Trillions of dollars flow across the country to states, cities, healthcare systems, schools, universities and nonprofits, affecting the mundanities of daily life. Federal money affects the ability to prosecute crimes, educate children or drive on freshly paved roads. Federal grants pay for everything from small-police-department radios and food benefits for the poor to big developments, like Cleveland’s planned land bridge to Lake Erie. So how would a pause on federal spending affect Ohio? Agencies are waiting for answers, especially after a federal judge’s block on the spending freeze. A group of Democratic Congress members wrote a letter asking the acting director of the Office of Management and Budget to clarify which projects, programs and activities are paused. But some Ohio Republican officials said the decision will help the administration ensure federal dollars are being spent in line with its priorities. — Laura |
Overnight Scores and Weather |
Northeast Ohio weather forecast: Slight chance for snow |
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President Donald Trump speaks Monday at the 2025 House Republican Members Conference Dinner at Trump National Doral Miami in Doral, Fla. (Mark Schiefelbein, Associated Press) |
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Federal freeze: President Trump’s freeze on federal grant and loan funding left Ohio agencies, universities and companies that receive federal money in a state of uncertainty as they weighed how to cope with a new policy that jeopardizes billions of dollars they expected to receive, report Sabrina Eaton, Julie Washington, Kaitlin Durbin and Rich Exner. Cleveland effect: On Monday, Cleveland had $129 million from the feds to spend on reshaping downtown’s lakefront. But by Tuesday, President Donald Trump’s decision to freeze $3 trillion of the nation’s spending seemed to put that money in jeopardy. Sean McDonnell reports everything from road construction to surveying trees in Cleveland is touched by federal dollars. Police funding: Money for police officers in Maple Heights, and for technology to help extract cellphone data from criminal suspects, and for body camera upgrades. Those are among the federal grants to Northeast Ohio law-enforcement agencies that President Donald Trump sought to freeze with an order of temporary pause in funding, Adam Ferrise reports. EPA grants: The pause on federal spending threatens several grants awarded to Northeast Ohio organizations to fight air pollution and climate change, reports Peter Krouse. Projects include increasing reliance on solar power, removing gas stoves from low-income homes, electrifying operations at the Port of Cleveland, and erecting electric vehicle charging stations. Child care: A new poll shows that Ohio Republicans, Democrats and independent voters overwhelmingly believe the state should increase funding for child care for working parents, reports Laura Hancock. That potentially buoys the chances that day care-related legislation passes in the General Assembly. Today in Ohio: Days after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents ramped up arrests this weekend, there is still much we don’t know. We’re talking about the secrecy of the Trump administration on Today in Ohio. |
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Ohio budget: Gov. Mike DeWine is expected to unveil his budget proposal in the next week or so, after which lawmakers will hammer out a final budget bill that the governor must sign by July 1. And lawmakers are divided on whether the federal funding freeze will get in the way of their negotiations, report Anna Staver and Jeremy Pelzer. House Minority Leader Allison Russo, an Upper Arlington Democrat, said it would be foolish to assume Ohio will get everything it was promised. |
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Mayor suspended: A panel of three retired judges decided Tuesday to suspend from office East Cleveland Mayor Brandon King, who currently is facing public corruption charges, Cliff Pinckard reports. The decision comes after an initial ruling in November recommending that King be suspended and after a hearing with King in December. Bachelor’s degrees: Hudson is one of the handful of wealthiest suburbs near Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton, where three-quarters of the adults aged 25 and older have at least a bachelor’s degree. Zachary Smith reports that Hudson is the only place in Northeast Ohio to reach this benchmark with a rate of 75%, according to the latest estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau. Fishermen rescued: Four fishermen had to be rescued Tuesday from Lake Erie by the U.S. Coast Guard and local firefighters after they were stranded on an ice floe, Cliff Pinckard reports. Peat replacement: Peat is a nonrenewable resource because it is being consumed much faster than it can be produced; a bog regrows at a rate of 0.04 inches per year. So what could we use to replace it in packaging nursery plants? |
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Hotel prices: Spending the night in a downtown Cleveland hotel got more expensive in 2024, averaging nearly $200, a record, reports Susan Glaser. People seem willing to pay the higher rates, as occupancy – that is, the percentage of rooms that are filled – increased in 2024 as well, rising to 63.4% from 61.3% in 2023. Browns hotel: The Browns mixed-use development next to its training complex in Berea will be anchored in part by a Marriott-branded Barker Hotel, reports Rich Exner. |
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Indictments: A Cuyahoga County grand jury indicted three people Tuesday for their roles in the slaying of a 74-year-old Cleveland Heights woman, Olivia Mitchell reports. Tuesday’s indictments bring the total charged in the case to four. Cleveland Heights police arrested a 16-year-old three days after the shooting. Stow shooting: Authorities say a man shot his girlfriend several times before he turned the gun on himself Monday, Olivia Mitchell reports. The Summit County Medical Examiner's Office identified the victim as Latoia Philpott, 41, of Stow. Benjamin Asiedu, 43, of Akron, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. |
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Ask Yadi: Have you ever sent an email and then realized that you sent it to the one person that you were talking or complaining about? Yadi Rodriguez writes that if it’s really bothering you, you could send an apology email or simply learn to let it go. Ice cream pizza: Pav’s Creamery is partnering with Ohio Pie Co. to create a sundae that combines ice cream and pizza into one indulgent treat. Alex Darus reports the ice cream brand and local pizza shop unveiled the Ohio Pie Co. Strawberry Streusel Sundae on its Instagram pages. Winter Jam: Winter Jam 2025 Tour is coming, Ohio. Christian music’s biggest tour lands at Cleveland State University’s Wolstein Center on Friday. Doors open at 6 p.m., show begins at 7 p.m., reports Peter Chakerian. 'Parade': Max Chernin grew up as a theater kid in Shaker Heights. His passion for performing eventually led him to Broadway, where he headlined “Bright Star,” Steve Martin and Edie Brickell’s bluegrass musical, and then television, appearing in the Apple TV+ series “Dickinson.” Joey Morona reports Chernin arrives at Playhouse Square when the national tour of “Parade” arrives for a three-week run at the Connor Palace in February. Best steak: Who has the best steak in Northeast Ohio? Cleveland.com’s Best of Cleveland team compiled into a list of 25 best places in Northeast Ohio. We then opened it up for your votes, and now the Top 10 spots are in the home stretch, hoping for a win. Tracey Thomas: Local legend, singer-songwriter Tracey Thomas, will celebrate the release of her latest (and possibly last) album, “Words Can’t Save Us Now,” alongside her memoir, “Little Miss Akron,” with a special performance at Weathervane Playhouse on Saturday, reports Malcolm X Abram. |
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