Coming up next on NewsDepth.

Federal workers are not getting paid due to the government shutdown.

We visit the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections.

We meet Ohio's first female governor, and artists bring a parking lot to life in Cleveland's Asiatown.

NewsDepth is now.

More than a million federal workers are going unpaid during the government shutdown.

Hello, everyone.

I'm Gabriel Kramer.

Thank you for joining us.

At the time of this episode taping, the U.S.

government has been shut down for a month.

That means that many federal workers have not gotten their paychecks.

The dire situation has forced some to turn to food banks for help.

Jenn Sullivan has the details on how the shutdown is hurting workers.

Federal workers waiting in long lines at this food bank in southern Maryland.

I would have never thought in a million years that I would have been in this position to have to go to a food bank.

Denise Blake says she drove over an hour to get here, but when she finally arrived, they had run out of food.

We have a cart ready for you out front.

Fortunately, she did not leave empty-handed, but she still faces the harsh reality of not knowing how she's going to feed her family while she's not getting paid during the government shutdown.

I don't want my daughter to see me crying.

Blake's story is like so many others, who are waiting to get paid as Congress stalls to pass a new spending plan.

I haven't gotten a paycheck this month, so the free groceries is very important.

Very helpful.

More than a million federal workers are not receiving pay right now.

I feel nervous the longer the shutdown lasts that, you know, it could really it could really affect, food banks.

But another big concern looms for these already busy food banks.

Come November 1st.

millions of Americans may not receive food stamps.

The federally funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, known as Snap, which helps feed more than 42 million low income Americans each month.

President Donald Trump, though, says his administration is working on a solution.

Everybody's going to be in good shape, yep.

The government shutdown is having a major and growing impact on air travel.

Some air traffic controllers are calling out sick in protest, while others are just not reporting to work so they can make money at other jobs.

The ripple effect is seen in flight delays and cancellations, and for those air traffic controllers staying on the job they are working even though they aren't getting paid.

Pete Muntean has the story from the Dulles International Airport in Virginia.

From LAX, in Los Angeles to New York's LaGuardia.

Air traffic controllers are taking to airport curbside, calling for the government shutdown to end.

It's frustration.

It's disappointment.

Pete Lefevre is one of 10,000 controllers who just received their first $0 paycheck of the shutdown.

He's still showing up to the tower at Dulles International Airport in Virginia, while his wife, also a federal worker, isn't getting paid either.

You just don't know how long this is going to go.

So right now, when you don't know when your next check is going to come, you have to make tough choices.

Good morning, I'm an air traffic controller.

We;re looking for some help ending the shutdown.

Controllers are handing out these leaflets at airports nationwide.

Their latest effort to remind travelers they're still working without pay.

Since the shutdown began, FAA air traffic facilities have seen more than 275 staffing shortages, more than four times the number from a year ago.

Nick Daniels heads the union of controllers.

I'm going to work right now and I'm thinking about how do I pay my rent?

Rent's due in a few days.

How do you put food on the table?

How do I put, you know, gas in my car just to show up to work?

And those are levels of safety that are being reduced in the system.

And the flying public doesn't deserve.

The frustration is being felt by passengers, too.

Now caught in the middle of delays.

People need to be able to work and they need to be able to pay for their work.

Oh, I do feel for them and for everybody who's not getting paid and still having work.

At a news conference Tuesday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said nearly half of Sunday's 8000 delays were caused by air traffic control staffing shortages, with LA and Atlanta emerging as new hotspots for controllers calling out sick.

Almost every controller can't make it two paychecks.

They can't make it without two paychecks.

In his 16 years as a controller, this is not Pete Lefevre's first government shutdown.

But he says hopefully it's his last.

Air traffic control, just by the nature of the job, is very stressful.

Adding on the financial uncertainty of not knowing when I'm going to be paid again, adds, you know, an extra layer of stress onto an already stressful job.

Now let's turn our attention to the 2025 election.

