That's So Cincinnati

It's not easy answering tough questions. It's also not easy asking them.  But veteran Cincinnati TV journalist Angenette Levy has made a name for herself by asking tough questions of Greater Cincinnati's public officials on the air over the past decade. Levy, who left Local 12 in September, joined That's So Cincinnati podcast this week to discuss:  • Her approach to the journalism and how the Ande...

Mayor John Cranley joins That's So Cincinnati podcast this week. 

Cincinnati City Councilman Greg Landsman answers tough questions about his role in the Gang of Five texting scandal, embattled Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld and the state of affairs at City Hall. You won't want to miss this episode. 

As a trial lawyer, former assistant prosecutor and ex-journalist, Steve Goodin might be the perfect fit for a seat on Cincinnati City Council at the moment. The Republican has a firm understanding of public accountability – something City Hall is sorely lacking in the wake of three council members being arrested this year on federal corruption charges. Goodin, newly appointed to council this week...

Cincinnati Vice Mayor Christopher Smitherman has been speaking out against some of his council colleagues' illegal and unethical behavior for years.  It's time others join him, Smitherman told The Enquirer's That's So Cincinnati podcast.  Especially since he believes federal investigators aren't done rooting out corruption at City Hall in the wake of three city council members being arrested on pa...

In the year David DeVillers has spent on the job as the region's top federal attorney, the Ohio Speaker of the House and two Cincinnati City Councilmembers have been arrested in pay-to-play schemes. And he didn't shut the door on the possibility there could be more corruption-related arrests coming at City Hall. The rash of arrests are a reflection of DeVillers making it a top priority to crack do...

Hamilton County Republican Party Chairman Alex Triantafilou watched election night as a blue wave swept in, taking with it two county elected leaders – treasurer and recorder – and nine judgeships. The latter flipped both the common pleas and appellate courts to a Democrat majority – something that was unthinkable a decade ago for the once-dominant Hamilton County GOP.   Those losses have some loc...

How many outstanding absentee ballots will still need to be counted on Election Night? What time will results be released? And how do you become Ohio's top elections official?  Secretary of State Frank LaRose answered these questions and more on The Enquirer's That's So Cincinnati podcast.  Listen to the full episode for free by clicking the link at the top of the article. That's So Cincinnati can...

It's the offseason, and Reds President Phil Castellini has some time to reflect. In a candid, hourlong discussion on The Enquirer's That's So Cincinnati podcast, Castellini covered a wide range of topics, including:  • His strong bond with his father, Reds owner Bob Castellini, and their passion for Cincinnati sports • Lessons from working for his father's companies since he was a teenager, when h...

Fresh off attending Joe Biden's visit to Union Terminal, That's So Cincinnati co-hosts Sharon Coolidge and Jason Williams break down the Democratic presidential nominee's campaign stop and what it could mean in Ohio. And listeners get to meet Keith Pandolfi, The Enquirer's new food and dining writer. The biggest question for Keith, of course, is what's his take on Cincinnati-style chili? Find out...

Is the 2020 election when the Republicans lose all their remaining power in Hamilton County?  It was a big topic of discussion on The Enquirer's That's So Cincinnati podcast election preview episode.  University of Cincinnati political science professor David Niven breaks down the ticket in Hamilton County from Biden-Trump to Republican Joe Deters' chances of holding the prosecutor's seat to forme...

Lincoln Ware has been on the air in Cincinnati for nearly a half century, known to his listeners as a trusted voice who gives them a chance to have theirs heard.  "I've been on the air longer than any African American in the history of Cincinnati radio," said Ware, who hosts the Lincoln Ware Show 10 a.m.-12 p.m. weekdays on 101.5 FM The Buzz.  Ware joined The Enquirer's That's So Cincinnati podcas...

Did Fiona actually miss seeing zoo visitors during the coronavirus shutdown?  How did the Cincinnati Zoo team break Ndume of a chewing gum habit?  And what's a long-time zookeeper think about "Tiger King?" Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens Director Thane Maynard had the answers in a wide-ranging and engaging interview on The Enquirer's That's So Cincinnati podcast this week.

