By Niki Kelly | Editor-in-Chief
“I am here today to ensure that my children’s voices are heard, their names are spoken, and their lives are remembered.” — Lisa Lynch
The Indiana Parole Board heard arguments for and against allowing a double murderer to spend the rest of his life in prison instead of being executed next month.
We also highlight some interesting state Senate races to watch as Democrats hope to ride the wave of incumbent discontent.
Not one, but two updates in the increasingly hot secretary of state’s race.
Plus, commentary and more.
Alyssa Lynch, 8, and her brother, Caleb, 5, were killed in a 2010 house fire set by Jeffrey Weisheit. Weisheit is seeking clemency ahead of his scheduled Nov. 5 execution. (Courtesy photo)
‘Every single day without them is a struggle’: Mother urges Indiana to uphold death sentence
By Casey Smith
The mother of two children murdered by Jeffrey Weisheit urged Indiana’s parole board Monday to reject his plea for mercy, saying her children deserved the futures he took from them.
Her appeal came hours after Weisheit’s family and attorneys asked the five-member board to recommend sparing his life, citing his history of mental illness and head injuries, his religious conversion and a written request from the murdered children’s father for forgiveness and a sentence of life without parole.
The Indiana Senate chamber in November 2024. (Photo by Leslie Bonilla Muñiz/Indiana Capital Chronicle)
State Senate control likely safe for Republicans but Democrats aim to make gains
By Niki Kelly
Only a handful of races are truly competitive in this year's Indiana Senate elections, with most of the money flowing to a northwest Indiana district and a suburban Indianapolis contest.
Democrats are hoping to flip Senate District 1 and Senate District 31 in a national environment working against Republicans who now hold a 40-10 supermajority in the Senate.
Max Engling speaks with reporters after winning the Republican secretary of state nomination on June 20, 2026. (Photo by Tom Davies/Indiana Capital Chronicle)
Max Engling claims defamation over driving allegations in new Beau Bayh ad
By Tom Davies
Republican Max Engling is threatening to sue Democrat Beau Bayh over a new television advertisement in their increasingly bitter Indiana secretary of state election campaign.
Engling alleges that references in the ad that he had been convicted of reckless driving is “defamation on its face.”
COMMENTARY
CareSource JobConnect pairs participating Medicaid members with life coaches who help them find work, build interview skills, navigate barriers, and access supports such as food, housing, childcare or education assistance. (Getty Images)
Stable jobs support healthier Hoosiers and a more sustainable Medicaid program
By Cameual Wright
Indiana's monthly jobs reports tell an encouraging story: the state’s unemployment rate is the lowest it's been in years, while the labor force participation rate has outpaced the national average for more than a decade. That is good news for Indiana’s economy, but it also matters for the health and stability of Hoosiers.
In my practice as a physician and experience leading health plans, I have seen how closely employment and health are connected.
NATIONAL NEWS
The U.S. Capitol on the evening of Sept. 30, 2025. (Photo by Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)
With 2 weeks until midterms, analysts say Dems still on track to win US House majority
By Jacob Fischler
Democrats have used President Donald Trump’s unpopularity to expand the midterm map, and analysts project the party carries momentum heading into the final two weeks of the election cycle, even as Democrats are expected to flip fewer U.S. House seats than wave elections this century.
The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter predicts Democrats will gain a net of 10 to 20 House seats in the Nov. 3 elections, Erin Covey, the top House analyst at CPR, said Monday during a panel discussion hosted by the Brookings Institution.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Thanks for reading Fast Break. Did you know our weekend digest is also free? Sign up here. And if you enjoyed today’s edition, please forward to a friend. Increasing our readership helps us cover more news.