The U.S. national debt has surpassed $39 trillion, with annual interest costs now approaching $1 trillion, according to Treasury data. Lawmakers remain divided over spending cuts and tax policy, while shifting foreign holdings and renewed talk of “de-dollarization” raise questions about long-term demand for U.S. debt.

NASA is launching Artemis II today, sending astronauts back to the moon’s vicinity for the first time in more than 50 years. Behind the headline moment are deep Northeast Ohio ties, with NASA Glenn in Cleveland and the Neil Armstrong Test Facility in Sandusky playing key roles in testing Orion and its European Service Module. Here is what to watch as the mission unfolds.

Cleveland leaders are considering a “Pothole Sponsorship Program” that would let residents and businesses fund specific road repairs in exchange for public recognition and temporary naming rights. The plan is still conceptual, with details not finalized, but it is already sparking debate over fairness, priorities and how repairs would be tracked as the city battles recurring damage from freeze-thaw cycles.

Cleveland’s National Air Show board is warning the event cannot continue if Burke Lakefront Airport closes. City leaders are studying a $600 million lakefront redevelopment vision and have asked organizers to consider remote or overwater formats, but the board says Cleveland’s geography and the show’s nonprofit finances make that impossible. The 2026 show is still on.

A major stretch of downtown Cleveland is set for a sweeping asphalt art installation aimed at boosting pedestrian safety. Veteran muralist Ryan Jaenke was chosen to transform parts of the Gateway District near East 4th to East 9th streets, with up to 17,000 square feet of hardscape painted through Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Asphalt Art Initiative. Work is targeted for completion in July 2026.

Redfin has listed Rocket Arena on its website, calling it the largest property ever featured on the platform. The unusual listing spotlights the Cavaliers’ home and promotes a public open house and garage sale with rare memorabilia, plus a sweepstakes offering experiences including dinner on the main court.

Cleveland Monsters fans will soon see a hometown favorite at Rocket Arena. Malley’s Chocolates has signed a multiyear partnership to become the official chocolate partner of the Monsters and the arena, with signature confections available at multiple locations, including CLE/MKT and private suites. The rollout aligns with the Monsters’ March 29 home game against the Utica Comets.

Cleveland Hopkins International Airport says operations are back to normal after major construction on the lower roadway, reopening all terminal doors for arrivals pickups. The work focused on the RTA-level pedestrian tunnel linking the terminal to the Red Line station, including structural reinforcement, waterproofing and electrical system relocation. More updates are posted on the airport’s website.

A night of new klezmer arrives in Cleveland as the Case Western Reserve University Klezmer Music Ensemble performs original instrumental and vocal works by director Steven Greenman. The program spans compositions from 1997 to 2025, drawing on Eastern European Jewish cultural traditions and the evolving sounds of klezmer and Yiddish music.

A free presentation in Mentor will offer a rare, up-close look at life during the American Revolution. Historian and collector Todd Brighton will showcase original artifacts from his private collection, sharing the personal stories of seven Patriot soldiers. The event is May 20, 2026, at 7 p.m. at the Springbrook Gardenhouse.

Demolition crews have moved in at Cedar and Miramar in University Heights, clearing a 2.1-acre site for a new Aldi. The project will raze the Waterstone Medical Center and a former Huntington Bank branch, with site work expected to take six to eight weeks. City leaders say the store will anchor broader Bell Tower Center redevelopment and traffic signal upgrades now underway.

Cleveland’s child poverty crisis is fueling an urgent demand for family shelter, with The City Mission reporting a wait list of more than 200 women and children. A new partnership with West Park Barber School is offering free haircuts to teen boys at Laura’s Home, adding a sense of normalcy and mentorship as families work to rebuild.

Great Lakes cruising is forecast to generate more than $300 million in economic impact in 2026, with officials citing rising shoreside spending and a jump in port visits. Ten ships and seven cruise lines are slated to run 148 itineraries, driving an estimated 175,000 passenger visits at regional docks and intensifying competition on the water.

Cleveland’s future WNBA franchise says it completed a major community pledge three months ahead of schedule, hosting 28 events for more than 2,600 girls and young women across Ohio, western Pennsylvania and western New York. The final event was an all-girls youth clinic at Rocket Arena as the team prepares to begin play in 2028.

Sandusky’s Ghostly Manor Thrill Center offers nearly a dozen indoor attractions year-round, from its nationally recognized haunted house to 3D blacklight mini golf, laser tag, a 4D dark ride, a roller rink, an arcade and more. The Epic Pass bundles multiple activities with a meal and an arcade card, giving families an all-in-one option just off Route 250 on Milan Road.

Dirty Dancing is headed to Severance Music Center with a concert-style twist. A digitally remastered screening will play on a massive screen as a live band and vocalists perform every song from the original soundtrack in sync with the film. An encore party follows, inviting fans to sing and dance along.

Rosinski, an award-winning choreographer who teaches dance throughout the region, designed both programs to be inclusive regardless of a persons previous experience. The Adult Hip Hop Dance Team includes a mix of professional dancers and people who have never set foot on a stage before joining. They have appeared on "New Day Cleveland" and performed at major local venues such as Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Public Hall and the Wolstein Center. According to Rosinski, the group

Cedar Point is launching Barrels & Bites, a new summer festival running June 5-28, 2026, along the park’s Frontier Trail. The event will feature tasting stations for beer, bourbon and wine paired with dishes created by the park’s culinary team, plus local artisans, limited-edition items and rotating live music. Tastings cost extra, and the festival is closed Tuesdays.

A touring flock of 12-foot-tall “Giant Quackers” rubber ducks begins rolling through Northeast Ohio on March 19, building buzz for the Ohio Rubber Duck Dash Festival in downtown Cuyahoga Falls, April 23-25. The multiday event features a six-story “World’s Largest Rubber Duck,” an All-City Art Walk, food vendors, and a Saturday dash with prizes.

For SJ Santiago, the transition from the high-stakes environment of a hospital ward to the mystical landscapes of her debut novel was a process years in the making. Santiago, a registered nurse currently pursuing her master's degree, recently released her first fantasy book, "Blood Spells: The Awakening." The story follows a young woman named Aradia who, upon her 18th birthday, discovers magic is a tangible part of her biological heritage. According to Santiago, the narrative