Emily McCord

Nearly 1 in 4 Ohio mortgages are underwater, according to numbers from real estate data company Zillow Inc. US Senator Sherrod Brown says that’s why he’s introducing legislation to speed up what’s known as short sales.

A group of education advocates and administrators are leading a panel discussion Tuesday morning to discuss the impact of how students moving from school to school impairs a their academic success. WYSO’s Emily McCord reports the group is trying to raise awareness so schools are better equipped to handle what’s called “student mobility”.

There is one week left to avoid sequestration, or the automatic spending cuts that will take effect March 1 if President Obama and Congress cannot reach a deal. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, area business and those in the defense industry are bracing for furloughs that could impact the 13,000  civilian employees, which could have a ripple effect on the local economy. Jessica Wehrman joins Emily McCord for this week's PoliticsOhio. She's a reporter for the Columbus Dispatch based in Washington, D.C., and her stories appear in the Dayton Dailys News.

A Miami Valley woman will deliver a petition Thursday to Speaker of the House John Boehner, urging Congress to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act. As WYSO's Emily McCord reports, she’s collected around 217 thousand signatures from across the country.

Governor Kasich will give his State of the State speech Tuesday night in Lima. Kasich has said there won't be much new in his speech, but it will be his chance to defend his newly proposed budget and set the gears in motion for reelection. Ohio Public Radio's Karen Kasler joins Emily McCord for this week's PoliticsOhio for a preview.