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Ohio colleges get poor marks for free speech in new rankings

Northeast Ohio schools landed in the bottom half of the 261-school ranking.

Education

Ohio colleges aren&#x27;t exactly making the honor roll when it comes to free speech, per a civil liberties nonprofit&#x27;s new report. State of play: Ohio&#x27;s 13 ranked colleges and universities earned a D- average for their <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="campus speech climates" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/09/10/free-speech-collge-student-censorship" data-vars-content-id="5aa0a83c-624f-4de2-91b1-27001f9a2771" data-vars-headline="Ohio colleges get poor marks for free speech in new rankings" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/09/10/free-speech-collge-student-censorship" target="_self">campus speech climates</a> in the latest national rankings from the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression" data-vars-click-url="https://www.fire.org/news/2027-college-free-speech-rankings-kirk-murder-adds-another-difficult-topic-dismal-climate" data-vars-content-id="5aa0a83c-624f-4de2-91b1-27001f9a2771" data-vars-headline="Ohio colleges get poor marks for free speech in new rankings" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.fire.org/news/2027-college-free-speech-rankings-kirk-murder-adds-another-difficult-topic-dismal-climate" target="_blank">Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression</a> (FIRE), matching the national average.

Capitol Theatre's new operators are doing God's work

Arthouse Management has revived the historic venue with more movies, more showtimes and respect for filmgoers.

Culture

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="The Capitol Theatre" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/05/18/capitol-theatre-arthouse-llc" data-vars-content-id="deeddb6f-bd76-49dd-9195-e20fea4680d3" data-vars-headline="Capitol Theatre&#x27;s new operators are doing God&#x27;s work" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/05/18/capitol-theatre-arthouse-llc" target="_self">The Capitol Theatre</a> in Cleveland&#x27;s Gordon Square Arts District has been revived under new management. Why it matters: More movies. More showtimes. Faster lines. Better video and audio quality in the auditoriums.

How Cleveland is marking 25 years since 9/11

The Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument will host a remembrance ceremony at 8:30am.

Things to Do

Northeast Ohio will pause Friday to commemorate 25 years since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks with several tributes.Downtown Cleveland: Public Square&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Soldiers&#x27; and Sailors&#x27; Monument" data-vars-click-url="https://www.soldiersandsailors.com/" data-vars-content-id="6a4fbf1a-ea5b-4996-b642-f93d07390996" data-vars-headline="How Cleveland is marking 25 years since 9/11" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.soldiersandsailors.com/" target="_blank">Soldiers&#x27; and Sailors&#x27; Monument</a> will host a remembrance ceremony at 8:30am.

Metallica announces Cleveland stadium show

It's legendary metal band's first Cleveland concert since 2019.

Music

Cleveland has its first stadium <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="concert" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/09/08/ticket-costs-climb-event-scene-grows" data-vars-content-id="2b978b90-df6a-4286-a3a4-3f4ff01998c4" data-vars-headline="Metallica announces Cleveland stadium show" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/09/08/ticket-costs-climb-event-scene-grows" target="_self">concert</a> of 2027.What&#x27;s happening: Metallica will bring its &quot;M72 World Tour&quot; to Huntington Bank Field on June 15.

Cleveland synagogues join national push to train congregants on security

Cleveland has something many Jewish communities don't: its own security force.

News

Synagogues across the U.S., including some in Northeast Ohio, are <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="training congregants" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/08/synagogues-security-teams-jews" data-vars-content-id="e0c27b25-1784-4427-bca7-5fd47ad0b935" data-vars-headline="Cleveland synagogues join national push to train congregants on security" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/08/08/synagogues-security-teams-jews" target="_self">training congregants</a> to serve on volunteer security teams, as antisemitic assaults hit record levels nationwide.Why it matters: The push for hyper-vigilance comes as physical assaults against Jews in the U.S. hit a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="46-year high" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/06/antisemitic-assaults-jews-2025" data-vars-content-id="e0c27b25-1784-4427-bca7-5fd47ad0b935" data-vars-headline="Cleveland synagogues join national push to train congregants on security" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/06/antisemitic-assaults-jews-2025" target="_self">46-year high</a> in 2025.

