The Sound of Ideas

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in five children in America has obesity. One new solution might be GLP-1 weight loss drugs.

Last fall, the NuPoint Community Development Corporation (formerly the Union-Miles Development Corporation) launched a neighborhood history project called Southeast Side Stories. The idea is to document the stories of the Union-Miles, Mt. Pleasant and Lee-Harvard neighborhoods and those in between as well. Using a mix of first-person interviews and multimedia, including vintage photographs and film, the project chronicles the deep roots families have built in the area across generations. Also on the show, we begin with an interview with the president of Slovenia, Nataša Pirc Musar. She addressed the United Nations General Assembly last week in New York and then traveled to Cleveland. The city is home to the largest population of Slovenians outside of their country.

Shelters say that lives are at risk as overcrowding has persisted since the pandemic. They say they're out of space and out of time to help animals in their care, especially dogs.

The harm reduction approach aims to reduce the negative impact of substance use disorder. In Portage County, health officials and Kent State University community members are working toward shared goals by distributing tools such as Naloxone.

A clash erupted this week between Mayor Justin Bibb's administration and Cleveland City Council, led by its president, Blaine Griffin. A council aide downloaded thousands of unredacted documents from a public records database, one he was allowed to access. The administration says some of those documents contained sensitive information, such as addresses, Social Security numbers or medical information that is typically redacted before public release. According to Griffin, Bibb's people called for the council aide's firing, which he characterized as a strong-arm tactic. The aide did nothing wrong and is going nowhere, he said. The story begins our discussion of the week's news of the Friday “Reporters Roundtable.”

The university's Inamori International Center for Ethics and Excellence will award Oscar Chacón with the 2025 Inamori Ethics Prize for his work in human rights and immigration justice.

An advisory committee for the Centers for Disease Control made changes to vaccine recommendations in a meeting last week that was described in media reports as tense and chaotic. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices or ACIP changed advice on COVID vaccines to a "shared decision-making model." It also changed its recommendation regarding the combined childhood vaccine for measles, mumps, rubella and varicella or chicken pox (MMRV). The committee recommended that children under 4 not be given the MMRV vaccine and instead recommended an MMR vaccine and a separate shot for varicella (chicken pox). The committee tabled a decision on whether to delay the birth dose of the Hepatitis B vaccine for newborns. To begin Wednesday's “Sound of Ideas,” we're going to talk about the recommendations coming out of the ACIP meeting and what those recommendations mean for those seeking COVID-19 or the MMRV vaccine. Later, Brian Katulis, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute joins the program to talk about the Trump administration's foreign policy in that region. 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Zepbound for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity. Local experts discuss other advances in treatment, including nerve stimulation devices placed under the skin.

Northeast Ohio Congressman Max Miller, a Republican from Bay Village said in an opinion piece in the "Washington Times" that his constituents are afraid to come into the city because of crime. He wants the National Guard to deploy to Cleveland as it has done in Washington, D.C. and is being considered for other cities such as Chicago. But Gov. Mike DeWine says state-agencies will be tasked with crime-related duties in Ohio cities not troops. We will begin the Friday “Sound of Ideas Reporters Roundtable” with the call by U.S. Rep. Miller and others for the Guard to come to Cleveland and where Mayor Justin Bibb stands. It's been over a week since the conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated while addressing an audience on the campus of Utah Valley University and since then, we've seen the limits of free speech put to the test. People across the country were punished for their reactions to Kirk's death, from the high profile canceling of ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live show after pressure from the F.C.C. to local officials being suspended or resigning due to comments critical of Kirk that they made on social media. It's that time of year when schools are the ones getting graded. The state report cards measuring last year's academic performance for Ohio's more than 600 public school districts came out this week. Reading scores are down half a percentage point statewide, while math scores went up almost two points. In Northeast Ohio, Akron Public Schools jumped up an entire star in the state's 5-star rating system, from 2.5 to 3.5, meanwhile Cleveland went down from 3 to 2-and-a-half stars. Cleveland City Council publicly reprimanded one of its own this week. Members voted to formally censure Ward 1 Councilman Joe Jones for misconduct and unprofessional workplace behavior. It's the first censure in 50 years for council. Three unions representing educators in Ohio are suing over an element in the state budget that changes the makeup of the board overseeing teachers' pensions. The unions say the budget measure is unconstitutional and takes away the voice of teachers on the State Teachers Retirement System Board which oversees teachers' retirement money.

The shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has sparked a new debate over how employees are allowed to post on social media, and what repercussions should be.

Canton For All People, started its work in 2021 with a goal of improving the rental and home ownership landscape for the city's lower- and middle-income families. The group is getting both regional and national attention for its work. We will begin Wednesday's “Sound of Ideas” with a conversation with the executive director of Canton For All People about its work on many fronts to get individuals and families in Canton into safe housing and highlight the latest "Sound of Us" series built around the organization's work. Later, we will talk about the fall migration of birds that is underway as hundreds of species head south for the winter. The annual natural spectacle is the focus of the Headlands Birding Festival at the Mentor Headlands Beach State Park. Naturalist, artist and writer Julie Zickefoose will discuss her writing and art that has focused on nature. She will be a keynote speaker at the festival. We will end the hour in conversation with author Claudia Rowe. She sat down with Ideastream's Anna Huntsman to talk about her new book, “Wards of the State: The Long Shadow of American Foster Care.”

DigitalC, a Cleveland-based nonprofit is expanding its internet access services to 450 public housing households across the Forest Park, Brewster Homes and Diggs Homes neighborhoods in Detroit.

Artificial intelligence is accelerating the need to develop more energy systems, as new data centers that require a lot of electricity are being built in Ohio and the Midwest. We'll discuss whether nuclear power could be a viable alternative energy source.

A bipartisan committee of Ohio lawmakers will begin work on a new congressional map for the midterm elections, meeting on Sept. 22 with an end-of-October deadline for a map to pass with bipartisan support. But is bipartisanship even remotely possible? This week Democrats unveiled their own redrawn map, one that would give Republicans a slight advantage in eight districts with Democrats holding a slight advantage in seven. Ohio currently has 10 Republicans and five Democrats serving in the U.S. House. The speaker of the Ohio House, who presides over a supermajority of Republicans, immediately called the democratic effort a gerrymander, even as democrats say the republican gerrymander is what they're trying to solve. We will begin the Friday “Sound of Ideas Reporters Roundtable” with the beginning of the redistricting efforts and whether this time the two parties can work together on a map.

Global Cleveland, a local nonprofit organization, hosts its annual Welcoming Week beginning Sept. 12. This year's events include an International Job and Resource Fair and a panel conversation on Sub-National Diplomacy.

Voters in Cleveland Heights overwhelmingly approved a recall of Mayor Kahlil Seren--the first person directly elected to hold the job of mayor in that city. We'll talk about the recall vote as well as several other results from the September primary in Cuyahoga County. The primary winnows ward and mayoral races down to two candidates who advance to the November ballot. Later, we hear from All Things Considered Host Scott Detrow about the mission of NPR as public media faces a loss of federal funding.

A local professor from Case Western Reserve University is one of dozens of scientists who are pushing back against a Department of Energy report.

Relay Cleveland, a public history campaign, takes its name from Cleveland's historic “relay” policy — a system that split school days into half-day sessions in overcrowded, predominantly Black schools.

Cleveland's director of airports talked to the media this week about his opposition to the Browns new stadium complex, which is planned for land near the city-owned Hopkins International Airport. Bryant Francis told reporters that he has not changed his mind about safety concerns he believes the new stadium, because its height encroaches 58 feet into protected airspace, would pose to the airport. He also didn't say specifically what those safety concerns are, while the Federal Aviation Administration issued a "no hazard" finding. We will discuss the airport director's opposition to the current Browns stadium plan to begin Friday's “Sound of Ideas Reporters Roundtable.”

Psychedelics like LSD, psilocybin, and ketamine are being tested to treat disorders like PTSD and anxiety.

Human trafficking may seem like a problem that only happens in places far away, but in reality, it happens here in Ohio. According to the United Nations' International Labour Organization, human trafficking impacts more than 27 million people worldwide. And though there's no reliable estimate of human trafficking in the U.S., according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, it has been reported in all 50 states. To try to better understand this issue, and how it can be stopped., we'll ask how do human trafficking cases occur in Ohio? What's happening to these victims? And how are survivors escaping? Later, over the next few weeks, Northeast Ohio will be in the path of a natural phenomenon. Millions of monarch butterflies will be on the move making their way to wintering grounds in Mexico. We will talk about monarch butterflies, including their migration and conservation efforts with local naturalists.

