Indiana
Indiana’s congressional delegation is getting a much-needed shakeup – Indiana Capital Chronicle
![Indiana’s congressional delegation is getting a much-needed shakeup – Indiana Capital Chronicle Indiana’s congressional delegation is getting a much-needed shakeup – Indiana Capital Chronicle](https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Indiana_SocialShare.png)
Representative government in Indiana will look drastically different next year. Or will it?
Four of the state’s nine U.S. House members from Indiana will not seek reelection this year. Districts currently represented by Reps. Larry Bucshon, Jim Banks, Greg Pence, and Victoria Spartz will all get new House members next year. The question is: How will that matter?
None of these departing members spent any time, to quote “Hamilton,” in “The Room Where It Happens.” None chaired a committee or were on track to do so. I consume an abundance of national media on Washington politics, and only in the rarest of circumstances would any of these soon-to-be retirees appear there.
Now, media appearance frequency is no way to measure value, but extended periods of radio silence should cause people back home to wonder: Is my representative representing me?
The one exception here is Banks. He had been viewed as a reliably conservative voice from the beginning of his time in the House, and the state Senate before that. But his overt and abrupt decision to join the sycophancy of former President Donald Trump, was his strategy for brand growth. And it worked, sort of.
Banks chaired the hyper-partisan Republican Study Committee, and then ran for the position of Majority Whip shortly after the GOP won control in the 2022 election. But he was narrowly defeated by Rep. Tom Emmer of Minnesota in his quest to get into “The Room.”
Talk about dodging a bullet! In the history of the U.S. House, there has never been a more inept example of leadership. All kinds of embarrassing “firsts” have occurred since the Kevin McCarthy era began. Banks’ presence would not have changed that. Leading this group is an impossible task. So, losing his quest allowed him to keep much of the slop from that pigsty off of his brand.
But the slop that is now the feature of the Banks brand is grievance, particularly any Trump grievance. This is all he is now. He doesn’t have any other platform.
GOP advantage
All four of these “open” seats in Congress are in districts with maps that have been drawn to advantage Republican candidates. The most ethnically diverse district among them is the 5th, where merely 82% of the district is white. In that district, Republicans have an eleven-point advantage, before candidates even file to run.
And this is the most competitive district among them.
Spartz currently holds this seat. She announced last February that she would not run for reelection, though reports as recently as December indicate she is reconsidering, something she often does. But because of her announcement a year ago, there are nine Republican candidates and one Democrat who are campaigning for the seat. Good.
There is similar competition for Indiana’s 3rd District, the district Banks currently represents. There are nine Republicans and three Democrats running there. Good.
But in Indiana’s 8th District, left open by Bucshon’s retirement, no Republican has filed to run yet. In Indiana’s 6th, being left open by Pence’s retirement, one Republican has filed, though it is hard to see that an actual campaign has begun. There are Democrat candidates in both districts, but again, these districts are near 20-point advantages for Republicans.
The primary is what matters most in all four of these districts, three months from now. And in two of them, voters have no idea who is running in them. But again, I ask: How will it matter?
Primary matters
My position is that it won’t.
It has been a long time since Indiana sent someone to Congress who excelled at driving an important agenda. We have a school at Indiana University named after them: Rep. Lee Hamilton and Sen. Richard Lugar. Both chaired their chamber’s committees on foreign affairs, Hamilton in the 1990’s and Lugar in the 2000’s. Both were looked to for guidance on those issues before then and for long afterward.
![](https://indianacapitalchronicle.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/272456349_476666863827298_4807763902599603495_n-150x150.jpg)
In the 1970’s, Indiana Senator Birch Bayh became the first person since James Madison to author more than one amendment to the U.S. Constitution, authoring both the 25th and 26th Amendments.
Hoosier members of Congress don’t have to rise to prominence like these three statesmen did to “matter.” However, our members have been comfortably seated in the back row of the House for a long time now, and that is getting old.
When the contest for representation only exists during a primary, the seat will only attract the most partisan candidates. It reduces campaigns to the foundational choice of being partisan or not. And in today’s congress that choice is synonymous with being either deranged or unelectable.
Enjoy the May primaries in these four districts, Indiana. They are certain to be much ado about nothing.
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Indiana
Quenton Jackson re-signs with Indiana Pacers on a two-way contract
![Quenton Jackson re-signs with Indiana Pacers on a two-way contract Quenton Jackson re-signs with Indiana Pacers on a two-way contract](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4032,h_2268,x_0,y_475/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/voltaxMediaLibrary/mmsport/all_pacers/01j3hepfbc97swnz7qcb.jpg)
According to the NBA’s official transaction log, the Indiana Pacers re-signed guard Quenton Jackson to a two-way contract.
Jackson finished the 2023-24 season on a two-way deal with Indiana, and he played in three games for the Pacers after being signed in March. He averaged 0.7 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 0.7 assists per game.
More of his appearances with the franchise came in the G League with the Indiana Mad Ants. He was only with the club for a month, but he led the team in scoring at 22.3 points per game while adding 4.8 rebounds and 5.3 assists per outing. His ability to get to the rim and finish is impressive — he shot 55.6% from the field despite being just okay as a three-point shooter.
