Project Next Media

Our Vice President of the United States is supposed to be stopping in Indiana this Thursday (8/7) to see if Indiana can redraw our district lines in favor of Republicans. We redraw lines every 10 years after the census so we have 5 and a 1/2 to go. So, if this happens...what does that mean for Indiana and US democracy? What are the facts, what can we do to stop this now, and how do we fix this in the future? Sarah, Tim, and Kaitie from MadVoters will all help uncover this shocking event.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.projectnextindiana.com

Bicycling has proven health benefits that are far superior to pharmaceuticals. Today Tim interviews a member of the Southern Indiana Wheelmen to discuss biking in So IN and health, wellness and public safety.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.projectnextindiana.com

Sarah Blessing is hosting a BRAND NEW SHOW! Sarah has asked Tim Peck to find 5 of the worst Right leaning headlines. She asked Republican Christopher Maichin to find 5 of the worst Left leaning headlines. Both sides want to spark hate and division amongst hard working Americans. Sarah, with your help, will label one the absolute most terrible by the end. Add your comments throughout this interactive show so we can see how you feel about what is being done to us all.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.projectnextindiana.com

Indiana Stories

* Around the Corn (Quick Headlines)

* Task Force One, an elite team of Hoosier first responders, back in Indiana after aiding Texas flood response

* Indiana’s Higher Education Commissioner Chris Lowery to step down in October

* Indiana State Fair Kicked Off Friday

* Former Texas Congressman Beto O’Rourke to Hold Indiana Town Hall

* Indiana’s state police, prisons and more ink immigration enforcement agreements with ICE

* If U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement approves the agreements, the Indiana State Police, Department of Homeland Security and Department of Correction would join four local Hoosier agencies — and nearly 900 others from across the nation — that have inked similar deals.

* The formal partnerships are authorized in Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act and let ICE delegate certain immigration enforcement powers to state or local officers.

* There are three active program models: task force, warrant service officer and jail enforcement.

* The Indiana State Police has submitted a memorandum of agreement for the task force model, according to an ICE list of pending deals that was updated Friday morning. So did the Department of Homeland Security.

* The Department of Correction asked for a warrant service officer deal. The agency is “working with ICE to make available up to 1,000 beds at Miami Correctional Facility,” the news release said.

* Indiana immigration arrests surge

* Nearly 1,400 people in Indiana have been subject to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement administrative arrest since Trump’s Jan. 20 inauguration, as of June 26. That’s almost an 80% increase over the same period last year, according to ICE records obtained by the Deportation Data Project and published July 15.

* State Senator Liz Brown to Face Primary Fight

* Texts accusing “Liberal Liz” Brown of betraying her conservative values on the Second Amendment and transgender issues have been flying in northeast Indiana— funded by a dark-money “social welfare” nonprofit that no one knows about or isn’t willing to divulge.

* Brown — a staunch pro-lifer — has been a fixture in the Senate Republican caucus since 2014. But now high-profile GOP Hoosiers like U.S. Sen. Jim Banks and Attorney General Todd Rokita have put her in the crosshairs for 2026.

* The focus started when Rokita called out Brown for not hearing a stringent immigration bill during the legislative session. As the chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, she has the power to choose which bills get heard. Ultimately, the legislation died.

* Brown, who is also an attorney, ultimately filed a disciplinary action against Rokita.

* One of the [text] ads takes Brown to task for her role in hearing a constitutional carry bill in 2021. She declined to give the legislation a hearing and instead the Senate removed permit fees.

* Brown also voted against a bill to ban transgender Hoosiers from high school sports in 2022. She did support a college ban this year.

* Browns’s conservative credentials have dipped recently, according to two GOP rankings.

* The Conservative Political Action Conference issues annual rankings of lawmakers. In 2019, Brown’s score was 85% and has since dropped to 61% in 2023.

* GOP-aligned Americans for Prosperity also issues scorecards. Her ranking in 2022 was 100 and dropped to 86 and 78 in the next two years.

* They are paid for by Hoosier Leadership for America — a nonprofit that was established in 2024.

