![Democrat Sen. Kamala Harris of California will speak at the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party this weekend after labor leaders called off a picket of the event. Here she speaks at rally in Los Angeles in June 2018. [Karl_Sonnenberg / Shutterstock.com]](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5e23cdd/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x2000+0+0/resize/840x560!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F4%2F25%2FKamalaHarrisSStock.jpg)
Good morning, iOpeners. It's Thursday, April 25, 2019.
There will be no picket line outside the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party's annual dinner in downtown Cleveland this weekend. Labor leaders called it off, saying they reached a deal with the county to preserve the jobs of county jail nurses as the jail transitions to letting MetroHealth manage inmate health services. The decision by Ohio Council 8 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees means the annual dinner's keynote speaker, Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, can attend. Her campaign had said she would not cross a picket line.
Jackson Administration officials say they plan to introduce new technology soon to help Cleveland police enter data on their interactions with civilians and bring the city closer to compliance with the reforms required under its consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice. During a hearing before Cleveland City Council’s Safety Committee, they cited signs of progress in meeting those reforms, including a 29 percent drop in reported uses of force by police in 2018 from the year before.
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose and state lawmakers are drafting legislation that would automate voter registration and keep that information up to date to avoid a voter getting purged from the rolls. LaRose wants to create an “opt-out” registration system. He also wants other state agencies to notify his office when a voter updates their mailing address.
The Cleveland Browns hold eight selections in the NFL Draft that gets underway tonight, but, unlike the last two drafts, they’ll have to sit tight until the second round. Their first crack at the Class of 2019 comes with the No. 49 overall pick, the 17 th choice in the second round. Pundits say the Browns are likely to add depth to the positions of cornerback and linebacker.
The Indians beat the Marlins, 6-2, splitting their two-game series with Miami. Jose Ramirez ended what has been a slow start to the season, hitting a solo homer and driving in four runs, including a two-run double in the eighth when the Indians broke open a tie game.
The Columbus Blue Jackets make their first appearance in a second round Stanley Cup playoff series tonight in game one of their Eastern Conference semifinal against the Boston Bruins. The game at TD Garden starts at 7 p.m.
Weather forecast: Cloudy with a 30 percent chance of scattered showers late afternoon. High 63. Tonight, more widespread rain likely, Low 49. More rain in store for Friday, when the high will be near 58.
