Blue 812 News Issue 57 - February 22

Not to be dramatic, but we could low-key bomb Iran this weekend. UnderTheDeskNews is predicting after the Olympics’ closing ceremonies, though Trump said he’s giving it… about two weeks. “The boss is getting fed up,” said one Trump adviser, forecasting a 90 percent chance of a military strike. Such an attack could be far more involved than the late-night raid that captured Venezuelan president Maduro without losing a single U.S. soldier. The operation could include weeks of repeated strikes, the outlet reports, and resemble “full-fledged war.”

Earlier this week, US officials confirmed that the USS Gerald R. Ford – which is literally the biggest warship ever – has joined the US’ Middle East fleet. To be ready to go, in case Trump gives the order, but that’s not all. According to Politico: “The number of fighter planes, aerial refuelers and surveillance planes that have arrived over the past three to four days is immense. Dozens of F-35s, F-16s, and F-15Es have moved from the U.S. to the Middle East and the U.K. Several F-22s used in Venezuela last month have also been moved to the U.K., putting them in range for strikes inside Iran…. It’s staggering.”

Bombing Iran is far from a foregone conclusion. The main goal is to force Iran into a deal over its nuclear program. But as the New York Times reports, “Though Mr. Trump is largely fixated on the nuclear weapons program, at various moments he and his aides have cited a range of other rationales for military action: protecting the protesters that Iranian forces killed by the thousands last month, wiping out the arsenal of missiles that Iran can use to strike Israel, and ending Tehran’s support for Hamas and Hezbollah.” That’s a lot, but there’s still hope we can get there via diplomacy, not bombs. Trump cleared up all the confusion yesterday by saying, “We may have to take it a step further, or we may not. You’re gonna be finding out over the next probably 10 days.” Thank you for your clarification, I guess.

But wait – isn’t declaring war, like, a Congress thing? No, silly; that was back in the olden days! Congress doesn’t have “powers” anymore. But the good news (well, good-ish) is that this week, two of Trump’s main foils – Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA), both of Epstein-bill-fame – are forcing a vote on a war powers resolution to take some of that power back for Capitol Hill.

One second, you’re a prince. Next, you’re in jail. I guess that’s why you shouldn’t pal around with pedophiles. Last Thursday – and on his 66th birthday – police arrested Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the Andrew formerly known as Prince.

What exactly did Andrew do? Officially, he’s been arrested on “suspicion of misconduct in public office,” which could come with a max sentence of life in prison. According to the BBC, this arrest “comes after Thames Valley Police said they were assessing a complaint over the alleged sharing of confidential material by the former prince with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.” While serving as the UK’s trade envoy, that is. King Charles III, expressed his “deepest concern” over his brother’s legal troubles, before throwing his “full and wholehearted support” behind the police and investigation. It’s the first time a member of the British royal family has been arrested since 1649, during the English Civil War.

Andrew hasn’t been convicted yet, but here’s a fun fact: the last time a senior member of the royal family was convicted was in 2002, when Princess Anne was arrested under the “Dangerous Dogs Act” after her dog, Dotty, bit two kids in the park.

Napoleon Bonaparte was once attacked by a swarm of rabbits. Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

When President Trump unveiled hefty worldwide tariffs last year, he dubbed the occasion “Liberation Day.” The real liberation, however, occurred on Friday at the hands of some unlikely liberators: the conservative-packed Supreme Court slapped down Trump’s tariff regime, in a 6-3 ruling that upends the president’s signature policy. “The Framers did not vest any part of the taxing power in the Executive Branch,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote, “The President enjoys no inherent authority to impose tariffs during peacetime.” Check out the latest Strict Scrutiny episode for a breakdown of the decision.

Thwarting Trump’s tariffs limits his power over the economy and blunts his favorite foreign policy sword. He has brandished tariffs, and the threat of tariffs, to scare foreign countries into doing his bidding. Now, the court is saying he needs a new weapon, and Trump promised to find one. In a defiant press conference, the president slammed the decision and insisted he could still tax trade using other legal tricks. The ruling left him “numerous other ways,” he said, announcing plans to use Section 122 authority to levy 10% global tariffs (here’s a good, quick explainer on these new plans) That authority will allow the president to impose tariffs for 150 days without congressional action. The president also said he’ll ramp up Section 301 investigations to apply additional tariffs. Oh, and on Saturday, Trump decided to bump the NEW tariffs up to 15%, based on “a thorough, detailed, and complete review of the ridiculous, poorly written, and extraordinarily anti-American decision on Tariffs issued yesterday.” Just to point out some key words in that sentence: thorough… detailed… yesterday.

For now, even Republicans are breathing a sigh of relief:

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is setting up an office in Carmel, and the City Council president says, “We have no say in this. There’s nothing the city can do at any level.” Carmel Police Chief Drake Sterling also confirmed the office is planned for 301 Pennsylvania Pkwy., which is just northeast of the interchange between Interstate 465 and U.S. 31 on the south side of Carmel.

