WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert coronated Cleveland as a WNBA town during a celebration at Rocket Arena yesterday.

The big picture: The WNBA is the country's fastest-growing sports league, and expansion franchises are commanding big price tags as ownership groups vie for a piece of the pie.

• Engelbert said the league considered more than 100 U.S. cities through the lens of 25 criteria during the expansion process, and that Cleveland "literally rose to the top of list."

What she's saying: The league looks for markets with three key components: a committed ownership group, a passionate fan base, and "a community that embraces the power of women's sports."

Between the lines: That last component refers, in part, to a corporate community with sponsorship potential.

• "If you look at the Fortune 500 and all the corporations that are based here, Cleveland was kind of next up," Engelbert told Axios.

Catch up quick: Engelbert worked for Deloitte for 33 years and served as the corporation's first female CEO from 2015 to 2019.

• She told Axios she'd been to Cleveland "many times" due to Deloitte's significant presence and major clients in Northeast Ohio.

By the numbers: The franchise launches in 2028, and "28" figured prominently in the news conference.

• The team announced 28 "unique activations" across Ohio, Western Pennsylvania and Western New York through June 30, 2026 that will "create real pathways" for girls in sports, according to Allison Howard, the team's president.
• These will include camps, clinics, coach training sessions and other professional development opportunities.

What's next: The team name will be announced in early 2026.

• Nearly 7,000 fans have already made an initial payment — a symbolic $28 deposit that puts them on a priority waiting list for season tickets.

Cuyahoga County's tourism economy reached new heights in 2024, per Destination Cleveland's latest reporting.

Why it matters: Tourism now supports 1 in 14 jobs countywide and helps shape Cleveland's image as not just a place to visit, but a permanent destination to live and work.

By the numbers: Cuyahoga County recorded $6.9 billion in direct spending, a 4% jump from 2023.

• The county saw 18.6 million leisure and business visits last year, a 1.5% increase from 2023, in line with Ohio's statewide visitor growth.
• Business travel surged 7%, fueled by more than 300 meetings and conventions that drew 208,000 people and nearly $200 million in spending.
• Those dollars supported more than 70,000 local jobs, including 20,000 in the food and beverage industries.

What they're saying: "Travel and tourism is a powerful growth engine for Cleveland," said David Gilbert, president and CEO of Destination Cleveland, in a statement accompanying the report.

• "And given the halo effect of positive travel experiences on consideration of a city as a place to live and work, we must evolve to give travelers a reason to return."

What's next: Gilbert said the nearly $5 billion of investments planned or underway along the city's waterfronts is "essential" to Cleveland's future.

❌ Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb has placed fire chief Anthony Luke on paid administrative leave for an "incendiary" social media post in the wake of Charlie Kirk's death. (WKYC)

• "I firmly believe in free speech, and the First Amendment protects every individual's right to express opinions — even those that are unpopular, provocative, or difficult to hear. But with rights come responsibilities, especially for those who hold positions of public trust and leadership," Bibb said in a statement. (X)

Cuyahoga County Jail warden Alfred Wilcox resigned earlier this month, just over a year after starting the job. (The Marshall Project)

🤠 Country star Riley Green is the first concert booked for Blossom Music Center in 2026 with his "Cowboy As It Gets Tour" coming to town on Aug. 7. (Country Now)

There's a week left until the end of summer, but don't be surprised if these warm temps stick around a bit longer.

By the numbers: Summer temperatures are hanging around longer nationwide compared to 1970 in just over 90% of the 246 U.S. cities analyzed in a new report from Climate Central, a climate research group.

• Among cities with lingering heat, summer temperatures are lasting an extra 10 days on average.
• Cleveland is below that with an extra six days.

Zoom out: Summer temperatures are lingering the most in Wheeling, West Virginia (52 more days compared to 1970); Miami (46 more days) and San Angelo, Texas (31 more days).

• Cities with the opposite trend include Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (11 fewer days); Washington, D.C. (8 fewer days) and Charlottesville, Virginia (8 fewer days).

Go deeper: It's not just you: Summer is sticking around longer

Graphic video of conservative activist Charlie Kirk being shot and killed during a debate last week is circulating through social media platforms, sometimes shocking unsuspecting users.

The big picture: Social media users don't have to see this graphic content without a warning — they can turn it off on most major platforms.

How to disable graphic content on Instagram:

Go to your profile and click on the three lines in the top right corner, opening the "Settings and activity" tab.

• Scroll down the menu to "What you see," and select "Content preferences."
• From there, tap on the "Sensitive content" section, and choose whether you want to see "More," "Standard," or "Less sensitive" content.

Instagram doesn't allow users to completely disable autoplay settings for users, but there are steps users can take to limit unwanted content.

• Open the "Settings and activity" tab and scroll down to the "Your app and media" tab.
• From there, click on "Media quality" and toggle the "Use less cellular data" tab off to make it take longer for content to load.

More sites to disable autoplay