutors Erin Claypoole, Daniel Brandt and Richard Glennon are tasked with convincing the jury Grubb’s use of force was unreasonable. 

Franklin County Common Pleas Judge David Young, who is not related to Ta’Kiya Young, will preside over the case. He has been a judge of the court since 2015. 

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- One person is dead and a second is hospitalized after a shooting Sunday night in the Linden section of Columbus.

According to Columbus police, officers responded to the area of East Hudson and Pontiac streets for a reported shooting.

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One victim was pronounced dead at the scene at 10:22 p.m.; the second victim was taken to a local hospital in stable condition.

There is no word on suspects at this time, and it is not known what led to the shooting.

MARYSVILLE, Ohio (WCMH) -- SNAP benefits, which help millions of families afford groceries, are still on hold as the federal government shutdown drags on, and that pause is leaving many central Ohio families wondering how they'll put food on the table. 

Giovanni's Pizza in Marysville is stepping up to make sure kids don't go hungry. From Nov. 1-15, any child 17 and under will receive a free 8-inch, one-topping pizza. Owner Cindy Curry said no purchase is necessary and no questions will be asked.

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"It was actually my daughter who reached out and said, ‘Hey, here's something going on in the news, and I think we might need to look into this,’" Curry said. 

For families across central Ohio, the pause in SNAP benefits has created anxiety with not knowing how long the government shutdown will last or when help will come. That uncertainty is what inspired Curry to take action. 

"I just thought, what are they going to do," Curry said. "How are they going to eat?  That has to be extremely concerning and worrisome for the parents who are already having struggles during this time. Rent is expensive, utilities are expensive, and now we're going to not have food." 

For Curry, this effort is deeply personal. She said she knows how it feels to rely on SNAP benefits.

"I know how terrifying it can be to not know where the food and the money is coming from," Curry said. "So, we wanted to make sure that we were able to give back since we were able to receive those benefits at one point ourselves."

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Last week, Ohio leaders announced an emergency $25 million food assistance plan to help families impacted by the pause.

One day later, on Friday, a federal judge granted a temporary restraining order, saying ending SNAP payments would harm not only people, but local economies. The judge ruled the Trump Administration must tap into emergency funds to make SNAP payments during the government shutdown. 

NBC4 reached out to Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s office for comment regarding the $25 million food assistance allotment in light of the court’s ruling, but has not heard back as press time.

"I think it's really important that everybody's got to pull together and make sure that we keep them fed," Curry said.

For Curry, she said this isn't about politics, it's about people. Her effort isn't stopping here. She's looking at additional ways to help the community like partnering with a local food bank.

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"I'd be happy to get together with other people," Curry said. "Maybe we can partner and be stronger together and do some things that might be able to make a bigger impact."

The Trump administration must provide an update by noon Monday on how it will comply with the order. It's still unclear if Friday's rulings will be enacted quickly enough to ensure November payments go through as planned. 

From AI-powered code generation boosting productivity to adversaries using the same tools to hunt zero-days, the panel exposes the coming wave of AI-fueled cyberattacks—and why most companies aren't ready for it.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- The Columbus Crew is looking to extend its season on Sunday night as it hosts FC Cincinnati in the second game of the "Hell is Real" rivals' first round playoff series.

Kickoff will be at 6:30 p.m. from Lower.com Field as the Black & Gold must win in regulation or in a penalty shootout to force a deciding game three on Saturday back in Cincinnati. FCC defeated its rivals 1-0 on Monday in the opening game of the series and seeks its first trip to the Eastern Conference semifinals since 2023.

If the Crew lose, it will mark the second consecutive season they lose in the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs. You can follow live game updates below.

A Ukrainian man indicted in 2012 for conspiring with a prolific hacking group to steal tens of millions of dollars from U.S. businesses was arrested in Italy and is now in custody in the United States, KrebsOnSecurity has learned.

Sources close to the investigation say Yuriy Igorevich Rybtsov, a 41-year-old from the Russia-controlled city of Donetsk, Ukraine, was previously referenced in U.S. federal charging documents only by his online handle “MrICQ.” According to a 13-year-old indictment (PDF) filed by prosecutors in Nebraska, MrICQ was a developer for a cybercrime group known as “Jabber Zeus.”

Image: lockedup dot wtf.

The Jabber Zeus name is derived from the malware they used — a custom version of the ZeuS banking trojan — that stole banking login credentials and would send the group a Jabber instant message each time a new victim entered a one-time passcode at a financial institution website. The gang targeted mostly small to mid-sized businesses, and they were an early pioneer of so-called “man-in-the-browser” attacks, malware that can silently intercept any data that victims submit in a web-based form.

