THE GOSSIP - Cavs and Warriors, Ohio's minimum wage and farming

OHIO MINIMUM WAGE WORKERS CHEATED INTO POVERTY, REPORT SAYS - More than 14 percent of Ohioans live in poverty - a situation that new research suggests could be avoided for some if they weren't being cheated out of pay. The Economic Policy Institute (EPI) examined reports of minimum-wage theft in the 10 most populous states, including Ohio. Among the states, the report found each year that 2.4 million workers are being paid less than minimum wage, amounting to more than $8 billion in lost wages annually. Report co-author David Cooper, a senior economic analyst with EPI, says nearly 1 in 5 of these workers live in poverty.

LATE CORN BETTER THAN BLIGHTED CORN -  Growers whose corn crops were harmed by excessive rain in April and May likely will have enough growing days left in the season if they replant in the next two to three weeks, according to an Ohio State University agronomist.

“If they replanted soon, it would probably be much better than to have a poor stand,” said Peter Thomison, an agronomist with Ohio State University Extension, the outreach arm of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.

Growers can’t be certain that the plants that survived will be consistently healthy or remain viable if seedling blight is a major cause of stand loss, Thomison said. Seedling blight is a fungal infection that can cause a seedling to rot and die.

One consideration growers should focus on is the forecasted rain. Rain is expected for May 20 through May 21, reaching up to two inches in some parts of the state, said Aaron Wilson, an Extension climate specialist. During the week of May 22, rain is also expected, combined with lower than normal temperatures with the lows in the upper 40s to low 50s and the highs in the mid 60s.

OHIO STATE STUDENT AWARDED UDALL SCHOLARSHIP - Tal Shutkin, an Ohio State University sophomore from Shaker Heights, Ohio, has been named a 2017 Udall Scholar.

The Udall Scholarship recognizes 50 college sophomores and juniors committed to careers related to the environment with a $7,000 scholarship; the award is also open to Native American students interested in tribal policy or native healthcare. An honors student, Shutkin is pursuing a degree in environmental policy and decision making in the School of Environment and Natural Resources in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences. He is Ohio State’s 12th Udall Scholar.

Though only a sophomore, Shutkin has already distinguished himself as an environmental leader on and off campus. He co-founded Renew OSU, a student group advocating for Ohio State’s divestment from fossil fuels, and serves as vice president of the Sierra Club Student Coalition. He was selected to participate in the Sierra Club Summer Leadership Program in 2015, and represented Ohio State at the Environmental Defense Fund’s 2016 National Campus Leadership Summit.

METHANE RULE FACES UNCERTAIN FATE - A new rule that would rein in methane pollution from natural gas and oil wells on public lands in Ohio and other states is facing an uncertain fate. The Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Methane and Waste Reduction Rule was finalized in November, and it requires companies to capture natural gas that is wasted through leaks, venting and flaring. The U.S. House of Representatives recently repealed the rule by using the Congressional Review Act.