By Niki Kelly | Editor-in-Chief
“Indiana expects us to have more births and more experience to be a licensed midwife here, and I believe that’s only made our outcomes even better.” — April Brake, president of the Indiana Midwives Association
Licensed midwives have been allowed in Indiana for more than a decade now. Supporters say the outcomes show home birth is a safe option for low-risk pregnancies, but unlicensed midwives continue to work underground.
Most U.S. House races aren’t competitive. That safety impacts the bills that move and the ones that don’t.
Plus, a look at how AI might affect employment in Indiana.
Have a great day!
Licensed midwives have delivered or assisted with more than 3,200 live births since Indiana issued its first direct-entry midwife certificate in 2017. (Getty Images)
More Hoosier women are delivering at home. Is it safe?
By Mackenzi Klemann
A series of infant and maternal deaths overseen by unlicensed midwives led Hoosier lawmakers to a conclusion in 2013: legalize and regulate the practice to make it safer.
Would a path to licensure with formal training protect women who want to deliver their children at home?
Thirteen years later, Hoosier women are increasingly turning to midwives for care, as fewer obstetricians practice in the state and women report declining trust in the medical system.
COMMENTARY
Indiana job postings in occupations most exposed to artificial intelligence have fallen 41% since 2022. (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
AI isn’t going to erase low-wage jobs. It’s going to split them
By Fred Payne
Most of the talk about artificial intelligence and work asks how many jobs will disappear. For the families United Way works with, a better question is which jobs, and what the ones left behind pay.
The pattern isn't a wave of unemployment. It's a narrowing of the opportunities available to everyone in the job market. The easiest jobs to automate shrink, and the work that grows is steady but often pays too little to get a family ahead.
NATIONAL NEWS
The U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 13, 2026. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)
Most US House races aren’t competitive, and that impacts how lawmakers govern
By Jennifer Shutt
WASHINGTON — Fewer than 5% of U.S. House races are seen by a top political analysis as truly competitive heading into November’s midterm elections, giving relatively few voters the ability to determine which party controls the chamber for the next two years.
The other 414 of 435 House districts are viewed by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report with Amy Walter as at least leaning toward a Democrat or a Republican, as of Oct. 22.
That lack of competition, once a primary election is won, heavily influences which priorities lawmakers pursue in office, according to experts interviewed by States Newsroom.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Trump-aligned super PAC makes Indy TV ad buy as Spartz, Ford race heats up | IndyStar (Paywall)
SGA introduces legislation to remove Ball State Board of Trustees Chair | Ball State Daily News
(Tenor)
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