Sound of Ideas

Cuyahoga County voters are likely to decide new property taxes on the November ballot to help fund the social safety net and services for people with developmental disabilities. The county will seek a renewal, with an increase, for Health and Human Services. County Council gave that plan a first reading this week. The same day, Council gave final approval for a separate levy to fund the...

High-control groups, or cults, are defined in part by members being prevented from making their own choices without even realizing it. While the exact number isn't known, experts estimate there are thousands of cults operating in the United States today. Typical red flags include leaders exerting influence and control over the actions of their followers through both explicit and unstated but under...

Lakewood demands accountability for power outages Tens of thousands of Northeast Ohio residents were without electricity during some of the hottest days of the year last week, and some lost power for up to four days. For cities like Lakewood, residents say power outages happen on a too-frequent basis, and the city's mayor, Meghan George, is demanding accountability from the only energy company ser...

Fatherhood support resourcesFor many parents, maintaining a relationship with their children isn't simply a matter of showing up. Divorce, incarceration, financial hardship and other life circumstances can create distance between parents and their kids. On top of those challenges, some parents face systemic barriers, from navigating the court system to finding stable housing or employment. And oft...

Staying safe during extreme heat Dangerous, record-breaking heat has hit much of the nation this week, with the National Weather Service issuing an Extreme Heat Warning for the state of Ohio lasting until Thursday night. Many outdoor events have been canceled due to safety. The City of Cleveland canceled all youth outdoor sports through Friday, a Wade Oval Wednesday concert was canceled in Univers...

The U.S. Supreme Court wrapped its term Tuesday with a series of major decisions on immigration, presidential power and election law. Among the final rulings, the court voted against President Donald Trump to uphold the citizenship clause of the 14th Amendment declaring anyone born within the borders of the U.S. a citizen of the country. Last week, the justices held that courts cannot review Depar...

"The Big Shrink" Cleveland's population was 930,000 at its height in 1950. Now, it's a little more than a third of that. With that population loss, comes fewer students enrolled in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. And those dropping enrollment numbers has led to the district needing to closure buildings and lay off hundreds of employees. Cleveland is far from the only district experienc...

America 250 Reflections Saturday is America's 250th birthday. It's a time to look back at our nation's history and reflect on where we are today as a country. The Declaration of Independence in 1776 guaranteed the rights to equality, liberty and democracy for all. Is America today living up to the promise of its founding? Do citizens today have equal rights and opportunities? Some will say, absolu...

Gov. Mike DeWine this week vetoed a bill that would mandate photo ID for mail-in ballots starting in 2027. On the heels of DeWine calling on Ohio lawmakers to abolish the death penalty, we learned this week that for the first time in his tenure, he granted clemency to a death row inmate. The U.S. Supreme Court signed off on the Trump administration's plan to strip temporary protected status from H...

Employee Ownership Models There are over 6500 businesses that in some form participate in an employee-owned model, according to a study from Rutgers University. These businesses vary from an ESOP, or employee stock ownership plan, which is the most common form or profit-sharing, to a worker-owned cooperative, where workers can vote on things like a board of directors. Thursday on the "Sound of Ide...

Funeral arrangements and burial alternatives The cost of planning a funeral has risen dramatically over the past several decades. From 1986 to 2025, funeral costs increased by 304%, meaning something that cost $1 in 1986 now costs about $4. Inflation, changing consumer preferences and rising labor and material costs have all contributed to the price hike. Today, cremation is the most common end-of...

As a country, we're living longer than ever before. The average life expectancy in the United States is now 79 years old, according to the Centers for Disease Control. But how are we doing when we get to our golden years? In Ohio, the answer is not necessarily the best, according to the latest America's Health Rankings Senior Report. This study from The United Health Foundation ranked Ohio 36th in...

Ohio Auditor Candidates In November, when voters go to the polls, they'll be voting on every statewide executive office in Ohio, one of those being auditor of state. The two candidates for that position are the current Secretary of State, Republican, Frank LaRose, and the Mayor of Maple Heights, Democrat, Annette Blackwell. They recently spoke at forums organized by the Akron Press Club. We'll bri...