Last Tuesday, Ohioans and Americans across the country took to the polls.

This year, there were no federal or state wide elections on the ballot, but there were local races and issues that voters decided on.

Some cities in Ohio elected their next mayor, for example, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dayton, Toledo and Youngstown, amongst others.

Some Ohioans also voted for their city councils, and some ballots included levies that will allow taxes to pay for things like the Columbus Zoo.

Now, because each county had different races and issues on their ballots, we are assigning you to be the political reporters for your city.

For our write-to-us this week, we want you to research what was on the ballot for your district and write a news article about it.

Students can use our inbox form online, or send us an email to newsdepth@deastream.org to share their findings.

On our last episode, our friend Dalia showed us how she does her Dia de Muertos make up and gave us some background on the Mexican holiday.

And we asked you to write a Calaverita, which is just a short funny poem about your favorite fall tradition.

Let's see what you had to say by opening up our inbox.

Jocelyn from Springmeyer in Cincinnati wrote I love dressing up scary and funny and trick or treating, but my favorite is staying up late eating candy.

I love candy.

I love candy too, but don't stay up too late.

Thank you Jocelyn.

Will, from Kensington Intermediate in Rocky River, said my Calaverita is about jack o lanterns.

Pick a pumpkin round or flat, large and wide or small and fat.

Cut it open, take its guts, throw away the squishy mush.

Take a knife and carve a face.

Carve it scary.

Carve with grace.

Place a candle deep inside and watch it glow from within.

These are the steps to make a jack o lantern pumpkin.

What a great Calaverita.

Great job, Will.

Rachel from Saint Catherine of Siena and Cincinnati wrote, Halloween has begun.

The fright already belongs.

Scares and screams.

Fright or flight.

It's your choice to choose.

But who's knocking at your door?

Tap tap tap tap.

Ding dong, ding dong.

Screams and laughter begins.

But the fright still lingers in the spooky, scary night.

Happy Halloween.

Sounds scary.

Thank you.

Rachel.

Ayden, from Bellevue Elementary School in Bellevue said Autumn is here.

And chocolate I'm sipping with melted marshmallows galore.

Pumpkins are glowing and flickering.

But phew... when I open my door.

Yummy!

Thank you.

Ayden.

Yasmeen from Olmsted Falls Intermediate and Olmsted Falls wrote.

As the autumn leaves fall around, they make a blanket on the ground.

When winter winds begin to blow, the roots are safe from the freezing snow.

Beautiful.

Thank you.

Yasmeen.

Thank you all so much for writing.

I loved hearing all that.

But, you know, I wrote a Calaverita to myself.

Mine is about fall foliage.

Here it goes.

The trees are changing all around.

Turning yellow, brown and red somehow.

Hear them crunch.

That's been my hope.

But if you hand me a rake, I'll just say nope.

All right.

Yours were much better.

Thank you.

I also want to give a special shout out to Mike from Gilles-Sweet Elementary in Fairview Park.

Mike sent us a letter answering our previous inbox question about practical clothing.

I think people should invent glasses for people that cannot hear when someone talks to them, they can see the sentences in a speech bubble.

That sounds like it would be a very helpful accessory.

Thank you for writing, Mike.

All right, let's get back to the show.

Election day is an important part of how we make sure everyone's voice is heard in choosing leaders and making big decisions for our country.

But have you ever wondered what goes into making sure everything runs smoothly on the big day?

And today's Politics on Point, we'll be talking to the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections to get all the details on what happens behind the scenes to ensure a smooth voting process.

My name's Mike West.

I'm the manager of the community outreach department for the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections.

The Board of Elections is actually made up of four board members.

Two of them are Democrats and two of them are Republicans.

We have a director and deputy director.

One's a Republican, one's a Democrat, and they run the day to day operations.

It's important for people to know that we do have political balance.

Half Republican, half Democrat for all our operations from the top levels of management down to the frontline workers.

