December 28, 2017. Cleveland is in a deep freeze. It seems to have come about a month early this winter. The weather service forecasts the cold spell to run for at least another week. I am driving through icy, slushy streets. But it's mostly sunny, though by the rays of a low-arching winter sun. I see one car that looks like it has just been washed. The rest have a road salt glaze.

A Cleveland woman was nearly attacked because she refused to expose herself to prove she was not transgender.

The woman was talking with friends at a bar when a young lady walked up to her.

No, I am not sure. They say you are a man.

--the young lady

The stranger asked the woman to reveal her genitals.

In a concert at the riverside pavilion in Cleveland last week, Paul Simon gave the crowd a tour-de-force -- and a sermonette.

The tour-de-force was made up of a strong choice of songs from Simon's 53-year-long career. Five Simon and Garfunkel songs, five songs from the lush "Graceland" album, a couple from last year's "Stranger to Stranger," and 13 more carried the crowd through a 2 hour and 10 minute musical trip. Throughout, Simon hit the right notes, while his band put out striking strong rhythms and soaring psychedelic sounds.

The sermonette came just before the last song:

I feel a little bit funny about saying these things, but I'm giving, I'm allowing myself the privilege of it due to my advanced age. For years it is my observation: Anger is addictive. And we are becoming a nation of addicts. Ask yourself, "Who are the dealers? Who are the pushers? Where, where is that anger coming from?" And be aware of -- when you hear it, when you see it -- be aware of its source. It's not, it's not that we aren't gonna have reasons to be angry. Of course we do. But decision-making and best choices are made with a cool and a calm mind. And in a well-knit community, practice kindness.

Then he played, in acoustic solo, "The Sound of Silence."

Five days ago Brandi Bledsoe, a 32-year-old transgender woman, was found dead on a driveway in Cleveland in only her underwear with plastic bags over her head and hands.

The body was discovered by a 5-year-old boy who was out riding his bike with his 12-year-old brother.

Police have disclosed that Brandi suffered head trauma. They also initially misgendered the victim.

Her death is a suspected homicide, but the medical examiner has not offered an official ruling on how she died.

Investigators will take her transgender status into consideration in the investigation. The investigation is in its early stages and it's too early to determine of motive for Bledsoe's death.

--Cleveland police spokesman Jennifer Ciaccia

Around 8am Saturday morning the owner of Ecclesiastic Granite Fab discovered the body of Skye Mockabee in his parking lot in Cleveland's Puritas-Longmead neighborhood.

The 26-year-old Mockabee was declared dead at 8:30 after EMS, firefighters and police arrived at the scene. The police report said the body was lying face-down next to a tow truck with blood coming out of her mouth. The police report also described the victim as a man. On Monday the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office deadnamed Mockabee.

A ceremony was held today in the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center to announce the opening of the GIVE (Gender Identity Veteran Experience) clinic.

The clinic will have an initial enrollment of 20 transgender veterans, aged 21 to 75. GIVE will be open on a half day each month and will be supervised by Dr. Megan McNamara, who began working with trans veterans two years ago. Dr. McNamara is a primary care and women's health doctor. She will be the clinical lead physician. The treatment team will also include a nurse, a psychologist, and a social worker.

It felt like a good fit for me, professionally, and I felt that a lot of patients could use this service.

--Dr. McNamara