Some of Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb's biggest headlines of his first term emerged from his housing agenda — from cracking down on absentee landlords to expanding services for unhoused people.

State of play: Bibb campaigned in 2021 on holding predatory landlords and property owners accountable.

Flash forward: In early 2024, Cleveland passed the sweeping "Residents First" housing legislation, which Bibb called the most comprehensive housing policy overhaul in more than three decades.

• It mandated that all landlords who don't live in the area have a local point person to address code violations.
• And it created a civil ticketing system to penalize negligent landlords without taking them to housing court.

🏘️ The Home for Every Neighbor program, launched in 2023, provides rapid rehousing and support services to Cleveland's unhoused population. More than 200 residents have been housed so far, per Bibb.

The other side: Even as mixed- and low-income housing projects have broken ground across the city, housing affordability remains a "crisis," Bibb tells Axios.

• Rent has risen faster in Cleveland over the past two years than any other big city in the country.

What they're saying: "It's not just about the housing side of the equation," Bibb says.

• "It's about jobs as well — good-paying jobs, and making Cleveland a better place to do business."

What's next: Bibb says his second term will focus on making the easy things easier.

• The city will launch a new permitting portal, announced this summer, to streamline development projects.
• Bibb also wants to expand the city's form-based code zoning pilot citywide by 2027.

Plus: A modular home manufacturer will soon be selected to construct 20 homes for a housing pilot next year.

The bottom line: "We can't let process be an impediment to prosperity," Bibb says.

Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital and UH Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital tied for third place in the latest U.S. News & World Report ranking of the best Midwest children's hospitals.

Why it matters: Ohio families have access to some of the nation's most elite pediatric care.

Zoom out: The state's top honors went to Cincinnati Children's Hospital and Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, both of which made the publication's national "Honor Roll" — the list of the 10 best children's hospitals in the country.

• Cincinnati ranked among the nation's top six in nine of 11 specialties, taking first place in pediatric cancer, diabetes and endocrinology, and gastroenterology.

By the numbers: Cleveland Clinic Children's earned its highest marks (No. 16) in both cardiology and gastroenterology.

• UH Rainbow Babies & Children's scored top 15 rankings in four specialties, including 10th in neonatology.

Between the lines: This year's rankings include, for only the second time, a ranking in Pediatric & Adolescent Behavioral Health, which evaluates hospitals' care for children and teens with autism, anxiety, depression, ADHD, and substance use disorders.

• All six Ohio hospitals reviewed landed in the nation's Top 50 for that category.

👑 LeBron James will make a major announcement — what he's billing as "The Second Decision" — today at noon. (Yahoo)

✍🏽 Jeff Darcy, The Plain Dealer cartoonist who was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2013, is retiring. (Cleveland.com)

🚨 The Cleveland Community Police Commission held its first-ever evidentiary hearing yesterday to review a case of police officer discipline. (Signal Cleveland)

🥁 Rush's Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson, along with new drummer Anika Nilles, are bringing the band's first tour in over a decade to Rocket Arena on Sept. 17. (Loudwire)

Ohio's energy-related CO2 emissions per capita fell 34% from 2005 to 2023 — outpacing the U.S. drop of 30%, per federal data.

The big picture: Raw emissions fell 20% nationwide, while the population grew by 14%, according to U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) figures.

Between the lines: The nationwide emissions decline was primarily a result of less coal being burned to generate electricity.

• An uptick in natural gas use, combined with clean wind and solar energy, "offset the decrease in coal generation," per the EIA.

Zoom out: Maryland (-49%); Washington, D.C. (-48%) and Georgia (-45%) saw the biggest decreases in energy-related emissions per capita.

• The needle barely moved in a handful of states, including Mississippi (-1%), Idaho (-3%) and South Dakota (-4%).

How it works: The agency's state-by-state data reflects where power plants are located (even if their energy is sent to other states) and where transportation fuels are sold (even if vehicles burn those fuels to cross state lines).

Energy-related CO2 emissions in every state

The Browns traveled to London to lose another game Sunday, falling short against the Minnesota Vikings.

State of play: It wasn't all bad. Rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel had a decent showing, passing for 190 yards and two touchdowns.

• Our caption contest winner, Alan B. Harris, still had a little fun with our photo of Gabriel: "I think I'm Lost!"

What's next: The Browns are now 1-4 and tied for last place in the AFC North.

• Cleveland heads to Pittsburgh this Sunday to face the first-place Steelers.