NATIONAL NUTCASERY
bored of peace
Against the will of the American people, without congressional authorization with little national debate and an unclear strategy, Donald Trump has launched military strikes against Iran in cooperation with Israel. In a fact sheet shared earlier today, United States Central Command (Centcom) said over 1,000 Iranian targets had been struck in the first 24 hours of Operation Epic Fury, including a girl’s elementary school where the death toll is over 100.
His stated aim is destroying Iran’s military capabilities (including the nuclear program we were told was obliterated last June) and forcing regime change. Iran has sent retaliatory strikes aimed at Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar and has announced they will close the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for the world’s oil supply.
A coalition led by Senators Tim Kaine and Rand Paul in the Senate and Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie in the House had already been trying to push votes on war powers resolutions (S.J.Res. 104, H.J.Con.Res.38) next week. Democrats are now demanding Congress return to Washington and hold these votes immediately. Let’s add our voices to theirs. We can find call scripts and language to use here
SOTU STFU
Trump's second-term State of the Union speech ran 108 minutes, breaking his own record for longest presidential address, plus it made a bit of history Trump didn’t talk about – it was the first ever held during a government shutdown (not even mentioned!). What went down? He goaded Democrats into staying seated while he framed immigration policy as a loyalty test. He pushed hard for the SAVE America Act, and claimed Democrats have a history of cheating in past elections. And for good measure, he threw in anti-trans remarks about schools "secretly socially transitioning" kids. The speech was less a policy address than a midterm campaign rally delivered from the House floor.
Some lowlights:
The first part of the night, Trump hammered home how well the economy was doing. Fact-check: no it’s not. But Trump didn’t let the fact that we created virtually no jobs in 2025 stop him from calling his reign “a turnaround for the ages.” Instead, he used gas prices, mortgage rates, and job growth as proof that the “roaring economy is roaring.” Were all the White House editors DOGE’d?
He welcomed the men’s hockey team during the speech, to stand around and kill about six minutes (it wouldn’t have been the longest speech if not!). Trump also announced their goalie was getting the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Full idiocracy.
He called SCOTUS’ recent tariff ruling “unfortunate,” as though he has any plans to abide by it.
He brought out a young woman named Sage to highlight how much he hates trans kids. He said he opposed social transitions without parental consent, which is a new extreme. We’re not talking about surgeries or puberty blockers; we’re talking about kids changing their names and pronouns at school. Like, why does the President even care?
He pushed for a congressional stock trading ban. Okay, broken clock!
As for the conflict of the moment – Iran – Trump stayed vague. All he said was that his “preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy.”
On the fourth anniversary of the war in Ukraine, Trump declined to offer any concrete support.
Overall, the story of the speech was what Trump didn’t say. He didn’t devote one moment of the longest State of the Union in history to acknowledging that Americans are struggling. We feel bad about the economy, we are not sure we’ll ever own homes, we’re concerned about wars overseas, we hate what ICE is doing, and we don’t know if there will be any jobs in the future. Poll after poll shows I’m not the only one who feels this way, but Trump gaslit us, yet again. He says we’re living in the Golden Age of America, but I think maybe that’s just his bronzer?
Oh, and Nancy Pelosi spent most of the speech scrolling through her phone. I rarely find her relatable, but I do think she captured the spirit of the nation with that one.
VA Governor Abigail Spanberger gave the official party response. In her words, the President “offered no real solutions to our nation’s pressing challenges.” She went on to say: “Americans deserve to know that their leaders are focused on addressing the problems that keep them up at night, problems that dictate where you live, whether you can afford to start a business, or whether you have to skip a prescription in order to buy groceries. Is the president working to make life more affordable for you and your family? We all know the answer is no.”
Congresswoman Summer Lee (D-PA) gave the progressive response. In her words: “The State of the Union is dire. We can’t afford to believe Trump’s lies, and we have to pay attention to his actions. This is not a normal time, and our response to it can’t be politics as usual. Trump’s speech wasn’t a list of accomplishments – it was more like an obituary for the country working people built and a celebration for the billionaires who want to strip it for parts.”
Notably, many Dems skipped the speech altogether. This would be my go-to; I love skipping things. Instead, some held a protest on the National Mall(the People’s State of the Union) and near the White House (State of the Swamp). In the words of Adam Schiff (D-CA), who got a jump on things and pre-butted the speech, “Trump promised to bring back manufacturing jobs – we have lost them. He promised to bring down inflation – it has gone up. He promised to reduce the trade deficit, but it has reached a record high. Americans literally cannot afford three more years of this.” See, that’s what it looks like when an English major edits the speech.
