SUMMARY:
On this Father’s Day edition of HoosLeft This Week, Scott is joined by Hancock County Democratic Vice Chair Chuck Gill and State Senate District 38 Democratic nominee Kacey Blundell, with a surprise guest appearance from State House District 81 candidate Sharon Wight with Kacey in Terre Haute. The panel opens on UFC fighter Josh Hokit’s transphobic, racist slur against Michelle Obama at Trump’s White House birthday fight night, contrasted with the Obamas’ dignified twin speeches at the opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. From there the show turns to Trump’s Iran “peace deal” — a thin memorandum of understanding already collapsing under Israeli strikes in Lebanon, Iran’s repeated closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and a $300 billion reparations package that has Republicans suddenly comfortable with the kind of Iran payout they once attacked Obama for proposing — before covering the G7 summit, a narrowly defeated Swiss population-cap referendum, and Indiana’s own affordability crisis: Governor Braun’s gas tax holiday gutting local road funding even as the state sits on a massive surplus, new state price caps on hospital systems, back-to-back utility rate hikes for Duke Energy and AES customers approved by Braun’s own IURC appointees, the data center backlash spreading across Indiana counties, Bernie Sanders’ proposal for public ownership of AI companies, Attorney General Todd Rokita’s water-contaminant lawsuit targeting mifepristone, and a Guardian profile on shadow Pentagon power broker Stephen Feinberg. The back half of the show digs into the leaked membership roster of Peter Thiel’s secretive Dialog society (which includes both major parties and several Indiana-connected figures), the chaotic Indiana Secretary of State race following Max Engling’s convention win over a scandal-plagued Diego Morales, a slate of Tuesday primary and runoff results from Georgia to California, new reporting on Trump White House discussions of suspending habeas corpus, several ICE enforcement and detention stories including an Indiana case, a federal reorganization of special education and civil rights enforcement, Indiana’s declining national education rankings, an update on the state’s historic spring tornado outbreak, and the city of Martinsville’s first-ever Juneteenth celebration.
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
00:00:33 — Intro: Father’s Day, Welcome & Guest Introductions
00:05:02 — Trump’s UFC Birthday Bash and the Obamas’ Response
00:12:12 — The Iran “Peace Deal”: Memorandum, Reparations, and Israel’s Defiance
00:21:20 — G7 Recap: Allied Unity, Geneva Protests, and the Swiss Population Referendum
00:30:09 — Indiana’s Gas Tax Holiday and the Road Funding Crisis
00:39:13 — Utility Rate Hikes: Duke Energy, AES, and Braun’s IURC Appointees
00:45:03 — Data Centers and Bernie Sanders’ AI Wealth Fund
00:50:42 — Rokita's Mifepristone Water Lawsuit
00:55:43 — The Pentagon: Boat Strikes, Hegseth vs. NATO, and the Feinberg Shadow Government
01:02:46 — Peter Thiel’s “Dialog” Society and the Epstein-Class Roster
01:11:12 — Indiana Secretary of State: Engling Wins, Morales Ousted, Ballard’s Petition Trouble
01:20:08 — Tuesday Elections: Georgia, Alabama, Oklahoma, DC, and California
01:28:03 — Weaponization: Newsom Investigated, Ohio FBI Raid, and the Habeas Corpus Memos
01:36:34 — ICE: Minnesota Indictments, Judge Dugan’s Conviction, and Salah Sarsour’s Release
01:45:51 — Education: IDEA Reorganization, Indiana’s Waiver, and the State’s F Grade
01:56:07 — Tornado Update and Martinsville’s First Juneteenth
02:02:15 — Outro: Guest Plugs and Sign-Off
IN DEPTH:
UFC Fighter Insults Michelle Obama
The UFC’s Despicable Night at the White House (Mother Jones)
UFC fighter Josh Hokit capped the White House fight night by shouting a transphobic slur about Michelle Obama during his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan — drawing a mix of cheers and boos from the crowd.
Even Dana White distanced himself, saying he’s “completely against saying nasty and false things about people’s families” — though Hokit built his UFC profile on exactly that kind of rhetoric, including statements about kicking out Mexicans and attacking transgender people.
The moment put a fine point on the evening: a private, for-profit cage fight on the South Lawn, ostensibly celebrating America’s 250th birthday, ending with a racial and transphobic slur against a Black former first lady at the White House.
Barack and Michelle Obama Decry Trumpism in Rousing Presidential Center Speeches (Rolling Stone)
The Obama Presidential Center opened in Chicago Thursday with Clinton, Bush, and Biden in attendance, plus performances from Bruce Springsteen and Christina Aguilera. Both Obamas delivered speeches widely read as veiled critiques of Trump, without naming him.
Obama warned against those who “see government as nothing more than a way to divvy up the spoils and punish enemies, and keep those who are different in their place,” and made the case that American foreign policy succeeds when it leads through democratic example rather than dominance.
Michelle Obama listed her husband’s presidential accomplishments — including a “peace prize” win — a clear jab at Trump’s well-known fixation on the Nobel; the line reportedly sent Hillary Clinton into laughter.
She also warned more directly: “Failing to see the humanity in all people puts us all on a slippery slope, and once that slide starts, there’s no telling where it stops.”
Iran War
US-Iran ‘peace deal’ announced; Trump says Strait of Hormuz reopening (Al Jazeera)
Trump announced Sunday that a US-Iran ceasefire deal has been reached, declaring the Strait of Hormuz open for toll-free shipping and lifting the US naval blockade — a signing ceremony is set for Switzerland on Friday, June 19.
Pakistan’s PM Sharif confirmed the deal covers “all fronts, including Lebanon” — though Israel, which is still bombing Beirut and has issued forced displacement orders to 24 Lebanese towns, is not a party to the agreement.
The deal is described as a memorandum of understanding, not a final settlement — nuclear details are to be worked out in the 60 days after signing, and Trump simultaneously warned Iran in a NYT interview that the US could restart military operations or become “the guardian of the Middle East” in exchange for 20% of the region’s revenues.
Vance called it “a new era” and said he plans to attend the signing; UK, France, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia all praised the deal and called for swift implementation. Iran’s deputy FM confirmed the agreement Sunday.
One significant caveat buried in the article: an Israeli airstrike on Beirut’s southern suburbs nearly derailed the announcement earlier Sunday, and Lebanese residents remain skeptical — the fighting that Iran most wanted addressed may be the least settled element of the deal.
What to know about the deal to end the Iran war (AP)
The Iran-US memorandum of understanding is, per Vance, “about a page and a half long” and “a very general document” — the full text remains confidential.
The deal essentially returns both sides to the pre-war status quo, with the same core disagreements over Iran’s nuclear stockpile, missile program, and proxy network punted to 60 days of negotiations.
Lebanon is the live wire: Iran says the deal covers all fronts including Lebanon, but a US official confirmed it does NOT require Israeli withdrawal — a contradiction that could blow up the arrangement.
