Axios Cleveland

June 26, 2025
👑 On this date in 2003, the Cavaliers selected LeBron James with the first pick in the NBA draft.
⛈️ Today's weather: Chance of thunderstorms with a high of 87.
🎧 Sounds like: "Mama Said Knock You Out" by LL Cool J.
✏️ Situational awareness: An Ohio judge has ruled the state's EdChoice school voucher program, which subsidizes families for the costs of attending K-12 private schools, is unconstitutional.
Today's newsletter is 858 words — a 3-minute read.
1 big thing: MetroHealth gets praise
MetroHealth is ranked as one of the nation's most socially responsible hospitals, per a new report from the nonprofit Lown Institute.
Why it matters: Though Cleveland Clinic remains the region's premier private health care system, Metro ranks far higher (No. 2 in Ohio) when measured by health equity, value, and patient outcomes.
By the numbers: Metro ranks 36th out of more than 2,700 hospital systems nationwide, earning "A" grades across the three main categories surveyed.
- Only East Liverpool City Hospital ranks higher in Ohio.
Zoom in: It's No. 1 statewide in two categories: "community benefit" and "avoiding overuse."
- The first metric measures a hospital's spending on financial assistance, Medicaid revenue and community programs.
- The second measures its ability to avoid tests and procedures that offer little or no clinical benefit.
What they're saying: "No other hospital in America has a more dedicated and passionate staff of caregivers," said MetroHealth president and CEO Christine Alexander-Rager in a statement.
- "This recognition is a direct result of their devotion to our community."
The other side: Cleveland Clinic, long pinged for its lack of community spending, ranks in the middle of the pack statewide and nationally across social responsibility metrics.
Yes, but: While the Clinic earns top marks for its value and outcomes, it still trails in equity rankings.
- In the pay equity category, which measures disparities in compensation between executives and workers without advanced degrees, the Clinic is among the worst in the nation.
2. 🥊 Jake Paul's toughest test
Boxing fans who have hoped to see polarizing star Jake Paul get knocked out could get their wish on Saturday.
State of play: The 28-year-old Westlake native, who has become one of boxing's most bankable commodities, fights Julio César Chávez Jr. in Anaheim, California.
- The event will air live on DAZN pay-per-view.
The intrigue: Chávez, 39, is a former middleweight champion, and likely the stiffest competition Paul has faced in his young boxing career.
By the numbers: Paul has gone 11-1 since moving from viral social media star to boxer in 2020. His lone loss was a split decision to Tommy Fury in 2023.
- Paul's last fight against Mike Tyson drew 108 million global viewers, making it the most-streamed sporting event ever, according to Netflix.
Yes, but: Many boxing purists still refuse to take Paul seriously, considering he has mostly fought aged boxers or former mixed martial arts stars.
The odds: Paul is a huge favorite on most sportsbooks. Former boxing champion and ESPN analyst Timothy Bradley agrees, picking Paul to win but warning against Chavez's "wicked" left hook.
- "It's fast, automatic and effective, and if Paul doesn't see it coming, we could see him looking up at the lights from the canvas."
3. The Terminal: Vital headlines
🩺 Two University Hospitals physicians working to organize a union have been placed on administrative leave.
- Roughly 2,000 UH physicians would be eligible to join the proposed union, making it one of the largest of its kind in the country. (Cleveland.com)
🗳️ Candidates for Cleveland City Council in the new Wards 7 and 11, plus judicial candidates, participated in a forum at the Happy Dog this week. (Facebook)
🏳️🌈 On the 10-year anniversary of the Supreme Court's landmark decision legalizing same-sex marriage across the U.S., lead plaintiff Jim Obergefell, a native Ohioan, says marriage equality is once again under threat. (Axios)
🏈 After the Cleveland Browns gave quarterback Deshaun Watson an unprecedented, fully guaranteed $230 million contract in 2022, NFL executives reportedly encouraged teams to collude to pay players less. (Pablo Torre Finds Out)
4. 🗓️ NEO weekend events
🎺 Tri-C JazzFest: The 46th annual event runs through Saturday at Playhouse Square featuring regional and national acts, headlined by Trombone Shorty tonight.
- Outdoor shows are free, while indoor concerts vary in price.
🎸 Dispatch: The Vermont jam band performs at Cain Park in Cleveland Heights tomorrow with John Butler as the opening act.
- Tickets start at $50.50. Doors open at 5pm.
🖼️ moCa Cleveland: The Museum of Contemporary Art hosts an opening night celebration for its new season from 6-9pm tomorrow, featuring the debut of five new exhibits.
- The event is free.
🤘 Springsteen Fan Weekend: The Rock Hall celebrates The Boss' new "Tracks II: The Lost Albums" with special artifacts, film screenings and more, tomorrow through Sunday.
- Fan Weekend is free with regular admission.
5. 🏀 1 new logo to go: Charge on

The Cleveland Charge, the Cavaliers' NBA G League affiliate, has unveiled new branding that coincides with its new home venue.
The intrigue: The logo is a more sophisticated design meant to match the historical nature of Public Auditorium, the venue the Charge moved into last December.
- The team's new color scheme moves away from the previous wine and gold to match the Cavaliers' current, more subtle look.
What they're saying: "Our goal was to evolve our brand in a way that bridges the excitement of the future with the history of our past," Charge chief marketing officer Ben Adams, said, in a statement.
- "This new look embodies our purpose and pride — not only as the Cavaliers' developmental team, but as a franchise with its own distinct spirit and legacy."
What's next: New uniforms and a revamped court design will be unveiled before the start of the next G League season.
Thanks to our editor Tyler Buchanan and our team of copy editors.
🍿 Sam cannot believe the buzzy Dakota Johnson rom-com "Materialists" was as bad as it was.
- (Writer-director Celine Song's debut, "Past Lives," was his favorite movie of 2023.)
🦖 Troy is heeding Sam's advice and skipping "Materialists," but will return to theaters next week for "Jurassic World Rebirth."
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