Once inside a victim company’s accounts, the Jabber Zeus crew would modify the firm’s payroll to add dozens of “money mules,” people recruited through elaborate work-at-home schemes to handle bank transfers. The mules in turn would forward any stolen payroll deposits — minus their commissions — via wire transfers to other mules in Ukraine and the United Kingdom.

The 2012 indictment targeting the Jabber Zeus crew named MrICQ as “John Doe #3,” and said this person handled incoming notifications of newly compromised victims. The Department of Justice (DOJ) said MrICQ also helped the group launder the proceeds of their heists through electronic currency exchange services.

Two sources familiar with the Jabber Zeus investigation said Rybtsov was arrested in Italy, although the exact date and circumstances of his arrest remain unclear. A summary of recent decisions (PDF) published by the Italian Supreme Court states that in April 2025, Rybtsov lost a final appeal to avoid extradition to the United States.

According to the mugshot website lockedup[.]wtf, Rybtsov arrived in Nebraska on October 9, and was being held under an arrest warrant from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

The data breach tracking service Constella Intelligence found breached records from the business profiling site bvdinfo[.]com showing that a 41-year-old Yuriy Igorevich Rybtsov worked in a building at 59 Barnaulska St. in Donetsk. Further searching on this address in Constella finds the same apartment building was shared by a business registered to Vyacheslav “Tank” Penchukov, the leader of the Jabber Zeus crew in Ukraine.

Vyacheslav “Tank” Penchukov, seen here performing as “DJ Slava Rich” in Ukraine, in an undated photo from social media.

Penchukov was arrested in 2022 while traveling to meet his wife in Switzerland. Last year, a federal court in Nebraska sentenced Penchukov to 18 years in prison and ordered him to pay more than $73 million in restitution.

Lawrence Baldwin is founder of myNetWatchman, a threat intelligence company based in Georgia that began tracking and disrupting the Jabber Zeus gang in 2009. myNetWatchman had secretly gained access to the Jabber chat server used by the Ukrainian hackers, allowing Baldwin to eavesdrop on the daily conversations between MrICQ and other Jabber Zeus members.

Baldwin shared those real-time chat records with multiple state and federal law enforcement agencies, and with this reporter. Between 2010 and 2013, I spent several hours each day alerting small businesses across the country that their payroll accounts were about to be drained by these cybercriminals.

Those notifications, and Baldwin’s tireless efforts, saved countless would-be victims a great deal of money. In most cases, however, we were already too late. Nevertheless, the pilfered Jabber Zeus group chats provided the basis for dozens of stories published here about small businesses fighting their banks in court over six- and seven-figure financial losses.

Baldwin said the Jabber Zeus crew was far ahead of its peers in several respects. For starters, their intercepted chats showed they worked to create a highly customized botnet directly with the author of the original Zeus Trojan — Evgeniy Mikhailovich Bogachev, a Russian man who has long been on the FBI’s “Most Wanted” list. The feds have a standing $3 million reward for information leading to Bogachev’s arrest.

Evgeniy M. Bogachev, in undated photos.

The core innovation of Jabber Zeus was an alert that MrICQ would receive each time a new victim entered a one-time password code into a phishing page mimicking their financial institution. The gang’s internal name for this component was “Leprechaun,” (the video below from myNetWatchman shows it in action). Jabber Zeus would actually re-write the HTML code as displayed in the victim’s browser, allowing them to intercept any passcodes sent by the victim’s bank for multi-factor authentication.

“These guys had compromised such a large number of victims that they were getting buried in a tsunami of stolen banking credentials,” Baldwin told KrebsOnSecurity. “But the whole point of Leprechaun was to isolate the highest-value credentials — the commercial bank accounts with two-factor authentication turned on. They knew these were far juicier targets because they clearly had a lot more money to protect.”

Baldwin said the Jabber Zeus trojan also included a custom “backconnect” component that allowed the hackers to relay their pilfering of commercial bank accounts through the victim’s own infected PC.

“The Jabber Zeus crew were literally connecting to the victim’s bank account from the victim’s IP address, or from the remote control function and by fully emulating the device,” he said. “That trojan was like a hot knife through butter of what everyone thought was state-of-the-art secure online banking at the time.”

Although the Jabber Zeus crew was in direct contact with the Zeus author, the chats intercepted by myNetWatchman show Bogachev frequently ignored the group’s pleas for help. The government says the real leader of the Jabber Zeus crew was Maksim Yakubets, a 38-year Ukrainian man with Russian citizenship who went by the hacker handle “Aqua.”

Alleged Evil Corp leader Maksim “Aqua” Yakubets. Image: FBI

The Jabber chats intercepted by Baldwin show that Aqua interacted almost daily with MrICQ, Tank and other members of the hacking team, often facilitating the group’s money mule and cashout activities remotely from Russia.