A lot of people think we just work two days a year for the spring primary and the general election in November, but there is quite a bit that goes on the election cycle starts many months before the actual election because ballots have to be created.

They have to be proved, they have to be tested on our machines and we have a checklist of about 2000 items that all of our different departments have to do.

Anyone who's a registered voter can work at the polls.

And when you go into the polls, and you should ask somebody to bring you there on Election Day so you can see for yourself.

You'll find tables set up and you'll find tablets that we use to scan a person's ID.

Once it's scanned in, we see on a screen their name, address, birthdate, and their signature.

If the signature matches and the other information matches, then we issue a ballot to them.

They take the paper ballot to the voting booth.

They make their selections and bring it to the scanner.

Scan it in.

Then the ballot drops into the ballot box for safekeeping.

So on Election Day, people can vote from 6:30 in the morning until 7:30 at night.

Well, at 7:30, we take all of the vote by mail ballots that have come in and we have pre scanned them, but we haven't tabulated them.

And that's important because nobody can know the results until the polls close at 7:30 on election night.

And then since the polls are closed the ballots and other equipment start coming in from the field and we add those to the count.

However, it's important to know that on election night these are only unofficial results.

And once the results are final, if there's a close race, we can do a recount of the ballots to make sure that the count was accurate.

And that's another way that we reassure people that our election system is fair and transparent and accurate.

Special thanks to Mike West for answering our questions about the Board of Elections.

And sticking with elections.

This week's A+ award goes to a group of students who are very passionate about the democratic process.

Because they are too young to vote or new to the voting process.

It can be hard for younger people to stay engaged in elections.

But that didn't stop three Lakewood High School seniors from encouraging voters to show up to the polls.

They did it with an award winning TikTok video, which also award them this week's A+ award.

The three Lakewood students took part in a program run by Cuyahoga County called Your Voice Matters.

The program is intended to advocate for young voters.

Part of Your Voice Matters is a social media contest where students around the region made videos encouraging people to vote and posting the videos with the hashtag #YVM2025, an acronym for Your Voice Matters.

The Lakewood seniors won the contest and were awarded at the Cuyahoga County Board of Elections.

Liam says he felt like a video on TikTok would be a good way to connect with people and relate to them, he said he has a strong passion for youth voting and wants to be an ambassador for his peers to the voting process.

Jacob says if you have the ability to exercise your vote, you should because your voice matters.

He says, if a friend decides against voting, he would actually talk to them about why they should reconsider.

Connor is a first time voter this year.

He says people should be voting and not just in presidential elections, which only happens every four years.

He says it's important to engage in local elections because those are people that represent your community.

Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne says these Lakewood students exemplify the spirit of youth leadership in the county.

Congratulations to Liam, Jacob and Connor for engaging in the election process and getting awarded not just by the county, but by NewsDepth as this week's A+ award winners.

Keep up the great work.

Let's stick with politics.

The governor of Ohio has a very powerful role in the state.

But did you know we once had a governor who only served for 11 days?

That's right.

Meet Nancy Hollister.

In the winter of 1997 to 1998, Governor Nancy Putnam Hollister held office in place of former Governor George Voinovich.

She was previously serving as his lieutenant governor.

A lieutenant governor is a high ranking official that works second in command to a governor.

Think of it like your school's principal and vice principal.

But being Ohio's first female governor is far from the most impressive thing she's accomplished in her time serving the public.

We recently sat down with Hollister to learn more about her life and career.

Let's pass it to Olivia Stein for this week's Know Ohio.

Did you know that Ohio had a woman governor for 11 days?

Meet Nancy Hollister, the first female governor of Ohio.

Growing up, Hollister did not plan on becoming a politician.

Going into college at Kent State University, she studied speech communication and was active in activist groups.

After taking time to start her family, Hollister became involved in local campaigns.

She was appointed to become a city councilwoman.

So, a gentleman resigned from city council and they had to fill the position.

And I got a phone call saying, you need to come and interview for this.

As I left, my friend said to me, you're in!

You're going to be the next member.