Netanyahu has been visibly sidelined, is losing Republican support, and faces criticism from within his own coalition — with Israeli elections this fall.
Bottom line from analysts: none of Trump’s stated war aims — obliterating Iran’s missiles, severing its proxy ties, preventing a nuclear weapon — were achieved, and Iran’s leadership emerged “seemingly bolder.”
Weapons, money and ships: How is this Iran deal different from others? (BBC)
The signed MoU is far thinner than the 2015 JCPOA: it contains no enrichment caps, no IAEA verification mechanism, and no mention of destroying Iran’s uranium stockpile — despite US officials briefing that destruction was “the minimum standard.” It also says nothing about Iran’s ballistic missiles, which Trump himself cited as a war justification in March.
On sanctions, the US will issue immediate waivers letting Iran export crude oil and access banking and insurance services — with no conditions attached — a notably stronger position than Iran held before the war. The US and regional partners also commit to a $300 billion reconstruction fund for Iran.
On shipping: the naval blockade ends within 30 days, and Iran promises free passage through Hormuz — but only for 60 days. After that, Iran has already signaled it intends to charge “fees” for use of the strait, and the deal includes no mechanism to stop it. Traffic through Hormuz collapsed from a daily average of 94 ships in 2025 to just 6 during the war.
Bottom line: Iran emerges with sanctions relief, an oil export pathway, $300 billion in reconstruction money on the table, and an unresolved path to charging strait fees — all without firm commitments on its nuclear stockpile or missile program, the two things the war was supposedly fought over.
Even with a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, it could take weeks or months for oil to fully flow (AP)
Even with a deal, analysts say it could take weeks or months for oil to flow normally — mine clearance alone could take six months, ~500 ships are trapped in the Gulf, and captains aren’t rushing passage until they’re sure it’s safe.
Iraq, hardest hit by production shutdowns, could take up to a year to recover; Capital Economics puts overall energy flows at 80% of prewar levels by September at best.
A core contradiction remains unresolved: Trump says the deal includes toll-free passage, but Iran hasn’t confirmed that — and Iran’s designated toll-collection entity is US Treasury-sanctioned, meaning paying could expose shippers to sanctions violations.
Inflation won’t drop quickly regardless — economists expect prices to stay above target through at least mid-2027, and could tick up further when temporary government fuel relief expires.
Trump goes after Netanyahu as he pursues deal with Iran, putting their friendship to the test (AP)
Trump previously called Netanyahu “crazy” — a remark first reported two weeks ago — and claimed at the G7 “without me, there would be no Israel,” the sharpest public criticism of an Israeli prime minister by a sitting US president in modern memory, coming from the man who started the war alongside him.
The break is driven by self-interest: Israeli strikes in Lebanon nearly blew up the Iran deal Trump desperately wants ahead of midterms, where the unpopular war has driven up gas prices and tanked his approval ratings.
The bipartisan pro-Israel consensus in Washington is visibly fraying — liberals over Palestinian treatment, conservatives increasingly questioning unconditional support — and Trump’s comments are accelerating that shift.
Pro-Israel conservatives are split: the Republican Jewish Coalition is calling it family disagreement; the Zionist Organization of America warned Trump may be playing to an increasingly Israel-skeptical American public. One analyst’s bottom line: “If Netanyahu gets in between something Trump really wants, Trump is prepared to use the leverage he has.”
Israel and Hezbollah agree to a ceasefire after intensified fighting threatens Iran talks (NBC)
Israel and Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire Friday after escalation in Lebanon nearly derailed the US-Iran peace talks — but Israel killed at least 47 people in over 150 strikes since midnight, and four Israeli soldiers died, prompting Netanyahu to order a forceful response he called justified by a ceasefire violation.
Vance canceled his trip to Switzerland for the scheduled US-Iran talks, which were postponed; Trump says Vance will likely go “a little bit later,” with Steve Witkoff going separately.
Israel says it’s not bound by the US-Iran MOU and will stay in its southern Lebanon “security zone” indefinitely — directly contradicting the deal’s language calling for an immediate end to fighting “on all fronts, including Lebanon.”
Iran is threatening to walk away from its own deal with the US if Israel’s Lebanon campaign continues — Iran’s army says it has its “hand on the trigger,” while Vance publicly criticized Israeli officials for attacking “the only powerful ally” they have left.
“Donald J. Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time,” Vance said. “If I was in the Cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world.”
Despite the chaos, the Strait of Hormuz is reopening in trickle form — five ships left the Persian Gulf Thursday into Friday after being stuck since February, and Iran’s new strait authority says it won’t charge fees during the 60-day negotiation window.
Trump envoys head to Switzerland for potential Iran talks (Axios)
Witkoff and Kushner are heading to/already in Switzerland for the Iran talks, but the original Friday start was postponed due to the Israel-Hezbollah fighting in Lebanon — no new time confirmed yet.
Iran’s FM Araghchi reportedly told mediators the Lebanon ceasefire is “make or break” for the broader negotiations and wants to see it actually hold before he’ll travel to Switzerland (he’s tentatively planning to arrive Saturday).
Vance postponed his trip Thursday night and it’s unclear if he’ll still go this weekend — Qatar’s PM, a key mediator, has already arrived.
Iran says it shut Strait of Hormuz over truce violations, but U.S. says it remains open (CBC)
Iran’s IRGC declared the Strait of Hormuz closed Saturday, citing US and Israeli ceasefire violations, and warned ships not to approach — but US Central Command flatly denied it, saying “Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz” and that traffic continues to flow.
The declaration came hours after Israeli strikes killed at least 20 people in Lebanon, including a family of four in a residential building — just hours after the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire took effect Friday.
Vance says he still expects to travel to Switzerland “in the next couple of days,” with Kushner and Witkoff already there working “technical elements”; Iran’s negotiators were also set to depart for Switzerland Saturday.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry says at least 4,057 people have been killed in Israeli attacks since March 2 — a staggering toll that underscores how much is riding on a ceasefire that’s already fraying within a day of taking effect.
G7/Switzerland
Takeaways from the G7: Trump’s new attitude toward allies buoyed by their praise for Iran deal (PBS)
Trump showed up to the G7 in a notably better mood than in past years — buoyed by allied praise for his Iran deal — after spending only a day at last year’s summit before cutting out early. This time Macron kept him through the full three days, capped by a dinner at Versailles.
The summit produced unusual unity on two issues that have long divided Trump from allies: leaders jointly praised “the strong leadership of President Trump” on the Iran deal, while Trump in turn signed onto a statement pledging “unwavering support for Ukraine,” including more air defense systems — a shift from his past “Ukraine has no cards” rhetoric.
That unity cracked on China. The G7 issued a joint statement vowing coordinated action against Chinese economic coercion, but Trump then publicly thanked Xi Jinping and Putin for staying “neutral” during the Iran war, undercutting his own delegation’s message.