Because he popped somewhat, the blue and gold sent him a qualifying offer in June, which made him a restricted free agent. The Pacers had the chance to match offers from other teams, and Jackson could have signed that offer at any time.
On Friday, he re-signed with the Pacers on a two-way deal. Indiana had all three of its two-way slots open prior to the agreement, and they still have a pair available.
A two-way deal will make it easy for Jackson to split time between the Pacers and Mad Ants, should he remain on the contract. He just finished playing in summer league for Indiana, where he averaged 11 points and 4.2 assists per game.
The Pacers now have 16 players under contract including standard deals and two-way agreements.
Indiana
Tristen Newton struggles during summer league for Indiana Pacers, but should be able to be better in the future
![Tristen Newton struggles during summer league for Indiana Pacers, but should be able to be better in the future Tristen Newton struggles during summer league for Indiana Pacers, but should be able to be better in the future](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_4032,h_2268,x_0,y_421/c_fill,w_1440,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/voltaxMediaLibrary/mmsport/all_pacers/01j3hes5cp6ps5yda20k.jpg)
LAS VEGAS — Tristen Newton had simple hopes for his first summer league: he wanted to leave an impression.
The rookie guard, who was drafted 49th overall by the Indiana Pacers in the 2024 NBA Draft, showed a little bit of everything during his college days. At UConn, where he won two national titles, he was a capable rebounder, strong passer, and effective scorer. At his best, he knocked down threes.
There was prevalent thinking that a player like him could be effective during summer league. And yet, despite his wide-ranging talent in college, it was actually totally different skills that popped for Newton during the tune-up games: his ability to draw fouls.
Newton took 28 free throws in Las Vegas, which topped the Pacers by far. Nobody else on the roster even reached 20. He was one of just two players to average more than 5.5 free throw attempts per game in under 22 minutes per night (Moses Brown of the LA Lakers was the other).
Indiana’s rookie point guard finished summer league with a free throw rate of 70%, far better than his collegiate figure of 46.9%. He made 89.3% of those foul shots, which kept his efficiency afloat.
Newton’s game stood out in that way. His second-best skill was his passing in traffic — he averaged 4.6 assists per game, good for second on the team, and quite a few of them came in tight spaces. As a point guard, that skill will be important.
“Tristen Newton, tremendous [growth] from game one to game five,” Pacers summer league head coach Jannero Pargo said. “Understanding our offense more, playing more confident. Being able to call plays and run our sets and be more comfortable out there.”
Unfortunately for Newton, some of his other skills from his NCAA days didn’t translate to the Vegas heat. In particular, his shot making was a disaster, and that held down his effectiveness.
The rookie guard shot 8/40 from the field across his five games, good for just 20%. He was 4/22 from long range (18.2%) and a not-much-better 4/18 (22.2%) on two-point looks. Shot distance and location didn’t matter — Newton struggled.
Taking 22 threes in five games in solid, and volume transfers more often from summer league than percentage. That’s the bright side for the young guard. But those field goals did not drop, and his ability to create good looks inside the arc didn’t pop.
Newton did grab 3.8 rebounds per game, a fine number for a guard, but he also had 2.8 turnovers per night. At times, he looked rushed and gave up the ball too quickly. He didn’t get all the way to the rim on his drives.
In those ways, Newton needed to be better. His defense was fine enough and he got his hands on a few steals, but the disappointing play finishing really hindered his effectiveness during summer league.
The Pacers liked that Newton was a more established player when they selected him in the draft. His play during summer league shouldn’t deter that thinking — if anything, the context around his summer outings should provide important perspective.
Newton played for a UConn team in 2022-23 that got up threes and had multiple players capable of setting the table for others. He performed well, and the team was great. In the following season, the Huskies dramatically changed their play style. There were fewer outside shots, and Newton’s playmaking burden grew.
He was extremely effective in both systems, which is why he was an All-Big East player and consensus All-American. He can adapt to any team when he gets time within a style and with a coaching staff.
In summer league, there is no time. Newton still hadn’t been drafted one month ago today. He went through a minicamp that was less than a week long, then was thrown into action. It didn’t always look great, though there were successes.
His free throw rate was extremely encouraging, but the shots didn’t fall. His rebounding was effective, yet the turnovers were concerning. Overall, the lack of shot making made the experience a negative.
But it is still reasonable to believe that Newton can be a capable do-it-all floor general when given time and space to figure out how his shots will come and what his teammates do well. He did it twice at UConn, and he can do it again in the NBA. He very quickly left an impression on his new teammates.
“Trsiten and Johnny [Furphy] are great guys,” Pacers rookie forward Enrique Freeman said. Newton didn’t get off to an awesome start, but he should have little trouble being more effective in future settings.
Indiana
Pierogis not the only star of Pierogi Fest in Whiting, Indiana
![Pierogis not the only star of Pierogi Fest in Whiting, Indiana Pierogis not the only star of Pierogi Fest in Whiting, Indiana](https://assets3.cbsnewsstatic.com/hub/i/r/2024/07/26/fbeb7001-c1e5-44f1-8f2d-0b08db52f38c/thumbnail/1200x630/c0d263c2c23087f12d9cb5f8cab45c65/e380ad83ee167d0b37aae84099af6b74-0-1722036127042.png?v=5501038cbc281520ff9fdc308faab7dc)
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