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Recall effort launched against Mayor Justin Bibb

Activists cite spending and transparency concerns, but history is on Bibb's side.

Politics

Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb is facing a formal recall effort, though if history is any indication, he shouldn&#x27;t be sweating.Why it matters: Recall attempts are rare in the city of Cleveland and have never succeeded, but they can signal political dissatisfaction.

From Oberlin to CIFF: Dickler's "Big Bass" hooks a personal story

The documentary short screens April 14 and 15 at the Cleveland International Film Festival.

News

Filmmaker Drew Dickler&#x27;s short documentary <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="&quot;Big Bass&quot;" data-vars-click-url="https://www.clevelandfilm.org/films/big-bass-2026/" data-vars-content-id="76bb56fe-fc5d-4dc1-8add-75e61b5ea1c7" data-vars-headline="From Oberlin to CIFF: Dickler&#x27;s &quot;Big Bass&quot; hooks a personal story" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.clevelandfilm.org/films/big-bass-2026/" target="_blank">&quot;Big Bass&quot;</a> starts with a striking, yet hilarious declaration about her childhood — &quot;I was so gay, my parents took one look at me and named me Drew.&quot;State of play: &quot;Big Bass&quot; recounts a formative moment in Dickler&#x27;s youth, involving a large plastic fish and the gym teacher who changed her life.

Cleveland joins Michelin restaurant guide

Starred restaurants for the new Great Lakes region will be revealed in 2027.

The world&#x27;s preeminent food reviewer is adding Cleveland to its guide. Why it matters: Cleveland&#x27;s food scene continues to turn heads and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="notch accolades" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/03/31/vinnie-cimino-james-beard-finalist-2026-cordelia-rosy" data-vars-content-id="e861e0b9-fea7-48b9-8c31-a389fa5e1207" data-vars-headline="Cleveland joins Michelin restaurant guide" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/03/31/vinnie-cimino-james-beard-finalist-2026-cordelia-rosy" target="_self">notch accolades</a>, and a Michelin star would fully legitimize it.

Yost calls for ending Ohio's death penalty moratorium

The state AG criticized a "mockery of the justice system" as critics sound the alarm on systemic risks.

Attorney General Dave Yost has made a strenuous case for Ohio to restart executions in his eighth and final <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="capital crimes report" data-vars-click-url="https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Files/Reports/Capital-Crimes-Annual-Reports/2025-Cap-Crimes-Annual-Report_WEB.aspx" data-vars-content-id="3e3b9a62-5768-4b0f-aca2-3faf428b4e88" data-vars-headline="Yost calls for ending Ohio&#x27;s death penalty moratorium" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Files/Reports/Capital-Crimes-Annual-Reports/2025-Cap-Crimes-Annual-Report_WEB.aspx" target="_blank">capital crimes report</a>.Why it matters: Ohio hasn&#x27;t carried out <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="an execution" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2025/04/22/ohio-death-penalty-machine-repeal-yost" data-vars-content-id="3e3b9a62-5768-4b0f-aca2-3faf428b4e88" data-vars-headline="Yost calls for ending Ohio&#x27;s death penalty moratorium" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2025/04/22/ohio-death-penalty-machine-repeal-yost" target="_self">an execution</a> since 2018, under a de facto moratorium by Gov. Mike DeWine tied largely to the state&#x27;s inability to secure lethal injection drugs.

Cleveland's comeback era: How the '90s reshaped the city

After decades of industrial decline, Cleveland rebranded itself as "America's Comeback City."

What were you like in the 1990s?Why it matters: A new viral trend has everyone — from your friends and family to your <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="favorite celebrities" data-vars-click-url="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DW0BKprCXju/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&amp;igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==" data-vars-content-id="6e4080e0-22de-4b79-a785-2a53a5995350" data-vars-headline="Cleveland&#x27;s comeback era: How the &#x27;90s reshaped the city" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DW0BKprCXju/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&amp;igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==" target="_blank">favorite celebrities</a> — answering the question on <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="social media" data-vars-click-url="https://www.instagram.com/explore/search/keyword/?q=what%20were%20you%20like%20in%20the%2090s" data-vars-content-id="6e4080e0-22de-4b79-a785-2a53a5995350" data-vars-headline="Cleveland&#x27;s comeback era: How the &#x27;90s reshaped the city" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.instagram.com/explore/search/keyword/?q=what%20were%20you%20like%20in%20the%2090s" target="_blank">social media</a>.<ul><li>After decades of industrial decline, Cleveland rebranded itself as &quot;America&#x27;s Comeback City.&quot;</li></ul>

CIFF horror short "Hide" asks: What if the rich ate their own?

