Aug 03, 2025
NATIONAL NUTCASERY
i disassociated for a week - news continued to occur
Trump’s former personal lawyer (and current deputy attorney general) met with Ghislane Maxwell over two days, and was then quietly moved to a minimum-security prison despite being a convicted sex offender. It’s highly unusual for the #2 guy at DOJ to personally visit a person of interest in prison.
Mike Johnson sent the House home early rather than vote to release the Epstein files, but a subcommittee remembered they could just subpoena the Department of Justice for the files. Three Republicans on the panel voted with Democrats for the subpoena, sending it through on an 8-2 vote tally.
Undocumented kids can no longer attend HeadStart, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting is signing off. The corporation doesn't produce programming, and it doesn't own, operate, or control any public broadcasting stations.
There’s going to be a new Golden Ballroom at the White House? The $200 million cost of the ballroom, which will be able to seat 650 people, will be donated by Trump and other donors. Sure, Jan.
Texas redrew its House map to create 5 new safe Republican seats. Since two-thirds of the 150-member Texas House must be present in order to hold a vote, 51 Democrats have fled to Chicago, denying Republicans the required quorum. They said they plan to stay away for two weeks until the end of a special legislative session convened by Governor Greg Abbott to hold the vote.
The attempts to defund Planned Parenthood face legal scrutiny. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston issued a preliminary injunction after finding the law likely violated the U.S. Constitution by targeting Planned Parenthood's health centers specifically for punishment for providing abortions.
Emil Bove was confirmed to a lifetime appointment on the 3rd Circuit Court. A Justice Department whistleblower alleged that Bove had suggested government lawyers should ignore court orders, prompting Democrats to unsuccessfully push for the Senate Judiciary Committee to delay a vote on his nomination. When the panel voted in July to advance his nomination, all of the panel's Democrats walked out of the meeting in protest. Two more whistleblowers have since turned over information about Bove to either the Justice Department's internal watchdog or lawmakers
A new 15% tariff deal with the EU was announced, with 90 days of TACOs for Mexico, and a week for everyone else.
Interest rates will stay put while the labor statistics bureau head is out, due to her understanding of labor statistics. Data experts have raised concerns about the integrity of U.S. government statistics under the Trump administration, which has been slashing positions and funding for statistical agencies.
In ‘things no one asked for’ - the Presidential Fitness Test is coming back. I’d like to see the President pass it. He can’t even stop himself from cheating at golf.
Horseshoe crabs are ticklish. Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
STATEWIDE SHENANIGANS
beckwith or without ethics
Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith just can't keep himself out of the headlines for all the wrong reasons. This time, it's for blatant cronyism. The Indiana Citizen reported that Beckwith forced the resignation of 5 out of the 6 highly-qualified, experienced public servants at the Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA) so he could install his political allies and churchgoers.
Former community liaisons said this job requires a deep knowledge of how to apply for and administer grants as well as the ability to build a network of contacts in other agencies, local nonprofits, and state and national organizations.
OCRA’s community liaisons often work with rural, low-income farming communities, and a large part of their workload involves helping administer applications for the Community Development Block Grant Program, a federal program for rural and low-income areas seeking funding for infrastructure projects. The program awarded over $33 million in grants in Indiana last year, according to OCRA’s 2024 Annual Report.
Administering applications requires interpreting and understanding complex federal regulations in order to properly advise communities. Mistakes could lead to delays in multimillion-dollar projects. Remember when Gov. Mike Braun and his Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith said they were getting rid of DEI and replacing it with ‘merit, excellence, and innovation’? This seems like… not that.
hoosier popularity
All kinds of Trump officials have come to Indiana in the last six months. So far, we've had stops from SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler, VA Secretary Doug Collins, HHS Secretary RFK Jr., CMS Administrator Dr. Oz, and Education Secretary Linda McMahon. This past Tuesday, Lee Zeldin, EPA administrator, made number six when he appeared alongside Gov. Braun and AG Todd Rokita to announce that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases aren't dangerous to public health - a farcical lie that flies in the face of science and common sense. In his remarks, AG Rokita claimed that "we have the cleanest air, the cleanest water," which is patently untrue. Indiana's air and water are routinely ranked as among the dirtiest and most polluted in the entire country. We are currently #37 in air quality and #38 in water. It is only because of EPA regulations that the situation isn't worse. Read more at Indiana Capital Chronicle.
LOCAL FOCUS
Mayor Sakbun has been flexing his writing muscles and penned an op-ed for the IndyStar about bipartisan solutions to energy costs. It touts energy diversity (including coal, boo), and prioritizing Hoosier union labor (yay!), plus stronger oversight of the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission. The five-member Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission approves all electric rate increases. Utility companies cannot increase electric rates without prior government approval.
On a related note, Citizens Action Coalition released a report that indicates Hoosiers are paying an average of $28 a month more for electricity than they did a year ago, an increase of 17.5%. That's almost double last year's record increase of 9.3%, and the biggest jump in 20 years. For Duke Energy, the monopoly that controls electricity in Terre Haute, the increase was 20%, totaling nearly $26 a month.
Now Duke wants another $3.3 billion. In February 2025, Duke filed a proposal (Cause Number 46193) at the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) to retire the two coal-fired units at Cayuga, and replace them with two new fossil gas units. Use this form to submit your comments about Duke's proposal via email to Indiana’s Utility Consumer Counselor Bill Fine, urging his office (the OUCC) to oppose the rate hike, and urging the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) to deny the rate hike. Be sure to reference Cause Number 46193.