Asked about accountability if the Iran deal falls apart, Trump named his fall guy outright: “If it works out, I’m going to take the credit. If it doesn’t work out, I’m blaming JD. You better be careful, JD” — notable since Vance was the one doing the media rounds promoting the deal and was set to represent the US at Friday’s signing ceremony.
Overall takeaway: three days of informal access gave European leaders real traction with Trump, especially on Ukraine, where they say they made the case — contrary to what Trump told Zelenskyy last year — that Russia isn’t assured of winning.
G7 protest turns from carnival to violent stand-off (Inquirer)
An anti-G7 protest in Geneva drew roughly 20,000 people Sunday — the vast majority peaceful — but around 600 Black Bloc demonstrators merged into the march and turned parts of it violent, attacking the Geneva offices of PricewaterhouseCoopers, smashing UN agency memorials, and setting a Tesla on fire.
Police responded with tear gas and made several arrests; no injuries were reported as of Sunday evening.
The protest targeted the G7 summit taking place across the border in Evian, France, with demonstrators rallying under a “No-G7” coalition of over 60 unions, associations, and left-wing groups opposing what they called fascism and imperialism.
One protester’s framing is worth noting: “In a time when everyone’s reading depressing news on their phones, it’s an opportunity to see that the left is still alive — and maybe even making a resurgence.”
Swiss voters reject proposal to cap population at 10 million (Guardian)
Swiss voters rejected a far-right proposal to cap the country’s population at 10 million by 54.79% to 45.21% — a closer margin than many expected, reflecting genuine public anxiety about population growth even as voters ultimately rejected the remedy.
The proposal, pushed by the Swiss People’s Party, would have triggered tough restrictions on immigration, family reunification, and asylum once the population hit 9.5 million — and would have forced Switzerland to withdraw from its free movement agreement with the EU, effectively cutting off access to the single market.
The Swiss government, business groups, and all four major parties opposed it, warning it would damage the economy and relations with Brussels — a polling analyst said voters ultimately feared the side effects more than the population growth itself, particularly losing access to health and care workers.
Worth noting for context: about 27% of Swiss residents are not citizens, and the population has grown 23% since the EU free movement agreement took effect in 2002 — but economic output grew by roughly the same amount over that period.
Affordability
Road projects delayed as state’s gas tax holiday dries up local coffers (Mirror Indy)
Braun’s gas tax holiday — saving Hoosiers about 62 cents/gallon since May — is costing the state roughly $140 million a month and local governments around $170 million total by July, money that normally funds road and bridge maintenance.
Real consequences on the ground: Fulton County cut 15 miles of paving and halved its chip-and-seal projects anticipating 40% lost revenue; Miami County is holding off on replacing aging dump trucks; statewide, the Community Crossings matching grant program is expected to fund about 12 fewer projects per month.
Braun has promised the state will “backfill” lost local revenue, but there’s no specific plan, statute, or guaranteed funding source — legislative approval likely wouldn’t come until early next year, well after this summer’s road season ends.
The Association of Indiana Counties is instead pushing for an immediate funding transfer through the State Board of Finance at its June 30 meeting, since waiting on the legislature isn’t a realistic timeline for keeping summer projects on track.
Indiana takes on powerful hospitals by capping prices they charge employers (ICC)
Republican Indiana is capping what its five largest nonprofit hospital systems — Ascension St. Vincent, Community Health Network, Franciscan Health, IU Health, and Parkview — can charge employer-based insurance plans, with hospitals that exceed the threshold by 2029 risking loss of their tax-exempt status.
Gov. Braun’s framing: “Government has to intervene, because healthcare is run like an unregulated utility” — a striking position from a Republican governor muscling through price controls over the hospital industry’s objections.
The cap is set at 260% of Medicare rates; Indiana hospital prices have consistently ranked among the highest in the nation in Rand Corporation research.
A key methodological fight is already brewing: whether to include doctor fees in calculating the cap — hospitals want them included because Indiana doctors are among the lowest-paid in the nation, which would drag the average down and let hospitals keep prices high.
The experiment is being watched nationally — Oregon’s similar cap on state employee plans saved over $100 million in its first two years, and legislation is pending in Colorado and New York.
Utilities
Indiana’s ratepayer advocate accuses Duke Energy Indiana of over-collecting $90 million from customers (FOX59)
Indiana’s Office of Utility Consumer Counselor is accusing Duke Energy Indiana of over-collecting $86.5 million annually from customers — money the IURC never authorized when it finalized Duke’s rate order in early 2025 — and is appealing a ruling by the IURC’s own presiding officers who found Duke in compliance.
The Citizens Action Coalition puts the scale in context: a “refinement” to a rate order typically means hundreds of thousands or low millions — not $90 million on a utility collecting over a billion dollars a year from customers in 69 of Indiana’s 92 counties.
The structural problem: the two officials who ruled Duke was in compliance — IURC Chairman Andy Zay and the Chief Administrative Law Judge — were not the presiding officers when the original rate order was finalized. Zay only became IURC chair in January 2026 after stepping down as a state senator.
The OUCC’s broader concern: only one or two officials are making decisions that should go to the full five-member commission — setting a precedent for how much money can be approved with minimal oversight.
IURC approves $70 million increase, electric rate hike for AES (FOX59)
The IURC approved a $71 million annual rate increase for AES Indiana — about 37% of what AES originally requested — meaning most residential customers using 1,000 kilowatt-hours monthly will see less than $10 added to their bills, phased in starting July with a second phase in January 2027.
Gov. Braun called himself “deeply disappointed” despite the IURC being made up of his own appointees — Indiana Senate Democrats were blunter, noting that in two days Braun’s commission delivered back-to-back wins for monopoly utilities, with Duke Energy also accused of over-collecting $90 million annually beyond what regulators originally approved.
The Indiana Conservation Voters’ summary: “Despite objections from Gov. Braun’s newly appointed IURC and the Office of Utility Consumer Counselor, Indianapolis residents are going to see massive increases in their bills — with the exact same results for Indiana customers.”
Braun asks regulators to reconsider $71 million AES rate increase (IndyStar)
Braun is asking IURC to reconsider the $71 million AES rate increase it approved June 17, directing Utility Consumer Counselor Abby Gray to formally petition for a rehearing.
The approved increase was actually smaller than what AES requested ($192 million) or what was proposed in an October settlement — but the OUCC, which Gray leads, had pushed for a $21 million reduction instead, not any increase.
Braun’s framing fits a pattern: he signed a law in February tying utility rate decisions to affordability metrics and has cast himself as a “new sheriff in town” taking on Indiana’s investor-owned utilities — useful context as Republicans face growing voter anger over costs.
