1 big thing: State lawmakers target college culture

Hopkins reserved parking spots are for a select few

2. Hopkins reserved parking spots are for a select few

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3. The Terminal: News dumps made easy 

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4. ✅ See it or skip it ❎

New jobs to check out

Monuments to Cleveland women: Jane Scott

5. Monuments to Cleveland women: Jane Scott

TGIF! 🎞️ On this day in 2002, Cleveland native Halle Berry became the first Black woman to win the Academy Award for Best Actress.

☁️ Today's weather: Cloudy, then a slight chance of showers with a high of 43.

🎵 Sounds like: "Leaving on a Jet Plane" by Peter, Paul & Mary

Situational awareness: Bobby George and the Cleveland-Cuyahoga County Port Authority have reached a formal agreement on the final parcel of land required for the Irishtown Bend development. 

Today's newsletter is 931 words — a 3.5-minute read.

Thanks to our editor Lindsey Erdody and copy editors Rob Reinalda and Patricia Guadalupe.

🍞 Sam can't stop eating a loaf of focaccia from Leavened.

🤦🏾‍♂️ Troy once went to a fan expo in Cleveland only to find Corey Feldman demanding $100 for selfies.

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A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Cleveland.

Axios Cleveland

1 big thing: What local workers want most

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2. 🏀 Today in history: Jordan drops 69 on the Cavs 

Michael Jordan dribble drives past the Cavs' Brad Daugherty in 1990. 

3. The Terminal: Time for some newsjacking

4.🍺 Brews on Tues: Sibling Revelry's Kent State Golden Lager

Take your career to the next level

5. Chart to go: Americans love Chinese apps

Happy Frida—ahh ... we've just been told it's only Tuesday. 

☁️ Today's weather: Mostly cloudy with a high near 43.

🤝 It's a great day to contribute to our local journalism when you become a founding member.

🎵 Sounds like: "Work from Home" by Fifth Harmony

🐟 Situational awareness: The trial of Jacob Runyan and Chase Cominsky, two walleye fishermen accused of cheating at a September tournament, began yesterday in Cuyahoga County court.

Today's newsletter is 944 words — a 3.5-minute read.

Thanks to our editor Lindsey Erdody and copy editors Rob Reinalda and Yasmeen Altaji.

🏊 Sam never had much affinity for Ohio State, but he's telling anyone who will listen that the Buckeyes just won their second consecutive title in synchronized swimming.

🏀 Troy once dropped 70 points in a game of NBA Jam.

1 big thing: Rock Hall faces new criticism over "sexist gatekeeping"

On the job hunt?

2. 📢 Trailer park residents make noise

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3. The Terminal: News traffic control 

4. 👻 Popular paranormal podcasters ready to spook Cleveland

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🐪 It's Wednesday, and we're helping you get over the hump.

🌬️ Today's weather: Partly sunny, then showers and breezy with a high of 51.

🎼 Sounds like: "I Feel for You" by Chaka Khan

🐟 Situational awareness: Minutes before the "weights-in-fish" trial of Jacob Runyan and Chase Cominsky was set to begin Monday, the duo pleaded guilty in a deal with prosecutors.

They will face six months' probation and have to forfeit their fishing licenses for three years and surrender Cominsky's boat.

Today's newsletter is 892 words — a 3.5-minute read.

☕ Sam spit out his coffee when he saw that "John Wick: Chapter 4" is two hours and 49 minutes long. (He and that franchise's fandom are not exactly on speaking terms.)

🤘🏾 Troy has been listening to Fall Out Boy's new album and pretending it's 2005 all over again.

1 big thing: Inside the fight for abortion rights in Ohio

2. Abortion opponents ramp up efforts

Protesters hold up sings calling for an end to abortion. 

3. The Terminal: Your primary care news roundup provider

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4. Pic du jour: Dunk of the year (century?)

Donovan Mitchell leaps towards the basket for a dunk, met in midair by the Nets' Yuta Watanabe

A new career is waiting for you

5. Monuments to Cleveland women: Linda Anne Eastman

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🐕 Happy Thursday to you and your best friends on National Puppy Day.

🌧️ Today's weather: Rain, with a thunderstorm possible. High of 55.

🎵 Sounds like: "We Just Disagree" by Dave Mason.

Today's newsletter is 946 words — a 3.5-minute read.

