The onslaught of news in 2025 tested everyone’s capacity to absorb and retain information. So to put the year in perspective, we’ve rounded up our Top 10 storylines of the year.

The highlights: The inauguration of a new president and a new Indiana governor profoundly reshaped public policy, from immigration to education to property tax reform. A scandal in the Indianapolis mayor’s office and a longstanding conflict over downtown crime inflamed local politics. And every Indianapolis professional sports team showed both incredible promise and incredibly bad luck.

Here are the 10 biggest topics IndyStar covered in 2025.

10. State lawmakers tighten grip on education, from K-12 to college

From K-12 to higher education, Republican lawmakers exerted control over Indiana’s schools this year in sweeping ways that alarmed critics.

Closest to home, the state legislature created the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance to improve coordination between Indianapolis Public Schools and charter schools. That group recommended changes that would move some control away from the elected IPS school board.

The legislative session also proved controversial for the state’s colleges.

Six public universities cut or consolidated about 400 degree programs in response to a state law targeting majors with lower enrollment. Another law will subject tenured faculty to “productivity” quotas that could lead to termination. And lawmakers also gave Indiana Gov. Mike Braun sole authority to appoint Indiana University trustees — a power he swiftly used to replace alumni-backed board members.

9. IU and Purdue under fire for free-speech issues

FIRE review ranks Indiana University and Purdue in free speech

Indiana University is one of the worst public universities in the country for free speech, according to a national First Amendment organization.

Ahead of the intensely hyped Big Ten championship between IU and Ohio State University Dec. 6, an airplane circling downtown Indianapolis trailed a large banner bearing these words: “Indiana University hates free speech.”

The sign linked to a website run by a leading First Amendment nonprofit that lambasted IU for conflicts over freedom of expression. With the hiring of a new First Amendment reporter this year, IndyStar has written extensively about those issues.

This September, IU ranked as the nation’s worst public college for free speech following the university’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian protests in spring 2024. In October, IU fired the student newspaper’s staff adviser, who filed a lawsuit arguing his constitutional rights were violated.

IU was not alone in drawing backlash over its treatment of student media. Many criticized Purdue University’s decision to stop distributing the independent student newspaper across campus. The university also told the longstanding publication, known as The Purdue Exponent, to stop using the name “Purdue” in its masthead.

8. The Fever run hot — even without Caitlin Clark

The Las Vegas Aces clawed past the Indiana Fever in the WNBA semifinals and went on to win the championship. But this year showed that Indianapolis has become a center of gravity in women’s professional basketball.

The Fever were a hair’s breadth away from vying for the title, despite competing without the league’s brightest young star, Caitlin Clark. Because this is Indianapolis sports in 2025, where all blessings come with curses, Clark was sidelined by a groin injury in mid-July and never returned to the floor.

The league signaled the Fever’s prominence by granting Indianapolis the 2025 WNBA All-Star Game, a first for the city. Tens of thousands of fans flooded downtown streets to see why local leaders are pitching Indy as “the women’s sports capital of the world.”

7. Downtown violence inflames familiar debates

Prosecutor responds to Mike Braun post over Mark Sanchez investigation

Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears responds to criticism of Indy leaders amid the Mark Sanchez stabbing investigation.

Long-simmering discord over crime between the Republican-led Indiana Statehouse and Indianapolis’ Democratic leaders boiled over this year when a mass shooting and a high-profile stabbing shook downtown Indy.

After two teenagers were killed and five other young people were injured in a mass shooting downtown during the wee hours of July 5, the head of the city’s police union swiftly called for state leaders to intervene in local law enforcement — an idea that Braun entertained while Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett batted it away.

Months later, top state Republicans including Braun and Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith saw a salient opportunity to decry downtown violence when former NFL quarterback and Fox Sports analyst Mark Sanchez was stabbed Oct. 4 while visiting to call a Colts game.

But as more details emerged, it became clear that Sanchez, then 38, had drunkenly beaten the 69-year-old man who eventually stabbed him after a dispute over parking, according to police. He was arrested and now faces felony charges in the ongoing case.

Braun and Beckwith deleted their tweets. The man Sanchez assaulted filed a lawsuit against him and his then-employer two days after the attack. In November, Sanchez lost his job at Fox Sports.

6. Jim Irsay’s death and the Colts’ unlikely rise

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IndyStar’s initial report on longtime Colts owner Jim Irsay’s death at age 65 described him as “the man who led the Colts out of irrelevancy and made Indianapolis into a football city.”