* The group has a Huntertown P.O. Box. The incorporator is a man out of Virginia that the ICC could not locate.

* Donors behind the Hoosier Leadership for America nonprofit are shielded under law [it’s a 501(c)(4)] — but if it were organized as a political action committee, they would be public.

* On Thursday afternoon, Darren Vogt, who previously served on Allen County Council and currently holds a seat on the board of Northwest Allen County Schools, announced his candidacy.

* He served 12 years on the Allen County Council, including six as president. It’s interesting to note that Vogt ran for the same senate seat in 2014.

* Currently, he serves as Field Operations and Special Assistant to U.S. Senator Jim Banks.

* EPA launches emission deregulation proposal from Indiana trucking facility

* The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday released a proposal to scrap the 15-year-old regulation that empowers the agency to curb greenhouse gas emissions — a move EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin billed as the “largest deregulatory action” in the nation’s history.

* On December 7, 2009, the Administrator signed two distinct findings regarding greenhouse gases under section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act:

* Endangerment Finding: The Administrator finds that the current and projected concentrations of the six key well-mixed greenhouse gases—carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), and sulfur hexafluoride (SF6)—in the atmosphere threaten the public health and welfare of current and future generations.

* Cause or Contribute Finding: The Administrator finds that the combined emissions of these well-mixed greenhouse gases from new motor vehicles and new motor vehicle engines contribute to the greenhouse gas pollution that threatens public health and welfare.

* These findings do not themselves impose any requirements on industry or other entities. However, this action was a prerequisite for implementing greenhouse gas emissions standards for vehicles and other sectors.

* If finalized, his proposal would strip the EPA’s authority to set standards for greenhouse gas emission regulations on motor vehicles and engines.

* “Do not listen to those haters. The sky will not fall,” Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita said. “We have the cleanest air, the cleanest water.”

* Fact Check:

* Indiana has the most dirty waterways in U.S.

* Indianapolis metro among worst in air quality

US/World News

* Quick Headlines

* Epstein Story Follows Trump to Scotland and Back

* It comes as the legal team for Epstein's conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell, indicated she would only testify before Congress on what she knows about the case if she is granted strict legal protections.

* Amid public pressure for more disclosures in the Epstein case, a House of Representatives committee subpoenaed Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence, to testify before lawmakers on 11 August.

* Questions about Trump's relationship with Epstein followed him on to Air Force One on Tuesday, where he was asked to expand on comments he made the previous day in Scotland where he said: "He [Epstein] stole people that worked for me."

* Maxwell Transferred to Texas “Club Fed”

* A Bureau of Prisons source told the New York Sun that Maxwell’s transfer was “unusual” as it was handled by bureau officials themselves, rather than by the US Marshals Service, which typically oversees the interstate transportation of inmates.

* On Friday victims of Epstein said they were “horrified” by her prison transfer.

* Senate votes against resolutions to block arms sales to Israel even as it continues to starve Gaza

* 27 Democratic Senators – a majority of the caucus – voted for the measure.

* Chuck Schumer, the Democratic minority leader from New York, and Cory Booker, a Democratic senator of New Jersey, voted against the measure, but progressives like Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, and Jeff Merkley of Oregon, were joined by moderates including Jon Ossoff of Georgia, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Tim Kaine of Virginia, and Dick Durbin of Illinois, in supporting the effort to cut off arms supplies to Israel.

* Twelve of the Democrats who voted for the measure previously voted in April against a similar resolution, NBC reports.

* Trump administration is launching a new private health tracking system with Big Tech’s help

* More than 60 companies, including major tech companies like Google, Amazon and Apple as well as health care giants like UnitedHealth Group and CVS Health, have agreed to share patient data in the system. The initiative will focus on diabetes and weight management, conversational artificial intelligence that helps pa…

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.projectnextindiana.com

Sarah Blessing was invited by the Indiana 50501 Movement to give a ten minute speech about who are the real heroes in American fighting to save democracy. Sometimes those who say they will save us are actually the bad guys who want to control us. How do we unite so we can save our local communities and our state?