Clarinets are made almost entirely out of wood from the mpingo tree. Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
modern monopolies
Big news: Netflix is not making a higher bid for Warner Bros Discovery. Why? Because the offer from Paramount Skydance – controlled by Trump buddy David Ellison – is better, at $31/share. Paramount has also said they’re down to pay the $2.8 billion breakup fee that Warner Bros owes Netflix for the deal falling through. This all amounts to one thing: Paramount is set to take over Warner Bros.
Who wins? The oligarchy, as usual. In this deal, David Ellison is now the owner of CNN. This is just one more step down a troubling path of oligarchs controlling more and more of our news outlets: Ellison already owns CBS, Bezos has the Washington Post, the Murdochs own The Wall Street Journal and Fox. Not to mention the oligarchs who control all the social media platforms: Elon, Zuckerberg, and Larry Ellison (he doesn’t technically own TikTok, but in the new US ownership deal, he does have a lot of power). This is another win for them, as they get to dictate which stories make it onto our TVs and feeds.
Who loses? Us. It’s slow at first, but all of a sudden, Bezos is firing half the Washington Post, CBS is cancelling stories about immigrant detention centers, and TikTok is censoring anti-ICE posts. Support independent media.
STATEWIDE SHENANIGANS
icing indy
An immigration detention facility that could hold up to 8,500 people may be headed to Indianapolis, according to internal Department of Homeland Security documents obtained by The New York Times.
The Indianapolis Star reported that Mayor Joe Hogsett has not received any confirmation on these plans. Gov. Mike Braun’s office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) did not respond to requests for comment from WFYI Wednesday. U.S. Rep. André Carson, who represents the 7th District which includes most of the city, condemned the plan on X Wednesday, writing, “Here’s my message to ICE: you’re not welcome.”
The plans are part of the Trump administration’s widely expanded federal immigration enforcement campaign. The New York Times reported that the Department of Homeland Security has plans to open at least 20 additional detention facilities in warehouses across the country, with eight already purchased in states from Maryland, Texas and Arizona. Included among them is reportedly an 8,500-bed facility in Indianapolis. While the NYT reports that DHS has already bought eight warehouses across the country, the alleged plans in Indy are just in the proposal phase.
A city spokesperson, echoing Rep. Carson, said in a statement Wednesday that ICE would not be welcome in Indianapolis and that leaders have no knowledge of the proposal. “The City of Indianapolis has no knowledge of this potential purchase and would not be involved,” the statement read. “We do not welcome or support this in our community.”
Some communities in Indiana have attempted to prevent DHS from opening any ICE processing or detention facility. In Northern Indiana, the Merrillville Town Council adopted a resolution in January to “take a proactive approach to clearly state the town’s position on this situation,” the Town Council wrote online, but last week Indiana lawmakers neared approval for legislation that will require local governments, schools, universities, public hospitals, police and sheriff’s offices to comply with federal immigration enforcement.
The folks at Detention Watch Network have an incredible toolkit you can use to take lawful and nonviolent action to fight ICE warehouse expansion. You can also check out Project Salt Box, which seems like another good resource for fighting ICE!
BILLWATCH 2026
We made it to Sine Die! After wasting weeks of valuable legislative time in December on a ridiculous gerrymandering demand from out-of-state special interests, they were working until… pretty late, finally adjourning at 6:36 pm. Indiana Capitol Chronicle has briefs of all the bills that were pushed through on last day.
MadVoters and Progressive Indiana Network have released their weekly legislative update, closing out the session for 2026. It can be streamed on YouTube and Facebook Live, or by clicking below:
Anyway, here’s a round up of the good:
Gov. Mike Braun signed HB 1002, which included many affordability policies outlined in the Help Hoosiers Now: Ratepayer Relief Plan from Citizens Action Coalition and Indiana Conservation Voters.
HB 1359, which included late-added language to reduce Indiana’s early voting period by almost half, did not advance.
Both chambers unanimously passed SB 291, which contains a package of protections for judges after a Lafayette judge and his wife were shot in their home.
SB 237, which would have severely narrowed the number of toxic PFAS chemicals Indiana would consider in future regulations, outreach, and more, did not advance. The language was added to Senate Bill 277, but it was removed.