HYPOCRITE IN CHIEF: Braun “Disappointed” After Appointing the Rate-Hike Crew - Millions of Hoosiers Disappointed by AES bill Increase (Hoosier Enquirer)
Gov. Braun appointed the majority of the five-member IURC last year, including Chair Andy Zay, and publicly framed the overhaul as putting “rate-conscious” commissioners in place to protect ratepayers.
Those same appointees voted 3-1 to approve a $71 million rate increase for AES Indiana — less than the $193 million AES requested, but still an increase the OUCC had argued against, having called for a $21 million reduction instead.
Residential customers using 1,000 kWh/month will see phased increases of under $5 per phase in July and again in January 2027 — roughly a 3.7% overall increase.
The core tension: Braun called the decision “deeply disappointing” despite having appointed the commissioners who made it, and despite having signed a law this year tying utility rate-setting to affordability — raising the question of why his own appointees aren’t aligned with his stated priorities, and whether his criticism amounts to accountability or political distancing.
Consumer advocates, including CAC Indiana, separately criticized the decision for placing the cost burden on residential ratepayers while data centers — whose growing electricity demand Braun’s economic development policies have actively courted — aren’t subject to the same rate pressure.
Data Centers
Indiana Angle:
Parke County sets rules for potential data centers (WTWO)
Parke County commissioners proactively passed a data center ordinance Monday — before any proposal has even been filed — requiring any data center to bring its own water (closed-loop, non-evaporative, completely independent from the county water source) and its own electricity so as not to impact local availability or costs.
Meanwhile in neighboring Clay County, IDEM issued permits for a natural gas generating station between Brazil and Carbon without notifying local commissioners — who say they’re “very unhappy” and oppose a data center coming to their county.
A data center is already under construction in Sullivan County, and the ripple of concern is spreading across the Wabash Valley.
Boone County adopts 1-year data center moratorium (IndyStar)
Boone County unanimously passed a one-year moratorium on new data centers Sunday, becoming the 12th Indiana county to hit pause — joining Dearborn, Franklin, Fulton, Huntington, Marshall, Pulaski, Putnam, Rush, Shelby, Starke, and White counties.
The moratorium doesn’t touch the $10 billion Meta campus already under construction in the LEAP district, which was annexed to Lebanon before construction began and sits outside unincorporated county land.
Marshall County went furthest of all — after an initial moratorium in February 2025, it banned data centers entirely this April.
The core community complaints driving the backlash: enormous electricity consumption driving up utility bills, constant noise from generators and cooling systems, minimal permanent jobs (Meta projects 4,000 construction jobs but only 300 permanent ones), and water usage straining local supplies.
Indianapolis City-County Council passed a nonbinding resolution calling for a pause in May — the statewide pattern is becoming hard to ignore.
AI executives gather at G7 as Europeans seek checks on American dominance (WaPo)
AI took center stage on the G7’s final day in France, with OpenAI’s Altman, Google DeepMind’s Demis Hassabis, and Anthropic’s Dario Amodei attending a working lunch on safe and effective AI deployment alongside heads of smaller European and Asian AI labs.
The backdrop is growing European anxiety about American AI dominance — the EU unveiled a tech sovereignty package this month, and the Vatican recently called for robust AI regulation.
The episode that crystallized European concerns: the Trump administration’s order last week forcing Anthropic to take down its most advanced models globally, barring all non-Americans from access and cutting off international customers without warning — a stark demonstration of how dependent other countries have become on US-controlled AI infrastructure.
Canadian PM Carney put it plainly on his way to the summit: sovereignty requires “unhindered access to AI” — and Canada has already announced a plan to help allied nations develop alternatives to the major US AI players.
Bernie Sanders unveils plan to give the public direct ownership of AI companies (AP)
Sanders unveiled legislation to create a $7 trillion sovereign wealth fund financed by a one-time 50% tax on the stock of AI companies with over $200 million in annual AI sales — making the American public a major shareholder in the largest AI firms rather than collecting cash taxes.
“The benefits cannot simply go to the handful of wealthy corporations. They will be shared by the American people,” the independent Vermont senator said in an interview Wednesday.
A seven-person independent commission would manage the fund’s voting shares to block corporate decisions that harm the public; a 5% annual dividend would provide direct payments of over $1,000 to every American, with additional gains directed to health care, education, and housing.
Sanders drew a sharp line between his proposal and the softer versions: “I think people like Sam Altman and Trump (who) may be sympathetic to this are saying: ‘Okay, look, we’re making zillions of dollars so we’re going to be nice guys and maybe we’ll buy off the public. We will give 5% of our profits back into the government.’ That’s not what we’re talking about. What we’re talking about are two very different things.”
The political context matters: about 70% of college students see AI as a threat to their job prospects, data center backlash is spreading nationally, and Sanders is making public AI ownership a centerpiece of his midterm campaign tour — alongside candidates like Michigan’s Mallory McMorrow and New York’s Alex Bores who are already running on it.
Rokita
Indiana attorney general targets abortion pill mifepristone as water risk. Health experts dispute the claim (WFYI)
Rokita joined 13 other state AGs in petitioning the EPA to classify mifepristone as a water contaminant, claiming at-home medication abortions pose a risk to drinking water — particularly for other pregnant women.
Medical experts are dismissive: an Indianapolis OBGYN noted there’s no data suggesting trace amounts of mifepristone in water could affect a pregnancy, and pointed out that of hundreds of thousands of FDA-approved medications, this is the only one anyone is trying to regulate as a water contaminant.
The Indiana chapter of ACOG called the effort “frankly ridiculous,” describing mifepristone as “one of the most over-regulated medications on the market” with a repeatedly proven safety record.
The subtext is plain: mifepristone is already illegal to prescribe in Indiana, the Supreme Court preserved telehealth access to it earlier this year, and the EPA’s own newly proposed contaminant list doesn’t include it — so Rokita is grasping for a new angle.
Pentagon
US strike on an alleged drug boat kills 3 in the eastern Pacific Ocean (Politico)
A US military strike killed three more people in a boat off the eastern Pacific Thursday — bringing the total killed in these “narcoterrorist” strikes to at least 211 since September, with the administration still offering no evidence the vessels were carrying drugs.
Senators are now demanding the Pentagon release unedited video of the strikes; the Pentagon’s inspector general is reviewing whether strikes followed proper targeting procedure, but explicitly not whether the strikes themselves were legal.
Recall: two survivors clinging to wreckage after the very first of these strikes were hit again in a follow-up strike — the White House calls it self-defense under laws of armed conflict, but legal scholars say striking survivors would be illegal regardless of the conflict’s legal status.
Critics note the strategic logic doesn’t hold up well either — most fentanyl reaching the US comes overland through Mexico, not by boat, undercutting the stated rationale for a campaign that has killed over 200 people with minimal public evidence.
Senate eyes Hegseth travel cuts without probes into Iran school bombing, boat strikes (Military Times)
The Senate Armed Services Committee voted 18-9 to cut Hegseth’s travel funding 75% until he turns over the civilian harm probe into February’s strike on an Iranian girls’ school, which killed at least 165 people, mostly schoolgirls.
