No-holds-barred tactics lifted developer Ozdemir
Ersal Ozdemir, who heads the development and construction firm Keystone Group, has charmed elected officials for years with big ideas—and hundreds of thousands of dollars in political contributions.
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U.S. House backs bill to block EPA power plant rule
The Republican-controlled U.S. House moved Thursday to block President Barack Obama's plan to limit carbon emissions from new power plants, an election-year strike at the White House aimed at portraying Obama as a job killer.
Two-year extension offered for canceled health plans
The extension was part of a major package of regulations that sets ground rules for 2015, the second year of government-subsidized health insurance markets under Obama's law — and the first year that larger employers will face a requirement to provide coverage.
Feds find numerous issues at state workplace-safety agency
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration uncovered problems in several areas of Indiana’s workplace safety program during an investigation. In a report issued Wednesday, OSHA issued 22 recommendations for the state agency.
Insurers’ Obamacare losses may reach $5.5 billion, U.S. says
Health insurers such as Indianapolis-based WellPoint Inc. and Louisville-based Humana Inc. stand to receive $5.5 billion next year to cover losses from Obamacare in a program the law’s opponents label a bailout.
Climate case at Supreme Court looks at EPA’s power
The Obama administration is squaring off at the Supreme Court with industry groups and Republican-led states, including Indiana, over a small but important program aimed at limiting power-plant and factory emissions of gases blamed for global warming.
Potholes devouring municipal budgets locally, across U.S.
About three-fourths of U.S. states and many cities, including Indianapolis, have outspent their maintenance budgets dealing with the extreme weather.
Census: Indiana lost 2,200 farms from ’07 to ’12
Preliminary data released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture show Indiana had more than 58,000 farms in 2012. That's a decline of nearly 4 percent from the 2007 census report.
Homeowners in flood zones fear insurance spike
Steep increases are being felt from south Louisiana to New England to Columbus, Ind., are required by the Biggert-Waters Reform Act of 2012. That legislation, signed by President Obama two years ago, set into motion a process designed to start shaving down the flood insurance system's mounting deficit.
Convenience stores prepare case to sell cold beer
The stores’ lawsuit against the state argues that Indiana’s law governing cold-beer sales is unconstitutional. But a phalanx of other beverage retailers has lined up to oppose the action.
House panel OKs bill that loosens energy-efficiency rules
Sen. Jim Merritt said the existing energy-efficiency program is unfair to industries because many of them are already paying for sophisticated in-house programs focused on cutting energy use and pursuing other efficiencies.
Indiana gets low-interest loans for tornado relief
Businesses, residents and some not-for-profits in 19 Indiana counties recovering from the November tornado outbreak can receive low-interest federal disaster loans.
State offers to help Indiana propane users find fuel
The state and federal government have taken steps to help propane users deal with an ongoing shortage of the fuel, which an estimated 500,000 Hoosiers rely on to heat their homes.
Finding uninsured means targeting key locations
The uninsured aren’t scattered evenly across the country: half of them live in just 116 of the nation’s 3,143 counties. Federal officials are focusing on 25 key metro areas, including Indianapolis.
Analysts say health care law means fewer on job
Several million American workers will cut back their hours on the job or leave the nation's workforce entirely because of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, congressional analysts said Tuesday.
U.S. Senate sends massive farm bill to Obama
The sweeping farm bill that Congress sent to President Obama Tuesday has something for almost everyone, from the nation's 47 million food stamp recipients to Southern peanut growers, Midwest corn farmers and the maple syrup industry in the Northeast.
U.S. venture gathers drugmakers to take on major diseases
Eli Lilly and Co., Pfizer Inc. and eight other large drugmakers will partner with the U.S. government in a $230 million effort to identify new approaches to treat Alzheimer’s, diabetes, lupus and arthritis.
Indiana residents slow to embrace health exchange
Residents across Indiana are treading lightly when considering buying health insurance through the federal health exchange as they move toward a March 31 deadline to enroll.
Obama speech to challenge Congress on minimum wage
Challenging lawmakers to help him create greater economic opportunity, President Barack Obama will use his State of the Union address Tuesday to announce he's raising the minimum wage for new federal contract workers to $10.10 an hour.
View of health rollout improves, but only slightly
Negative perceptions of the health care rollout have eased, a new poll finds. But overall, two-thirds of Americans say things still aren’t going well.