Speakers: Allan Georgia, Ph.D., Director of Religious Education, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Cleveland; Timothy Beal, Professor and Chair, CWRU Department of Religious Studies. QAnon conspiracies and right wing religious cults are on the rise.  Why?  What are their beliefs?  What role can the study of new religious movements play in helping us understand and deal … Continue reading QAnon Conspiracies, Religion and Politics – What’s Coming?

Speakers: Erika Anthony, Executive Director, Ohio Transformation Fund; Crystal Bryant, Director, Cuyahoga County Office of Reentry The crisis of mass incarceration and racial inequality continues. Of Ohio’s 45,000 inmates, 45% are African American but they comprise only 14% of the population. Judges wield immense power via length of sentence and by fines, fees, and bail. … Continue reading Mass Incarceration, Judges, and Reentry: An Overview 

Speaker(s): Daniel Flannery, CWRU Professor and Director, Begun Center for Violence Prevention; David Weiss, Mayor of Shaker Heights; Carole Ballard, Director, Education & Training, ADAMHS Board of Cuyahoga County; Jeffrey DeMuth, Shaker Heights Police Chief. Nine out of 10 calls for police are for nonviolent encounters.  Nationally, there’s talk about defunding the police and reallocating … Continue reading Community Safety Challenges, Oversight and Reforms

Speakers: Johnie Rose, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor and Program Director, Preventive Medicine Residency Program, CWRU School of Medicine and Director, UH Preventive Medicine Residency One out of every 17 people in the US has had Covid19. Approximately 80% of the population must be immune before normal lifestyles can return.  When might this happen? Are current … Continue reading Living with COVID-19: What’s Next Medically?

Speakers: Jessie Hill, Professor, CWRU Law School; Catrina Otonoga, Preterm Manager, Policy and Partnerships Since the 1973 Roe v Wade Decision, abortions have grown increasingly restrictive.  Between 2011 and 2019, states enacted 483 new abortion restrictions. In 2017 Ohio had 14 facilities providing abortions. Now there are 9. Given the current US Supreme Court, what … Continue reading Reproductive Freedom: Supreme Court or State’s Rights

Speakers: Tom Sutton, Political Science Professor, Baldwin Wallace and Director, Community Research Institute. Biden’s margin of victory was half what had been predicted in 2020.  Less than 6% of survey respondents answer phones due to robocalls.  Internet polling samples based on income, race, age, or education, pose formidable challenges. Much of democracy depends on being … Continue reading Politics and Polling: What Went Wrong?

Speaker(s): Bob Rosenbaum, Advertising and Market Development, Heights Observer; Melissa Hirsch, Owner, Unbar Café, Shaker Heights; Katie Van Dyke, Director, CSU Ohio Small Business Development Center, Cleveland. Amazon’s profit last quarter: 5.2 billion; Walmart’s recent profits: 1 billion/month. While these earnings show huge gains, the pandemic has particularly hit small business. Many have closed. How can small … Continue reading Small Businesses: Chronicling the Effects of Covid-19

Speakers: David Lopez, MD, President and CEO, Psychiatry Networks; Mark Rood, Family Medicine Specialist, Cleveland Clinic. How has Telemedicine affected your healthcare? It saves time and reduces cost. But what about Medicare coverage, lab tests, insurance reimbursement or disadvantaged communities? Have we rushed too far too fast? What does the future hold?

Speakers: Dr. Debbie Cowden, MD, Director, Ohio Health Project and Board Member, Faith Communities Together for a Sustainable Future (FaCT); Ted Auch, Ph.D, .Director, FracTracker Alliance, Great Lakes Program. What's it like to live over a gas fracking well…. or near an injection well? There are 2,400 fracked wells in East Ohio Gasland's 5 million … Continue reading Earth Day Stories from Ohio’s Gasland

Speaker(s): Mark Salling, Professor, CSU College of Urban Affairs and Chairman, Cleveland Census Statistical Areas Committee; Freda Levenson, Legal Director, Ohio ACLU Voting rights are under attack.  Over 45 states have introduced 360 bills to restrict voting.  The new Ohio House and Senate redistricting maps should be introduced in mid-September.  Will they follow voter-approved rules … Continue reading Voting, Redistricting, & Political Power: What’s at Stake?

Speaker(s): Mark Sniderman, CWRU Weatherhead School of Management and former Executive Vice-President, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. How is the US economy recovering from the Covid 19 pandemic?  Rising real estate prices, inflation, and help wanted signs are everywhere. Given the trillions spent on economic aid to the US population, when will the debt ceiling … Continue reading The National Economy: Future Bumps in the Road?

Speaker: Mark Weber, former Dean, Kent State University Libraries, and member, UU Congregation of Cleveland. Today's issues are overwhelming. Join us for an interactive, engaging "Sanibel Discussion" on today's current events. What community issues do you want to discuss? Audience members have up to 90 seconds to give their opinion and re-focus the discussion. Via … Continue reading A World in Crisis: A Rousing Sanibel Discussion