INDIANAPOLIS — Dangerous heat continues to build as central Indiana faces an Extreme Heat Warning through Thursday evening. This upgrade from a Heat Advisory reflects the intense and prolonged conditions caused by a high-pressure system anchored over the Ohio Valley. Expect several consecutive days of temperatures climbing into the 90s with oppressive humidity making it feel like 105 to 110 degrees during peak afternoon hours.

Today and Wednesday: Peak Heat with Little Relief

At the heart of the high-pressure ridge, Indiana will experience minimal cloud cover, offering limited relief from the heat.

• Temperatures: Afternoon highs will reach the low to mid-90s today and Wednesday.
• Heat Index: The combination of heat and humidity will produce feels-like temperatures between 105 and 110 degrees.

Tonight, muggy conditions persist with lows hovering in the mid-70s to around 80 degrees.

Thursday: Sustained Intense Heat and Storm Chances

The Extreme Heat Warning remains active until Thursday evening. While clouds may increase slightly as moisture circulates around the weakening high-pressure system, temperatures will still reach the mid-90s with heat indices above 100.

Late Thursday may bring isolated showers or thunderstorms as the weather pattern starts to shift and the heat dome flattens.

Independence Day Weekend: Storm Threat Grows

Heading into the holiday weekend, the jet stream will dip south, triggering multiple waves of storm activity across Indiana.

• Friday: Thunderstorm chances rise sharply with a risk of slow-moving, heavy precipitation storms.
• Saturday and Sunday: Expect the potential for organized storm complexes that could bring damaging winds and heavy rainfall, especially in the afternoons and evenings.
• Temperatures: While the extreme heat will ease, it remains extremely warm and muggy with highs in the upper 80s to near 90 degrees.

Seven-Day Outlook

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld state laws barring transgender girls and women from playing on school athletic teams, in another setback for transgender people.

The court’s conservative majority, which has repeatedly ruled against transgender Americans in the past year, ruled that state bans in Idaho and West Virginia don’t violate the Constitution or the federal law known as Title IX, which prohibits sex discrimination in education.

More than two dozen other Republican-led states have adopted bans on female transgender athletes, and the decision seems certain to extend to them as well.

Left unresolved by the outcome are lawsuits challenging state laws and regulations in Connecticut, California and elsewhere that permit transgender athletes to compete consistent with their gender identity.

Becky Pepper-Jackson, a 16-year-old high school sophomore in Bridgeport, West Virginia, has been taking puberty-blocking medication, has publicly identified as a girl since age 8, and has been issued a West Virginia birth certificate recognizing her as female. She is the only transgender person who has sought to compete in girls’ sports in West Virginia.

Pepper-Jackson has progressed from a back-of-the-pack cross-country runner in middle school to statewide champion in the shot put. She beat the second-place finisher by two feet in last month’s West Virginia championship meet.

In the Idaho case, Lindsay Hecox sued over the state’s first-in-the-nation ban for the chance to try out for the women’s track and cross-country teams at Boise State University in Idaho. She didn’t make either squad because “she was too slow,” her lawyer, Kathleen Hartnett, told the court during arguments in January, but she competed in club-level soccer and running.

Prominent women in sports have weighed in on both sides. Tennis champion Martina Navratilova, swimmers Summer Sanders and Donna de Varona and beach volleyball player Kerri Walsh Jennings are supporting the state bans. Soccer stars Megan Rapinoe and Becky Sauerbrunn and basketball players Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart back the transgender athletes.

In 2020, the Supreme Court ruled LGBTQ people are protected by a landmark federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in the workplace, finding that “sex plays an unmistakable role” in employers’ decisions to punish transgender people for traits and behavior they otherwise tolerate.

But last year, the six conservative justices on the nine-member court declined to apply the same sort of analysis when they upheld state bans on gender-affirming care for transgender minors.

The states supporting the prohibitions on transgender athletes argued there is no reason to extend the ruling barring workplace discrimination to Title IX.

Idaho’s law, state Solicitor General Alan Hurst said, is “necessary for fair competition because, where sports are concerned, men and women are obviously not the same.”

Lawyers for Pepper-Jackson argued that such distinctions generally make sense but that their client has none of those advantages because of the unique circumstances of her early transition. In Hecox’s case, her lawyers wanted the court to dismiss the case because she had forsworn trying to play on women’s teams.