🤞🏾 Troy swears he came close to dunking in college, but then got old. 

Scooter parking, neighborhood expansion on deck

1 big thing: Scooter parking expansion on deck

Is a new job in your future?

Filmmakers revisit Otis Redding's final days in Cleveland

2. 🎥 Filmmakers revisit Otis Redding's final days

3. The Terminal: World news this morning

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A Cleveland woman worth celebrating: Norma Herr

4. A Cleveland woman worth celebrating: Norma Herr

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⚖️ Welcome to Monday. On this day in 2012, Lillian Burke — the first Black woman judge in Ohio — died at age 94.

🌤️ Today's weather: Showers likely, high of 44.

🎵 Sounds like: "Hard to Handle" by Otis Redding.

🏀 Situational awareness: The Cavaliers clinched a playoff berth last night. It's the team's first trip to the postseason without LeBron James since 1998.

Today's newsletter is 903 words — a 3-minute read.

🌍 Sam was riveted this weekend by The Intercept's investigation of Bridge International Academies. 

🛴 Troy is terrified of scooters but imagines he might buy a motorcycle during a midlife crisis.

On Dec. 10, 1967, a plane carrying Otis Redding and members of his backup band the Bar-Kays died in a plane crash. Less than 24 hours earlier, the legendary musicians had taken Cleveland by storm.

Driving the news: Two filmmakers with local ties are looking to capture the final year in the life of Redding and the Bar-Kays with the documentary "Soul Sound '67."

Zoom in: The film is directed by Northeast Ohio native Wes Orshoski and friend Adam Rubenstein, whose cousin was Ronnie Caldwell, the Bar-Kays keyboardist who died in the crash.

What they're saying: "So much of this is trying to get people to understand who the Bar-Kays were," Rubenstein tells Axios. "In losing Ronnie and trying to tell this story, I've gained a family in people who knew him."

Flashback: In 1967, Redding and the Bar-Kays played two nights — Dec. 8 and 9 — at Cleveland's iconic Leo's Casino and appeared on "Upbeat," a locally produced and syndicated musical variety show.

The following afternoon, Redding and most of the band boarded a private plane that crashed on its way to Wisconsin, killing everyone except trumpeter Ben Cauley.

The intrigue: This month, Rubenstein and Orshoski traveled to Cleveland to interview people who had witnessed Redding and the Bar-Kays' final performances.

"Even though I grew up here, I had no idea how cool Cleveland was in the 1960s," Orshoski says. "I'm now educated on the role Cleveland played as a stop for the Motown acts and how many legendary musicians appeared on a show like 'Upbeat.'"

What's next: Rubenstein and Orshoski plan to continue gathering footage and interviews for "Soul Sound '67" with the hope of having a rough cut ready by year-end.

The film is the brainchild of Northeast Ohio native Wes Orshoski and friend Adam Rubenstein.

The King of Soul. Photo: Elaine Mayes/Getty Images

On Dec. 10, 1967, a plane carrying Otis Redding and members of his backup band the Bar-Kays died in a plane crash. Less than 24 hours earlier, the legendary musicians had taken Cleveland by storm.Driving the news: Two filmmakers with local ties are looking to capture the final year in the life of Redding and the Bar-Kays with the documentary &quot;Soul Sound &#x27;67.&quot;

News

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is celebrating Women's History Month with programs centered on notable female musicians — all while being criticized for what some call a history of sexism in its induction process.

Driving the news: Rock star Courtney Love has spent recent weeks tearing into the Rock Hall on social media, and she penned an op-ed in the Guardian titled "Why are women so marginalised by the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?"

Why it matters: Love's opinion that the Rock Hall is a "sexist" boys club has renewed criticism that the institution fails to adequately honor women.

By the numbers: As of this year, just 61 — or 8.5% — of the Rock Hall's more than 700 inductees are women.

That means the vast majority of Rock Hall's voting pool — which includes all previous inductees — are men.

Meanwhile, of the 240 music industry professionals that have served on the Rock Hall's nominating committee since 1986, nearly 85% have been men, according to independent Rock Hall tracking website Future Rock Legends.

Flashback: The first Rock Hall induction ceremony in 1986 featured 16 inductees, all men, even though a number of prominent women — including Aretha Franklin, Etta James, The Supremes, Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Carole King — were eligible.