Violent crime in Cleveland largely static in 2026

The 48 homicides through the first half of the year are identical to 2025.

As <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="violent crime" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/10/violent-crime-us-cities-trump" data-vars-content-id="24fa1dfe-b4ae-4f1c-9c17-a51d14eb6235" data-vars-headline="Violent crime in Cleveland largely static in 2026" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/05/10/violent-crime-us-cities-trump" target="_self">violent crime</a> continues to fall across many of the nation&#x27;s largest cities, Cleveland&#x27;s data remained largely unchanged in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period last year. State of play: The homicides count through June was in fact identical — 48 this year and 48 last year.

Cleveland's final vote on Flock

Council will decide whether to renew the city's license plate reader contract after fierce public debates.

Public Safety

Cleveland City Council will cast the deciding vote Wednesday on whether to keep the city&#x27;s controversial <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Flock Safety" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/05/19/flock-cleveland-bibb-council" data-vars-content-id="84acafaa-5f5b-4112-80c5-9f7ffa445b9c" data-vars-headline="Cleveland&#x27;s final vote on Flock" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/05/19/flock-cleveland-bibb-council" target="_self">Flock Safety</a> license plate reader program.Why it matters: The debate has become the most polarizing at City Hall in 2026, pitting police and many East Side clergy against civil liberties advocates and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="a grassroots campaign" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/05/13/resistance-flock-cameras-cleveland" data-vars-content-id="84acafaa-5f5b-4112-80c5-9f7ffa445b9c" data-vars-headline="Cleveland&#x27;s final vote on Flock" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/05/13/resistance-flock-cameras-cleveland" target="_self">a grassroots campaign</a> that calls the technology a mass surveillance tool.

Cuyahoga County bans gun-shaped lighters

The new ordinance is named for Tamir Rice and arrives amid with stricter consumer protection enforcement.

Cuyahoga County has become the first county in Ohio to ban the retail sale and display of gun-shaped novelty lighters.Why it matters: Some Ohio cities regulate novelty lighters on the basis of fire safety, but county officials say this is the first to specifically target them as a violence-prevention measure.

Flock on why public safety in Cleveland isn't a zero-sum game

Flock Safety explains how safeguards can support more responsible public safety technology

Partners

Cleveland officials are revisiting their public safety technology, including automated license plate readers (LPRs), amid nationwide public debates about access, safety, equity and transparency.Why it&#x27;s important: Flock, a company that produces LPR technology, believes public safety isn&#x27;t a zero-sum game.<ul><li>Clear rules, oversight and transparency can help cities like Cleveland use public safety technology while protecting privacy and civil liberties.</li></ul>

Shaker Heights rewrites contract with Flock

New restrictions aim to limit outside access to license plate reader data, but critics remain unconvinced.

Shaker Heights has signed an amended contract with <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Flock Safety" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/05/13/resistance-flock-cameras-cleveland" data-vars-content-id="3b7de941-419c-49e8-9436-db30c098057b" data-vars-headline="Shaker Heights rewrites contract with Flock" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/05/13/resistance-flock-cameras-cleveland" target="_self">Flock Safety</a> that restricts access to data collected by the company&#x27;s automated license plate readers and imposes stricter controls on its internal use. Why it matters: The new contract comes after a grassroots opposition group obtained public records showing outside agencies <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="were accessing" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cleveland.com/news/2026/05/activists-uncover-hundreds-of-immigration-related-searches-that-ran-through-shaker-heights-flock-system.html" data-vars-content-id="3b7de941-419c-49e8-9436-db30c098057b" data-vars-headline="Shaker Heights rewrites contract with Flock" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cleveland.com/news/2026/05/activists-uncover-hundreds-of-immigration-related-searches-that-ran-through-shaker-heights-flock-system.html" target="_blank">were accessing</a> local data for immigration-related searches.

Council committee declines to renew Flock contract

Council members questioned whether license plate readers make the city safer as skepticism over surveillance grows.

