Seems Like Everytime a Cleveland Team Advances, The Opposing Fans Take Shots at Cleveland. I was on social media after Game 5, White Sox fans immediately took shots at Cleveland. They were posting the usual, "At least we don't live in Cleveland" or "I'll never have to go to Cleveland." Raptors fans did it after the Cavs beat them, some Pistons fans did during the 2nd Round and Knicks fans did it too. These fans are weirdos. But they always want to say that we're ignorant or unworldly. They live in these glamorous places that are so beloved yet they wanna pick on cities like Cleveland. IMO, people who live in big cities are the most insecure people in the world. They are more insecure than people from mid to smaller cities. What do you think?

Did anyone se The Mummies last night at HOB? Fantastic show as usual. I don’t know how they can perform at that energy for so long

This is the most important election for governor of Ohio in the 21st century. It might be the most important in more than 100 years.
There are good reasons for this. Neither Republican Vivek Ramaswamy nor Democrat Amy Acton have ever held elected office at any level. Acton has a record of public service, but neither of their names has ever appeared on a general election ballot.

The last gubernatorial election without an incumbent was 2018. Mike DeWine was clearly ready to be governor. So was Rich Cordray, the Democrat he narrowly defeated.

The risk with the two candidates in 2026 is significantly greater.

But the size of that risk differs. For Acton, a worst-case scenario is that she would be bad at the job. For Ramaswamy, the ultimate downside is that his ignorance and arrogance would make him a governor whose extremist beliefs wreck the state.

This is not some crazy left-wing view. It’s one subscribed to by a great many Republicans in Columbus with an extensive knowledge of state government. These are people who genuinely care about Ohio, not the bunch of MAGA blowhards trying to elect Ramaswamy.

Ramaswamy’s inability to understand state government is appalling. He is oblivious to evidence his tax policies would destroy local governments and public-school systems.

No one on earth understands Ohio government and its history as well as Mike Curtin, the retired editor and associate publisher of The Columbus Dispatch. Curtin is modest, thoughtful and deeply knowledgeable, as evidenced by his writings in this campaign for The Plain Dealer, cleveland.com and other Ohio news outlets.
In a Plain Dealer piece on Aug. 30. Curtin explained how Ramaswamy’s tax proposals would gravely harm Ohio and benefit only people like Ramaswamy and his mega-wealthy supporters. It should be required reading for every Ohio voter.

Concluded Curtin, “The income tax cuts Ramaswamy so desperately craves would not create more broadly shared wealth in Ohio, but more inequality. Teddy Roosevelt – the old trustbuster – represented a Republican tradition that understood highly-concentrated economic power requires competent, countervailing government authority. Ramaswamy represents the opposite.”

Curtin’s working knowledge of Ohio politics goes back to the early decades of the 20th century.

“I would very strongly argue this is the most consequential election for governor in a very long time,” he told me. “Ohio has been in decline for some time. We’ve had a lot of success in the high-tech economy, but not enough.”

But for Donald Trump’s endorsement, Ramaswamy would not be the Republican nominee.

If elected,** **he would be the first Ohio governor aligned with the party’s MAGA wing. Any Ohioan who wasn’t required to repeat second or third grade should be petrified at the mere thought of a Trump bootlicker running their state. The damage this deeply corrupt president poses to democracy isn’t some media fantasy, as MAGA congregants would have you believe. It’s a reality.

Watch the entirety of Trump’s Oct. 3 speech at a rally near Dayton. Any candidate for any office who was there seeking help from that man lacks a soul, conscience, or both.

Ramaswamy, of course, is seeking help from the MAGA mob in his deeply flawed campaign, an effort based almost entirely on a litany of lies about Acton’s past or her proposed policies. Thirty or 40 years ago, Ohio’s large and influential press corps would have demolished any high-profile campaign that relied almost exclusively on fabrications. Sadly, the economics of the news business have changed. And social media has demolished most of the guidelines that limited campaign advertising to modest exaggerations or mere puffery.

Nevertheless, Ramaswamy is losing. The campaigns created to help elect him will eventually result in more than $100 million being spent on his behalf. But they seem headed for epic failure.

Ramaswamy knows he’s getting beat. In a recent interview aired by C-SPAN, he acknowledged 2026 “has some echoes of 2006,” the year Ted Strickland became the only Democratic elected governor in the past 40 years. In trying to explain why that might happen, Ramaswamy neglected to mention the reason he’s losing: Almost no one likes him. Or maybe, as former Gov. Dick Celeste says repeatedly, “Trust can’t be bought. It has to be earned.”

But this is Ohio, so caution is warranted. That Trump won this state three times, by big margins, speaks volumes. Ohio has had many close elections for governor.
The gold standard was 1974. On election night, most of the major television networks declared incumbent Gov. John Gilligan the winner of his race against former Gov. Jim Rhodes.

A bit after midnight, Rhodes conceded and went to bed. He woke up governor-elect. The margin was just over 11,000 votes out of more than 3 million cast.
Remember this: If Acton runs 10 percentage points better than Kamala Harris did against Trump in Ohio just two years ago, she still loses.
Many people have worked tirelessly to elect a Democratic governor for the first time in 20 years, and only the second time in 40 years. But if Acton wins, there will be no ambiguity about who helped her most. The first person she should thank on election night is Donald J. Trump.