The latest: Five of the 14 acts nominated for the class of 2023 feature women.

However, when factoring in individual band members for each act, this year's ballot features six women and 35 men.

The other side: The Rock Hall did not respond to Axios' request for comment.

What's next: The museum continues its Women's History Month programming by honoring R&B icon Chaka Khan with a sold-out event tonight and a new exhibit.

Though nominated seven times, Khan not yet been inducted into the Rock Hall.

Rock Hall faces renewed criticism over "sexist gatekeeping"

Courtney Love, Chrissie Hynde and other prominent women are tearing into the Rock Hall.

Seven nominations but no induction for Chaka Khan. Photo: Michael Putland/Getty Images

Music

The Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame is celebrating Women&#x27;s History Month with programs centered on notable female musicians — all while being criticized for what some call a history of sexism in its induction process.Driving the news: Rock star Courtney Love has spent recent weeks tearing into the Rock Hall <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="on social media" data-vars-click-url="https://twitter.com/Courtney" data-vars-content-id="93476d37-7154-4bd9-a767-21ac47fd4b61" data-vars-headline="Rock Hall faces renewed criticism over &quot;sexist gatekeeping&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://twitter.com/Courtney" target="_blank">on social media</a>, and she penned an op-ed in the Guardian titled <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="&quot;Why are women so marginalised by the Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame?&quot;" data-vars-click-url="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/mar/17/why-are-women-so-marginalised-by-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame" data-vars-content-id="93476d37-7154-4bd9-a767-21ac47fd4b61" data-vars-headline="Rock Hall faces renewed criticism over &quot;sexist gatekeeping&quot;" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/mar/17/why-are-women-so-marginalised-by-the-rock-roll-hall-of-fame" target="_blank">&quot;Why are women so marginalised by the Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame?&quot;</a>

Paranormal vibes take center stage at The Agora tomorrow night.

What's happening: Em Schulz and Christine Schiefer, hosts of the popular podcast "And That's Why We Drink," are bringing their "On the Rocks" tour to town.

Flashback: The duo founded its popular podcast in early 2017, combining stories about haunted locations with tales of sensational crimes, all with comedic flair.

"And That's Why We Drink" recently surpassed 180 million lifetime downloads.

Details: The live show, which is heavy on fan participation, is the follow-up to the duo's 2022 "Here for the Boos" tour, which did not come to Cleveland.

This time around, Schulz and Schiefer are sharing the results of a recent ghost-hunting adventure at a mystery location on the West Coast that will be revealed on stage.

What they're saying: Schiefer, a Cincinnati native, tells Axios that Ohioans have a special connection to all things paranormal.

"There's this running joke that if it's weird, alien, cryptic or involving ghosts, the story always ends up taking place in Ohio," she says.

If you go: Tomorrow's show begins at 8pm. Tickets start at $37.50.

"And That's Why We Drink" podcasters ready to spook Cleveland

The popular podcast that combines paranormal with true crime comes to the Agora.

Cheers to the paranormal. Photo: Courtesy of "And That's Why We Drink"

Podcasts

Paranormal vibes take center stage at The Agora tomorrow night.What&#x27;s happening: Em Schulz and Christine Schiefer, hosts of the popular podcast <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="&quot;And That&#x27;s Why We Drink,&quot;" data-vars-click-url="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__andthatswhywedrink.com_&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=uw6TLu4hwhHdiGJOgwcWD4AjKQx6zvFcGEsbfiY9-EI&amp;r=OnnsLd034qGZ2LwtXdA0gA4YOpU75CkU2l6k6m24tTY&amp;m=NGgJ0RbjXfQmn0CAf-81DaD14D8DadCxei0ORv3CAYu8iykKTBnkWEp9LPbOn7CY&amp;s=cu64b6cyBjMj8H3AMfJVHrfWZ2QIY4JmVP1GWDYOroQ&amp;e=" data-vars-content-id="e3fa2818-932a-4fc0-9e44-ed69e90a0d9a" data-vars-headline="&quot;And That&#x27;s Why We Drink&quot; podcasters ready to spook Cleveland" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__andthatswhywedrink.com_&amp;d=DwMFaQ&amp;c=uw6TLu4hwhHdiGJOgwcWD4AjKQx6zvFcGEsbfiY9-EI&amp;r=OnnsLd034qGZ2LwtXdA0gA4YOpU75CkU2l6k6m24tTY&amp;m=NGgJ0RbjXfQmn0CAf-81DaD14D8DadCxei0ORv3CAYu8iykKTBnkWEp9LPbOn7CY&amp;s=cu64b6cyBjMj8H3AMfJVHrfWZ2QIY4JmVP1GWDYOroQ&amp;e=" target="_blank">&quot;And That&#x27;s Why We Drink,&quot;</a> are bringing their &quot;On the Rocks&quot; tour to town.

