Hiram survey: Young voters support slips for president
A new survey of voters under age 30 shows they’re more likely to vote for President Obama than Mitt Romney. But the president has a much smaller margin than he did four years ago against John McCain.

The survey is part of a year-long national study of young voters by Hiram College. The June results show those voters lean Democratic and give Mr. Obama a 13-point edge over Romney. But the president led John McCain by 33 points in 2008. And the survey shows Mr. Obama has particularly slipped among young white voters.

The survey shows, though, that 57 percent of young voters say Mr. Obama has met or exceeded their expectations, 38 percent say he’s fallen short.

Jury gets Fair Finance fraud case
A federal jury in Indianapolis is beginning deliberations today in the case of three men accused of bilking more than 5,000 people who invested in Akron-based Fair Finance. They lost more than $200 million.

In closing arguments Tuesday, Tim Durham’s defense attorney argued that he was a victim of a bad economy and bad judgment, and defrauded no one.

But prosecutors say Durham operated Fair Finance as a Ponzi scheme that lured new investors in with lies to keep old ones at bay. They say Durham and his two co-defendants fired accountants who started to raise alarms in 2005 and 2006, long before the economy collapsed, and that Durham and the others sucked Fair Finance money into other companies and lavish lifestyles even when they knew it was running out of money fast.

Proving intent in workplace injury cases
The Ohio Supreme Court heard arguments this morning on whether employers must deliberately intend to injure a worker in order for the worker to sue over injuries.

Bruce Houdek of Cleveland was crushed by a fork lift at ThyssenKrupp after the company assigned him to work in an area and put up no safety cones.

He sued, and the case was thrown out. An appeals court then overturned that.

State courts had ruled decades ago that injured workers could sometimes sue if they were hurt because of hazards employers were “substantially certain” would cause injury. Tort reform in 2004 changed that to say the employer had to intend the injury.

Houdek’s attorney, David Grant argued that proving intent requires a jury to get a chance to look at the facts.

Grant argues for a jury to decide intent

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The company says Houdek’s claim simply can’t prove intent.

Kucinich and mountaintop mining
Outgoing Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich is one of 13 House reps who are introducing a bill that would put a moratorium on new mountaintop-removal coal mining, and require a study of the health impact of such mining on Appalachian communities. Opponents of the mining, which gets to coal by blowing up mountain tops, argue it releases toxic chemicals into water supplies. Proponents say it is a key economic driver in areas of the country that need it.

Kent State baseball in World Series at 8 tonight
Kent State plays defending national champion South Carlina in the College World Series beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern Time. The game is being played in Omaha, and the winner will go on to play Arkansas tomorrow. Traditionally, the loser gets BBQ and goes home.