SUMMARY:
On this week’s edition of HoosLeft This Week, Scott Aaron Rogers is joined by Democratic State House District 81 candidate Sharon Wight and political commentator Reece Axel Adams for a two-hour tour through another week that rewrote itself daily. The panel opens on Iran — where a peace deal keeps being announced and immediately contradicted by new airstrikes, with Netanyahu’s government making clear it has no intention of being bound by any US-Iran agreement — before turning to the economy, where inflation hit a three-year high and Trump responded by saying “I love the inflation,” even as 38% of Hoosier households can’t afford basic necessities and Elon Musk became the world’s first trillionaire on the back of a wildly overvalued SpaceX IPO that will soon land in millions of Americans’ 401(k)s. The show then covers Musk’s role in stoking anti-immigrant riots in Northern Ireland, the administration’s exclusive six-month streak of admitting only white South African refugees, and the House’s $70 billion blank check to ICE — before pivoting to the intersection of politics and sports: a World Cup already disrupted by Trump’s travel ban and a UFC fight staged on the White House South Lawn to celebrate Trump’s 80th birthday. From there, the show addresses Trump pulling Bill Pulte’s DNI nomination in favor of Jay Clayton; Bill Gates’ House Oversight testimony on his Epstein relationship and the Haberman/Swan book detailing Situation Room panic over the files; Indiana’s school funding crisis, the IU Indianapolis lecturer fired for showing a white supremacy pyramid, and the state’s $8-billion-plus data center tax giveaway, with Madison County’s moratorium vote as a rare counter-example; Indiana’s proposed primary closure and the voter registration purge of naturalized citizens; primary results from Nevada, North Dakota, South Carolina, Maine (Graham Platner’s win), and updates from California (Nithya Raman comes from behind in LA and Becerra to face Hilton). We finish with a look at media consolidation, capitlal punishment, and climate — including the Alabama nitrogen gas death penalty case, Minnesota assassin Vance Boelter’s guilty plea , Indiana’s secret execution policy, another Hoosier tornado outbreak, Lake Mead drying up, and alarming new research on the collapse of an important ocean current.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
00:00:33 — Intro: Welcome, Housekeeping & Guest Introductions
00:05:37 — Iran “Deal” Watch: Escalation, Kharg Island Threats, and Charlie Brown’s Football
00:15:50 — Economy: Inflation at a 3-Year High, Hoosier Farm Losses, and Musk’s Trillion-Dollar Bubble
00:28:01 — Musk, Belfast Riots, White Afrikaner Refugees, and the $70 Billion ICE Blank Check
00:39:50 — World Cup, Trump’s UFC Birthday Party, Bread & Circuses
00:46:35 — Bill Pulte Out, Jay Clayton In: The DNI Nomination Shuffle
00:52:22 — Epstein: Bill Gates Testifies, the Haberman/Swan Book, and Lesley Groff
01:01:35 — Indiana Schools: IPS Referendum, IU East Charter School, and the Pyramid of White Supremacy
01:10:10 — Data Centers: Indiana’s $8 Billion Giveaway, DC Blox, Eagle Creek, and Madison County’s Moratorium
01:19:27 — Indiana Elections: Closed Primaries, Voter Registration Purges, and Diego Morales
01:25:38 — Tuesday Primaries: Nevada, North Dakota, South Carolina, Maine, and California Results
01:37:31 — Media: Trump Storms Off Meet the Press, and the Paramount/Warner Bros. Merger
01:44:02 — Capital Punishment: Alabama Nitrogen Gas Ruling, Vance Boelter’s Plea, and Indiana’s Secret Executions
01:50:41 — Climate: Indiana’s 30 Tornadoes, Lake Mead Crisis, and the AMOC Cold Blob
01:57:42 — Outro: Guest Plugs and Sign-Off
IN DEPTH:
Iran War
Sun: Iran fires missiles at Israel after Beirut attack ‘crossed all red lines’ (Al Jazeera)
Iran launched a ballistic missile barrage at Israel Sunday night, targeting the Ramat David airbase, after Israel struck Beirut’s southern suburbs killing at least two civilians — the IRGC called it “a warning” and threatened broader attacks on “all American-Zionist targets” if strikes continue.
Israel’s military said it intercepted all missiles; Trump immediately called Netanyahu to tell him not to retaliate, saying “each of them had their fun” and warning that a counter-strike would blow up the Iran peace deal he says is nearly done.
A senior US official told Israeli media “we’re not in this” regarding any new escalation — a significant signal that US backing for Israeli military action has limits.
Iran’s top negotiator threatened to halt peace talks entirely and move to “direct confrontation” if ceasefire violations continue — putting the US-Iran deal in serious jeopardy over Israeli actions the US cannot fully control.
Mon: Israel and Iran step back from renewed conflict after Trump calls for halt (Guardian)
Israel and Iran stepped back from full escalation Monday after Trump demanded they stop — but Netanyahu vowed to respond “with force” to any future attack, and Israel struck Iranian petrochemical and air defense sites across multiple cities.
Trump warned Netanyahu: “Bibi, you better be careful, or you will be on your own very soon.”
The Houthis fired missiles at Israel and threatened to block Red Sea shipping — potentially closing both major oil chokepoints simultaneously.
Oil spiked 5% on the exchange before easing; Iran’s demands remain unchanged: Lebanon ceasefire, frozen assets, Hormuz management, delayed nuclear talks.
One analyst’s read on Israel’s escalation: Netanyahu sent Washington a message that no Iran deal flies if it ignores Israeli interests — Israel can always “overturn the table.”
Tue: US and Iran launch airstrikes after Trump blames Tehran for downing Army helicopter (AP)
An Army Apache helicopter went down near the Strait of Hormuz after colliding with an Iranian drone — both crew members were rescued uninjured in what the military says is the first-ever drone boat rescue at sea.
Trump blamed Iran and launched airstrikes on air defense, radar, and ground control sites; Iran retaliated with attacks on Bahrain, Kuwait, and reportedly Jordan, further shredding the April ceasefire.