It’s fitting that in the fall following Irsay’s death, the Colts honored that legacy by beginning the season 8-2 — the team’s best 10-game start since the 2009-10 season, the last time they reached the Super Bowl.

The Colts’ rise came during a breakout year for quarterback Daniel Jones, a player whose unglamorous way of getting the job done made him an apt vessel for Indianapolis. And then, because this is Indianapolis sports in 2025, the team’s leader tore his Achilles.

But Irsay’s impact reaches far beyond the team’s on-field record.

His family’s signature initiative, Kicking the Stigma, has spent more than $25 million to raise awareness about mental health issues and fund organizations focused on treatment and research. His philanthropy is on display across downtown Indianapolis at the Irsay Family YMCA, Riley Hospital for Children and the Colts Canal Playspace.

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“I’ve done everything, with the grace of God, that was asked of me,” Irsay once told IndyStar columnist Gregg Doyel. “And all that was asked of me was to do God’s will and not my will. To try to follow that image of love as best as I could.”

5. AI may be here to stay, but residents push back anyway

Six years after state lawmakers passed sweeping tax breaks to lure data centers to Indiana, the backlash reached a crescendo in 2025 as new projects kept popping up.

Business titans say hyperscale data centers are needed to power transformative artificial intelligence. The largest tech companies are spending hundreds of billions of dollars replacing open fields with these hulking facilities to get ahead in the AI race. Resisting progress, they argue, is futile.

Many Hoosier residents and a growing number of politicians reject that logic. Opponents view the centers as noisy, unsightly and sprawling neighbors that require enormous amounts of electricity and water yet don’t create many local jobs.

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Neighbors in Indy’s Franklin Township banded together to stop the conversion of family farms into a Google data center campus. Similar anti-tech fervor has since erupted in response to planned data centers in Martindale-Brightwood, Decatur Township and Pike Township.

It may be true that artificial intelligence is here to stay. But aggrieved neighbors won’t sit out the fight over where data centers are built anytime soon.

4. New governor’s push to cut property taxes squeezes local governments

When Braun became Indiana’s new governor this January, he emphasized that cutting property taxes was his No. 1 legislative priority.

The result of his efforts, Senate Enrolled Act 1, will save most homeowners up to $300 on their property tax bills and slash taxes for businesses. But the response to SEA 1 from local governments has been overwhelmingly negative, as communities prepare to go without millions in expected tax revenue over the coming years.

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Indianapolis leaders say they face a $60 million drop in tax revenue projections through 2028 because of the new law. Hamilton County officials have paused plans for a domestic violence shelter. Carmel leaders cut arts funding and their Noblesville peers postponed trail improvements. Indiana school districts — expected to miss out on more than $700 million in property tax revenue through 2028 — are turning to voters to pass tax referendums to plug the gaps.

In order to maintain quality of life, cities and towns could be all but forced to impose new income taxes that offset some of the property tax savings. Otherwise, leaders say they risk falling behind in funding the amenities — schools, public safety, parks and transit — that make people want to live in their communities.

3. Pacers’ unforgettable playoff run ends with a gut punch

The 2024-25 Indiana Pacers gave us so many unforgettable moments.

Here’s one: In a room full of fans at Ralston’s on Mass Ave, I stood tensely as the Pacers trailed the Knicks by two with a few seconds left in regulation of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

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A video from that night shows everyone watching raptly as Tyrese Haliburton dribbled back out to the 3-point line to shoot what we all thought was a game-winner. My hands were aloft in some sort of worship. We all leaned forward as Haliburton’s last-second shot careened off the back of the rim, hung in the air and — as if blessed by the basketball gods and Reggie Miller, who was calling that night’s game — dropped straight through the net.

It turned out the shot only tied the game. But the Pacers won in overtime and then claimed the series 4-2, so the memory remains pure.

How often in life are we moved to involuntarily jump for joy, to shout in pure amazement, to hug our loved ones and high-five the nearest strangers?

In 2025, Haliburton and the Pacers gave fans more than our fair share of such moments. We crowded into stadiums and bars and momentarily forgot ourselves while we witnessed something miraculous.

But remember: This is Indianapolis sports in 2025.

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About a month later, Haliburton tore his Achilles seven minutes into Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Thunder — a game that any Hoosier will tell you the Pacers were poised to win and bring home the franchise’s first NBA championship.