NCAA president Charlie Baker told Congress in 2024 that he was aware of only 10 transgender athletes out of more than half a million students on college teams. But despite the small numbers, the issue has taken on outsize importance.

Baker’s NCAA and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committees banned transgender women from women’s sports after President Donald Trump, a Republican, signed an executive order aimed at barring their participation.

The public generally is supportive of the limits. An Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll conducted in October 2025 found that about 6 in 10 U.S. adults “strongly” or “somewhat” favored requiring transgender children and teenagers to compete only on sports teams that match the sex they were assigned at birth, not the gender they identify with, while about 2 in 10 were “strongly” or “somewhat” opposed and about one-quarter did not have an opinion.

About 2.1 million adults, or 0.8%, and 724,000 people ages 13 to 17, or 3.3%, identify as transgender in the U.S., according to the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — Gov. Mike Braun on Monday said he won’t make a decision on whether to extend Indiana’s gas tax holiday until just before his current executive order expires.

The current gas tax holiday runs through July 7. Braun said he is still monitoring the situation in the Middle East and will decide just before that date whether the gas tax will be put back in place.

“With what we saw happening in the Middle East, it did catapult prices down, although there have been a few breaches of the kind of ceasefire, so we’ll see,” he said. “I’ll make that decision right before I need to do it, extend it before the deadline would expire.”

Both Indiana’s use tax and excise tax on gasoline are currently suspended. Data from AAA shows a gallon of regular gasoline costs $3.21 on average statewide, down 12 cents per gallon from one week ago. Braun suspended first the use tax and then the excise tax in April and May, respectively, due to the ongoing war with Iran.

Although a ceasefire is officially now in place, Iran and the United States continue to exchange fire sporadically. One-fifth of the world’s oil is shipped through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway separating Iran from Oman and the United Arab Emirates.

Braun has previously said if he decides to extend his gas tax order this week, it will be the last time he can do so without legislative approval.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — With record heat expected this week across central Indiana, the Marion County Health Department is urging residents to take precautionary measures to stay safe in the heat.

The National Weather Service says the heat index could reach 100 degrees on Monday, and highs are expected to increase throughout the week. The Marion County Public Health Department says, “Anyone who must work or spend time outside is advised to drink plenty of water and take frequent breaks in the shade.”

Young children, older adults, people who are overweight and people with underlying health issues are at a higher risk for heat-related illness. The health department wants residents to know the signs of heat exhaustion, and they’ve provided the following safety tips:

• Choose loose fitting clothes

• Stay in air-conditioned facilities as much as possible

• Wear sunscreen (SPF15)

• Limit outdoor activities

• Pace Yourself and take small breathes

• Drink plenty of Fluids and keep extra water on hand

• Do not leave children or pets in cars – Cars become hot very quickly!

The department also says it is helpful to know the signs of heat exhaustion, such as a person losing consciousness, and to call 911 if necessary.

For more information, click here.

GREENFIELD, Ind. (WISH) — A man driving a truck through Hancock County on Saturday morning has been arrested after police found almost $3 million worth of tungsten oxide powder that was being shipped to Japan.

According to a release from Greenfield police, officers were alerted at 6 a.m. that a wanted semi-truck involved in a theft of cargo in Pennsylvania on Thursday was traveling along I-70 westbound, entering Hancock County.

The driver, 31-year-old Deepak Kumar of Fresco, California, is suspected of using fraudulent documents to obtain a load of nearly 40,000 pounds of tungsten oxide powder that was being shipped to Mitsubishi Materials Corporation in Japan, according to police.

Police say the value of the cargo Kumar fraudulently received is approximately $2,857,500.00.

An arrest warrant was issued by the state of Pennsylvania, accusing Kumar of theft by unlawful taking of movable property and criminal use of a communication facility. Kumar was arrested and taken to Hancock County Jail and police say he will be criminally charged with Indiana crimes.

A representative of Mitsubishi Materials Corporation arrived in Greenfield on Sunday and took possession of the stolen cargo. Police say the truck is currently being held as evidence.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — From Monument Circle to county fairgrounds, central Indiana is loading the sky with sparkles this week, as towns big and small roll out fireworks, food trucks, and front-row lawn spots.

Whether you’re chasing the biggest boom or a kid-friendly glow, here’s where to point your blanket and look up on July 4th, while of course, enjoying delicious foods, exploring vendors, and participating in fun activities the whole family can enjoy.

Lawrence

• Fourth of July fest from 10 a.m. – 10:30 p.m., located at Community Park.