Whether the collision was intentional or accidental remains under investigation — Iran called it a hazard of operating near their territory and told US forces to “leave our region if you want to be safe.”
This escalation comes one day after Israel and Iran exchanged fire for the first time since the ceasefire, and as peace talks remain deadlocked over Iran’s refusal to surrender its enriched uranium and the US refusal to unfreeze assets pre-deal.
Wed: US launches new strikes on Iran, which fires back at Gulf states (AP)
The US launched a second round of airstrikes on Iran overnight — the third exchange of fire this week — hitting surveillance, communications, and air defense sites across Tehran, Bandar Abbas, and southern Iran; Iran responded with strikes on Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan.
Trump revealed a “secret mission” to sneak oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz at night, aided by destruction of Iranian radar — claiming over 100 million barrels have slipped through, though the military gave no confirmation of the figure.
The US also disabled an eighth merchant vessel, the M/T Settebello, firing into its engine room as it attempted to breach the blockade — India says three of its sailors are missing.
Oil hit $93 a barrel, up more than 25% since the war began; Iran’s UN envoy told the Security Council the country “has never negotiated under threats and will never submit to pressure.”
A Qatari delegation arrived in Tehran for mediation talks even as the strikes continued — both sides appear to want a deal but can’t sell the necessary concessions at home.
Thu: Trump calls off latest threats to strike Iran, cites breakthrough in talks to end the war (AP)
Trump announced a “great settlement of the war with Iran” Thursday afternoon — hours after threatening to hit Iran “VERY HARD TONIGHT” and seize control of its oil industry — saying a ceasefire extension is nearly finalized “over the next few days.”
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said mediators are active but “nothing has been finalized” and contradictions in the US position have caused turbulence — a notably cool response to Trump’s victory lap.
Trump’s threat to seize Kharg Island, through which 90% of Iranian oil exports pass, lasted only hours before he told Fox News: “I don’t know that America has the stomach for it, to be honest.”
The US disabled its ninth merchant vessel enforcing the blockade — and India confirmed three of its sailors were killed when the US struck the M/T Settebello Tuesday, drawing condemnation from the International Maritime Organization.
Netanyahu’s office said explicitly that Israel is not a party to the emerging US-Iran agreement — a significant signal given that Iranian demands include an end to the Lebanon fighting Israel has no intention of stopping.
Fri: US and Iran have agreed to wording of a deal to end their war, Pakistan’s prime minister says (AP)
Pakistan’s PM Sharif says the US and Iran have agreed to final text of a deal ending the war “on all fronts, including Lebanon” — Iran’s FM Araghchi called it the closest peace has ever been, and Trump shared Araghchi’s post approvingly.
Key terms reportedly include: beginning removal/destruction of Iran’s enriched uranium (nuclear details finalized within 60 days after signing), reopening the Strait of Hormuz, phased sanctions relief, and unfreezing Iranian assets — though Iran wants to keep charging ships tolls to transit the strait, which the US calls illegal.
Even as the deal was announced, US Central Command said it intercepted Iranian attack drones targeting ships in the strait late Friday — underscoring how fragile this remains. The deal is being brokered primarily by Pakistan with Saudi, Turkish, Egyptian, and Qatari backing; a signing ceremony is expected within days.
Israel is explicitly not part of the deal — Netanyahu says he and Trump agree Iran can’t have nukes, but Israel’s defense minister warned Israel could act independently and won’t withdraw from Lebanon, Syria, Gaza, or West Bank refugee camp zones it occupies.
Sun: Iran war live: Trump says deal to be signed today; Israel hits south Beirut (Al Jazeera)
US President Donald Trump says a deal to stop the war on Iran could be signed as early as Sunday. Tehran has disputed the timeline but says the signing could happen in the “coming days”.
Israel has renewed air attacks on the southern suburbs of Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, despite a “ceasefire”.
Latest Israeli attack on Beirut could be ‘huge setback’ for deal
Israel Front
Amnesty accuses Israel’s government of ‘ethnic cleansing’ of Palestinians from the West Bank (AP)
Amnesty International released a 149-page report accusing Israel of carrying out state-sanctioned “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians from the West Bank, arguing the forced displacement is government policy — not just rogue settler violence.
The numbers are stark: over 100 West Bank villages fully or partially emptied since January 2023; 212 of at least 363 illegal settler outposts created since October 2023; settlers have taken control of roughly 12.5% of West Bank territory Palestinians can no longer safely access.
Netanyahu’s coalition is dominated by settler leaders actively pushing formal annexation — the Knesset recently made the death penalty the default punishment for West Bank Palestinians convicted of killing Israelis.
Israel did not immediately respond to the report; it has previously dismissed such accusations as reflecting bias against it.
Economy
Trump says ‘I love the inflation’ as annual rate jumps to a 3-year high (NBC)
Annual inflation hit 4.2% in May — the highest since early 2023 — with real wages falling 0.7% year-over-year, the largest decline since February 2023. Inflation is now outpacing wage growth for the second consecutive month.
Trump’s response: “You know what I really love? I love the inflation. You know why? Because as soon as this war is over, it’s going to come down like a rock.”
He later claimed he was taken out of context — what he loved was that inflation wasn’t higher. His own speaker backed him up while acknowledging gas prices “are still a pain point.”
The political damage is already done: 68% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of inflation, and Trump’s approval hit a second-term low in April with the economy as voters’ top concern.
Indiana Angle:
Indiana farmers have lost $607M from China trade dispute, new report shows (FOX59)
A new North Dakota State University study finds Indiana farmers lost roughly $607 million in agricultural exports during the latest US-China trade dispute — the 9th-hardest-hit state nationally.
Soybeans took by far the largest national hit ($6.8 billion of the $14.9 billion total loss from March 2025 to February 2026), followed by beef ($1.3B), cotton ($1.3B), tree nuts ($964M), and corn ($333M).
Indiana’s soybean and corn farmers have been hit hardest in-state — consistent with earlier reporting on soybean losses last September — and researchers say the impact hasn’t let up.
More than 1 million Hoosiers can’t afford basic necessities, United Way report finds (WFIE)
A new United Way of Indiana report finds 38% of Hoosier households — over 1 million — can’t afford basic necessities, with costs again outpacing inflation.
