INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Americans must have Real ID cards by Wednesday or they may be unable to fly aboard commercial airlines or enter federally secured locations.

Chances are that most Americans already have Real ID-compliant driver’s licenses or identification cards, with a star in the upper, right-hand corner.

Damita Eaton, a resident of the Indianapolis west side, “I don’t have it yet because I don’t fly. I haven’t flown since who knows when, and I’ve been in a federal building once. So, I don’t anticipate it being urgent. But, I’ll do it anyway! I like to wait until the last minute.”

“You don’t want to be even more upset about it because you got a fine for not having one. So, you might as well get one. I think it’s $12, and, if you recently renewed, it’s like $9.”

Travelers risk being subjected to extended screening processes at airports and may even be denied boarding without Real IDs.

Prospere Van Buketi, founder and CEO of Van Business Travel LLC in Indianapolis, urged clients to get Real IDs. “The only thing that you’re going to need to prove is a physical address. They will need a document for proof of address, and they’re also going to need your SSN (Social Security number) card or a passport before they issue you a Real ID.”

U.S. passports remain acceptable alternatives for domestic air travel.

Also, parents can take comfort in knowing that children will not need to present identification when going through Transportation Security Administration security for domestic travel at airports, but international travel is different. “Of course, they are going to need at least a passport, or they need to have a birth certificate to travel with someone younger,” Van Buketi said.

While having Real IDs are crucial for air travel and entering secure federal buildings, Americans who do not have them can still drive and vote.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order aiming to slash public subsidies to PBS and NPR as he alleged “bias” in the broadcasters’ reporting.

The order instructs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and other federal agencies “to cease Federal funding for NPR and PBS” and further requires that that they work to root out indirect sources of public financing for the news organizations. The White House, in a social media posting announcing the signing, said the outlets “receive millions from taxpayers to spread radical, woke propaganda disguised as ‘news.’”

It’s the latest move by Trump and his administration to utilize federal powers to control or hamstring institutions whose actions or viewpoints he disagrees with. Since taking office, Trump has ousted leaders, placed staff on administrative leave and cut off hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to artists, libraries, museums, theaters and others, through takeovers of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Trump has also pushed to withhold federal research and education funds from universities and punish law firms unless they agreed to eliminate diversity programs and other measures Trump has found objectionable.

• RELATED | Indiana defunds public media; broadcasters brace for federal cuts

The broadcasters get roughly half a billion dollars in public money through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and have been preparing for the possibility of stiff cuts since Trump’s election, as Republicans have long complained about them.

Paula Kerger, PBS’ CEO and president, said in a statement last month that the Trump administration’s effort to rescind funding for public media would “disrupt the essential service PBS and local member stations provide to the American people.”

“There’s nothing more American than PBS, and our work is only possible because of the bipartisan support we have always received from Congress,” she said. “This public-private partnership allows us to help prepare millions of children for success in school and in life and also supports enriching and inspiring programs of the highest quality.”

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting sued Trump earlier this week over his move to fire three members of its five-person board, contending that the president was exceeding his authority and that the move would deprive the board of a quorum needed to conduct business.

Just two weeks ago, the White House said it would be asking Congress to rescind funding for the CPB as part of a $9.1 billion package of cuts. That package, however, which budget director Russell Vought said would likely be the first of several, has not yet been sent to Capitol Hill.

The move against PBS and NPR comes as his administration has been working to dismantle the U.S. Agency for Global Media, including Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which were designed to model independent news gathering globally in societies that restrict the press. Those efforts have faced pushback from federal courts, who have ruled in some cases that the Trump administration may have overstepped its authority in holding back funds appropriated to the outlets by Congress.

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AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro contributed.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Temperatures will be running nearly 10° below average this weekend with several rain opportunities through Sunday night.

Friday:

We’re tracking a few scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms across Central Indiana this morning as a weak upper-level wave continues to push through the state. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected to persist through the morning commute. Not everyone will see rain, but a few locally heavy downpours could slow your morning drive.

A front will move through the state, bringing scattered showers and a few rumbles of thunder to central and southern portions. The heaviest rainfall, and possibly a few stronger thunderstorms, should remain along the Ohio River in southern and southeastern Indiana.

High temperatures will reach the low 70s.

Friday night:

Another surface wave will move along a stalled boundary just to our south, increasing rain chances, particularly in southern portions of the state.

Overnight lows will fall to the mid-50s.

This weekend:

The pattern will remain unsettled as a cutoff low develops over the Midwest this weekend, bringing numerous chances for showers and occasional rumbles of thunder on both Saturday and Sunday.

Due to cloud cover and rain, temperatures will be well below average for this time of year, reaching only the mid-60s on Saturday and struggling to climb out of the 50s on Sunday.

Rainfall amounts could exceed an inch in some locations due to the numerous rain chances this weekend.

Next week:

The upper-level low will linger into Monday, bringing scattered rain chances and cool temperatures throughout the day.

By Monday night, the low will begin to break down, gradually tapering off rain chances starting Tuesday. Temperatures should also warm up closer to average by Tuesday afternoon.

(WISH) — The lawyer for the family whose child survived a sexual assault on a school bus is asking anyone with more information to come forward.

Laura Swafford of Wagner Reese law firm says this never should have happened in the first place. The child was 7 years old and placed next a 15-year-old on the bus.

“I’m involved to raise awareness of what has occurred, to see if there’s other witness that could come forward to help us better understand what happened,” Swafford said. “My clients are left with a lot of questions.”

