Weather
Showers and thunderstorms are possible throughout Tuesday, with highs reaching 80 degrees. Storm chances are greatest before 11 a.m. and after 8 p.m. with overnight lows dropping back into the 60s. Read more.
The headlines
Protesters arrested: None of the 99 people arrested in Cleveland riots Saturday are from outside Ohio, and few are from outside neighboring counties, Adam Ferrise reports. That counters Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams’ statement Sunday that many of those who turned peaceful protests over the death of George Floyd violent were from out-of town. Of the 99 arrested, 15 people were from outside Cuyahoga County, including from suburban Mentor, Macedonia and Kent. Charges included breaking and entering, aggravated rioting and failing to comply with police orders for incidents of vandalism and looting, while a few protesters are accused of throwing rocks at officers.
Cleveland chief: Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams has been a fixture at many Cleveland protests, listening to a frustrated public mourning Tamir Rice’s death and bicycling to hotspots during the Republican National Convention. But as George Floyd protests grew heated Saturday Cleveland’s top cop was absent. Evan MacDonald reports that Williams’ first public appearance came after midnight Sunday when he and Mayor Frank Jackson addressed the unrest on a Facebook Live broadcast. He said most U.S. cities were unprepared for protests to devolve into violence.
This Week in the CLE: Why didn’t Cleveland police arrest rioters as soon as violence began at the George Floyd protests Saturday? Cleveland.com’s This Week in the CLE podcast is all about the riots that ravaged downtown.
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Revised curfew order: Cleveland on Monday revised its civil emergency proclamation, making it clear that commuters are banned from downtown and parts of Ohio City today and asking that businesses remain closed. Robert Higgs reports that the containment area, initially reaching east to East 30th Street, has been pulled in to East 18th Street.
Public health crisis: Cleveland City Council could decide as early as Wednesday whether to declare racism a public health crisis, reports Robert Higgs. Mayor Frank Jackson’s chief of public affairs said generational disparities in education, access to jobs, earning power, access to health care, home environment and quality of life issues have produced poorer health outcomes in the black population. And the coronavirus pandemic has illuminated the problems.
New numbers: At least 2,206 Ohioans have died with confirmed or probable coronavirus, Laura Hancock reports. Ohio had at least 35,984 confirmed and probable cases, up 471 cases Sunday.
Trends: Ohio’s coronavirus death total increased 11% in the last week from 1,987, while the case total was up 10.8% from 32,477, reports Rich Exner.
Cleveland cases: Three more people died and 20 more residents were confirmed as having contracted the COVID-19 coronavirus, Robert Higgs reports. The three deaths, which ranged from 50 years old to more than 70 years old, brings the death toll in Cleveland to 53.
East Cleveland protests: Three dozen demonstrators gathered in East Cleveland for a protest ahead of the city’s curfew. The protest, against the police killings of George Floyd and others, was peaceful, and bore no resemblance to the Saturday Cleveland protests that led to looting downtown, Evan MacDonald reports.
Masked rioters: Trying to determine someone’s identity from surveillance footage is difficult, and wearing a mask – whether to conceal identity, protect against the coronavirus or both – makes the task much harder, reports Jane Morice. The police have other methods to identify people on video using physical build or other distinguishing characteristics like clothing, but experts say identifying anyone would be a challenge, especially to press charges.
Boy shot: A boy was shot Monday afternoon on Cleveland’s East Side, Evan MacDonald reports. The shooting happened on East 94th Street near Ramona Boulevard, steps from the Fourth District police station
State pay cuts: More than 16,000 non-union employees will see their pay docked next fiscal year by the equivalent of 10 full work days, as Ohio works to fill a $2.5 billion budget hole. Andrew Tobias reports that is the equivalent of a 3.8% pay cut, while DeWine’s cabinet directors will see their pay cut by 4%. The state also is approaching its nearly 35,000 employee unions, asking for them to share cost-cutting suggestions by June 15.