The provision also demands unredacted reports on three 2025 Yemen strikes and unedited video of the Latin American boat strikes.
A tougher amendment — blocking Iran war funding without congressional authorization — narrowly failed 13-14.
Trump on accountability for the school strike: “Mistakes are made. War is nasty.” He punted further questions to Hegseth.
Lawmakers also want the unredacted investigation into Operation Absolution Resolve, the January raid that captured Maduro.
Pentagon chief’s review appears out of step with what NATO allies are already doing (AP)
Hegseth called NATO a “paper-tiger,” accused allies of “shameful” behavior over Iran basing access, and announced a 6-month Pentagon review tying US troop presence and NATO contributions to whether countries “pass” his performance test.
The irony: European allies say they’re already doing what Hegseth demanded — NATO chief Rutte notes Europe and Canada increased defense spending by over $90 billion (nearly 20%) in 2025 alone, with European officers taking on more NATO command roles and allies funding Ukraine aid as the US has stepped back.
A former top US NATO adviser pushed back hard on the framing: “It’s protection racket framing that undermines NATO solidarity, trust in the U.S. commitment to NATO, and ultimately U.S. security interests.” She added that force positioning should be based on military planning, not used as “reward, punishment or revenge.”
Even Rutte couldn’t explain what the review actually entails — “there’s still no clarity on exactly what the outcome will be” — adding fresh uncertainty ahead of the next NATO summit in Turkey, July 7-8.
The billionaire hidden behind the curtain inside Trump’s Pentagon (Guardian)
Stephen Feinberg, billionaire founder of Cerberus Capital Management, has been Deputy Defense Secretary since March 2025 — zero interviews, zero hearings, yet reportedly more powerful than Hegseth himself.
He’s stacked the Pentagon with former Cerberus execs, including George Kollitides, who runs a new investment unit while still working for a private firm and a Trump-Media-linked company — legal under his “special government employee” status.
That unit already steered a $620 million loan to a Trump Jr.-linked company. Warren calls it “the latest Trump Administration giveaway to Wall Street.”
Cerberus’s history includes the Sandy Hook shooter’s rifle maker, a hospital chain that went bankrupt, and a rental company accused of excessive evictions. Feinberg’s early political ties included Dan Quayle on Cerberus’s board.
The Pentagon says Feinberg fully divested and has no conflicts; critics say the Cerberus network around him makes that distinction meaningless.
Epstein Class
Leak Exposes Members of Peter Thiel’s Secretive ‘Dialog’ Society (Wired)
A leaked database exposed the membership of Dialog, Peter Thiel’s invitation-only secret society, revealing 222 registrants for its August retreat near Dublin — including NATO’s supreme allied commander Europe, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Sen. Ted Cruz, Palantir cofounder Joe Lonsdale, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, and the heads of major surveillance and data-broker companies.
The conflict-of-interest picture is striking: Palantir’s Lonsdale — whose software runs ICE case management and Pentagon data fusion — appears alongside the Army secretary and the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee that oversees Palantir’s government contracts; meanwhile Cruz, who chairs the Senate Commerce Committee overseeing FTC data-privacy authority, appears alongside the founder of location-data broker SafeGraph.
All 222 registrants used personal or corporate email addresses — placing their attendance outside public records laws — and Dialog’s session agenda includes “Navigating WWIII,” “Battlefield Technologies,” “Build-a-Cult,” and “How’s Your Sex Life?”
The data was left exposed in the site’s source code, accessible to anyone — and Dialog also operates a matchmaking app for members, with registrants asked if they’re “looking for love.” Their political leanings were also collected and leaked, despite Dialog’s promise never to share them.
What We Know About Billionaire Peter Thiel’s Secret ‘Dialog’ Society—Including Who’s Involved (Forbes)
Forbes confirms the Wired reporting and adds detail: among the leaked membership are Democratic Sen. Cory Booker, Rep. Jim Himes, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, and political commentator Ezra Klein — alongside Republicans like Ted Cruz, Jared Kushner, and a slate of Trump administration officials.
Also notable on the left-of-center side: Washington Post national security reporter Souad Mekhennet is listed as running a session — meaning a working journalist who’d presumably cover this administration is part of the same off-the-record network as the officials she reports on.
The billionaire list spans the spectrum too — Democratic megadonors Eric Schmidt, Reid Hoffman, and Nicolas Berggruen are scheduled to attend, along with right-wing figures like Elon Musk, Henry Kravis, and Marcos Galperin
Previously: Epstein Files- Attendees Of Peter Thiel’s Secret ‘Tech-Era Bilderberg’ Meeting in 2014 Leaked (Dissident)
The 2014 Dialog attendee list surfaced in the Epstein files earlier this year, revealing a roster that included Evan Bayh, Mitch Daniels, Henry Kravis, Robert Rubin, Gen. Stan McChrystal, Reid Hoffman, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, and the president of the Federalist Society — roughly 150 people invited to “implement the plans we develop.”
The bipartisan roster is a feature, not a bug — spanning Democratic and Republican officials, Silicon Valley, Wall Street, and defense establishment figures in ways that insulate the group from scrutiny by either side.
Dialog has now been exposed twice in one year: once through the Epstein files and once through its own sloppy database security — a group that spent two decades avoiding any public footprint left its entire membership directory readable in plain site source code.
For Indiana listeners: Evan Bayh attended the 2014 retreat — worth keeping in mind given that his son Beau Bayh just won the Democratic Secretary of State nomination and is positioning himself for higher office.
Indiana Secretary of State Race
Ballard campaign disavows ‘rogue’ volunteer accused of forging signatures (ICC)
Indiana State Police are investigating a Greg Ballard volunteer who allegedly forged a page of 10 petition signatures for his independent secretary of state campaign — 9 of 10 addresses weren’t real, and the one legitimate address belonged to someone other than the name listed.
Ballard’s campaign disavowed the volunteer, calling it the work of a “rogue individual” and ended their association, while noting the 10 signatures represent just 0.02% of the roughly 35,000 already submitted toward the nearly 37,000 needed.
The Hamilton County GOP chair used the episode to attack Ballard directly: “If you cannot run an honest petition drive, you have no business running the office that safeguards our elections” — notable framing given Ballard would face a contested Republican field if he qualifies.
If Ballard makes the ballot under the “Lincoln Party” label, he’d face Democrat Beau Bayh, a Libertarian, and the winner of Saturday’s contentious GOP convention.
Greg Ballard’s secretary of state campaign fined for filing donation reports late (Indystar)
Ballard’s secretary of state campaign was fined $450 for filing two large contribution reports late — a $10,000 donation due May 28, submitted June 1, and a $78,000 contribution from Hoosiers for Competitive Elections due May 29, also submitted June 1. The campaign isn’t contesting the fine.
