Indiana Public Media • 23rd September 2025

Tucker Carlson to speak at IU after death of TPUSA co-founder Charlie Kirk

Conservative commentator Tucker Carlson will replace Charlie Kirk as a speaker at Indiana University on Oct. 21 as part of Turning Point USA's “American Comeback Tour.”According to the organization’s website, Turning Points student program aims to educate young people about limited government, free markets, and individual freedom. The group has a presence on more than 3,000 college and high school campuses, including IU, and encourages students to take on leadership roles while promoting America...

News - Indiana Public Media • 22nd September 2025

Suit asks court to reconsider ‘All Lives Matter’ mural

Indiana Public Media • 17th September 2025

Corn prices rise despite record harvest forecast

Corn prices are moving higher even as the USDA projects a record harvest of nearly 17 billion bushels this fall.Geoff Cooper, president and CEO of the Renewable Fuels Association (RFA), said ethanol demand is a key driver. “Ethanol is helping to keep a floor under corn prices right now,” Cooper said. “We’re on pace to make a record amount of ethanol this year, which means we’re going to use a record amount of corn—about 5.6 or 5.7 billion bushels.”The U.S. Energy Department reports ethanol expor...

Indiana Public Media • 16th September 2025

Childhood obesity in Indiana: experts call for urgent action

September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, and new data from the Indiana Youth Institute (IYI), in partnership with Jump IN for Healthy Kids, show that childhood obesity in Indiana is a growing concern. Tami Silverman, CEO of IYI, discussed the findings and potential solutions in her latest column Understanding and Addressing Childhood Obesity in Indiana.The report, Weight Trends Among Children and Adolescents within Central Indiana, finds that one in five Indiana children ages 2 t...

Indiana Public Media • 15th September 2025

Indiana farm fatalities rise, highest in five years

Indiana recorded 28 farm-related fatalities in 2024, according to Purdue University’s Agricultural Safety and Health Program. That’s the highest total in five years and nearly double the 15 deaths documented in 2023.Tractors were the leading cause, involved in 12 deaths. Victims under the age of 18 and over 60 accounted for 67 percent of cases. The average age of victims was 57.6, slightly higher than that of the average Indiana farmer at 55.5.Purdue has monitored farm-related fatalities in the...

Indiana Public Media • 10th September 2025

IU launches first-of-its-kind research on female athletes

Indiana University, in collaboration with Indiana Sports Corp and Pacers Sports & Entertainment, has announced the Female Sports Performance and Research Initiative — a first-of-its-kind program dedicated to women’s health, performance, and recovery in athletics.IU Launch Accelerator for Biosciences (LAB) President and CEO David Rosenberg said Indiana is uniquely positioned to lead the effort, pointing to the state’s history of hosting major sporting events and the surging popularity of women’s...

Indiana Public Media • 9th September 2025

Perdue Farms to lay off nearly 300 workers at Washington facility

Perdue Farms has announced it will lay off nearly 300 employees at its Washington, Ind. facility next month.In a notice to the state, the company said it is eliminating the second production shift at the Daviess County turkey processing location beginning Oct. 10. A total of 293 workers will be affected.According to the WARN notice with the Indiana Department of Workforce Development, affected workers will receive pay and benefits through Nov. 2, their official separation date. Employees will no...

Indiana Public Media • 3rd September 2025

Martinsville VA clinic to close, new Bloomington facility opens Sept. 15

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will close its Martinsville VA Clinic on September 12, ahead of the opening of a new facility in Bloomington three days later.The larger clinic is designed to expand services for veterans across southern Indiana. VA officials say the move follows the expiration of the Martinsville site’s lease and the completion of the I-69 corridor, which improves access to Bloomington. The new location is about a 20-minute drive from Martinsville.“This is a significant s...

Indiana Public Media • 2nd September 2025

Scooters less visible on IU campus, but Bloomington fleet numbers remain steady

Some IU students and staff said they have noticed fewer scooters around campus this year. But Bloomington transportation officials said the number of scooters and e-bikes in the city has stayed about the same since last fall.Jeffrey Jackson, Bloomington’s transportation demand manager, said Bird is the city’s only operator since Lime left in 2024.“For the last year, with Bird being the only operator that is licensed to provide e-bikes and e-scooters in Bloomington, there’s been 500 … prior to th...

