Noon Edition

Indiana Public Media
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  • Updated Biweekly

Noon Edition is a weekly radio program inviting your participation on news and issues facing the southern and central Indiana community

  1. 6d ago

    With public camping now illegal, what's next for Monroe County's unhoused population?

    Indiana's Senate Enrolled Act 285 went into effect July 1. The new law prohibits camping, sleeping, or sheltering long-term on publicly owned land without permission. If unhoused people don’t move into a shelter or diversion program with 48 hours of being given a warning, they can be charged with a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a $500 fine. Read more: A cop, a homeless man, and a provider: The street view of new state law’s consequences At the same time, local organizations dedicated to fighting homelessness and providing services to unhoused people are making major steps to expand and create new paths towards permanent housing and long-term stability. Read more: Homelessness initiative would offer year of subsidized rent On this week’s Noon Edition, we’ll discuss the short and long-term impacts of the new state law, the current state of homelessness response in Monroe County, and what the future looks like for organizations that provide services for unhoused people in Bloomington and beyond. Guests:Reverend Forrest Gilmore, Executive Director at Beacon, Inc.Mary Morgan, Executive Director of Heading Home of South Central IndianaBrian Giffen, Homelessness Response Coordinator with the City of Bloomington.

  2. Jul 3

    Celebrating America's 250th birthday during a time of divide

    On Saturday, the United States will celebrate its 250th birthday. In towns and communities across the nation, Americans will gather to honor the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, when the 13 colonies announced their split from Great Britain. And over the past 250 years later, those 13 colonies grew to 50 states and the United States has become one of the world’s superpowers. Read more: Indiana going all out to celebrate America’s 250th birthday Indiana University has a number of events scheduled this summer to commemorate the anniversary. An exhibit at the Lilly Library titled, “The Declaration of Independence: The Motives, The Moment,” looks at how the colonies reached the point of insurrection. Watch: WFIU’s The State of Inquiry Podcast: America 250 And, the nation’s capital is celebrating with a two-week long “Great American State Fair” on the National Mall. But like most events over the past decade or two, claims of its politization have driven a wedge into the celebration. But for some, the celebration of the country’s 250th birthday has turned into more of a wake. Read more: America turns 250. Not everyone is celebrating On this week’s Noon Edition, we’ll discuss America's 250th anniversary - if we're living up to the revolutionary ideals, how today's cultural wars fit in the country's history, how we’re celebrating the Fourth this year and why some may not feel like celebrating. GuestsErika Dowell, Executive Associate Director, IU’s Lilly LibraryLeslie Lenkowsky, Professor Emeritus, IU School of Public and Environmental AffairsCarl Weinberg, Retired Teaching Professor in the College of Arts and Sciences at IU Bloomington

  3. Jun 26

    World Cup soccer taking America by storm

    All eyes are on North America as it hosts the 23rd World Cup, an international soccer tournament held every four years. Despite pre-tournament concerns of traveling to the U.S., stadiums in the U.S., Mexico and Canada have been sold out and raucous scenes of foreigners taking over cities, such as Scottish fans in Boston, have been common. Read more: World Cup turnout defies concerns, as Americans flock for the spectacle The tournament began on June 11 with group stage qualifying. That wraps up this weekend, with knockout games starting next week. This year, the tournament expanded from 32 teams to 48. The teams were divided into 12 groups of four, with the top two teams in each group and the eight best third-place teams advancing to a new round of 32. From there, the winners advance until the final two meet for the World Cup on July 19 in East Rutherford, N.J. The U.S. won its first two group games and has already qualified for the round of 32. They’ve never won three games in a World Cup before, but this year’s squad is ranked 14th in the world with high expectations on home soil. Read more: It's (finally) OK to dream big about USMNT and World Cup On this week’s Noon Edition, we’ll talk about how far the U.S. can go in the World Cup, how the tournament is inspiring America’s youth, Bloomington being a bastion of soccer, and if the sport will ever rise to the importance here that it has around the globe. GuestLouis Malone, Executive Director, Cutters SoccerAndrew McFarland, Professor of History, IU KokomoKelly Wherley, Building Manager at the IU Global and International Studies Building, local soccer fan

  4. Jun 19

    How LGBTQ+ Hoosiers are celebrating Pride Month

    June is Pride Month, a month-long observance commemorating the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) culture and community. Indiana started celebrating Pride in 1990 with the Celebration on the Circle event in downtown Indianapolis. Today, over 40 Pride events are celebrated throughout the state, from small rural events to several-day festivals. But this year has been a challenging one for LGBTQ rights in Indiana, with a federal appeals court upholding an Indiana law dubbed “Don’t Say Gay” by opponents, the state banning transgender Hoosiers from updating their gender on driver’s licenses and birth certificates, and legislative attempts to ban transgender people from using bathrooms that don’t align with their sex at birth. Read more: Indiana governor declares Pride month ‘nuclear family month’ On this week’s Noon Edition, we’ll discuss how Pride Month is being celebrated in Indiana amid rising anti-LGBTQ+ legislation at the state and the federal level. GUESTS Elisabeth Solchik, Spencer Pride Melanie Davis, the Front Door community center in Bloomington

