South Bend fails to override veto of anti-abortion rezoning
The South Bend Common Council failed to override the mayor’s veto of its decision to allow an anti-abortion rights center to open next to a proposed abortion clinic.
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Supreme Court makes legal sports betting a possibility
The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal law Monday that bars gambling on football, basketball, baseball and other sports in most states, giving states the go-ahead to legalize betting on sports. Indiana was among the states pushing for the decision.
Giuliani cautions no Trump-Russia interview decision soon
President Donald Trump and his lawyers likely won’t decide whether he will answer questions from Russia probe investigators until after his summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un next month, according to the president’s legal team.
Companies propose immigration detention centers for Midwest
Companies and local governments have proposed building new immigration detention centers in Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois and Indiana, responding to a request from Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials stepping up arrests in the center of the country.
Appeals court orders Yorktown clerk-treasurer’s removal
The Indiana Court of Appeals has ordered the removal of the Yorktown clerk-treasurer from office after determining that her failure to properly reconcile the town books for four consecutive years warranted her removal. In response, the elected office holder has pledged to take her case to the Indiana Supreme Court.
In Elkhart, Trump urges GOP to mobilize for 2018 midterms
Embracing his role as party leader, President Donald Trump issued a stern warning at an Elkhart rally Thursday that Democrats would disrupt the economic progress of his administration, imploring Republicans to mobilize during the 2018 midterm elections.
Insight or influence? Trump attorney’s business scrutinized
Already under investigation for a payment to a porn star, President Donald Trump’s longtime personal attorney is facing intensifying legal and ethical scrutiny for selling his Trump World experience and views at a hefty price to companies that sought “insight” into the new president.
Republican immigration moderates say they’ll force House votes
Republican lawmakers with moderate views on immigration defied party leaders and took steps Wednesday toward forcing election-year House votes on the issue, and a leader of the group said they had enough support to succeed.
County wants U.S. Supreme Court to hear church grants case
A New Jersey county wants the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a ruling that bars a longstanding practice of giving public historic preservation grants to churches.
7th Circuit prohibits sex offender from voting at local high school
In a decision handed down one day before Indiana’s 2018 primary election, the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals found a rational relationship between an Indiana statute prohibiting sex offenders from entering school property and the state’s interest in protecting children. The court ruled the state does not violate a convicted sex offender’s voting rights by prohibiting him from voting at a polling place located in a high school, and instead requiring him to vote via one of three alternatives.
Clerk: Trump slogan banned from clothing in Indiana primary
A county clerk says Indiana election officers have directed poll workers not to allow anyone into voting stations with clothing sporting the phrase “Make America Great Again,” a slogan popularized by Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
Marion, Lake, Monroe prosecutors won’t defend abortion law
Three Indiana prosecutors in counties with Planned Parenthood facilities have announced they will not defend the state in a recently filed lawsuit challenging a 2018 abortion law.
Travel ban case is justices’ first dive into Trump policy
The Supreme Court has so far had little to say about Donald Trump’s time as president, even as the nation has moved from one Trump controversy to another. That’s about to change.
ACLU, Planned Parenthood sue over abortion complications reporting law
Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky is once again challenging an Indiana abortion law it says is “a cruel intimidation tactic,” this time taking aim at a 2018 piece of legislation that was signed into law less than a month ago.
Indiana collecting more DNA samples after new law
A new Indiana law is adding thousands of new samples to the state’s DNA database. The Indiana State Police lab has had an average of 4,200 DNA samples tested each month this year through March, up from 1,100 a month last year.
7th Circuit nominees get bipartisan support in committee vote
With 21-to-0 vote, Judge Amy St. Eve and Michael Scudder, the nominees for the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, were approved Thursday by the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Their nominations now proceed to the Senate for a confirmation vote at date to be determined.
Expansion of DNA database could help catch Delphi teens’ killer
A broader DNA database is helping police find suspects to unsolved crimes. Perhaps soon it might mean finding the man who killed Delphi teens Libby German and Abby Williams.
Supreme Court strikes down as vague part of immigration law
The Supreme Court said Tuesday that part of a federal law that makes it easier to deport immigrants who have been convicted of crimes is too vague to be enforced.
Trump pardons former Cheney aide Scooter Libby
President Donald Trump issued a full pardon Friday to I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, a former top aide to Vice President Dick Cheney.
Law limiting short-term rental regulations by cities may face test from Carmel, others
As the popularity of short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb and VRBO has increased, local governments across the country have stepped in to regulate when and where their residents can lease their homes to temporary guests. Indiana cities have been no exception, but the 2018 General Assembly limited the extent to which municipalities can regulate the local short-term rental industry.