The City Club of Cleveland Podcast

Last summer, our city played host to DC Studios\' filming of the upcoming film \"Superman\". Early trailer footage gives Cleveland much love, putting many of our city\'s landmarks front and center. It was a sort of homecoming for Superman, who was created by two Glenville High School students in 1933, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Adding to the anticipation, the Siegel and Shuster Society, an all-volunteer nonprofit, announced they will construct a Superman statue in downtown Cleveland.\r\n\r\nBefore the July 11th theatrical release of \"Superman,\" we will be joined by Bill Garvey from the Greater Cleveland Film Commission and Valentino Zullo with the Siegel and Shuster Society. Ideastream\'s Mike McIntyre will lead a conversation on what it takes to bring Hollywood to The CLE and how we can all honor the creators of The Man of Steel.

The American Bar Association (ABA) was founded in 1878 on a commitment to set the legal and ethical foundation for the American nation. Today, it exists as a membership organization and stands committed to its mission of defending liberty and pursuing justice. In August 2024, William \"Bill\" Bay became president of the ABA for the 2024-2025 term after more than 20 years in various leadership roles. His leadership thus far has been widely applauded due to his firm stance in support of the rule of law and defense of judicial independence.\r\n\r\nIn a June 1, 2025, President\'s Letter in the ABA Journal, Bill Bay did not mince his words: \"Attacks on the rule of law, judges, lawyers, and the profession. The apparent disregard of due process. And now attacks on the ABA. All of this from our own government. The frequency and intensity show no sign of lessening.\" How are American lawyers standing up for the foundational principles that have served our country for 250 years?

Ohio's regional public universities - including Cleveland State, and the Universities of Akron and Toledo - collectively serve more students than any single university in the state, including the state's flagship. Yet they're often overlooked in both local and national big-picture conversations about higher education, even though most Americans who do go to college attend an institution within 50 miles of their home.\r\n\r\nThese colleges are being forced to reinvent themselves--dealing with local workforce demands, adapting to shifting student needs, and, sometimes, fighting for survival. It all comes amid enrollment drops, changing demographics, and pressure at both the state/federal levels. So, what is working? What's not? And what would it mean for Ohio\'s communities if these universities close their doors?

The former Director of Ohio\'s Department of Health, Amy Acton, M.D., MPH was the first Democratic candidate to announce a campaign for Ohio Governor. Dr. Acton was nominated Director of Ohio\'s Department of Health by Governor Mike DeWine in February 2019. She quickly became a household name, joining Governor DeWine during his daily afternoon press conferences in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.\r\n\r\nDr. Acton began her career as the Director of Project L.O.V.E, managing public-private partnerships between Columbus area hospitals and key community stakeholders. Amy then joined the faculty at Ohio State University, and eventually joined the Columbus Foundation, where she worked to improve the community\'s health and well-being, particularly in the area of women's health and youth homelessness.\r\n\r\nDr. Acton received her medical degree from Northeastern Ohio University College of Medicine and completed her internship and residency training in pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, and at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus. Dr. Acton lives in Bexley, Ohio with her husband Eric, and together they have six kids.

Dave Yost was re-elected as Ohio's 51st Attorney General on November 8, 2022. A member of the Republican Party, Yost began his public-service career as Delaware County auditor, later winning election as that county's prosecutor. From 2011 through 2018, he served as Ohio's auditor of state. In January 2019, Yost began his first term as attorney general, and joined the City Club shortly after to discuss his goals and priorities.\r\n\r\nDuring his tenure as Ohio's Attorney General, Yost\'s leadership has been characterized by a commitment to defending Constitutional rights and innocent life; protecting individual liberties and Ohio families; creating a stable environment for economic growth; and fighting federal overreach--including COVID-19 restrictions and vaccine mandates.\r\n\r\nYost earned his bachelor's degree from The Ohio State University and law degree from Capital University. He and his wife, Darlene, live in Franklin County; they have three grown children and five grandchildren.