The 2024 ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained and Employed) Essentials Index puts the minimum cost to live in Indiana for a family of four (two adults, an infant, a preschooler) at $74,028 — more than double the federal poverty level of $31,200, which the report calls outdated since its 1960s methodology hasn’t been updated.
The racial disparity is stark: 55% of Black households and 43% of Hispanic and multicultural households fall below the ALICE threshold, compared to 36% of white households.
These are working families — United Way’s framing: “ALICE families are the backbone of our communities — the caregivers, delivery drivers and essential workers we rely on every day.”
What Elon Musk’s trillion means in real terms (AP)
Elon Musk became the world’s first trillionaire Friday, with Forbes putting his net worth at $1.1 trillion after SpaceX’s market debut — up from $342 billion last year and $195 billion in 2024.
For scale: $1 trillion divided among everyone on Earth would be about $122 per person; it’s more than double South Africa’s entire GDP; it would buy roughly 2.5 million median-priced US homes, or at Friday’s gas prices, over 243 billion gallons of fuel — more than the US used in all of last year.
The combined net worth of the next four richest people on Earth — Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Bezos, and Larry Ellison — totals about $1.05 trillion, still less than Musk alone.
The SpaceX IPO Fraud: Truly Out of This World. (UNFTR)
SpaceX lists on Nasdaq June 12 at $135/share, valuing the company at $1.77 trillion — the largest IPO in US history, raising roughly $74.4 billion.
Morningstar put fair value at $780 billion, 56% below the IPO price. The space segment posted a $657 million operating loss in 2025; the connectivity segment (Starlink) is profitable – $11 billion in revenue with $4.4 billion to the bottom line, though the average revenue for a Nasdaq 100 listed company is somewhere between $30–$35 billion. The AI segment (Grok/xAI) spent $9.5 billion to generate $3.2 billion in revenue, with operating losses widening 307% year-over-year.
The S-1 claims a $28.5 trillion total addressable market — comparable to total US GDP — with $22.7 trillion of that attributed to “enterprise AI applications” that don’t currently generate revenue.
Musk secured a Nasdaq “fast entry rule” letting SpaceX join the Nasdaq 100 in 15 trading days instead of up to a year, meaning index funds (and many 401(k)s) will hold the stock passively. Early insiders — including a16z, a Saudi prince, and Jack Dorsey — can begin selling 20% of their stakes after the first earnings call.
The risk factors section includes admissions that several of the claimed markets (lunar economy, Mars transport, orbital AI compute at scale) “do not exist today,” and that Grok faces an active FTC child-safety inquiry and a GDPR investigation in Ireland.
ICE/Immigration
Not just the US: Elon Musk under fire for stoking anti-immigrant riots in Belfast (NBC)
A second night of anti-immigrant riots in Belfast saw masked men torch houses and vehicles hunting for anyone they believed to be an immigrant — sparked by a brutal stabbing of a local man (now in a coma, having lost an eye) by a Sudanese national charged with attempted murder.
Elon Musk repeatedly amplified the unrest on X, posting “Murderous migrants beheading innocent people in their home town is what’s making people angry, not ‘social media’!” and reposting claims that Starmer “hates white people” alongside an image of the Black suspect captioned “millions must go.”
Northern Ireland’s first minister condemned “the Elon Musks of this world... sitting comfy in their homes, orchestrating hate and tension”; 12 officers were injured and 16 people arrested.
The victim’s own family asked people not to exploit the attack for political violence, stressing migrants’ “valuable contribution” to society — and a migration researcher noted Northern Ireland’s minority population (3.4%) is far below the UK average (18.3%), undercutting the riots’ premise.
US Accepts Only White Refugees For Sixth Consecutive Month (Mother Jones)
Since October 1, 2025, the US has admitted 6,668 refugees — 6,665 of them white South Africans, three from Afghanistan, zero from anywhere else — for six consecutive months.
The annual refugee cap was cut to 7,500, down from Biden’s 125,000 limit, with a September presidential memo directing that admissions “shall primarily be among Afrikaners.”
The administration is spending an estimated $100 million to resettle an additional 10,000 white South Africans, citing an “emergency refugee situation” — while simultaneously cutting aid to South Africa and blocking refugees from everywhere else on earth.
Tom Homan threatens to flood New York City with ICE agents: ‘More than you have ever seen’ (Independent)
Homan threatened to flood NYC with more ICE agents “than you’ve ever seen” in retaliation for New York’s new sanctuary provisions — timing it as the city hosts the NBA Finals and World Cup.
New York’s new law bars local police from cooperating with ICE, prohibits agents from entering state property without a warrant, and bans masked agents in public interactions.
Hochul’s warning to the administration: “If they come here with a surge in ICE, there won’t be a Republican standing in this state.”
Context: the White House pulled back from exactly this kind of surge earlier this year after ICE fatally shot two Minnesota protesters in January — Kristi Noem was fired shortly after.
House Republicans approve $70bn bill for Trump’s immigration crackdown (Guardian)
The House passed the Secure America Act 214-212, sending Trump a $70 billion bill funding ICE, CBP, and DHS through September 2029 — ending a 75-day DHS shutdown that began after federal agents killed two US citizens in Minneapolis.
Democrats unanimously opposed it; Jeffries called it “a blank check to ICE without any guardrails, any oversight, any accountability.”
The bill was stripped of $1 billion for Trump’s White House ballroom after the Senate parliamentarian ruled it couldn’t be included under budget reconciliation — and Democrats’ attempt to block J6 rioters from receiving anti-weaponization fund payouts was voted down just before final passage.
Sports
A warm World Cup welcome? U.S. immigration policies have chilling effect (NPR)
Trump’s immigration policies are already disrupting the World Cup: a decorated Somali referee was denied entry at Miami with no explanation, an Iraqi team photographer was turned away at O’Hare, Iran’s team was barred from staying overnight in the US and forced to base in Tijuana, and over 40 Moroccan fan association members with tickets and hotel bookings were denied visas.