We'll talk about the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and the role Ohioans played in the fight against fascism.

A bystander was killed last weekend when a suspect being chased by Cuyahoga County Sheriff's deputies crashed into her car at St. Clair and Addison Avenue. It's raising anew questions about police chase policy and the sheriff's downtown safety patrol. Sharday Elder, 37, was killed. She was the mother of two. The Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Office formed the safety patrol in 2023 to help Cleveland address downtown crime. In the last five months, three bystanders have died during chases. The story begins our discussion of the news on Friday's “Sound of Ideas Reporters Roundtable.”

President Trump has taken aim at the Smithsonian Institution and with it, how America tells the story of itself, warts and all.

The "Democracy and Academic Freedom: A Forum" series kicks off on the College of Wooster's campus on Sept 3.

In Ohio, financial problems eventually led to the closure of two institutions: Notre Dame College in South Euclid and Eastern Gateway Community College in Steubenville. Both shut their doors last year permanently. Coming up we will talk about what happens when a college shuts its doors. What about the students, faculty and vibrancy of the surrounding community? Later, Ohio's soggy spring and hot, humid summer have helped fuel an active season for West Nile Virus with cases in moquitoes and humans reported in the region. We'll talk to an infectious disease expert about prevention. Plus, a bill to make drive-throughs safer in the wake of a deadly confrontation in Stow.

The latest "Sound of Ideas: Community Tour" examined the possible future of Lower Shaker Lake, after the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District recommended it be drained to prevent flooding.

We learned more this week about the latest hurdle for the Browns' plans to build and move to a new covered stadium in Brook Park beginning in 2029. The Ohio Department of Transportation this month denied a construction permit for the stadium after Cleveland's top airport official said the current design would "permanently and negatively impact" the airspace at Hopkins International Airport.  We will begin Friday's “Sound of Ideas Reporters Roundtable” discussing why the permit was denied and the options the Haslam Sports Group has to move the project forward.

The "Solar for All" program was designed to help low-income households by lowering pollution and utility costs in underserved communities. It funded initiatives across the country to expand access to rooftop solar panels, community solar farms and battery storage systems.

Sherrod Brown announced this week his intention to challenge Jon Husted next November in a bid to return to the U.S. Senate. Now that Brown has clarified his political ambitions, how does that affect other potential races?

Food waste is estimated to be about 30 to 40% of the food supply, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Department of Agriculture.

Suicide was the second leading cause of death among individuals between the ages of 10 and 34, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2022.

Cleveland City Councilmember Joe Jones, stripped of his committee assignments in January for bad behavior, is now set to be censured by council after an investigation found credible allegations that he threatened the life of a staffer. Jones will face censure next month. Cleveland City Council has not censured one of its members since the 1970s. A working group looking at possible changes to property tax laws will deliver recommendations next month to the governor. Property owners have made clear to lawmakers that they are maxed out. But the grassroots group seeking to put a measure before voters to abolish property taxes says the group's work will not stop their drive for an amendment. Karl Racine, the monitor overseeing Cleveland's implementation of a federal consent decree over unconstitutional policing, has resigned. Cleveland entered into the consent decree with the Justice Department in 2015. Lakewood residents frustrated with repeated power outages gave an earful to First Energy officials in a town hall organized by the utility this week. Power goes out frequently, they said, even when there's no storm in sight. First Energy blamed an aging system and bad equipment for the problems in Lakewood and the west side of Cleveland and committed to spending 12.5 million dollars on upgrades. After a five week trial, Antoine Tolbert and two other members of the New Era Cleveland group were found not guilty on all charges after prosecutors alleged they were running a protection racket and shaking down gas station owners. The highest profile Democrat in Ohio, former U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown, will run for re-election to the senate against appointed Republican U.S. Senator Jon Husted, the former lieutenant governor. An official announcement, sources say, will come next week. All eyes were on Brown as a possible gubernatorial candidate. His decision to make another run for the senate may clarify other races. Democrats hold no statewide elected state or federal positions, save a state supreme court seat. We discuss these topics and more on the Friday “Sound of Ideas Reporters Roundtable.”

