Cincinnati Edition

On Friday the Food and Drug Administration launched its first hearing on Cannabidiol (CBD) products. CBD has become widely available in smoke shops and health food stores in tinctures, creams, seltzers and other products. The acting head of the FDA questioned how much CBD is safe to consume among other questions. The products have been purported to treat a number of ailments from inflammation to anxiety and insomnia. But what does the science tell us about CBD's effects on the brain and body?

Music producer Kick Lee has an ambitious goal; to put an end to starving artists. As a composer he's worked on the sound design team for X-Men: Apocalypse and he's created music for brands including Lexus but he also knows what it's like to struggle just to get paid for your work.

So far, the National Weather Service has confirmed at least 17 tornadoes touched downed in Ohio Monday night. Dayton, Brookville, Trotwood, Celina and other areas suffered severe damage.

President Donald Trump, who will make a state visit to the United Kingdom next week, is taking heat from comments he made during his recent trip to Japan. Trump said he wasn't concerned about North Korea's latest missile launch, and he agreed with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's remark that former Vice President Joe Biden was a "low IQ individual."

Multiple schools in Northern Kentucky were singled out under new guidelines that debuted this academic year within the Kentucky Department of Education . Known as "comprehensive support and improvement," or "CSI" schools, one of three ways that an institution can land on this list is by being among the lowest 5% of Title I or non-Title I schools in the state. Schools in Newport Independent, Covington Independent, Silver Grove Independent, and Boone County received such designations.

In 2017 Kroger closed its grocery in Walnut Hills, placing the neighborhood among several communities in the city considered food deserts, areas without access to fresh, healthy food for miles. The Walnut Hills Redevelopment Foundation took ownership of the former Kroger building but realized it wasn't viable to get another large grocery retailer into the location. The Foundation is now planning to use grant money to launch a grocery store in a location to be determined.

Ahead of Memorial Day, Ohio Senators Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman joined in introducing legislation to honor veterans. The Fallen Warrior Battlefield Cross Memorial Act responds to a 2016 incident at the Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery where administrators removed a Battlefield Cross replica from the cemetery. The legislation would ensure that veterans are not denied the Battlefield Cross at their graveside.

While Cincinnati is well-known for its German heritage, a large number of Italians immigrated to our region in the late 1800s and throughout the 1900s and also helped shape our customs and culture. And that extends beyond your favorite three, or four, Italian restaurants.

Earlier this year, University of Cincinnati Foundation Trustee Eric Broyles gave the school the largest gift in its history – $1 million. The donation supports the Eric C. Broyles Student Success Scholarship Fund, founded in 2017 to support students pursuing a bachelor's degree at UC Blue Ash .

During Northern Kentucky University's convocation this January, NKU President Ashish Vaidya showed the feature-length documentary Unlikely . Directed by Three Frame Media Owners Jaye and Adam Fenderson, the film investigates the college dropout crisis and the systemic barriers students face in their pursuit of an education and livable-wage career.