Things to Do

A potentially deadly fungus, on the radar of local health professionals for several years, is spreading quickly in the U.S.

Driving the news: On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published data showing that 3,270 clinical cases of C. auris infections were reported in the U.S. from 2016 to 2021.

Why it matters: C. auris poses a danger to people with compromised immune systems, according to the CDC.

The fungus has proven resistant to echinocandins, the antifungal medicine most commonly recommended for such infections.

What they found: Cases tripled nationwide from 476 in 2019 to 1,471 in 2021, with the fungus detected in more than half of the states, including Ohio.

Preliminary figures estimate at least another 2,377 clinical cases in 2022.

Zoom in: Of those 2,377 cases last year, 79 were reported in Ohio, ninth-most among all states.

Since 2018, researchers at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine and University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center have been working on an antifungal that could combat C. auris.

In November 2022, Case Western received a five-year, $3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to bolster research.

What they're saying: Mahmoud Ghannoum, director of the Center for Medical Mycology at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, said in a statement that C. auris is "particularly scary" given its resistance to antifungal drugs.

"It can survive on skin and health care surfaces [for] up to two weeks, allowing the spread from person to person in health care settings and nursing homes," Ghannoum said.

The intrigue: The spread of C. auris has drawn parallels to the popular HBO series "The Last of Us," where a real-life fungus called cordyceps mutates and prompts a zombie apocalypse.

Reality check: The potential for C. auris to lead to a zombie outbreak has been dispelled by health professionals.

What's next: The CDC is still studying how C. auris spreads as the number of cases resistant to echinocandins tripled in 2021.

Local researchers working to stop fungal threat

The spread of C. auris has drawn parallels to the popular HBO series "The Last of Us."

A hand of a person in a lab coat holds up a lab dish with fungus in it.

Will this be the last of us? Photo: Nicolas Armer/picture alliance via Getty Images

Fungus

A potentially deadly fungus, on the radar of local health professionals for several years, is spreading quickly in the U.S.Driving the news: On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="published data" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2023/p0320-cauris.html" data-vars-content-id="e7ba720f-71cf-4cfd-b090-e95bb51a0611" data-vars-headline="Local researchers working to stop fungal threat" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2023/p0320-cauris.html" target="_blank">published data</a> showing that 3,270 clinical cases of C. auris infections were reported in the U.S. from 2016 to 2021.

The battle over a proposed amendment for abortion rights in Ohio intensified this week with legal maneuvering and a trained army of volunteers at the forefront.

Why it matters: If the amendment makes it to the November ballot and voters approve it, it would preserve abortion access in a state that's been a conservative front for opposing abortion.

Zoom in: The citizen-initiated amendment is driven by two groups — Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights and Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom — which hit the ground running after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022.

The physicians organization began as a Facebook group that's grown to more than 1,400 members, while Ohioans for Reproductive Freedom is a coalition of longstanding pro-abortion rights groups, including Planned Parenthood and the Abortion Fund of Ohio.

What they're saying: "This is a big campaign, especially with a political landscape like Ohio," Jordyn Close, board president for Abortion Fund of Ohio, tells Axios. "It's an all-hands-on-deck situation. The more people we have working toward reproductive freedom, the better."

Between the lines: The groups are intentionally targeting the November 2023 ballot rather than waiting until 2024, when the amendment could draw more anti-abortion rights attention in a wave of regional and national campaigning.

Lauren Beene, executive director of Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights, tells Axios that Ohio's "heartbeat" abortion law, which prohibits the procedure after six weeks of gestation, was a major concern.

A county judge put the law on hold in October, but Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost is appealing the decision to the Ohio Supreme Court. If the appeal is successful, Beene says, "we'll have a crisis that will be in place for an unbearable amount of time."