The film, written Cleveland native Justin Kohlas, could make you lose your appetite.

Rich people doing unspeakable things is nothing new in the horror genre, but <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="&quot;Hide&quot;" data-vars-click-url="https://www.clevelandfilm.org/films/hide-2026/" data-vars-content-id="97284d0d-2613-4c14-b0aa-7fae09fd3fdc" data-vars-headline="CIFF horror short &quot;Hide&quot; asks: What if the rich ate their own?" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.clevelandfilm.org/films/hide-2026/" target="_blank">&quot;Hide&quot;</a> takes it to a new level of grotesque.The intrigue: The short film, written by Cleveland native <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Justin Kohlas" data-vars-click-url="https://www.kimbermark.com/about" data-vars-content-id="97284d0d-2613-4c14-b0aa-7fae09fd3fdc" data-vars-headline="CIFF horror short &quot;Hide&quot; asks: What if the rich ate their own?" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.kimbermark.com/about" target="_blank">Justin Kohlas</a>, centers on a wealthy family&#x27;s dinner party where the main course includes chunks of flesh from a participant.

Anti-Trump "No Kings" protest in Cleveland: What to know

Organizers expect more attendees than last year's rallies.

Clevelanders will rally Saturday alongside millions of Americans in a new wave of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="&quot;No Kings&quot;" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/24/bruce-springsteen-joan-baez-no-kings-twin-cities" data-vars-content-id="d99283f2-575a-49d3-8ffb-7a4b3c303264" data-vars-headline="Anti-Trump &quot;No Kings&quot; protest in Cleveland: What to know" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/24/bruce-springsteen-joan-baez-no-kings-twin-cities" target="_self">&quot;No Kings&quot;</a> protests.Why it matters: Thousands are expected to take to the streets to denounce the Trump administration&#x27;s policies, from <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="ICE&#x27;s" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/02/02/hundreds-rally-against-ice-in-downtown-cleveland" data-vars-content-id="d99283f2-575a-49d3-8ffb-7a4b3c303264" data-vars-headline="Anti-Trump &quot;No Kings&quot; protest in Cleveland: What to know" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/02/02/hundreds-rally-against-ice-in-downtown-cleveland" target="_self">ICE&#x27;s</a> growing <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="presence" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/03/23/ice-agents-hopkins-cleveland-international-airport-trump" data-vars-content-id="d99283f2-575a-49d3-8ffb-7a4b3c303264" data-vars-headline="Anti-Trump &quot;No Kings&quot; protest in Cleveland: What to know" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/03/23/ice-agents-hopkins-cleveland-international-airport-trump" target="_self">presence</a> to concerns about the Iran war and its effect on gas <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="prices" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/03/25/gas-4-dollars-cleveland-iran-war" data-vars-content-id="d99283f2-575a-49d3-8ffb-7a4b3c303264" data-vars-headline="Anti-Trump &quot;No Kings&quot; protest in Cleveland: What to know" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/03/25/gas-4-dollars-cleveland-iran-war" target="_self">prices</a>.

Playhouse Square unveils 2026-27 Broadway Series lineup

The seven-show season includes "Phantom," "Mamma Mia!" and "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child"

Culture

Playhouse Square has unveiled its 2026-27 KeyBank Broadway Series, a lineup mixing new, Tony Award-winning hits with familiar crowd-pleasers.Why it matters: Cleveland continues to be one of the nation&#x27;s premier Broadway touring hubs thanks to an enthusiastic subscriber base — currently at 40,000 members, per Playhouse Square — and the ability to host extended runs that many cities can&#x27;t support.

New Edition is hoping for its Rock & Roll Hall of Fame moment

The Boston-born R&B act currently leads the Rock Hall's Fan Vote by a solid margin.