Adrift without Haliburton, the Pacers will be lucky to win 30 games in the 2025-26 season, let alone make the playoffs. As I write this in early December, the Thunder are 24-1. So it goes.

But we will keep watching, because the Pacers taught us time and time again this year not to lose faith. You might miss something miraculous.

2. Hogsett administration weathers multiple scandals

Tony Cook and Peter Blanchard on their reporting of Mayor Joe Hogsett

Indy Star reporter Tony Cook and Mirror Indy reporter Peter Blanchard talk to Mirror Indy’s Ibby Ahmed about reporting on Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett.

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New investigations into the Hogsett administration this year only deepened the fallout from IndyStar’s 2024 reporting on how multiple women accused his former right-hand man Thomas Cook of sexual misconduct and abuse — all under the mayor’s watch.

An October IndyStar/Mirror Indy investigation found that Hogsett ignored conflicts of interest involving a prohibited relationship between Cook and a former top city official, Scarlett Andrews. After Cook left the city to work for a law firm, the agency Andrews led recommended millions of dollars in city incentives to Cook’s developer clients.

Months earlier, an outside law firm found that the mayor allowed Cook to resign quietly rather than be fired after he learned of Cook’s covert relationship with Andrews. Around the same time, an IndyStar investigation revealed that Hogsett himself sent late-night and personal texts to multiple Cook accusers, who said the messages made them uncomfortable.

Through all of this, Hogsett has refused to step down, despite calls for his resignation by five councilors. The mayor has stood behind his administration’s process for reviewing economic incentives and pledged to update sexual harassment policies. Councilors are still debating which harassment reforms to mandate.

1. Indiana Republicans’ embrace — and rejection — of Trump

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From the time President Donald Trump took office Jan. 20, he’s flooded the zone with new policies.

Indiana Republicans embraced the president’s mass deportation efforts and slashed DEI language in state policies. The Miami Correctional Facility became an ICE detention facility, the “Speedway Slammer.” Trump’s directives ran the gamut, affecting agriculture, health research, health insurance, food assistance, clean energy programs and the arts.

But in December, Senate Republicans rejected Trump on the national stage by refusing his demand to redraw congressional maps to eliminate Indiana’s only two Democratic seats.

From the start, critics condemned mid-cycle redistricting as a brazen suppression of liberal voters in Indiana’s most diverse communities. Ultimately, facing down death threats and the specter of Trump-backed primary challengers, most Senate Republicans voted against a new map.

On the cusp of the 250-year-anniversary of the United States, Hoosiers twice this year protested on the lawn of the Indiana Statehouse with a topical message: “No Kings.”

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Trump supporters see that message as a hysterical overreaction. Trump opponents see it as an urgent cry to resist tyranny.

Here’s what both groups believe: We’ve just lived through the first year of a presidency that will change our nation’s trajectory.

Email Indianapolis City Hall Reporter Jordan Smith at JTSmith@usatodayco.com. Follow him on X @jordantsmith09 and Bluesky @jordanaccidentally.bsky.social.

INDIANAPOLIS — Philip Rivers makes his second start since coming out of retirement to lead the Indianapolis Colts against San Francisco 49ers on “Monday Night Football” today – Monday, Dec. 22 – at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. This game is available on multiple streaming services for free.

What channel is Colts vs. 49ers Monday Night Football?

Today’s game will broadcast live on ABC and ESPN with kickoff scheduled for 8:15 p.m. Eastern.

Two ways to watch Colts vs. 49ers for free

• DIRECTV (free trial and $40 off your first month)
• FuboTV (free trial and $25 off your first month)

The most flexible non-free option is Sling TV, which now offers new users a Day Pass for $4.99, Weekend Pass for $9.99, Week Pass for $14.99, Monthly for $45.99 and Season Pass for $199.99 for five months and $45.99 per month thereafter

This game is also available on the ESPN app streaming service, which now offers an Unlimited Plan for $29.99 per month (or $299.99 for entire year) and the Select Plan for $12.99 per month (or $129.99 for entire year). The ESPN app replicates its previous coverage of select games and broadcasts on ESPN Plus.

Who is announcing Colts vs. 49ers?

Joe Buck (play-by-play), Troy Aikman (analyst) will be the announcers while Laura Rutledge and Tom Rinaldi report from the sidelines.

What are the latest odds for Colts vs. 49ers?

