An Ohio legislator and national funeral company are working to give residents a new option for their remains: "human composting."

Why it matters: The burial method is gaining popularity across the country and drawing hundreds of curious Ohioans — but it's not currently legal in the state.

How it works: Also known as "soil transformation" or "organic reduction," the process wraps a human body in a biodegradable shroud inside a stainless steel vessel with mulch, wood chips and wildflowers.

• Over the course of 45 days, natural microbes turn the body into about 250 pounds of "nutrient-rich soil."
• Families can use that soil to plant a tree or garden, spread it somewhere meaningful or donate it to conservation projects.

Between the lines: The service, which costs about $6,000, is popular among nature lovers and conservationists.

• Traditional burial uses chemicals and is expensive and land-intensive, while some find cremation harsh and impersonal.

Zoom in: Washington-based company Earth Funeral launched operations in Ohio last week, and CEO Tom Harries says the company already has inquiries from over 600 families.

• The company's plan, he says, is to eventually spend $15 million on a facility in Ohio.

Yes, but: An Ohio resident who wants to undergo a soil transformation would currently need to have their remains flown to an Earth Funeral site in Maryland, one of 14 states that have legalized the practice.

• Senate Bill 323, introduced last fall by Sen. Louis Blessing III (R-Colerain Twp.), seeks to legalize it here.

What they're saying: Cleveland resident Lisa Fabbro said on a conference call with reporters she's an "early supporter" of the method, and hopes to be able to stay in Ohio when it's time.

• "I would like to not have to have my body flown to another state. The environmental impact of doing that, I'm not crazy about."

The other side: At a March hearing, the Catholic Cemeteries Association, Catholic Conference of Ohio and Cincinnati Catholic Cemetery Society testified in opposition.

The bottom line: Blessing told WCMH-TV in March that "at its core," the bill is about personal choice.

• "Natural organic reduction might not be the right choice for everyone, but we should respect and allow this choice for those who want it because it reflects their values."

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Cleveland Clinic has reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice that restricts its practice of gender-affirming care for minors.

State of play: Under the agreement, the Clinic will not provide pediatric gender-affirming care for at least two decades and pay $308,000 to resolve allegations involving insurance billing practices.

• The hospital system will also commit $2 million toward care for people seeking to "detransition," or reverse gender-transition treatments.

What they're saying: Clinic spokeswoman Angie Kiska downplayed the agreement, characterizing the dispute in a statement to Axios as an "unintentional coding issue involving a small number of patients."

• The DOJ touted the settlement in the context of the Trump administration's broader effort to "protect America's children" and investigate providers of what it calls "sex-rejecting procedures."

The big picture: In a similar agreement last month, Texas Children's Hospital — the nation's largest pediatric hospital — agreed to pay a $10 million penalty and create a "detransition clinic."

• Twenty-six states, including Ohio, have enacted bans on youth transgender care.

Reality check: Major medical organizations, including the American Medical Association and American Academy of Pediatrics, oppose blanket bans, citing evidence that treatment can reduce depression, anxiety and suicide risk among transgender youth.

• Surgeries for transgender children are rare. Transgender teens who get gender-affirming care report high levels of satisfaction.

What's next: The Ohio Supreme Court is still considering the constitutionality of Ohio's ban on gender-affirming care for minors.

• Its ruling could reshape the legal landscape, but Cleveland Clinic would be bound by its DOJ agreement regardless.

⚙️ The family of 20th-century steel magnate Samuel T. Wellman has donated $10 million to Cleveland's site readiness fund, which prepares damaged or blighted properties for industrial development. (Ideastream)

• The announcement came as part of the Rockefeller Foundation's Big Bets for America series, held in Cleveland yesterday.

🚌 A group of Cleveland parents and teachers is gathering signatures for a November ballot measure that would ask voters whether CMSD should return to an elected school board. (Signal Cleveland)

🎓 Over the last two years, the University of Akron has shed nearly 1 million square feet through property sales and other moves, part of a larger regional trend of campus downsizing. (Crain's Cleveland Business 🔐)

🏈 Cleveland Browns guard Joel Bitonio has announced his retirement after 12 NFL seasons. (Browns)

We published a story this week on Cleveland City Council rolling back parking rates and enforcement hours, and your responses were fairly evenly split.

Keith W.: "Parking should be expensive. The city can subsidize small businesses (and whoever else might be slightly harmed by the policy) with the parking revenue. But we don't need people driving around the city streets looking for parking."

Cynthia H.: "If we really want to support local businesses ... night and weekend parking should remain free! ... If public transit in Cleveland were more appealing, it may not be such a concern, but that is not the current situation."

Jared L.: "I am so annoyed by city council pulling the rates back down ... I work in Ohio City. There is no reason to subsidize the St. Ignatius students who flood the neighborhood because they don't want to pay to park on campus."

Nathan K: "I work in Ohio City ... When the city posted the pay-to-park signs on the streets, the whole employee base was up in arms ... It should have pissed off the neighborhood too, because it would drive those that work around here to park further out into the residential streets, eating up their free parking."

Krissie W: "As a small business owner in a high demand parking area, we need paid parking otherwise you can't find a parking spot at all! Most people would rather pay a few dollars for parking then drive around for 20 minutes looking for a spot before ultimately heading out."

The FIFA World Cup starts this week with its biggest edition in history.

Zoom in: Canada, Mexico and the U.S. co-host the 2026 men's tournament, with the largest field in the tournament's 96-year history.

• 48 nations will vie for the beautiful game's most coveted trophy. The tournament includes 104 matches from June 11 to July 19.

How to watch: Games will be broadcast in English on FOX, FS1, and the FOX One app.

• Telemundo will air Spanish-language broadcasts in the U.S., and will air games on Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app.
• Also: Tubi will show tomorrow's opening game between Mexico and South Africa and the U.S. men's national team showdown against Paraguay on Friday.

By the numbers: The U.S. will host 78 matches across 11 host cities, including the World Cup final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.