Four World Cup nations — Iran, Haiti, Côte d’Ivoire, and Senegal — are on the US travel ban list; 19 countries have had all visa issuances suspended entirely.
FIFA’s response was essentially a shrug: “A host government ultimately determines who receives a visa.” One sports politics professor called it raising “the surrender flag.”
The US opening match at SoFi Stadium this Friday still hasn’t sold out — a striking signal for the host nation’s flagship game.
Plaintiffs call UFC 250 event a ‘volcano of corruption’ in bid to halt White House fights (MSNOW)
Plaintiffs suing to block this weekend’s UFC fights on the White House South Lawn called the event a “volcano of corruption,” citing million-dollar VIP packages, branding rights near the Lincoln Memorial, and an exclusive Paramount Plus streaming deal — Paramount Skydance being run by Trump allies Larry and David Ellison.
The lawsuit notes Trump reportedly bought stock in UFC’s parent company this spring and stands to benefit directly from what would be the first private, for-profit sporting event ever held on White House grounds.
The event coincides with Trump’s 80th birthday Sunday: a Friday press conference at the Lincoln Memorial, a Saturday weigh-in at the Ellipse with a Zac Brown Band concert, and seven UFC matches on the South Lawn Sunday in a structure built for the event called “the Claw.”
The administration calls the suit meritless and the timing “inexcusable” given the event was announced nearly a year ago — arguing plaintiffs lack standing and are seeking out things to be offended by. A judge has not yet ruled.
Trump Family, UFC Selling $12,000 ‘Freedom 250’-Themed Coins Ahead Of White House Fight Night (HuffPost)
The Trump Organization — run by sons Eric and Donald Jr. — is partnering with UFC to sell “Freedom 250” commemorative coins ranging from roughly $250 to $12,000, featuring Trump’s face and signature alongside Dana White’s portrait, timed to drop just before Sunday’s White House fight card.
Trump Coins claims the Trump Organization doesn’t manufacture or sell the medallions, though how much the family financially benefits from the “partnership” remains unclear.
This comes as Trump separately bought stock in UFC’s parent company ahead of an event airing on a streaming platform run by a Trump-aligned CEO — while gas prices climb and economic optimism craters amid the Iran war.
Trump Pulls Pulte
Trump nominates Jay Clayton as top US intelligence official after pushback on Bill Pulte (Guardian)
Trump nominated Jay Clayton — former SEC chair turned Manhattan US attorney — as permanent DNI, after widespread bipartisan criticism of the Bill Pulte appointment. Like Pulte, Clayton has zero operational intelligence experience.
The pressure was real: Section 702 of FISA, the post-9/11 warrantless surveillance authority, lapses Friday, and the House just failed to pass a short-term extension amid the Pulte controversy.
Senate Intel vice-chair Mark Warner called Clayton “capable” but said the Senate won’t move on FISA until Pulte is guaranteed out of the acting DNI role entirely. Schumer was blunter: “Pulte has to go. He cannot be in the DNI role.”
Worth a note for opposition research: Clayton’s SEC nomination drew scrutiny over his Wall Street conflicts, including defending Deutsche Bank in a Russian oligarch sanctions-evasion case settled for $425 million ten days into Trump’s first term.
Epstein
Bill Gates appears for Jeffrey Epstein interview. Here’s what we know (PBS)
Bill Gates testified before House Oversight Wednesday, appearing in DOJ Epstein documents more than 3,000 times — his name keeps surfacing alongside an even more startling figure: his friend and Gates Foundation adviser Boris Nikolic appears more than 14,000 times.
Gates says he met Epstein in 2011 — after Epstein had already pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from a minor — and maintains the relationship was purely about Epstein’s promised philanthropy connections, calling it a “grave error in judgment.”
The files include Epstein emails referencing Gates’s affairs and an “std,” allegedly written to pressure Gates into staying engaged with him. Gates told staff the affairs were with two Russian women and unrelated to Epstein’s network; he says he cut Epstein off in December 2014 once he realized “Epstein would never deliver” on the philanthropy promises.
Melinda French Gates has separately described meeting Epstein once: “He was abhorrent. He was evil personified. I had nightmares about it afterward.” The Gates Foundation has commissioned an external review of its past engagement with Epstein.
Inside Trump team’s Epstein files fumble: Situation room meetings, rushing out influencer binders and MAGA divided (Independent)
A new Haberman/Swan book describes the chaos behind the February 2025 White House influencer briefing, where Bondi’s staff distributed unvetted Epstein files binders — and within pages, an official found Trump’s name. Aides reportedly rushed influencers out under an embargo, but they’d already been photographed leaving with the binders.
The book describes a furious confrontation where then-FBI deputy director Dan Bongino told Bondi she’d “fucked this thing up from the start” over the DOJ’s “nothing to see here” memo — then stormed out of a Situation Room meeting after refusing to back the administration’s response plan, though he ultimately stayed on.
Vance reportedly led a separate Situation Room meeting where he called the situation “a huge problem,” privately pushed for full document release, and worried about losing young male voters over it — while the WSJ’s bawdy Trump-Epstein birthday card story broke mid-meeting (Trump’s $10 billion defamation suit over that story was later dismissed).
Trump personally called Charlie Kirk to scold him after a Turning Point event turned into an “Epstein grievance fest” — Kirk announced he was “done talking about Epstein” the next day.
White House response: spokeswoman Abigail Jackson says Trump has been “totally exonerated” and has “done more for Epstein’s victims than anyone before him.”
Group of Epstein survivors announce opposition to Todd Blanche’s attorney general nomination (CNN)
19 Epstein survivors publicly opposed Todd Blanche’s AG nomination, citing his participation in Situation Room meetings where the administration treated the files release as “a reputational problem, rather than an opportunity to pursue investigative leads.”
Their statement was blunt: “Blanche failed to deliver transparency, and he has gravely failed survivors. This is failing upward, plain and simple.”
DOJ has released about 3 million files compelled by Congress — but roughly 3 million more remain unreleased, and Bondi has been unable to fully explain why.
