Opera, art and community dialogue take center stage in Cleveland over the next 10 days.

Why it matters: The Cleveland Orchestra's annual Mandel Opera & Humanities Festival is the celebrated ensemble's signature spring event.

• It features various performances, art exhibitions and public forums in partnership with other local cultural institutions, starting tomorrow and running through May 25.

The intrigue: The theme of this year's festival is "Reconciliation," inspired by the early 20th century opera "Jenůfa" and its themes of trauma, forgiveness and redemption.

• The Cleveland Orchestra, led by conductor Franz Welser-Möst, will perform the opera three times at Severance Music Center on May 17, 22 and 25.

State of play: The full lineup of festivities begins at 8:30am tomorrow with a symposium on immigration at Severance.

• Other highlights include performances by Chucho Valdés Royal Quartet and pianist Michelle Cann, as well as forums and exhibitions hosted by the Cleveland Museum of Art, Ideastream and The City Club of Cleveland.

Flashback: The Opera & Humanities Festival began in 2023 as the brainchild of André Gremillet, president and CEO of the Cleveland Orchestra.

• The inaugural theme was "The American Dream" followed by "Power" in 2024.

What they're saying: "The goal was to use our annual opera performances to feature not just the Cleveland Orchestra but the incredible cultural scene we have in Cleveland," Gremillet tells Axios.

• "The festival is based on music first and foremost, but we also want to stimulate some interesting conversations on topics that are timely and important to the community."

If you go: The festival features a mix of ticketed and free events.

• Tickets for the performances of "Jenůfa" start at $35.

Over 40% of children in some U.S. counties live in food-insecure households, per new estimates shared first with Axios from Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks.

Why it matters: Potential cuts or changes to federal food aid programs like SNAP and tariffs on imported foods could affect millions of Americans and exacerbate the childhood hunger crisis.

By the numbers: An estimated 14 million U.S. children overall live in food-insecure homes. That's about one out of every five kids.

• The rate tends to be higher in relatively poor, rural counties — but there are urban areas with high rates as well, like New York's Bronx County (33.1%).

Zoom in: Cuyahoga County's child insecurity rate (26%) is among the highest in Ohio, per Feeding America's new Map the Meal Gap report.

• Only Adams (27.6%), Meigs (26.7%) and Scioto (26.1%) counties rank worse.

The big picture: Childhood food insecurity is one piece of a broader hunger problem exacerbated by rising food costs.

• The annual aggregate national food budget shortfall — meaning, the total amount of money people in food-insecure U.S. households need to buy enough food — rose from $28.5 billion in 2022 to $32.2 billion in 2023, up 8.4% inflation-adjusted.

What they're saying: U.S. Rep. Shontel Brown (D-Warrensville Heights) voiced opposition to the proposed SNAP cuts in remarks at the House Agriculture Committee hearing Tuesday.

• "Let's call this what it is: a reverse Robin Hood. Taking food away from those who need it most — not because we have to, but because my colleagues on the other side of the aisle would rather give tax handouts to the ultra-wealthy."

🧳 It's Ohio Tourism Day — we guess? — which means it's a perfect opportunity to share this Hocking Hills guide from our resident state parks correspondent, Troy Smith. (Axios Cleveland)

🥾 The outdoor retailer L.L. Bean is opening an outpost at Crocker Park in the former buybuy BABY space. (Crain's Cleveland Business 🔒)

🏥 Cleveland Clinic will soon begin making patients pay co-pays upfront, and will reschedule or cancel nonemergency appointments of those who can't. (Cleveland.com)

⚽️ The Cleveland Soccer Group has executed a purchase agreement for a half-acre property in downtown's "Gateway South" section, the first acquisition for a proposed professional soccer stadium. (NEOtrans)

🎹 Re:Sound Festival

Experimental musicians from around Northeast Ohio come together Friday and Saturday for an innovative showcase at the Cleveland Museum of Art's Transformer Station.

• Tickets start at $25.

💭 Our thought bubble: See it. With all the music festivals happening this summer, this may be the most unique.

🎎 Asian Festival

The annual cultural event takes place Saturday and Sunday in AsiaTown and is free.

💭 Our thought bubble: See it. The Asian Festival is always a fun mix of good food, stunning art and lively performances.

🏃 Cleveland Marathon

Runners push themselves to their limits at the annual race in hopes of qualifying for the Boston Marathon.

• Registration is closed, but you can watch on Sunday for free.

💭 Our thought bubble: Skip it, unless you're running or cheering someone on. Downtown traffic will be a mess.

A Cleveland sports legend is finally eligible for the Baseball Hall of Fame.

State of play: On Tuesday, Major League Baseball removed "Shoeless" Joe Jackson, Pete Rose, and other deceased players from the league's permanently ineligible list, making them eligible for election into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Zoom in: Jackson played part of his career with the Cleveland Naps/Indians and was inducted into the franchise's Hall of Fame in 1951.

• Jackson was part of the 1919 Chicago "Black Sox" scandal, in which players allegedly threw the World Series to the Cincinnati Reds.
• He was banned from baseball after the 1920 season.

Driving the news: MLB Commissioner Robert D. Manfred Jr. announced yesterday a new policy that permanent ineligibility ends upon "the passing of the disciplined individual."

What's next: Their candidacy will be considered by the Hall of Fame's Classic Baseball committee, which next meets in December 2027.

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