Cleveland-Cliffs is not just a local household name in Northeast Ohio manufacturing and economic development. It is North America\'s largest flat-rolled steel producer and the largest supplier of automotive-grade steel in the nation. Since 2014, Lourenco Goncalves has been Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cleveland-Cliffs. Mr. Goncalves successfully led four major company acquisitions beginning with AK Steel in March 2020, followed by the acquisition of ArcelorMittal USA in December 2020, Ferrous Processing and Trading Company in November 2021 and most recently Canadian-based Stelco Holdings Inc. in November 2024.\r\n\r\nIn 2023, Cleveland-Cliffs offered to buy Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel in a merger that would have cement Cleveland-Cliffs as the nation\'s largest steelmaker--bringing more jobs and opportunity to the region. Instead, U.S. Steel rejected the offer in favor of a higher bid from Japanese firm Nippon Steel. President Biden blocked the merger in January, citing national security concerns, specifically the belief that U.S. Steel should remain an American-owned company to support the domestic steel production and strengthen U.S. supply chains. President Trump has also opposed Nippon's acquisition of U.S. Steel.

The fateful year 2020 brought dramatic challenges to American cities. The COVID-19 pandemic and the civil unrest caused by the killing of George Floyd led to a cascade of negative media stories about cities, often politically motivated. It seemed possible that the economic and demographic gains cities had achieved over the last few decades could be lost. In fact, there has been measurable population loss in larger cities caused by changing work/life patterns and changing public perceptions about the costs and benefits of urban living.\r\n\r\nReleased in July 2024, the 38 chapters in The Case for Cities draw on the expertise of contributors from the academic, professional, and civic sectors. They argue that, when faced with these challenges, advocates for cities must make a vigorous case for cities and show how they aren't the cause of America's social, environmental, economic, and public health problems but, are rather, are the places where the solutions to those problems will be found.\r\n\r\nJoin us at the City Club as we hear from the book\'s authors and experts in urban planning on what is needed to promote a viable and sustainable urban resurgence.

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed House Bill (HB) 250, requiring each school district and community school to adopt a cell phone policy by July 1, 2025. While schools have the flexibility to choose a policy that fits their needs, many have taken varying approaches with a broad range of impacts. The new law aims to reduce distractions in schools that lead to negative learning outcomes for students.\r\n\r\nOhio\'s new cell phone policy sparks debate. Proponents argue the policy will enhance learning, while opponents contend it could create safety risks. Meanwhile, schools have tightened restrictions on when and how students can use their phones. Questions remain about whether these rules are genuinely designed to improve the learning environment. This student-led forum provides a valuable opportunity to explore this complex issue.\r\n\r\nAs technology becomes more deeply integrated into everyday life, the questions arise: How should schools balance innovation with attention demands? Should schools ban phones or find ways to incorporate them into teaching more effectively? What is the policy's impact on student health? The conversation is just beginning. Students will have the chance to hear from experts about what the policy entails and, perhaps more importantly, what comes next.

Northeast Ohio businesses, organizations, and communities are already feeling the impacts of the Trump administration\'s executive orders on immigration. On January 20th, the Trump Administration halted refugee resettlement--stranding some refugees within hours of their scheduled travel to the US. And then on Sunday, January 26th, Cilantro Taqueria in Cleveland Heights confirmed that ICE agents took six employees of the restaurant into custody. They\'re reportedly being held in Geauga County with 52 other detainees. This news has shaken both undocumented and documented immigrants in the region. Additionally, Ohio legislators have also moved to block local municipalities from forming sanctuary cities.

Since 2014, the City of Cleveland has been under a consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice to address a finding that the division exhibited an unconstitutional pattern or practice of excessive force. The investigation that led to that finding was sparked by the 2012 shooting of Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams. A 23-mile car chase involving 60 police officers ended in a parking lot in East Cleveland when 13 officers fired 137 shots into a vehicle, killing both Russell and Williams. Both were unarmed.\r\n\r\nThe consent decree requires the Cleveland Division of Police to reform its policies, practices, and procedures to address accountability, use of force, crisis intervention, and more. The Cleveland Community Police Commission (CPC) was also established at this time, bringing 13 community voices into the process of police reform. The CPC\'s role was deepened after voters passed Issue 24 in 2021--giving the commission final say in disciplinary proceedings and policing policy police discipline cases and officer policies. The consent decree also calls on the community to be a part of the reform process through service in various groups and ongoing engagement through public forums.\r\n\r\nThe consent decree itself is broad-reaching, its work significant, and we have heard many perspectives on it over the last decade, most recently in a conversation about the legacy of Tamir Rice. Join us to hear about progress made, opportunities ahead, and challenges still to overcome from two of the leaders tasked with implementing the reforms: Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd, and Dr. Leigh Anderson, Executive Director of the Mayor\'s Police Accountability Team.

