Violent crime rose in Cleveland in early 2026, bucking a nationwide decline that began after the pandemic-era crime spike.

Why it matters: Cleveland is an outlier among major U.S. cities.

• Data from 67 of the largest U.S. law enforcement agencies show violent crime fell across major categories during the first quarter compared with the same period in 2025.
• The quarterly reports collected by the Major Cities Chiefs Association have been a good measure of trends that are reflected in the annual FBI crime data released in the fall.

By the numbers: Homicides rose in Cleveland from 19 to 25, an increase of more than 30%.

• Aggravated assaults rose by more than 20%.

Yes, but: Both rapes and robberies fell by around 20%, in line with larger nationwide trends.

Context: These increases come after significant drops in local violent crime last year.

Zoom in: Some of the nation's biggest cities posted especially dramatic homicide declines in the first three months of 2026.

• Among those that saw sizable percentage drops in homicide were Washington, D.C. (64.7%), Philadelphia (54%), and Memphis (34.4%).
• New York City experienced a 31.7% drop in homicides during Mayor Zohran Mamdani's first months in office.

Between the lines: The new numbers complicate the political narrative around crime heading into the 2026 midterms. President Trump has repeatedly described major Democratic-led cities as gripped by violent crime.

• Data show many urban areas have become significantly safer over the last two years, with drops beginning in the second half of the Biden presidency and continuing under Trump.

Yes, but: The recovery remains uneven.

• Some cities still reported increases in certain violent crime categories, such as a 100% spike in homicides in San Diego, even as overall violence fell.

The intrigue: Police leaders also caution that crime trends can shift quickly heading into the summer months, when violence historically rises.

The bottom line: America's largest cities are continuing to get safer in 2026, even as crime remains one of the country's most politically potent issues.

If most of what you know about Paul McCartney is from his time with the Beatles, the Rock Hall's new exhibit will prove quite an eye-opener.

The intrigue: The showcase, titled "Paul McCartney and Wings," opens today on Level 6 of the museum and details McCartney's life from 1970 onward.

• Artifacts, most provided by McCartney himself, highlight his home life with late wife Linda, the launch of his solo career and the formation of Wings.

State of play: The exhibition includes several of McCartney's guitars, notes from his diary, promotional artwork and handwritten lyrics to songs like "Let Me Roll It" and "Band on the Run."

• There are instruments from other members of Wings, including Denny Laine, a partial reconstruction of the band's "Wings Over America" plane and a re-creation of the kitchen from Paul and Linda's farm in Scotland.

Zoom in: Video and audio from the recently released "Paul McCartney: Man on the Run," and McCartney's personal archive, play on elevated screens.

• There's also a touch screen that takes you through McCartney's career using music and photos, including dozens from Wings' 1976 tour stop at Richfield Coliseum.

The bottom line: It is the first major museum exhibition to tell the story of Paul McCartney and Wings, and it delivers on spotlighting the former Beatle's amazing second act.

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📊 Cleveland has rejected a permit application to build a controversial $1.6 billion hyperscale data center in Slavic Village. (Signal Cleveland)

🪪 From mid-December 2024 through mid-November 2025, Lorain County suspended more than 300 drivers licenses due to unpaid parking tickets. (The Marshall Project)

⚖️ Rep. Max Miller is suing his ex-wife, the daughter of Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), for defamation, saying he was wrongly accused of violence and abuse. (Politico)

🌭 The popular food cart FrankieLynn Hot Dogs is setting up shop with a brick-and-mortar location in Old Brooklyn. (Cleveland Scene)

The entire 2026-27 NFL schedule was released last night.

The intrigue: The Browns have the easiest schedule based on opponents' win percentages from last season.

State of play: Cleveland will head to Florida in Week 1 to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 13.

• The Browns' home opener takes place on Sept. 27 against the Carolina Panthers at Huntington Bank Field.

Full schedule

• Sept. 13: at Jacksonville Jaguars
• Sept. 20: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Sept. 27: Carolina Panthers
• Oct. 1: Pittsburgh Steelers (Thursday)
• Oct. 11: at New York Jets
• Oct. 18: Baltimore Ravens
• Oct. 25: at Tennessee Titans
• Nov. 1: at Pittsburgh Steelers
• Nov. 8: at New Orleans Saints
• Nov. 15: Houston Texans
• Nov. 22: Bye
• Nov. 29: Las Vegas Raiders
• Dec. 6: Cincinnati Bengals
• Dec. 13: Atlanta Falcons
• Dec. 20: at New York Giants
• Dec. 27: at Baltimore Ravens
• Jan. 3: Indianapolis Colts
• Jan. 10: at Cincinnati Bengals

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The mammoth sinkhole on West 3rd Street and West St. Clair Avenue has been fully repaired, the city of Cleveland announced yesterday.

Why it matters: The downtown intersection is now open — just in time for the Cleveland Marathon Sunday.

Zoom in: Both the full marathon and half-marathon routes start and finish on St. Clair Avenue at Mall B and pass over the intersection.

The big picture: The intersection has been closed for more than two months after the sinkhole mysteriously appeared.