Indiana

Indiana Republican says he received bomb threats after breaking with Trump

Published

4 months ago

December 2, 2025

Indiana Republican says he received bomb threats after breaking with Trump

Indiana State Senator Mike Bohacek announced on Monday that his family “received threats of a bomb placed at our home” after the Republican lawmaker recently broke with President Donald Trump on redistricting efforts in the state.

Newsweek reached out Bohacek’s press office via email for additional information.

Why It Matters

The ongoing redistricting battle in Indiana has intensified political divisions within the Republican Party and drawn national attention. Trump’s involvement underscores the significance of the new congressional map debate as both parties vie for control of the U.S. House ahead of the 2026 midterms.

The outcome could set a precedent for other states considering mid-cycle redistricting and impact both voter representation and election strategies nationwide.

What To Know

Bohacek’s statement read, according to WRTV anchor Nicole Griffin on X Monday, “On Friday, Nov. 28, my family and I received threats of a bomb placed at our home. My family and I are safe, and law enforcement is currently investigating the threats made against us. I’d like to thank the Long Beach Police Department, the Porter County Sheriff’s Office and the Indiana State Police for their quick response and assistance during this investigation.

“This recent pattern of threatening behavior and intimidation attempts are not only concerning, but also illegal. I hope to see justice for this type of behavior. I will not be providing any additional information at this time as law enforcement conducts their investigation.”

Bohacek recently said he was against the redistricting push in the Hoosier State, supported by Trump, due to “derogatory references” made by the president toward Minnesota Democratic Governor Tim Walz. In a Truth Social post, the president, 79, said Walz was “seriously retarded.” Bohacek’s second daughter has Down syndrome.

Other Democratic lawmakers have also voiced concerns about the uptick in threats made toward them after a video they made urging American troops to refuse illegal orders prompted backlash from Trump.

Meanwhile, Indiana House Republicans unveiled a proposed congressional map on Monday designed to give the GOP an advantage in all nine of the state’s congressional districts.

The draft splits Marion County, home to Indianapolis, into four districts, potentially hampering Democratic influence, especially in seats held by Representatives Frank Mrvan and André Carson, Politico reports. The proposal could net the GOP two additional House seats.

These developments follow ongoing pressure from Trump, who has urged Indiana’s Republican leadership to pass a map favoring his party, which holds a narrow House majority, before the 2026 elections.

What People Are Saying

U.S. Senate Democratic Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, in a statement—according to NOTUS Reports’ Daniella Diaz—on X Monday, also noting bomb threats made toward his offices: “This morning, I was informed by law enforcement entities throughout New York of multiple bomb threats that were made at my offices in Rochester, Binghamton, and Long Island with the email subject line ‘MAGA’ and from an email address alleging the ‘2020 election was rigged.’ Local and federal law enforcement responded immediately and are conducting full security sweeps. Everyone is safe, and I am grateful for their quick and professional response to ensure these offices remain safe and secure for all New Yorkers.

“As I have said many times, these kinds of violent threats have absolutely no place in our political system. No one—no public servant, no staff member, no constituent, no citizen—should ever be targeted for simply doing their job.”

Indiana Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray, a Republican, in a statement November 25: “The issue of redrawing Indiana’s congressional maps mid-cycle has received a lot of attention and is causing strife here in our state. To resolve this issue, the Senate intends to reconvene as part of the regular 2026 session on Dec. 8 and make a final decision that week on any redistricting proposal sent from the House. Because we will reconvene as part of the regular 2026 legislative session, we anticipate concluding our regular 2026 session by the end of February.”

What Happens Next

The Indiana House is set to take up a vote on the proposed map. If it passes, the measure will go to the state Senate, which remains divided. Should the Senate reject or delay adoption, redistricting could remain on hold until the next election cycle, leaving the current map in place for the 2026 midterms.

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Indiana

Retro Indy: Five years ago Covid confined March Madness to Indiana

Published

2 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

Retro Indy: Five years ago Covid confined March Madness to Indiana

Just three days before Selection Sunday in March of 2020, the NCAA announced that March Madness, like so many other events that spring, would be cancelled due to the new virus upending life. The decision marked the first time in tournament history that the final weeks of the college basketball season would not be played, squashing Atlanta’s plans to host the Final Four.

When the following year rolled around, the NCAA decided that March Madness would not succumb to the virus once more.

With a vaccine only on the horizon and hundreds of Americans still dying each day, the organization announced in November of 2020 that while the tournament would go on, it would certainly not be business as usual. All 67 games, NCAA officials said, would be held in one location. Central Indiana was the first choice as Indianapolis had been on tap to host the Final Four April 3-5.

The plan, said NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt in a November 2020 IndyStar article was to present “a safe, responsible and fantastic March Madness tournament unlike any other we’ve experienced.”

In January the NCAA made it official: All games would be played in and around Indianapolis in a modified version of a bubble.

