Sound of Ideas

In August 2024, the city of Cleveland raised allegations against Cleveland and Columbus business owner Bobby George, including charges of attempted murder, rape, strangulation, kidnapping and felonious assault. More than a year later, on Nov. 3, that case was resolved when George pleaded guilty to attempted strangulation of a woman he was dating at the time. The case was handled by a special prosecutor from Jefferson county, Jane Hanlin, who was assigned the case after Cuyahoga County prosecutor Michael O'Malley recused himself to avoid the appearance of a conflict because he had accepted campaign donations from the George family. The difference between the initial charges presented and the final plea deal George entered into have raised questions about whether he was overcharged to begin with, or received a lenient deal due to wealth and influence. On Wednesday's "Sound of Ideas," we'll examine the case with the special prosecutor who handled it. We invited George's defense attorneys, Kevin Spellacy and Diane Menashe, to take part in the conversation, but they didn't return our requests for interviews. Guests:- Jane Hanlin, special prosecutor on the Bobby George case- Retired judge Michael Donnelly, former Ohio Supreme Court Justice and adjunct professor for Cleveland State University School of Law- Terry Gilbert, Criminal defense attorney If you or someone you know is in need of support, the National Domestic Violence Hotline can be reached by phone at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), by texting "START" to 88788, and online at thehotline.org.

On Tuesday's "Sound of Ideas, we'll explore the health insurance landscape, and why those who buy their insurance from the Affordable Care Act marketplace are seeing major spikes. Then, we will talk about public corruption and its impact. It's the focus of a cross-cultural dialogue happening in Cleveland this week. Health insurance premiums are rising nationwide The longest federal government shutdown in history finally ended last week after 43 days, but the matter at the center of the shutdown remains unresolved over the fate of the Affordable Care Act tax credits that help make health care more accessible for those buying insurance on their own through the marketplace. An extension of those tax credits was not included in President Donald Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill," approved by lawmakers in July, so those subsidies are set to expire at the end of the year. A Senate vote has been promised for later this year as part of the deal to end the shutdown, but if there are no changes, millions of Americans are at risk of seeing very large spikes in their premiums or even losing insurance, if they can't afford it. On Tuesday's "Sound of Ideas," we're going to talk to experts about the cost of insurance going up for people on the marketplace, and even for those on employer plans. We'll also hear from people impacted by those costs and ask — where do we go from here? Guests: - Jaclyn Shlapack, Lorain Resident - Kathleen Cooke, Senior Vice President of Employee Benefits, CBIZ - Taylor Wizner, Health Reporter, Ideastream Public Media - Emma Wager, Senior Policy Analyst, Program on the ACA, KFF Public corruption impacts economies and public trust It's estimated that trillions of dollars that would benefit the public are lost each year due to public corruption including bribery, embezzlement, money laundering and tax evasion. Developed and emerging nations both must confront public corruption and the impact it can have on institutions and public trust. Tuesday in Cleveland, the topic of corruption and how to address it will be the focus of a panel discussion at the annual meeting of the Council for International Programs USA. It's a nonprofit organization founded in Cleveland by Dr. Henry Ollendorf, a Jewish refugee, to help train German social workers after World War II. The organization has grown globally with a mission to promote international understanding through professional development and cross-cultural exchange programs. The meeting and panel discussion will be hosted by the law firm of Jones Day. Among those taking part in the panel will be a delegation of prosecutors from the Romanian National Anticorruption Directorate brought to the United States by the Congressional Office of International Leadership to give emerging leaders from post-Soviet states firsthand exposure to the U.S. system of participatory democracy and free enterprise. The Council of International Programs USA will be recognized at the meeting by the Congressional Office of International Leadership for its decades of hosting international delegations in Cleveland and other U.S. cities. Guests: - Justin Herdman, former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio - Veronica Dragalin, former Chief Prosecutor, Anti-corruption Prosecution Office, Republic of Moldova

On Monday's "Sound of Ideas," we'll look at changes to sports betting in Ohio following the high-profile federal indictments of Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz on charges related to rigging bets on specific pitches, and explain the Cleveland Municipal Income Tax filing requirements that resulted in surprise audits for many longtime workers and residents in back-to-back "Law of the Land" segments. MLB, Ohio's Casino Control Commission and sports betting companies agree to regulation changes Federal indictments against two Cleveland Guardians pitchers, Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz, have rocked Major League Baseball and the sports betting world. In response to these charges of rigging bets on specific pitches, MLB worked together with the Ohio Casino Control Commission and sports betting companies to come up with mutually-agreed upon new regulations governing what's known as microprop bets, limiting them considerably compared to what was allowed before. In this installment of our series "Law of the Land," on Sound of Ideas, we'll explain the sports betting regulation changes, and look at the other legal problems that have come up surrounding betting in Ohio in both the NFL, involving famed Cleveland Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar, and NBA, related to allegations of faking an injury to help gamblers win against Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, who is a former Shaker Heights High School basketball star, along with how and why the rules differ for college sports. Guests: - Joe Maloney, Senior Vice President of Strategic Communications for the American Gaming Association - Eric Chaffee, John C. Hutchins Professor of Law at Case Western Reserve University School of Law - Joe Scalzo, Sports Business Journalist for Crain's Cleveland Business Cleveland Municipal Income Tax audits surprise longtime workers and residents Over the last several months, workers and residents in Cleveland received tax audit notices in the mail warning of potentially large fines from the Central Collection Agency, which is part of the City of Cleveland's Division of Taxation. The notices informed individuals they needed to submit income tax returns and other forms that many recipients had never heard of, telling them they may have earned income which is subject to Cleveland's Municipal Income Tax. We'll clear up the confusion on exactly what's required when it comes to paying and filing the city of Cleveland's employment and residence taxes, in Monday's installment of our "Law of the Land" series on "Sound of Ideas." Guest: -Mary Sasmaz, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the Department of Accountancy at Case Western Reserve University's Weatherhead School of Management

