JD Vance endorses brother for mayor, likely helping him advance to general election in Cincinnati



Vice President JD Vance put in a good word for his brother's mayoral bid in Cincinnati, likely helping him secure enough votes to advance to the general election in November.

Cory Bowman, 36, is the founder and pastor of the River Church in the West End of Cincinnati as well as a co-owner of the Kings Arms Coffee shop just up the street. He also happens to be Vance's half-brother.

'When it comes to that relationship, I've said it over and over, but I'll repeat it, he's an amazing role model of mine.'

Though a long shot, Bowman decided to make a run to unseat incumbent Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval. On Tuesday, Bowman, Pureval, and a third candidate, Brian Frank, competed against one another in the primary to secure one of the top two spots. The top two will then face off in November.

Vance took to social media to give his brother an extra boost.

"Hey Cincinnati! My brother Cory Bowman is running for mayor and is on the ballot today for the primary. He’s a good guy with a heart for serving his community. Get out there and vote for him!" Vance tweeted just before 1 p.m.

— (@)

The last-minute endorsement by the VP may have done the trick. While Pureval carried the day with 18,505 votes, more than 82% of the vote, Bowman eked out a second-place finish, gathering 2,894 votes to Frank's 1,022.

Bowman said his older brother's foray into politics, especially his inauguration into the second-highest office in the land in January, inspired him to become involved as well.

"When it comes to that relationship, I've said it over and over, but I'll repeat it, he's an amazing role model of mine," Bowman said, according to WCPO. "I look up to him as a big brother."

Still, Bowman noted that while his brother is busy tackling national and even international problems, he remains focused on local issues. "Our job isn't to copy and paste what's going on in the nation. Our job is to say, however the nation's going, what's going to be best for the city of Cincinnati?" Bowman stated, according to WVXU.

Bowman listed infrastructure issues like potholes and snow removal as well as crime and the city budget as his main concerns.

"When you see the roads, when you see the infrastructure, when you see our snow plows that are kind of not in perfect position, when you see even like our police cruisers that need to be updated ... whether it be for good intention or not, we're seeing that the priorities haven't been the streets," he explained.

Meanwhile, Pureval, who was first elected in 2021, claimed Cincinnati has improved drastically under his leadership and that he wants to help the city continue on that trajectory. "This is our moment, and I'm more determined than ever to keep building on the progress we've achieved together," he said when announcing his re-election bid.

Though mayoral and city council races in Cincinnati are technically nonpartisan, the city is overwhelmingly Democratic. All nine city council members who won in 2023 were endorsed by the Democratic Party.

While Vance and teammate President Donald Trump carried the state of Ohio comfortably over Kamala Harris and Tim Walz by nearly 600,000 votes last fall, the Democratic ticket trounced Republican opponents in Hamilton County, where Cincinnati is located, 233,000 to 172,000.

The general election in Cincinnati will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

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Father whose son was killed in police shooting is accused of murdering recently retired sheriff's deputy the very next day



An Ohio father whose son was killed in a Cincinnati police shooting last week is accused of murdering a recently retired sheriff's deputy the very next day.

Rodney Hinton Jr. on Tuesday appeared in court for a no-bond hearing on an aggravated murder charge in the death of retired Hamilton County sheriff's deputy Larry Henderson, WLWT-TV reported.

The detective said Hinton Jr. picked out the first officer he could find and accelerated toward him, going 'through the intersection, directly at where deputy Henderson was standing, struck deputy Henderson and the metal utility pole on the northeast corner.'

The station said the court's gallery was packed with family members and law enforcement officers during the hearing — and that emotions ran high.

The prosecution called a Cincinnati police detective who said Hinton Jr. on Friday had been at the police station to meet with the chief and view police bodycam video from the day before, WLWT reported.

The video showed officers fatally shooting Hinton Jr.'s son, Ryan Hinton, the station said, adding that the shooting occurred as police stopped a stolen car.

The detective said Hinton Jr. was emotional after viewing the bodycam video, and family didn’t want him driving, WLWT reported.

The detective said Hinton Jr. initially didn't drive — but came back later, got his car, and headed to an area near the University of Cincinnati where deputy Henderson was directing traffic for the college's graduation, the station noted.

The detective said Hinton Jr. picked out the first officer he could find and accelerated toward him, going "through the intersection, directly at where deputy Henderson was standing, struck deputy Henderson and the metal utility pole on the northeast corner," WLWT reported.

The prosecutor asked if there was evidence of skid marks, but the station said the detective replied "no" and that "there were no indications he tried to brake, stop, or otherwise avoid deputy Henderson."

The prosecution previously said Hinton Jr. "purposely caused the death of an on-duty deputy sheriff," WCPO-TV said.

Judge Tyrone Yates heard testimony as well as arguments from the state and defense in regard to bond for Hinton Jr., WLWT said, adding that the state said there are no adequate forms of release, and the suspect is a "giant mental health question mark" who presents a risk to law enforcement officers and the public.

