Gov. Mike DeWine took executive action this week to temporarily ban the sale of "intoxicating hemp" products in the state. DeWine said the products represent a consumer product emergency. The order bans the sale of unregulated products that contain THC derived from hemp including candies and drinks. THC is the psychoactive compound found in the cannabis family of plants. DeWine's executive order is for 90 days.

We will begin the “Sound of Ideas Reporters Roundtable” with the governor’s executive action.

The Ohio House this week passed -- with some support from Democrats -- two bills that proponents say will give property owners some tax relief. The two bills, which the Senate now takes up, make changes to how property taxes are determined and how schools and other local entities collect the money raised from levies.

Eleven protesters have paid nearly $400,000 in restitution in a pretrial diversion program that, if all stipulations are met, will null charges they incurred while protesting the war in Gaza at Case Western Reserve University last year. The protesters, ages 20 to 25, splashed red paint on buildings and sidewalks.

They were charged with breaking and entering, possessing criminal tools and vandalism. They spoke publicly last weekend, saying the university is making an example of them in order to quash pro-Palestinian protests.

Early voting is underway for the November election. And in addition to levies and mayoral an council races, there is a robustly contested battle for four open seats on the Akron Board of Education.

Eight candidates meet this week for a debate sponsored by the Akron Press Club in partnership with Ideastream Public Media, the Akron Beacon Journal and Signal Akron. Our Anna Huntsman was one of the journalists posing questions to the candidates.

People are packing independent music venues. That's a good thing. But the venues aren't turning a profit. That's troubling. So says a new report from the National Independent Venue Association on the impact of small music clubs on the state's economy, which estimates the more than 300 clubs made $3 billion last year.

Students, alumni and supporters of student-run WCSB college radio at Cleveland State University held a protest this week after the university announced an agreement with Ideastream Public Media to switch to an all-Jazz format programmed by Ideastream.