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.projectnextindiana.com

Josh Dean is a neighbor and friend of Sarah’s. Josh started his own beautiful U-Pick Flower place off Highway 135 in Palmyra, Indiana 2 years ago. Josh takes Sarah on a tour and shows us how to pick a quick in-expensive bouquet at his place. Just look at those flowers! This will be open until the first big frost. Also shopping local for flowers is great in many ways. It’s better for the environment, the flowers last longer, and you get to be out with nature to name a few.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.projectnextindiana.com

Sarah was able to be a part of a fashion show for Harrison County Arts. This is a fundraiser to help keep this amazing program running. Harrison County Arts supports local creatives by displaying their work in Corydon at their building. They also sell their art and give local classes to the community.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.projectnextindiana.com

The hit show, The Boys, is about if superheroes were real. Of course they would be ran by a giant corporation that has its ties in American government. Sarah Blessing and Scott Johnson do a deep dive in what this show is trying to tell us. Let's break down the secrets of this show and use it to help us fight real life authoritarian/oligarchy problems in the US in 2025.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.projectnextindiana.com

Around the Corn

* Indiana GOP Leadership Continues to Show Their Ass

* Mike Braun continues to prove himself a toothless, empty blue shirt who can’t keep his red-pilled minions under control. Part of the reason for his toothlessness could be the lack of time he spends in the Governor’s office. FAA reports of his helicopter trips to and from Jasper show that he’s putting in a good 3 or 4 days a week at the Capital.

* Last Week, we briefly touched on this one: State Supreme Court won't dismiss latest disciplinary complaint against Attorney General Todd Rokita

* Not to be outdone, Diego Morales takes the wheel of the MAGA clown car, going on a 15-minute rant during a routine Motor Vehicle Advisory Board meeting, repeating the phrase “fake news” a dozen times

* “Don’t pay attention to the fake news,” Morales said. “It is time for someone like me to share what we have done.”

* “I’m not going to let the fake news, the fake IndyStar, the fake WIBC, to define me,” Morales said. “They are fake news, and they deserve to be called out.”

* Never one to give up the spotlight for too long, Lieutenant Governor Micah Beckwith also found himself under the microscope this week… Twice:

* Unexpected terminations: Beckwith replaces OCRA staff with congregants, friends and allies

* As Micah Beckwith took office in January, the Republican lieutenant governor and his aides quickly remade a small state agency he oversees – removing long-time employees at the Office of Community and Rural Affairs to make room for political allies.

* The turnover was possible because while the governor oversees most of the executive branch, state law places the lieutenant governor in charge of OCRA and the Department of Agriculture.

* He has tapped Republican delegates who backed his bid for lieutenant governor at last year’s state party convention, followers of the church where he is a pastor, a radio personality who interviewed and endorsed him and more.

* Indiana LG’s office closures, staff instructions suggest contrast with return-to-office order

* Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith’s statehouse office has been repeatedly closed during public business hours in recent weeks — at times with no signage posted and no staff inside — even as Gov. Mike Braun has ordered a broad return to in-person work for state employees.

* The Indiana Capital Chronicle visited the lieutenant governor’s office six times between late June and mid-July and found it dark or locked on four occasions. Three of the closures — June 20, June 27 and July 11 — fell on Fridays.

* The Kind of “Results” You Get From Such “Leaders”

* Hoosiers hit with historically high electric bill increases, consumer watchdog study shows

* Citizens Action Coalition collected and analyzed 20 years of data from five of the state’s monopoly utilities — NIPSCO, CenterPoint, Duke Energy Indiana, AES Indiana and I&M — and found residents were hit this year with the highest year-over-year price increase since at least 2005.

* The group’s key findings show a statewide average energy bill increase of more than $28 per month — a 17.5% jump.

* Indiana’s college-going rate drops again, dipping to 51.7%

* Fewer than 52% of Indiana high school graduates from the Class of 2023 went directly to college, according to the latest data quietly released by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education.