The leader of Cincinnati-based Ohio Innocence Project said in 2011 then-state Attorney General Mike DeWine rejected a request to do a statewide review of cases involving prisoners who claimed to be wrongfully convicted. But DeWine, now Ohio governor, didn't turn down the offer because he disagreed with the premise of helping people who are wrongfully convicted, his spokesman told The Enquirer. Loc...

FC Cincinnati play-by-play voice Tom Gelehrter talks about the making of a new documentary about the team, his summer at broadcasting school and starting his own company.  Gelehrter's company, 4th Floor Creative, produced "Nonstop Flight: The Untold Story of FC Cincinnati," which debuted this week.  Enquirer Director of Photography Cara Owsley also joins That's So Cincinnati to take listeners onto...

One of Greater Cincinnati's leading influencers in the LGBTQ community wants to give embattled Reds broadcaster Thom Brennaman a chance to redeem himself. And there's no better place for Brennaman to do that than the television booth, community leader Ryan Messer told The Enquirer's That's So Cincinnati podcast. "I don't think he should be fired," said Messer, vice president of the Cincinnati Publ...

The election is all about suburban women voters. You've inevitably heard that many times in 2020. Ohio GOP Chairwoman Jane Timken joined The Enquirer's That's So Cincinnati podcast to discuss the battle for suburban women voters and whether Trump's message of safety amid nationwide protesting is working with that voting bloc.  "I am that demographic," said Timken, 53, who grew up in Cincinnati and...

Cincinnati's Greg Hartmann is among a handful of Republicans who can vouch for how costly it can be to publicly criticize Donald Trump. Hartmann made national headlines in late 2015, when the then-Hamilton County commissioner called Trump "the most offensive public figure I've seen." The comments ended up costing Hartmann a White House-appointed federal prosecutor's job. Back in the local politica...

Ohio Rep. Brigid Kelly joins The Enquirer's That's So Cincinnati podcast to discuss the Larry Householder scandal; the dangers of dark money in politics; how the House moves forward; and what Hamilton County office she may run for in the future.  The Hyde Park Democrat says she's concerned the alleged $60 million Statehouse bribery scandal against the now-former House Speaker could deter "good peo...

Former Cincinnati Mayor Charlie Luken has emerged as a leading critic on the city and county's embattled riverfront development project, also known as The Banks.  And the former Congressman and local TV anchor didn't hold back in his criticism of The Banks on That's So Cincinnati this week, calling for new leadership on the project. Luken is a member of the city-county Joint Banks Steering Committ...

Cincinnati Attorney Chris Finney talks about his challenges of going against energy company-led efforts to reject a ballot initiative last year on Larry Householder's House Bill 6. Finney also discusses his legal battles against Gov. Mike DeWine's coronavirus-related orders.  Also this week: Co-hosts Jason Williams and Sharon Coolidge breakdown the scandal in Columbus and discuss a leisure trip on...

On this week's episode: -- New Cincinnati City Manager Paula Boggs Muething talks about her personal and professional journey. -- What's up with the under-the-radar Hamilton County parks levy -- Taking the stairs at Eden Park

It's been four years since Cincinnati Parks leaders announced that the long-awaited riverfront marina was finally going to be built. Nothing has happened since, though. What happened?  New Cincinnati Parks Director Kara Kish told The Enquirer's That's So Cincinnati Podcast that the Parks Board earlier this year requested and got an extension until 2023 for the $1.5 million state grant being used t...

The burden of paying for future maintenance and upgrades to Paul Brown Stadium continues to loom large for Hamilton County taxpayers.  As the bill is coming due in a few years on deferred costs, Republican commissioner candidate Andy Black is proposing a solution:  Sell the stadium.  It's not a new idea, but Black is well-intentioned and has gathered a team of experts to work on a plan.  The forme...

Dusty Rhodes says Democrats can censure him "until the cows come home," but the long-time Hamilton County auditor isn't going to apologize for his recent tweet asking why Black Lives Matter isn't also focusing on children lost to abortions and shootings. Instead, Rhodes is doubling down on his comments and hopes it drives a conversation about emphasizing that "all black lives matter," he told The...