Trigger bill: Proponents argued Thursday in a committee hearing that sometimes got testy that the legislature needs to pass a bill outlawing abortion under most circumstances in the state. Laura Hancock reports House Bill 598 would create a new crime in Ohio: criminal abortion, punishable as a fourth-degree felony, for inducing an abortion through drugs or instruments. Its sponsors consider it a “trigger” bill because it would go into effect when the U.S. Supreme Court releases its ruling. Brown falls ill: Sen. Sherrod Brown missed a Thursday vote on a high-profile measure giving $40 billion in military, economic and food aid to Ukraine after he went to a Washington, D.C., hospital for medical testing after not feeling well, Andrew Tobias reports. Brown, a 69-year-old Cleveland Democrat, underwent what his office described as “a series of standard and precautionary tests” at George Washington University Hospital. METRO Traffic ticket discrimination: Lee Weingart, the Republican candidate for county executive, is accusing his opponent, Chris Ronayne, of poor leadership and a “blatant indifference to equal justice” after records show University Circle police continued to cite Black drivers at a disproportionate rate a year after Ronayne promised to address the disparity. Kaitlin Durbin reports Ronayne was president of the east side development corporation when a 2020 ProPublica investigation found that 88% of the 1,965 drivers that University Circle police had cited since 2015 were Black. CPP appeals: Cleveland Public Power is looking to formally establish an appeals process for customers facing disconnection -- a process required by law that CPP had long flouted by failing to notify customers of their right to appeal. Courtney Astolfi reports the utility now wants to give customers a chance to object to disconnections or raise other billing concerns through a three-member arbitration panel. It would hear customer complaints and examine data associated with their accounts. If issues are found, the panel could adjust power bills accordingly. Juvenile justice: Since 2015, investigations of Cuyahoga County’s Juvenile Justice Center employees have cost taxpayers over 24 times what they have in two other major counties. Cuyahoga’s justice center has spent $681,736 in paid leave from January 2015 through January 2022 while investigating employees for allegations of misconduct. Kaitlin Durbin reports 71 employees had received paid leave in the last seven years. Hot in May: Today is forecasted to have a high of 92 degrees, followed by Saturday with a high of 90 degrees, Zachary Smith reports. Since 2000, only eight other days in May reached 90 degrees or higher. This equates to just a 1% chance of weather this warm happening during the month. Road projects: The Cuyahoga County Department of Public Works is seeking public input on two road improvement projects: Forbes Road from First Place to Richmond Road, in Oakwood and Bedford Heights, and Wilson Mills Road, from Lander Road to Alpha Drive, in Highland Heights and Mayfield Village, Kaitlin Durbin reports. COVID memorial: Cuyahoga County is seeking “creative ideas” for a memorial to honor the victims of COVID-19. Kaitlin During reports the county requested proposals this week encouraging the community to send in their suggestions for an interactive memorial that allows residents to honor the pandemic’s more than 3,700 victims together. Another 269,000 residents were infected. COVID-19 & HEALTHCARE Cases: The state of Ohio on Thursday reported 19,536 new cases of COVID-19 in its weekly dashboard update. That averages to about 2,790 new cases per day over seven days and is the highest number of new cases since the state switched to weekly updates of COVID-19 case numbers in March. Julie Washington reports there were 15,970 cases reported last week, 10,013 two weeks ago and 8,731 three weeks ago. Baby formula: Families affected by the nationwide shortage of infant formula are looking for ways to stretch their supplies. Some steps that seem logical, such as diluting formula or making homemade formula, aren’t safe, reports Julie Washington in a Q&A. BUSINESS Medical Mutual: Medical Mutual has picked Steven Glass, currently an executive at Cleveland Clinic, to becomes its new president and CEO. He’ll start the new job in August. Sean McDonnell reports Glass has been the chief financial officer with the Cleveland Clinic since 2005. Before joining the Clinic in 2002, he was vice president of finance for MedStar Health, a large healthcare delivery system in the mid-Atlantic region. He will also join the company’s board of directors. Restaurant work: Hiring restaurant servers remains challenging, and some restaurant owners are seeing a change in the landscape of workers, especially younger ones. Marc Bona reports that restauranteurs are trying new ideas to find workers, especially as patio season heats up. CRIME Adoption sentencing: A federal judge on Wednesday sentenced the former owner of a now-defunct Strongsville adoption agency to three months in prison for her lying to U.S. and Polish authorities about the adoption of a 5-year-old girl from Poland, whose caregiver later violently raped her. Adam Ferrise reports Margaret Cole, the owner of European Adoption Consultants, also will spend a year on house arrest after she serves her prison term and must pay a $7,500 fine. Tree theft: A brother and sister who hired a company to cut down a 200-year-old black walnut tree on Cleveland Metroparks’ property last year have pleaded guilty to a felony theft charge. Cory Shaffer reports Todd Jones, 57, of Bay Village, and Laurel Hoffman, 54, of Elyria agreed to repay the Metroparks $20,000 as part of the plea deal. ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Voice of America: At a crucial time during World War II, Nazi Germany suddenly found itself and its propaganda opposed by a very loud and powerful voice emanating from the vicinity of Cincinnati: the Voice of America. Today, the National Voice of America Museum of Broadcasting occupies the site from which the service originally beamed its message around the world. Summer concerts: If 2021 marked a return to normal for the live music industry, 2022 will look to build on the momentum. The slate of summer concerts this season features a collection of Rock & Roll Hall of Famers, hometown heroes, newcomers on the verge of stardom and legends making what may be their final runs. Troy Smith names the 50 most anticipated concerts of the upcoming season. Things to do: It’s a great time to be out and about in Northeast Ohio -- events include the Cleveland Asian Festival, Cleveland Bazaar, Guardians games and more. Annie Nickoloff has 21 ideas for a hot weekend. | 