House Oversight Chair Comer — a Republican — says he’ll ask Blanche to testify in July and met privately with about a dozen survivors this week, who told him some witness testimony has been inaccurate and pushed for sworn, recorded interviews going forward.
What the Epstein files say about Lesley Groff, his long time assistant (NewsNation)
Lesley Groff — Epstein’s longtime executive assistant, mentioned over 130,000 times in the DOJ files and more than anyone else — testified before the House Oversight Committee Tuesday as part of its ongoing Epstein investigation.
Groff worked for Epstein for nearly two decades, continuing even after his 2008 felony conviction for soliciting a minor; documents show she coordinated scheduling of “massages” and was described in a DOJ memo as helping facilitate meetings on Epstein’s behalf.
Epstein survivor Danielle Bensky told NewsNation that Groff was the point of contact for most victims in the 2000s — scheduling calls and texts — and questions whether Groff could have been unaware of what she was arranging: “I sincerely don’t know how it would be possible to be that oblivious.”
Groff has not been charged with any crime — her attorney says she cooperated fully with investigators and was never considered a co-conspirator; she was also named in Epstein’s 2007 non-prosecution agreement shielding potential co-conspirators from charges.
The DOJ files show Groff arranged for girls to be picked up from high schools to give Epstein “massages” — victims ranged from approximately 14 to 17 years old, with most being 15 or 16 when recruited.
Education
Why Indiana school districts are rushing to put tax referendums on the November ballot (WFYI)
Indiana voters could face 40-50 school tax referendums on the November ballot — far more than usual — driven by two 2025 state law changes: SEA 1’s property tax deduction increases that will drain an estimated $338 million from school districts by 2028, and a new rule limiting referendum votes to November general elections in even years only.
Some districts face genuine cuts, not just slower growth — one school finance official says districts in some areas could receive less property tax revenue in 2029 than they got in 2025, “a real meaningful cut” in an inflationary environment.
Carmel Clay Schools is staring down a $15 million annual gap starting 2027 and may need to cut 197 staff positions if voters don’t approve a new rate.
A new complication: school board members can now declare party affiliation, and superintendents expect organized anti-referendum campaigns — Lt. Gov. Beckwith already campaigned against Avon’s referendum last year, and that playbook is likely to scale up this fall.
Indianapolis homeowners and educators split over new property tax plan for IPS, charter schools (WFYI)
Indianapolis Public Schools faces a $40 million deficit as its 2018 operating referendum expires this year — the new mayor-appointed Indianapolis Public Education Corporation board must decide on a new property tax referendum rate for the November ballot, ranging from roughly the current rate up to nearly triple it.
For a $200,000 home, that means a monthly tax increase of $3 to $25; one homeowner testified his IPS-area property taxes have gone from $4,000 to $13,500 over 23 years — “We are being taxed out of our homes.”
A school principal offered the counterweight: “When resources are reduced, it isn’t the spreadsheet that feels the impact, it’s the child” — her school is already filling gaps in food security and mental health alongside academics.
The IPEC board votes June 22; if approved by voters in November, the revenue would be shared between IPS and charter schools within the district boundary — a notable provision given the ongoing tension between traditional public schools and the charter sector.
IU East set to launch public charter school, local superintendent raises concerns (IPM)
Indiana University East is launching a public charter “microschool” on its Richmond campus this fall, expecting 65 students in its first cohort — with freshmen taking traditional high school courses and juniors eventually earning college credit alongside IU East students.
The local public school superintendent pushed back: losing even 50 students costs his district roughly $350,000 and means cutting teachers — and IU East never consulted local school corporations before announcing the plan.
IU East acknowledged the communication failure but is moving forward anyway.
IU lecturer investigated for intellectual diversity won’t be reappointed (IPM)
An IU Indianapolis social work lecturer investigated last year for showing a “pyramid of white supremacy” graphic in class — which lists “Make America Great Again” as a form of covert white supremacy — will not be reappointed after June 30.
The investigation was triggered by an anonymous student complaint under Indiana’s intellectual diversity law; Adams was removed from her class, placed under observation when she returned, and put on a 30-day improvement plan she calls “absurd” given standard 90-day minimums.
IU says the non-reappointment followed a performance review unrelated to the intellectual diversity sanction; Adams denies the specific conduct cited and says she was never given dates for the allegedly missed classes.
The University Alliance for Racial Justice is calling on IU to “publicly account for the role outside political pressure played in this case.”
Data Centers
Indiana Discloses Massive Data Center Tax Break Costs, thanks to Watchdog Agitation (Good Jobs First)
‘Indiana just disclosed taxpayers are losing over $655 million through these exemptions, according to WTHR-TV. Most of that – $611 million combined for 2024 and 2025 – is going to one corporate giant: Amazon.’
Map: Which States Are Giving Biggest Tax Breaks for Data Centers (Newsweek)
‘Despite Washington and Texas leading in the number of subsidized data center projects, Indiana provided the largest known subsidy package, with an estimated $8.2 billion in incentives tied to Amazon Data Services, per Good Jobs First.’
This contaminated site is ground zero in data center fight. Would it help Irvington? (IndyStar)
A $2 billion, three-building data center campus proposed for Indianapolis’s Irvington neighborhood — on a contaminated former Ford plant brownfield — is dividing the community ahead of a June 11 Metropolitan Development Commission hearing.
The developer’s pitch: the contaminated site can’t be used for housing or parks anyway, it’ll generate five to seven times more tax revenue than other industrial uses, and construction will employ up to 600 union workers at peak — though only about three dozen permanent jobs at full buildout.
The neighborhood’s objection: water consumption, diesel generator noise and pollution near an elementary school, grid strain, and a pattern of development that benefits investors while the community’s actual needs — a grocery store, the shuttered Ransburg YMCA, Irvington Plaza — go unaddressed.
The split between the two councilors captures the broader Indiana data center debate in miniature
‘Councilor Andy Nielsen, who represents Irvington, told IndyStar June 9 that he opposes the data center plan after feedback from neighbors and his own survey of 250 residents that showed about 80% of respondents in opposition.’
