The City Club of Cleveland Podcast

Since 1891, if the Pope--whether it be John Paul II, Benedict, Francis, or Leo--has had questions about the stars, he would turn to the leadership of the Vatican Observatory. For the past decade, Brother Guy Consolmagno has been that leader, with a team of scientists operating out of facilities in both Rome and the Arizona desert.\r\n\r\nThe science conducted in those places is exactly what you\'d...

Our Constitutional Republic is dependent on an independent and trustworthy Judiciary to maintain an effective balance of power with the Executive and Legislative branches. With pressures and threats to the safety of judges at the state and federal level at an all-time high, retired Ohio Supreme Court Chief Justice Maureen O'Connor (R) and former Justice Mike Donnelly (D) have teamed up in a bipart...

Since the start of the second Trump administration, American colleges and universities have been subject to intense political scrutiny by the White House. Both public and private institutions have negotiated settlements at the expense of DEI programs, admissions, and hefty fines and fees. Law firms, media outlets, and even cultural institutions have also been targeted.\r\n\r\nWesleyan University P...

At a time when debate and public trust can feel divided and heated, educators are turning to curriculum to help strengthen empathy, curiosity, and civic responsibility in young people. According to Facing History and Ourselves, students from Facing History classrooms report feeling a stronger motivation to become active civic participants, more motivated to learn, and more positive impacts in thei...

As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation, Cleveland has a pretty loud reason to join the party: We are the birthplace of Rock & Roll. In the 1950s, our city played a pivotal role in launching a new global musical movement that many credit to DJ Alan Freed, who coined the phrase \"rock & roll.\" Since then, countless iconic rock moments shook the region, from the Beatles first concert in...

Over the last 50 years, Apple has firmly established itself as a leading company that has changed the trajectory of American culture-reshaping how people communicate, work, and create through technology. Yet, with such long-standing notoriety comes myths and legends. Some of which are rooted in truth, and some in lore. In Apple: The First 50 Years, author and CBS Sunday Morning correspondent David...

Innovation is no longer a niche topic, it is a public priority with implications for economic mobility, workforce development, public trust, and regional identity. The latest in tech innovation is Artificial Intelligence (AI), which his now widely embedded in industries from workforce recruitment and healthcare to business operations and design.\r\n\r\nGreater Cleveland is also entering a defining...

On Dec. 22, 1984, Bernard \"Bernie\" Goetz, a white man, shot and seriously wounded Barry Allen, Darrell Cabey, Troy Canty, and James Ramseur-four teenagers from the Bronx, at point blank range. Goetz claimed they were going to mug him; the teens claim that one of them had simply asked for five dollars.\r\n\r\nIn Five Bullets, Elliot Williams vaults back to gritty 1980s Manhattan and reexamines th...

What if our loyalty is not to the healthcare system we were handed, it's to the future we can build? And how do we crack an industry highly resistant to change? In Halle Tecco\'s newest book, Massively Better Healthcare, Tecco offers an insider's guide to transforming healthcare through innovation. Drawing on her experience as an entrepreneur, investor, and educator, she distills 15+ years of less...

For more than two decades, The City Club of Cleveland has hosted the annual High School Debate Championship.\r\n\r\nEvery year, the top two area high school debaters square off in a classic \"Lincoln-Douglas\" style debate at a Friday forum. This allows the debaters to compete-not only for the judges and audience in the room-but also for our radio and television audiences.\r\n\r\nThe finalists Cha...

On the heels of an unprecedented military operation in Venezuela, the United States joined Israel in a direct attack on Iran, citing a variety of justifications for the attack, including a nuclear threat, a predicted strike, a desire for regime change, and decades of hostilities. More recently, widespread protests and a crackdown by the regime have dominated headlines. Congress has responded to th...

As record cold settles over the region this winter, the Northeast Ohio Coalition for the Homeless (NEOCH) remains on the front lines defending the civil rights of unhoused people to access public space, to vote, and secure shelter and housing. Newly opened by NEOCH is a seasonal homeless shelter located on 1530 E. 19th Street. It now offers a warm place to go for up to 45 adults during the coldest...

