The Indiana Supreme Court is stopping the distribution of election ballots in six counties while it considers legal arguments over the Republican primary recount that determined challenger Paula Copenhaver defeated state Sen. Spencer Deery by a three-vote margin.

The court’s order issued Thursday grants a request from Deery’s attorneys that no general election ballots go out while the Indiana Recount Commission’s actions remain under appeal.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments in the case on Sept. 10 — a little more than a week before the Sept. 19 deadline in state law for county election offices to have started mailing out absentee ballots. Early in-person voting starts Oct. 6.

The order, supported by all five justices, prevents “the issuance, transmission, distribution, or use of general-election ballots for Indiana State Senate District 23 before a decision is issued in this appeal.”

Deery, a first-term senator from West Lafayette, emerged from the May primary with a three-vote lead over Copenhaver, who had the endorsement of President Donald Trump because of Deery’s vote last year against congressional redistricting.

But that lead flipped to Copenhaver last month after the Recount Commission threw out more challenged ballots for Deery than Copenhaver.

The commission’s certified totals gave Copenhaver 6,332 votes to Deery’s 6,329.

Deery’s appeal to the Supreme Court argues that six of the tossed ballots that voters cast for him should be counted because missing signatures were the result of election worker omissions rather than anything the voters did.

Copenhaver’s attorneys maintain that Deery has presented no evidence to support that claim and that it is too late for the courts to intervene because the Aug. 21 certification deadline for this fall’s election has passed.

The order affects ballots in Fountain, Montgomery, Parke, Tippecanoe, Vermillion and Warren counties in the area between Lafayette and Terre Haute. All or parts of those counties are in the Senate district.

The court said its order “does not prevent county clerks, election boards, and election officials from preparing all other aspects of the ballot by the standard statutory deadlines.”

The Deery-Copenhaver race is the only one undecided from the primary in which Trump-endorsed challengers defeated six other incumbent Republican senators targeted over their redistricting votes.

The Republican winner will face Democratic West Lafayette City Councilman David Sanders and independent candidate Joshua Brant on the November ballot.

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump is urging Republican Senators to pass a measure making Daylight Saving Time permanent nationwide.

The bipartisan bill passed the House in July, but faces hurdles in the Senate, where members from both parties have pushed back against ending the semi-annual need to change your clocks.

[caption id="attachment_134395" align="alignright" width="176"] Donald Trump[/caption]

In a post on social media, Trump said people are “sick and tired of having to change their clocks twice a year,” adding that it's foolish, inconvenient, and in some cases very costly.

Indiana's 2nd District Congressman Rudy Yakym and the 3rd District Congressman Marlon Stutzman both support the measure.

If the changes are made, parts of Indiana would see the latest sunrise shortly after 9 a.m., and the earliest sunset would happen at about 6.20 p.m.

Daylight saving time is that period between spring and fall when clocks in most parts of the United States are set one hour ahead of standard time. States could opt out if their respective legislatures act to do so before the bill’s enactment. The Senate would also have to pass the bill before it could be signed into law, but it’s unclear if it will do so.

Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., said Americans are ready to “ditch the switch,” saying that changing the clock twice a year creates unnecessary disruption. More important, he said, it would give families more daylight time in the evening to spend outdoors and support local businesses.

“In my home state of Florida, where tourism is a cornerstone of our economy, having more predictable daylight hours is a practical improvement that benefits workers, businesses and visitors alike,” Bilirakis said.

One of the most fierce critics of the move, GOP Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, has said making daylight saving time permanent would “push winter sunrises to an absurdly late hour, depriving Americans of morning sunshine that’s essential for our safety and well-being.”

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Associated Press

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Details of the deal, which would potentially allow desperately needed oil and natural gas to reach the global market through the critical waterway, were not immediately released. Iran signaled implementation would not start until the signing, which key mediator Pakistan said would take place Friday in Switzerland.