I was like, what?

She became the mayor of Marietta.

It was an incredible experience.

For seven and a half years.

I really, truly enjoyed it.

And it wasn't just about me.

It was the people who worked with me that we work together as a team.

In 1991, Governor George Voinovich recognized her hard work as mayor and invited her to become the director of the Office of Appalachian Affairs.

Every county in the Appalachian region of Ohio has a different personality, has a different structure, has a different need.

In 1994, Governor Voinovich was running for reelection.

Seeing how hard Hollister was working in her role as director.

She was the first choice to run as his lieutenant governor.

So he said, I have an incredible opportunity.

I said, yeah, you do.

And he said, I can appoint a woman as lieutenant governor.

I said, well, it's about time.

And they won the election, making her the first woman to hold the position of Ohio lieutenant governor.

Every day was something that I look forward to because every day was different.

When the election of 1998 came along, Voinovich this time was up.

Even though he was unable to serve again for governor, he ran for the US Senate and won on December 31st, 1997.

Voinovich resigned his role as governor, making Nancy Hollister the acting Governor of Ohio until Inauguration Day on January 11th, 1998.

In her 11 day tenure, Hollister was able to attend some events and even passed a bill.

It was just it was fun.

Every day was an adventure.

Every day there was something new.

I got to sign a couple bills.

I appointed several judges.

On January 11th, 1998, former Governor Hollister stepped aside as Governor Bob Taft was sworn into the seat.

Though her time as governor was short, the progress it represents has truly set Ohio ahead.

After leaving the governor's office, Hollister was appointed to the Ohio House of Representatives in 2000, where she served until 2004.

It was just it was amazing to me because there were so many different points of view and thoughts.

And getting to know everyone from all different sides of the aisle.

I believe that compromise and, and listening and working together is, is really important.

You can be in a position of authority and power, but if you get all kinds of input into it, you come out with a much better product for people.

Now retired, she is still active in her local community.

Well, what are your thoughts on our first female governor?

Special thanks to our intern, Olivia for producing that special segment.

Great job, Olivia!

And a big thank you to Nancy Hollister for sitting down with us.

If you want to see more of that interview, check out our website and YouTube channel to watch an extended cut.

Our poll for this episode is related to politics.

We'd like to know, would you ever run for office?

Make your voice heard and head over to our poll page to cast your ballot.

You can choose between.

Yes, elected officials can help our communities.

Or; No, my civic role is to elect the best possible leader.

And come back next week to see how many of your classmates are thinking about a career in politics.

On our last episode, we visited a candy shop in Illinois, making hundreds of caramel apples.

And we want to know what's your all time favorite fall treat?

40% of you said you love filling up on Halloween candy.

20% of you voted for caramel apples.

That's Natalia, our producer's favorite.

Two, 16% of you said your favorite was something else.

Now I want to know what that something else is.

And about 14% of you voted for my favorite apple cider, and 10% of you get pumpkin spice lattes every fall.

Thank you all for voting.

When we interviewed Nancy Hollister, she told us that her favorite job throughout her career is being a mother.

Speaking of mothers, that brings us to our petting zoo.

What does that even mean?

Hey NewsHound, looks like you're on a run.

Come back, come back.

What?

You have to show us what you found for the week.

Okay, I get it now.

You found a story about a mother and daughter who raise moths together.

They raise Polyphemus moths from the cocoon to the end of life and keep them as pets.

Yeah, MOFs get a bad rap, but they're.

They're part of the ecosystem, too.

Some moths are pollinators.

Not these.

Like they don't eat at all.

They're kind of strange, even though it's a different pet.

She's beautiful.

She wants to sit on you, I think.

Her family fallen for these massive moths.

You can check out this week's Petting Zoo by clicking the thumbnail below this video.

Thanks again for the great story, NewsHound.

Now on to some art.

Some local Asian art.

What was once an empty, crumbling parking lot in Cleveland's Asiatown is now bursting with color and creativity.