Black in America: As a black man, Troy L. Smith writes that he rarely feels guiltier than when he’s thankful that society will see his children as white. Smith writes that trying to navigate the explosive mix of pride, fury, hope and heartbreak can consume you.
Clean-up crew: Hours after rioters ransacked downtown Cleveland Saturday, Ohioans united to repair the city, writes Hayden Grove. Instead of “What now?,” the question became “How can I help?”
Elkton prison: An appellate court Monday again refused to block the transfer of hundreds of inmates from the Federal Correctional Institution in Elkton, where nine inmates have died from the coronavirus and 300 have tested positive. John Caniglia reports the decision means attorneys for the Federal Bureau of Prisons plan to go back to the U.S. Supreme Court for the second time in less than two weeks.
Unemployment fix: As Ohio’s unemployment insurance fund nears insolvency, some Republican lawmakers are preparing legislation allowing the state to sell employer-backed bonds to help stabilize the system. Jeremy Pelzer reports that when the fund runs out of money, the proposal would allow the state to borrow from the federal government as before, or issue privately purchased bonds.
Trump statement: Gov. Mike DeWine wouldn’t comment on statements President Donald Trump made on a Monday call with governors demanding a more aggressive response from police and the National Guard to police brutality protests around the country. Seth Richardson reports that during the call, Trump said the governors were “weak” and needed to “dominate” the protests of the killing of George Floyd by police, which descended into looting and vandalism across multiple U.S. cities.
Columbus damage: Officials are estimating the cost to clean up damage to the Thomas J. Moyer Ohio Judicial Center, an art deco structure that houses the Ohio Supreme Court, after Columbus protests. Laura Hancock reports windows were broken, and graffiti was spraypainted on the building and sidewalk. The court offices are expected to reopen today.
Akron protest: Akron police are investigating after a truck driver turned into a group of protesters in downtown on Saturday, struck a protester and continued driving, Robin Goist reports. An 18-year-old from Tallmadge was hospitalized with a concussion and broken arm, and is recovering at home.
Chagrin Falls: About a fifth of storefronts in the quaint downtown have closed their doors and boarded up windows in preparation for a now-canceled Black Lives Matter rally. Brenda Cain reports that a sophomore at Kenston High School organized the event, originally set for 2:30 p.m. today at Riverside Park. He said he canceled after the peaceful protest in downtown Cleveland Saturday erupted into violence and looting.
OSU: The presidents of Ohio State University student government groups asked in a joint letter for university leaders to cut ties with the Columbus Police Department, stating police took “violent and inexcusable actions” against protesters. Emily Bamforth reports student group leaders said officers’ response to George Floyd protests were unjustly forceful and militaristic.
Kent State: Kent State University is planning a staggered return to campus on Aug. 17, Emily Bamforth reports. Students will likely enroll in a combination of face-to-face and online courses. Fall semester will begin Aug. 27 and continue through Nov. 20, with no fall break.
Parenting amid the coronavirus: After nearly three months of staying home during the pandemic, parenting feels like a battle these days. As the weather turns hot and we’re looking at a wide-open summer, Laura Johnston talked to parenting experts, who recommended we lessen our expectations and loosen our schedules.
Salons: Many Northeast Ohio hair salons and barber shops have done boffo business in the first few days after Gov. Mike DeWine reopened them. Julie Washington reports on the rush to get hair cuts and the connections between people and their stylists and barbers.
Blood tests: Vitalant is one of the first national blood banks to test all donations for antibodies to the coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, reports Julie Washington. The nation’s largest independent, nonprofit blood collector is providing the test results to blood donors.
Davis Bakery: Last summer, Davis Bakery celebrated its 80th anniversary as a family-owned staple in Greater Cleveland. The business is now facing a challenge unlike any in its history because of the coronavirus pandemic, reports Anne Nickoloff.
Kevin Love’s house: Cavs star Kevin Love welcomes Architectural Digest to his home to tour his personal wellness room. Cleveland.com’s sister site shows the home, from red light therapy panels to a hyperbaric chamber.