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The story behind Cleveland's newest nightlife obsession

Shooters on the Flats East Bank has become this summer's go-to nightlife spot.

Music

Cars were lined up all the way down Main Avenue in the Flats West Bank on a recent Saturday evening.The intrigue: Asked what all the fuss was about, a pair of guys in a Lamborghini responded: &quot;We&#x27;re going to Shooters, baby!&quot;

Pornhub targets age verification laws in Ohio and other states

Pornhub sent a letter to more than 300 state officials and lawmakers this week.

News

Pornhub is pushing back against age verification rules in more than two dozen states, including Ohio.Why it matters: The battle over requiring age verification to access pornographic websites has been <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="especially complicated in Ohio" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2025/10/08/porn-sites-ohio-law-enforcement" data-vars-content-id="c8c04b04-49f9-4cbb-bf38-a78bed07e671" data-vars-headline="Pornhub targets age verification laws in Ohio and other states" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/columbus/2025/10/08/porn-sites-ohio-law-enforcement" target="_self">especially complicated in Ohio</a>.

Bibb pitches Cleveland in trip to London

The mayor spent last week courting aerospace and defense investment at the Farnborough International Airshow.

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Mayor Justin Bibb" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/06/22/cleveland-mayor-bibb-connects-with-influencers" data-vars-content-id="14561169-da84-4015-91b5-10547ef570c1" data-vars-headline="Bibb pitches Cleveland in trip to London" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2026/06/22/cleveland-mayor-bibb-connects-with-influencers" target="_self">Mayor Justin Bibb</a> spent last week in the U.K. at the Farnborough International Airshow, pitching Cleveland as a destination for aerospace, defense and advanced manufacturing investment.Why it matters: Bibb told the security industry publication <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Defense One" data-vars-click-url="https://www.defenseone.com/business/2026/07/defense-business-brief-dispatch-farnborough/414954/" data-vars-content-id="14561169-da84-4015-91b5-10547ef570c1" data-vars-headline="Bibb pitches Cleveland in trip to London" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.defenseone.com/business/2026/07/defense-business-brief-dispatch-farnborough/414954/" target="_blank">Defense One</a> the trip was about &quot;putting Cleveland in the conversation.&quot;

Suit targets HUD grant changes affecting local Fair Housing Center

Cleveland's center says new eligibility rules could undermine nonprofits enforcing fair housing laws.

Politics

A new federal lawsuit challenges changes the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Trump administration" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" data-vars-content-id="8bb39abb-ae02-4d8a-b562-11aa0cf221d4" data-vars-headline="Suit targets HUD grant changes affecting local Fair Housing Center" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" target="_self">Trump administration</a> made to a key housing grant program, saying they could decimate fair housing enforcement nationwide.Why it matters: Most housing discrimination complaints are investigated not by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development but by nonprofit fair housing organizations.<ul><li>Groups like Cleveland&#x27;s Fair Housing Center for Rights and Research rely on federal Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP) grants to survive. </li></ul>

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>.

11 Ohio traffic deaths reported over Thanksgiving weekend

Northeast Ohio counties saw high enforcement but zero deadly crashes.

Transit

The Ohio State Highway Patrol reported 11 deaths in eight fatal crashes during the holiday travel period, which ran Nov. 26-30.Why it matters: Thanksgiving is one of Ohio&#x27;s busiest — and deadliest — travel weekends.

Deepfakes, hacked courts and cloned voices: Inside Ohio's new AI crime wave

Incidents include a February cyberattack that shut down Cleveland Municipal Courts.

Artificial intelligence is <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="rewriting the playbook" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/11/14/artificial-intelligence-ai-crime-fraud-theft" data-vars-content-id="4d0e9d47-82f0-4b9f-9712-7278c61b3b1e" data-vars-headline="Deepfakes, hacked courts and cloned voices: Inside Ohio&#x27;s new AI crime wave" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/11/14/artificial-intelligence-ai-crime-fraud-theft" target="_self">rewriting the playbook</a> for crime.Why it matters: This new class of AI-supercharged crime is putting lives and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="financial systems" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2025/07/22/openai-chatgpt-sam-altman-ai-fraud" data-vars-content-id="4d0e9d47-82f0-4b9f-9712-7278c61b3b1e" data-vars-headline="Deepfakes, hacked courts and cloned voices: Inside Ohio&#x27;s new AI crime wave" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2025/07/22/openai-chatgpt-sam-altman-ai-fraud" target="_self">financial systems</a> at risk, as evidenced by multiple incidents in Northeast Ohio over the past few years.