Cheaper gas lowers U.S. retail sales for 2nd straight month
U.S. retail sales fell sharply last month as gas prices plummeted and auto sales slowed. But excluding those volatile categories, Americans stepped up their spending a bit.
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Expedia to acquire rival Orbitz for about $1.33 billion
Expedia is buying rival online travel site Orbitz, adding to the stable of brands it has snapped up recently in order to extend its reach and keep pace in the fiercely competitive travel-booking industry.
House panel OKs much-revised Sunday alcohol sales bill
The proposal to legalize Sunday carry-out alcohol sales in Indiana now could force grocery stores and pharmacies to follow the same regulations as liquor stores.
Ritz proposes 1-year freeze on school accountability grades
The State Board of Education will consider a proposal to suspend accountability grades and scrap portions of the ISTEP+ exam as it grapples with concerns about increased testing time for students.
Indiana joins Illinois in suspending work on expressway
The move comes after new Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner issued an executive order Jan. 12 suspending planning and development of any major interstate construction projects because of deep state budget problems.
Two counties continue effort to lease Indiana Toll Road
Lake County Commissioner Roosevelt Allen told a Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission committee that his county along with LaPorte County are preparing to finalize their offer.
Schools being told to be ready for longer ISTEP exam
Deputy Superintendent of Public Instruction Danielle Shockey said it wasn’t clear what changes could be made before the first possible day of the testing period arrives on Feb. 25.
Panel advances ethics reform bill to full House
An Indiana House committee has backed a state ethics law overhaul requiring greater financial disclosure by lawmakers and expressly prohibiting elected officials from using state resources for political purposes.
UPDATE: Senate panel OKs bill to let education board elect leader
The legislation would overturn the current law in which the state's elected superintendent of public instruction – now Democrat Glenda Ritz – automatically chairs the board.
Indiana business groups oppose ‘religious freedom’ law
The Indiana Chamber of Commerce and other business groups argued that the Republican-sponsored proposal could hurt the state's reputation and make it more difficulty to attract companies.
Pence orders shorter ISTEP+ exams after Ritz raises concerns
The governor announced Monday he would look for ways to curtail Indiana's revamped statewide assessment test from the up to 12½ hours it's been projected to take.
Polian, Dungy team up on amateur football committee
Indianapolis-based USA Football has assembled a roster of experts to make recommendations about on-field instruction, playing standards, rule changes and practice and safety guidelines.
State panel backs legalizing fenced-in hunting preserves
Indiana’s four current high-fenced deer-hunting preserves would be the only ones allowed in the state under a bill endorsed by a legislative committee.
Ritz requests special meeting on length of ISTEP test
Department of Education data show the total time for administering the ISTEP+ test will more than double for all grades, topping out at 12 hours, 30 minutes for third-graders.
Pacers to take 9-day break as NBA experiments with schedule
Players around the league urged officials to double the amount of off-time they have during the All-Star break, which starts Thursday.
Senate panel taking up Indiana religious freedom bill
On Monday afternoon, lawmakers will debate broadly worded proposals that opponents fear would give businesses the justification to discriminate against customers who don’t share the same beliefs.
Report: Automakers fail to fully protect against hacking
Automakers are cramming cars with wireless technology, but they have failed to adequately protect those features against the real possibility that hackers could take control of vehicles or steal personal data, according to an analysis of information that manufacturers provided to a senator.
Anthem warns about scam emails after massive hack
After a huge data breach, Anthem is warning about “phishing” messages that are targeting people it insures or has insured in the past.
January jobs report finds robust gains on all fronts
The Labor Department said Friday that the economy added 257,000 jobs in January, previous months were revised up, wages rose by the most in six years, and more Americans entered the job market.
Obama to promote college proposal during Indy Ivy Tech visit
The president, who wants to make the first two years of community or technical college free for students, will face resistance to his plan from Republicans leery of having government pick up the tab.