🎷 Happy Wednesday! On this date 100 years ago, John Coltrane, one of the Rock Hall's most egregious snubs, was born.

🌧️ Today's weather: Rain showers likely, with a high of 64 and a low of 54.

Today's newsletter is 1,055 words — a 4-minute read.

👊🏾 Troy here. We're in the midst of the September political ads spending spree — and it's driving me insane.

State of play: I can't watch my favorite shows without hearing claims about former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown's age or Republican Sen. Jon Husted's relationship with data centers.

• We still have six weeks until Election Day. Please, stop the madness!

By the numbers: As of Sept. 11, AdImpact tracked about $307 million in spending and reservations in Ohio — more than Texas, Maine, Michigan or any other Senate battleground.

• Republicans accounted for roughly $169 million, compared with $138 million for Democrats and Democratic-aligned groups.

Flashback: We've been here before. Brown's 2024 race against Republican Bernie Moreno became the nation's most expensive Senate contest that cycle.

• Now Brown is trying to return to the Senate against Husted, who was appointed to fill JD Vance's seat after Vance became vice president.

Yes, but: It's not just the Senate race. Ads targeting gubernatorial candidates Amy Acton and Vivek Ramaswamy seem to be everywhere, too.

What's next: TV affiliates aren't quite at saturation levels, but they're getting close, Axios reports.

• And September spending could keep climbing.

The bottom line: Partisan affiliation aside, I'd rather not spend my Sunday NFL games hearing about immigration, data centers and corruption scandals.

• Maybe it's time to dig the DVD collection out of storage.

When we asked last week about your favorite local garages and mechanics, we received an outpouring of responses almost immediately.

Why it matters: In an era of scams, slop and enshittification, people sure seem to value their relationships with neighborhood mom-and-pop businesses more than ever.

State of play: And with dealerships often charging hundreds of dollars just to look under the hood, a trusted local mechanic feels like a cheat code.

• Even more than low prices, our readers praised honesty, transparency and quality work.

👍 Bob's Automotive (Cleveland, Old Brooklyn)

• 💬 Jared L.: "I have gone for years, and I feel like he is always clear about what needs to be done, what can wait, and what doesn't need it."

⚡️ Thunderbolt Auto Care (Cleveland Heights)

• 💬 Mary Anne D.: "Jose is a wizard at diagnostics and is fair and clear on his charges. He is also kind and funny!"

🛞 Bruce's Automotive (Lakewood)

• 💬 Kevin M.: "Absolute legends. They've plugged a few different leaky tires, free of charge, are no-nonsense about repairs needed, and efficient."

🏎️ Leo Luck's Auto Repair (Rocky River)

• 💬 Kathleen E.: "The business specializes in foreign vehicles but will work on any cars. Recently, a friend was told that a repair would cost $2000 at the dealership. Sean looked at it and managed to repair it for less than $20…The words that come to mind are TRUSTWORTHY and COMPETENT!!!!!!"

🛻 Mooney & Sons (Beachwood)

• 💬 Polly K.: "Mr. Mooney is still there, along with his son Michael, RP and Austin. It's worth the wait to get in to see RP. They tow also!"

🤩 George's Auto Center (Cleveland, Kamm's Corners)

• 💬 Sarah O.: "George consistently gets 5 star ratings, and if there were more stars he would get those too! Most honest mechanic I've ever worked with...and as a woman, that's very important."

🔧 Bay Auto Care (Westlake)

• 💬 Donna F.: "The best — reasonable prices and honest work."

🔎 Aurora Car Care (Aurora)

• 💬 Dave B.: "Pat is the kind of guy who will tell you what needs to be fixed now and what can wait. He will also evaluate used vehicles and let you know if they are worth the money. When I took in a 2007 Dodge Dakota that I was looking to buy, he told me he's seen the same vehicle half as good going for three times the price. He said I am a fool if I don't buy it."

🎓 Case Western Reserve University has climbed seven places in U.S. News & World Report's 2027 rankings of colleges and universities, pulling into a tie with Ohio State at No. 44. (U.S. News)

👍 The Cleveland Planning Commission granted final approval to a $50 million housing development at the former Dave's Supermarket in AsiaTown that will include a Cleveland Public Library branch. (Crain's Cleveland Business 🔐)

🚉 The RTA Board of Trustees postponed a decision on a new transit levy and said it plans to decide by November. (Signal Cleveland)

🏳️‍🌈 The Central Outreach Wellness Center acquired the former Studio West 117 at auction in June for $4.1 million and plans to preserve the facility's entertainment and food amenities alongside new health and wellness services. (Buckeye Flame)

If you prefer to consume Cleveland sports without psychic trauma or Deshaun Watson storylines, this weekend offers a bounty of options.

🥊 Go ringside: The USA Boxing National Open begins at Public Auditorium Saturday, bringing Olympic-style boxers of all ages to Cleveland for a national ranking tournament running through Oct. 3.

🚣 Hit the river: The Head of the Cuyahoga Regatta celebrates its 30th anniversary, with thousands of rowers and spectators expected along the 4,770-meter course through Cleveland's industrial valley.

• Racing begins at 8am Saturday at Rivergate Park. Admission is free.

🩷 Walk for a cause: The Susan G. Komen More than Pink Walk returns to Wade Oval, raising money for breast cancer research and patient services.

• This year's fundraising goal: $300,000.

The average Cleveland renter pays nearly $800 less a month than someone who owns a home, per a new Zillow report.

Why it matters: As Cleveland home prices keep climbing, it's more evidence that renting might be the way to go for some people.

By the numbers: The typical Cleveland renter pays $1,454 a month, whereas the typical new home buyer pays $2,218 a month for their mortgage, insurance and taxes.

• Over the course of a year, that's a difference of more than $9,000.

🤔 Sam is reading, reflecting and following the discourse surrounding Nikole Hannah-Jones' latest essay in the New York Times Magazine about the decision to send her daughter to an under-resourced public school.

🎟️ Troy has purchased his ticket to see "Avengers Engame: Encore" and its four extra minutes of new footage.

This newsletter was edited by Tyler Buchanan.