Indiana News
Around the Corn
The Indiana Public Retirement System is divesting from almost $170M worth of holdings in Hong Kong, “following recent clarification” of 2023 Senate Act 268, which mandated divestment from Chinese companies.
Avian flu has been detected at a commercial duck farm in Elkhart County, affecting over 3000 birds, marking the 10th bird flu case in the state over the last month.
Nuclear energy leaders gathered in West Lafayette on Wednesday at the Global Nuclear Energy Economic Summit at Purdue, where AES Indiana - one of the states’ “big five” electric utilities announced they would explore small modular reactors at two of their existing power plants.
Along similar lines, First American Nuclear (FANCO) announced Tuesday that the company intends to establish its company headquarters, manufacturing facilities, and an energy park designed to be the first operating on a ‘closed fuel cycle’ here in Indiana. They did not disclose where in the state this facility will be located.
This week, the Indiana Capital Chronicle covered the results of a survey sent out earlier this year to over 500 judicial officers across the state. It found that Indiana’s trial courts use “largely individually set, unwritten methodologies” to determine indigency - that is, whether the accused are able to afford an attorney before the appointment of a public defender.
In local elections, six Indiana communities held school tax referenda on Tuesday, with five of the six passing. Voters in Avon, Cannelton, Duneland School Corporation, Hanover, and Lake Central districts approved of the ballot measures, renewing previous levies. Northwest Allen Community Schools, seeking a new referendum, was denied.
Indianapolis-based pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly & Company announced an agreement with the Trump administration - in a joint Oval Office announcement with Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk - to cap the prices of popular weightloss medications Zepbound and Wegovy. Additionally, the GLP-1 drugs will be made available to patients on Medicare and Medicaid.
Redistricting
Last week Governor Mike Braun called for a special session of the Indiana General Assembly to consider redrawing the state’s congressional maps as a part of the President’s efforts to gerrymander Republicans into a permanent majority beginning with next year’s midterm elections. Monday, on the day the governor had eyed for the beginning of the session, members of the Black legislative caucus rallied in the statehouse to protest the move. Hoosier GOP leaders - reportedly still lacking the votes to ram through the maps - kicked the beginning of the special session into early December, with legislators also set to consider tweaks to the tax code.
Meanwhile, in a survey conducted by pollster Christine Mathews for Indiana Conservation Voters, a majority of Hoosiers said they didn’t want redistricting, with 45% of voters strongly opposed. Only 39% of respondents supported the effort, with only 23% strongly supporting the mid-decade gerrymander.
Rokita Calls for Trump to Invade Indy
On Tuesday, after a weekend that saw 10 people shot across multiple incidents in the Circle City, Attorney General Todd Rokita called for President Donald Trump to invade Indianapolis with National Guard troops. Rokita begged for the gross overreaction on a Twitter post by Indy FOP President Rick Snyder, a man who truly embodies the phrase, “when all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” The Trump regime has previously sent the Guard into Los Angeles, Washington, Chicago, and Memphis, threatening Portland with the same (stick a pin in that).
Mayor Joe Hogsett’s office issued the following statement in response: “Armed troops on our streets would not make Indianapolis a safer city. And I, as Mayor, discourage any request for such an intervention. Improving public safety requires listening to communities and building trust.
At a time when over 100,000 Indianapolis residents are facing food insecurity, when the cost of goods and services residents rely on is skyrocketing, when families are making difficult decisions regarding paying bills or buying their child a toy for the holidays, we are not looking for “support” in the form of armed troops in our neighborhoods.
To further our progress in reducing gun violence, what Indianapolis needs is gun laws that make it harder for young people to obtain firearms, police with greater authority to hold problem bars accountable, and for individuals to stop turning to guns to resolve conflict.
The City of Indianapolis remains focused on our gun violence reduction strategy, which has driven significant reductions in criminal homicides and non-fatal shootings in our community since 2022.”
Controversy continues to roil LG’s office
Erin Sheridan, a former senior advisor to Lieutenant Governor Micah Beckwith, recently sat down with The Indiana Citizen for nearly six hours of interviews, and details from those sessions were published this week. Sheridan, a longtime Republican apparatchik who has worked in state government under multiple administrations, described a “frat house” environment inside the Christian nationalist pastor-turned-politico’s office.
