Pro-Palestinian protests are popping up on college campuses around the country, including an encampment at IUPUI. The Biden administration announced it’s moving to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug. The ACLU of Indiana is suing Indiana University on behalf of three people who were banned from the campus for participating in political protests. WFYI's Statehouse education reporter Rachel Fradette spoke with education editor Eric Weddle about the 2024 Primary Election. Want to go deepe...
May 06, 2024•10 min
The Marion County Prosecutor’s office announced three charges on Thursday for dealing controlled substances that resulted in death. Governor Eric Holcomb believes New Carlisle's location helped attract an eleven billion dollar investment from Amazon. A federal court this week permanently struck down a state law that tried to ban people from telling minors about other states’ abortion laws without parental consent. Family caregivers of medically complex children will soon no longer be able to pro...
May 03, 2024•7 min
The Original Farmers Market kicked off Wednesday on Monument Circle, moving to the location because of renovations at the City Market. Indiana State Treasurer Daniel Elliott announced Wednesday he’s investing more state dollars in Israeli bonds. Indiana University says it anticipates ongoing protests could occur at commencement ceremonies this weekend. Speed cameras in a few highway work zones around Indiana are expected to arrive in late summer or early fall. Advocates are encouraging Hoosiers ...
May 02, 2024
Commuters on the southeast side of Indianapolis will soon be greeted by new features on Interstate 465. This week marks a year since Indiana started the process of removing people from Medicaid under the process of Medicaid unwinding. Can a registered Democrat vote Republican in Indiana’s primary? A free program in Indianapolis helps young children learn to use wheelchairs. Want to go deeper on the stories you hear on WFYI News Now? Visit wfyi.org/news and follow us on social media to get compre...
May 01, 2024•10 min
State and IU police over the weekend arrested 23 protesters and dispersed an anti-war demonstration in IU’s Dunn Meadow. Around 100 people met on the near north side of Indianapolis to call for an end to gun violence on Saturday. Legislation to eliminate the statute of limitations for some sex crimes died in the General Assembly this past session. An advocacy group of LGBTQ athletes and allies gathered outside the NCAA’s Inclusion Forum for a “Day of Play” to rally support for transgender athlet...
Apr 30, 2024•6 min
The history of Syrian immigrants in Indianapolis is inscribed on a new state historical marker downtown. Indianapolis is pursuing a Major League Soccer club. Parents of George Washington Carver School 87 spoke through tears and anger about their experiences during a board meeting Thursday night. IMPD started their drone program with a single drone in 2018 - now they have over 50. The Federal Trade Commission approved a new rule that bans noncompete agreements across nearly all sectors, which mea...
Apr 29, 2024•7 min
The Side Effects team looks into Ozempic, the diabetes drug increasingly being used for weight-loss, and the connection it might have with unexpected pregnancies. The leader of Indianapolis Public Schools says the district “fell short” for not informing parents that a teacher was accused last fall of filming the alleged abuse of a student by a classmate. A new statewide program is giving families extra state benefits to help with summer meals. New federal rules from the Environmental Protection ...
Apr 26, 2024•11 min
A new study examines Gen Z’s perceptions of Indianapolis. More details are coming out about the alleged abuse at George Washington Carver School 87. Purdue students and faculty are renewing their call for the university to commit to an official climate action plan. Researchers at Purdue University have teamed up with the Indiana Department of Transportation to create a highway that could charge electric vehicles as they pass over it, removing any need to stop. Want to go deeper on the stories yo...
Apr 25, 2024•9 min
Indiana is at a higher risk of private, out of state companies buying up housing stock. The Family and Social Services Administration says Medicaid members 60 years or older need to select their Pathways for Aging health plan or they will be auto enrolled starting in late April. Indiana’s labor force has declined five consecutive months, the longest such streak in more than two years. Four school districts across the state want voters to approve property tax referendums on the May primary ballot...
Apr 24, 2024•5 min
An event this week will provide reentry resources for formerly incarcerated people in Indianapolis. The science of reading is a body of scientific research about how children learn the building blocks of literacy, a law requires schools to begin using the method this year. Eclipse gazers at the Indianapolis Children’s Museum may have been exposed to measles from an out-of-state visitor on April 8. Indiana native, baseball legend and human rights advocate Carl Erskine passed away last week at the...
