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British social media stars Josh and Jase ask fans to help Bloomington father honor late son

BLOOMINGTON, Ind.–A Bloomington father is asking people around the world to listen to his late son’s music after sharing his story with British social media stars Josh and Jase during their visit to Indiana.

Josh and Jase, who have built a large following by exploring American communities and sharing stories about the people they meet, are asking their followers to help bring attention to the music of Ben Schwartzman, the son of BuffaLouie’s owner Ed Schwartzman.

In a social media post, Josh said he met Ed during the duo’s visit to Bloomington and was moved by the story of a father trying to keep his son’s memory alive.

Ben was a musician who began performing in coffee shops, playing in bands and writing original songs by age 16. He struggled with bipolar disorder and depression and died by suicide 19 years ago, according to Josh’s post.

Before his death, Ben recorded 11 original songs. Ed later worked to make the music available on streaming platforms, including Spotify and Apple Music.

Josh said the proceeds from Ben’s music go to Centerstone, a nonprofit that provides mental health and addiction recovery services.

“Could we come together and give Ben’s music the audience his dad has always hoped it would find?” Josh wrote in his post.

He encouraged followers to search for Ben Schwartzman on Spotify or Apple Music, listen to his songs and share the music with others.

“I never expected that one of the most meaningful things I’d take away would be a conversation with a dad who simply wants his boy to be remembered,” Josh wrote.

Josh and Jase have gained popularity for traveling around the United States, highlighting local communities and sharing stories about people they meet along the way.

Their Indiana visit comes as fans gather for the Indiana University football game against Ohio State.

Mark Sanchez settles civil suit with victim in October 2025 criminal case

INDIANAPOLIS — Former NFL quarterback Mark Sanchez has reached an agreement in a civil lawsuit brought by the victim in his October 2025 battery case.

An online court entry from Oct. 6 shows that both Sanchez and Tole appeared in court over the telephone on Oct. 2 and “notified the court that they reached an agreement in principle.”

Tole was the truck driver Sanchez fought in October 2025 in Indianapolis. The encounter began over a parking dispute in an alley near a downtown hotel. Both men were hospitalized after the encounter.

Sanchez, who was in Indianapolis working as a color commentator for Fox Sports at the time, was arrested after the confrontation with Tole and charged with felony battery.     

The filing also noted that Tole’s lawyers would file a motion to dismiss on or before Jan. 8, 2027.

Sanchez is still set to plead guilty in his criminal case out of Marion County.

Father asks Gov. Braun to spare the life of convicted murderer who killed his children

Clemency hearings scheduled for convicted child killer

INDIANAPOLIS — As convicted killer Jeffrey Weisheit faces execution for the murders of two young children, his attempt to avoid a death sentence has gained an unexpected supporter: the father of the children.

Weisheit is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection before sunrise on Nov. 5 for killing his former fiancée’s children in 2010.

Investigators stated that Weisheit duct-taped 5-year-old Caleb Lynch inside their Vanderburgh County home and ignited road flares in the boy’s underwear, causing a fire that consumed the residence. Caleb died in the blaze along with his 8-year-old sister, Alyssa Lynch, who was also inside the home.

In a sworn affidavit supporting Weisheit’s petition for clemency, Steven Lynch, the father of Alyssa and Caleb, asked Gov. Mike Braun to commute Weisheit’s sentence to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

“What good does it do the memory of my children to put this man to death?” Steven Lynch wrote. “With the remaining years of his life, he would be able to continue seeking the Lord’s forgiveness.”

The affidavit concluded with a direct message: “Jeffrey, I forgive you.”

Weisheit’s current attorney, Joe Perkovich, argued that severe brain damage and mental illness were not adequately examined during the original murder trial or subsequent legal proceedings. Weisheit has asked the Indiana Supreme Court for a 14-day execution stay to permit brain scans intended to clarify his mental condition at the time of the killings.

Gov. Braun indicated he would review the brain scans if they are completed.

“We’d want it so we can take it under consideration,” Braun said Tuesday. “And then the legal team representing the state would look at that and advise me accordingly.”

Perkovich told Indiana’s I-Team that Steven Lynch initially communicated his views to the Indiana Attorney General’s Office before proactively offering his backing for clemency. The children’s mother declined to submit a similar affidavit.

“From the depths of unfathomable grief, Alyssa and Caleb Lynch’s father has summoned mercy,” Perkovich said in a statement. “But it must be underscored that he simply speaks for himself, and in no way purports to speak for all the children’s family bereaved in this unspeakable tragedy.”

Indiana’s I-Team attempted to contact the children’s mother but has not received a response.

Weisheit faces two upcoming clemency hearings. The first is scheduled to happen Oct. 16 inside the Indiana State Prison, followed by a public hearing on Oct. 19 inside the Indiana Government Center in Indianapolis.