She described a February incident, just weeks into the new LG’s tenure, when Beckwith was issued a written reprimand by State Senate Leader Rod Bray for posting on social media during session, as well as recording everything and everyone without their consent through AI smart glasses.
She chronicled Beckwith’s flippant disregard for public records laws, the way he conducted official business in a meme-saturated group chat with his closest advisers.
Sheridan also provided details around an April incident where the lieutenant governor’s ethics officer and legal counsel showed her a topless deepfake video of one Republican state rep’s wife.
That video, along with allegations of “ghost employment” - that is, staff paid for work not performed or paid state money for private projects - have led to the Marion County Prosecutor opening a grand jury investigation into the LG’s office, which we learned about last week. And Beckwith’s big yap may have gotten him into even deeper legal waters. IndyPolitcs’ Abdul-Hakim Shabazz writes,
When Lieutenant Governor Micah Beckwith called into Fort Wayne’s WOWO intending to put out a political fire, he instead tossed a lit match into a dry field. What started as a defensive rant quickly became a public admission, an unverified relaying of grand-jury testimony, and a guided tour through every legal tripwire a state official could step on.
Beckwith told WOWO that a “Soros-funded, rogue, leftist prosecutor” in Marion County had convened a grand jury probing his office—then proceeded to describe what a staffer told him about that very grand-jury interview
That’s the part that should make every attorney in Indiana wince. Grand-jury proceedings are supposed to be secret for a reason: to protect witnesses, the accused, and the integrity of the investigation. Under Indiana Code 35-34-2-10, anyone involved in the process—including prosecutors, grand jurors, interpreters, and court reporters—is legally bound to keep it confidential. Witnesses aren’t gagged by law, but when the target of that same grand jury goes on the radio and recounts what a witness told him, he’s not just pushing the ethical line—he’s dancing on it in cleats.
Beckwith’s public retelling could raise real questions of obstruction and witness intimidation. When the person under scrutiny publicly names the witness (or even hints at who they are), comments on what they said, and paints the investigation as politically motivated, it can chill other witnesses from cooperating. Prosecutors tend to take a dim view of that. And so do judges.
Then there’s the “leak” admission. Beckwith said on air: “You’re not supposed to know that there’s a grand-jury investigation going on… but it leaked right before we go into the redistricting fight.” That statement alone is remarkable—a sitting lieutenant governor confirming that a confidential criminal proceeding exists and speculating publicly about its timing and motives. If the leak originated anywhere near his circle, he may have just handed investigators probable cause to widen their scope.
Beckwith also suggested that the staffer who spoke to the grand jury—the employee he referenced on air—was someone he’d already let go. Local sources identify that former senior advisor as Erin Sheridan. Beckwith described the allegation against the office as riddled with holes: the accuser “can’t remember whose phone it was” or “who all were there,” he said, and insisted his staff had been vetted to “live above reproach.” But in saying so, he effectively connected Sheridan to a sealed proceeding—something prosecutors can and will note when reviewing whether grand-jury secrecy was compromised.
It gets worse. Beckwith accused Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears of being “Soros-funded,” which is demonstrably false. No record exists—state, federal, or otherwise—showing Mears has ever received funding or support from George Soros or any affiliated PAC. That’s not a defense tactic; it’s a smear. And when a constitutional officer spreads knowingly false claims about a sitting prosecutor during an active investigation, it blurs the line between protected political speech and actionable defamation per se.
What Beckwith omitted is that Mears has full jurisdiction to investigate. Marion County encompasses the Statehouse and all state government offices located in Indianapolis. If alleged misconduct occurs there, Mears is the one with the badge and the authority to act. Moreover, by convening a grand jury, Mears actually reduces the appearance of prosecutorial bias. The decision to indict or not rests with a panel of citizens, not the prosecutor alone. It’s an imperfect safeguard, but a safeguard nonetheless.
And then there’s the time-card issue. Beckwith volunteered that the grand jury asked questions about timekeeping in his office—what prosecutors call potential ghost employment. “They were just fishing so hard to find something that they could set us to the wall with,” he said. “Have you ever lied on your time card? … What about other people in the office?” In trying to downplay the inquiry, he effectively confirmed that investigators are examining whether taxpayer-funded time was properly reported. That’s not political—it’s criminal if proven true.