Through February, the stage production of Fat Ham will premiere at the Cleveland Play House. It\'s a cleverly hilarious retelling of William Shakespeare\'s Hamlet through the eyes of \"Juicy,\" a Southern Black mama's boy during a backyard cookout. It unapologetically centers Black joy and flips masculinity on its head. For many, the play\'s premise might cause a casual reader to double-take. Yet, the production won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize winner for drama and was nominated for five Tony Awards including Best Play. This summer, England\'s Royal Shakespeare Company itself will stage the European premiere.\r\n\r\n\r\nFrom Hollywood film to literature and theatre productions--contemporary spins on classics are not a new concept. These reinterpretations often reach new audiences, create new models for artistic production, and create space for entire communities.

More than a century of civil rights activism reached a mountaintop with the arrival of a Black man in the Oval Office. But hopes for a unified, post-racial America were deflated when Barack Obama's presidency was met with furious opposition, and a volcanic new movement-a second civil rights movement-began to erupt.\r\n\r\nNew Prize for These Eyes is a follow up to his bestselling novel Eyes on the Prize, which accompanied the PBS series of the same name. In his new book, Williams outlines what fires, furies, and frustrations distinguish this 21st century movement from its predecessor and brilliantly traces the arc of this new civil rights era--from Obama to Charlottesville to January 6th.\r\n\r\nToday's movement is dealing with new realities. With demographic changes and a social media savvy generation, activists are making history in a new economic and cultural landscape. In an interview with Fox News, Williams said, \"I hope that all Americans, all people in this country will be able to say after they read this book, 'Oh my gosh. I am a historic figure.' And see themselves as actors in this moment of creating American history.\"\r\n\r\nJuan Williams is a prizewinning journalist and historian and the author of numerous books. Williams worked for The Washington Post as a celebrated national political correspondent, White House correspondent, and editorial writer. He has written for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and Ebony. He is currently the Senior Political Analyst for Fox News Channel and a columnist for The Hill.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse reports that about one out of every eight kids in America grows up in homes with a substance use problem. And according to the CDC, Fentanyl was responsible for nearly 70% of drug overdose deaths in 2022. Now, the film INHERITANCE places us all on the frontlines of the opioid crisis right here in Ohio.\r\n\r\nFilmed over 11 years, INHERITANCE explores the underlying causes of the opioid epidemic in America through the life of one boy and five generations of his extended family. Curtis, a bright and hopeful 12-year-old, grows up in rural Appalachia surrounded by love and struggle while every adult in his family - parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins - battle addiction. Curtis's America is a country where people and communities are struggling with an epidemic of substance use disorder, joblessness, poverty, and a deteriorating sense of belonging. Can Curtis break the cycle of addiction that has plagued his family for generations?

On November 6, 2023, Stephen Vogt was named the 45th manager of the Cleveland Guardians. He joined the club just two years after finishing his major league career and stepping into the seemingly unfillable shoes of Terry Francona. At the start, Vogt inherited the youngest roster in the MLB, and saw the loss of star pitcher Shane Bieber in the first week due to an elbow injury. By all accounts, the odds were stacked against him.\r\n\r\nBut what came next ended up being one of the Guardians best seasons in history, backed by the best bullpen in the majors, and an American League Central Division title for Cleveland. And dare we say it-just three wins shy of a World Series appearance.\r\n\r\nBut that wasn\'t enough. In November 2024, Vogt was named the 2024 American League Manager of the Year-the fifth youngest manager to win the award after receiving a resounding 27 of the 30 first place votes. He is the fastest person to go from player to Manager of the Year in the award's history. His success is credited to many things, but in particular, Vogt brings a new style of leadership and organizational culture that centers on humility, humor, and even passing the \"aux cord.\"

Successful companies innovate every day and create products and value for their customers. Efforts to build a robust workforce are no different. Here in Northeast Ohio, manufacturing leaders are innovating, testing, and scaling new ways to solve their talent needs. Through innovative workforce partnerships, changing policies, and adjusting conditions to be more inclusive, these companies are producing results. Currently, strategies are underway to remove barriers to employment, increase coaching, and provide necessary support for non-native English speakers, for example.\r\n\r\nAs onshoring heats up and manufacturers shift their supply chains closer to home, talent competition - and the need for innovation - will be stronger than ever. Is Northeast Ohio ready?\r\n\r\nPanelists\r\nPete Accorti\r\nPresident, Talan Products\r\n\r\nGeoff Lipnevicius\r\nSenior Manager, Workforce Development, The Lincoln Electric Company\r\n\r\nDalithia C. Smith, SPHR, SHRM-SCP\r\nSVP & Chief Human Resources Officer, Oatey Co\r\n\r\nStaci Wampler\r\nChief Business Solutions Officer, Towards Employment\r\n\r\nModerator\r\nGlenn Forbes\r\nHost/Producer, Ideastream Public Media