This is the second episode of our new Sunday morning politics show for Indiana without the bad-faith arguments. In this house, we believe Hoosiers from the social democratic left to principled conservatives can talk about big things constructively when MAGA lies are excluded from the discussion.

I had a great panel of guests and we spent about 30 minutes each talking about national news, local news, and one big thing. We’ll be doing this every Sunday morning at 10:30am ET in collaboration with Project Next Media. The livestream will be available at the following locations, and posted here afterward. We hope you’ll join us for some thoughtful conversations.

https://www.facebook.com/ProjectNextIndiana/

https://www.youtube.com/@ProjectNextMovement

https://www.twitch.tv/projectnextmovement

And this is the show outline with links to articles we discussed. We didn’t get to cover everything, but these are the stories we were watching.

National Stories

Biden Diagnosed w/ Aggressive Prostate Cancer: https://www.indystar.com/story/life/health-wellness/2025/05/18/joe-biden-prostate-cancer/83713464007/
- All this while Jake Tapper makes the rounds with his sleazy book: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/23/business/media/jake-tapper-original-sin-biden-book.html
Fascism Watch:
- DOJ Charges NJ Congresswoman For ICE Protest: https://www.npr.org/2025/05/20/g-s1-67870/justice-charges-new-jersey-immigration
- Concentration Camps. This is What They’re Describing: https://theintercept.com/2025/05/15/trump-ice-immigrants-deport-prisons-cecot-libya
- Still More Terrible Deportation News: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c0lnnk5ld5lo
- Well, certain immigrants get the red carpet: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/marco-rubio-afrikaner-refugee-resettlement/
- Also along those lines: https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/under-attack-by-trump-south-africas-ramaphosa-responds-with-trade-deal-offer-2025-05-21/
- Trump Moves to Ban Harvard from Enrolling International Students: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c05768jmm11o
- Authoritarian Purge at National Security Council: https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/23/politics/national-security-council-administrative-leave-trump
“Big, Beautiful Bill” “Largest Transfer of Wealth in American History”: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/05/big-beautiful-transfer-of-wealth/682885/
Trump’s “Golden Dome”, Banks, Indiana Connections: Good Transition to Indiana Section https://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2025/05/20/indiana-donald-trump-jim-banks-golden-dome-missile-defense-l3harris-crane-base/83752616007/

Around the Corn: Indiana Stories

State Executes Inmate: https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2025/05/20/state-executes-death-row-inmate-benjamin-ritchie-for-fatal-shooting-of-police-officer/
- And it maybe wasn’t humane: https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/2025/05/20/state-executes-death-row-inmate-benjamin-ritchie-for-fatal-shooting-of-police-officer/
IU Closes DEI Program Effective Immediately https://fox59.com/indiana-news/indiana-university-closes-dei-offices-effective-immediately/
Vigilante Anderson Cop Gets in Indy Shootout with Suspects: https://fox59.com/news/indycrime/impd-shots-fired-investigation-leads-to-large-police-presence-on-near-east-side/
Is Mike Pence Still Relevant? https://www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2025/05/18/will-mike-pence-run-for-president-again/83710236007/?tbref=hp
Racist Harassment at Fever Game: https://sports.yahoo.com/wnba/article/wnba-condemns-alleged-hateful-fan-comments-after-angel-reese-reportedly-targeted-at-fever-game-181854773.html
Colts Owner Irsay Dead at 65: https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/nfl/colts/2025/05/21/colts-owner-jim-irsay-dies-at-65/4784133002/

One Big Thing

Destiny Wells/Jim Banks Photo Stirs Controversy (see comments): https://www.facebook.com/wellsforindiana/photos/a-bite-to-eat-with-jim-banks-after-a-5k-runruck-in-fort-wayne-honoring-americas-/708403548403741/?_rdr
Wells/Banks Controversy, Obligations as a Public Figure. Trying to walk a really tight line here - I don’t want this conversation to be about Destiny per se, but use that picture and the vitriol it inspired to launch into a discussion about purity tests, labels, crapping on our own people over one area of disagreement, symbolic gestures vs actual core beliefs, etc. I want unity at the end of the day because we’ll need it to defeat the fascists, and that’s what I hope we can all drive at.

Progressive Indiana Network

HoosLeft This Week 5/25/25