Holding the tournament in one place just made sense, NCAA officials told IndyStar. Unlike in a typical year when a winning team would travel multiple times before the championship, this system would minimize travel, which could inadvertently expose players and coaches to the virus.

Two months later when the tournament kicked off on March 18, 55 of the 67 games were scheduled to be played in Indianapolis venues, such as Gainbridge (then Bankers Life) Fieldhouse, Lucas Oil Stadium, Indiana Farmers Coliseum and Butler’s Hinkle Fieldhouse. Purdue’s Mackey Arena and IU’s Assembly Hall also hosted games.

While the first Covid vaccine had arrived a few months earlier, few people outside of first responders and the most vulnerable had been immunized, so in an effort to avoid large crowds, the Indianapolis sites all capped tickets at 25% capacity. That meant only 17,500 people could attend games at the largest venue, Lucas Oil Stadium. The college arenas allowed far smaller audiences, with IU limiting attendance to 500 people.

A week before the tournament began Marion County Public Health Department officials and Mayor Joe Hogsett asked attendees to make smart public health choices, such as social distancing and obeying the face masks mandate. Referees donned masks as much as possible as did coaches and players on the bench.

The NCAA regularly tested athletes, administering 28,311 tests Covid tests during the tournament, 15 of which came back positive.

Post-mortems after the tournament asked whether the NCAA had made the right call. Two high profile deaths occurred in the aftermath of the tournament — one a University of Alabama superfan who had traveled to Indy for the games and the other a St. Elmo bartender. But proving a direct link between their deaths and the tournament would prove impossible, and some public health experts said the NCAA had done everything it could to protect athletes and fans short of canceling the event.

A study conducted by IU, Regenstrief researchers and others that appeared in August 2021 in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that while mask wearing had theoretically been compulsory, about a quarter of attendees at the games were either not wearing masks or doing so inappropriately. Still, in an IndyStar article about the study Indiana Sports Corps president Ryan Vaughn termed the event “a resounding success.”

The following year, with a vaccine widely available and far fewer daily deaths from the virus, the tournament returned to a typical schedule, concluding in New Orleans’ Ceasars Superdome. More than 69,00 fans attended the final games, according to the NCAA. Local authorities had lifted the mask requirement by this point.

“Last year was about survival. Just having championships in any way, single site, keep everybody safe and be successful,” Gavitt said in an NCAA news release in late April 2022. “I think this year was about advancing.”

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Indiana

Federal legislation that Braun calls ‘crazy’ is aimed at Bears and Indiana – Indianapolis Business Journal

Published

14 hours ago

March 26, 2026

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Federal legislation that Braun calls ‘crazy’ is aimed at Bears and Indiana – Indianapolis Business Journal

U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Greg Casar, D-Texas, say the bill would protect taxpayers from being extorted by team owners for huge subsidies. The legislation would likely face an uphill climb in the Republican-controlled Congress.

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Indiana

Record warmth followed by strong storms tonight | March 26, 2026

Published

1 day ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH-TV) – Strong thunderstorms likely later this evening with all severe weather threats possible. It is going to be warm and windy with record highs today. Much cooler air works into Indiana for the end of the week.

TODAY: Partly cloudy conditions later this afternoon with warm and breezy conditions. It is going to be a beautiful and summer-like day across parts of Indiana. We will look for high temperatures to climb into the lower eighties which will set a new daily high record. The record for today is 80 set back in 1907. Winds will be gusty out of the southwest near 20 to 30 mph.

TONIGHT: A cold front approaches the state bringing a really good chance of strong to severe thunderstorms. A few thunderstorms may develop out ahead of the main line and some of those thunderstorms could contain some large hail along with a tornado risk as well. We are under a level 3 risk of strong storms out of a level 5. So there is confidence that a lot of these storms could reach severe criteria. Threats would be damaging winds and large hail. The tornado risk is low across parts of Indianapolis but it is not zero. A slightly higher risk of tornadic activity is possible in northern sections of Indiana.

Heavy rainfall could also lead to some flooding in parts of the state. Areas may see anywhere between 1 to 3 inches of rainfall.

Best timing on the thunderstorm activity will be anytime after 8:00 p.m. and lasting until Friday morning around 4.

TOMORROW: A few early morning rain showers will be possible on Friday. The main weather story is that it will be much cooler. High temperatures will climb around 49 which is below our normal high of 56. Winds switch direction out of the northeast and it will be a bit breezy at times as well. Low temperatures late Friday night into Saturday morning will drop into the upper twenties.

7 DAY EXTENDED FORECAST: A chilly start early Saturday morning but we will see lots of sunshine for the afternoon. High temperatures will climb around 52 for the afternoon.

Cloud cover returns on Sunday but it will be dry for the most part. Look for high temperatures to climb into the lower 60s.

Warmer next week with temperatures reaching the low and even middle and upper 70s by the middle part of the week. A dry start on Monday with some scattered showers possible on Tuesday and Wednesday.