COLUMBUS, Ohio – Across America, as families stuck in their homes anxious and isolated by the new coronavirus, a new daily ritual is taking shape: tuning into the governor’s afternoon press briefing.
Residents sequestered under a stay-at-home order in Ohio seem to hang on Republican Gov. Mike DeWine’s every word, sharing his latest orders among friends via text message and on social media and following along with a drinking game — “Wine with DeWine." Signature T-shirts and tumblers are available online.
They will someday be artifacts from a moment when state leaders like DeWine found the spotlight — even a new sort of celebrity — amid a national crisis.