Unemployment benefits

New COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Ohio are at their lowest levels since July but the Ohio Department of Health is keeping an eye on a new omicron variant; the Ohio Supreme Court has scheduled oral arguments over whether Gov. Mike DeWine had the legal ability to end the state's participation in a federal pandemic unemployment aid program ahead of a government deadline stopping the payments; the Ohio primary is just six weeks away but candidates still don't know whether the contest will happen on that date; and more stories.

The state's highest court will weigh in after a county court sided with the state and was overturned by an appeals court.

The report takes a deeper dive into the problem officials with ODJFS have been investigating.

Lawsuits over those checks continue, though the federal program financing them ended last month.

The state will also start processing requests to not have to repay overpayments, but there's no timeline on when all this might be done.

And they'll do that by using federal coronavirus relief funds.

In addition, the state paid $478 million in fraudulent claims.

While it's a win for advocates who wanted the checks brought back, the case isn't over yet.

Gov. Mike DeWine discontinued the benefits in June.

A Franklin County judge has ruled against reinstating the $300 weekly checks for unemployed Ohioans during the pandemic that were discontinued by Gov. Mike DeWine last month. The judge said the law is clear that DeWine wasn’t obligated to continue the program for around 200,000 Ohioans. But the suit isn't over.