But the memorandum of understanding over the war already faced hurdles. Israel’s continued hostilities with the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah in Lebanon, where Israel bombed Beirut’s southern suburbs Sunday, nearly derailed the negotiations. Israel joined the U.S. in launching the war on Feb. 28.

Meanwhile, the deal gives just 60 days to resolve what to do about Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium and its atomic program. That took years to resolve in Tehran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. U.S. President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from that accord in his first term, setting the stage for the tensions that culminated in the war.

“Congratulations to all!” Trump wrote on social media as he celebrated his 80th birthday Sunday with a UFC cage match fight at the White House.

He added, “I hereby fully authorize the toll free opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and, simultaneously herewith, authorize the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade,” which was imposed in retaliation for Iran’s grip on the crucial waterway.

He soon hedged, however, saying the strait wouldn’t open until Friday’s signing.

Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, confirmed the agreement on state television but said Iran would not start implementing it until it was signed Friday. He said the deal followed talks with Qatar, another mediator.

Israel, which has insisted it be allowed a freehand to pursue Hezbollah as it occupies southern Lebanon and has extended its military operations into areas its forces haven’t been in a quarter century, did not immediately comment. Israel joined the U.S. in launching the war on Feb. 28.

Benchmark Brent crude oil fell more than $4 a barrel on the news as Asian stock markets rallied.

He added that mediators this week will facilitate meetings to “lay the foundation for the technical talks.”

Broader negotiations on outstanding issues like Iran’s nuclear program would continue over the next 60 days, two senior Pakistani officials said earlier Sunday, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. If the sides fail to reach a resolution within that time, the timeline could be extended.

Iranian state television cited the secretariat of the Supreme National Security Council saying the war on all fronts “will end immediately and permanently beginning tonight” — but that the U.S. blockade “will be terminated immediately and in full.”

Qatari mediators later left Tehran following 17 hours of negotiations, said an official briefed on the developments who spoke on condition of anonymity due to sensitivity of the talks. Separate preparatory meetings with each side will take place in Doha this week, the official said.

It was not clear who from Iran would sign the deal on Friday. U.S. Vice President JD Vance told Fox News the White House was still figuring out who would attend: “I certainly plan to be there, but it’s possible the president himself could be there.”

But concern among Republicans in the U.S. could already be seen. They included U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who described Vance as “the architect of the deal.”

“I am somewhat concerned that Iran’s view of the agreement seems different than what the American negotiating team is claiming,” Graham wrote online.

U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks of New York, the top Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said Congress would exercise oversight on any accord with Iran.

“We have seen time and again: War cannot change the Iranian regime,” he said.

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The law enforcement agency said in a statement posted on X that the man was in the area of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue when he “pulled a weapon from his bag” shortly after 6 p.m. EDT and began firing. Secret Service officers returned fire and hit the suspect, who died at a hospital, the agency said.

The suspect was identified as 21-year-old Nasire Best, said a law enforcement official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the investigation.

According to District of Columbia court records, Best was arrested in July 2025 after he attempted to enter a different White House checkpoint without authorization, didn’t heed officers’ commands to stop, “claimed he was Jesus Christ” and said he wanted to be arrested.

An initial hearing was held and a “Pretrial Stay Away Order” was issued, typically a measure ordering a defendant not to go near a person or area before a trial. A bench warrant was issued in August after a notice of “noncompliance” against Best, who did appear for a subsequent hearing.

Latest gunfire incident around Trump

It was the third time in the past month that shots were fired near the president after incidents at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in April and near the Washington Monument earlier in May.

A bystander was also struck on Saturday, but a law enforcement official said it wasn’t clear whether that person was hit by the suspect’s initial bullets or those fired subsequently by officers.

Secret Service said none of its officers were injured, and that Trump — who was at the White House at the time — was not “impacted.” Trump originally was scheduled to spend the weekend at his New Jersey golf club but changed his plans on Friday to stay at the White House instead.

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By Niki Kelly and Mackenezi Klemann
Indiana Capital Chronicle

Gov. Mike Braun issued an executive order Wednesday to enact a 30-day suspension of the 7% sales tax on gasoline — with the potential for extensions.