In February 2025, Ken Martin, was elected chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). A longtime party leader and organizer, he brings more than 20 years of experience working on behalf of progressive candidates and causes. Martin has a career focused on unifying the Democratic Party and evolving its national infrastructure to meet the demands of the current political moment, a moment characterized by a rightward shift that ushered Donald Trump back to the White House.\r\n\r\nIn his first few months as DNC Chair, Martin launched his "Organizing Everywhere" tour, spreading the message that Democrats must organize everywhere, compete everywhere, and build locally.\r\n\r\nThis is seen as a strategic response to polling, coverage, and punditry suggesting deep challenges for the Democratic party.\r\n\r\nA Midwesterner and Minnesotan, Martin sets himself apart from the \"inside the beltway\" DC elite, and brings a state-based perspective to national leadership.

The 1990s were a heady time. The Cold War had ended, and America's version of liberal capitalism seemed triumphant. And yet, amid the peace and prosperity, anxieties about the project of self-government could be glimpsed beneath the surface. So argued Michael Sandel, in his influential and widely debated book Democracy's Discontent, published in 1996. Now, a quarter century later, Sandel updates his classic work for an age when democracy's discontent has hardened into a country divided against itself.\r\n\r\nIn Democracy\'s Discontent: A New Edition for Our Perilous Times, Sandel extends his account of America's civic struggles from the 1990s to the present. The book is an essential--and ultimately hopeful--reading for all those who wonder if our democratic experiment will survive in the twenty-first century.\r\n\r\nMichael Sandel teaches political philosophy at Harvard University, where his legendary course "Justice: Ethical Reasoning in Polarized Times," fills Harvard's largest auditorium. Sandel is also the author of The Tyranny of Merit: Can We Find the Common Good?, which seeks a way beyond the polarized politics of our time. His other previous books include Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do? and What Money Can't Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets.

In 2021, Cuyahoga County sent four times more children to adult court - referred to as a \"bindover\" - than the next highest county, Hamilton, which includes Cincinnati. Racial disparities exist at every stage of our criminal legal system. Yet, as of September 2024, Black youth comprised 72% of Ohio\'s youth prison population.\r\n\r\nMembers of the Youth Justice Collaborative believe it is time for our public leaders, courts, and communities to prioritize effective interventions, rather than rely on "tough-on-crime" approaches that criminalize adolescence. Through the Collaborative, they have supported transformative grassroots efforts that placed community-led programs within the facilities of the Juvenile Detention Center. What lessons can the Collaborative share that will optimize impactful change?

Over the past two decades, the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) has been steadily replacing and rebuilding virtually its entire stock of low income and affordable housing across Greater Cleveland. As CMHA\'s CEO since 2012, Jeffery Patterson has led an ongoing process of neighbor and resident engagement, ensuring that every resident has a voice in the future of the community and the facilities that are being built.\r\n\r\nBy special request of the donors who created our annual Leadership for the Greater Good Forum, Jeffery Patterson will be joined by City Club CEO Dan Moulthrop for a collegial conversation about leadership and the importance of prioritizing community voice. Moulthrop has led the City Club since 2013, and his tenure has been recognized not only for the successful move to Playhouse Square but perhaps, more importantly, by the increasing relevance and accessibility of City Club forums.

Mehdi Hasan isn't one to avoid arguments. He relishes them as the lifeblood of democracy and the only surefire way to establish the truth. His unapologetic approach to journalism has made Hasan a highly sought after expert for his sharp, unfiltered perspectives on politics, media accountability, democratic norms, and more.\r\n\r\nAs an award-winning British-American journalist, broadcaster, and author, Hasan left mainstream media and now serves as the founder, CEO and editor-in-chief of the new media company Zeteo--which comes from the ancient Greek word for 'seeking out' and 'striving.\' Zeteo aims to seek answers to the questions that really matter, while always striving for the truth. Hasan is also the best-selling author of Win Every Argument: The Art of Debating, Persuading, and Public Speaking. Hasan previously worked as an anchor at MSNBC and columnist for The Intercept, and was included in the annual global list of \'The 500 Most Influential Muslims\' in the world (\'The Muslim 500\').