Gov. Braun did not grant clemency to Benjamin Ritchie or Roy Lee Ward prior to their executions last year.

“I would like more time for Jeffrey to live,” Steven Lynch wrote. “He knows in his heart what he did. What I want is to extend an act of mercy.”

Steven Lynch’s affadavit in support of clemency
Steven Lynch’s affadavit in support of clemency

Afghanistan’s Stolen Peace: The Women Who Refuse to Be Silenced

BENGALURU, India, October 15 (IPS) – When the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, Zahra Nader was pursuing a doctorate in Women and Gender studies at York University in Canada. Nader had planned to return to Afghanistan to continue her research, possibly teach at Kabul University, and continue exploring Afghan women’s role in political history.

Read the full story, “Afghanistan’s Stolen Peace: The Women Who Refuse to Be Silenced”, on globalissues.org →

Formal charges filed against man accused in stabbing deaths of parents

DISCLAIMER: This article contains graphic descriptions of physical violence and discussions of mental illness and may not be suitable for all readers.

INDIANAPOLIS — Formal charges have been filed against an Indianapolis man arrested in the stabbing deaths of his parents, online court records show.

David White, 38, appeared in court Thursday morning for an initial hearing in the murder trial of his parents, mom Cynthia Pottle and stepfather Robert Pottle Jr.

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers were called to the Pottles’ home on Lakeshire Lane Sunday afternoon after a 911 caller reported “a man was actively stabbing his father in the driveway.”

Officers arrived and found Robert Pottle, 80, in the driveway with “massive amounts of trauma” to the upper half of his body. Cynthia Pottle, 75, would be found inside the home with grave wounds to her face and neck.

First responders pronounced Cynthia Pottle dead at the scene; Robert Pottle died about an hour later at a nearby hospital.

The suspect, White, was found inside a bathroom, soaking wet and stripped to his underwear. Officers arrested him without incident.

Witness’s account to investigators

At the scene, detectives spoke with the 911 caller and witness who tried to intervene in the fight. Police say the witness said he heard a “strange moaning” outside and stepped out of his home to see White hitting Robert Pottle in the neck and face with a shovel.

The witness ran at White, causing White to retreat inside the house. In White’s absence, the witness was briefly met by Cynthia Pottle and called 911.

Court documents say White returned with a shovel and a kitchen knife. The witness got hold of the shovel, but White did not stop the assault, turning to stab Robert Pottle with the knife. Police say the witness tried to hit White with the shovel, but the suspect retreated into the house once again.

Investigators would later find a knife and a shovel near Robert Pottle’s body, as well as an open jug of bleach. A small metal garden shovel and garden shears covered in blood were located inside near Cynthia Pottle.

Family was ‘increasingly concerned’ about White’s health

Investigators say White refused to speak with officers at the scene, claiming the Pottles had been holding him at the house against his will. Online records show White’s permanent residence as being the home on Lakeshire Lane.

Through the course of the investigation, detectives learned from the Pottles’ daughter and White’s half-sister that there had been growing concern over White’s behavior in the previous months.

Police say White reportedly stopped taking his medication and refused to complete a mental health evaluation ordered by a Hamilton County court. White had also become very aggressive with his parents, believing he was being held against his will and that “he was being poisoned via a new HVAC system” the Pottles installed in the house.

“Mrs. Pottle was in the process of trying to obtain a mental write for Mr. White because she felt it was becoming unsafe for Mr. White to continue to stay with them,” court documents say.

Text messages pulled from Robert Pottle’s phone show the final text from Cynthia Pottle being around noon Sunday, asking him to come home because White was concerning her.

Prosecutors file charges

White was formally charged Wednesday with two counts of murder and one count of attempting to commit battery by means of a deadly weapon.

He was being held in the Marion County jail without bond.

His next court date has not been set.


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30 Years of War, 30 Years of Impunity in DR Congo

WASHINGTON DC, October 15 (IPS) – It has been 30 years since Rwanda-backed rebel forces attacked Lemera hospital in what was then eastern Zaire, killing 37 patients and medical staff. This was one of the first major atrocities during what became known as the First Congo War, helping to unleash decades of foreign-backed rebellions and grave abuses against civilians by all sides, including ethnic-based massacres, widespread rape and sexual violence, forced recruitment of children, abductions, torture, mutilation, and forced displacement.

Read the full story, “30 Years of War, 30 Years of Impunity in DR Congo”, on globalissues.org →

Person fatally shot at 56th Street, Michigan Road

INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis police have confirmed that a person injured in an early morning shooting on Indy’s northwest side has died from their injuries.

Online police reports show the incident happened around 12:30 a.m. Thursday near the intersection of 56th Street and Michigan Road.

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers were called to the scene and located a person suffering gunshot wounds.

They were taken to a hospital in critical condition, but later died.

IMPD has not said if there are any suspects or what led up to the shooting.

This is a developing story.

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