“I am declaring a gas tax holiday to give Hoosiers relief from the pain at the pump from high gas prices,” Braun said in a news release. “Affordability is my top priority.”

The order is in effect now through May 8. Braun called on retailers to pass savings directly to customers, noting the state will be monitoring prices to make sure.

Taxes on fuel in Indiana are made up of the federal gas tax of 18.4 cents per gallon, the state excise tax of 36 cents per gallon and the 7% state sales tax.

The current average cost for a gallon of gas in Indiana, according to AAA, is $4.14 — of which about 17 cents is attributable to the sales tax.

Braun estimated savings for Hoosiers could reach $50 million a month. He will revisit the emergency declaration in 30 days.

Attorney General Todd Rokita also announced that his office will actively monitor fuel prices across the state and enforce price gouging protections.

“Hoosiers deserve the full relief intended by this emergency measure and we will use every tool at our disposal to ensure that the removal of the tax translates into lower prices at the pump — and that consumers are not taken advantage of during this time,” Rokita said in a news release. “If a consumer suspects that a gas station in Indiana is still charging tax during the suspension, they should file a consumer complaint with our office.”

History of suspending gasoline sales tax

In 2000, then-Gov. Frank O’Bannon suspended the sales tax on gasoline for two 60-day periods heading into an election. It saved motorists more than $46 million.

At that time, gas was nearing $2 a gallon; the savings were between 8 and 10 cents per gallon.

O’Bannon cited a 1981 statute allowing him to declare an energy emergency if “an existing or projected shortfall of at least eight percent (8%) of motor fuel or of other energy sources that threatens to seriously disrupt or diminish energy supplies to the extent that life, health, or property may be jeopardized.”

The law doesn’t specifically mention fuel taxes, but it allows the governor to “suspend the provisions of any state statute regulating transportation or the orders or rules of any state agency if strict compliance with any of the provisions would prevent, hinder, or delay necessary action in coping with the energy emergency.”

Authority unclear

But in 2007, then-Gov. Mitch Daniels asked the Attorney General’s Office whether he had the authority to suspend the sales tax on gas.

The letter, signed by then Chief Deputy Attorney General Gregory Zoeller, said it was “clear that a suspension of a sales tax is not among those powers enumerated by this statute nor does it fall with the same category of those within the 1981 act.”

“Without further legislative action granting the governor the authority to suspend the gas tax, we agree that this authority is not within the intent of the 1981 statute,” the letter continued.

A message to Rokita’s office seeking clarity on authority wasn’t immediately returned. All AG opinions are non-binding.

“We feel this is within the latitude of what I’m able to do,” Braun told reporters Wednesday, citing the cumulative effect of inflation.

“The emergency was created by conditions outside our control,” he said, “and that was done in D.C. — not particularly on fuel, but in many of those years it was way above $4. We’ve been carrying that burden for a long time.”

The executive order said the ongoing war with Iran “has threatened the global supply of oil,” with 20% to 25% of the world’s crude oil production shipped through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian officials have blocked the strait in recent weeks.

When asked about the 8% shortage requirement, the governor’s office cited the executive order.

Braun praised President Donald Trump for negotiating a two-week ceasefire with Iran, which he said should lead to lower fuel prices over time.

“This is big news,” Braun said. “You can already see it in the markets. We’ll begin to see that peace dividend over time, and there’s now clarity in terms of what they’re doing.”

Legislative reaction

Half a dozen Senate Republicans released statements supporting the move, including the chamber’s leader.

“Senate Republicans have led on issues of affordability for years, resulting in one of the lowest costs of living in the country for Hoosiers, but the recent spike in gas prices is still leaving many Hoosiers feeling undue pressure on their budgets,” said Senate President Pro Tempore Rodric Bray, R-Martinsville. “With affordability top of mind right now, I’m supportive of temporarily suspending the state’s sales tax on gas.”

Many of those in support are facing primary challenges and have been attacked for earlier votes to raise the gas tax.

Markle Republican Sen. Travis Holdman, who is locked in a tough reelection race, called on Braun to suspend the gas tax moments before he did so.

“Despite everything we have done at the Statehouse to maintain our state’s low cost of living, the current price of gas is adding too much pressure on Hoosiers and their wallets,” Holdman said. “Today, along with some of my colleagues, I am calling on Gov. Braun to provide relief at the pump for Hoosiers by using his legal authority to suspend the state’s tax on gas.”

House Democrats backed the suspension on Wednesday but questioned the timing.

House Minority Leader Phil GiaQuinta, D-Fort Wayne, noted the caucus repeatedly called for a suspension back in 2022, when gas prices jumped amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“I want to be clear: House Democrats support this suspension, but Gov. Braun and Statehouse Republicans are only cleaning up a mess that they helped create,” GiaQuinta said in a Wednesday news release. “Hoosiers are tired of unstrategic and unfocused foreign wars that cost American lives, drive up gas prices and raise the cost of living.”

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WASHINGTON — The United States said Sunday it rescued a service member missing behind enemy lines since Iran downed a fighter jet, as President Donald Trump escalated pressure on Tehran with renewed threats to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump wrote in a social media post that the aviator is injured but “will be just fine,” adding that the rescue involved “dozens of aircraft” and that the U.S. had been monitoring his location in the lead-up to his rescue.

[caption id="attachment_129309" align="alignright" width="360"] AP map shows where Iran said it's looking for a US aircraft crew member.[/caption]

“This brave Warrior was behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran, being hunted down by our enemies, who were getting closer and closer by the hour,” Trump wrote.

The airman’s extraction followed a frantic U.S. search-and-rescue operation after the Friday crash of the F-15E Strike Eagle, as Iran also promised a reward for anyone who turned in an “enemy pilot.”

A second crew member was rescued earlier.

The fighter jet was the first U.S. aircraft to have crashed in Iranian territory since the war, now in its sixth week, erupted.

Trump said last week that the U.S. had “decimated” Iran and would finish the war “very fast.” Two days later, Iran shot down two U.S. military planes, showing the ongoing perils of the bombing campaign and the ability of a degraded Iranian military to continue to hit back.

The other jet to go down was a U.S. A-10 attack aircraft. Neither the status of the crew nor exactly where it crashed was immediately known.

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The United States and Israel launched an attack Saturday on Iran, with the first apparent strike happening near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iranian media reported strikes nationwide, and smoke could be seen rising from the capital.

President Donald Trump said in a video posted on social media that the U.S. had begun “major combat operations in Iran.” He claimed Iran has continued to develop its nuclear program and plans to develop missiles to reach the U.S.

Ahead of the strikes, Trump has built up the largest U.S. military presence in the Middle East in decades and repeatedly threatened to use force to compel Iran to reach a deal to constrain its nuclear program and, earlier, to halt its bloody crackdown on nationwide protests.

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Alexandra Wilson is a Republican primary challenger to state Sen. Greg Goode. So is Brenda Wilson, whom President Donald Trump endorsed last month because of Goode’s vote against the Indiana congressional redistricting plan.

The dual Wilson candidacies have a top political ally of Indiana Gov. Mike Braun calling it a “trick” by local Republicans to help Goode survive the May primary by taking votes away from Brenda Wilson, who is a Vigo County Council member.

Prominent conservative attorney Jim Bopp said a court challenge to Alexandra Wilson’s candidacy is being considered after the Indiana Election Commission on Wednesday deadlocked over whether to remove her name from the ballot because of a 2010 criminal conviction.

Bopp said Vigo County Republican Party Chair Randy Gentry was behind getting Alexandra Wilson on the ballot “to confuse voters” — pointing out that Gentry had to certify her as a Republican since she had not voted in two consecutive GOP primaries as otherwise required by state law.

“I recognize tricks that have been played over the years, and this is one of them,” Bopp told the Indiana Capital Chronicle.