Notable wrinkle: the office Ballard is running for oversees the Indiana Election Division — the same body that just fined his campaign.
Diego Morales’ wife traveled on the state’s dime. Years later, the state found it ‘improper’ (IndyStar)
A state examiner found Morales’ office improperly billed taxpayers for his wife’s travel — three flights and three conference fees from 2023-2024 — repaid only in May 2026, one day after a credible primary challenger entered the race.
Travel reports required by a 2025 transparency law never itemized that the costs included a non-employee spouse, hiding the issue for over a year.
The state also paid $4,000 for a 4-night D.C. hotel even though Morales was only there 2 nights — his wife’s return flight matches the hotel checkout date, and the office won’t say who the unnamed “second guest” was.
A former staffer was reimbursed for Ubers to the Heritage Foundation and several embassies, including Hungary’s — months before Morales’ wife became Hungary’s honorary consul in Indiana. A watchdog called it “an obvious misuse of public resources.”
This adds to a pattern of travel controversies that’s already cost Morales top GOP support ahead of Saturday’s contested convention.
Max Engling wins GOP nod to replace Diego Morales (IndyStar)
Max Engling won the GOP secretary of state nomination at Saturday’s convention with 867 votes after two rounds, beating Knox County Clerk David Shelton (627) and incumbent Diego Morales, who got just 134 votes — Morales is the second consecutive sitting secretary of state ousted at convention.
Engling entered the race a day before the filing deadline but quickly drew support from Sen. Jim Banks and other establishment Republicans who’d previously backed Morales — delegates ultimately decided Morales’s scandals made him too risky to nominate, rejecting his attempt to cast Engling as the establishment pick.
Republicans are visibly nervous about Beau Bayh: convention speakers attacked him as “a prep school kid” and “D.C. nepo baby,” and one Republican called this race Democrats’ best shot at statewide office “in a generation” — notable anxiety in a state Bayh’s father and grandfather once represented as Democratic senators.
Engling’s framing leans hard into culture-war stakes, warning that a Democratic win would make Indiana’s elections “more like California” — though Bayh has positioned himself as nonpartisan and anti-corruption, making him a harder target to paint as a leftist than the rhetoric suggests.
Tuesday Elections
Georgia runoff results: Winners and matchups for November general election (FOX5 Atlanta)
Georgia’s November ballot is set: Rep. Mike Collins (R) vs. Sen. Jon Ossoff in the Senate race that could determine chamber control; billionaire Rick Jackson (R) vs. former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms for governor; and a Secretary of State race pitting election-skeptic Tim Fleming (R) against former judge Penny Brown Reynolds (D).
The biggest upset: Jackson defeated Lt. Gov. Burt Jones 53-47 despite Trump and Gov. Kemp both backing Jones — a self-funded outsider overcoming the full weight of the Georgia Republican establishment.
Bottoms immediately went after Jackson, alleging he made over a billion dollars off a no-bid state contract — Jackson fired back calling her mayoral tenure a failure.
The Senate race is critical for Democrats, who need a net four seats for a majority — Ossoff is the only Senate Democrat running in a Trump-won state, making his seat a must-hold.
The Secretary of State race has national implications: Fleming previously cited “irregularities” in 2020 but stopped short of full denial, defeating outright election denier Vernon Jones — meaning Georgia’s top election post will be decided between a soft 2020 skeptic and a former Biden administration judge.
Who won Alabama’s statewide runoff elections? Statewide race results (Montgomery Advertiser)
Trump-endorsed Rep. Barry Moore won the Alabama Republican Senate runoff 59-41 over political newcomer Jared Hudson, securing the GOP nomination to succeed Tommy Tuberville — who is leaving to run for governor.
Moore will face Democrat Everett Wess in November in a state that hasn’t elected a Democrat to the Senate since Doug Jones in 2017; Wess won his primary runoff 54-46.
The more interesting down-ballot race: Trump-endorsed former state GOP chair John Wahl won the Republican lieutenant governor runoff over current Secretary of State Wes Allen, 57-43.
Who won and who’s heading to runoffs after Oklahoma primary elections (KOSU)
Trump-endorsed Rep. Kevin Hern won the Republican Senate primary with 63.7% to replace Markwayne Mullin’s seat — he’ll face the winner of a Democratic runoff in November.
The CD-1 race to replace Hern is worth watching: Trump-endorsed Jackson Lahmeyer, a self-described Christian nationalist pastor who founded Pastors for Trump, advanced to an August runoff against state Rep. Mark Tedford — Lahmeyer is also facing tabloid reports of infidelity he partially acknowledged on X.
Update: Oklahoma pastor who was backed by Trump exits GOP House runoff after reports of inappropriate texts (AP)
Lahmeyer dropped out of the CD-1 House runoff Wednesday — one day after advancing — following reports he exchanged thousands of romantic texts with a campaign fundraiser who is not his wife.
Trump immediately endorsed his runoff opponent, state Rep. Mark Tedford, calling him “Pro Trump and MAGA all the way” — having endorsed Lahmeyer just the day before.
Lahmeyer founded Pastors for Trump and his church’s upcoming speaker lineup includes Michael Flynn, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about Russian contacts before being pardoned.
Oklahoma voters rejected raising the minimum wage on Tuesday’s ballot — not surprising for the state but worth noting.
The Superintendent of Public Instruction runoff sets up a telling contrast: one candidate is a 40-year veteran teacher endorsed by public education advocates; the other supported Ryan Walters’ Bible-in-schools push, was fired during COVID for defying mask mandates, and recently said “almost every single thing they told us about COVID was an absolute lie.”
For the first time in a decade, independent voters were locked out of all primaries after the state Democratic Party missed a paperwork deadline — a significant voter access story that went largely unnoticed.
DC election results: Lewis George leads early DC mayor race primary returns (FOX5 DC)
DC Councilmember Janeese Lewis George leads the Democratic mayoral primary with 52.79% of first-choice votes to Kenyan McDuffie’s 36.57% in early returns — DC’s first open mayoral race in two decades, with Mayor Muriel Bowser stepping down after three terms.
Full ranked-choice results won’t post until June 21, and mail-in ballots postmarked by June 16 are accepted through June 26 — so this isn’t settled yet.
Robert White Jr. has won the Democratic primary for DC’s delegate seat in Congress.
McDuffie’s concession-adjacent speech carried a pointed message: “Donald Trump does not run Washington, D.C. We do. And we will fight for D.C.’s autonomy every single day of the week.”
California Special Election
Democrat Aisha Wahab advances in California special election to replace former US Rep. Eric Swalwell (KCRA)
Democratic state Sen. Aisha Wahab advanced to the August 18 special election runoff for Eric Swalwell’s former California CD-14 seat — Swalwell resigned in April after the San Francisco Chronicle reported allegations he sexually assaulted a woman who worked for him, which he denies.