Hinton Jr.'s attorney, Clyde Bennett, entered a not guilty plea on Hinton Jr.'s behalf and noted that his client's behavior indicates "classic mental illness" — and that not being in a right frame of mind can get one believing a wrong choice is actually right, the station said.

Hinton Jr. was denied bond at Tuesday's hearing, NBC News said.

Bennett said he will seek a competency hearing, WLWT noted, adding that a grand jury date was set for May 12.

You can view a video report here about Tuesday's hearing and the case in general.

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15-year-old boy accused of fatally shooting man who was charged with beating up the boy's mother



A 15-year-old boy is accused of fatally shooting a man who was charged with beating up the boy's mother, WXIX-TV reported, citing Cincinnati police.

Levonte Hyde, 30, was found shot several times in the 1600 block of Pasadena Avenue around 12:45 a.m. Thursday, the station said, citing police.

The woman and Hyde began to argue when Hyde called her a vulgar name, and then 'Hyde then began to hit [the] victim in the face several times with a closed fist while driving.'

Hyde was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center with life-threatening injuries but died later Thursday morning, WXIX said.

The teen was taken into custody as a person of interest, and police charged him with murder later that day, the station said, citing a police news release.

The teen suspect appeared in Hamilton County Juvenile Court Friday where the prosecutor said he fired 12 rounds at Hyde, WXIX reported.

The teen denied charges, WWLT-TV said.

"He had time to find a firearm, open a safe, retrieve that firearm, and waited for the victim to arrive, and ultimately ended up firing 12 shots when the victim did succumb to his injuries," said Tatyana Reintjes, assistant prosecutor, according to WWLT.

The teen also is one of the sons of a woman who accused Hyde of domestic violence, WXIX reported, citing police spokesman Lt. Jonathan Cunningham and a Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office spokesman.

Police filed court records Thursday saying the woman and Hyde are the “co-natural parents of two children," WXIX said, adding that the teen accused of fatally shooting Hyde is not Hyde's son.

A warrant was issued Thursday for Hyde’s arrest on a misdemeanor domestic violence charge, WXIX said, citing Hamilton County Municipal Court records.

Police also asked a judge to issue a temporary protection order requiring Hyde to stay away from the woman, WXIX said, adding that an officer referred to the woman in court records as the “victim” and noted that she had visible injuries to her face.

The woman told police that Hyde punched her in the face several times Thursday as they drove to a store, WXIX reported, citing an affidavit.

The woman and Hyde began to argue when Hyde called her a vulgar name, and then “Hyde then began to hit [the] victim in the face several times with a closed fist while driving,” WXIX said, citing a sworn statement from police.

Hyde's previous record

Hyde in July 2017 was charged with assault and criminal damaging, WXIX said, citing other court records. In that case, a different woman told Cincinnati police that Hyde bit her forearm, which left visible marks, and damaged a TV, wall, and door after kicking them at a residence, WXIX said, citing an affidavit. The woman refused medical treatment, WXIX said, citing a police account in the court record, and the assault charge against Hyde was dropped the following year. Hyde was convicted of the criminal damaging charge in 2018 and sentenced to 90 days in jail with 33 days suspended and credit for 57 days, WXIX said. A judge ordered Hyde to stay away from the woman and pay $110 in fines and $240 in restitution, WXIX said. Hyde was placed on probation for 11 months, but WXIX said that was terminated in 2019 when he failed to pay the money owed. Hyde unsuccessfully attempted to have the charge expunged from his record after the amount was paid, WXIX reported, citing the court docket.

Hyde in 2022 was charged with theft regarding the sale of a dog, but WXIX said that charge was dismissed in early 2024.

Now what?

A magistrate ruled that the teen suspect must stay in the detention center or shelter care pending his next hearing, which is expected to be March 3, WXIX said.

“There was obviously something going on in the young man’s head that a court could take into consideration in sentencing and probably would,” legal analyst Mike Allen told WXIX.

Allen added to WXIX that "obviously" there was a "relationship" between Hyde and the teen, which "obviously [was] not a good one, and [the teen] alleges that this individual beat his mother. And again, that’s something a judge can take into consideration in sentencing.”

The court also scheduled a hearing to determine if the teen’s case should be sent to adult court, WXIX reported.

You can view a video report here on the incident.

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Hospital responds to claim Vance's young relative was denied heart transplant over vaccination status



Cincinnati Children's Hospital issued a statement Wednesday following backlash over the claim it denied a 12-year-old relative of Vice President JD Vance a spot on its heart transplant waiting list over her vaccination status.

The hospital, which alternatively has no qualms subjecting kids to dangerous sex-change drugs and mutilations, suggested that its vaccine requirement is informed by its responsibility "to ensure that every donated organ is used in a way that maximizes successful outcomes for children in need."

Adaline Deal, whose mother is related to the vice president's half-siblings through marriage, suffers from two heart conditions, Ebstein's anomaly and Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that after nearly a decade receiving treatment from the Cincinnati hospital, the girl was informed on Jan. 17 that her heart was failing, functioning at just 42%.

While Deal's heart cannot be fixed, it can be replaced.