‘Councilor Michael-Paul Hart, whose east-side District 20 narrowly includes the site in the Thunderbird Commerce Center, said he’s remaining neutral as he bargains for stronger community benefits from the developer.’
East Indy resident files ethics complaint against councilor (WTHR)
An Indianapolis east side resident has filed an ethics complaint against City-County Councilor Michael-Paul Hart (R-District 20), alleging he failed to properly disclose his outside employment on required annual ethics forms.
Hart listed tech company SHI International as his employer in 2025, but when asked how much the company received from the city, wrote “check with ISA” — and the following year answered “unknown.” City records show SHI held a $6 million contract with the city’s Information Services Agency running through 2027.
The complaint comes amid a contentious hearing over a proposed DC Blox data center in Irvington, which Hart’s district would host — raising conflict-of-interest questions the councilor has declined to address, saying he needs to consult his caucus attorney.
Hart has not been found in violation of any ethics rules; the complainant says she wouldn’t have filed if he’d simply filled out the disclosure forms correctly.
What Indy residents want in new Eagle Creek Reservoir water deal (Mirror Indy)
Indianapolis residents are pushing back on the city’s planned one-year extension of its Eagle Creek Reservoir water withdrawal contract with Citizens Energy Group, which expires July 1 — the Board of Public Works votes June 24.
The core fear: Citizens’ separate deal with Lebanon Utilities to supply the Boone County LEAP data center district could draw down the reservoir, leaving less drinking water for Indianapolis and harming the fish and bird populations that depend on stable water levels.
The current 1971 agreement caps withdrawals at 19.8 million gallons per day, with DPW able to approve variances — Citizens says that’s happened only once, during a June 2012 drought – the city’s driest on record at just 0.09 inches of rain.
The city hired an outside hydrologist to review the contract and LEAP’s potential impact before negotiating a new deal — but residents want enforceable protections now: an online withdrawal-tracking dashboard, extension of the drought ordinance to Lebanon, and guarantees that outside deals don’t override Indianapolis’s water priority.
Madison County Planning Commission voted to send a proposed moratorium on data centers to the County Council (IPR)
In an 8-1 vote, the Madison County Planning Commission voted to send the data center moratorium to the County Council who will make the ultimate decision
The proposed moratorium would halt the development of any data centers for 6 months
According to County Attorney Jeff Graham, there have not yet been any proposals for a data center in Madison County
The meeting was standing room only, with most attendees supporting the moratorium and only a few opposed – including Rob Sparks, Executive Director of the Madison County Economic Development Corporation
One of the people who spoke in favor of the moratorium was Luke Fields who said: “As somebody who is looking to purchase a home within the next two years and currently looking at Anderson for that, looking at Madison County for that, if we end up with these data centers, for us personally that’s going to change.”
Elections
Indiana Angle
Closed primaries are in vogue with Indiana Republicans. But what would they look like? (ICC)
The Copenhaver recount fight over three votes in SD-23 has reignited the push to close Indiana’s primaries — a bill is already being drafted for next session, and a new coalition claims nearly 3,000 signatures.
The irony: Gov. Braun himself repeatedly voted in Democratic primaries before running as a Republican, explaining he did so because Democrats dominated local races in Dubois County — exactly the behavior closed-primary advocates want to ban.
A political science professor put the real motivation plainly: “In today’s politics, these rules changes are intended to help the party proposing them win the next election.”
Crossover voting has a long history in Indiana — including a 2024 billboard campaign urging Democrats to pull Republican ballots — and research on Rush Limbaugh’s 2008 “Operation Chaos” found it had no measurable effect on outcomes anyway.
Indiana rejects or cancels voter registration for 1,625 Hoosiers who are immigrants (WFYI)
Indiana has rejected or canceled voter registrations for more than 62% of immigrant Hoosiers flagged under a 2025 proof-of-citizenship law — 1,625 people purged out of 2,602 cases processed, including people whose notices were returned by the postal service as undeliverable.
The law flags anyone who used a temporary credential number on their registration application, then gives them 30 days to produce a birth certificate, passport, or naturalization papers — documents naturalized citizens have already attested to under penalty of perjury on their registration forms.
Voting rights groups have filed for a preliminary injunction; the state hasn’t even filed a response yet.
Indiana Secretary of State Diego Morales — himself a naturalized citizen — has been an enthusiastic supporter, posting “we have ZERO problems showing proof of citizenship.”
Talarico lands endorsement from lawyer who defended Paxton in impeachment, securities fraud cases (Texas Tribune)
Ken Paxton’s own impeachment defense lawyer, Dan Cogdell, endorsed Democrat James Talarico for the Texas Senate seat — saying Paxton “has lost sight of his core mission” representing Texans.
The Paxton camp’s dismissal: Cogdell is a Democrat who voted in the 2024 Democratic primary — though he also donated $6,500 to Paxton’s Senate campaign before switching to Talarico.
Polling shows Talarico with a narrow lead — a genuinely rare sight for a Democrat in a Texas statewide race.
Tuesday Primaries
Nevada
Jim Hartman: Nevada primary results and analysis (Nevada Appeal)
Trump-endorsed David Flippo won the Nevada CD-2 Republican primary over former State Sen. James Settelmeyer — who had the endorsement of Gov. Joe Lombardo, setting up what Democrats see as their best-ever chance to flip the seat. Flippo is a carpetbagger who rented a Reno house to run in a district where he doesn’t live, lost two previous primaries in other districts, and ran on anti-immigrant and anti-transgender themes. His opponent, former Assembly Majority Leader Teresa Benitez-Thompson, is considered a long shot in a district with a significant Republican registration advantage, but Democrats are encouraged by the matchup.
North Dakota
6 incumbent North Dakota lawmakers ousted in GOP primary (ND Monitor)
Six Republican incumbents lost primary challenges in North Dakota Tuesday, including two of the legislature’s most prominent culture warriors — Rep. Jeff Hoverson, who sponsored a bill requiring Ten Commandments displays in schools, and Rep. Bill Tveit, who led efforts to ban all-gender bathrooms, push a book ban (vetoed by the governor), and urged the Supreme Court to overturn same-sex marriage.