…the bad:
SB 76 passed and is now on its way to Governor Braun’s office as its final step before becoming law. This bill would mandate that Indiana law enforcement must cooperate with ICE agents, and further intensifies prohibitions on state and local entities — including public colleges and universities — ability to restrict the enforcement of federal immigration law, regardless of whether that enforcement is conducted by local or federal officials. SB-76 also introduces provisions which would increase enforcement against employers who are found to have knowingly hired “unauthorized workers.” Please use this webform to contact Governor Braun’s office and urge him to veto SB-76.
The House approved HB 1343, a bill allowing the Indiana National Guard to establish a military police force , in a 38-10 vote.
A last-day vote advanced SB 199, a controversial provision allowing the state to scrutinize and potentially eliminate college degree programs tied to low earnings, despite warnings from some lawmakers that the policy risks undermining essential but often underpaid professions.
HB 1033, which gives Braun more power to pick judges in Indy, passed the House by a 59-27 vote.
The Senate voted 28-22 on SB 285, banning homeless camps.
and the unknown
The Senate voted 45-4 on SB 27, a bill paving the way for a Chicago Bears move to Indiana. (Braun already signed this one).
Once a bill reaches Gov. Braun’s desk, he has seven days to sign or veto it or let it become law without his signature. You can track the Governor’s action on 2026 bills here.
now what?
Ask Gov. Braun for vetoes: You can check the list of bills that have landed on the Governor’s desk and what action he has taken here.
Urge the Governor to veto by calling 317-232-4567 and leaving a message or sending a message through his contact form.
Thank or question your lawmakers: Make sure you follow up with your lawmakers on their votes. If you are happy with how they voted, say thank you! If you are upset, say so and ask for an explanation.
This follow-up is critically important to show that you are not only reaching out to ask them to make a certain choice, but also that you are paying attention to whether or not they followed through on your request.
Votes on SB 1 to restrict Medicaid and SNAP access:
Votes on SB 285 to add fines and jail time for homeless individuals:
Take this moment. Send the message.
Billtrackers:
MADVoters: see current updates and calls-to-action
Chalkbeat Indiana: Education-focused; updated on Fridays
Indiana Coalition for Public Education: Education-focused
Good Trouble Coalition Indiana: Healthcare-focused
ACLU Indiana: Civil rights-focused
Indiana Wildlife Federation: Conservation-focused
Citizen’s Action Coalition: Energy- & Utility-focused
LOCAL FOCUS
commissioner recap
“The state of the county is great,” said Commissioner Chris Switzer at the annual commissioner update event, which was at Hulman Memorial Student Union at Indiana State University. Is it like, illegal to say something different? The update was held in partnership with the Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce, so in general, the discussion focused on accentuating the positive.
The state of the Vigo County School Corp. and its re-consolidation plan to address aging infrastructure were discussed at length during the update. Commissioner Mark Clinkenbeard drew applause when he said, “We all know how important modern, state-of-the-art high schools are.” Noting that the county can’t afford three high schools, he proposed making West Vigo High smaller, with about 600 students, with all other students attending a school on the east side through a partnership with Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, one of myriad proposals before the VCSC oversight committee. Asked what individual citizens could do to help VCSC, Clinkenbeard replied, “Stay engaged. We need your help.” More at TribStar on Yahoo
wilson v wilson decision
The four-member Election Commission split 2-2 on the challenge to Alexandra Wilson’s candidacy. The two Democratic members — Suzannah Wilson Overholt and Karen Celestino-Horseman — voted to allow her name to remain on the ballot (presumably because they are messy and love drama) and the two Republicans — Beth Boyce and John Westercamp — voted to remove her (they are no fun boo). The tie means that Alexandra Wilson stays on the ballot as a majority vote is needed for removal. Even Hoosier statutes are in their low-stakes villain era. Alexandra Wilson will appear just before Brenda Wilson as candidates are listed alphabetically.
GOOD TROUBLE
ballroom blitz
Trump has leveled the East Wing and claims that tech billionaires will help him fund a giant ballroom, but all is not lost. The National Trust for Historic Preservation is fighting back, securing a window for public input. We have until WEDNESDAY to submit comments about the ballroom project to the National Capital Planning Commission. We can find some inspiration to get started from this comment by Anara Guard.