The government says Yakubets/Aqua would later emerge as the leader of an elite cybercrime ring of at least 17 hackers that referred to themselves internally as “Evil Corp.” Members of Evil Corp developed and used the Dridex (a.k.a. Bugat) trojan, which helped them siphon more than $100 million from hundreds of victim companies in the United States and Europe.

This 2019 story about the government’s $5 million bounty for information leading to Yakubets’s arrest includes excerpts of conversations between Aqua, Tank, Bogachev and other Jabber Zeus crew members discussing stories I’d written about their victims. Both Baldwin and I were interviewed at length for a new weekly six-part podcast by the BBC that delves deep into the history of Evil Corp. Episode One focuses on the evolution of Zeus, while the second episode centers on an investigation into the group by former FBI agent Jim Craig.

Image: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct89y8

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – This week on the Sunday Briefing:

• Teachers from across Ohio descend on the statehouse over what they call a threat to their $90 billion pension fund.

Hear their message to lawmakers.

• The government shutdown is now on its 34th day, one day short of the longest shutdown in history.

“The Schumer shutdown is causing great hardship,” Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) said.

“Good-hearted, smart Republicans are being so careless,” Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio 3rd District) said.

Hear from Ohioans on Capitol Hill as the blame game intensifies.

• “He basically told me, “Don’t bring it up. This is not going to work for you,’” Ohio State orthopedic trauma surgeon Dr. Laura Phieffer said.

An orthopedic trauma surgeon at the top of her game has filed a federal lawsuit against Ohio State. Hear what she said happened when she spoke up about harassment.

• It’s day 34 of the federal government shutdown and funding for critical programs is gone. Will it pressure lawmakers to return to the bargaining table? Democratic strategist Spencer Dirrig and Republican strategist Will Hinman join the roundtable to discuss the latest on the shutdown.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A 33-year-old woman is dead and a man was charged after a shooting early Sunday morning in northeast Columbus.

Man killed in University District stabbing

Police said reports of a shooting came in at 3:34 a.m. from the 1100 block of Wildwood Avenue in the St. Mary's area. Officers found Shakeilah White with a gunshot wound and had her taken to a hospital. She was in critical condition when medics began treating her but she was pronounced dead at 4:10 a.m.

CPD investigators said they have yet to determine what led up to White's shooting death but that a man was detained at the scene. He has been charged with tampering with evidence and other weapons-related charges.

Anyone with additional details on this shooting is asked to contact police at 614-645-4730 or contact Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461-8477.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes will likely be ranked No. 1 in Tuesday's initial playoff poll after receiving that ranking again on Sunday.

Ohio State (8-0, 5-0) was named the top-ranked team in the Associated Press poll and USA Today coaches poll after an impressive 38-14 win over unranked Penn State. The win Saturday in Columbus catapulted the Buckeyes' playoff chances to nearly 100% and has quarterback Julian Sayin as a favorite to be a Heisman finalist.

What we learned from Ohio State’s 38-14 win over Penn State

With four games to play, it would take a cataclysmic collapse for Ohio State to miss the College Football Playoff as the rankings committee will reveal their initial top 25 on Tuesday at 8 p.m. Ohio State has been the top team in the first playoff poll on two occasions (2023, 2019) but when named No. 1, the Buckeyes were not the top team in the preceding AP or coaches poll.

2025 Associated Press rankings (Nov. 2, 2025) 1Ohio State (54)2Indiana (11)3Texas A&M (1)4Alabama5Georgia6Oregon7Ole Miss8BYU9Texas Tech10Notre Dame11Oklahoma12Virginia13Texas14Louisville15Vanderbilt16Georgia Tech17Utah18Miami19Missouri20USC21Michigan22Memphis23Tennessee24Washington25Cincinnati

If the College Football Playoff committee copied this week's rankings on Tuesday, Ohio State would sit as the No. 1 seed in the bracket with an automatic berth into the quarterfinals. The Buckeyes would be projected to play the winner of a first round game between BYU and Texas Tech in the Rose Bowl.

In the 11 previous seasons of the CFP, the team ranked No. 1 in the AP and coaches polls has been ranked No. 1 in the first playoff poll on six occasions. The first No. 1 team in the CFP poll has won the national championship only twice and has made the national championship game on six occasions.

Ohio State is one of the three teams to miss a playoff after the committee ranked it No. 1 in its first poll. Tennessee and Mississippi State are the other two teams fitting that description.