Notably, Gov. Kelly Armstrong — who vetoed the book ban — donated to the campaigns of candidates who defeated Hoverson and Tveit, suggesting the establishment is quietly pushing back against the most extreme culture war legislation.
One Republican incumbent, Rep. Eric Murphy, lost after introducing a bill to soften North Dakota’s abortion ban — it failed 87-6, but was enough to draw a primary challenge from an anti-abortion group-backed candidate who beat him.
South Carolina
Nancy Mace loses GOP primary for South Carolina governor (Politico)
Nancy Mace failed to make the South Carolina GOP gubernatorial runoff — ending her political career as she had given up her House seat to run and told Politico she won’t go back to Congress.
Trump’s late endorsement of Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, paired with millions in negative ads, was enough to sink her; Mace acknowledged she forfeited any chance at Trump’s support by helping force the Epstein files release.
Evette and AG Alan Wilson advance to a June 23 runoff; with her remaining months in the House unencumbered by reelection concerns, Mace could still cause problems for Trump’s legislative agenda on her way out the door.
US Sen. Lindsey Graham defeats 5 GOP challengers to face Dr. Annie Andrews in November (SC Daily Gazette)
Lindsey Graham crushed five GOP challengers with 58% of the vote, avoiding a runoff for the third time in his Senate career — he’ll face Democrat Annie Andrews in November in a state that hasn’t sent a Democrat to the Senate in 28 years.
Graham’s best-funded opponent tried to blame him personally for the Iran war, arguing Graham’s decade-long advocacy for striking Iran directly influenced Trump’s decision — a charge Graham’s alliance with Trump made difficult to fully deflect.
If re-elected, Graham could chair the Senate Judiciary Committee again — he thanked Trump for his endorsement, saying, “I’ll wake up every morning and go to bed every night working with President Trump to put judges on the court.”
Maine
Graham Platner wins Democratic nomination to challenge Susan Collins in November (Maine Public)
Graham Platner won the Maine Democratic Senate primary Tuesday night despite a week of damaging revelations, earning the right to challenge Susan Collins in November in a race that could determine Senate control.
Platner addressed the controversies directly: “This is the state that raised me and this is the state that saved me. I’m still far from perfect, but every day I wake up and try to be a little bit better.”
Gov. Janet Mills finished second despite suspending her campaign in April — some of her surrogates have vowed not to vote for Platner, underscoring how fractured Maine Democrats remain heading into November.
Collins has beaten every Democratic challenger since 1996; her strategy this cycle — same as 2020 — is emphasizing federal funding deliverables over ideology, while Democrats try to shackle her to Trump.
California results trickle in
How Nithya Raman went from last-minute candidate to the L.A. mayor runoff (LA Times)
City Councilmember Nithya Raman beat Spencer Pratt for the second LA mayoral runoff spot, closing a gap that had Pratt ahead on election night as late mail ballots — skewing younger and more progressive — came in.
Raman spent 115 days doing nearly 100 community events while Pratt chased Fox News, Joe Rogan, and Alex Jones appearances — the internet hype didn’t translate to actual LA voter rolls.
The November race is Bass vs. Raman: an incumbent mayor with a rough record on homelessness and the Palisades fire against a progressive council member running on basic competence — “A city that works.”
Election update: Republican Steve Hilton to face Becerra in November (CalMatters)
Steve Hilton advances to face Becerra in November, ending Tom Steyer’s bid after he spent $215 million of his own money — Steyer’s concession statement: he didn’t blame Californians who “just couldn’t stomach voting for a billionaire.”
The race is now a traditional partisan matchup — Becerra is heavily favored in a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans nearly 2-to-1 and Trump’s approval is deeply underwater.
Hilton’s signature promise is eliminating income tax on the first $100,000 in earnings and cutting a third of state spending — without explaining how he’d get any of it through a Democratic legislative supermajority.
Media
Trump rejects idea that Iran betrays his ‘no new wars’ campaign message (NPR)
Trump told Meet the Press he never “guaranteed” no new wars: “I didn’t promise anything. I don’t like endless wars. This is not an endless war. We’ve been doing this for three months.”
He also contradicted himself — claiming US strikes “obliterated” Iranian nuclear sites while simultaneously saying stopping Iran’s nuclear program was why the war was necessary.
On the anti-weaponization fund: Trump called it “a great idea” and said he’d be “disappointed” if it wasn’t approved — directly contradicting his own DOJ’s announcement that it was dead.
On California: Trump grew increasingly agitated as Welker pressed him for actual evidence of fraud, eventually calling her “crooked,” ripping off his mic, and walking out — telling her “Thank you, darling” on the way.
Justice Department Approves Paramount’s Warner Bros. Discovery Takeover Without Any Strings Attached (Variety)
The Justice Department approved the $111 billion Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger Friday with no conditions, no divestitures, and no concessions — clearing a major regulatory hurdle for the deal that would combine CBS, Paramount+, and Paramount Pictures with HBO, CNN, Warner Bros., and more.
The combined entity would anticipate over $6 billion in cost savings — industry shorthand for massive layoffs — and has already drawn opposition from more than 5,500 Hollywood professionals including Robert De Niro, Pedro Pascal, Florence Pugh, and Joaquin Phoenix.
The deal isn’t done yet: California AG Rob Bonta has signaled potential state-level antitrust litigation, the EU is investigating foreign investment by Saudi, Qatari, and Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth funds fronting $24 billion, and the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority opened its own probe Tuesday.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren: “This is terrible news for every American who doesn’t want Trump-aligned billionaires to control what they watch and how much they pay. This fight isn’t over.”
Crime & Punishment
Judge says she doesn’t believe ‘anti-weaponization’ fund is dead; extends order blocking it (CNN)
A federal judge indefinitely blocked Trump’s $1.776 billion “anti-weaponization fund” Friday, saying she doesn’t believe it’s truly dead — citing the fact that neither Blanche nor anyone else has said so under oath, the settlement establishing it hasn’t been rescinded, and Trump himself has signaled he still wants it.
