According to the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, the updated barn provides double the room for the animals compared with the previous facility. It is equipped with several high-tech features, including heated floors and an improved ventilation system to maintain air quality during the colder months. Outside the main structure, the exhibit now includes a large shade structure and a heated patio. These additions ensure the kangaroos and emus have access to comfortable microclimates e

The national tour of Water for Elephants has arrived in Cleveland, bringing aerialists, acrobats and striking animal puppetry to the Connor Palace Theatre. Adapted from Sara Gruen’s novel, the musical follows Jacob Jankowski as he joins a traveling circus during the Great Depression and is swept into a dangerous love story. The show runs through March 29.

North Ridgeville High School student Jaina Cormack has been named Ohio’s 2026 nominee for the National 4-H Roth Scholars Program, a two-year pilot that emphasizes leadership and career-ready “soft skills.” As a nominee, she is expected to receive a stipend to research a community challenge and put her findings into action through 4-H.

Emma Lyons has a blunt name for the voice that tells so many women they are not enough. It is not intuition, she says. It is not protection. It is not even a misunderstood part of the self asking to be soothed. Lyons calls it the “inner narcissist,” a shame-driven internal voice that keeps women doubting themselves, shrinking themselves and, in many cases, mistaking self-punishment for self-awareness.

Cleveland’s younger median age hides a grim reality: many residents are not living long enough to raise the city’s average. Public health data shows life expectancy lagging the nation, with striking gaps by gender and ZIP code. The “Shaker Gap” highlights a 23-year difference just miles apart, shaped by historic redlining and ongoing barriers to healthy food and housing.

Buzzard Day returns to Hinckley Reservation on March 15 as residents gather to spot the first turkey vultures of the season. Cleveland Metroparks will host the official observation from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Buzzard Roost, where visitors may see a “kettle” of 20 or more birds circling on warm air currents.

A Franklin County magistrate issued a preliminary injunction blocking Ohio from reclassifying unclaimed funds as state property after 10 years. The ruling finds House Bill 96 likely violates Ohio’s takings and due process clauses, halting plans to transfer $1.7B-$1.9B to a sports facilities commission, including $600M tied to a proposed Browns stadium in Brook Park.

More adults are showing up at clinics with new allergies to foods or pollens they have tolerated for years, experts say. Doctors point to immune-system shifts, new environments and factors like microbiome changes or hormones. Symptoms can be mistaken for recurring colds or sinus infections, making a proper diagnosis key.

President Trump categorized the ongoing military conflict with Iran as a nearly finished "excursion" during an interview with CBS on Monday, a statement that triggered a late-afternoon rally on Wall Street. The Dow Jones industrial average had spent the majority of the day in negative territory, but prices shifted sharply upward just before the closing bell as investors reacted to the prospect of a swift resolution.

Iranian missile and drone strikes hit sites across Bahrain, the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait, targeting energy infrastructure and U.S. military facilities as Gulf air defenses respond. The turmoil is paralyzing the Strait of Hormuz and driving a sharp oil-price spike, with shipping firms rerouting and officials weighing emergency measures as damage assessments continue.

Friday the 13th will also be a big day for Cleveland 13. The network is launching its new Weather Center and revealing a new addition to the Cleveland 13 team the same day. To celebrate, Cleveland 13 is hosting a special giveaway for viewers. Fans can head to Cleveland 13’s social media pages on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to guess who the newest member of the Cleveland 13 crew will be. One lucky viewer who guesses correctly will win a $50 gift card to All City Candy. The

The Akron Art Museum will be the only Midwest stop for Kent Monkman’s major traveling exhibition “History Is Painted by the Victors,” opening April 11, 2026. The show brings rarely seen loans and large-scale paintings that rework European styles to spotlight Indigenous and queer stories, with a free artist talk and opening celebration on April 10.

Trump has removed Kristi Noem as Homeland Security secretary amid escalating pressure over DHS spending, including a $220 million immigration ad campaign and questions about how the contract was awarded. Trump named Sen. Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma as his pick to lead the agency, pending Senate confirmation. Oversight inquiries are expected to continue.

The American Academy of Pediatrics is preparing new guidance that moves beyond strict screen-time limits, urging families to focus on the quality of kids’ digital use and the habits it shapes. A Cleveland Clinic Children’s psychologist says the change offers a more realistic approach for parents, with tips like co-viewing, device-free zones and building balanced routines.

Federal health officials are warning families not to reach for suction-based anti-choking devices first in an emergency. The FDA says standard Red Cross and American Heart Association protocols remain the most effective, and device setup can cost crucial seconds. The agency has authorized only one such device for U.S. marketing and cites reports of failures and injuries.

FAN EXPO Cleveland is back March 13-15, 2026, bringing major celebrity guests, cast reunions and packed show floors to the Huntington Convention Center. From “Star Wars” and “Star Trek” icons to “Twilight” events and after-hours parties across downtown, organizers say tickets and photo ops are already in demand.

A rare calendar alignment will give 2026 the maximum three Friday the 13ths, including an unusual back-to-back pairing in February and March. Calendar math explains why the consecutive dates happen only under specific conditions, and why the pattern is uncommon but not extremely rare.

A new bakery is coming to Cedar Center North this winter. Plant-based dessert brand Cinnaholic will hold its grand opening at 13953 Cedar Road in South Euclid on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, with a four-hour promotion offering $2 cinnamon rolls from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The company says its entire menu is 100% vegan and free of dairy, lactose and cholesterol.

President Donald Trump delivered a 1 hour and 48 minute State of the Union, the longest on record, using the address to roll out aggressive proposals ahead of the midterm elections. Plans included forcing major tech firms to generate power for AI data centers, banning corporations from buying single-family homes, creating matched retirement-style accounts, and backing a ban on lawmaker insider trading.

Mentor has finalized the 2026 Mentor Rocks summer concert schedule, bringing national acts like Phillip Phillips and Night Ranger to the Mentor Civic Amphitheater. The free Tuesday night series runs June 2 through Aug. 25, with weekly food trucks, a beer garden and festival-style amenities for crowds across Northeast Ohio.