Indiana
‘A symbol’: Central Indiana Catholics back the pope in feud with Trump
PLAINFIELD — Light spills from a window above a wooden fixture of the crucifixion at Saint Susanna Catholic Church as parishioners weave through the pews at the close of the 11 a.m. mass on a recent Sunday.
Most leave, but some stick around for coffee and doughnuts, a fundraising effort for the church’s prison ministry, which provides rosaries, Bibles and faith study materials to inmates at the Hendricks County Jail. In the hallway are stacks of letters to U.S. Sen. Jim Banks, Sen. Todd Young and Rep. Jim Baird, urging them to support programs to reduce hunger at home and abroad.
“Cuts to SNAP and international assistance have already put millions at risk,” the letter reads, citing Jesus’ refusal to turn a hungry crowd away in the Bible verse Matthew 14:16. “We can and must do better.”
Those cuts have been hallmarks of President Donald Trump’s administration, which has taken a less generous, and at times adversarial, approach to those in need globally as it looks to reduce spending. The strategy has contributed to a larger tension between Catholicism and the president; at the helm of this opposition is Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pope, whose criticisms of the war in Iran have increasingly landed him in Trump’s crosshairs.
But Catholics across the nation, including at Saint Susanna, told USAToday and IndyStar that they favor the pope’s approach.
“He has done it elegantly, but yet very stern,” Eloisa Garza, who helps run the prison ministry, said of Pope Leo after mass at Saint Susanna on April 26. “Being an American, which we are Americans, that’s what sometimes other countries look at us to do as leaders.”
Garza, 70, said she appreciates that Pope Leo has the courage to speak when the world needs a powerful voice rooted in faith. His role as the first American-born pope only adds to the impact, she said.
She runs the prison ministry along with Harla Lyle, 84, who also commended the pope for his “quiet, serene composure.”
Even when in conflict with some world leaders, Lyle said, Pope Leo sticks to faith.
“I think that he really is a symbol,” she said.
The trust in Pope Leo comes as the pontiff fields blistering attacks from Trump. After the pope called Trump’s threat of annihilation in Iran “unacceptable,” the president fired back that Pope Leo was “weak on crime.”
The tension between the two men is sometimes amplified by Vice President J.D. Vance, a Catholic himself who has openly disagreed with the pope and warned him to be “be careful” when discussing theology.
American Catholics have largely backed the pope in the past, and the broader public has continued to view the pope favorably. More than two-thirds of U.S. voters who are Catholic said they view the pope favorably, according to a November 2025 poll. Three-fifths of Americans in general view the pope in a positive light, too, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found in April.
Chicago native John Paloma, who now lives in Camby, Indiana, said he used to live “down the road” from where the pope grew up. Paloma said he appreciated that the pope has not engaged in extended battles with those who criticize him.
“There might be some controversy, but as long as he keeps to the faith, what could you say?” he said, sitting at a table after mass with fellow parishioners. “My hope is still high.”
Bob Duty, an 84-year-old man sitting with Paloma, shared a similarly positive view.
“I like the pope,” Duty told IndyStar. “He’s from America.”
Contact breaking politics reporter Marissa Meador at mmeador@indystar.com or find her on X at @marissa_meador.
Two WNBA Finals contenders are set to square off on Sunday night in Las Vegas, but both teams are down their best player.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (back) and Las Vegas Aces forward A’ja Wilson (right leg) have been ruled out for this game, taking some of the shine away from this matchup.
Still, there are a ton of great players to watch – including guard Kelsey Mitchell and Jackie Young – and oddsmakers are expecting a close game, as the Aces are favored by just 3.5 points at home.
Las Vegas is coming off an overtime win against the Chicago Sky, but it’s just 1-1 since Wilson went down with this leg injury. Meanwhile, the Fever are 2-0 without Clark this season, beating the Los Angeles Sparks by 27 points without her on June 27.
These are the No. 1 (Las Vegas) and No. 2 (Indiana) offenses in the league, so we should still see some fireworks on that end of the floor.
After a long layoff, the Fever are looking to remain hot as they set their sights on the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
Let’s check out the odds, a player prop to bet and my prediction for Fever vs. Aces in a standalone game on Sunday night.
