The number of Ohioans under 65 without health insurance has dropped significantly over the past 15 years, according to new Census Bureau data.

Why it matters: Coverage expansions under the Affordable Care Act and social safety net policies enacted during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic are helping more people get insured nationwide, per KFF.

The big picture: 17.8% of U.S. residents were uninsured in 2006, four years before the adoption of the Affordable Care Act.

• That dropped to 9.5% in 2022.

Yes, but: Ohio's uninsured rates were consistently below the national figures during that time period.

• The state recorded 12.3% of residents, or just over 1.2 million people, as uninsured in 2006, compared with 7.1% (668,000) in 2022.

Zoom in: County rates vary statewide, with rural areas tending to have higher rates of uninsured residents.

• In Franklin County, 8.2% of residents (around 92,000 people) were without insurance in 2022.
• Delaware County, frequently identified as one of the healthiest counties in the U.S., had the lowest uninsured rate in Ohio, at just 4%.

The intrigue: Holmes County, in the heart of Amish country, is a major outlier, with more than one-third of residents lacking insurance in 2022.

Threat level: More recent preliminary national data shows an uptick in the overall uninsured rate as states cut Medicaid rolls and unemployment rises, Axios' Maya Goldman reports.

The Greater Cleveland Food Bank has purchased the former Pick-N-Pay supermarket building at Lorain Avenue and West 98th Street with plans to convert it to a community resource center.

Why it matters: 20% of children in Northeast Ohio are food insecure, meaning they don't know where their next meal will come from.

• The Food Bank served more people last year (400,000) than it served during the height of the pandemic.

State of play: The organization has been expanding since 2019. In January, it began looking in earnest to establish a presence on the city's west side.

• The new location will be modeled after its resource center in Collinwood, where those eligible for food bank services (those at or below 200% of the poverty level) can shop for food in a "market-style format."

Zoom in: Per Crain's, the Food Bank purchased the building for $3.5 million using federal stimulus dollars allocated by the state.

• Additional federal dollars will fund renovations.

Between the lines: The building is currently occupied by Cuyahoga County and is one of four neighborhood family service centers where residents can access benefits.

• The county's lease expires in September 2026, around when the Food Bank expects to open at the site.

What they're saying: "We hope that our partners at Cuyahoga County will also have county caseworkers co-located at this new site, similar to our South
Waterloo [community resource center]," Kristin Warzocha, the Food Bank's CEO, said in a statement.

Flashback: Cleveland Clinic makes major investment to help end hunger

😿 The Cleveland VA will no longer use cats in medical testing after this year's VA budget eliminates all testing on cats, dogs and monkeys by 2026 — and within 90 days at the Cleveland hospital. (Cleveland Scene)

🏥 MetroHealth will seek public feedback on its "hospital in a park" plan at the Clark-Fulton campus. Recently fired CEO Airica Steed had been criticized for cutting green space without engaging the community. (Cleveland.com)

⚖️ The white male director of the Cleveland Community Police Commission is suing the City of Cleveland, alleging that he has been discriminated against based on his gender and race. (Ideastream)

📺 JD Vance has accepted invites for vice presidential debates on Sept. 18 and Oct. 1.

• Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic VP candidate, has committed only to the latter date so far. (Axios)

Through this project, I want to enshrine moments of waiting, of existing in the in-between, both through the collection of stories and mementos and the performance and celebration of community art, but also in a literal sense — by changing the physical architecture of the landscape and unapologetically taking up space.

Driving the news: The Puerto Rico-born Chicago artist will work with the Cleveland Sculpture Center and local Latino artists to bring a sculptural outdoor bus shelter to the Clark-Fulton neighborhood.

Catch up quick: Soto is a 2024 recipient of the Joyce Awards, annual grants for artists of color working across the Great Lakes region.

• Soto's grant is $100,000, including a $30,000 artist stipend.

Zoom in: Clark-Fulton is home to the city's densest concentration of Puerto Rican residents. Soto's project, "La Distancia," will take shape during an eight-month residency.

• Contributions from local artists and community members will be displayed in the outdoor installation and in the Sculpture Center's indoor gallery space.

If you thought the brilliant comedy of "The Golden Girls" was a thing of the past, guess again.

The intrigue: "Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue" is showing at Playhouse Square's Hanna Theatre through Aug. 25.

• The show, based on the popular 1980s/1990s sitcom, follows the antics of Miami seniors Blanche, Rose, Dorothy and Sophia with an R-rated comedy feel.

Between the lines: Though it's hard to recreate the magic of one of the greatest TV shows of all time, reviews for "Golden Girls: The Laughs Continue" have been strong.

If you go: Tickets start at $40.

Stop by: Since "Golden Girls" is about friendship, consider stopping by Amba beforehand.

• The Ohio City Indian restaurant has one of the best selections of sharable, small plates in all of Cleveland.