No. 1 teams in initial College Football Playoff polls

• 2024 - Oregon (No. 1 in AP and coaches, lost quarterfinal to Ohio State)
• 2023 - Ohio State (No. 3 in AP and coaches, didn't make playoff)
• 2022 - Tennessee (No. 2 in AP, No. 3 in coaches, didn't make playoff)
• 2021 - Georgia (No. 1 in AP and coaches, won national title)
• 2020 - Alabama (No. 1 in AP and coaches, won national title)
• 2019 - Ohio State (No. 3 in AP, No. 4 in coaches, lost semifinal to Clemson)
• 2018 - Alabama (No. 1 in AP and coaches, lost final to Clemson)
• 2017 - Georgia (No. 2 in AP and coaches, lost final to Alabama)
• 2016 - Alabama (No. 1 in AP and coaches, lost final to Clemson)
• 2015 - Clemson (No. 3 in AP, No. 5 in coaches, lost final to Alabama)
• 2014 - Mississippi State (No. 1 in AP and coaches, didn't make playoff)

Ohio State will look to stay undefeated on Nov. 8 when it takes on Purdue in West Lafayette, Indiana. Kick-off is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- It may have taken a halftime adjustment but Ohio State avoided an upset and met expectations, pulling away in the second half to defeat Penn State to remain unbeaten this season.

"We came in at halftime, and we were up by three. You would have thought we were down by 21, but I thought we responded well," coach Ryan Day said. "That's the thing. When you come out in the second half, you have to learn from the first half, but you can't dwell on it."

The 38-14 win over the Nittany Lions marked the Buckeyes' ninth consecutive victory in the series and the tenth in the last 11 meetings. Meanwhile, Penn State's struggles continue after it dropped its fifth straight contest, leaving a sour taste in the Lions' mouths that may last until 2028, which is when the two Big Ten rivals are scheduled to meet again in the regular season.

Here's what we learned from Saturday.

Buckeyes come out of halftime fighting

The mood at the Horseshoe changed when C.J. Donaldson coughed up the football late in the first half, giving the Nittany Lions a chance to tighten up the contest. And PSU took advantage of the short field with Kaytron Allen scoring a one-yard touchdown with 20 seconds remaining in the second quarter to get Penn State within three.

Saturday marked the first time the Ohio State defense had allowed a first half touchdown.

"I really just didn't feel the intensity that I felt like we needed. I went in there and just put out the fact that this is a game. These guys aren't going to come in here and lay down," safety Caleb Downs said. "We got to go and take it."

The Buckeyes responded with a five play, 75-yard drive out of the locker room, capped off by Donaldson's 1-yard rushing score that redeemed the West Virginia transfer from his earlier fumble.

"We came out and did that at a high level in the second half -- came out and scored," Downs said. "We got out there and then we got a chance on defense and got it three and out. We went out and executed." 

Sayin makes the case for Heisman consideration

Heading into Saturday, Penn State had only been allowing an average of 145 passing yards this season. But Ohio State more than doubled that with quarterback Julian Sayin putting together a second straight four-touchdown, zero-interception performance.

After an impressive outing at Wisconsin, Sayin completed 20 of his 23 passes, which makes for an 87% accuracy rate for the afternoon. Long story short, the most accurate thrower in the country got even better on Saturday.

The redshirt freshman gives all the credit to his teammates.

"This is a team game. And, you know, the the offensive line did a great job today," Sayin said. "Our receivers did a great job today. And, you know, none of it happens without, you know, us as an offense, as a collective."

Even Day, who preaches a team-first mentality every day, thinks Sayin should get some Heisman consideration.

"Even when you look at the Heisman Trophy, it's sort of after the season's over and there's still a whole bunch of football to be played afterwards. So I think that's unique, but that's the tradition," Day said. "But I do think that if Julian continues to play the way that he's playing, he deserves to be in the conversation at the very least."

Penn State QB Grunkemeyer's homecoming

Ethan Grunkemeyer is used to being the spotlight. He served as team captain for Olentangy just two years ago, setting a number of school records along the way.

But Saturday saw a unique situation as the central Ohio native made his second ever collegiate start and his first inside the Horseshoe.

"It was a good experience. Saw a lot of football games in this stadium. This is my first time playing in it so, that was obviously pretty cool," Grunkemeyer said. "And then just based off the play, just gotta go back and watch the film. But we lost so, like I said, not good enough when we lose."

The redshirt freshman ended up completing 19 of his 28 passes for 145 yards and an interception. Those numbers were slightly better than his first outing a week ago at Iowa.

"He made some big third down throws. He once again managed the offense in a hostile environment. I don't think we had any snap count violations. I thought he ran the offense and I thought he did what was expected of him," Penn State interim head coach Terry Smith said. "Ohio State is a talented team and they put pressure on him. I thought he got much better from game one to game two, and I continue to look forward to him just continuing to get better week by week." 

It won't get any easier for Grunkemeyer. He'll make his Beaver Stadium debut next week when Penn State hosts No. 2 Indiana.