Monthly jobs report due today
The state is preparing to release its monthly job figures this morning for Ohio including unemployment numbers. The figures include statewide labor force data for August and the unemployment rate, which has remained at 7.2 percent for two consecutive months. The unchanged percentage rate in July stalled 11 consecutive months of decreases in Ohio's jobless rate. But it's still the lowest level since 2008.

Elections Commission throws out Rep. Renacci complaint
The Ohio Elections Commission has thrown out a complaint filed by Republican Congressman Jim Renacci of Wadsworth. The commission split along party lines on a vote to pursue the ad complaint. Without a majority, the issue must be dismissed. Renacci claims an ad from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is false. The ad features a Cleveland-area breast cancer survivor criticizing Renacci for voting "against critical funding for life saving breast and cervical cancer screenings" while saying he voted “to give politicians perks like taxpayer funded health care for life." Renacci faces Democratic Congresswoman Betty Sutton this November in a re-drawn district.

Kasich uses "executive privledge" to keep schedule secret
A rarely used exemption known as "executive privilege" is among Gov. John Kasich's arguments in a lawsuit filed by the Ohio Democratic Party over access to schedules of the Republican's appearances. Democrats wanted access to schedules that they alleged could show Kasich misused state time to campaign for GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney. State attorneys say the administration provided some requested information but wouldn't provide schedules for future appearances because that could create a security risk for Kasich. The state also said some documents are exempt from disclosure under "executive privilege" for Ohio governors. That exemption hadn't been used since a 2006 Ohio Supreme Court ruling created it.

Issue 2 mailer under review
The Ohio Elections Commission plans to further review whether a mailer paid for by the Ohio Republican Party violates state election law.  A panel of the commission on Thursday found probable cause that the mailer contains misleading information on what will be called Issue 2 on the November ballot. The proposed constitutional amendment would strip state and federal elected officials of legislative map-drawing powers and give them to a 12-person citizen commission. The elections commission panel unanimously found probable cause on one statement ---  that some members of a citizen commission would be chosen "in secret."

Obama, Romney campaign in NEO Wedesnday
President Barack Obama has scheduled a campaign stop in Northeast Ohio on the same day Republican candidate Mitt Romney will be in town. Mr. Obama will visit Kent on Wednesday…it’s the first visit to Portage County by a sitting president since Richard Nixon in 1972. Romney's campaign announced this week that a three-day bus tour would bring the Republican nominee to Cleveland Wednesday…in addition to stops in Dayton, Columbus and Toledo. Mr. Obama also plans a stop in Bowling Green. Additional details are not yet available.

UA president, faculty, staff get raises
The president of the University of Akron is getting a raise. The board of trustees approved a 5 percent raise for Luis Proenza that amounts to about $20,000, brining his annual salary to about $425,000. Faculty and staff also are getting retroactive raises, pools of 3 percent and and 5 1/2 percent. All of the pay increases will cost the university an additional $5.4 million a year.

Ohio AG sues debt collector
Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine is suing a Northwest Ohio debt collector. DeWine says Royal Oak Financial did business as Collection and Recovery Bureau in the Toledo suburb of Sylvania. Consumers knew the company only as CRB. DeWine says that for the last three years, hundreds of people complained that they were being harassed by the company to repay debts that were fraudulently charged to their credit cards.