And in more Beckwith-adjacent news, on Thursday Tom LoBianco at 24sight News published an interview with a woman who described a 2016 incident where Life Church lead pastor Nathan Peternel pressured the then 17-year old and her fiance to “discuss in detail how they had sex, what they enjoyed and asked about their specific body parts” in a “counseling” session. Peternel, then a 39 year old father of two, is now the closest friend, confidant, and podcast co-host to the Lieutenant Governor. Jonathan Peternel, Nathan’s 24 year old son, was recently arrested on four felony charges of owning and distributing child sex abuse material. He was also found to have more than 50 videos and pictures of Peternel and his wife, Christina, either naked or having sex, according to court records.
Whitestown: Homeowner shoots cleaning lady through door
Wednesday, police in Whitestown responded to a 911 call about a suspected home invasion at The Heritage subdivision in Whitestown (and for the record, that just sounds like a place that’s hostile to anyone half a shade darker than ivory) where they found Maria Florinda Rios Perez, 32, dead from a gunshot wound. The cleaning lady and her husband were attempting to enter the home for their job when a person inside shot the mother of four through the door. Apparently the couple had the wrong address, though the husband - who could do nothing but comfort his dying wife as she bled out - insisted they were at the right house. Police have yet to press charges or release the name of the shooter, but they have been active in tamping down online rumors that the homeowner is a local police officer.
US/World News - HooCares?
HooCares - Quick Headlines
Wednesday, a report from payroll processing firm ADP showed the economy added 42,000 private sector jobs in October - following a loss of jobs in September and expectations for more modest growth. A deeper look at the report showed all of the gains coming from large companies, with small businesses shedding jobs - a potential warning sign as smaller firms are responsible for three of every four jobs. The next day, a different report showed the economy lost jobs in October, with government and retail shedding the most jobs. The ongoing shutdown has delayed important jobs numbers from the federal government, but one thing we do have to go on is announced layoffs, which jumped 37% last month.
President Trump hosted the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan at the White House on Thursday in an effort to find non-Chinese sources of valuable rare earth minerals.
The same day, at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue, “Senate Republicans blocked a war powers resolution aimed at preventing President Trump from conducting strikes against Venezuela.” The vote failed 49-51, with Rand Paul and Lisa Murkowski joining every Democrat in opposition. In addition to the illegal, extrajudicial terror strikes being conducted on alleged drug boats in the Caribbean, the US military is also building up forces off the coast of Venezuela sufficient to strike inside the oil-rich country. Virginia Senator Tim Kaine sponsored the resolution.
On Friday, students, faculty, and staff at more than 100 college campuses staged a mass walk-out, rallying against the Trump administration’s attacks on higher education.
Also Friday, a federal judge smacked down the regime’s plan to deploy National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon, granting the city and state a permanent injunction against the feds. Karin Immergut, a Trump appointee, allowed Trump to keep the Guard federalized, but found that the administration violated the 10th amendment to the Constitution, stating that facts on the ground did not warrant the deployment.
And finally Friday, Sean Dunn - a former DOJ employee who was arrested for throwing a sub sandwich at an ICE agent during Trump’s law enforcement surge in the nation’s capital - was found NOT GUILTY of misdemeanor assault. Originally, US Attorney Jeanine “Slap the Bag” Pirro sought a felony, but a grand jury declined the charges. The vindictive former Fox News personality pressed forward with the lesser charges, which Dunn beat in this ruling.
The former Vice President - nominally second in command to George W Bush, but widely regarded as the brains behind the previous worst presidency in American history - died Monday from complications of pneumonia, cardiac, and vascular disease. He was 84 years old.
Cheney, who led the charge to invade Iraq on false pretenses, was reviled by much of the country, who saw the oilman and defense contractor profit wildly from the illegal war.
