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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.

Cleveland joins Michelin restaurant guide

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

News

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.

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.

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.

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.

When Cleveland needed a hero, the 1995 Indians delivered

The terrific Indians clinched the franchise's first postseason berth in 41 years.

The Browns were in turmoil, and the Cavs could barely make it out of the first round of the playoffs — Thank heaven for Cleveland&#x27;s baseball team of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="the 1990s" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/04/10/90s-cleveland-comeback-city" data-vars-content-id="a53b5bf6-82f9-44e1-ba1c-6862eb9edb2b" data-vars-headline="When Cleveland needed a hero, the 1995 Indians delivered" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/04/10/90s-cleveland-comeback-city" target="_self">the 1990s</a>.Flashback: The Indians put together some of the most exciting seasons in franchise history, led by players whose names still ring out in local folklore.

McCartney's Rock Hall grievance resurfaces ahead of new exhibition, documentary

An 2015 interview published by Vanity Fair recalls a tiff between Paul McCartney and the Rock Hall.

Music

Paul McCartney is set to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="take over" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/02/18/paul-mccartney-wings-rock-hall-exhibit-may" data-vars-content-id="c9b09a1d-6c4b-4fb8-b7bb-22f7c514c8d2" data-vars-headline="McCartney&#x27;s Rock Hall grievance resurfaces ahead of new exhibition, documentary" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/02/18/paul-mccartney-wings-rock-hall-exhibit-may" target="_self">take over</a> the Rock &amp; Roll Hall of Fame in two months, but he may still have a bone to pick with the institution.Driving the news: McCartney is making headlines for a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="2015 interview" data-vars-click-url="https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/story/paul-mccartney-interview-part-two" data-vars-content-id="c9b09a1d-6c4b-4fb8-b7bb-22f7c514c8d2" data-vars-headline="McCartney&#x27;s Rock Hall grievance resurfaces ahead of new exhibition, documentary" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/story/paul-mccartney-interview-part-two" target="_blank">2015 interview</a> that Vanity Fair just published in late February.

5 classic Cleveland albums every vinyl collector should own

Vintage albums from Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Pere Ubu and more.

There is no shortage of Cleveland-related records for vinyl lovers to add to their collections.Here are five albums every local music fan should look to get their hands on:

Documentary revisits Carl Stokes' groundbreaking political legacy

"Stokes' Dilemma" showcases his campaign to become the first Black mayor of a major U.S. city.

Perhaps the most definitive documentary yet detailing the impact of Cleveland political trailblazer <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Carl Stokes" data-vars-click-url="https://clevelandcivilrightstrail.org/explore-the-trail/carl-stokes/" data-vars-content-id="b19bc9f3-77be-4e14-9ca8-cd32142c6f75" data-vars-headline="Documentary revisits Carl Stokes&#x27; groundbreaking political legacy" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://clevelandcivilrightstrail.org/explore-the-trail/carl-stokes/" target="_blank">Carl Stokes</a> could hit screens later this year.Why it matters: Stokes became the first Black mayor of a major U.S. city when he was elected <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="mayor of Cleveland" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2025/02/18/photos-100-years-of-black-history-in-cleveland" data-vars-content-id="b19bc9f3-77be-4e14-9ca8-cd32142c6f75" data-vars-headline="Documentary revisits Carl Stokes&#x27; groundbreaking political legacy" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2025/02/18/photos-100-years-of-black-history-in-cleveland" target="_self">mayor of Cleveland</a> in 1967.

Rev. Jesse Jackson was a familiar face in Cleveland's civil rights fight

Jackson's numerous visits to the city spanned more than 50 years.

The Rev. Jesse Jackson, a civil rights icon who <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="died Tuesday" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/17/jesse-jackson-dies-civil-rights-leader" data-vars-content-id="93aa64c1-33bc-4a98-b36f-6921a7f225b8" data-vars-headline="Rev. Jesse Jackson was a familiar face in Cleveland&#x27;s civil rights fight" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/17/jesse-jackson-dies-civil-rights-leader" target="_self">died Tuesday</a>, made numerous visits to Cleveland over a lengthy career fighting against racial inequality and injustice.The big picture: That included accompanying Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. to the city during the 1960s and lobbying for Black business owners over the past decade.

California investors eye Cleveland's historic Variety Theater

They want to restore the 1927 complex, including the 12 apartments above it, "the way it was."

Real Estate

California investors are in talks to buy Cleveland&#x27;s long-dormant Variety Theater, offering a new path forward for the historic venue on Lorain Avenue.Why it matters: The Variety has cycled through owners for decades, but the cost and complexity of restoration has handicapped recent efforts to bring it back to life.

A lost War of 1812 memoir has been hiding in Cleveland for decades

It's just one of many first editions and other hidden gems at the Western Reserve Historical Society.

A long-lost 19th century memoir has recently resurfaced, thanks to Cleveland&#x27;s Western Reserve Historical Society.Why it matters: Housed inside the Cleveland History Center in University Circle, the WRHS Library documents the history of Cleveland and Northeast Ohio.

Why 2016, the year that defined Cleveland, is going viral again

People are reliving 2016, one of the biggest years in Cleveland history.

Haven&#x27;t you heard — <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="2026 is the new 2016" data-vars-click-url="https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/living/story/2026-2016-social-media-users-turn-back-clock-129277952" data-vars-content-id="98d4e079-bb45-4eeb-9498-980d358edaa8" data-vars-headline="Why 2016, the year that defined Cleveland, is going viral again" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/living/story/2026-2016-social-media-users-turn-back-clock-129277952" target="_blank">2026 is the new 2016</a>.Why it matters: The first major <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="viral trend" data-vars-click-url="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy1e605dvgo" data-vars-content-id="98d4e079-bb45-4eeb-9498-980d358edaa8" data-vars-headline="Why 2016, the year that defined Cleveland, is going viral again" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy1e605dvgo" target="_blank">viral trend</a> of the year is reminiscing over everything that happened a decade ago, which just so happened to be one of the biggest years in Cleveland history.

2016 was Cleveland's most unforgettable sports year

An NBA championship, a World Series for the ages and a UFC belt, all in a whirlwind few months.

Sports

2016 remains one of the most electrifying, improbable sporting years in the city&#x27;s history.Why it matters: The recent <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="nostalgia trend" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/01/22/2016-viral-trend-cavs-world-series-rnc" data-vars-content-id="a2f713c9-85a9-4df0-b8eb-81a2017723a7" data-vars-headline="2016 was Cleveland&#x27;s most unforgettable sports year" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/01/22/2016-viral-trend-cavs-world-series-rnc" target="_self">nostalgia trend</a> for all things 2016 has us thinking about the Cavs&#x27; NBA championship.

Bob Weir's long, strange trip through Northeast Ohio

Weir performed in the area more than 40 times with his various bands.

The music world bid farewell to another legend over the weekend with the passing of the Grateful Dead&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Bob Weir" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/11/entertainment/video/bob-weir-grateful-dead-vrtc-digvid" data-vars-content-id="0a0f0bd6-da80-4a0c-8755-ecc54a4f706f" data-vars-headline="Bob Weir&#x27;s long, strange trip through Northeast Ohio" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/11/entertainment/video/bob-weir-grateful-dead-vrtc-digvid" target="_blank">Bob Weir</a>.Zoom in: Northeast Ohio also lost one of the most prolific performers in the area&#x27;s rich music history.