Indiana Public Media • 27th August 2025

Bloomington City Council examines 2026 budget needs

The Bloomington City Council held 2026 budget hearings this week, highlighting the city’s funding challenges and future infrastructure needs.The Community and Family Resources Department (CFRD) opened its presentation with concerns about the loss of federal pandemic relief. Director Shatoyia Moss told council members the expiration of American Rescue Plan Act funding has left gaps.“We had about $300,000 in ARPA funds left that were reverted back to the general fund,” she said. “That money was su...

Indiana Public Media • 31st July 2025

Youth advocate applauds laws on school attendance, teacher pay

Several new Indiana education laws took effect this month, aimed at improving student attendance, career readiness, and teacher retention. The Indiana Youth Institute (IYI) said these changes could bring measurable improvements—especially for students facing chronic absenteeism and those seeking affordable postsecondary options.Tami Silverman, president and CEO of IYI, said chronic absenteeism remains one of the state’s most urgent educational challenges—especially for students in K–12.“One in f...

Indiana Public Media • 28th July 2025

Bloomington to host ADA 35th anniversary celebration

The City of Bloomington will celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with a free public event from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at Fernandez Plaza outside City Hall, near the Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market.Hosted by the city’s Council for Community Accessibility (CCA), the event will feature informational booths, games, prizes, and local resources for residents.The celebration is family-friendly and open to all, with the goal of raising awareness about acces...

Indiana Public Media • 23rd July 2025

Wastewater data signals possible COVID uptick

While COVID-19 cases are climbing in other parts of the country, one Indiana public health expert said Monroe County is likely just a few weeks behind.Graham McKeen, a public health advisor and former IU Health director, said the current uptick is typical of seasonal summer trends, though it’s arriving a little later than last year.“We’re not seeing as much here locally—at least not as of yet,” McKeen said. “But the wastewater data has gone up a little in the last couple of weeks.”McKeen said wa...

Indiana Public Media • 21st July 2025

Geels elected Monroe County Democratic Chair

Chrissie Geels has been elected chair of the Monroe County Democratic Party, following the June resignation of former chair Samuel Ujdak. Geels, who previously served as vice chair, was elected by precinct chairs and vice chairs during a caucus Sunday at Bloomington City Hall.In her candidacy letter, Geels pointed to recent grassroots organizing and community outreach, writing, “We’re not just talking about change; we’re making it happen.”She takes over as the party prepares to expand its organi...

Indiana Public Media • 8th July 2025

Southern Monroe Water proposes nearly 46% rate hike

Southern Monroe Water Corporation is requesting a nearly 46 percent rate increase that would affect about 3,500 residential customers in Monroe County.If approved, monthly bills for a customer using 4,000 gallons of water would rise from $31.40 to $45.68.The Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor, or OUCC, is reviewing the request and scheduled to file its recommendation with the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission by Sept 15. OUCC spokesperson Anthony Swinger said rate cases are evaluat...

Indiana Public Media • 7th July 2025

Bloomington will award violence reduction grants

The City of Bloomington is accepting applications for 2025 Violence Reduction Grants, which will provide $150,000 to neighborhood-based efforts to reduce violence.The grants are open to a wide range of organizations serving Bloomington, including nonprofits, faith communities, resident councils, and neighborhood associations. Programs on prevention, intervention, and education—particularly those serving youth or targeting retaliatory violence—will receive priority.“We’re trying to give people ac...

Indiana Public Media • 30th June 2025

How Bloomington residents can apply for sustainability grants

The City of Bloomington will help residents lead grassroots climate action in their own neighborhoods. Applications are now open for the 2025 Sustainable Neighborhoods Grant, with up to $1,000 available per project on a rolling basis.The grant supports small-scale initiatives that align with Bloomington's Climate Action Plan, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 25% below 2018 levels by 2030 and to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. Eligible projects range from compost bins and rain ga...

Indiana Public Media • 25th June 2025

Indiana youth tobacco use at its lowest in decades

Youth tobacco use in Indiana has reached a historic low, according to the 2024 Indiana Youth Tobacco Survey by the Indiana Department of Health.Fewer than 1 percent of high school students reported currently smoking cigarettes — a drop from nearly 32 percent in 2000.E-cigarette use is also at its lowest level since tracking began in 2012. It’s down to 5 percent from a peak of 18.5 percent in 2018.Miranda Spitznagle, director of tobacco prevention and cessation at the Indiana Department of Health...