A new public art installation called For Those Who Call Here Home has transformed the space into a vibrant community hub.

Led by artist Jordan Wong and a team of local Asian-American creatives, the project celebrates culture, identity and connection.

I have had the privilege to do several, you know, public art projects here in Asiatown and to be able to share some of the things that I grew up, you know, seeing as a kid that resonated with me and also are part of my exploration, you know, as far as cultural identity and belonging, to share that with the families and the residents, especially the kids in Asiatown.

It's an honor.

It's a privilege.

The project is called For Those Who Call Here Home Transforming AsiaTown with an outdoor community space.

Based on previous conversations, we learned a sentiment from the community.

Specifically, this one parent, that if you build only things for adults, it really leaves out the children.

However, if you focus on creating things for children, for kids, it actually brings the family together and therefore, you know, unites the community.

One of them is an entrance gate, which the community has voiced a desire for a landmark signifying each of town a large scale light box.

It starts here in Asiatown at night.

And you know, we want to create more safety and well lit areas.

We're also focusing on elements of play in regards to, these unique, seating installations for seating as well as ping pong tables and our planter series that we've invited three emerging Asian artists to create artwork for.

Today is the big day celebrating all five public artworks for Asiatown completed by me and my team for the Transformative Arts Fund.

It's also Mid-Autumn Festival here in Asiatown, so there's a lot of festivities and celebrations today.

I think seeing it from the sketches and finally viewing it in real time, like it all coming to life like, I mean, I feel very happy just seeing it all filled up with people instead of it just being empty.

We're just so happy that it all came together.

It has been a year and a half of planning, and people are using the space exactly as we have intended.

This is like what the neighborhood has needed for a long time.

It's been incredible.

It's been an honor.

My hope is that this space will become a permanent park, and that this asphalt will be replaced by more naturescape and green space.

Special thanks to the Ideastream Arts team for sharing that story with us.

I think that was my favorite Sketchbook of the season so far.

Global pop culture is increasingly dominated by what's popular in South Korea trends there influence, everything from music to food to film and most recently, Netflix's big hit movie K-pop Demon Hunters.

Maybe you've seen it.

Will Ripley recently spoke with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who discussed his country's cultural impact.

We've got it.

We've got a whole spread here.

This is like that scene from K-pop Demon Hunters where they're in the plane and then they're.

Yeah, right.

That's what it looks like right now.

Yes.

Even South Korean President Lee Jae Myung is a fan of K-pop Demon Hunters, the most popular Netflix movie of all time.

And then there's the Netflix mega-hit Squid Game, two global sensations with one thing in common K-Culture.

The world is obsessed with K-Culture from hit K-pop songs like Rose's Apt.

to Oscar winning films like Parasite.

President Lee says he knows why.

K-pop and then K-drama and movies.

Now K-beauty, and K-food.

But I believe the top of all of this are the values and orders.

I believe Korean democracy will be able to become the golden standard for democracy around the world.

And if the success of Korea can be a source of hope for many other countries around the world, that is also a good thing.

Surprisingly, President Lee was not shy about eating on camera.

It's very good.

And I hope you get a good filling today so you will be able to skip dinner.

If you visit during APEC, I am very sure that you will be able to have this bread.

I hope you try a lot of Korean cuisine, experience the culture here and have a nice time.

I look forward to it.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Thank you so much for your time.

- Gamsahamnida - Gamsahamnida Gamsahamnida or thank you in Korean.

Well, unfortunately, that's all the time we have for today.

But you can keep the conversation going because we always like to hear from you.

And there are plenty of ways for you to stay in touch with us.

You can write to us.

We're at 1375 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio.

Our zip code here is 44115.

You can email us at newsdepth@ideastream.org Plus you can catch all of our special segments on YouTube.

Hit subscribe if you're old enough so you don't miss out on any of our new videos.

Thank you for joining us.

I'm Gabriel Kramer.

See you next week.

NewsDepth is made possible by a grant from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation.