INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A familiar and friendly face from the Pacers will be trading in his basketball gear for a steering wheel as the honorary Pace Car driver at the Brickyard 400.

Pascal Siakam, a three-time NBA All-Star, two-time All-NBA selection, and Red Bull athlete, will behind the wheel of the 2025 Chevrolet Blazer EV SS during Sunday’s race.

INDYCAR and Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Doug Boles said in the announcement that Siakam as the driver is like a match made in Indiana heaven.

“Basketball and motorsports – Pacers and racers – go hand in hand in Indianapolis,” he said. “Following the Pacers’ electrifying postseason run, it’s only fitting to have Pascal join us to pace the field as NASCAR’s biggest stars compete to win the In-Season Challenge and add their name to the history books with a win at the Brickyard.”

Siakam’s journey to becoming an NBA champion began in Douala, Cameroon, where he grew up in a family of six siblings.

Despite his brothers playing Division I college basketball in America, Siakam initially had other plans – he wanted to play soccer.

But after an invite to a Basketball Without Borders camp in South Africa when he was 16, Siakam’s basketball career took off.

He attended a prep school in Texas and played college basketball at New Mexico State before being drafted by the Toronto Raptors in 2016. There, he evolved from “promising prospect” to bench player, earning the league’s Most Improved Player award in 2019.

Siakam was traded to the Pacers in 2024, becoming a “key veteran presence on a young, dynamic roster.” That presence helped the team reach Game 7 in the NBA Finals and earning the Eastern Conference Finals MVP.

The Brickyard 400 is set to start at 1 p.m. Sunday. For ticket information, visit the IMS website.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles offers dozens of license plate designs, but none are quite as sleek as the bold new plate that’s coming in August.

BMV leaders unveiled new “blackout” plates on Monday, joining Kentucky, Minnesota, and Iowa in offering the sleek, minimalist design.

The state’s first black license plate will let Hoosier show off their personalities, says BMV Commissioner Kevin Garvey.

“It’s very simple in its design, but it really gives car drivers and vehicle owners an opportunity to express themselves in a way that they haven’t had,” Garvey said Monday.

The blackout plate will be available starting Aug. 8 for Hoosiers registering a car, light truck, motorcycle, or RV. The plate comes with an annual fee of $45.

Hoosiers who don’t want to wait for their current plate to expire can swap it out for a blackout plate for $45, plus an additional fee to cover the cost of a new plate.

The blackout plates were approved by state lawmakers during the most recent legislative session in House Enrolled Act 1391, which covered various BMV-related items.

Indiana BMV teased the plates in a July 5 Facebook post, encouraging Hoosiers to “swap the standard for something that stands out.”

The new plates are expected to generate several million dollars for the state each year and help the BMV achieve Gov. Mike Braun’s executive order directing the agency to improve and expand services.

Visit myBMV.com to learn more.

(CNN) — Roughly 700 active-duty US Marines who were mobilized last month to respond to protests in Los Angeles are being sent home from the mission, the Pentagon said Monday.

“With stability returning to Los Angeles, the Secretary has directed the redeployment of the 700 Marines whose presence sent a clear message: lawlessness will not be tolerated,” chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement Monday, adding that their “rapid response, unwavering discipline, and unmistakable presence were instrumental in restoring order.”

Parnell announced last week that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had released 2,000 California National Guard members with the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team from duty.

The Marines, with 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, were mobilized in June and assisted in protecting federal buildings and personnel. They were intended to provide the task force overseeing the federal protection mission in LA “with adequate numbers of forces to provide continuous coverage of the area in support of the lead federal agency,” US Northern Command said at the time.

There are still another roughly 2,000 California Army National Guard soldiers assigned to the mission who were mobilized later in June.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom in a statement Monday called for the remaining National Guard soldiers to be withdrawn from the state.

“The women and men of the California National Guard deserve more than to continue serving as puppets in Trump and Stephen Miller’s performative political theater,” Newsom said. “There was never a need for the military to deploy against civilians in Los Angeles. The damage is done, however. We, again, call upon them to do the right thing and end the militarization once and for all.”

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass welcomed the decision to withdraw the Marines.

“This is another win for Los Angeles but this is also a win for those serving this country in uniform,” Bass said in a statement on Monday. “Just this morning I stood with Veterans, families of active duty officers, and business leaders to show the impact of this unnecessary, unprecedented, and unconstitutional assault on our city.”

The Marines’ deployment to LA was immediately met with criticism as a significant escalation of the use of the military by President Donald Trump. LA Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell said at the time that the arrival of Marines “absent clear coordination” would present “a significant logistical and operational challenges for those of us charged with safeguarding this city.”

The Marines, like the National Guardsmen who were activated under Title 10 status, were prohibited from conducting law enforcement activity, which is outlawed under the Insurrection Act.

Newsom said in a statement in June that the “level of escalation is completely unwarranted, uncalled for, and unprecedented,” adding the Trump administration was “mobilizing the best in class branch of the U.S. military against its own citizens.”

A senior Pentagon official said during a congressional hearing last month that the mobilization of the Marines and National Guardsmen was estimated to cost $134 million.

“The current estimated cost is $134 million, which is largely just [temporary duty] cost, travel, housing, food, etc.,” Bryn MacDonnell, a special assistant to the Secretary of Defense and official performing the duties of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller), told the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.

Asked further about the funding for the mobilization, MacDonnell said it would come from other operation and maintenance accounts.

During the same hearing, Hegseth aggressively defended sending US troops to LA, arguing that “all three” requirements in the US Code that authorizes the president to federalize the National Guard applied to the situation.

“Let’s talk about the US Code … as a legal basis that the president used, cites three examples and circumstances for the guard: invasion by a foreign nation, rebellion or dangerous rebellion against the authority of the government of the United States, or the president is unable, with regular forces to execute the laws of the United States,” Democratic Rep. Pete Aguilar said. “Which authority is triggered here to justify the use?”

“I don’t know, you just read it yourself, and people can listen themselves, but it sounds like all three to me,” Hegseth responded.

“The governor of the California has failed to protect his people, along with the mayor of Los Angeles, and so President Trump has said he will protect our agents, and our guard and Marines are proud to do it,” he later added.

This story has been updated with additional details.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — New Direction Church in Indianapolis is set to host its annual Back 2 School Block Party on Saturday.

The block party is from 11 a.m. – 2 p .m. at 5640 E. 38th St. in Indianapolis.

The event will span six city blocks and offer a variety of free activities and entertainment for attendees of all ages, including food, live music, and free fair-style amusement rides such as a pirate ship, giant trampoline games, and a giant bounce house. A special sensory area will be available for children with autism, providing a calm and engaging environment.

Every school-age child attending will receive a free backpack filled with essential school supplies and free school clothes. There will also be an opportunity to win giveaways including bikes, skateboards, and Big Wheels. Kids can also receive grooming services from KUTS 4 Kids, including braiding stations, and get a free dental checkup.

Vendor Village Park will host over 50 vendors offering a variety of products, from healthcare to unique gifts. Teen Town Park will offer thrilling activities such as mechanical bulls, dunk tanks, water activities, a foam party, and basketball. Animal lovers can visit the Animal Park to meet Mufasa, a stunning black stallion, along with ponies and other animals.

To ensure a seamless experience, multiple registration kiosks will be set up for quick entry, and Spanish-speaking interpreters will be on hand to assist attendees.

Click here for more information.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Cookie Monster, the beloved character from children’s TV series “Sesame Street,” will serve as the grand marshal for the Brickyard 400.

The race will start at 2 p.m. Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

As grand marshal, Cookie Monster will give the traditional command for drivers to report to their cars before the race.

The event will mark a reunion with NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace, who has shared a video highlighting Cookie Monster’s cross-country trip with his friends to showcase the ways “Sesame Street” helps children.

This story was created from a script aired on WISH-TV. This story was formatted for WISHTV.com using AI-assisted tools. Our editorial team reviews and edits all content published to ensure it meets our journalistic standards for accuracy and fairness.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Several days of dangerous heat move in starting Wednesday.

Today:

Beautiful weather is expected on Tuesday as high pressure continues to strengthen across the eastern United States. Expect mostly sunny skies, near-average temperatures, and, most importantly, lower dewpoint temperatures. Highs will reach the mid- to upper 80s, but dewpoint temperatures in the mid-60s will make for a relatively comfortable late July afternoon.

Tonight:

Humidity will begin to rise later this evening into the overnight hours. Otherwise, conditions will remain quiet with mostly clear skies and lows in the mid- to upper 60s.

Hot and humid stretch:

Hot and humid conditions will return as a ridge builds overhead starting Wednesday. Expect several days with high temperatures in the low to mid-90s through the end of the workweek. Dewpoint temperatures will climb into the low to mid-70s, pushing heat indices between 100 and 105 for Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Heat advisories are already in place for the western portion of the state on Wednesday, and they may expand into central Indiana for the rest of the week.

Dry conditions are expected through at least early Thursday, as this area of high pressure and hot dome of air keeps us dry. Some isolated showers and thunderstorms may develop by Thursday afternoon and evening, but they will likely be few and far between.

Slightly higher chances for rain will arrive on Friday as the ridge begins to break down. Even so, most areas will likely remain dry to wrap up the workweek.

Weekend storms?

A more active weather pattern is expected as we head into the weekend. Showers and thunderstorms will become more likely with a northwesterly flow starting on Saturday. Similar to last weekend, several waves of storms may move through the state. It’s too early to pinpoint the exact timing of these waves, but numerous chances for showers and storms are possible to kick off the weekend.

At this point, severe weather appears unlikely, but heavy rain, frequent lightning, and some gusty winds are possible with any storms that develop on Saturday.

As of now, Sunday has a lower chance of showers and thunderstorms. Any storms that do occur could produce heavy rainfall.

7 day forecast:

High temperatures over the weekend will reach the upper 80s. Hot conditions will persist into the new workweek, with highs in the low 90s for Monday and Tuesday. There are indications that temperatures may finally cool to more seasonable levels by the middle of next week as we wrap up the month of July.