Home to the Wright Brothers and the birthplace of aviation, Ohio boasts a proud legacy in scientific discovery and innovation. Included in this legacy is NASA's Glenn Research Center-which was established by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) in 1941 to study all aspects of aircraft propulsion. It was incorporated into NASA in October 1958 and has been making the nation's most...

This is a youth-led forum, powered by student voices.\r\n\r\nEnvironmental issues affect everyone, shaping the health of our communities, the spaces we live in, and the resources we rely on each day. Access to clean air and water, green spaces, and healthy food plays a major role in quality of life and long-term well-being.\r\n\r\nThis forum will explore environmental justice as a local issue, wit...

Toni Morrison\'s work undeniably reshaped American literature, and her influence extended well beyond her novels like Beloved or The Bluest Eye. Morrison confronted slavery, identity, trauma - as well as beauty - as she centered Black experiences. Morrison changed not only what stories were told, but how they were told.\r\n\r\nHarvard professor and award-winning author Namwali Serpell\'s latest bo...

Few have as clear a view to what\'s actually going on in our city than the leaders in City Hall tasked with improving conditions for the residents who live, work, and recreate in our region\'s urban core. Brad Davy served as Chief of Staff to Mayor Justin M. Bibb for the four years of his first term. Davy led a cabinet of young leaders who hoped to remake City Hall, renovating everything from poli...

In December 2025, Slovenia completed its two-year term on the United Nations Security Council-participating in 558 formal meetings and 238 consultations of the Security Council, and so much more. Throughout its term, Slovenia addressed the most pressing issues, upheld its values, and shared its expertise globally to maintain international peace and security.\r\n\r\nMore recently, in its final mont...

On September 15, 1963, a bombing carried out by members of the Ku Klux Klan at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, instantly killed Addie Mae Collins, Carol Denise McNair, Carole Rosamond Robinson, and Cynthia Dionne Morris Wesley. Also in the room was Addie Mae\'s younger sister, 12-year-old Sarah Collins, who survived the blast and valiantly tried to rescue her sister, but was...

Daniel Coyle is the New York Times bestselling author of The Culture Code, The Talent Code, The Little Book of Talent, The Secret Race, Lance Armstrong's War, and Hardball: A Season in the Projects. Coyle, who works as an advisor to the Cleveland Guardians, lives in Cleveland, Ohio, during the school year and in Homer, Alaska, during the summer with his wife, Jen, and their four children.\r\n\r\nI...

This is a youth-led forum, powered by student voices.\r\n\r\nAccess to quality healthcare is not experienced equally across communities. Differences in policy, insurance coverage, education, and systemic barriers can shape who receives care, when they receive it, and the outcomes they experience.\r\n\r\nThis forum will examine disparities in healthcare access and outcomes, highlighting how policy...

Baldwin Wallace University has a new President, and Lee Fisher is ushering in a new era as the University\'s 10th President. Tapping into his deep and diverse career spanning the public, private, nonprofit, and academic sectors, President Fisher hopes to redefine what\'s possible and lead the charge toward a bold, sustainable future in higher education. President Fisher took the helm in late 2025,...

The Department of Homeland Security has escalated immigration enforcement in recent months, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers conducting raids in Los Angeles, Chicago, Portland, and most recently Minneapolis, where ICE agents fatally shot two U.S. citizens, Ren?e Good and Alex Pretti, detained countless citizens and legal immigrants, including multiple children.\r\n\r\nThose...

In 2009, 246 people were victims of gun violence in Omaha, Nebraska. In 2022, that number was 121, reflective of a steady decline over more than a decade. That reduction in gun violence was the result of the work of Omaha 360, a persistent and consistent effort by organizations and leaders across the city who come together every week to share data, coordinate strategies, and respond to community n...

In Washington State, 42% of Black households have zero net worth. It\'s a statistic echoed in Black communities across the nation--including here in Cleveland. The legacy of historical policies like segregation and redlining has impacted both homeownership and opportunities to build generational wealth today. Now, skyrocketing rents and a shrinking housing supply have put homeownership out of reac...

Two years after Hamas invaded Israel, a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States brought the conflict one step closer to resolution. That October 10th agreement created to conditions for the return of remaining Israeli hostages and the bodies of deceased captives in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. It also opened up channels for the delivery of humanitarian aid at levels t...