Ceremony welcomes new citizens; Braun extends gas tax suspension

By Niki Kelly | Editor-in-Chief

By Jack Forrest

Thirty-five years led to one moment for Jose Benavides.

On Thursday morning, under a large tent outside Indianapolis’ Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site, Benavides became a citizen of the United States. He sported a red-and-white tie under a blue suit. He said it wasn’t intentional; a lot of what he owns is patriotic. 

A truck and bus driver originally from El Salvador, Benavides previously stayed under different temporary programs since arriving in the United States more than three decades ago. His children were born in the country, and his mother, who attended Thursday’s ceremony, is also naturalized. His family is here. His life is here.

“And I’m going to die here, I guess,” he joked.

By Leslie Bonilla Muñiz

Gov. Mike Braun on Thursday announced his final extension of gas tax breaks for Hoosier drivers — which for weeks have driven Indiana gas prices to the lowest in the nation.

Drivers will save about 61 cents on every gallon of gas this month through Braun's suspension of the state sales tax on gasoline — which is 25 cents for July — and a separate gas excise tax of 36 cents.

By Robert Parkinson

The Declaration of Independence, with its block of cursive letters scrawled onto parchment, looks like a relic from the distant past. Likewise, you might think the 27 grievances against King George III, his government and the British people listed in the body of the document would have little relevance to our lives today.

After all, what could the specific complaints of colonists in 1776 have to do with 2026? The parts of the declaration worth knowing about are the soaring sentences in the opening paragraphs about self-evident truths, pursuing happiness and all men being created equal. Right?

By Kevin Hardy and Jonathan Shorman

Democrats are seizing the mantle of states’ rights to oppose the agenda of President Donald Trump, who has sought to reset Washington’s relationship with the states. 

While the party out of federal power has always pushed its agenda in statehouses, Democrats across the country have recently demanded more autonomy for governors and state lawmakers. Liberals, longtime proponents of a stronger central government, are now championing an ideology that evokes odious memories of slavery and segregation.  

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