The Guardians star closer Emmanuel Clase and starting pitcher Luis Ortiz were indicted this week, charged with throwing pitches that bettors wagered would happen and profiting from the bets. Clase is accused of engaging in the enterprise for years and even texting and talking on the phone with a co-conspirator about it during a game. The FBI took Ortiz into custody Sunday in Boston. Federal agents took Clase into custody Thursday in New York. Each has been released on bond after entering pleas of not guilty to federal charges. We will begin the Friday’s “Sound of Ideas Reporters Roundtable” with investigation into Clase and Ortiz and the impact it could have on sports as well as laws governing betting in Ohio.

Northeast Ohio plant-based food lovers discuss the growing popularity of vegan foods and goods in the newest installment of our biweekly series, "The Menu."

Connecting skilled workers with in-demand and available jobs in Northeast Ohio can be challenging for businesses. Each year, Team NEO, a private, non-profit economic development organization focuses attention on the demand and supply imbalance in the region's workforce. This year, Team NEO's "Aligning Opportunities" report looked specifically at K-12 students and young adults and how they could factor into closing the talent gap regionally. We're going to talk about the report and the workforce landscape for young people in Northeast Ohio to begin Wednesday’s “Sound of Ideas.” Later in the hour, we will hear from Dr. Amy Acton. She’s currently running for the 2026 Democratic nomination for Ohio governor.

Retired Shaker Heights pediatrician and grandfather Dr. Arthur Lavin founded Grandparents for Vaccines to encourage child vaccination by sharing stories about deadly but preventable diseases.

A bevy of new bookstores have opened across Northeast Ohio over the past several years, in line with a national trend of growing demand for local retailers.

The Cleveland school board will decide, likely at its Dec. 9 meeting, whether to approve a massive consolidation plan presented this week by CEO Warren Morgan. The plan calls for closing 18 buildings, ending leases on five others and operating 29 fewer schools in the district. Some schools will relocate. Some, like Collinwood and Glenville high schools, will merge. Morgan said consolidation is needed because of a 50% decline in enrollment since the turn of the century, massive projected budget deficits and a desire to offer better services for students in a more concentrated district. We will begin the Friday “Sound of Ideas Reporters Roundtable” with the school consolidation plan and discuss the rest of the week’s news as well.

The American Heart Association has new guidance on choking response for infants, children and adults, and for treating individuals with suspected opioid overdose.

We will recap the 2025 election results with some of the winners and discuss levy and school board results in Northeast Ohio districts.

The ongoing federal shutdown means that some Head Start organizations have run out of money and are cutting services.

The future of food stamp benefits is uncertain as the federal government shutdown continues into its second month. We'll hear how leaders in Tuscarawas County are preparing for increased food insecurity.

SNAP benefits, also known as food stamps, for roughly 1.4 million Ohioans could run out on Nov. 1 if the government shutdown continues.

We'll talk to a national advocate and a leader from Cleveland's Joseph & Mary's Home about the challenges people experiencing homelessness face, and the organizations serving them.

Not all tariffs are created equally. Northeast Ohio business owners and an economics professor discuss the pros and cons of tariffs in the region.

Akron recently became the third city nationwide to join Work for America's "Spotlight City" initiative, a program aimed to hire displaced federal workers for jobs in local government.

This week, the Ohio House passed two property-tax related bills. Supporters say the bills will provide more than $2 billion in tax relief over the next three years and say the measures are the most significant property tax reform in decades. But according to others, the bills won't help all Ohio property owners and claim the bills do not go far enough in overhauling the current system. Separately another proposal from Ohio Sen. Andrew Brenner a Republican from Delaware County would completely reshape school funding. We will talk about the House bills as well as the proposal from Sen. Brenner to begin Friday’s “Sound of Ideas Reporters Roundtable.”

Bibb is running against community activist Laverne Gore who declined to participate in a candidate interview.

Millions of K-12 students participate in afterschool and out-of-school-time programs nationwide. But, according to the DC-based advocacy group Afterschool Alliance, for every 1 student enrolled in a program, five more are waiting to be able to join. The Alliance spotlights the work and achievements of afterschool and out of school time programs, which also include summer programming, with the Lights On Afterschool nationwide event which will be Oct. 23. The programs, advocates say, are critical for Ohio's workforce, providing safe places and activities for students whose parents work. But some programs are concerned about the future of their funding. Later, we will talk with the Community West Foundation about its efforts to create a financial safety net for the nonprofit organizations providing a safety net for those in need.