Hannah Petrakis

World Correspondent, The Continental Times

Hannah covers world for The Continental Times and has reported from more than a dozen countries.

Cleveland Turns Its Empty Office Towers Into Apartments, and a Downtown Fills Back Up

With 12 conversions complete and nine more under way, the Ohio city has become an unlikely model for how American downtowns can survive the collapse of the five-day office week.

Oct. 8, 2026 6 MIN READ

Office towers along Euclid Avenue in downtown Cleveland, several of which have been converted into apartments since 2023.

In the Corn Belt, a Rush to Crush Soybeans Reshapes the Farm Economy

Seven new processing plants have opened across the Midwest since 2023 to feed demand for renewable diesel, lifting local prices for beans while leaving farmers exposed if the fuel market turns.

Oct. 8, 2026 6 MIN READ

A combine harvests soybeans near Sidney, Ohio, where a crushing plant that opened last year now takes in 40 million bushels annually.