Gentry denied Bopp’s accusation of ballot manipulation, saying that Alexandra Wilson was brought to him by other Republicans as an opponent of a contentious Terre Haute school construction project supported by both Goode and Brenda Wilson.

“I am a huge supporter of the president, and I’ve had four phone calls with the White House,” Gentry said in an interview. “I explained to them what the local flavor is. … The key is there’s nothing crazy about what’s going on here.”

Ballot challenge fails in a tie vote

Bopp, whose law practice is based in Terre Haute, said he is supporting Brenda Wilson as “she much better represents the party” than Goode.

Bopp argued during Wednesday’s Election Commission meeting that Alexandra Wilson was ineligible for the primary ballot because of a state law prohibiting someone convicted of a felony crime from holding elected office.

Samantha Dewester, an attorney representing Alexandra Wilson, acknowledged that she pleaded guilty in 2010 to resisting law enforcement at the age of 19 when she had no criminal history.

Dewester maintained that while the original charge was a low-level Class D felony, the Vermillion County judge accepted the plea agreement of a Class A misdemeanor with a year of probation.

“She’s not a felon,” Dewester said. “She is an upstanding citizen that just wanted to get involved and run for office, and nothing in her record showed that she has a felony conviction whatsoever.”

The four-member Election Commission split 2-2 on the challenge to Alexandra Wilson’s candidacy. The two Democratic members — Suzannah Wilson Overholt and Karen Celestino-Horseman — voted to allow her name to remain on the ballot and the two Republicans — Beth Boyce and John Westercamp — voted to remove her.

The tie means that Alexandra Wilson stays on the ballot as a majority vote is needed for removal.

New chapter in Republican rift

The strife over the dueling Wilson candidacies is another example of the Republican infighting prompted by Trump’s demand that Indiana join other GOP-controlled states in congressional redistricting.

Trump and Braun both vowed political revenge against Republican senators who in December, joined with Democrats in the 31-19 vote defeating the redistricting plan aimed at giving GOP candidates all nine of Indiana’s U.S. House seats.

Goode was among the 21 of 40 Republican senators who opposed redistricting — and Brenda Wilson is among five candidates endorsed by Trump in primary challenges to those senators (with one challenger having already ended his campaign).

Alexandra Wilson did not immediately comment on Wednesday to the Capital Chronicle about her campaign.

Goode, who is Republican U.S. Sen. Todd Young’s state director, did not address whether he had any involvement with Alexandra Wilson’s candidacy when asked by the Capital Chronicle.

“I was the first Republican to file for this legislative seat,” Goode said in a text message. “I am not running against any person or people. I am standing for my constituents. That is my focus for the remainder of the (legislative) session and during this ’26 campaign.”

Goode filed for reelection on Jan. 9 (the second day of the candidate filing period), followed by Brenda Wilson on Jan. 21, six days before Trump’s endorsement. Alexandra Wilson joined the race Feb. 5, the day before the candidate filing deadline.

Vigo County chair denies ‘conspiracy’

Bopp is the secretary and treasurer of Hoosiers for Opportunity, Prosperity and Enterprise — a nonprofit group supporting Braun’s agenda — and was a vice chair of Braun’s transition team after he won the 2024 gubernatorial election.

If Alexandra Wilson remains on the ballot, her name would appear just before Brenda Wilson as candidates are listed alphabetically.

Bopp said “without question” that is why Alexandra Wilson is running.

“The confusing fact that there is the same last name and that the person they recruited is in front of her also makes the confusion and negative effect on Brenda even greater,” Bopp said.

Gentry said Goode was not involved in Alexandra Wilson entering the race and called the controversy “nonsense.”

“I wish Alexandra’s last name was Smith or Jones or, you name it,” Gentry said. “It’s not, and that’s created all kinds of conspiracy theories and so forth.”

* * *

The Indiana Capital Chronicle is an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to giving Hoosiers a comprehensive look inside state government, policy and elections. The site combines daily coverage with in-depth scrutiny, political awareness and insightful commentary.

You can read the original version of the story here.

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