GOOD TROUBLE
In late July, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education quietly released new data showing Indiana’s college-going rate has dropped further than any other state - to a new low of 51.7% of Hoosier high school graduates. It’s no surprise when the 20-year Republican supermajority has continually worked to erode our education system. But we are not without recourse! This is the Good Trouble section, so here is a way we can fight back!
Indiana plans to ask the U.S. Department of Education for its federal Title dollars in a block grant with fewer requirements on how the state spends the money. School districts also would have more flexibility to use their federal funds to support more kinds of programs. The money currently supports specific student groups like English language learners and specific activities like professional development or out-of-school-time care.
The state is proposing to give these funds to any school that’s “actively seeking to serve students that would have otherwise enrolled in the eligible school,” including microschools (*cough* homeschool cough), charter schools, and “partnerships with industry or postsecondary institutions” rather than prioritizing low-performing public schools for the funds.
Under the flexibility request, school districts would be able to use some of their federal funds as a block grant rather than adhering to the specific requirements of each Title fund. More at ChalkBeat
Before the waiver is formally submitted, Hoosiers are invited to review the state’s proposed plan and provide feedback via this Jotform through Monday, August 25.Indiana is also seeking the flexibility to use a single performance system for schools rather than a separate one to meet federal requirements. The new system would be the A-F model, which is currently in development.
Unlike under the previous iterations of the grading framework, the proposed plan gives schools credit for students who are progressing in their skills, rather than just those who are proficient, according to the Department of Education’s June presentation.
Each student at a school would be assigned a number of points based on their proficiency on state tests — the ILEARN in grades 3-8 and the SAT in high school - 100 points for meeting or exceeding the proficiency benchmarks for those tests, and 90 points for approaching proficiency. The draft also gives students points for other skills like attendance, workforce skills, and proficiency on the IREAD, the state's third-grade reading test. Schools would then be assigned a letter grade based on the average points generated by all students.Before the waiver is formally submitted, Hoosiers are invited to review the state’s proposed plan and provide feedback via this Jotform through Monday, August 25.
The Department of Education will also hold an in-person public comment session on Friday, Aug. 22, at 10 a.m. in the Indiana Government Center South, Conference Room C.
Officials intend to submit the waiver request in September, and if approved, the flexibility would go into effect in 2026-27.
RESOURCE CENTER
A COMMUNITY PLATFORM FOR FIGHTING BOOK BANS
The tools at Fight for the First empower regular people to create a movement against book bans. Campaigns on this platform will allow us to take on bans in our communities and gain direct support from EveryLibrary, helping us reach more people through their extensive supporter and partner network - and getting us access to the training and resources we need to win.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Monday, August 6th at 6:30pm: Lt. Gov and Blue812News frequent flyer Micah Beckwith will be holding a Town Hall in Terre Haute at the County Annex building.
Tuesday, August 5th at 5pm: Vigo County Council sunshine meeting in Annex building Council Room.
Wednesday, August 6th at 10:30 am: Vigo Dems and 8th district Chair Dave Crooks will be announcing our Congressional Candidate to take on Mark Messmer - Mary Allen of Evansville - at Vigo County Public Library.
Wednesday, August 6th at 6pm: Indiana Nasty Women - Vigo County meeting at the Vigo County Public Library meeting room A.
Thursday, August 7th at 6pm: Terre Haute City Council meeting at City Hall
Sunday, August 10th at 2pm: Craftivism in the Park at Fairbanks Park. “Join us! Let's make art, not war! 2-4PM - Every 2nd Sunday of the month! Use our supplies or bring yours to share. Refreshments on us, first-come, first-served. Family-friendly vibes encouraged. All ages & skill levels welcome! Can't wait to see you there!!” Register here.
Monday, August 12th at 6pm: Vigo County School Board meeting at 501 W. Olive Street - Boardroom
Tuesday, August 12th at 3pm: Mingle with the Mayor at Grand Traverse Pie Co. At this informal and relaxed gathering, various topics will be covered each month with opportunities to ask questions and voice concerns. Free pie and coffee will be served courtesy of Clinton Gardens.
END ON A HIGH NOTE
Despite the national extension shutting down, Illinois is keeping its dedicated 988 lifeline for LGBTQ+ youth.
Missouri has ended its luxury tax on period products and diapers, becoming the 31st state to do so.
A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration shall not take Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was wrongly removed from the U.S. earlier this year, into custody should he be released from pretrial incarceration on immigrant smuggling charges.
In general, donations to NPR and PBS stations have surged since Trump’s cuts were signed into law.
A third federal court blocked Trump’s restrictions on birthright citizenship. Judges have found ways to block Trump’s nationwide policies in at least nine instances since the Supreme Court tried to curb their power.
The Supreme Court halted an appeals ruling that prevents private groups from challenging election maps under the Voting Rights Act in seven states.
Awful Oklahoma state superintendent (and so-called Christian) Ryan Walters accidentally displayed porn on his office TV during a board meeting and now everyone knows he’s a hypocrite.
80% of Americans report being extremely or very motivated to vote in next year’s election for Congress
Trump's time in the White House runs out in:
Blue whales can eat close to half a million calories in one mouthful. Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.