All Sides with Ann Fisher Podcast - All Sides with Ann Fisher

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New Greater Columbus Arts Council President and CEO Mitch Menchaca Feb 25, 2026

Show notes

Having spent more than 10 years as the president and CEO of the Greater Columbus Arts Council, Tom Katzenmeyer stepped down from his post in 2025.

Late last year, it was announced that the GCAC board of trustees selected Mitch Menchaca as its new president and CEO.

During the next hour, we’ll meet the arts advocate and fundraiser, who comes to Columbus from Phoenix, where he was the city’s arts and culture director.

The GCAC board said they picked Menchaca because of his experience in securing funding and running grant programs.

We’ll learn about his vision for the future of the Columbus arts scene.

Guest:

Mitch Menchaca, president/CEO, Greater Columbus Arts Council

If you have a disability and would like a transcript or other accommodation you can request an alternative format.

Reaction to President Donald Trump's 'State of the Union' address Feb 25, 2026

Show notes

President Donald Trump’s primetime address to Congress on Tuesday night set the stage for the rest of this midterm election year.

Trump touted his administration’s efforts to lower costs for everyday Americans and reflected on his first-year accomplishments.

He also addressed recent news.

The U.S. Supreme Court said the president does not have the ability to unilaterally impose tariffs.

ICE activity in Minnesota has slowed down in an effort to de-escalate tensions with local authorities.

The issues discussed impact every Ohioan and inform Ohio politics as well.

We will have reaction to President Trump’s "State of the Union" speech from two political scientists on this hour of All Sides.

Guests:

Paul Beck, political science professor emeritus, Ohio State University
Brianna Mack, associate professor, politics and government, Ohio Wesleyan University

If you have a disability and would like a transcript or other accommodation you can request an alternative format.

(Photo: Matt Rourke / AP)

Tech Tuesday: Concerns about racism in AI Feb 24, 2026

Show notes

AI will never be outrightly rude or racist, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t formulate racist opinions based on harmful stereotypes.

This covert racism has major implications from hiring to even legal decisions.

We will be talking about covert racism in AI.

Streaming services have become one of the most dominant and popular forms of media consumption since Netflix and Spotify revolutionized how we watch and listen to our favorites.

These services are not without downsides, though, and as they grow, how does their environmental impact grow with them?

One of the most popular online games, Roblox, has been in hot water because of its seeming neglect of children’s safety.

Guests:

Soroush Vosoughi, associate professor, computer science, Dartmouth College
Kyle Devine, professor of environmental studies and sciences, University of Winnipeg
Russell Holly, director of commerce content, CNET

If you have a disability and would like a transcript or other accommodation you can request an alternative format.

(Photo: Sutthiphong / AdobeStock)

Former Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor Feb 24, 2026

Show notes

Former Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O’Connor joins All Sides to talk about judicial independence in a time of partisanship, an effort to nationalize elections, and a movement by chief justices around the U.S. to push back on what some legal scholars view as executive overreach into the judiciary. Is it?

She served as chief justice of the Ohio Supreme Court from 2011 through 2022.

O'Connor's insights will provide us an in-depth look at the issue on this hour of All Sides.

Guest:

Maureen O'Connor, former Ohio Supreme Court chief justice

If you have a disability and would like a transcript or other accommodation you can request an alternative format.

(Photo: Julie Carr Smyth / AP)

How do Muslims observe and celebrate Ramadan in Columbus? Feb 23, 2026

Show notes

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar, which began on the night of Feb. 17and ends on March 19.

Muslims across the United States will be celebrating and observing the month through fasting, night prayers and gatherings with their local community.

The Columbus Muslim community has their own traditions and practices. There are more than 20 mosques in the city, and each one hosts their own nightly prayers and community gatherings during the month.

Ramadan is not just about fasting. The month signifies a time to reflect, give charity and increase acts of service.

We’ll be speaking with three local Muslim community leaders about what it’s like to celebrate Ramadan in Columbus.

Guests:

State Rep. Munira Abdullahi
Mohammed Azhar Masood, executive director, Noor Islamic Cultural Center
Nicol Ghazi, executive director, Muslim Family Services of Ohio

If you have a disability and would like a transcript or other accommodation you can request an alternative format.

(photo: Mahesh Kumar A. / AP)

Weekly Reporter Roundtable Feb 23, 2026

Show notes

Ohio State University is fielding hundreds of calls to remove Les Wexner’s name from campus buildings, amid growing anger over his ties to convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

A new term, WEXIT, has been coined by groups pushing for removal. Meanwhile, Gov. Mike DeWine defends keeping Wexner’s name.

Meanwhile, Democratic members of Congress who traveled to New Albany last week to depose Wexner said they found Wexner’s denial of knowing about Epstein’s criminal conduct hard to believe.

In other news, a judge has removed the chairman of the state’s second-largest pension for violating his fiduciary duties.

We'll talk about what we’re learning from the First Energy trial.

It's all coming up during this week's Reporter Roundtable.

Guests:

George Shillcock, reporter, WOSU Public Media
Jo Ingles, senior reporter, Ohio Public Radio Statehouse News Bureau
Laura Bischoff, politics and state government reporter, The Columbus Dispatch
Jake Zuckerman, reporter, Signal Ohio

If you have a disability and would like a transcript or other accommodation you can request an alternative format.

All Sides Weekend: Books Feb 20, 2026

Show notes

The time is always right to start a new book.

On this edition of All Sides Weekend, host Christopher Purdy and his guests are offering up some suggestions on titles you might want to add to your pile of must-read books.

Host:

Christopher Purdy, Classical 101 Morning Host

Guests:

Kassie Rose, WOSU Book Critic
Kris Hickey, youth services coordinator, Columbus Metropolitan Library
Michelle Herman, professor emerita creative writing, Ohio State University

If you have a disability and would like a transcript or other accommodation you can request an alternative format.

(photo: CCAC North Library / flickr)

Fascinating Ohio: a fashion influencer, restaurant owners and a museum director Feb 19, 2026

Show notes

On this week's Fascinating Ohio, we're talking to a fashion influencer, a pair of restaurant owners and a museum director.

Wil Haygood examines the Vietnam War from the perspective of Black Americans Feb 19, 2026

Show notes

Author, journalist and Columbus native Wil Haygood takes an in-depth look at the Vietnam War from the Black American perspective.

He traces the lives of Black men and women who were in Vietnam.

The racial divide of the 1960s and 1970s did not stay on American shores, it followed these men and women all the way around the world.

Haygood’s book The War Within a War: The Black Struggle in Vietnam and at Home tells the story of race in America and abroad.

And he connects the war in Vietnam to the racial tension the United States continues to grapple with today.

The Pulitzer Prize-nominated author joins us for this hour of All Sides.

Guest:

Wil Haygood, journalist/author, The War Within a War: The Black Struggle in Vietnam and at Home

If you have a disability and would like a transcript or other accommodation you can request an alternative format.

What does it mean to find joy in life and be truly fulfilled? Feb 18, 2026

Show notes

What does it mean to flourish, to find meaning and joy in life and be fulfilled?

How do we create meaning, especially now, in times of division and struggle for many families?

On this hour of All Sides, we’re talking to an author who literally wrote the book on the topic.

New York Times bestselling author Daniel Coyle joins us to discuss his new book Flourish: The Art of Building Meaning, Joy and Fulfillment.

Guest:

Daniel Coyle, author, Flourish: The Art of Building Meaning, Joy and Fulfillment

If you have a disability and would like a transcript or other accommodation you can request an alternative format.

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