President Donald Trump began his second term with sweeping executive actions to deter immigrants from entering the U.S. and remove those already here. State and local officials who don’t cooperate with Trump’s deportation plans could face investigation and prosecution by the Justice Department. Ohio has a blueprint for how to enforce the rules, based on when an Ohio deputy stopped a Spanish-speaking family for speeding. After asking the border patrol to check their immigration status, the parents were sent to jail and the children to protective services. “They’re going to establish this dragnet for feeding people from traffic stops to potential removals from the country,” American Immigration Council deputy legal director Raul Pinto said. Congress could stop the practice or pass laws better defining the role of state and local agencies. But experts from all sides say that’s unlikely. — Laura |
Overnight Scores and Weather |
Northeast Ohio weather forecast: Sunny and breezy |
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Donald Trump began his second term with sweeping executive actions to deter immigrants from entering the U.S. and remove those already here. (Kevin Lamarque, Associated Press pool photo) |
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Immigration changes: One thing to keep an eye on is how states respond to President Donald Trump’s push for more detention centers, reports Anna Staver. The majority of people seeking asylum through Cleveland’s immigration court are denied. AI: Cleveland police used a facial recognition program – one that explicitly says its results are not admissible in court – to obtain a search warrant in a murder case, reports Lucas Daprile. And now prosecutors may not be able to present crucial evidence. Court documents and interviews reveal a lack of oversight, regulations and training around a highly controversial piece of surveillance technology. PUCO conflicts? Commissioner Lawrence Friedeman has held his seat on the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio since 2017. But new ethics rules drafted in the wake of the sweeping House Bill 6 bribery scandal now require that applicants disclose their finances up front. Jake Zuckerman reports the disclosures show Friedeman is much more deeply invested in the industries he’s tasked with regulating than the four other applicants. Today in Ohio: Although Modell Law lawsuits in federal and Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court might appear to be redundant, the decisions by the Browns and city to file separate lawsuits come down to a fight for home-field advantage. We’re talking about the legal fight over the Browns stadium on Today in Ohio, cleveland.com’s daily half-hour news podcast. |
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Coal subsidies: An Ohio House Republican rolled out leadership-backed legislation Thursday that would repeal a ratepayer-funded bailout of two coal plants and limit electric companies’ ability to add surcharges to their customers’ bills to cover one-off capital expenditures, reports Jake Zuckerman. House Speaker Matt Huffman framed the bill as a “new way of doing business” at the statehouse that doesn’t revolve around throwing money at distribution utilities, which ferry power from generation sites to customers’ homes. Vance speech: Less than a week after being sworn in as Donald Trump’s vice president, JD Vance told a National March for Life rally by the Washington Monument that the new administration stands “with you and most importantly we stand with the most vulnerable.” Sabrina Eaton reports Vance said “I want more babies in the United States of America.” Fire help: Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine dispatched a nine-person fire management team from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources to assist firefighters battling California’s wildfires, reports Laura Hancock. DeWine’s announcement comes after California fire managers requested additional resources on Thursday. |
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Joe Jones: Newly released records show that Cleveland City Councilman Joe Jones has had a history of misconduct allegations that include screaming at staff, touching a council employee’s breast and making inappropriate comments to a female artist during a meeting. Records show Jones’ issues were persistent enough that City Council members tried to correct him both privately and publicly, and they tried to make sure that the council clerk was with Jones during certain meetings, reports Sean McDonnell. Call first: A natural gas company has accused Cleveland’s utility workers of striking and damaging underground gas lines 15 separate times in recent years, sometimes violating Ohio law by not calling 811, the “Call Before You Dig” line. Enbridge, the natural gas utility formerly known as Dominion Energy, sued Cleveland in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court Monday, seeking $43,000 to pay for the repairs, reports Sean McDonnell. Flats property: Catanese Classics has shuttered its longtime seafood outlet on the west bank of the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland’s Flats and will move the company’s operations to property owned by the Greater Cleveland Food Bank in Collinwood. Paris Wolfe reports the land and buildings where the company is currently located has been sold to Cleveland Metroparks. Turnpike fines: The Ohio Turnpike and Infrastructure Commission will begin issuing late fees and sending drivers who have unpaid tolls to collection agencies in February, nearly a year after the launch of its new toll collection system, reports Olivia Mitchell. Community grants: Every year, Cuyahoga County Council distributes several millions in grant dollars to help cash-strapped communities beautify streets, build parks, expand recreation for seniors or complete other projects meant to improve the lives of residents. But as more community-focused nonprofit organizations seek the limited funding, some council members are calling to restrict eligibility to make sure municipalities and their community development arms don’t get shut out, reports Kaitlin Durbin. Massive fire: A large fire Friday night ravaged an under-construction apartment complex in the Cedar Lee district in Cleveland Heights, Kaylee Remington reports. The Cleveland Heights