Carmel city officials told 13News the city has been told the office is for administrative use only, and it’s the city’s understanding that ICE has rented space. City Council President Matthew Snyder could not say when it's opening or why, and said he first learned about the office from his constituents, though Police Chief Drake knew as long ago as Feb. 12th.

According to Axios, ICE is also looking at an Indiana location for warehouses that could be converted into detention centers. Merrillville was among 23 locations nationwide identified in a recent Bloomberg report detailing the effort.

We’re approaching the legislative finish line. Statehouse leaders have set this Friday as the anticipated end of session. It's been a wild ride of an unprecedented session that started back in December with the redistricting attempt. Here's how the next week may look: For Monday and Tuesday, we expect to see lots of bills scheduled for Second and Third readings - this is where the chamber can propose amendments and then vote on the bill. Many bills have already reached this stage, but for those that have not, Statehouse leaders have set Tuesday 2/24 as the crossover voting deadline.

If the bill was amended during crossover, the originating chamber then votes on whether or not to accept those changes. This is known as concurrence. If no changes were made, the bill skips this step and is eligible to be signed into law by the Governor. Concurrence votes will take place this week.

If the original chamber does not agree to the changes presented by the opposite chamber, a special process begins: a conference committee. This is a small group that is formed to adjust the bill into a version that is acceptable for both chambers.

RIP to these bills:

Here are a few of the bills scheduled for action this week:

ACTION ITEMS:

Last week, without taking any public testimony whatsoever, the Indiana Senate Elections Committee passed an amendment onto HB 1359 which would cut early voting access down from 28 days to just 16 days – starting as soon as the May 2026 primary. According to The Indiana Citizen, 16.7% of the 538,000 Hoosiers who voted early and in-person in 2022 voted in the first two weeks of the early voting period. In 2024, 1.4 million Hoosiers cast an in-person ballot during early voting. Of that 1.4 million, 22.07% voted in the two week period that the amended HB 1359 would remove. Public comment was not allowed, as Committee Chair Sen. Mike Gaskill, R-Pendleton said they had heard from the public about shortening the time for early voting when it considered a similar bill last year. Uh… that’s not how it’s supposed to work.

You can contact Sen. Goode using Common Cause Indiana’s webform or by phone at 800-382-9467 and urge him to protect early voting in Indiana. If you would like to use a script: “My name is [insert]. I’m a voter in [town/zip code]. I’m contacting you to urge you to vote against HB-1359 and restore Indiana’s full early voting window. Thank you.”

SB1 will restrict access to SNAP and Medicaid for Hoosiers while creating more red tape and administrative costs. Use this webform from Feeding Indiana’s Hungry to email the your state legislators asking them to vote NO!

SB 88 requires teaching importance of marriage before having children as mandatory curriculum of “Good Citizen Instruction” in public schools, a sneaky way to promote an abstinence teaching mandate that conflicts with evidence-based sex education standards, public health guidelines, and students’ diverse family structures and beliefs. Please contact the House Education committee today and ask for a NO vote on SB 88.

SB4 could lead to a loss of financial independence, funding reductions, and political/partisan volatility as it now includes language to turn the final budget approval for public libraries over to the local government rather than local library boards. Contact your State Rep. and urge a NO vote - find a script to use at the Indiana Libary Federation.

Billtrackers:

Alexandra Wilson, a Republican primary candidate for state senator for District 38, has had her candidacy challenged, and the Indiana Election Commission has scheduled a hearing for later this month. Jeffrey P. Gallant. who filed the challenge Feb. 13th, says in 2010, Alexandra Wilson — then using the name Alexandra Anderson — pleaded guilty in Vermillion County to resisting law enforcement, a Class D felony, which he argues makes her ineligible to run for office. The Indiana case records available online show that while the offense was charged as a felony and a plea entered, the conviction was entered by the court as a Class A misdemeanor. She was sentenced to one year in jail, which was later was suspended, and she was placed on probation for a year. When the Tribune-Star attempted to contact Gallant, it was directed to his legal counsel, The Bopp Law Firm, where Gallant is an associate.

In a news release issued last week, Brenda Wilson, the third Republican in the race for State Sen. Goode’s seat, accused Goode and Vigo GOP Chairman Randy Gentry of putting up Alexandra Wilson in the Republican primary for District 38 in an effort to confuse voters and draw votes away from her. Gentry and Wilson currently serve together on the Vigo County Council. Gentry replied to the Tribune-Star’s questions, saying Alexandra Wilson was a legitimate candidate who “… voted Republican in her last participated primary and supported Donald Trump in 2016, 2020, and 2024.”

The hearing challenging Alexandra Wilson’s candidacy is scheduled for Feb. 25 at the Indiana State Library, 315 W. Ohio St., Board Room 401, Indianapolis. The Indiana Election Commission is set to meet that day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Vigo County Commissioner Chris Switzer is urging the public to speak out in opposition to an Indiana House Bill 1001, which supporters say would curb local regulations on housing and increase the state’s housing supply. Switzer in a news release Friday afternoon said the bill removes local ability to maintain oversight and regulate design elements, along with mandating certain types of housing be allowed in residential and commercial areas without regard for previously approved comprehensive plans.

