Cleveland City Councilman Austin Davis is asking the state to reject TownHall's liquor license renewal, citing owner Bobby George's recent felony conviction.

Why it matters: Under Ohio law, the Division of Liquor Control may deny a permit renewal if a felony conviction is reasonably related to a business owner's fitness to hold a liquor license.

The intrigue: George pleaded guilty in November to attempted strangulation, a fifth-degree felony, after originally facing charges including attempted murder, kidnapping, felonious assault and rape.

• He was sentenced to five years of probation.

The big picture: TownHall has become a flashpoint for political and cultural controversy, drawing protests in Cleveland and Columbus while remaining a magnet for athletes, influencers and politicians.

The latest: Davis announced this week in his Ward 7 newsletter that he is formally objecting to TownHall's annual liquor permit renewal, triggering a state review process.

What they're saying: The incident that led to George's charges "cannot be reduced to a footnote in the history of West 25th Street," Davis wrote.

• "We know better, and we can say clearly that some things cannot be shrugged off, lawyered away, or quietly pushed through. ... There can be no quarter for domestic violence, here or anywhere."

The other side: Reached for comment by Axios, George offered a response inspired by Drake's song "Janice STFU."

• "Just another loser fan of me trying to get big off my name," he wrote via text. "These boys got big off my name, that's big enough."

What's next: Davis said he expects the review process with the Ohio Division of Liquor Control to be lengthy, but encouraged residents with "concerns about TownHall" to participate as the case advances.

They say it takes a village to raise a child, but it's also costing more money.

Why it matters: The increased cost of raising a child puts additional pressure on family budgets at a time when housing, child care, health care and other everyday essentials already cost more.

By the numbers: Families in Cleveland saw a 6.7% increase in the cost of raising a child from 2025 to 2026, according to data from financial technology company SmartAsset.

• A two-parent household in the Cleveland metro will pay $27,771 per year to raise a single child in 2026, up from $26,027 in 2025 and $24,007 in 2024.

What they did: SmartAsset used data from MIT's Living Wage Calculator to compare costs for a family with two working adults and one child to a childless household with two working adults.

• Costs include "basic needs" such as food, housing, transportation, health care and child care.

The big picture: Cleveland ranked 19th most expensive out of 48 metros included in the study.

• The cost increased year over year in all but two metros: Richmond, Virginia, and the Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk area.

San Francisco is the most expensive metro area to raise a child at $43,171, while Memphis is the least expensive at $19,922.

• Indianapolis saw the largest spike in child-raising costs with an increase of nearly 21% year-over-year.

💭 Troy's thought bubble: I have three sons and can't wrap my head around how much money it costs to maintain a healthy lifestyle for them.

• The study doesn't even consider things like schooling, toys, haircuts, unforeseen health issues and so much more.

⚽️ Cleveland Soccer Group has partnered with Dan Gilbert's Rock Entertainment Group to lead the naming rights and property development for the proposed 10,000 seat soccer stadium in Gateway. (NEOtrans)

💰 Elon Musk donated $5 million in May to back Vivek Ramaswamy's campaign for Ohio governor. (New York Times)

🖲️ Cleveland City Council approved a three-month moratorium on standalone data center construction to allow officials to establish regulations. (Instagram)

🦪 Edwins Oyster Bar, Brandon Chrostowski's "slim and trim" French-style seafood restaurant, opens next week in Cleveland Heights. (Cleveland Scene)

Canadian wildfire smoke pushed Northeast Ohio's air quality into the "very unhealthy" range yesterday, with forecasters warning that hazardous conditions will last through today.

Why it matters: Local health officials have urged everyone — not just sensitive groups — to limit time outdoors as smoke lingers into the weekend.

State of play: Cleveland has extended hours at several recreation centers to provide clean, air-conditioned spaces.

• Outdoor pools, playground programs and youth outdoor sports have been canceled out of an abundance of caution.
• Residents are encouraged to keep windows closed, avoid strenuous outdoor activity and consider wearing an N95 mask outside.

What's next: Air quality is expected to improve this weekend as winds shift and rain chances increase Saturday.

💨 Zoom in: Track the hour-by-hour smoke coverage on this NOAA map.

Go deeper: Axios documented how Canadian wildfire smoke blanketed the U.S. in 2023, with grim portents for future air quality.

Death Cab for Cutie fans wore their summer skin for one of the hottest concerts — both figuratively and literally — of the year on Wednesday night.

State of play: Roughly 5,000 people flocked to Jacobs Pavilion for the emo band's first Cleveland concert in three years.

• Death Cab delivered the goods, as fans roared during the opening chords of "The New Year," shouted "Bop bah!" during "The Sound of Settling" and swooned to the lengthy intro of "I Will Possess Your Heart."

Friction point: Most of them had to wait in a long line that wrapped around the parking lot at the Nautica Entertainment Complex in the Flats.

• The direct sun on asphalt made the 95-degree temperature feel even hotter.

Workers struggled to move concertgoers into the venue as they checked IDs and distributed wristbands.

• Inside, fans with floor access faced another logjam as many were forced to pour their canned alcoholic beverages into plastic cups.

Yes, but: Death Cab was unfazed, capping a 20-plus-song set with an epic encore fittingly kicked off by "Blacking Out the Friction."

• The sun was hot, but the band was hotter.