Noon Edition

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to release more than two dozen decisions of cases it heard this term by the end of the month.

The court has already released several verdicts so far, including allowing some states to redistrict their congressional maps and denying others; striking down much of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and voiding President Trump’s tariff policies.

Still to be decided are cases involving birthright citizenship, which has been guaranteed under the 14th Amendment, a ban on trans athletes in sports, immigration status and election laws.

Read more: The Supreme Court is in its final stretch this term.

On this week’s Noon Edition, we’ll discuss already released and impending key decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court as it wraps up its current session this month.

GUESTS
Zachary Cormier, Associate Professor of Law, Indiana University McKinney School of Law
Steve Sanders, Professor of Law, Indiana University Maurer School of Law

Last weekend, high school seniors across the state walked across the stage for graduation.

The class of 2026 grew up in a world of social media and lived through the COVID-19 emergency as middle schoolers, which shut down schools for a year and upended their learning experiences.

Members of Gen Z, they’re entering a world with the U.S. once again at war, a slowing economy, unaffordable housing and a challenging job market, with everyone concerned about a future dominated by artificial intelligence.

Now of voting age, they will have a role in shaping the direction of the political landscape of the country.

Many will be headed to college in the fall, where the high cost of education is a worry for many. In a Third Way poll of graduating seniors, 56 percent of respondents said "the best path forward for me is not to attend a four-year college or university, regardless of the cost." But, more than three-fourths believe they have a “great future ahead of them.”

Nationally, nearly a third of graduating high schoolers do not attend a post-secondary education institution, choosing to enter the workforce or alternative training right after high school.

This week we’ll talk with graduating high school seniors about their educational experiences, living through COVID and their plans and expectations after high school.

Guests
Kelton O’Connell, Bloomington High School North
Finn Wolfger, Eastern Greene High School

With school letting out and the summer weather upon us, a lot of people will be heading outdoors for recreation.

And around Bloomington, there’s a lot of nature to take advantage of, with four prominent lakes, two state parks and several wilderness areas and nature preserves to explore.

Read more: Hiking paths in and around Bloomington

But with all the fun comes some risk. Dozens in the state die annually in boating and swimming accidents; there are four venomous snakes in the state, including the Northern Copperhead, which is prevalent in southern Indiana; ticks, which seem to be particularly thick this year; and heatstroke.

Read more: Tick season has arrived, here's what to know

On this week’s Noon Edition, we’ll discuss how to safely enjoy the outdoors, places to camp and hike, the abundance of ticks, wildlife and the differences between nature preserves, national forests, and state parks.

Guests
Heidi Shoemaker, Natural Resources Coordinator for Bloomington Parks & Recreation
Tom Swinford, Land Preservation Director for Sycamore Land Trust
Jill Vance, DNR Interpretive Naturalist for Monroe Lake

Farmers across Indiana are facing a difficult economic landscape in 2026.

Farm bankruptcies rose sharply last year, with the Midwest seeing the largest increase in the country. At the same time, many farmers are dealing with tight profit margins, rising fertilizer and fuel costs, uncertain commodity prices and questions about the future of trade and exports.

Read more: Ag bill in federal legislature could help Hoosier farmers

But economics aren’t the only challenge. Across Indiana, farmers and rural communities are also grappling with land use issues tied to solar developments, data centers and large infrastructure projects. As energy demand grows and development pressures increase, debates continue over how farmland should be used and who gets to decide its future.

Read more: Conference highlights ways farmers can use land for both solar and agriculture

On today’s Noon Edition, we’ll discuss the state of Indiana’s agricultural economy, the financial pressures facing farmers, and the land use and development issues reshaping rural communities.

Guests
Dave Fischer, Farm Manager at Fischer Farms
Jesse Uebelhor, agronomist at Superior Ag and farmer
Michael Langemeier, Director for the Center for Commercial Agriculture at Purdue University

May is Mental Health Awareness Month.

First observed in 1949, the annual observance is meant to “highlight the importance of mental wellbeing, educate the public, reduce stigma and promote support for those affected by mental health conditions,” according to the National Council for Mental Wellbeing.

The council reports one in five adults have experienced some kind of mental illness in the past year, with one in 20 have a serious mental illness in the past year.

And, one in five children have some sort of mental health issues, the most common of which is anxiety. That led to 20 percent of high school students considering suicide in 2023.

Mental Health America’s theme for the month is “Have more god days, together.” The goal is to help more people have good days through support and understanding of mental health issues and to reflect on what a good day looks like.

Indiana ranks 24th in the nation for mental health access and outcomes, a big improvement over 2022 when the state ranked 42nd.

If you or anyone you know is having a crisis or needs emotional support, they can call or text the national suicide and crisis lifeline at 988. To find mental health counseling and community resources in Indiana, call 211.

On this week’s Noon Edition, we’ll discuss mental health concerns, how people can support those with mental health issues, suicide rates and mitigation, and available resources on mental illness.

Guests
June Coleman, Greater Bloomington Area NAMI
Amy Makice, Relational-Cultural therapist, Bloomington Center for Connection
Jennifer Scott, Mobile Crisis Coordinator, Centerstone's STRIDE Crisis Center
Barbara Thompson, Executive Director, NAMI Indiana

Last week, the Monroe County Commissioners again approved a purchase agreement to buy the North Park site for a new jail.

The commissioners are trying to stay ahead of a deadline to make progress on building a new jail as outlined in a 2009 lawsuit settlement with the American Civil Liberties Union.

It says that if the Monroe County Council doesn’t approve the new purchase agreement by May 29, the county could face another lawsuit from the ACLU.

Read more: County commissioners and ACLU reach last ditch agreement

The last time the commissioners agreed to purchase the land in the fall, the council refused to fund it, citing concerns about costs and a desire to keep the jail within city limits.

