Sound of Ideas

Akron’s board of education accepted the resignation of the current superintendent and hired its next district leader without a search. It all happened in one very long meeting this week. Out is Michael Robinson who leaves after less than two years leading the district. An investigation found allegations that he bullied and intimidated staff were credible. In is Mary Outley. She’s twice been the interim superintendent and was tapped for the job when the board put Robinson on leave earlier this month due to the investigation into complaints against him. We will begin the Friday “Sound of Ideas Reporters Roundtable” with the district’s change in leadership.

On May 4, 1970, members of the Ohio National Guard fired into a crowd of Kent State University demonstrators, killing four and wounding nine students. Events are planned on campus from May 2–4 to commemorate the day.

For years, scholars have been drawing parallels to the evolution of the Roman Republic and the modern United States.

Gov. Mike DeWine started the H2Ohio program in 2019 to address water quality issues in Ohio, but it could see massive cuts if cuts in the House version of the budget are incorporated into the final spending document.

Sandra Morgan was appointed to serve as East Cleveland's interim mayor in late February, following the suspension of Mayor Brandon King, who soon faces trial for corruption-related charges.

Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb delivered his state of the city Wednesday and said the city needs to be resilient due to cuts and proposed cuts from the Trump administration and Congress. Washington is not coming to save us, the mayor said. He touched on the accomplishments made in his first term and touched on a number of other topics. Bibb said the city will push forward on its plan to develop the lakefront, part of a city on two waterfronts vision. The mayor said the plan will not rely on whether the Browns remain Downtown. He put the chances of the team leaving for a new domed stadium in Brook Park at 50%. We will talk about the state of the city address on the Friday “Sound of Ideas Reporters Roundtable.”

According to the United Nations, food waste now accounts for up to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Catholics worldwide are mourning the death of Pope Francis. The 88-year-old pontiff died Monday, one day after he blessed the Easter crowds gathered in Rome. Pope Francis leaves behind a legacy of social justice with his primary concern for the world's poor and a focus on environmental stewardship.

The issue of microplastics continues to grow as a threat to public health and the environment. Local researchers and engineers are tackling the problem through educational programming and innovative filtration technology.

The Cleveland Public Market Corporation has been running the West Side Market since April of 2024.

The board of the Akron Public Schools placed Superintendent Michael Robinson on paid administrative leave this week after an independent investigation found credible allegations of abusive behavior, bullying and retaliation toward staff. The board held a special meeting this week after receiving the report. Robinson signed a five-year contract with Akron Public Schools in the summer of 2023 and is on leave pending board action. We will begin Friday’s “Sound of Ideas Reporters Roundtable” with Education Reporter discussing the report and why not all board members voted to place the superintendent on leave.

Some academics think that President Trump's 100+% tariffs on China could have an adverse effect on the state's farmers, who export a lot of corn and soybeans.

Cleveland's urban tree canopy stands at 18% and is rapidly declining. Community groups like the Cleveland Tree Coalition and Holden Forests & Gardens are working together to reverse the trend.

As President Trump surrounds himself with wealthy tech moguls, the term "oligarchy" is being used more and more, but is it an appropriate label for this moment in American history?

Ohio libraries will get more funding under the House's budget, which was passed Wednesday. That after intense backlash over proposed library funding cuts prompted lawmakers to reconsider. Still, there's big worry about future budgets because lawmakers refused to restore the method of funding libraries in place since the Celeste administration of earmarking a set percentage of the General Revenue Fund for libraries in every budget. What will that mean for future library funding? The budget passed 60 to 39 without any support from Democrats and with five Republicans voting against it. The House budget includes the $600 million in 30-year state-backed bonds requested by the Haslam Sports Group to help fund a new domed Browns stadium complex in Brook Park. There was a last-minute push by Republicans to cut the funding, but it fell short. An amendment, though, forced the Browns to sweeten their insurance against failure by putting up $50 million instead of $30 million. We will begin Friday’s “Sound of Ideas Reporters Roundtable” with a discussion of the House budget and the various changed made to it before it passed onto the Ohio Senate.

A survey of nearly 1,500 residents reveals that Clevelanders were two to three times more likely to have unmet food, housing and transportation needs, as compared to the state and nation.

In Cleveland, large parcels of land for development or redevelopment are hard to come by. But a new project may be a rare opportunity to reimagine a current industrial brownfield site and bring people back to the city. Spurred by state and city funding, the former National Acme building on East 131st Street will be demolished and the newly vacant land remediated. Combined with an adjacent parcel of 22 acres acquired by the city and once occupied by Republic Steel, the combined plot will offer 37 acres to attract businesses and jobs back into the city. The Acme site in its heyday was a national leader in the manufacture of machine tools but has been shuttered for decades. On the “Sound of Ideas” we will talk to the stakeholders on the remediation project including the Cuyahoga Land Bank and the Site Readiness for Good Jobs Fund.

A proposed state budget calls for the end of the Public Library Fund, as libraries from across the state descend on Columbus for Library Legislative Day.

April 7 is the last day to register to vote in the May 6 Primary Election. Visit your county board of elections website to learn about changes to polling locations and accepted forms of identification.