'You're just going to let my child die?'

Jeneen Deal, the girl's mother, told WKRC-TV that doctors at the hospital "taught us about the different testing that they need to do and then the vaccinations that they need to do."

The Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, which oversees the organ transplant list, does not issue policies requiring transplant centers to use specific criteria when determining the suitability of a given candidate for transplantation. Transplant hospitals can, however, establish their own policies.

In the case of Cincinnati Children's, candidates must have flu and COVID-19 vaccinations — vaccinations Deal's parents decided not to get her on the basis of religious and medical beliefs.

"I'm like, so if we don't do the vaccinations, you're just going to let my child die?" recalled Jeneen Deal. "And she's like, 'I am so sorry.' She goes, 'This is just our policy.'"

"We approach every transplant evaluation with a focus on long-term success, guided by medical science and an unwavering commitment to patient safety," the hospital noted in its Wednesday statement, which made no explicit reference to the Deal family. "Because children who receive a transplant will be immunosuppressed for the rest of their life, vaccines play a critical role in preventing or reducing the risk of life-threatening infections, especially in the first year."

The family is now reportedly considering taking Adaline to a transplant center in Pittsburgh in hopes of making the list without having to compromise on their beliefs.

A spokesperson for the vice president did not respond to Blaze News' request for comment.

Vance's relative is not the first American to be rejected as a patient for a lifesaving transplant due to vaccination status.

In 2022, DJ Ferguson, a father in his thirties, was removed from the heart transplant list at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston because he refused the COVID-19 vaccine, which has ironically been linked to risks of heart damage. His mother told NPR that Ferguson was not against vaccinations but was wary about the COVID-19 vaccine because he was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation.

"He wants to be assured by his doctors that his condition would not be worse or fatal with this COVID vaccine," said Tracy Ferguson.

Michelle Vitullo of Ohio was in desperate need of a liver transplant, then discovered her daughter was an exact match. Vitullo, suffering from advanced cancer, reportedly underwent multiple treatments to stabilize her health with the goal of undergoing the surgery in September 2021. The Cleveland Clinic canceled the procedure at the last minute, citing its COVID-19 vaccination requirement.

That same year, the University of Colorado's hospital kicked Leilani Lutali of Colorado Springs off its active transplant list for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine. Lutali had a donor lined up who was similarly unvaccinated.

"The shot's relatively new, and as a consumer, I'm not an early adopter," Lutali told KDVR-TV. "I wait and see what's going on. I feel like I'm being coerced into not being able to wait and see and that I have to take the shot if I want this life-saving transplant."

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Woman falsely accuses her landlord of saying he doesn't want black tenants — and makes it much worse by involving feds



A Cincinnati woman falsely accused her landlord of saying he doesn't want black tenants, and she pleaded guilty in federal court to making false statements to federal agents about the matter, the U.S. Department of Justice said last week.

What's the background?

The U.S. Attorney’s Office in February 2023 was forwarded several text messages purportedly sent by a Cincinnati-area landlord as part of a civil rights report, officials said, citing court documents.

The landlord owns more than 100 properties — including 56 properties rented through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s housing choice voucher program — and many of his tenants appear to be black, officials said.

In March 2023, Dermisha Pickett met with HUD agents and gave them numerous discriminatory messages purportedly from Pickett’s landlord, officials said, adding that Pickett also claimed her landlord called her as she arrived at the meeting and placed the call on speaker phone.

Pickett told agents she tried to pay her portion of the rent but that her landlord returned it, stating he did not want to rent to black people, officials said.

Fanon Rucker — Pickett's attorney at the time — shared multiple alleged screenshots of texts from her landlord stating he wanted "a white family in this unit" and "will not rent [to] African Americans again," WCPO-TV reported.

"If it doesn't make everybody who hears this angry, then folks need to check their pulse," Rucker said nearly a year ago, according to video from the station.

But the landlord during a later interview with agents told them he didn't want to continue to rent to Pickett because she was causing extensive damage to the property, officials said, adding that phone records and forensic analysis indicate that no text messages were exchanged during the time periods Pickett claimed and that it's alleged she used mobile applications to fabricate the text messages.

WCPO said it was discovered that an alleged voicemail from the landlord was linked to a phone number tied to Pickett.

Now what?

“Making false reports of racial discrimination is unacceptable and can have tangible effects on other tenants who rely on HUD-assisted housing,” Special Agent in Charge Shawn Rice with the HUD Office of Inspector General said. “In this case, if the landlord had violated the Fair Housing Act, his participation in HUD’s Housing Choice Voucher program may have been revoked, causing the displacement of approximately 50 families who rely on the Housing Choice Voucher program. These families would have been forced to uproot their families to find new homes, incurring non-reimbursable expenses.”

Pickett, 33, was charged in August 2023, officials said, adding that making a false statement to federal officers is punishable by up to five years in prison.

Here's a video report that aired when the tables started turning on Pickett about six months ago:

Cincinnati woman allegedly made up discriminatory messages from landlord youtu.be

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