Gov. Mike DeWine is urging Ohio lawmakers to permanently end the death penalty, saying the issue should go before voters if the legislature declines to act. DeWine has postponed every scheduled execution since taking office in 2019 and has said the moratorium stems partly from pharmaceutical companies' opposition to the use of their drugs in lethal injections. However, some prosecutors and lawmake...

How some local religious groups welcome LGBTQ+ members June is Pride Month, an annual celebration honoring LGBTQ+ people, their history and an ongoing movement toward equality. Most celebrations are secular in nature - but there are some religious organizations in Northeast Ohio hosting Pride events this year. For many, religion is a source of belonging and spiritual guidance. But for others, expe...

Heights High 100 Years 100 years ago, back when gas cost 23 cents and the president was Calvin Coolidge, Cleveland Heights High School at Cedar and Lee Roads was constructed. Thousands of alumni and guests from around the country and beyond will be returning to the Heights to celebrate this milestone, and participate in a three-day festival this weekend hosted by the Heights School Foundation. Par...

THC Beverage Sales We begin the hour with a quick update regarding the sale of THC-infused beverages in Ohio. A judge ruled that several Ohio companies are once again able to sell the drinks for the next two weeks. Brent Zimmerman, from Saucy Brew Works in Cleveland, joins us to discuss the motion from the judge and what comes next. Guests: - Brent Zimmerman, Founder and CEO, Saucy Brew Works Wate...

Artificial intelligence in legal cases The use of artificial intelligence is a topic of concern in legal cases, both by attorneys and parties to lawsuits they file. On Monday's "Sound of Ideas," we examine precedent being set in both situations in our latest installment of our "Law of The Land" series, where we look at how the law impacts our everyday lives. We start the conversation talking about...

A marathon legislative session this week in Columbus produced several measures that we'll be unpacking here to begin the show. We start with what didn’t get done: new rules for data centers. That legislation went off the rails over tax abatement. Data centers currently receive a 100% sales tax exemption. Proposed legislation would have reduced that tax break to between 50% and 75%. But many lawmak...

Nicotine use is rising in young people Nicotine use among youth and young adults is rising according to the Centers for Disease Control with nicotine pouch use by people under 21 nearly quadrupling from 2022 to 2025. Nicotine is the highly addictive chemical stimulant found in tobacco. In 2024, almost 8% of high schoolers said they had used an e-cigarette in the past month, and more than 2% had us...

Seasonal Affective Disorder When you hear seasonal affective disorder, you probably think of the cold, dark days of winter. But for some people, seasonal depression arrives at the opposite time of year. As temperatures rise and daylight stretches into the evening, sadness, anxiety and irritability can emerge. Wednesday on the “Sound of Ideas,” we'll discuss how heat, light and seasonal changes can...

The Marshall Project's Investigation into Cuyahoga Jail Cameras Security cameras are vital in a jail, especially when something tragic happens, but for years, Cuyahoga County had a broken surveillance system due to neglecting to replace old jail cameras. County emails show they knew about the issue for four years, according to new reporting from The Marshall Project Cleveland. This means some fami...

Monday on the "Sound of Ideas," we'll talk to Northeast Ohio bibliophiles about their favorite books of 2026 so far. They'll be recommending new novels, nonfiction reads, some classics, as well as new books by Northeast Ohio writers. The group will also touch on how to keep kids engaged in reading over the summer, and how to cut back on screen time in order to read more. Guests: - Karen Long, Form...

Trump administration cabinet members and other federal and state officials denounced fraud in Medicaid and various government programs during a news conference in central Ohio. Acting U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche was joined by FBI Director Kash Patel, Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and other officials. They announced the indictment of 14 people...

With the rise in use of artificial intelligence, the data center industry is booming across the country, and right here in Ohio. So many data center plans are underway in our state that Ohio has given up about $2 billion in tax breaks to these projects over the last two years alone. This is a far cry from the original estimate that the break would be closer to $266 million, leading Gov. Mike DeWin...