Indiana
Indiana congresswoman says she will spurn GOP caucus to help Elon Musk’s DOGE group
Rep. Victoria Spartz, R-Ind., announced Monday she won’t take any committee positions or caucus with Republicans in the upcoming congressional term but instead would prefer to spend her time working with the quasi-governmental panel Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are planning to lead, the so-called Department of Government Efficiency.
“I will stay as a registered Republican but will not sit on committees or participate in the caucus until I see that Republican leadership in Congress is governing,” Spartz wrote on X, after Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., told Ramaswamy to “Count me in !”
“I do not need to be involved in circuses,” Spartz added. “I would rather spend more of my time helping @DOGE and @RepThomasMassie to save our Republic, as was mandated by the American people.”
Her post followed another in which she claimed Republicans must make the $2 trillion in deep spending cuts demanded by Musk, cuts that he has admitted are likely to impose “hardship” on Americans. She also released a statement that talked about “helping President Trump, his appointees and DOGE to deliver on their promises through reconciliation.”
One wonders how Spartz’s decision could affect the GOP’s already-slim House majority in the coming term and whether her refusal to cooperate might create any additional headaches for House Speaker Mike Johnson. (Politico, citing two anonymous sources “with direct knowledge of the matter,” reported that Spartz’s decision may have been a consequence of her not securing the committee position she was after.)
At any rate, this does seem mostly like a boon for the appearance of legitimacy for Musk and Ramaswamy’s group. There’s also no reason to assume the Department of Government Efficiency will be any less circuslike than the GOP-led Congress. Even if the Republican caucus is a circus, that’s the circus that Spartz’s voters elected her to serve in.
But her decision aligns with my theory that Trump and his allies in Washington are devising ways to minimize Congress’ authority and diminish its reputation so executives Trump puts in charge can make all the important decisions.
One can see signs of this in Musk and Ramaswamy’s insistence that Trump can use impoundment to withhold funds authorized by Congress for expenditure. And in the conservatives’ push for Trump to use recess appointments to circumvent the Senate’s duty to confirm his Cabinet picks. I think Spartz’s announcement is yet another way MAGA allies are working to shift power from Congress to Trump and his inner circle in the executive branch.
Indiana
Indiana law enforcement takes up donations for Special Olympics
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — More than 50 Indiana law enforcement agencies are taking to the roof to help local athletes.
Police and safety officers will be stationed around various Dunkin’ Donuts, taking up donations for the Special Olympics. People who monetarily donate will receive a coupon for a free donut. Those who donate $10 or more will receive a coupon for a free medium hot coffee.
“Supporting the Special Olympics isn’t just an event for us — it’s a commitment to people who inspire us every day,” Sergeant Wes Rowlader said. “These athletes show what determination, courage, and community truly look like. Every dollar we raise helps transform that spirit into training, competition, and lifelong confidence.”
More than 20,000 Hoosier athletes train and compete for free within the Special Olympics. To date, Cop on a Rooftop has raised more than $125,000 for Special Olympics Indiana.
The Indiana State Police will be at the Dunkin’ Donuts at 9821 Lima Road in Fort Wayne from 5 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Friday.
Indiana
Man shot by security guard in hospital emergency room waiting area in Gary, Indiana
A man’s family is demanding answers after he was shot by a security guard inside a hospital emergency room waiting area on Tuesday night in Gary, Indiana.
Methodist Northlake Hospital officials said, around midnight Tuesday night, its security staff responded quickly after a patient took out a gun. The hospital said he’d threatened to shoot himself or others.
The hospital commended the security guard who shot the man for “neutralizing the threat and helping ensure the safety of our patients and employees.”
Family members identified the man who was shot as Otis Brown. They said he is a kind father to a 12-year-old boy.
“Just a great person, a happy-go-lucky, always out there trying to do the right thing,” said his fiancée, Stacey Taylor.
Taylor said she was on a business trip when she got a call that Brown had been shot multiple times.
“Scared, uncertainty; you know, what story is right? You know, what happened?” she said.
After he was shot, Brown was taken to University of Chicago Medical Center for treatment.
Taylor said she had no idea why Brown went to Methodist Northlake Hospital in the first place. His family said he was trying to leave the hospital when the shooting happened, claiming that the hospital gave him his gun back after he was cleared to leave.
“We just want to get answers, just want to know what happened, particularly when people are defaming his name,” Taylor said.
She and Brown’s family hope the hospital has surveillance video footage that can help provide answers.
Gary police have not provided any details on the shooting. The Lake County Sheriff’s Department said it is investigating the shooting at the request of Gary police, but did not provide any further information.
Indiana
Indiana A.G. finishes Karl King Tower investigation, finalizes compliance order
SOUTH BEND, Ind. (WSBT) — The Indiana Attorney General has finished its investigation into Karl King Tower and issued a compliance order.
This is coming after a months-long investigation into the unsafe living conditions for residents at the apartments.
From December 2025 to January 2026, there were prolonged failures with the heating and a lack of heat for residents during winter conditions at Karl King.
The property owner provided a 20% rent credit for affected tenants and documentation related to health and safety issues.
Below is the agreement from the Attorney General:
- The owner must complete boiler and heating system improvements by September 30.
- The property is subject to a monitoring period for multiple years.
- The owner needs to provide on-site security, including cameras in common areas and monthly incident reports.
- The building needs an on-site property manager to address resident concerns.
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The Attorney General has the authority to inspect the property and enforce compliance if commitments aren’t met.
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