The latest: Last week, the Ohio Ballot Board certified the proposed amendment. Organizers now face the task of collecting more than 413,000 valid signatures from registered voters by July 5.

Yes, but: The signatures must come from voters in at least half of the state's 88 counties, meaning they cannot all be collected in larger, bluer regions.

Beene says more than 1,500 volunteers have been trained so far and will be supplemented by paid gatherers. The goal is to obtain at least 700,000 signatures.

The other side: Opponents of abortion rights have responded with multiple efforts of their own, including a $5 million ad buy from Protect Women Ohio and a lawsuit from Cincinnati Right to Life seeking to vacate the Ohio Ballot Board's certification.

Meanwhile, Ohio Senate Republicans are considering a proposal for a special election in August to increase the votes needed to amend the state constitution from a simple majority to 60%.

The proposal would also require petitioners to get voter signatures from all 88 counties instead of 44 and eliminate the 10-day period in which more signatures can be gathered should the initial attempt fall short.

The big picture: A 60% threshold could prove crucial, as polling results from Baldwin Wallace University in October showed 59% of Ohio registered voters would support a constitutional amendment for abortion rights.

A 60% threshold would also be more than the 55.7% of voters that approved a similar amendment to Michigan's constitution in November 2022.

The intrigue: In a letter obtained by Cleveland.com in December, the resolution's sponsor Rep. Brian Stewart wrote to his fellow House Republicans "the Left intends to write abortion on demand into Ohio's Constitution."

"If they succeed, all the work accomplished by multiple Republican majorities will be undone, and we will return to 19,000+ babies being aborted each and every year," Stewart wrote in the letter.

What's next: Close says the focus over the next eight months will be on gathering signatures and campaigning for a possible August special election and the amendment vote in November.

"This kind of response from people who continue to strip Ohioans of their bodily autonomy isn't new to us," Close says. "We're so excited to be at this point and are focused on keeping our campaign going."

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A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Columbus. Written by Tyler Buchanan and Alissa Widman Neese.

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Inside the fight over abortion rights in Ohio

Ohio has become the new battle front over abortion rights.

Protestors hold up signs calling for abortion rights. 

A battle that will continue until November and maybe beyond. Photo: Whitney Saleski/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Abortion

The battle over a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="proposed amendment" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2023/02/15/abortion-rights-amendment-ohio" data-vars-content-id="ebd047bb-a832-4a82-a260-9eca3d4d0eda" data-vars-headline="Inside the fight over abortion rights in Ohio" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2023/02/15/abortion-rights-amendment-ohio" target="_self">proposed amendment</a> for abortion rights in Ohio intensified this week with legal maneuvering and a trained army of volunteers at the forefront.Why it matters: If the amendment makes it to the November ballot and voters approve it, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="it would preserve abortion access" data-vars-click-url="https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/getattachment/cf27c10f-b153-4731-ae9e-e3555a326ed9/The-Right-to-Reproductive-Freedom-with-Protections-for-Health-and-Safety.aspx" data-vars-content-id="ebd047bb-a832-4a82-a260-9eca3d4d0eda" data-vars-headline="Inside the fight over abortion rights in Ohio" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/getattachment/cf27c10f-b153-4731-ae9e-e3555a326ed9/The-Right-to-Reproductive-Freedom-with-Protections-for-Health-and-Safety.aspx" target="_blank">it would preserve abortion access</a> in a state that&#x27;s been a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="conservative front for opposing abortion" data-vars-click-url="https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/04/ohio-has-become-the-conservative-vanguard-for-opposing-abortion-rights.html" data-vars-content-id="ebd047bb-a832-4a82-a260-9eca3d4d0eda" data-vars-headline="Inside the fight over abortion rights in Ohio" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2018/04/ohio-has-become-the-conservative-vanguard-for-opposing-abortion-rights.html" target="_blank">conservative front for opposing abortion</a>.

Troy Smith

Stories

Rock Hall faces renewed criticism over "sexist gatekeeping"

"And That's Why We Drink" podcasters ready to spook Cleveland

Filmmakers revisit Otis Redding's final days in Cleveland

Inside the fight over abortion rights in Ohio

Local researchers working to stop fungal threat

Newsletter editions

👩‍🎤 Snubbing female rockers

💵 What workers want

🛴 Scooter hubs

🎓 GOP's campus crackdown

📢 Abortion battleground