  5. Jun 12

    What to make of Supreme Court decisions released, still to come

    The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to release more than two dozen decisions of cases it heard this term by the end of the month. The court has already released several verdicts so far, including allowing some states to redistrict their congressional maps and denying others; striking down much of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and voiding President Trump’s tariff policies. Still to be decided are cases involving birthright citizenship, which has been guaranteed under the 14th Amendment, a ban on trans athletes in sports, immigration status and election laws. Read more: The Supreme Court is in its final stretch this term. On this week’s Noon Edition, we’ll discuss already released and impending key decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court as it wraps up its current session this month. GUESTSZachary Cormier, Associate Professor of Law, Indiana University McKinney School of LawSteve Sanders, Professor of Law, Indiana University Maurer School of Law

  6. Jun 5

    What does the future hold for graduating high schoolers?

    Last weekend, high school seniors across the state walked across the stage for graduation. The class of 2026 grew up in a world of social media and lived through the COVID-19 emergency as middle schoolers, which shut down schools for a year and upended their learning experiences. Members of Gen Z, they’re entering a world with the U.S. once again at war, a slowing economy, unaffordable housing and a challenging job market, with everyone concerned about a future dominated by artificial intelligence. Now of voting age, they will have a role in shaping the direction of the political landscape of the country. Many will be headed to college in the fall, where the high cost of education is a worry for many. In a Third Way poll of graduating seniors, 56 percent of respondents said "the best path forward for me is not to attend a four-year college or university, regardless of the cost." But, more than three-fourths believe they have a “great future ahead of them.” Nationally, nearly a third of graduating high schoolers do not attend a post-secondary education institution, choosing to enter the workforce or alternative training right after high school. This week we’ll talk with graduating high school seniors about their educational experiences, living through COVID and their plans and expectations after high school. GuestsKelton O’Connell, Bloomington High School NorthFinn Wolfger, Eastern Greene High School

  7. May 29

    How to safely enjoy Indiana's wilderness this summer

    With school letting out and the summer weather upon us, a lot of people will be heading outdoors for recreation. And around Bloomington, there’s a lot of nature to take advantage of, with four prominent lakes, two state parks and several wilderness areas and nature preserves to explore. Read more: Hiking paths in and around Bloomington But with all the fun comes some risk. Dozens in the state die annually in boating and swimming accidents; there are four venomous snakes in the state, including the Northern Copperhead, which is prevalent in southern Indiana; ticks, which seem to be particularly thick this year; and heatstroke. Read more: Tick season has arrived, here's what to know On this week’s Noon Edition, we’ll discuss how to safely enjoy the outdoors, places to camp and hike, the abundance of ticks, wildlife and the differences between nature preserves, national forests, and state parks. GuestsHeidi Shoemaker, Natural Resources Coordinator for Bloomington Parks & RecreationTom Swinford, Land Preservation Director for Sycamore Land TrustJill Vance, DNR Interpretive Naturalist for Monroe Lake

  8. May 22

    Farmers facing uncertain future amid rising costs, trade wars

    Farmers across Indiana are facing a difficult economic landscape in 2026. Farm bankruptcies rose sharply last year, with the Midwest seeing the largest increase in the country. At the same time, many farmers are dealing with tight profit margins, rising fertilizer and fuel costs, uncertain commodity prices and questions about the future of trade and exports. Read more: Ag bill in federal legislature could help Hoosier farmers But economics aren’t the only challenge. Across Indiana, farmers and rural communities are also grappling with land use issues tied to solar developments, data centers and large infrastructure projects. As energy demand grows and development pressures increase, debates continue over how farmland should be used and who gets to decide its future. Read more: Conference highlights ways farmers can use land for both solar and agriculture On today’s Noon Edition, we’ll discuss the state of Indiana’s agricultural economy, the financial pressures facing farmers, and the land use and development issues reshaping rural communities. GuestsDave Fischer, Farm Manager at Fischer FarmsJesse Uebelhor, agronomist at Superior Ag and farmerMichael Langemeier, Director for the Center for Commercial Agriculture at Purdue University

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About

Noon Edition is a weekly radio program inviting your participation on news and issues facing the southern and central Indiana community

Information

  • Creator
    Indiana Public Media
  • Years Active
    2019 - 2026
  • Episodes
    969
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2023
  • Show Website
    Noon Edition