The Bloomington City Council has also come out in opposition to North Park as the site for a new jail.

Read more: Monroe County Council refuses $8M to buy new jail property

After years of legal extensions and deteriorating conditions in the jail, Commissioner Jody Madeira says the county needs to find a workable solution now.

“We stumble if we continuously look back over our shoulders,” Madeira said. “The 17-year history of this must be a hand on the back that shoves us forward and not a grip on our shoulder that holds us back.”

On this week’s Noon Edition, we’ll discuss the latest on a new jail between the county commissioners and the county council and if they can avoid a potential lawsuit.

Guests
Julie Thomas, President, Monroe County Commissioners
Trent Deckard, Monroe County Council, At-large
Seth Mutchler, Care Not Cages

Indiana University has been the backbone of the Bloomington economy for some time, helping the community avoid the hardships other cities have faced. 

But due to funding cuts at the state and federal levels and changes to the property tax laws in the state, that is no longer the case. 

Layoffs at Indiana University have continued into 2026. And Novo Nordisk, the pharmaceutical giant in town, recently announced 400 layoffs. Add in the high cost of living in the city and Bloomington’s economic outlook looks a little bleak. 

Read more: Private businesses will bolster Bloomington after IU cuts 

Last year, wages in Bloomington fell by 6.2 percent. Statewide, they grew by 5.6 percent. 

And in its 2026 Futurecast, the Indiana Business Research Center at IU predicted a less than 1 percent growth for Bloomington and the surrounding area this year. 

A market research survey ranked Bloomington below Lafayette and South Bend in “salary and income, job market strength, quality of life and amenities, and industry presence.” 

Read more: Bloomington at a crossroads, with urgent need to grow the economy 

Former Bloomington mayor John Fernandez, now the CEO of Amplify Bloomington, said the city needs to lean into its quality of life and amenities. But, he said, the city needs to invest in attracting and retaining the 25- to 50-year-old workforce. 

On this week’s Noon Edition, we’ll be discussing issues impacting Bloomington’s economic outlook and what can be done to ensure a healthy, growing economic forecast going forward.  

Guests 
John Fernandez, CEO, Amplify Bloomington
Carol Rogers, Director, Indiana Business Research Center
Eric Spoonmore, Executive Director, Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce 

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the men’s Little 500 bicycle race at Indiana University. 

Billed as “The World’s Greatest College Weekend,” more than 25,000 people pour into Bloomington for the numerous events leading up to Saturday’s 200-lap, 50-mile men’s race at Bill Armstrong Stadium. 

Little 500 is also synonymous with the 1979 movie “Breaking Away,” a coming-of-age tale of four Bloomington “cutters” trying to find their place after high school graduation in a college town. They end up competing in – and winning – the Little 500.   

The movie was written by Indiana University grad Steve Tesich, a member of the winning 1962 Phi Kappa Psi team the film is loosely based on. “Breaking Away” was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, with Tesich taking home the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. 

READ MORE: ‘Breaking Away’ celebrates 40th anniversary 

Dennis Christopher starred in the lead as Dave Stohler, a cycling enthusiast obsessed with Italian racers. That character was based on Dave Blase, who was on the bike for more than half the 1962 race for Phi Kappa Psi. The character’s name was a combination of Blase and team manager Bob Stohler. 

Tesich died in 1996 at the age of 53, but his little film about the biggest college weekend in Bloomington remains a must-see. 

On this week’s Noon Edition, we'll talk with members of the 1962 Phi Kappa Psi team that was the inspiration behind the Oscar-winning movie, Breaking Away. 

Guests
Dave Blase, member, 1962 Phi Kappa Psi team
John Odusch, member, 1962 Phi Kappa Psi team
Rich Burns, member, 1962 Phi Kappa Psi team
Bob Stohler, manager, 1962 Phi Kappa Psi team 

It’s been almost 56 years since the founding of both the Environmental Protection Agency and the first Earth Day in response to public outrage about pollution.

A lot's changed since then, with several pieces of landmark legislation passed to protect the water, land, and air of the USA.

Over the past year, big changes have been made at the federal and state level to weaken or eliminate existing environmental regulations.

On this week’s Noon Edition, we talked with environmental policy experts about the key environmental issues facing Indiana and the United States, from data centers to water pollution, and what environmental deregulation means for Hoosiers.

Guests:  
Kerwin Olson, Executive Director of the Citizens Action Coalition
Christian Freitag, Executive Director of Conservation Law Center
David Van Gilder, Senior Policy and Legal Director of the Hoosier Environmental Council
Janet McCabe, Former deputy administrator of the United States Environmental Protection Agency

Last week, a reorganization committee comprised of members of the town of Ellettsville and Richland Township presented a draft plan on how to merge the two governing bodies into one entity.

The two governments began exploring the merger last November. The goals are to help avoid stringent Monroe County zoning codes, give residents a bigger voice in local government and mitigate lost property taxes due to changes in the last state budget.

Read more: Draft plan complete for Ellettsville-Richland reorganization

The draft could receive some pushback from the Town Council, where two members were critical of the selection process for the reorganization committee.

Ultimately, the plan will be voted on by residents in November when it will be a referendum on the ballot.

Read more: Reorganization subcommittee reports

On this week’s Noon Edition, we'll talk with Ellettsville and Richland Township leaders about the proposal to merge the two governing bodies into one entity and what it would mean for residents of the town and county.

Guests
William Ellis, Ellettsville Town Council, Ward 2
Mike Farmer, Ellettsville Town Manager
Kevin Farris, Richland Township representative, Reorganization Committee
Jill Thurman, Director, Greater Ellettsville Chamber of Commerce