Swafford said the 15-year-old sexually assaulted the 7-year-old multiple times on the bus. It was caught on camera, and the adult bus drivers and bus supervisor did not noticed it.

As News 8 reported Monday, authorities in Jennings County arrested the teen for rape.

News 8 reported the next day that attorneys filed a claim with school district for failing to stop the assault.

The family wants to see regulations on school buses change across the state, especially for students with special needs. Swafford said, “The family is wanting justice and they want this issue to be heard so that our children, the most vulnerable population in our community, can be protected within the school district, not only on the Jennings County buses but on all buses in the state of Indiana.”

The family knows financial compensation cannot undo what happened to their son, but asks for it to help cover therapy and other related costs. “A lot of treatment isn’t free, and it’s important that victims of sexual abuse are able to get treatment,” Swafford said.

The school said it already adjusted bus protocols for special needs buses. This includes individual seats when possible, or seat partners of similar ages, and increased adult supervision.

Help is available for victims of domestic violence. Below is a list of suggested resources on the Domestic Violence Network website:

• National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233 or text START to 88788
• National Domestic Violence Hotline en español: 800-799-7233 o texto “START” al 88788
• Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence: 24-hour hotline available at 800-332-7385
• Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault and Human Trafficking
• La Plaza Indy
• The Julian Center
• Indiana Child Abuse Hotline: 800-800-5556
• National Sexual Assault Hotline: 800-656-4673

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Hoosiers gathered Thursday for a May Day rally at the Indiana Statehouse in opposition of Amazon and the Trump administration.

Indiana and allied organizations joined outside the Statehouse to stand with unions across the nation. A spokesman for the rally says Amazon is one of the nation’s most vocal anti-union corporations. This May Day, more than a thousand anti-trump protests across the U.S. are part of the 50501 Movement.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — With the assistance of good Samaritans and a police helicopter, Indiana State Police successfully apprehended a man after a foot chase in Indianapolis on West Minnesota Street.

Sgt. John Perrine, a spokesman for state police, said Thursday afternoon that a trooper had pulled over a vehicle, which was later found to be stolen. The man fled on foot, leaving behind a female passenger, who was detained.

Good Samaritans helped direct troopers to the man’s location, leading to his discovery by state police helicopter. State police and Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers negotiated with the man, convincing him to leave a pond where he was found.

During the pursuit, the man had thrown a gun, which police later recovered.

Perrine said the investigation was ongoing, but no injuries were reported.

The man’s identity has not been disclosed, nor has the identity of the female passenger. The specific reason for the initial traffic stop remained unclear. It was also unknown if the man would be facing any criminal charges.

CARMEL, Ind. (WISH) — As the sights, sounds and shops of the Carmel Christkindlmarkt drew nearly 10,000 visitors a day in 2024, the behind the scenes of the Christmastime market would soon drive away its CEO of eight years, Maria Adele Rosenfeld.

“This board does not want me in this role… I have been excluded from key decisions… My leadership as CEO has been undermined,” Rosenfeld told the market’s board of directors in a resignation letter obtained by News 8.

The resignation comes the same week a former Carmel Christkindlmarkt Inc. board member, Susan McDermott, filed a lawsuit against the Carmel city government and Republican Mayor Sue Finkam. 

The mayor in October replaced McDermott, first appointed by Finkam in January 2024, and another board member, claiming they weren’t promptly providing financial information. 

The lawsuit claims the mayor removed the two from Carmel Christkindlmarkt Inc. so the market could adopt a new operating agreement handing more control to the city. 

Republican Carmel Common Council member Jeff Worrell told News 8 that McDermott “claims and is adamant she did everything she was asked to do. When I ask Mayor Finkam about that, I get answers that are unclear.”

McDermott’s removal also led off a list of grievances Rosenfeld noted in her resignation letter.

Rosenfeld’s letter says, “I was excluded from discussions regarding the termination of two board members and the appointment of new board members. I knew nothing about those changes until after they happened.”

Rosenfeld declined News 8’s request for an interview.

Following the mayor’s October shakeup of the board, the City Council formed an Affiliate Review Committee to examine the market’s operations. But, Worrell worries, it’s been too focused on financials, when the market’s dysfunctions seems to stem from soured relationships.

“Something broke down a year ago, and we are where we are now because of that,” Worrell said.

The council member went on to describe the committee’s findings thus far as “one-sided,” saying it appears to be concentrated on tackling issues the mayor is interested in talking about.

McDermott’s attorneys, the city, and Finkam declined to comment on the lawsuit. 

Rosenfeld’s resignation letter went on to suggest the current board holds multiple conflicts of interest, including Carmel Chief Financial Officer Zac Johnson being appointed to the board in December. 

Finkam commended Rosenfeld’s tenure in a statement and said the city is looking for an interim and long-term CEO. “With planning for this year’s event already underway, we remain committed to honoring the market’s legacy while embracing new opportunities to enhance and grow this cherished tradition for years to come,” the statement said.

The council will hear the review committee’s latest report at its regular meeting Monday night.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A person was critically injured Thursday in a shooting on the city’s east side.

Around 10 p.m. Thursday, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers responded to a report of a person shot in the 900 block of North Gladstone Avenue. That is a residential area just west of the Linwood Square Shopping Center.

Officers arrived to the scene and found a person with gunshot wounds. The person was reported to be in critical condition.

Investigators did not immediately provide any additional information.