The judge gave DOJ one week to submit a sworn, unambiguous statement from a top official that the fund is permanently dead — if she gets that, she may dismiss the case as moot.
Her bottom line: “When the President of the United States says he wants something to happen, that’s a pretty good indicator there will be an incentive and motive to make it happen.”
A DC judge took the opposite approach Wednesday, taking DOJ at its word that the fund is dead — but warned: “Don’t play possum with this court.
US federal judge blocks Alabama from executing man by nitrogen gas (Guardian)
A federal judge permanently blocked Alabama from executing Jeffery Lee by nitrogen gas two days before his scheduled execution, ruling the method violates the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment — Alabama is appealing.
The 11th Circuit had already reversed a lower court ruling that nitrogen gas was constitutional, finding it presents a “substantial risk of serious harm — severe pain over and above death itself.”
The case has an additional troubling layer: Lee was originally sentenced to life without parole by a jury, but a judge overrode the jury and sentenced him to death — a practice Alabama later banned, but only for future cases.
Context: the first US nitrogen gas execution in 2024 took 22 minutes, with a witness describing the condemned man thrashing in a way unlike anything seen in four previous executions.
Vance Boelter avoids death penalty by pleading guilty to murdering Minnesota Democrat and her husband (Independent)
Vance Boelter pleaded guilty Thursday to assassinating Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, and shooting state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette — avoiding the death penalty under a plea deal with federal prosecutors.
He showed up disguised as a police officer in a fake squad car in the early hours of June 14, 2025; he confirmed under questioning that he pressed a gun to Hortman’s head and fired. The Hortmans’ dog was so badly injured it had to be euthanized.
Prosecutors have called the attacks political but a handwritten confession letter to FBI Director Kash Patel referenced a vague “investigation,” sometimes tied to COVID vaccines — friends described Boelter as an evangelical conservative struggling to find work.
John Hoffman’s lawsuit says he’ll likely never fully recover use of his arm and hand and has permanent digestive and urinary damage; Yvette has permanent physical weakness; their daughter, who witnessed the attack and called 911, suffered severe psychological trauma. Boelter still faces state charges.
Indiana Angle: Indiana remains one of two states not to allow media at executions (IndyStar)
Indiana is one of only two states — along with Wyoming — that bar journalists from witnessing executions, a policy a federal appeals court upheld 2-1 last week after media outlets including the AP, Indiana Capital Chronicle, and IndyStar sued on First Amendment grounds.
The state resumed executions in December 2024 after a 15-year pause and has since executed three men; journalists can only attend if personally invited by the condemned as one of five permitted guests.
The dissent’s warning: “By shielding most executive branch proceedings from public oversight, our court grants officials a license to operate without accountability. This repudiates the First Amendment’s foundations.”
Context worth noting: Indiana spent $1.175 million on lethal injection drugs for a single execution — and in neighboring Tennessee, a man recently subjected to a “botched” execution was described by his attorney as experiencing significant blood loss and pain, with an ACLU attorney calling it “torture.”
Climate
Indiana Angle:
At least 9 tornadoes hit Indiana during nighttime storms; at least 4 injured (WRTV)
At least nine tornadoes touched down across Indiana Thursday night, injuring at least four people — from northwest Indiana’s Lake and Porter counties to Wabash, Elkhart, Jay County, and Randolph County.
The strongest tornado hit Wabash at 110 mph, traveling nearly five miles through the city, shifting a manufactured home off its foundation and destroying outbuildings; the Elkhart tornado peaked at 115 mph.
In Merrillville, at least one person was injured and roughly 200 buildings were damaged, including Andrean Catholic High School.
Confirmed tornado count for Indiana is now up to 11 from the storms Thursday evening. (WISHTV FB)
April 30: Indiana has had 19 tornadoes in 2026 so far. (Indiana Weather Network)
That brings us up to at least 30 so far this year
Annual average is 22 tornadoes
Lake Mead nearing ‘system crash’ as experts warn a ‘world of hurt’ could be coming for some states (Independent)
Water experts are warning that Lake Mead and Lake Powell are approaching a “system crash” — levels at which they lose their ability to store water and instead just pass it through, eliminating any buffer during drought years.
Lake Mead currently sits at 1,049 feet; the critical threshold is 975 feet — and a Trump administration decision to reduce releases from Lake Powell could drop Mead 28 feet below its previous record low by July 2027.
A system crash wouldn’t immediately dry up taps in Las Vegas, Phoenix, or Southern California — those cities have backup supplies — but agricultural users and rural communities without alternatives “could be in a world of hurt.”
One water law professor on the administration’s emergency measures already taken: “They’ve already shot that bullet, and you can’t unshoot it.”
The Atlantic’s ‘Cold Blob’ Could Change Weather Across America (Newsweek)
New research in Geophysical Research Letters finds the North Atlantic “cold blob” — a persistent patch of unusually cool water south of Greenland — is most likely caused by a weakening Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, the ocean current system that regulates temperatures across the Atlantic region.
For the US, a weakening AMOC could mean rising sea levels along the Northeast coast — one study estimated it may already account for 20-50% of increased flood days since 2005 — as well as shifts in storm tracks and rainfall patterns.
The study does not predict imminent collapse, but adds to growing evidence the system is already changing as Greenland melt pours freshwater into the North Atlantic, disrupting the density differences that keep the circulation moving.
Background: Why Fears Are Growing Over the Fate of a Key Atlantic Current (Yale E360)
A leading AMOC researcher who spent 35 years on the subject now puts the odds of collapse at “more likely than not” — up from 5% when he started. A new study constraining climate models with real-world data finds AMOC could weaken by 50% by 2100, which would “very likely” push us past the tipping point.
The truly alarming detail: even if collapse doesn’t come until the 2200s, the tipping point beyond which it becomes inevitable could arrive within decades — and once the AMOC shuts down, it doesn’t restart. The Atlantic locks into a new stable “off” state for centuries.
Iceland declared AMOC collapse a national security threat in November 2025.
The consequences of full collapse: Europe faces catastrophic cooling and drought, global monsoons weaken, and the Southern Ocean releases stored carbon — accelerating warming everywhere else.