* That’s the state’s lowest rate in recent history and a continued decline from its previous plateau.

* Just 51.7% of 2023 graduates, about 39,000 students, enrolled in college within a year of finishing high school, data showed. That’s down from a steady 53% between 2020 and 2022, and far below the state’s peak of 65% a decade ago.

* Crossroads - Indiana News Intersects National News: USDA chooses Indianapolis as location of one of 5 regional hubs

* As part of the USDA’s reorganization, the department announced a phased plan to relocate its agency headquarters and its staff from the Washington D.C. area to five hub locations, including:

* Indianapolis

* Salt Lake City

* Fort Collins, Colorado

* Raleigh, North Carolina

* Kansas City, Missouri

* The release said that the department’s reorganization consists of four main pillars, including:

* Ensure the size of USDA’s workforce aligns with available financial resources and agricultural priorities

* Bring USDA closer to its customers

* Eliminate management layers and bureaucracy

* Consolidate redundant support functions.

* Officials said this is the first phase in a multi-month process. Leadership said they will notify offices with more information on relocation to one of the regional hubs. The release stressed that all “critical functions of the department will continue uninterrupted.”

* Don’t Look Away – This is Still Happening: More details emerge about Camp Atterbury's use for ICE detainees

* On Monday, Rep. André Carson (D-Indiana) said he’s learned Camp Atterbury is preparing to house 1,000 people.

* “I stand firmly in my conviction that Camp Atterbury is for military training operations unless there are exigent or emergency or national security concerns,” Carson said in a Zoom interview. “And as a senior member of the House Intelligence Committee, I’m always concerned with issues of national security. So some of the questions we need answers to must be answered. We cannot allow this Hoosier facility to be turned into another Alligator Alcatraz.”

US / World News

“Trump’s main tactic was never to bury his offenses, but to flaunt them. He covered his big crimes with smaller crimes, and covered his smaller crimes with scandals, and in the process attempted to destroy the very notion of truth. His presidency exposed the weakness and complicity of institutions and proved that trusting the official line was a sucker’s bet.” - Sarah Kendzior, PhD (MA - IU 2006), September 2022

* Again - Don’t Look Away: Gaza Famine

* The entire 2.1 million population of Gaza is facing prolonged food shortages, with nearly half a million people in a catastrophic situation of hunger, acute malnutrition, starvation, illness and death. This is one of the world’s worst hunger crises, unfolding in real time.

* The latest food security analysis was released today by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) partnership, of which WHO is a member.

* “We do not need to wait for a declaration of famine in Gaza to know that people are already starving, sick and dying, while food and medicines are minutes away across the border,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Today’s report shows that without immediate access to food and essential supplies, the situation will continue to deteriorate, causing more deaths and descent into famine.”

* Famine has not yet been declared, but people are starving now. Three quarters of Gaza’s population are at “Emergency” or “Catastrophic” food deprivation, the worst two levels of IPC's five level scale of food insecurity and nutritional deprivation.

* Epstein Distractions - Trump: “Look Over There!”

* Every Day, a new attempted distraction

* Trump Demands Commanders, Guardians Revert Names

* MLK Files

* Gabbard Accuses Obama of “Treasonous Conspiracy”

* US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard has released a previously classified report which she says points to a "treasonous conspiracy" to undermine the results of the 2016 presidential election.

* The report Gabbard declassified was prepared by Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee and is dated 18 September 2020.

* The declassified report says the CIA "did not adhere to the tenets" of analytic standards and used "one scant, unclear, and unverifiable fragment of a sentence from one of the substandard reports" to conclude that Russia's Vladimir Putin wanted Trump to win.

* There is little evidence in the document, however, that challenges the prevailing view in US intelligence that Russia sought to influence the vote in favour of Trump.

* Among the key authors of the report was Kash Patel, who is now Trump's FBI director.

* The US intelligence community published an assessment in January 2017 concluding that Russia had sought to damage Hillary Clinton's campaign and boost Tr…

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.projectnextindiana.com

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.projectnextindiana.com