Apr 23, 2024•9 min
Indianapolis City-County Councilor La Keisha (luh-KEY-sha) Jackson is Indiana’s newest state senator. An Indianapolis Public Schools teacher allowed and encouraged the abuse of a seven-year-old second grader with disabilities in his classroom at George Washington Carver Montessori School 87, according to a lawsuit filed against the district. Governor Eric Holcomb says his latest economic development trip underscores the importance of such trade missions. Indianapolis pianist Joshua Thompson has ...
Apr 22, 2024
SPARK on the Circle, a program that closes parts of Monument Circle for arts and culture events, returns to downtown Indianapolis in June. A new report released Thursday shows racial and ethnic disparities persist in health care access, quality, and outcomes across the nation, including in Indiana. Ivy Tech Community College will offer free classes for Indiana high schoolers this summer. Paige Carter, youth council member for Project Unloaded, talks about the organization’s goals around gun viol...
Apr 19, 2024•9 min
Carl Erskine, famous Dodgers pitcher, last surviving member of the “Boys of Summer,” and Indiana native has died, at age 97, at a hospital in Anderson. Indiana University’s Bloomington faculty have declared no confidence in President Pamela Whitten, Provost Rahul Shrivastav and Vice Provost Faculty and Academic Affairs Carrie Docherty. Indiana’s six Republican candidates for governor have spent more than $35 million, making it the most expensive primary in state history. The city of Indianapolis...
Apr 18, 2024
Caitlin Clark was selected Monday night as the number one pick in the WNBA draft by the Indiana Fever. Indiana still lags on the goal to boost how many working-age adults have training and education beyond their high school diplomas. The Indiana State Board of Education voted last week to begin rulemaking for a new literacy law passed by state lawmakers. Indiana high school seniors are required to file the federal financial aid form, or FAFSA, for the first time this year - but problems with the...
Apr 17, 2024•8 min
A new vending machine now provides free emergency contraception on the near east side of Indianapolis. Black patients in Indiana have a higher infant and maternal mortality rate than White patients despite having fewer births overall. Groups from across the state hope to work together to boost civic engagement and increase voter turnout. Indianapolis filmmaker Don Sawyer debuted his new documentary this month, searching for solutions to homelessness around the country. Want to go deeper on the s...
Apr 16, 2024•9 min
Children of immigrant parents find barriers in a normal year when they fill out the FAFSA, and because of a revamped form this year is even worse. Students at a school on the near east side of Indianapolis squared off in a competition against a chef to see who could make the tastiest nutritious snack. The Indiana Black Legislative Caucus launched its annual town hall series. Muslims across the world are celebrating Eid Al-fitr, but some in Indiana say things are different this year, as many of t...
Apr 15, 2024•10 min
The Side Effects team looks into the health impacts of cannabis use. A takeover of the Indianapolis Housing Agency is underway, after years of dysfunction at the agency responsible for providing affordable housing in the city. Indiana high school seniors are struggling to complete the new version of the FAFSA, or the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, because the roll-out of the revamped form has been plagued by technical glitches. Want to go deeper on the stories you hear on WFYI News No...
Apr 12, 2024•12 min
A teenager will be charged as an adult after a mass shooting in downtown Indianapolis last weekend. Billboards from a political centrist group are urging Hoosier Democrats to vote in this year’s Republican primary. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently released guidance requiring informed consent for pelvic, breast, prostate or rectal exams under anesthesia. State officials are sounding the alarm on a rising need for emergency service workers, as call volume escalated from 20...
Apr 11, 2024•9 min
A Hamilton County school district won a federal legal fight against a student who started an anti-abortion club. Monday was supposed to mark the start of a weeklong civil jury trial involving Curtis Hill, on allegations that he groped four women in 2018 while he was attorney general. Hoosiers with disabilities or who want to age in place may have a harder time accessing services under an important Medicaid waiver. Indiana schools could award students a new excellence in civic engagement designat...
Apr 10, 2024•6 min
Purdue was toppled by the defending NCAA men's basketball champions the University of Connecticut Huskies, who now have back-to-back national titles. A new report shows over 1,000 housing discrimination complaints were filed in Indiana over a recent five-year period. A change to Indiana’s law governing alternate diplomas will let more students with disabilities graduate high school. Indiana’s first competitive gubernatorial primary in 20 years features six Republicans who, despite agreeing on ma...
