Check out the latest news, features, opinions, and more from Appalachia, the Midwest, and other Postindustrial Communities.
ASHEVILLE
Sen. Thom Tillis: “I don’t think crime is top of mind” in race for North Carolina seat
Blue Ridge Public Radio: Asked what those issues are, Tillis said, “Number one, affordability. Affordability is always an issue. It’s not a matter of whether or not there are people who have affordability problems, it’s a matter of how many.”
ATLANTA
Obama set to campaign for Ossoff, Bottoms
Atlanta News First: Obama is set to visit metro Atlanta on Oct. 28 to campaign for U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff and gubernatorial nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms. Early voting started on Oct. 13 and runs through Oct. 30, while Election Day is Nov. 3.
BALTIMORE
Maryland elections board targeted by suspicious envelope as FBI investigates nationwide mailings
WBAL-TV Baltimore: Two members of the Maryland congressional delegation and the state’s top election official are among the officials that have been targeted with letters with “suspicious substances.”
Delivery robots accused of scanning customers’ faces, sharing biometric data
Block Club Chicago: Two customers filed separate lawsuits alleging Coco Robotics and Serve Robotics collected their biometric data without their consent as they retrieved food and grocery orders.
CINCINNATI
JD Vance coming to Cincinnati area for midterm rally this week
Cincinnati.com: JD Vance will follow up Donald Trump’s recent Northern Kentucky appearance with his own midterm rally in suburban Cincinnati.
CLEVELND
Why pedestrian death rates vary so widely across Northeast Ohio counties
Cleveland.com: Cuyahoga County averaged 1.50 pedestrian deaths annually per 100,000 residents, nearly six times Lake County’s rate of 0.26. Mahoning County had the region’s highest rate at 1.66.
COLUMBUS
DETROIT
Michigan Democrats rally for union support as 2026 get-out-the-vote effort begins
Michigan Advance: With just two weeks to go until the Nov. 3 general election, Michigan’s Democratic nominees rallied with union workers in an attempt to energize supporters in a wide get-out-the-vote effort.
INDIANAPOLIS
No Kings rally outside Indiana governor’s residence urges voters to turn out in November
Indianapolis Public Media: In Indianapolis, people stood on sidewalks and along the streets outside the official governor’s residence at North Meridian and East 46th streets to hear speakers talk about the importance of voting in the Nov. 3 midterm election. Early voting is underway.
LOUISVILLE
Lexington No Kings protest draws hundreds in effort to “activate people” to vote early
Kentucky Lantern: The League of Women Voters of Lexington, of which Krimm is the vice president, organized the No Kings rally alongside a number of community groups, including the NAACP, Progress Kentucky, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth and KY120 United AFT.
MILWAUKEE
Latest Wisconsin Nobel Prize winner shares how scientific collaboration enabled cosmic discoveries
Wisconsin Public Radio: Francis Halzen pioneered the field of neutrino astronomy, detecting the elusive subatomic particles known as neutrinos that pass through the Earth from far corners of the universe.
MORGANTOWN
Groups propose legislation allowing West Virginia dentists, hygienists to administer HPV vaccine
West Virginia Watch: Some oral health care providers in the state say there’s a promising way for West Virginia to address both problems, but it’s going to require lawmakers to approve changes to state code.
NASHVILLE
Nashville Public Radio: Republican candidate and U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn has aligned her campaign with President Donald Trump’s agenda. The Trump administration has taken at least 570 actions that directly threaten the environment, climate and human health since January 2025.
PHILADELPHIA
Philly Voice: By digitizing written records from a prominent Philadelphia abolitionist and employing modern mapping technology, a group of researchers at Temple University were able to trace the routes on parts of the Underground Railroad that were used by nearly 1,000 people to reach Philadelphia.
PITTSBURGH
With midterm elections looming, Pittsburgh “No Kings” event urges voters to turn out
WESA Pittsburgh: “I just hope that everyone sees how important this is and that we’re fighting for our democracy,” said Squirrel Hill resident Carol Caroselli shortly before the event got underway. “I think when all the [attendance numbers come out the next day … that sends a message. And that’s why I think it’s important to come.”
WTRF.com: Hundreds gathered at the intersection of National Road and Kruger Street in Elm Grove as part of the nationally coordinated “No Kings” day of action, with similar events taking place all across the country.
YOUNGSTOWN
Youngstown Peace Race returns with new path
WKBN 27 Youngstown: The annual race brought runners from around the nation to downtown Youngstown. Originally named the International Peace Race in 1975 by Jack Cesna, it was created to promote peace and unity through running.
