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On Thursday, March 2, 2023, Versiti Blood Center of Indiana and the Girl Scouts of Central Indiana are partnering in a special way to thank donors. Unofficially known as “Thin Mint Thursday,” all attempting donors at Versiti’s Indiana donor centers will receive a package of Thin Mints® cookies. “We are always proud to be able…

By: Casey Smith A plant substance touted as a natural painkiller, “energy booster” and even a treatment for opioid withdrawal could once again become legal in Indiana under a bill advancing through the state legislature. House Bill 1500, authored by Rep. Alan Morrison, R-Terre Haute, would permit the sale of kratom, an herbal extract derived…

By: Leslie Bonilla Muniz Hoosiers haven’t seen a pay increase for jury duty in at least two decades, but that could change — even double — under a bill advancing steadily through the Statehouse. But corresponding fee increases have sparked debate on how to fund the criminal justice system: as a public service, or through…

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita and his team announced a win in the case against Tiger King’s Timothy Stark in the Court of Appeals of Indiana. The court affirmed Stark is personally liable for funds and assets misappropriated from his nonprofit corporation Wildlife In Need. Rokita said this case should serve as an example to…

By: Whitney Downard Indiana Republicans passed their $43.3 billion budget proposal without any Democrat support, with the minority party denouncing the millions earmarked to expand school vouchers. Nearly half of the budget, 48%, goes to K-12 education, which will get a boost of nearly $2 billion over its current appropriation – of which one-third will…

By: Casey Smith Top Indiana senators said they aren’t so sure about a House Republican budget plan that would more than double taxpayer spending on the state’s “school choice” voucher program. House lawmakers on Thursday approved their version of the budget, punting it over to the Senate. But pushback is already mounting against provisions that…

By: Leslie Bonilla Muniz House lawmakers filed 673 bills this year – but only about 178 survived key deadlines this week. Some of the bills that aren’t advancing have been woven into the budget instead, like a proposal eliminating public school textbook fees. But the language often looks a little different — the budget simply…

A team of Purdue University scientists led by Shihuan Kuang has received a $2.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to define the role of lipid droplets in muscle stem cell function, a study with implications in both humans and livestock. “Lipid droplets are important as a regulatory component of the stem cell.…

By: Whitney Downard A bill banning gender-affirming medical care for minors passed a Senate health committee easily on Wednesday, despite the nonstop chanting and outrage of opponents. Under the legislation, doctors could no longer provide any “gender transition procedures,” which includes surgery – which testimony showed isn’t happening in Indiana – as well as puberty…

By: Casey Smith Indiana school districts could be forced to make their underused buildings available to charter schools under a bill that advanced Wednesday to the full Senate. The state’s existing “$1 Law” already requires districts to sell or lease vacant or unused instructional buildings for a single dollar. Senate Bill 391, authored by Sen.…