Apr 09, 2024•9 min
A total solar eclipse cast its shadow on Indianapolis for the first time in over 800 years. On today's show we'll hear emotional reactions to the rare celestial event, along with updates from our news team that covered celebrations around the city. Want to go deeper on the stories you hear on WFYI News Now? Visit wfyi.org/news and follow us on social media to get comprehensive analysis and local news daily. Subscribe to WFYI News Now wherever you get your podcasts. Today's episode of WFYI News N...
Apr 08, 2024•7 min
27 groups in Indianapolis will receive more than $5 million to address violence and improve safety throughout the city. A South Korean tech company plans to invest almost $4 billion to build its first U.S. semiconductor plant in Indiana. The number of Indiana military veterans newly enrolled in health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs increased by more than 37 percent in one year. As Indiana continues a shift to solar energy, so too has the relationship between solar energy developers...
Apr 05, 2024•10 min
Linda Neal Reising of New Harmony was named the winner of Indiana Humanities’ eclipse-themed poetry contest. Democrat Jennifer McCormick’s main message in the governor’s race is that after twenty years of Republican control, Indiana is ready for a change. A veterinary tranquilizer being used as a cutting agent in other controlled substances has been linked to a higher risk of overdose. There’s a growing push for programs to help keep seniors in their homes longer. Want to go deeper on the storie...
Apr 04, 2024•9 min
The Black Church Coalition will host an event this Thursday to demand better public safety and revenue investments from Indianapolis’ policymakers. An all-girl charter school was granted final approval Monday night to open in the boundary of the Metropolitan School District of Washington Township. Federal grants awarded to an Indiana organization will help fight housing discrimination. Existing heart screenings can detect issues, and potentially prevent future complications, but medical experts ...
Apr 03, 2024•9 min
Indiana did not make any changes to the vote-by-mail process this past legislative session, but it is still inaccessible to many Hoosiers. A new study found that 50,000 premature deaths and over 100,000 new cases of pediatric asthma were due to pollution in 2019. Purdue University and the Indiana Department of Transportation will start construction this week on a segment of highway that can charge electric semi-trucks as they drive over it. Equitable food access, a movement in Indianapolis, seek...
Apr 02, 2024•10 min
At least fourteen bridge projects in Indianapolis are scheduled for work during the 2024 construction season. All Marion County public schools have either canceled school or will be doing remote learning for the solar eclipse on April 8. The Marion County Public Health Department will hand out free solar eclipse glasses to help view the event safely. Indianapolis police announced late last week they will not be investing in a gunshot detection system. The Girl Scouts of Central Indiana is facing...
Apr 01, 2024•7 min
The Side Effects team looks into safety concerns around the eclipse, as the city prepares for the big day on April 8th. Families in Indianapolis Public Schools must notify the district if they want bus service for their children next school year. The state revealed its first draft of new graduation requirements on Wednesday. The Indiana Democratic Party is focused on flipping at least four seats in the House this year, which would break the supermajority Republicans have had for more than a deca...
Mar 29, 2024•10 min
A new cancer center opened in West Central Indiana. Students and colleges are facing unprecedented delays with the Free Application for Student Aid, or FAFSA. All state universities will now have to report Greek organizations for breaking hazing rules. The latest data from Early Learning Indiana shows that the state only has the capacity to serve about 60 percent of the children who need care. Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita presented a report at a political rally that he says proves the st...
Mar 28, 2024•6 min
Attacks between some of the Republican candidates for governor sharpened last night during the primary’s first televised debate. Tests on children at an Indianapolis school show evidence of long-term damage from lead could be hiding in kids’ bones. Purdue University launched a brand new program last year to bring together artificial intelligence research with practical, real-world applications. A sudden cardiac arrest is when your heart stops pumping blood. It can happen to people who may look h...
Mar 27, 2024•10 min
A WFYI investigation that found some schools aren’t accurately reporting how often they forcibly isolate and restrain students has prompted the passage of a new state law. You have two weeks left to register if you want to vote in this year’s primary election. Recent legislation signed into law could weaken debt protections for Hoosiers. Dylan Peers McCoy spoke with Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education Chris Lowery about college affordability, and why young people are skipping higher educat...
Mar 26, 2024•8 min