Fire Department is hoping the public can offer some help as investigators continue to look into the cause, Cliff Pinckard reports. Rescue dog: A severely injured American Eskimo mix named Luke is on the road to recovery thanks to Friendship Animal Protective League, compassionate foster care and an outpouring of community support after amassing an online following, reports Hannah Drown. Railside Park: Lakewood City Council will hold a special meeting today to vote on a proposed plan to build a housing development along the railroad tracks behind First Federal Lakewood Stadium. Cory Shaffer reports the proposed Railside Park Subdivision would turn a narrow strip of land between Donald Avenue and Thoreau Road owned by the Norfolk & Western Railway Co. into a dozen condominiums facing the tracks to the south. Moving houses: Laura Johnston’s childhood bedroom became her mom’s sewing room after she graduated from college, but her Anne of Green Gables poster remained on the wall and her prom gown still hung in the closet. Now it’s her parents’ turn to move, she writes in the Our Best Life column. |
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Clinic cuts: The Cleveland Clinic is cutting its administrative staff by 114 positions because of financial challenges, reports Julie Washington. The cuts affect administrative manager positions in various non-clinical areas across the organization. Staff who are impacted by the workforce reduction can apply for other Clinic jobs or take a severance package. Unemployment: After two months of Ohio’s unemployment rate being 4.3%, the state closed out 2024 with an increased rate of 4.4% in December, reports Zachary Smith. Ohio’s unemployment rate increased monthly from May 2023 to July 2024, held steady over the summer, and finally dropped in October. Macular degeneration: A new study shows people who are of European descent may be more at risk of age-related macular degeneration than those of African or Hispanic ancestry, reports Julie Washington. Researchers hoped to identify clues that will lead to the development of new treatments for age-related macular degeneration. CSU sports: The wrestling, women’s golf and softball programs at Cleveland State University will be discontinued. CSU said in a statement that the decision was part of the university’s strategic effort to address budget shortages across departments. |
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1997 murder: On Tuesday, two sisters will face the man accused of killing their mother nearly 28 ago, reports Olivia Mitchell. Michael Bukowski, 50, of Toledo has been indicted in the April 1997 murder of Catherine Parisi. Bukowski is also accused of involuntary manslaughter, felonious assault, abduction, tampering with evidence and gross abuse of a corpse. He will be arraigned Tuesday. Influencer's death: A Maryland family is searching for answers after a 30-year-old social media influencer was recently found dead in an abandoned Cleveland home. Reyna Dunlap was discovered in a home on East 65th Street and Francis Avenue last week, Olivia Mitchell reports. 16 pounds of cocaine: A judge sentenced a Cleveland man on Thursday to 10 years in prison for flying with a friend from California to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport with an estimated $152,000 worth of cocaine in their luggage. Adam Ferrise reports that U.S. District Judge Benita Pearson in Youngstown sentenced William Hartson, 26, on charges of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute drugs and drug possession. East CLE trial: A former East Cleveland police commander was convicted Thursday of failing to report two high-speed police chases he took part in, one of which ended in a death, reports Lucas Daprile. A Cuyahoga County jury found Larry “Pac Man” McDonald guilty of eight of 10 charges. They include tampering with records, obstructing official business, dereliction of duty, tampering with evidence and telecommunications fraud. |
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Classic CLE: Where do you get some of Cleveland’s top-tier chicken wings? Peter Chakerian has six suggestions in this week’s “Classic CLE Eats & Drinks.” Morgan Wallen: Controversial country superstar Morgan Wallen will be hitting the road for a stadium tour dubbed the “I’m The Problem Tour” that will include a weekend takeover of Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland. Malcolm X Abram reports that he will have shows on Aug. 15, with special guests Miranda Lambert and Ella Langley, and Aug. 16, with special guests Thomas Rhett and Langley. Lopez: Lopez 44, the third iteration of the Lopez Mexican restaurant concept, will open this month in a new space in downtown Chagrin Falls, reports Paris Wolfe. Velvet Dog: The Warehouse District club Velvet Dog is closing after more than a quarter of a century, reports Marc Bona. City Goods: City Goods in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood will close permanently at the end of the month, with the incubator space leaving seven hangar structures vacant on the corner of West 28th Street and Church Avenue, reports Alex Darus. 'Great Gatsby': The first North American tour of the Broadway smash musical “The Great Gatsby” is coming to Playhouse Square in July 2026, reports Joey Morona. Cleveland is one of more than 50 cities across the continent that will host the show, which is also launching productions on London’s West End and in Seoul, South Korea. House of the Week: Located near the heart of Ohio City in Cleveland, the colonial revival-style home at 1828 W. 48th St. offers the best of both worlds: the feel of new construction in the suburbs combined with the amenities of true city living. Built in 2014, the $949,000 home offers three bedrooms and three-and-a-half bathrooms across 2,580 square feet of living space, including a finished basement, reports Joey Morona. |
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Great Lakes freighter freed from Lake Erie ice after Cleveland Coast Guard cutter arrives Read more Crocker Park ‘Ice Festival’ wows crowd with sculptures Read more Berea artist’s WWII-era painting gets permanent home in aviation museum Read more New middle school proposed for Avon Lake Read more Rocky River City Schools superintendent search enters interview phase Read more |
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