Ohio Players Head to World Cup

The 2026 FIFA World Cup kicks off today, and Ohio’s two top-flight professional soccer clubs are sending three players to compete on the sport’s grandest stage.

Columbus Crew defender Max Arfsten earned a spot on the U.S. men’s national team’s 26-man roster, as did FC Cincinnati defender Miles Robinson, who famously buried the Americans’ 117th-minute game-winner against Mexico in the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup final.

Columbus native Sebastian Berhalter, son of former Crew and USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter, also earned a selection to the U.S. roster. Beyond the American squad, Crew defender Steven Moreira was named to Cape Verde’s roster for the island nation’s first World Cup appearance.

The Americans open their home-soil campaign Friday night against Paraguay in Inglewood, California, while Cape Verde hits the pitch Monday in Atlanta as a massive underdog against powerhouse Spain. You can view the complete schedule here.

Heat Wave Hits Ohio This Week

Sweltering heat and oppressive humidity have gripped Ohio this week, accompanied by a severe storm threat that began Wednesday and continues today into Friday.

Forecasters expected heat index values to approach 100 degrees yesterday and today across much of Ohio, stretching from Cincinnati in the southwest to Akron in the northeast.

Severe storms could erupt as a cold front pushes through Ohio Thursday night into Friday, carrying the potential for damaging wind gusts. A second front is expected Saturday, delivering additional rain across the state over the weekend.

Cincinnati Ranks No. 2 for Staycations

Cincinnati ranks as the second-best city in America for a staycation, according to a new WalletHub study released this week.

The study compared more than 180 cities nationwide across 41 metrics, weighing factors such as parks per capita, restaurant affordability, outdoor activities, and entertainment options.

Cincinnati earned especially high marks for its abundance of outdoor amenities—including swimming pools, baseball fields, and park access—making the Queen City an ideal place for families to enjoy summer without spending their vacation dollars elsewhere.

Columbus also made the WalletHub list at No. 59, followed by Cleveland at No. 62, Akron at No. 82, and Toledo at No. 117. See the complete ranking here.

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➤ Statewide: The Ohio House passed a bill requiring schools to provide targeted reading and math interventions for struggling students and allowing those who excel at math to take more advanced coursework. (More)

➤ Statewide: A new Ohio Chamber Research Foundation study found the state’s water resources can handle near-term data center growth, as groups raise environmental concerns about such developments. (More)

➤ Cincinnati: Weekend closures are coming to Interstate 71 and Interstate 471 as crews build a new pedestrian bridge spanning I-71, I-471, and Gilbert Avenue. The project is scheduled for completion this fall. (More)

➤ Columbus: The popular climbing wall at Scioto Audubon Metro Park—one of the nation’s largest outdoor climbing walls—has closed temporarily for repairs, with no estimated reopening date. (More)

➤ Rocky River: A long-awaited dredging project is underway at Rocky River Harbor, where crews are clearing years of accumulated sediment to improve navigation and safety for boaters. (More)

➤ Central Ohio: Two locally owned Bricks & Minifigs locations have received hateful comments and phone calls over an unrelated controversy involving a dispute at an Oregon store over a large Lego Star Wars collection. (More)

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➤ The Big Ten Conference is discussing a possible league-wide ban on scheduling Texas Tech in the wake of a ruling restoring the eligibility of Texas Tech’s Brendan Sorsby, the former Indiana and Cincinnati quarterback whom the NCAA had ruled ineligible after he admitted to betting on his own team while at Indiana. (More)

➤ The Vlasic Classic brings professional pickleball to Cincinnati’s newly revitalized Sawyer Point courts this week, with pros and amateurs competing for a share of a $125,000 prize pool at one of the marquee stops on the pro pickleball calendar. (Details)

➤ The Dayton Dragons and Day Air Credit Union have extended their ballpark naming rights agreement through 2040, securing the Day Air Ballpark name for more than a decade to come. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NBA | MLB | Soccer | WNBA

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➤ JobsOhio announced a $300 million, decade-long workforce initiative at the Rockefeller Foundation’s Big Bets for America conference in Cleveland—an effort aimed at training thousands of Ohioans and connecting them with employers. (More)

➤ Cincinnati-based Kroger faces “difficult decisions” ahead, analysts say, as the grocery giant navigates leadership gaps and strategic uncertainty following a turbulent stretch. (More)

➤ Mercedes-Benz is opening its first U.S. AMG Brand Center in Sunbury on Monday, June 15, bringing an exclusive showroom dedicated to the automaker’s high-performance AMG lineup to central Ohio. (More)

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➤ Cedar Point topped a new national ranking of America’s best amusement parks for thrill-seekers, with its 18 coasters earning a near-perfect daredevil score. Kings Island in Mason came in third. (See Ranking)

➤ Lake Erie has the largest snake population of any Ohio waterway, hosting the Lake Erie watersnake, garter snakes, foxsnakes, and rare massasauga rattlesnakes. The Ohio River, Grand Lake St. Marys, Mosquito Creek Lake, and Alum Creek Lake rounded out the top five. (See List)

➤ LeBron James, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Myles Garrett, and Stephen Curry were among those with Ohio ties named to Time’s list of the 100 Most Influential People in Sports. (See List)

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Are you planning to watch the FIFA World Cup?

1. Yes
   
2. Just the U.S.
   
3. Maybe
   
4. No

Yesterday’s Results:

Which Ohio fast-food restaurant nominated for a USA Today Readers’ Choice Award do you prefer?

1. Neither: 37%
2. Skyline Chili: 35%
3. Swensons: 28%

Which two teams did Johnny Vander Meer throw his consecutive no-hitters against?

Show me the answer