Beech Grove

• Beech Grove Promoters Club will present ‘All American Day in the Park’ on July 3, starting at 5:30 p.m. with food and music. Fireworks show starts at approximately 10 p.m.

Downtown Indy

• At 10:15 p.m., fireworks will be launched from atop the 500 North Meridian office building, and the 20-minute show will be synced to popular patriotic and themed music aired on local radio stations.

Carmel

• CarmelFest, located at Civic Square and Carter Green, will kick its event off early on July 3 from noon to 10 p.m. and run through the night of the 4th.
• Fireworks start at 9:45 p.m.

Conner Prairie

• Pack a picnic and make your way to Conner Prairie where the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra will perform a patriotic tribute honoring our nation’s founding. Celebrations start on July 2.

Marion County Fairgrounds

• The Marion County Fair will have its annual fireworks show on July 3 to commemorate its opening night. Community members can enjoy the fair on the 4th, with a fireworks show at night.

Brownsburg

• The Brownsburg Lions Club will host their 4th of July Extravaganza at Arbuckle Acres Park from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. starting Monday.
• A parade will take place on the 4th starting at 10 a.m.
• Fireworks show starts at 10 p.m. with live music, food vendors, and yard games starting at 7:30 p.m.

Pittsboro

• The Pittsboro Fourth of July parade kicks off at 2 p.m. on Main Street with craft vendors, displays, and food trucks that will be open during the course of the day.
• Fireworks start at 10 p.m.

Lebanon

• Fireworks will launch from the Lebanon Middle School and will be coordinated to patriotic music played by Radio Mom.

Zionsville

• The event takes place at Zionsville Lions Club and begins at 5 p.m. with a DJ, bounce houses, and festival food. Fireworks begin at 10 p.m.

Avon

• Avon is hosting their annual ‘Night At The Park’ event on July 3 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., featuring a fireworks show, free face painting, a petting zoo, live music, and more.

WHITESTOWN, Ind. (WISH) — Wally’s, a popular family-focused travel center known as “the great American road trip,” is opening it’s first Indiana location in Whitestown.

Wally’s CEO Michael Rubenstein, joined News 8 on Daybreak Sunday morning to share why the chain decided to expand to the Hoosier state, and what travelers can expect at the nation’s third location. “Our first store is between Chicago and St. Louis. So, naturally, we were looking for another location,” Rubenstein said.

The location will expand to almost 54,000 square feet and will include 50 gas pumps, 20 electric charging stations, a ‘massive’ prepared food section, and of course, merchandise.

Rubenstein shared with News 8 that he and his cousin started the business together. ‘We grew up about an hour southwest of St. Louis in a small rural town on Route 66. So, we’re used to road trips,” he said. “The idea kind of evolved from just ‘hey, we could make this really fun road trip experience’, really tap into what we remember from road trips.”

Rubenstein says that’s why Wally’s focuses on Route 66. “We have a 1984 Winnebago Bravo in our retail section. So very authentically Midwest.”

The massive gas station is set to open to the public on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. The store is located right off I-65 at 4155 Albert South White Drive.

(MIRROR INDY) — A Republican state representative is calling on the Marion County prosecutor to investigate Democratic Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett and his administration following investigations by IndyStar and Mirror Indy.

Indianapolis Rep. Andrew Ireland, an attorney who represents the southeast corner of Marion County, said the revelations by the news outlets so far are “more than enough” for Prosecutor Ryan Mears, a Democrat who has been Hogsett’s political rival, to move forward with a formal inquiry.

“I’m not saying anyone should be charged today, but if the Marion County prosecutor is at all serious about public corruption, he should open an investigation or request a special prosecutor immediately,” Ireland told the outlets. “Taxpayer money isn’t a campaign slush fund.”

Ireland, a former deputy attorney general for the state of Indiana who now works in private practice, said there’s only so far journalists can go to investigate issues of wrongdoing. A law enforcement investigation would have more fact-finding resources.

Mears did not respond to requests for interviews but his spokesperson Michael Leffler sent a brief statement on Friday afternoon.

“As with any matter presented by law enforcement, our office would review the evidence and determine whether charges are warranted,” Leffler told the outlets.

It’s unclear if Leffler was referring to a specific law enforcement entity or inquiry.

The mayor’s office also did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Ireland’s remarks.

A June 23 investigation by IndyStar/Mirror Indy found that Hogsett’s campaign worked behind closed doors to advance the interests of his donors.