The Positivity Spectrum launched a virtual legal clinic to help families in the autism community earlier this month.

For an estimated 5 million Americans, every beat of their heart can be heard in their ears as a constant "whooshing" sound making it difficult to sleep or concentrate and contributing to anxiety and depression. The condition is known as pulsatile tinnitus or P-T. Those who treat people with P-T say the condition can go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed due to its rarity and the difficulty in determining the underlying cause. On Wednesday's “Sound of Ideas” we will meet a local woman who developed the condition and the doctor who used a surgical procedure to help reduce most, but not all of the noise she was hearing. Also on the show, up first, we talk about the current labor dispute at a locally owned coffee chain and the recent closure of a café in Lakewood. Why are coffee shops currently flashpoints in the larger discussion regarding worker's and unionization? Finally, the Tennis in the Land tournament returns this weekend to the Flats. The tournament is now in its fifth year and brings to Cleveland some of the up and coming stars of the professional women's tennis tour. We'll talk to the tournament director about this year's event and plans.

Educators at a variety of levels are re-examining the "literary canon" and bringing new works into the classroom. "Romeo and Juliet" and "Of Mice and Men" might be moved to make room for more modern, diverse voices.

Every day, more than 100,000 people in the U.S. are waiting for an organ transplant, yet an average of 13 patients on the transplant list die each day. Experts in organ procurement and advocacy from Northeast Ohio will discuss the disparities and inequities in the organ donation system, and why some organs are going to waste.

Ohio electric customers will soon stop propping up two coal plants with subsidies tacked onto their bills. The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio voted to zero out the charges as of Aug. 14. The subsidies were part of the scandal-tainted House Bill 6 that also bailed out nuclear power plants. Former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder and former Ohio GOP Chairman Matt Borges were sentenced to prison for their role in a bribery scheme connected to the passage of the bill. We will begin Friday's “Sound of Ideas Reporters Roundtable with the removal of the subsidies and why the audit is being requested. School kids have sick days and snow days. Should they also get days for mental health care? Senator Willis Blackshear, a Dayton Democrat, has introduced for the third time a bill giving K-through-12 students up to three "mental health days" per school year. Robbery, felonious assault, breaking and entering and auto theft are down in Akron, according to the city's new crime report, which also shows there has been a slight increase in shootings, more burglaries and a sharp decrease in overdose deaths. And, Cleveland firefighters will get a huge pay increase, 21 percent, under a new three-year union contract with the city. Plus, we'll cover other stories of the week too.

President Donald Trump's executive order, "Ending Crime and Disorder on America's Streets" aims to crackdown on homeless encampments and involuntarily place unhoused individuals in treatment for mental health and addictions. The efforts reverse the decades-old "housing first" policy, used locally and nationwide.

It's been one year since Ohio began recreational marijuana sales for adult use. The launch of recreational products came less than a year after voters approved a citizen-initiated statute in 2023, paving the way for both recreational marijuana sales and home cultivation. The recreational market joined the state's existing medical marijuana program, which has been in operation since 2019. According to Crain's Cleveland Business, total legal cannabis sales in the state have reached $2.8 billion as of this month, including more than $600 million in recreational sales over the past year. The voter-approved statute allows lawmakers to make adjustments to the law. While a number of proposals have been discussed, efforts to pass legislation codifying some of those changes have been tabled until after the summer recess. So where do recreational marijuana sales stand in Ohio?

Lead poisoning, an irreversible diagnosis, poses a significant threat to children under the age of six. Cleveland's lead-poisoning rates are nearly four times the national average.

Several community groups in Akron are rallying to curb violence through events like the city's National Night Out program, which aims to make neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live.

Commuters on Cleveland's West Side had better have a mug of patience in the cupholder beside them: A $173 million dollar construction project starts Aug. 4 and will impact traffic on Interstate 90 through October of 2028. Earlier this week on that stretch of highway, commuters may have needed a pontoon. I-90 in Lakewood and Rocky River was under water after a deluge. The construction project aims to fix the flooding. We will begin Friday's “Sound of Ideas Reporters Roundtable” discussing the I-90 project.

Four fair housing agencies, including the Fair Housing Center for Rights and Research in Cleveland, have filed a class action lawsuit against DOGE and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, hoping to restore funding that it says helps keep residents in their homes.