By Niki Kelly | Editor-in-Chief
“He’s quite literally authored himself, wrote every law, that is, in my opinion, screwing over regular people on the day to day.” — Democrat Ryan Kominakis said of his opponent, Rep. Ed Soliday
Our election coverage this week included two of four profiles in the secretary of state’s race and a look at the most competitive Indiana House districts.
We also had several stories on a scheduled execution and a look at high school athletes receiving brand deals.
Our top commentary is on a controversial news aggregator site, plus more on the federal level.
A campaign advertisement from Democrat Tiffany Stoner attacking Republican Rep. Becky Cash over data centers. (Screenshot)
Could data center opposition boost Democrats in Indiana House races?
By Tom Davies
Democrats are looking to ride a wave of widespread opposition to big data center projects across the state as they aim to pick up seats in the Indiana House.
Data center worries are a prominent part of attacks against Republicans on affordability issues in several races targeted by Democrats this fall in their bid to break the two-thirds supermajority House Republicans have held since the 2012 elections.
Jeffrey Weisheit answers questions during his Oct. 16, 2026, clemency hearing at Indiana State Prison in Michigan City. Board members questioned him about the murders of Alyssa and Caleb Lynch and whether he could safely serve a life sentence. (Screenshot from livestream)
‘I want to live now’: Indiana death row inmate makes clemency plea ahead of execution
By Casey Smith
Death row inmate Jeffrey Weisheit asked Indiana’s parole board Friday to let him live out his life in prison, but repeatedly struggled to explain why anger at his girlfriend led him to kill her two young children.
During 64 minutes of questioning at Indiana State Prison in Michigan City, Weisheit apologized for murdering 8-year-old Alyssa Lynch and her 5-year-old brother, Caleb.
COMMENTARY
These are story examples from Black Indy LIVE’s most recent posts on Instagram.
Newsroom Profile: Black Indy LIVE
By Tracey Compton
Love it or hate it, digital news outlet Black Indy LIVE has more social media followers than the city’s 131-year-old Black press. The outlet, which focuses on Indianapolis’ Black community, is hard to ignore given its popularity, which is why I’ve decided to take a closer look.
The platform has significant influence, with 186,000 followers on Facebook and nearly 60,000 followers on Instagram. Laron Anderson, the man responsible for the content, does not call himself a journalist, though he often acts like one. However, the site breaks many journalistic norms. That comes at a cost to news consumers.
NATIONAL NEWS
Gas and diesel prices in Indiana on Sept. 17, 2026. (Photo by Niki Kelly/Indiana Capital Chronicle)
US senators from both parties blast Trump order to import Russian diesel as illegal
By Jacob Fischler
The Trump administration’s order to allow import of Russian diesel violates a 2022 law banning Russian energy imports while the country’s war with Ukraine is ongoing, according to a bipartisan group of U.S. senators.
Following an Oct. 9 call between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control lifted sanctions against the “import sale, delivery, offloading, or importation” of Russian diesel. Prices of diesel have skyrocketed in recent months during Trump’s war in Iran.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
We had two profiles from the secretary of state’s race: Greg Ballard by Leslie Bonilla Muñiz and Beau Bayh by Tom Davies
Indiana lawmakers punt on high school NIL regulations | Mackenzi Klemann
Northeast Indiana voters to decide potential casino’s fate | Leslie Bonilla Muñiz
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