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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>

Browns' Brook Park stadium gets $200 million pricier

Despite the Haslams' larger contribution, taxpayers are still helping to fund a private stadium district.

Sports

The Browns&#x27; new stadium in Brook Park just got more expensive, and the Haslams want credit for taking on an increased slice of the funding pie.Driving the news: The price tag for the domed facility and its surrounding development has climbed to $2.6 billion, up from $2.4 billion. The Haslams said last week these increases are tied to roofing upgrades that will enhance the natural light.

Development concepts show golf course, marina, restaurants at Burke

Bibb pitches lakefront redevelopment as economic win, with thousands of jobs and millions in annual revenue.

Two development concepts at <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Burke Lakefront Airport" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/02/25/survey-burke-airport-future" data-vars-content-id="243dd033-646e-4220-aa7b-ff05aac51faa" data-vars-headline="Development concepts show golf course, marina, restaurants at Burke" 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/survey-burke-airport-future" target="_self">Burke Lakefront Airport</a> are now circulating to help residents envision what might be possible on the land.Why it matters: The 450-acre site has long been one of Cleveland&#x27;s biggest and most tantalizing question marks. Mayor Justin Bibb supports the airport&#x27;s closure and wants to demonstrate that alternative land uses are not just popular with residents, but potentially lucrative.

What Cleveland can learn from Chicago's lakefront airport gamble

The demolition of Meigs Field offers a preview — and a warning — for Burke's future.

Cleveland can learn a lot about the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="redevelopment of a lakefront airport" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/03/30/burke-airport-redevelopment-concepts-golf" data-vars-content-id="35f93756-481c-4082-b613-078567a3a1ae" data-vars-headline="What Cleveland can learn from Chicago&#x27;s lakefront airport gamble" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/03/30/burke-airport-redevelopment-concepts-golf" target="_self">redevelopment of a lakefront airport</a> from Chicago.Flashback: On March 30, 2003, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley sent <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="overnight bulldozers" data-vars-click-url="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/3/31/23662485/miegs-field-airport-mayor-richard-daley-bulldozed-notherly-island-plane-march-2003" data-vars-content-id="35f93756-481c-4082-b613-078567a3a1ae" data-vars-headline="What Cleveland can learn from Chicago&#x27;s lakefront airport gamble" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/3/31/23662485/miegs-field-airport-mayor-richard-daley-bulldozed-notherly-island-plane-march-2003" target="_blank">overnight bulldozers</a> to destroy the landing strip at the city&#x27;s small downtown Meigs Field Airport.

Moreno calls on data center owner to reject $4.5M Ohio subsidy

In a letter obtained by Axios, the senator called the tax break for a Northeast Ohio expansion creating 10 jobs a "sweetheart deal."

U.S. Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio) is blasting a new tax break for a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Northeast Ohio data center expansion project" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/03/06/ohio-data-center-akron-independence-laws" data-vars-content-id="6ec2a2af-9d34-4bce-83ef-be9d26148c08" data-vars-headline="Moreno calls on data center owner to reject $4.5M Ohio subsidy" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/03/06/ohio-data-center-akron-independence-laws" target="_self">Northeast Ohio data center expansion project</a> and calling on the company behind it to reject it.Why it matters: The deal has become a flashpoint in Ohio&#x27;s growing debate over whether data centers deserve taxpayer incentives when they consume massive quantities of energy but create relatively few permanent jobs.

Cleveland Clinic defends trauma center plan

In a new statement, the Clinic says a Level I center would close gaps in care.

Health

Cleveland Clinic is making its case for building a new Level I trauma center after facing <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="public criticism from MetroHealth" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/02/11/metrohealth-cleveland-clinic-trauma-center" data-vars-content-id="aaef5db2-c540-4ac6-adb6-c7d8b45e6ee9" data-vars-headline="Cleveland Clinic defends trauma center plan" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/02/11/metrohealth-cleveland-clinic-trauma-center" target="_self">public criticism from MetroHealth</a>. The big picture: Trauma centers offer the highest level of care for life-threatening injuries, from car crashes to gunshot wounds, and maintain around-the-clock access to specialized surgeons and critical care teams.

Irishtown Bend hillside no longer at risk of tumbling into the Cuyahoga

The Port of Cleveland completed a $65 million stabilization project, clearing the way for a 25-acre park.

Development

The Port of Cleveland has finished stabilizing the crumbling hillside along the Cuyahoga River, clearing the way for the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="hotly anticipated Irishtown Bend Park" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2024/03/21/irishtown-bend-park-honor-cleveland-irish-immigrants" data-vars-content-id="e8f39579-433b-4c15-9b4a-3fbf3ac93ddf" data-vars-headline="Irishtown Bend hillside no longer at risk of tumbling into the Cuyahoga" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2024/03/21/irishtown-bend-park-honor-cleveland-irish-immigrants" target="_self">hotly anticipated Irishtown Bend Park</a>.Why it matters: For years, erosion and hillside movement raised fears of a catastrophic collapse that could have dumped soil into the river and blocked the shipping channel — jeopardizing thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in annual economic impact.

Tower City's fountain era officially ends

Bedrock is removing Skylight Park and the fountain beneath it to make way for a massive, flexible event space.

Bedrock is removing Tower City&#x27;s Skylight Park installation to create a nearly 20,000-square-foot flexible event space.Why it matters: The change will remove the long-dormant fountain infrastructure at the heart of Tower City — a bittersweet makeover that signals yet another shift away from retail and toward live experiences downtown.

What's next for Cleveland in 2026: Schools, airports, big civic bets

The biggest storylines facing Cleveland in the New Year.

Some of the biggest local storylines of 2025 included Cleveland&#x27;s growth as a movie hub, lakefront plans and Browns stadium drama.State of play: 2026 will reveal how those things continue to unfold, while also highlighting key developments in Cleveland&#x27;s school system, airport and public transportation.

Cleveland OKs $100M Browns deal

Council greenlit the team's move to Brook Park, securing millions for city neighborhoods.

Cleveland City Council&#x27;s support of a reworked $100 million settlement with the Haslam Sports Group ends months of acrimony and clears the way for the Browns&#x27; move to Brook Park.Why it matters: After decades of subsidizing pro sports in Cleveland, Monday&#x27;s vote flips the script — securing tens of millions from the Browns for lakefront development and neighborhood projects.

Development 🏗️

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

Browns' Brook Park stadium gets $200 million pricier

Development concepts show golf course, marina, restaurants at Burke

What Cleveland can learn from Chicago's lakefront airport gamble

Moreno calls on data center owner to reject $4.5M Ohio subsidy