Few artists in recent memory have embraced their <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/02/25/rock-hall-2026-nominees-ballot" data-vars-content-id="7c325f17-894e-438a-ae87-62ba0b720f10" data-vars-headline="New Edition is hoping for its Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame moment" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/02/25/rock-hall-2026-nominees-ballot" target="_self">Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame</a> nomination as much as New Edition.The intrigue: Each member of the group — Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Ronnie DeVoe, Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill and Ralph Tresvant — has feverishly promoted the Rock Hall&#x27;s Fan Vote on <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="social media" data-vars-click-url="https://www.instagram.com/newedition/" data-vars-content-id="7c325f17-894e-438a-ae87-62ba0b720f10" data-vars-headline="New Edition is hoping for its Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame moment" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.instagram.com/newedition/" target="_blank">social media</a>.

Don't bet on Ohio for Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce wedding

The prediction markets favor New York or Rhode Island as the location for the couple's nuptials.

Could one of the biggest pop culture events of 2026 take place in Ohio? Don&#x27;t bet on it.The intrigue: You can pretty much bet on anything these days, including where Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce will get married.

Blossom Music Festival returns with Idina Menzel and film favorites

The Cleveland Orchestra's summer in Cuyahoga Falls features more than a dozen concerts.

Music

It&#x27;s going to be a wicked hot summer at Blossom Music Center.State of play: The Cleveland Orchestra has unveiled its <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="2026 Blossom Music Festival lineup" data-vars-click-url="https://www.clevelandorchestra.com/tickets/calendar/2026-blossom-season" data-vars-content-id="b23cbc5e-7474-4de9-b3da-3e804d85bff5" data-vars-headline="Blossom Music Festival returns with Idina Menzel and film favorites" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.clevelandorchestra.com/tickets/calendar/2026-blossom-season" target="_blank">2026 Blossom Music Festival lineup</a>, headlined by a night with <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Idina Menzel" data-vars-click-url="https://www.clevelandorchestra.com/events/an-evening-with-idina-menzel" data-vars-content-id="b23cbc5e-7474-4de9-b3da-3e804d85bff5" data-vars-headline="Blossom Music Festival returns with Idina Menzel and film favorites" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.clevelandorchestra.com/events/an-evening-with-idina-menzel" target="_blank">Idina Menzel</a> on July 26.

Oscars 2026: A two-movie race and plenty of suspense

This year's Academy Awards features features some of the tightest races in recent memory.

The Academy Awards arrive Sunday with a tremendous amount of suspense and uncertainty, which is just the way we like it.Why it matters: Tight races and a chance at <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Oscars" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/01/23/axios-cleveland-reporters-give-their-2026-oscar-nomination-takes" data-vars-content-id="93348371-cf2b-4743-bb78-53ce4d5dd8dd" data-vars-headline="Oscars 2026: A two-movie race and plenty of suspense" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/01/23/axios-cleveland-reporters-give-their-2026-oscar-nomination-takes" target="_self">Oscars</a> history have generated a level of hype we haven&#x27;t seen in several years, at a time when the film industry continues to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="evolve" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/27/warner-bros-paramount-netflix" data-vars-content-id="93348371-cf2b-4743-bb78-53ce4d5dd8dd" data-vars-headline="Oscars 2026: A two-movie race and plenty of suspense" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/27/warner-bros-paramount-netflix" target="_self">evolve</a>.

Against all odds: Predicting the Rock Hall's 2026 class

This year's ballot is a wild one, which should make for an eventful 2026 class.

We&#x27;re a month away from the Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame announcing potentially one of its most <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="mind-boggling" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/02/25/rock-hall-2026-nominees-ballot" data-vars-content-id="9242f243-68b5-44b3-b6ba-f7cbf616e5a3" data-vars-headline="Against all odds: Predicting the Rock Hall&#x27;s 2026 class" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/02/25/rock-hall-2026-nominees-ballot" target="_self">mind-boggling</a> inductee classes.Why it matters: This year&#x27;s bonkers <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="ballot" data-vars-click-url="https://rockhall.com/2026-nominees/" data-vars-content-id="9242f243-68b5-44b3-b6ba-f7cbf616e5a3" data-vars-headline="Against all odds: Predicting the Rock Hall&#x27;s 2026 class" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://rockhall.com/2026-nominees/" target="_blank">ballot</a> is loaded with first-time nominees, long-time snubs, and surprises from all over the genre map.