📰 A 9-pound punk bible?

Good morning, Cleveland! This is The 216 Scoop: Today we’re mapping the best spots to watch the World Cup without being the only person emotionally invested in stoppage time ⚽🍻📺

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John Petkovic & Jude Perez

It wasn’t just the 105-degree heat that reminded him. It was the books – 1,200 of them, nine pounds each, packed into 105 boxes that he loaded onto a U-Haul truck.

“I always bite off more than I can chew,” says Mike Shea, whose new book company Ruffian has just released an epic 528-page tome that documents the rise of punk rock.

“It was rewritten three times over 18 months, and consumed my life,” says Shea. “I just want a book that leaves a mark on people.”

Lofty goals, but Shea has shown that anything is possible if you’re committed.

He was 19 in 1985 when he vowed to pursue writing, once his severely weakened arm recovered after a bout with mono.

He hit the ground, er, clubs running -- with 1,000 copies of his photocopied fanzine, ‘Alternative Press.’

It grew far beyond the scene, and became America’s second-biggest music magazine.

‘AP’ played a key role in Warped Tour, hosted awards ceremonies at Rocket Arena, was the subject of a Rock Hall exhibition – all while staying locally-owned.

“The industry changed, I was burned out, and sold it in 2020,” says Shea. “Friends suggested I get into real estate. Not me. I’ve always loved books and saw this revival in sales and stores.”

Last year, Ruffian released ‘500 Essential Pop-Punk Albums.’

The opus -- Anarchy In The Studio: Punk Music 1970-1979, The Rise of Punk Rock by Austin, Tx.-based author Tim Stegall – reconnects Shea to the early days of AP.

“We did so much research, from ‘60s bands that inspired punk to scenes all around the world,” he says. “I feel like I’ve come full circle.”

“I was this 19-year-old kid from the suburbs learning about the scene,” he adds. “And I’ve come to realize how much Cleveland influenced this movement that reached the world.”

Blocks of Detroit Avenue in Cleveland looked like an urban ghost town at 10 p.m. Friday – shuttered and illuminated only by passing cars.

More than 11,200 Cuyahoga County residents and over 70,000 FirstEnergy users lost power amid one of the worst heatwaves in years. Several apartment blocks endured triple-digit heat without electricity.

No surprise.

Outdated grids, whose infrastructures date back a century, are hitting critical levels amid peak air conditioning usage and the exponential rise of AI.

PJM Interconnection – which serves 67 customers in Ohio and 12 other states -- operates with razor-thin margins.

Demand triggered critical levels of163 gigawatts (just shy of the all-time record of 165.6 GW).

AI and data centers will add tens of gigawatts in PJM territory over the next decade.

In response, FirstEnergy asked Ohio to relax reliability standards for its three utilities. The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio denied the request, in a win for customers.

But that doesn’t solve the problem.

AI accounts for 5% of total power demand, will double by 2028 and triple in five years.

Which is why PJM requested emergency authorization to make data centers and other major customers switch to backup generation during the heat wave.

Housing should be heating up this time of year.

Instead, prices keep dropping – 2.5% in June, the biggest year-over-year decline since 2017.

They’ve fallen for eight straight months amid mortgage-rate swings, fading demand and fears about the economy.

A Gallup poll shows that the share of U.S. non-homeowners who expect to buy a home within five years has dropped to 25%, the lowest number since  2013.

But nothing is straightforward…

Declines in high-flying markets on the West Coast, Sun Belt and Florida – as much as 10%  – have driven buyers to the Midwest.

Yet again, Cleveland keeps on chugging as speculative bubbles deflate around the country – with year-over-year gains, lower levels of inventories and an image as a refuge of affordability.

Of the top cities people are leaving for Cleveland, eight are among the country’s most expensive markets: Los Angeles, NYC, San Francisco, Chicago, D.C., Seattle, San Diego, Boston.

The Round of 16 is rolling. Monday it’s Spain vs. Portugal (3 p.m.) and USA vs Belgium (8 p.m.). Tuesday brings Argentina vs. Egypt (noon) and Switzerland vs. Columbia (4 p.m.)

These five soccer-crazy spots hit the spot:  

Old Angle: The Ohio City spot is one of the top Premier League soccer bars in America and will be packed with gonzo fans throughout the World Cup.

Merry Arts:  The Lakewood bar is a magnet for Aresnal F.C. fans and will host parties.

Iggy’s: The regular congregating spot of the Cleveland branch of American Outlaws soccer fans will be lure soccer crazies to Lakewood.

Tapatias Taqueria: The old-school, West Side Mexican spot rolls out stellar tacos and a colorful soccer-fan experience.

Parnell's: Both the Playhouse Square and Cleveland Heights locations are ground zero for Guinness drinkers with a football fetish.

👉 View Listing on Zillow

Amid sizzling grease, open flames and culinary decadence, a Cleveland empire was built by a Romanburger.

It was 1965 when Robert  Coulson, a young former Air Force pilot, opened his first Mr. Hero’s sub shop on the West Side.

With his mom at his side, he embarked on a more-is-more concept and a jingle:  “You’ve got to open up your mouth a little bit wider to get a Mr. Hero sandwich inside ya.”

Enter the Romanburger – the hearty gut-buster that embodies “Classic Cleveland Cuisine.”

Like the Polish Boy and other local favorites, it re-mixes familiar American and Old-World elements into something entirely new and unmistakably local.

In this case: grilled burger patties, with salami, Italian luncheon meats, Swiss-American cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo, and a house "sub sauce" on an Orlando roll. Debut price: $1.45.

Cleveland cuisine flourishes in the winter and again when its picnic and grilling time.

The Romanburger is a year-round staple that has expanded Mr. Hero’s empire to 100+ locations in Ohio.

It’s also inspired several variations -- including one by Michael Symon, who’s called it a cure for hangovers, a Cleveland classic and a symbol of our inventive, no-nonsense food culture.

Edgewater Beach, 1980. The land for Edgewater Park was purchased by the City of Cleveland in 1894 and it has been recreation spot for Clevelanders since 1895.

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77 °F 🌡️ 71 °F | ⛈️➡️⛅ (AM Thunderstorms) | 43% | 💨 ↑ ≈ 16 mph NE (≈ 14 knots)

76 °F 🌡️ 70 °F | ☁️➡️☀️ (AM Clouds, PM Sun) | 24% | 💨 ↑ ≈ 14 mph NNE (≈ 12 knots)

82 °F 🌡️ 71 °F | ☀️ (Mostly Sunny) | 10% | 💨 ↑ ≈ 8 mph N (≈ 7 knots)

_{Please note that weather conditions can change rapidly. For the most up-to-date information, consider checking a reliable local weather service.}

Away vs. Pacers, 4:30 PM July 10 (Friday) — NBA Summer League

Away vs. Pistons, 4 PM July 12 (Sunday) — NBA Summer League

Away vs. Twins, 7:40 PM July 7 (Tuesday)

Away vs. Twins, 7:40 PM July 8 (Wednesday)

Away vs. Twins, 1:40 PM July 9 (Thursday)

Away vs. Marlins, 7:10 PM July 10 (Friday)

Away vs. Marlins, 4:10 PM July 11 (Saturday)

Away vs. Marlins, 1:40 PM July 12 (Sunday)

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