In later life, Cheney, who had also served as Secretary of Defense under the elder President Bush, was a staunch critic of Donald Trump’s authoritarian and anti-democratic impulses. Though it should be noted that Cheney brought the Unitary Executive Theory - the legal concept that the President has complete, direct control over the entirety of the executive branch - into the popular consciousness. It is this very doctrine that Trump has used to expand his power beyond modern constitutional limits.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced this week that she will not seek reelection. Pelosi, 85, was the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House and served as leader of the Democratic caucus in the lower chamber for 20 years. First elected to represent her San Francisco district in 1987, she ascended to the speaker’s chair following the blue wave election of 2006. She held the gavel for four years before Republicans retook Congress, assuming the position again in 2019 after another Democratic wave.
An effective vote-counter and caucus-wrangler, Pelosi is credited with delivering the passage of the Affordable Care Act during the Obama presidency, as well as infrastructure and climate legislation during the Biden administration.
Pelosi served as a useful target for Republican attacks during her tenure, but also drew criticism from the left flank of her own party for allegations of insider trading, anti-China warmongering, throwing progressives under the bus, and hanging on entirely too long.
Shutdown Becomes Longest Ever
This week, the federal government shutdown broke the record for longest ever. The previous record was set during Trump’s first administration. Wednesday, after a shellacking at the polls, the president admitted in a meeting with Senate Republicans that their party is being blamed. As such, he pushed for leadership in the upper chamber to eliminate the filibuster. He received support on this front from Indiana Senator Jim Banks, who went on Newsmax to argue for GOP maximalism on all matter of legislation.
Now, one of the casualties of this shutdown has been food aid, with the administration refusing to fund SNAP - the Supplemental Nutritional Aid Program - that is, food aid for children, elderly, and disabled Americans. Friday, the Supreme Court granted the regime’s emergency appeal to block a lower court order to fully fund the program. “A judge had given the Republican administration until Friday to make the payments through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. But the administration asked an appeals court to suspend any court orders requiring it to spend more money than is available in a contingency fund, and instead allow it to continue with planned partial SNAP payments for the month.
Indiana angles:
Indiana health agency plans furloughs because of federal shutdown
Indianapolis among 40 airports to be impacted by the FAA’s capacity cuts and flight cancellations
Tuesday’ Election Results - a big night for Democrats
“Abigail Spanberger will become the first woman to be Virginia’s governor, according to The Associated Press.
Spanberger’s victory comes alongside wins for the rest of the Democratic ticket: AP also said state Sen. Ghazala Hashmi (D–Chesterfield) won the lieutenant governor’s race, and former Del. Jay Jones (D–Norfolk) won the attorney general’s office. Speaker of the House Don Scott (D–Portsmouth) also appears to have grown his majority in the House of Delegates to one of the largest in decades.”
“In a contest that drew national attention as a gauge of the Trump administration and a possible preview of next year’s midterm elections, Sherrill, who maintained a slight lead in recent polls leading up to Election Day, was declared the winner by the Associated Press at 9:23 p.m. As of 9:33 p.m., Sherrill had 57.2% of the vote, while Ciattarelli had 42.5% of the vote, according to AP.”
“Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor of New York on Tuesday, capping a stunning ascent for the 34-year-old, far-left state lawmaker, who promised to transform city government to restore power to the working class and fight back against a hostile Trump administration.
In a victory for the Democratic party’s progressive wing, Mamdani defeated former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa. Mamdani must now navigate the unending demands of America’s biggest city and deliver on ambitious — skeptics say unrealistic — campaign promises.
With his commanding win, the democratic socialist will etch his place in history as the city’s first Muslim mayor, the first of South Asian heritage and the first born in Africa. He will also become New York’s youngest mayor in more than a century when he takes office on Jan. 1.”
“California voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved Gov. Gavin Newsom’s measure that allowed the state to redraw its congressional map in favor of Democrats, pushing back against President Donald Trump’s effort to hold onto a Republican-controlled Congress by urging redistricting in Texas.
Tuesday capped off a whirlwind, hyper-partisan two-and-a-half-month campaign for one of the most expensive ballot measures in state history. Supporters poured more than $120 million into Newsom’s committee supporting the measure. Opponents raised just $44 million. Outside groups spent $27 million to try to sway the vote.”
And more
Indiana angle: SndyeReport interview with Bayh/Donnelly