That included his top campaign fundraiser, Emily Gurwitz, arranging for wish lists of donors’ preferred city contracts to be hand-delivered to the city’s then-top public works official, Dan Parker, who later served as Hogsett’s chief of staff. Parker has since resigned to work for a major city contractor, which also has raised alarm bells with ethics experts.

Hogsett has denied his fundraiser was involved in any contracting process and called the news outlets’ reporting “absurd.” IndyStar and Mirror Indy reviewed records that confirmed the existence of the project wish lists.

Ethics experts questioned the arrangement. At least one legal expert said it could run afoul of Indiana’s bribery law, though others said it would be hard to build a case around the issue based on the facts known at present. The mayor’s office has not answered several questions about the arrangement.

It’s “at best questionable and at worst a violation of the law,” Danielle Caputo, senior legal counsel for ethics with the Washington, D.C.-based Campaign Legal Center, previously told reporters.

Bribery cases, wherein a public official grants a favor or advantage to a donor in exchange for a campaign donation or another benefit when that advantage is tied to an official act, are difficult to prosecute. They typically require evidence of a quid pro quo — an explicit exchange of money or favors for an official act.

As a result, Indianapolis criminal law attorney David E. Lewis previously told the outlets “it would be hard to make a bribery case like that.”

There have been recent investigations by a grand jury related to Hogsett’s administration.

A Marion County grand jury met several times in the past year — as recently as March — for an investigation related to city development deals involving Hogsett’s former chief of staff, Thomas Cook, and allegations of unlawful touching and communication. The investigation came after the news outlets reported on Cook’s relationship with a former top city official. Cook has not been charged with a crime.

Experts say state ghost employment statute at play

Reporters also found top city officials, including Parker, routinely pressured city employees to volunteer for the mayor’s campaigns. Experts said some of the conduct could violate the state’s ghost employment statute and the federal Hatch Act.

In the leadup to the 2023 mayoral election, for example, Parker sent an email to city employees as the workday began “asking each Department or Office to schedule a night on the calendar … to make it your office’s night of phone banking.”

The state’s ghost employment statute forbids government officials from assigning work to their subordinates that is not related to the government’s operations.

“If you’re forcing them as an employee to do it, it could fall under ghost employment,” said Lewis, the criminal law attorney. But he noted the request could be construed as asking employees as a favor, which is not illegal, and that he wouldn’t convict someone of ghost employment on that alone.

The federal law prohibits certain employees of local governments from using their public positions to sway the outcome of an election. Whether the Hatch Act applies depends in part on whether an employee handles federal funds, according to the U.S. Office of Special Counsel.

Caputo, of the Campaign Legal Center, previously told reporters that while the mayor would be exempt from the Hatch Act, it almost certainly covers Parker.

“It’s illegal for supervisors or people in a position of authority to solicit their subordinates to influence elections,” she said.

Parker has not responded to repeated requests for comment from the news outlets and told a reporter “no comment” twice at an Indy Chamber event this week before walking away.

The mayor’s former spokesperson Aliya Wishner, who resigned from the city as of June 26 to take a new role elsewhere, recently told reporters that “a personal request is not the same thing as a work obligation.”

“There were no threats of or repercussions for any individuals who did not volunteer, nor any adverse employment action,” she said.

Ireland has previously criticized Mears

This is not the first time Ireland has called Mears out. Last year, Ireland suggested Indiana should allow state lawmakers to impeach prosecutors like Mears.

That power currently lies with the Indiana Supreme Court. This year Ireland authored an amendment to the state constitution that would have given that power to lawmakers, but the legislation did not advance.

Mears is running for reelection as Marion County prosecutor. In the past he’s been a political rival to Hogsett, running for the position against the mayor’s hand-picked candidate and narrowly winning. He’s also been long-rumored as a potential 2027 mayoral candidate.

The call for an investigation comes as the Indianapolis City-County Council is weighing a reform to the city’s ethics code. Council Democrats announced a proposal to establish a cooling off period for senior city employees.

That announcement came on the same day IndyStar/Mirror Indy published a story in which ethics experts questioned Parker joining an Indianapolis engineering firm shortly after leaving the city. That firm, American Structurepoint, has landed millions of dollars in city business.

It’s unclear whether Parker is working on city-related matters for Structurepoint. The company has not responded to repeated emails, calls and questions seeking comment.

Mirror Indy, a nonprofit newsroom, is funded through grants and donations from individuals, foundations and organizations. Sign up for our free newsletters.

Peter Blanchard covers local government. Reach him at 317-605-4836 or peter.blanchard@mirrorindy.org. Follow him on X @peterlblanchard.

Emily Hopkins is a senior reporter at Mirror Indy. You can reach them by phone or Signal at 317-790-5268 or email at emily.hopkins@mirrorindy.org. Follow them on most social media @indyemapolis or on Bluesky @emilyhopkins.bsky.social.

Hayleigh Colombo is an investigative reporter for IndyStar. Contact her at hcolombo@indystar.com or @hayleighcolombo on X.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A jogger heard splashing from the White River near the Indiana University Indianapolis campus on Friday night and called 911.

About an hour later, three divers with Indianapolis Fire Department found a man’s body about 15 feet from the shore, and six feet down, said Battalion Chief Rita Reith.

Crews were called just before 7 p.m. Friday to the intersection of University Boulevard and Blake Street. That’s near the National Institute for Fitness and Sport, and the NCAA Hall of Champions in downtown Indianapolis.

It was not immediately known why the man was near the river.

The Indiana Department of Natural Resources will work to locate the man’s family.

IFD said this is the ninth fatal drowning in Marion County in 2026 and the second in two days.

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Several new laws will take effect July 1 aimed at better protecting children in Indiana and improving transparency.

House Enrolled Acts 1257 and 1036, as well as Senate Enrolled Act 171, are expected to have a major impact on the child welfare system.

“Kinsleigh’s law”, or HEA 1036, will require Indiana Department of Child Services case workers to see a child in person within 30 days of closing a case.

Kinsleigh died in 2024 of starvation. Her mother, Toni McClure, is criminally charged in Marion County with murdering Kinsleigh.

Kinsleigh was living with her grandfather, Brian Welty, when the Indiana DCS returned Kinsleigh to her birth mother, Toni McClure.

The move came despite repeated claims McClure was abusing Kinsleigh.

“I was devastated,” said Welty. “I’ve never felt so hopeless. I’ve never felt so much anger.”

DCS could not say much about Kinsleigh’s case because they’re not allowed to under the current law.

But starting July 1, the state agency will be able to say more.

A new law, HEA 1257, says that within five days of a child’s death or near-death from abuse or neglect, DCS is required to publicly report any current or past involvement with the child.

“WRTV can now reach out, and DCS needs to give that information,” said Rep. Julie McGuire, author of HEA 1257. “It also allows DCS to correct the record if it’s wrong. They can now say ‘that’s not true, that’s not what happened.’”

Currently, DCS shares an annual fatality report, but critics say the release of the report is delayed a year.

For example, the agency just released the 2024 Annual Report of Child Abuse and Neglect Fatalities in Indiana.

Starting July 1, DCS must share public summaries on child fatalities throughout the year, including any actions taken by DCS in response to a child’s case.

DCS will also have to overhaul its annual fatality report.

“We’ve added a ton of information,” said McGuire. “Were calls made to check on a child that went unsubstantiated? We need to know if there was a case where a child became a victim of a fatality, but DCS did not substantiate, or they screened out those calls. We are going to get some of that history.”

DCS will also include the names of judges involved with cases where a child ended up dying from abuse or neglect.

Currently, it takes an average of 477 days for a child in the system to find a permanent home, including adoption.

“I’ve seen kids languish in the system for years and years,” said Grant Kirsh, an adoption attorney. “The system is set up to give parents a billion chances to get their life together. Parental rights is a fundamental right protected by the Constitution. I get that, but I think we’ve taken this way too far.”

Senate Enrolled Act 171 aims to address the issue by shortening the time biological parents have to comply with court-ordered services.

“It just takes away the prolonging of the case and keeping these kids languishing in the system for far too long,” said Kirsh.

Kirsh emphasizes the new law does not impact parents who are doing what the state asks them to do.

“That’s a really important thing to understand that 171 does not take that away from those people,” said Kirsh.

Kirsh said one of the most pivotal changes SEA 171 made was not allowing any changes of placement to occur if the foster parents have had placement for 12 or more months and their petitions for adoption have been filed.

“No changes of placement can be made until the adoption court hears the petition for adoption,” said Kirsh. “This effectively halted all retaliatory placement changes that were occurring. Kids were being removed from long term placements for a multitude of reasons that were not in the child’s best interest.”

Indiana’s I-Team is working to sit down with the new DCS director to talk about implementing these new laws.