TH Mayor Brandon Sakbun largely concurs. He testified against the bill last Wednesday in a Senate committee hearing, from which it narrowly passed. On Friday, the mayor said, “I actually like a lot of the sections within HB 1001. But I have two major concerns: The first is that this bill will not make housing more affordable in Terre Haute. … The harsh reality is that utility and infrastructure costs have skyrocketed and we are seeing that impact in home prices… My other frustration is that it removes local control from zoning conversations. Personally, I strongly believe multifamily housing can go next to a single family neighborhood. However, I respect the process of zoning and I acknowledge that others do not share that opinion. That’s why we have an Area Planning Board and City Council.”

EXTRA CREDIT: 8th District US House Candidate Mary Allen was a guest last week on TurnLeft with Indiana’s Own Dana Black. Check out the interview, and attend Library with Mary on Tuesday to ask any clarifying questions.

The State of the Union is next week and, a number of Democrats have decided to skip the speech and hold a People’s State of the Union on the National Mall, starting at 8:30PM ET. Some of the toughest progressives in Congress will be rallying with progressive organizations and folks impacted by Trump’s pro-billionaire, anti-American agenda. Trump won’t be able to help himself from checking his ratings against the Dems’ counterprogramming, so let’s make sure they’re enough to set him off. We can watch a livestream at MoveOn.org/live or sign up to join online here.

Pressuring Congress, protesting, and direct action are crucial to this fight, but we’re taking on oligarchs, and we all know what they care about most: their money. This goes far beyond Citizens Bank. Jess Craven from Chop Wood, Carry Water and her team have prepared a full list of companies we can boycott to build pressure on corporations to align themselves against ICE terror, complete with contacts, scripts and alternative services we can use. Check it out here.

visit the Blue812News Local Events calendar to see all upcoming events

Tuesday, February 24th at 11:30 am: Library with Mary, sponsored by Vigo County Nasty Women. 11:30-1:30pm at the VCPL. Hosted by Democratic congressional candidate Mary Allen. From the organizers: "Come ask questions, share your concerns, and be part of the future we’re building — together." More info here.

Wednesday, February 25th at 8:30am: 2026 County Update, hosted by the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce. Held at the Sycamore Banquet Center at Indiana State University, attendees will hear directly from Vigo County Commissioners Mark Clinkenbeard, Mike Morris and Chris Switzer on updates and perspectives on issues shaping Vigo County and our region’s future. Tickets are $40 - where does this money go? Click here for more information or to register

Tuesday, March 3rd at 5pm: Vigo County Council Meeting in the Council Chambers in the Vigo County Government Center, 127 Oak Street

Thursday, March 5th at 6pm: Terre Haute City Council Meeting at City Hall.

League of Women Voters primary forums:

Next No Kings rally - Saturday, March 28th:

One of 26 surviving copies of the Declaration of Independence is now on display at the Lilly Library on Indiana University’s campus. On display until the end of July, the exhibit commemorates the 250th anniversary of the printing of the document.

A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to restore slavery exhibits it had removed from a national park site in Philadelphia. “As if the Ministry of Truth in George Orwell’s 1984 now existed, with its motto ‘Ignorance is Strength,’ this Court is now asked to determine whether the federal government has the power it claims — to dissemble and disassemble historical truths when it has some domain over historical facts,” the judge wrote. “It does not.”

The DOJ is struggling to find legitimate examples of voter fraud, and Donald Trump is growing frustrated. “The efforts so far haven’t yielded results, in large part because the types of rampant voter fraud that the Trump administration describes have never been found.” Love to hear it!

Late night host Stephen Colbert slammed CBS, and parent company Paramount, for trying to rationalize its decision to bar an interview with Texas Senate candidate James Talarico. “They know damn well that every word of my script last night was approved by CBS lawyers, who, for the record, approve every script that goes on the air,” Colbert said. On YouTube, Talarico’s interview has Streisand-effected its way to more than 8.5 million views, plus clips from it have garnered 85 million views across YouTube and social media.. “I wish we could’ve put it on the show, where no one would’ve watched it,” Colbert joked.

Punch, an adorable baby monkey in Japan, is finally making friends. Pictures of the macaque, who was abandoned by his mom, went viral after he was seen dragging a stuffed animal around. He had a difficult time fitting in with the other monkeys, but now he “is gradually deepening his interactions with the troop of monkeys!” the zoo’s staff wrote online.

Alysa Liu won the gold in women’s figure skating, making her the first American to do so since 2002, which is before Liu was born. BRB, turning into dust.

Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to life in prison after he imposed martial law in December 2024. That country does not mess around with former presidents - half of those still alive are currently in prison.

Africa is 14x larger than Greenland. Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.