Wahab, the more progressive candidate focused on housing costs and corporate accountability, will face a second candidate still to be determined; the seat heavily favors Democrats.
The winner serves only through January — but both Wahab and runner-up Melissa Hernandez are also on the November ballot for the full term, making the special election partly a visibility contest heading into the fall.
Weaponization
Gavin Newsom says DOJ is investigating him and his wife and blames Trump (NBC)
California Governor Gavin Newsom announced Monday that he and his wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom are under DOJ investigation, with FBI and IRS agents contacting more than a dozen family friends and former employees — calling it politically motivated retaliation for his Trump criticism and presidential ambitions.
His former chief of staff Dana Williamson pleaded guilty to federal charges last month in the same Eastern District of California; one source says Siebel Newsom is being investigated for “her taxes,” while the focus of the Newsom probe itself remains unclear.
The investigation expanded after Todd Blanche — Trump’s former personal attorney — took over as acting AG, and fits a pattern: James Comey, Letitia James, and Adam Schiff have all faced similar politically charged federal scrutiny after Trump publicly called for their prosecution.
Newsom: “If they can’t intimidate me, they’ll go after the mother of our children. Donald Trump picked the wrong target.”
FBI searches office of Ohio group that supports voter registration efforts (PBS)
FBI agents raided the Cleveland office of the Ohio Organizing Collaborative — a voting rights and criminal justice reform group founded in 2007 — seizing documents and computers, questioning staff for hours, and visiting employees’ homes.
The timing is pointed: Ohio has hotly contested governor and Senate races this fall, with Democrat Amy Acton challenging Vivek Ramaswamy and Sherrod Brown challenging Republican Jon Husted.
This fits a broader pattern: the Trump DOJ has seized election records from Fulton County GA, Maricopa County AZ, and Wayne County MI, questioned election workers in Milwaukee, sued 30+ states for detailed voter data, and investigated ActBlue — all targeting Democratic-leaning jurisdictions and organizations ahead of the midterms.
Acton: “Any attempts by federal law enforcement to intimidate eligible Ohioans from registering to vote are unacceptable.”
Frustrated by Courts, Trump Weighed Suspending a Constitutional Right (NYT)
Secret memos obtained by the NYT reveal that the Trump White House actively debated suspending habeas corpus — the constitutional right to challenge detention before a judge — to accelerate deportations, with Stephen Miller as the chief instigator and Trump personally interested, asking advisers about Lincoln’s Civil War suspension.
White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf, a hardcore Trump loyalist who helped win the Mar-a-Lago documents dismissal and the presidential immunity case, wrote a confidential memo to chief of staff Susie Wiles warning that suspension would almost certainly be found unconstitutional, noting habeas corpus has only been formally suspended four times in US history and always during actual armed conflict.
Miller’s team ultimately achieved much of the same effect through bureaucratic sleight of hand — reclassifying immigrants arrested inside the country as if they’d just been stopped at the border, making them subject to mandatory detention without a bond hearing, a move many federal judges ruled against but the administration frequently ignored.
On the Insurrection Act: Vance pushed to invoke it days after federal agents killed Minneapolis ICE protester Alex Pretti, arguing it would deter future resistance. Scharf again pushed back in a senior staff meeting; James Blair killed it with a political argument — nobody in the room could answer what the Insurrection Act would give them that they didn’t already have, or justify the PR cost.
Wiles’s private assessment after the Minnesota killings, relayed to colleagues: the reason for sending agents to Minneapolis had been to arrest people wrongly receiving federal benefits, “and we are so far off that mission.”
ICE
Feds charge 15 Minnesotans with conspiracy for impeding ICE agents during Operation Metro Surge (Sahan Journal)
Federal prosecutors charged 15 Minnesotans with conspiracy to impede federal immigration agents during Operation Metro Surge, alleging members of Direct Action Minnesota used Signal chats, a flipped trailer, homemade shields, and Czech hedgehog road barriers to blockade ICE access to the Bishop Henry Whipple Federal Building on January 23 and March 1.
The 96-page indictment relies heavily on federal surveillance of encrypted Signal messages — raising significant questions about how easily investigators accessed communications activists believed were private.
Notably, the indictment documents no injuries to federal agents from the accused; the two assault charges involve knocking papers from an agent’s hand and a vehicle sideswipe. Federal prosecutors previously charged 36 Minnesotans with similar offenses during Metro Surge — at least 15 of those cases have since been dismissed.
The magistrate judge released all defendants with just two conditions — no contact with co-defendants and no protesting on federal property — calling a detention hearing “a bridge too far.”
About 80 protesters converged on the St. Paul federal courthouse during Tuesday’s hearings in solidarity with the defendants — U.S. Marshals deployed chemical agents against the crowd as the confrontation escalated at the building’s entrance.
Judge upholds the conviction of former Wisconsin judge Hannah Dugan for helping immigrant evade ICE (AP)
A federal judge upheld the obstruction conviction of former Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan, who helped an immigrant evade ICE agents who showed up at her courthouse in April 2025 — she resigned after conviction amid Republican impeachment threats and faces up to five years in prison, though sentencing guidelines point toward probation.
The legal argument for overturning the conviction hinged on a recent federal appeals court ruling in a Virginia case finding that an ICE warrant doesn’t constitute a “pending proceeding” under federal obstruction law — the judge rejected that argument, ruling that ICE’s planned, targeted operation was sufficiently different from the Virginia case.
The underlying immigrant, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, was deported in November — meaning the conviction stands but the entire confrontation ultimately changed nothing about his outcome.
The case remains a flashpoint in the broader debate over ICE courthouse arrests, which critics argue undermine the justice system by deterring immigrants from appearing for proceedings — including as victims and witnesses.
Revolt in small Georgia town appears to ward off ICE detention center (Guardian)
DHS canceled plans to convert a Social Circle, Georgia warehouse into a detention center for up to 10,000 people — one of seven similar cancellations nationally, apparently part of a broader pullback under new homeland security director Markwayne Mullin.
The federal government had paid $128 million for the warehouse in February — nearly five times its $29 million assessed value — and the proposed facility would have tripled the town’s population, straining water, sewage, police, and ambulance services.
This happened in a county where nearly 75% voted for Trump, but local mobilization was fierce: the city manager cut off the federal government’s water access to the site, enlisted Sen. Ossoff, Sen. Warnock, and Rep. Mike Collins, and the town became the first small municipality to sue the federal government over a detention center, using a novel legal strategy.
Even now, DHS still hasn’t formally confirmed the cancellation in writing — the city manager learned through rumors and unofficial sources, saying “we’ve had to piecemeal what the situation is” throughout, and DHS didn’t respond to the Guardian’s request for comment.