Spread: IND: (+5.5), SF: (-5.5)

Moneyline: IND: (+225), SF: (-280)

Point total: 46.5

Odds from DraftKings

How to Watch COLTS – 49ERS

• What: NFL Week 16: Indianapolis Colts vs. San Francisco 49ers
• When: Dec. 22, 2025
• Time: 8:15p.m. Eastern
• Where: Lucas Oil Stadium | Indianapolis, Ind.
• Channel: ABC and ESPN
• Best Streaming Options: DIRECTV (free trial and $40 off first month), FuboTV (free trial and $25 off first month) and Sling TV (half off first month and daily, weekend, weekly, monthly and season pass)

What is FuboTV?

FuboTV, which features a free trial and $25 off your first month if you sign up for the Pro or Elite plans, is a streaming service that offers over 200 channels. It offers sports, entertainment, news, business and more. The service also offers on-demand options, including full television shows. You may access this service on multiple devices, including computers, phones, tablets and more.

There are four plans which are Latino, Pro, Elite and Premier ranging from $32.99- $99.99.

What is DIRECTV?

DIRECTV, which offers a free trial and $40 off your first month, lets you enjoy live TV and on-demand services without a contract through multiple packages. These include the entertainment package, the choice package + sports pack, the ultimate package + sports pack. The prices range from $79.99-$109.99.

What is Sling TV?

Sling TV users can now get a Day Pass for $4.99, Weekend Pass for $9.99, Week Pass for $14.99, Monthly Pass for $45.99 and Season Pass for $199.99 for the first five months and $45.99 per month thereafter. You can also subscribe to either the Blue package or the Orange package depending on your viewing preferences. Sling Blue allows up to three streams at a time and Sling Orange allows one stream at a time. Both the Blue and Orange packages are $23 for the first month, then increase to $45.99 per month thereafter.

Here is more information on this matchup from the AP:

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The last time Philip Rivers suited up inside Lucas Oil Stadium, he and his Indianapolis Colts teammates clinched a playoff spot.

A lot has changed in those five years.

Rivers left the NFL, started coaching high school football in Alabama, became a grandfather and shocked the world by coming out of retirement and nearly leading the Colts to a victory last week in Seattle.

He returned to his former team with old friend Shane Steichen calling the plays for a franchise under new ownership. And on Monday night, he’ll be playing in front of a near capacity home crowd — something he didn’t get to do during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic year.

Still, two things have not changed: Rivers remains stuck on 134 career wins and the Colts haven’t reached the playoffs since he was Indy’s starter the last time. The 44-year-old quarterback believes he can achieve both over the next three weeks or he wouldn’t be playing.

“I know the NFL is a big deal and this, and it can be whatever it can be,” Rivers said after rejoining the Colts. “But to me, it’s like ‘Hey, you get to play football, potentially, for four more weeks and maybe then some.’ And as long as I can live with the results, both good or bad, and go back home and move on, then I was willing to go for it, and I was able to get to that place mentally.”

While many around the league — from Pittsburgh quarterback Aaron Rodgers to Tennessee defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons — lauded Rivers’ effort to make a comeback, most were intrigued to see how Rivers would play.

Yes, he does have some physical limitations, and, yes, concerns about his mobility, his ability to throw deep and the long layoff prompted Steichen to take a safer approach in last week’s 18-16 loss at Seattle.

While Indy leaned heavily on its ground game and a short passing game to protect Rivers from taking needless hits, he still went 18 of 27 with 120 yards and threw an interception on Indy’s final offensive play.

The Colts (8-6) lost their fourth straight game to remain one spot outside the AFC’s seven-team playoff field, and Rivers acknowledged this week he must be better over the final three games to save Indy’s fading playoff hopes.

Still, the 49ers (10-4) know what they’re up against. Three years ago, when San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan was looking for stability at quarterback, he reached out to Rivers. Because the need didn’t actually arise until the NFC championship game, Rivers never signed.

But after studying last week’s tape, Shanahan believes Rivers still has what it takes.

“I see a guy who knows how to play the position as good as anyone,” Shanahan said. “I think he had 27 throws in that game and every ball goes right to the exact spot. He attacked their coverages great. He played against a very good pass rush and was able to get rid of the ball. He’s one of the best quarterbacks I’ve ever watched, and he definitely helped that team.”

Can Rivers get it done at his age? Only time will tell.