NEW YORK, September 29 (IPS) – “Artificial intelligence (AI) must be shaped by humanity, with humanity, and for all humanity… Life-and-death decisions must never be surrendered to machines. Killer robots must have no place in our future.”
INDIANAPOLIS — An overturned school bus occupied by three adults and several fifth-grade students has blocked multiple lanes of Interstate 465, according to the Indiana Department of Transportation.
Online police reports show the accident occurred on I-465 at the 45-mile marker near East Washington Street. The call type listed on an online dispatching system was listed as a “personal injury accident with entrapment.”
INDOT did not say what caused the crash or if there were other vehicles involved.
As of 10:30 a.m., the left lane of I-465 southbound and three right lanes of I-465 northbound were closed.
The department did confirm that the bus was occupied. News 8 later confirmed that the bus belonged to Creston Intermediate Middle School in the Warren Township school district. At least 25 fifth-graders were on board, along with three adults, the school confirmed.
It’s unclear if any of the students or adults were injured or taken to a hospital.
News 8 has reached out to Indiana State Police and nearby school districts for further information.
This is a developing story.
YAOUNDE, Cameroon, September 29 (IPS) – Agricultural, land, forestry, environmental and trade policies in the Congo Basin remain compartmentalised at country levels, leaving proven agroecological models trapped at pilot stages due to a lack of advisory services, organic inputs, market outlets and sustainable financing.
UNITED NATIONS, September 29 (IPS) – On September 23, the United Nations held its 2026 Climate Summit as part of the High-Level Week of the 81st session of the General Assembly (UNGA 81). Convening civil society actors, climate scientists, major energy producers and consumers, development experts, and world leaders, the summit addressed critical strategies to mitigate the compounding impacts of the climate crisis and accelerate progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Zoo has lost its accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums after its application for continued accreditation was not approved during the latest accreditation cycle.
The zoo confirmed the decision Monday and said it is exploring options to regain accreditation, including working with the AZA through its Pathways to Membership program.
The program allows organizations to work directly with the AZA on targeted improvements.
The zoo said the AZA recognized several achievements and positive steps but also identified longstanding organizational concerns involving communication, internal consistency and collaboration across departments.
The zoo said the AZA wants to give it more time to demonstrate that changes being made to improve its organizational culture are “long-lasting and sustainable.”
“While this short-term outcome is certainly not what we wanted or expected, the Zoo respects the accreditation process and is committed to working with AZA to rejoin the organization soon,” the zoo said in a statement.
The zoo added that its commitment to animal care and providing a “world-class guest experience” remains unchanged.
The Association of Zoos and Aquariums is a nonprofit organization that accredits zoos and aquariums based on standards covering areas including animal welfare, veterinary care, conservation and education, guest services, physical facilities and safety, staffing, finances and governance.
The Indianapolis Zoo’s accreditation was listed as active through September 2026.
Losing AZA accreditation does not mean the zoo has to close. The Indianapolis Zoo remains open to visitors.
The accreditation decision comes after several incidents involving the zoo over the past year.
In October 2025, two rare, endangered tortoises were stolen from zoo property. The tortoises were later found unharmed in a Madison County park. The zoo acknowledged that it waited 11 days to report the thefts to Indiana State Police.
In November 2025, a chimpanzee escaped from its enclosure and was recaptured after more than an hour.
Then, in March, zoo President and CEO Dr. Rob Shumaker stepped down after 16 years leading the organization.
It is not clear whether those incidents played a role in the AZA’s decision. The zoo’s statement did not identify them as reasons for the loss of accreditation.
The Indianapolis Zoo had been one of four AZA-accredited zoos in Indiana. The others are the Fort Wayne Zoo, Mesker Park Zoo in Evansville and Potawatomi Zoo in South Bend.
INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis ranks among the worst cities in the country for public transportation, according to a new ConsumerAffairs report.
ConsumerAffairs evaluated public transportation in the 50 largest U.S. urban areas based on usefulness, accessibility, affordability and operational safety.
Indianapolis ranked No. 4 among the 50 cities for worst public transit in the 2026 report.
The report found Indianapolis ranked particularly low in two areas: usefulness and operational safety.
Indianapolis had the third-lowest public transit usefulness score among the cities studied.
According to the report, the average Indianapolis-area resident boarded public transportation about four times in 2024, the third-lowest ridership rate among the 50 largest urban areas.
The average resident traveled about 22 miles on public transportation that year, which was also the third-shortest distance among the cities included in the report.
Indianapolis also ranked second-worst for operational safety, according to ConsumerAffairs.
The report found that in 2024, there were about 6.62 collisions, fires or derailments for every million vehicle miles traveled in service.
About five people were killed or injured in major safety and security events for every million miles traveled, according to the report.
INDIANAPOLIS — An Indianapolis man was sentenced to 46 years in prison after leading police on a pursuit that ended in a fatal crash on the city’s far east side.
Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears announced the sentence Monday for Kirk Gibson, who was convicted earlier this month of seven charges, including resisting law enforcement resulting in death, a Level 3 felony.
Gibson, 38, was also convicted of three counts of resisting law enforcement, Level 5 felonies; two counts of resisting law enforcement as Level 6 felonies; and theft, a Level 6 felony.
Gibson led law enforcement on a pursuit through Henry, Hancock and Marion counties before crashing on the city’s east side.
Dewaun Hampton, 33, was a passenger in Gibson’s vehicle and was killed in the crash.
Following the verdict, Gibson pleaded guilty to a habitual sentencing enhancement and a probation violation. Those admissions accounted for 15 years of his 46-year sentence, according to the prosecutor’s office.
Gibson was originally arrested after the crash and faced charges including resisting law enforcement causing death, resisting law enforcement causing serious bodily injury and auto theft.
NEW DEHLI, September 28 (IPS) – As a young girl, Sarada Murlidharan cringed at the thought of going to school. It was not the studies but the taunts of ‘being black’ or having dark skin, where fair skin was considered preferential, that made her unhappy.
UNITED NATIONS, September 28 (IPS) – In the wake of the largest decline in global health financing on record, the Global Leaders Network (GLN) for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescent Health convened a high-level meeting on September 22 to sustain political momentum for women and children’s health financing. The event, Financing for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescent’s Health in a Time of Austerity, was co-hosted by the Governments of South Africa, Spain, and Tanzania, in addition to the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (PMMCH).
INDIANAPOLIS — Court proceedings are in motion for the five IMPD officers charged in the department’s Flock camera scandal.
The range of allegations include unauthorized searches of vehicles belonging to intimate partners, exes, and strangers using Flock Safety’s Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) technology.
Officer Michael Rogers is due in court on Monday, Sept. 28, while Officers Matthew Binford, Abigail Cramer, and Cassandra Crawley are set for court appearances on Tuesday.
All are separately charged with multiple counts of fraud and official misconduct. Cramer has resigned from IMPD. The others have been suspended and recommended for termination.
Officer Jonathan Schultz had his first court appearance on Friday, Sept. 25. He’s the only officer facing additional charges for stalking because authorities claim he not only tracked people’s vehicles but also acted on the Flock surveillance data to follow people and instigate unwanted, uncomfortable interactions.
One victim Schultz is accused of stalking told investigators she started noticing him showing up at her gym, and in one instance Schultz followed her to the parking lot.
“In the parking lot she got in her vehicle and noticed he was standing next to her vehicle staring at her,” prosecuting documents state. “She pulled off and waited for him to leave.” Schultz had searched Flock for her vehicle’s license plate twice that morning before she arrived at the gym.
Another woman said Schultz handed her a note outside of her gym, reading, “There’s always some type of crazy in our lives. We shouldn’t let it get in-between what we want in life. I would love to get to know you,” then listed his name and phone number.
That woman was the subject of 178 Flock searches over a three-month span.
Schultz walked into court with handcuffs wrapped around his wrists and ankles, wearing orange, jail-issued clothing.
Prosecutors asked Magistrate Steven Rubick to set an enhanced bond in excess of what’s normal for his charges, saying accusations of stalking should raise concerns.
Defense attorney John Keiffner argued the actions detailed in prosecuting documents aren’t the sort of violent or sexual behavior typically associated with stalking. Schultz was “trying to talk to women”, Keiffner said, and his methods could be described as “pathetic”.
“Or creepy”, Judge Rubick quickly responded.
Ultimately, Rubick set a $10,000 bond, twice the amount Schultz’ charges would typically garner. Schultz is also subject to GPS monitoring and signed a protective order for the 11 victims and two witnesses in his case.
Rubick entered a routine not guilty plea on behalf of Schultz. His next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 28.
After the hearing, Indiana’s I-Team asked Keiffner whether Schultz had anything to say to the victims or about the allegations. “In court,” Keiffner replied. “This case will be handled in court.”
IMPD Chief Tanya Terry said it’s too soon to tell if there were other officers abusing their access to the Flock Safety system after Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears described these five cases as “just the beginning”.
“I’m not sure what prosecutor Mears was thinking when he said that,” Terry said.
IMPD is continuing to audit its Flock data and has implemented new policies and procedures to limit the chance for abuse. Flock Safety is now requiring all of its customers to use its proactive auditing tools.
But a national privacy advocacy group, the Surveillance Technology Oversight Project (STOP), is doubtful these changes are meaningful safeguards.
“The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s new guardrails are not enough to fix a system this invasive and ripe for abuse,” STOP Communications Director Will Owen told Indiana’s I-Team in a statement. “Furthermore, Flock’s own newly announced guardrails are nothing more than a crisis PR stunt, still granting officers plenty of power to misreport how they are using the database. Cities and towns across the country have fully canceled their contracts with Flock, and Indianapolis should follow suit.”