Indiana Angle
Judge orders release of Muslim leader detained by ICE in Clay County (WFIU)
A federal judge ordered ICE to release Salah Sarsour, president of the Islamic Society of Milwaukee, from Indiana’s Clay County Jail — ruling his detention was likely unconstitutional First Amendment retaliation for his Palestinian rights advocacy.
Sarsour, a lawful permanent US resident for over 30 years, was arrested in March; DHS branded him a “terrorist” and “illegal alien,” alleging he lied on his citizenship application and attacked Israeli forces’ homes while living in the West Bank — claims his lawyers say the government knew about and approved his application anyway.
Roughly 150 supporters, including a Jewish interfaith group called Jews for Salah, held a vigil outside the jail, citing reports of religious discrimination and medical neglect during his detention; advocates draw a parallel to the earlier arrest of activist Mahmoud Khalil as part of a broader pattern targeting Palestinian rights advocates.
The judge did not rule on Sarsour’s potential deportation — that fight continues — but ordered his immediate release; he’ll live in Wisconsin while the case proceeds.
Education
Moving Special Education and Civil Rights Out of Education Department Risks a Patchwork of Rights for Students With Disabilities (The Arc)
The Education Department announced plans to move the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services to HHS and the Office for Civil Rights to DOJ — splitting the two offices that together are supposed to enforce IDEA, the 50-year-old law guaranteeing a free appropriate public education for students with disabilities.
The core concern: IDEA is an education law, not a medical one — moving it to HHS risks shifting the federal framework from classroom access and inclusion toward a medical model that treats disability as a diagnosis to manage, historically associated with more segregation and lower expectations.
For families already fighting to get schools to follow the law, splitting enforcement across two agencies means more confusion about where to file complaints, longer delays, and less accountability — with no guarantee of consistent protection across states.
The Arc notes federal special education capacity has already been hollowed out by staff cuts and office closures, with civil rights complaints taking longer and enforcement weakening — this move deepens that instability rather than addressing it.
Indiana Angle:
U.S. Dept. of Ed OKs Indiana waiver to ‘streamline’ education spending (ICC)
The US Department of Education approved Indiana’s waiver from provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, consolidating $50 million in federal Title I, II, III and IV grants into a block grant-style arrangement — Indiana is only the third state approved, following Iowa and Louisiana.
The practical effect: schools no longer file separate compliance reports for each federal grant program, potentially freeing trained educators from administrative roles back into classrooms.
The ideological framing from McMahon: “President Trump told me I’d be successful when I fired myself” — this is explicitly a step toward dismantling federal education oversight and converting targeted federal grants into flexible state spending.
Worth watching: those targeted grants exist for specific reasons — supporting low-income students, English language learners, teacher training, and school safety. Consolidating them into a block grant removes the requirement that money actually reach those populations, a concern notably absent from Tuesday’s ceremony.
Proposed child care rules would move Indiana backward, advocates say (Axios)
Indiana’s Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning proposed a massive overhaul of child care licensing rules — changing 90+ sections of code, including dropping education requirements so that lead caregivers would need only a high school diploma instead of any early childhood training or credential.
Advocates are blunt: “A high school diploma does not prepare anyone to teach young children. This says you don’t care about quality — you just care about making it affordable.”
The state says it’s aligning with national norms and that Indiana’s rules have been more burdensome than surrounding states; Braun has said quality must be protected alongside affordability — a position advocates say these rules contradict.
Public comment is open through July 6, with a hearing that morning at Indiana Government Center South.
Indiana child well-being rank declines in national report (WFYI)
Indiana dropped to 29th in the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 2026 KIDS COUNT rankings — its worst position since 2021 and a four-spot decline — driven largely by a cratering economic well-being score that fell from 11th to 23rd as child poverty and housing cost burdens increased.
254,000 Hoosier children live in poverty; 369,000 live in households with high housing cost burdens; and 29,000 teens are neither working nor in school.
Education remains a relative bright spot at 11th nationally, but the underlying numbers are sobering: 66% of fourth graders aren’t proficient in reading, and 69% of eighth graders aren’t proficient in math.
Indiana ranks 36th in family and community health — near the bottom — despite improvements in teen birth rates and single-parent household rates.
Indiana receives an F for public education support (WFIU)
Indiana received an F for public education support from the 2026 Network for Public Education report, scoring 25.5 out of 102 points — down sharply from 52 of 111 in 2024. Only Nebraska and Vermont earned A’s; Indiana was among 17 states that failed.
The report’s framing is blunt: states earning F’s “made active, sustained choices to abandon their public schools while directing public money toward private alternatives with documented records of fraud, discrimination, and academic failure.”
The Indiana Coalition for Public Education points to the Choice Scholarship voucher program — roughly half a billion dollars spent last year sending public money to private schools that face no obligation to disclose how it’s used or to accept all students.
SEA 1’s property tax cuts will strip $744 million from public schools over three years, which advocates say will force a wave of local tax referenda — essentially making communities tax themselves twice to fund what the state was supposed to provide.
Indiana also scored poorly on teacher pay, teacher-student ratios, and counselor-student ratios — directly affecting services for students with disabilities or those affected by poverty, according to the coalition’s president: “all of those kids are welcomed into the public school system, and all of those things cost money.”
Climate
Wed/Thu: Substantial damage from tornadoes in 7 Indiana counties (WISH)
At least five more tornadoes confirmed across southern Indiana Wednesday night into Thursday — including two EF-2s (Owen/Monroe/Morgan counties, and Franklin County into Ohio) with winds up to 130 mph, and EF-1s in Vigo/Clay, Jackson, and Scott counties.
One person suffered a broken ankle and possible dislocated hip when a tornado hit her mobile home in Monroe County; homes lost roofs, garages were destroyed, and a 100-year-old brick barn was partially leveled.
NWS: 21 tornadoes confirmed throughout Indiana last week (FOX59)
The NWS confirmed 21 tornadoes touched down in Indiana on June 11 alone — tying the state’s eighth-largest single-day outbreak on record, matching April 3, 1974.
That single outbreak pushed Indiana’s 2026 confirmed tornado count to 40 so far this year, and the NWS says additional damage surveys could push the number higher.
Indiana averages roughly 22 tornadoes per full year historically — the state has already nearly matched that in the first half of June alone.
…Finally This Week
Martinsville hosts first Juneteenth celebration (WTHR)
Martinsville — a town long marked by its history as a sundown town and the 1968 murder of Carol Jenkins — held its first-ever Juneteenth celebration Friday to a standing-room-only crowd at the Martinsville Area Senior Center.
Organizer Jeannine Lee Ferrer, who moved from Muncie where Juneteenth has been celebrated for decades, said friends initially questioned whether organizing the event in Martinsville was wise — “I’m proud to be from Martinsville,” she said.
One attendee who drove in from Indianapolis offered a generational perspective: “I know I’ve changed from 30 years ago, it’s good to see that Martinsville is trying to change and trying to lead a new legacy.” Organizers are already planning a larger venue for next year.