Cleveland City Council&#x27;s Safety Committee has voted against extending the city&#x27;s $250,000 <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="contract with Flock Safety" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/05/19/flock-cleveland-bibb-council?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=paid_search&amp;utm_campaign=national&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=23909507513&amp;gbraid=0AAAAACBUgDQ82vrpxC-XBY5MJnkjoQxMT&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwrs7RBhDuARIsAIVfBD2kMIRjUL1_qCQ1hLmbacPysT5fHRF-HicBDyMs_TSe0ER7QXbTU_caAhF3EALw_wcB" data-vars-content-id="10ba385d-9448-4cc9-b789-9db846e7a5cd" data-vars-headline="Council committee declines to renew Flock contract" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/05/19/flock-cleveland-bibb-council?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=paid_search&amp;utm_campaign=national&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gad_campaignid=23909507513&amp;gbraid=0AAAAACBUgDQ82vrpxC-XBY5MJnkjoQxMT&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwrs7RBhDuARIsAIVfBD2kMIRjUL1_qCQ1hLmbacPysT5fHRF-HicBDyMs_TSe0ER7QXbTU_caAhF3EALw_wcB" target="_self">contract with Flock Safety</a>, despite warnings from police officials that losing the system would be &quot;crippling&quot; to investigations.Why it matters: Wednesday&#x27;s vote reflects growing skepticism about whether automated license plate readers deliver enough public safety benefits to justify expanded surveillance.

Cleveland ranks among safest big metros for walking

Pedestrian safety is important in one of the nation's most equitably walkable cities.

Cleveland continues to be one of the safer cities for pedestrians, according to a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="report from Smart Growth America" data-vars-click-url="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/signature-reports/dangerous-by-design/?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=sendto_localnewslettertest&amp;stream=top" data-vars-content-id="bba5f595-8088-44d8-bf2d-07e917ac0982" data-vars-headline="Cleveland ranks among safest big metros for walking" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/signature-reports/dangerous-by-design/?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=sendto_localnewslettertest&amp;stream=top" target="_blank">report from Smart Growth America</a>.Why it matters: Pedestrian safety is especially important in Cleveland, which is considered to be one of the nation&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="most equitably walkable cities" data-vars-click-url="https://www.planetizen.com/news/2023/02/121525-cleveland-nations-most-equitably-walkable-city?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=sendto_localnewslettertest&amp;stream=top" data-vars-content-id="bba5f595-8088-44d8-bf2d-07e917ac0982" data-vars-headline="Cleveland ranks among safest big metros for walking" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.planetizen.com/news/2023/02/121525-cleveland-nations-most-equitably-walkable-city?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=sendto_localnewslettertest&amp;stream=top" target="_blank">most equitably walkable cities</a>.

Cleveland moves to end federal police oversight

The city and the DOJ want a judge to terminate the 2015 consent decree.

Cleveland and the U.S. Department of Justice jointly filed a motion Thursday asking a judge to terminate more than a decade of federal oversight of the police department.Why it matters: This could be the end of <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="the consent decree" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2025/02/12/cleveland-consent-decree-bernie-moreno" data-vars-content-id="50cea5c6-14ff-40da-a084-3595da6afce6" data-vars-headline="Cleveland moves to end federal police oversight" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2025/02/12/cleveland-consent-decree-bernie-moreno" target="_self">the consent decree</a>. The 2015 settlement agreement set out to reshape how local police use force, investigate misconduct and interact with residents.

A showdown in Cleveland over proposed Tanisha's Law

City Council and Mayor Bibb clash over creating a new department to send clinicians instead of cops on mental health 911 calls.

Health

Cleveland City Council is pushing to pass legislation early next year that would send clinicians, not police, to certain mental health emergencies.Why it matters: The debate over &quot;Tanisha&#x27;s Law&quot; has exposed a sharp divide between the council and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Mayor Justin Bibb&#x27;s administration" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2025/09/30/mayor-justin-bibb-election-2025-safety" data-vars-content-id="11a95e94-89c4-4dd4-8c22-c26c2d72aa8c" data-vars-headline="A showdown in Cleveland over proposed Tanisha&#x27;s Law" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2025/09/30/mayor-justin-bibb-election-2025-safety" target="_self">Mayor Justin Bibb&#x27;s administration</a>.