Make your voices heard at this link by clicking submit comment and selecting East Wing Modernization from the dropdown menu.
disability right under attack
Nine states are once again trying to weaken Section 504 and roll back our right to live in the community. In Texas v. Kennedy (2026), Alaska, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, South Dakota, and Texas are asking the court to say that updated Section 504 rules are unlawful. At stake is the integration mandate that codifies the right of disabled people to live in their community with needed supports.
Since we live in one of the nine states that are bringing the case, we can ask Gov. Mike Braun and AG Todd Rokita to drop out of the case. Check out Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund’s webpage for more info, an email template & call script
MERCURY IS IN RETROGRADE - EXTRA CREDIT GOOD TROUBLE
trans-portation invalidation
Republicans have made it their mission to drive trans people out of public life, and Kansas just took a dangerous step towards making it happen. Just days ago, the GOP legislature overrode Governor Laura Kelly’s veto of SB244, which bans trans people from their gender’s bathroom and invalidates driver’s licenses that do not reflect their assigned gender at birth. This law went into effect immediately, with no grace period – meaning trans Kansans who went through the legal process to change their gender just lost their license. Many have not even been officially notified of the change yet.
This is a moment to show up for our trans siblings in danger. Let’s consider a donation to Equality Kansas, one of the state’s leading organizations fighting for their rights, or to the Trans-Continental Pipeline, an organization which helps trans folks relocate from unsafe communities.
RESOURCE CENTER
know your districts
Election season is upon us, and candidate forums are coming up (see below!). Informed voters are the best voters, but are you sure you know your districts? Use the resources below to make sure you know who you can vote for:
Terre Haute City Council districts (bookmark this one for 2027)
Vigo County districts (includes council & commissioners)
Indiana Voters (check registration & see district info)
UPCOMING EVENTS
visit the Blue812News Local Events calendar to see all upcoming events
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.
Thursday, March 5th at 5pm: Pizza & Postcards with Indivisible Wabash Valley 5-7pm at the UU Church of Terre Haute. More info & register here
Sunday, March 8th at 4pm: ICE OUT with Indivisible Wabash Valley Clay County Detention Center 611 E. Jackson St, Brazil, IN Every Sunday 4–5PM
Tuesday, March 10th 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.
Tuesday, March 10th at 5pm: Vigo County Council Meeting in the Council Chambers in the Vigo County Government Center, 127 Oak Street
Wednesday, March 11th at 6pm: Vigo County Sherriff & County Commissioners candidate forum hosted by the League of Women Voters. at the Vigo County Public Library, 6-7:45pm.
Thursday, March 12th at 6pm: Terre Haute City Council Meeting at City Hall.
Saturday, March 14th at 1pm: St. Patrick’s Day parade. The Vigo Dems will have the tram in the parade - meet between Corporate Square and Baesler’s by 12:30pm. Parade begins at 1pm.
mark your calendars:
League of Women Voters primary forums:
Next No Kings rally - Saturday, March 28th:
END ON A HIGH NOTE
There’s been a lot of chatter about the SAVE Act, a bill that genuinely SUCKS. But Senate Republican Leader John Thune made it clear that there are just not the votes to get it passed, and they won’t be breaking the filibuster to make it happen.
A federal judge ruled this week that the Trump administration’s policy of deporting immigrants to “third countries,” ie, nations they have no ties to, is unlawful and must be set aside.
America’s Best Person Dolly Parton is now sharing her name with a children's hospital - the nearly 90-year-old East Tennessee Children's Hospital in Knoxville has been renamed the Dolly Parton Children's Hospital. The independent, nonprofit facility opened in 1937 and is certified as a Comprehensive Regional Pediatric Center that treats infants through teens "regardless of their race, religion, or ability to pay."
A proposal to rename a portion of a highway in Texas after Charlie Kirk was dropped after local residents pushed back.
CA Attorney General Rob Bonta promised to conduct a “vigorous” review of Paramount Skydance’s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery and warned the companies not to get ahead of the regulatory process in their celebrations.
Ukrainian forces have regained control of eight settlements and liberated 154 square miles of territory from Russian occupation since the end of January 2026.
A new Reuters-Ipsos poll finds 61% of Americans agreed that President Trump has “become erratic with age.” Just 45% say Trump is “mentally sharp and able to deal with challenges.”
For the first time in league history, the WNBA generated enough revenue to trigger revenue sharing with players.
Zohran Mamdani secured the release of a Columbia University student detained by ICE.
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