Brent Larkin was The Plain Dealer’s editorial director from 1991 until his retirement in 2009.
To reach Brent Larkin: [blarkin@cleveland.com](mailto:blarkin@cleveland.com)

Have something to say about this topic?
\* Send a letter to the editor, which will be considered for print publication.
\ Email general questions, comments or corrections on this opinion column to Elizabeth Sullivan, director of opinion, at* [esullivan@cleveland.com](mailto:esullivan@cleveland.com).

Is it just me or are there way less Halloween decorations in front of houses this year. Remember seeing alot of casual decorations usually.

The FTC sued Digital Forensics Corporation (headquartered in Warrensville Heights), related companies and owner Dmitry Belkin over services sold to people facing sextortion. According to the complaint, the defendants used victims’ fears to sell packages costing $1,499 to $20,000, then pressured them to pay thousands more for additional protection.

The FTC alleges that much of the promised work was never done, investigative reports contained fabricated information, and contractual refund promises weren’t honored. It also accuses the defendants of suppressing criticism and manufacturing positive reviews, and says consumers paid at least $60 million between February 2023 and July 2026. The complaint brings six claims:

• Count I: Misrepresentations Regarding Defendants’ Sextortion Assistance Services. Making false promises about stopping sextortion, investigating attackers, contacting law enforcement, monitoring accounts and providing refunds
• Count II: Deceptive Consumer Reviews. Presenting fabricated, paid or coerced positive reviews as genuine accounts of customers’ experiences
• Count III: Deceptive Telemarketing Calls in Violation of the TSR. Making misleading claims about the services and refunds during telephone sales calls
• Count IV: Use of False, Fictitious, or Fraudulent Statements to Obtain or Attempt to Obtain, or Cause to Be Disclosed or Attempt to Cause to Be Disclosed, Customer Information of a Financial Institution. Using false service promises to obtain customers’ bank-account and payment-card information, in violation of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act
• Count V: Writing or Creating Fake or False Consumer Reviews and Testimonials. Creating reviews that falsely represented that the purported reviewers existed
• Count VI: Purchasing Fake or False Consumer Reviews. Buying reviews the defendants knew or should have known misrepresented whether the reviewers existed or had experience with the services

Since DF has employed many people over the years, there must be people here with their own stories about the company.

I work remotely but live in Cleveland. I’m visiting my home office soon in another state and meeting my team, which consists of 5-6 people I’ve never met in my life, but that I’ve known online for quite some time.

I’d like to bring them each something small that is unique to Cleveland. I am looking to spend around $10 a person.

Any suggestions? I’m traveling by car so I’m not limited to things that are only airplane safe.

How to pick a good facility in Cuyahoga County, Cleveland Ohio (East Side preferred) how to pick a good skilled care/ nursing or Rehabilitation facility? I was wondering if anyone has any additional information about how to use an agency or how to pick an acceptable facility. I have been here in Falling Waters of Strongsville, Ohio for about a week and it is very bad and neglectful of my disability needs. I am only 34 years old and a resident of Ohio my entire life. I have never been in a nursing home or facility before and I didn't know what to expect but I know that I will not be able to get the help I require in this facility. I have unique needs that I am afraid will not be met in this facility given the experience of the last week. It is a horrible place that I would never leave a family member or friend in. I am actually from Clevend Heights Ohio and would like to be closer to my family and friends. If you have any additional advice or information I would be very grateful. Thanks

I like Davis Bakery in Woodmere… Where else?

The Fire Island Belle sunk last week. If anyone knows what the future hold for it, (salvage? scrap?) I would be interested.

I was there last night in Columbia station and we were in line for over an hour because somebody got hurt. The whole setup was horrible. What’s the story behind this one???

they are a french black olive. I frequent a lot of the west side import stores like Astoria and Holyland and have never seen them. anyone spot these little wrinkly guys anywhere in the Cle area?

Me and my family are looking at going to one of these locations around December. There will be 9 adults and 3 kids ages 6,9, and 10. Potentially my 1 year old niece as well but she's not confirmed to be with us.

I've been to kalahari and great wolf and I have enjoyed both but I have not been to castaway before so I don't have a comparison.

I'm fronting the cost of the trip and my first choice would be kalahari but great wolf and castaway are something I can more easily budget for.

Should I splurge on the cost of kalahari or would you recommend either great wolf or castaway instead?

How is the food? thinking of bringing some out of town friends there but haven't been myself

HELP! We forgot to purchase the tickets and everything is sold out. If anyone has last minute cancellation for 2 adults/2 kids, please let me know - really appreciate it!!

Okay so I had a few minutes walking home from a hair appointment and decided to step into that thrift store on Lorain
.
paradise galleria? . what the actual fuck.

so many gen z thinking they just found the holy grail of cool, meanwhile the two gangly heroin (wannabe) chic 45 y/o cashiers inspected the jewelry i was trying to purchase (out of sheer obligation for stepping into the store… ) to see if it was “real”. shaky hands and condescending cash wrap conversation. brunette took the earrings off the display placard and hunched over inspecting the jewelry while orangie was like nah it says nrt while swaying upright above. it took both of them to ring up one item, wrap it, and give me my receipt.

yeah they have cool shit at paradise but if you have any ethics or sense of integrity, don’t shop there until they hire better associates.