Fever vs. Aces Odds, Spread and Total
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
Spread
- Fever +3.5 (-112)
- Aces -3.5 (-108)
Moneyline
Total
- 181.5 (Over -115/Under -105)
Fever vs. Aces How to Watch
- Date: Sunday, July 5
- Time: 7:00 p.m. EST
- Venue: T-Mobile Arena
- How to Watch (TV): ESPN, Disney+
- Fever record: 11-8
- Aces record: 15-5
Fever vs. Aces Injury Reports
Fever Injury Report
Aces Injury Report
- Janiah Barker – out
- Dana Evans – out
- A’ja Wilson – out
Fever vs. Aces Best WNBA Prop Bets
Fever Best WNBA Prop Bet
- Kelsey Mitchell OVER 23.5 Points (-116)
Fever guard Kelsey Mitchell is one of the best scorers in the WNBA, and she had a massive 2025 season with Clark (groin) missing most of the campaign.
Now, she’ll handle the No. 1 duties on Sunday against an Aces team that is just eighth in the league in defensive rating and ninth in opponent points per game.
Mitchell has 22 or more points in five of her last six games, including a 26-point showing on June 27 with Clark out of the lineup. She had 21 points in the only other game Clark has missed in 2026, and Mitchell is averaging 21.6 points per game overall.
She should handle a few more touches on Sunday, and the star guard has been ultra-efficient this season, knocking down 49.5 percent of her shots from the floor and 40.2 percent of her 3-pointers.
I’m buying her in this matchup, especially since the Aces won’t have Wilson protecting the rim.
Fever vs. Aces Prediction and Pick
Earlier today, I shared in my WNBA Best Bets column – Peter’s Points – why I think the Fever can cover on the road, even with Clark sidelined:
The Aces are 1-1 since Wilson went down, losing in the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Championship Game to the New York Liberty before beating the Chicago Sky in overtime on Friday.
The fact that the Aces needed overtime to beat the Sky is a little concerning since Chicago ranks 10th in the league in net rating, 11th in offensive rating and 12th in defensive rating so far this season. The Las Vegas defense (eighth in defensive rating) is clearly worse without Wilson on the floor, which is a concern against a high-octane Fever attack.
Indiana is 2-0 this season with Clark out of the lineup, and star guard Kelsey Mitchell is more than capable of carrying this team to a win on Sunday night. While I’m not going to bet on an upset, I do think there is value in taking the Fever to cover as road underdogs.
Las Vegas is just 4-5 against the spread at home in the 2026 season, and while these are the two-best offenses in the league, losing Wilson is a huge downgrade for the Aces, as she’s averaging over 25 points per game.
I wouldn’t be shocked if the Fever are able to hang around in this game, especially since they’ve fared pretty well without Clark over the last two seasons. After all, Indy made the WNBA semifinals in the 2025 season with the star guard playing just 13 games.
Pick: Fever +3.5 (-112 at DraftKings)
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Find Peter Dewey’s WNBA betting record here (futures included). You can also follow my daily plays on BetStamp here.
Claim the latest DraftKings promo code offer today. Sign up and get $200 in bonus bets instantly when you make your first $5 bet.
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INDIANAPOLIS — Hoosiers looking to celebrate the Fourth of July may have to wait as severe weather is expected to blow in.
Around 7:20 p.m., Fourth Fest attendees in downtown Indianapolis were told to seek shelter due to storms in the area.
The fireworks show has been delayed and is now expected to start at 10:30 p.m. The full show can be viewed on FOX59 NOW.
Numerous central Indiana counties were under a Severe Thunderstorm Watch or Warning earlier Saturday evening.
CarmelFest has announced that its fireworks will continue as scheduled at 9:45 p.m.
This is a developing story; check back for updates.
As many are celebrating America’s 250th birthday, a threat of severe weather looms, as watches and warnings have been issued for most Illinois and northwest Indiana counties for Saturday.
A Severe Thunderstorm Warning is in effect for Kane and Kendall counties in Illinois until 3:45 p.m.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued for DuPage, Kane, Kankakee, Grundy, Kendall, and Will counties in Illinois and for Porter, Newton, Jasper, and Lake counties in Indiana until 7 p.m.
A Flash Flood Watch is in effect for Central Cook, De Kalb, DuPage, Eastern Will, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, La Salle, Northern Cook, Northern Will, Southern Cook, and Southern Will in Illinois and Lake in Indiana until 10 p.m.
A Flash Flood Warning is in effect for De Kalb, La Salle, and Lee counties in Illinois until 5 p.m.
Storm Prediction Center has areas along and south of I-80 at a Level 1 (out of 5) for severe chances. Strong-to-severe storms are expected around 2 p.m. and sunset. Frequent lightning, damaging winds and torrential downpours may accompany the strongest storms.
Be sure to stick with CBS News Chicago and the First Alert Weather team for the latest.
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