A legal firm and an activist group are pressuring the Indiana High School Athletics Association (IHSAA) board of directors, urging it to get rid of two DEI quotas for board members. 

The current criteria for the board's members includes a requirement for two female members and two members who are racial minorities. 

"The Board of Directors shall be comprised of nineteen board seats. Twelve board seats shall be filled by any qualified individual (open seats), and seven board seats shall be filled by Two (2) qualified female representatives, Two (2) qualified minorities," the policy states. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Now, the law firm, Pacific Legal Foundation (PLF), and the activist group, Equal Protection Project (EPP), have sent a letter to the IHSAA board of directors, objecting to this criteria and demanding change.

"No one should be denied the opportunity to serve on a public board due to their race or sex. Our Constitution and civil rights law demand that individuals be judged on their character, qualifications, and achievements, not on characteristics they cannot control. IHSAA has a constitutional duty to treat all Board of Director nominees equally under the law," part of the letter reads. 

"Race- and sex-based quotas like those used by IHSAA perpetuate stereotypes, patronize the qualified, and undermine the ability of other qualified citizens to serve their communities. We strongly urge this Board to reconsider its use of these unconstitutional quotas."

Pacific Legal Foundation attorney Laura D’Agostino condemned the IHSAA's criteria. 

"Public boards should reflect the talents and commitment of all citizens, not arbitrary categories of race or sex. Every individual who wants to step up and serve their community should be encouraged to do so based on what they bring to the table, not held back because of who they are," D'Agostino told Fox News Digital. 

PLF and EPP ended the letter by providing a deadline of May 30 for the IHSAA to respond with an agreement to remove those two requirements for its board of directors. 

TRUMP TO PRESIDE OVER HISTORIC SPORTING EVENTS — WHICH TEAMS AND STARS COULD SKIP WHITE HOUSE VISITS?

EPP founder William A. Jacobson suggested further legal steps could be taken if the deadline passes with no agreement. 

"We hope that IHSAA will do the right thing and voluntarily remedy the discriminatory bylaws provisions, but if it does not, all legal options are on the table," Jacobson told Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the IHSAA for comment. 

Recent executive orders by President Donald Trump have targeted DEI in both public institutions and the private sector, and many states have passed their own laws to prohibit DEI quotas in taxpayer-funded organizations. 

Trump's day one executive order, which the GSA is aligning its actions with, directed the federal contracting process to "be streamlined to enhance speed and efficiency, reduce costs, and require Federal contractors and subcontractors to comply with our civil-rights laws." 

The order also commanded the Office of Federal Contract Compliance to "immediately cease" promoting "diversity" and any encouragement of federal contractors and subcontractors to engage in affirmative action-like efforts that consider race, color, sex, sexual preference, religion or national origin when making hiring decisions.

Meanwhile, in Indiana, a state bill authored by Republican Sens. Tyler Johnson and Gary Byrne to outlaw "discrimination" in state education, public employment and licensing settings that is "based on a personal characteristic of the person," was signed by Gov. Mike Braun on May 1.

Braun signed an executive order in January to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion in all state agencies and replace it with what he calls "MEI" – merit, excellence and innovation.

Under that executive order, government offices cannot use state funds, property or resources to support DEI initiatives or require job candidates to issue DEI statements.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Advantage, Indiana Pacers.

The Pacers, fourth in the Eastern Conference, entered their second-round series against the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers as heavy underdogs. But suddenly, the ball is in their court.

After upsetting Cleveland Game 1, they overcame a 20-point deficit thanks to Tyrese Haliburton to take a commanding 2-0 lead, winning both games on the road.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Indiana had slowly chipped away, but Cleveland looked like they were going to go on the road evening up the series, as they led by seven with less than 50 seconds to go.

But Aaron Nesmith threw down a dunk, and Donovan Mitchell was called for an offensive foul two seconds later. Pascal Siakam hit a layup with 27.1 seconds, making it a three-point game.

The Cavs called a timeout, but it did nothing, as they turned the ball over on the inbound. They then fouled Haliburton, who made just one of two, but Haliburton got his own rebound. He then hoisted up and cashed a stepback three to go up 120-119, which would turn out to be the final score, with 1.1 seconds left.

It was a crusher for Cleveland, whose best player in Mitchell dropped 48 points in a losing effort.

Haliburton scored 11 of his 19 points in the final 12 minutes. 

It's the first time the Pacers won the first two games of a playoff series on the road since 1994 against Orlando.

The Cavs were missing three key players: NBA Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley (left ankle) and key reserve De’Andre Hunter (right thumb) were injured in Game 1, while Darius Garland (left big toe) missed his fourth straight postseason game.

Game 3 is at Indiana on Friday night, as Indiana looks for a second consecutive appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

• Gov. Mike Braun is set to sign a law requiring tech firms to cover 80% of new power costs.
• But critics argue the bill won't shield residents from higher bills, including for nuclear power.
• Big Tech companies like AWS and Google plan to invest about $15 billion in Indiana.

Indiana is on the front line of a question facing the nation as it races toward an AI future: Who should pay for the electricity needed to fuel the technology?

Gov. Mike Braun is expected to sign a bill that would require large energy users like Big Tech's AI data centers to cover 80% of the costs of new power needed to run them if they seek a faster regulatory approval process, making it the first state to do so.

A second law Braun recently signed allows utilities to pass the cost to consumers of exploring a source of power that isn't operating at scale in the US yet. Big Tech companies have bet that a new generation of "small modular nuclear reactors," or SMRs, could soon provide around-the-clock power to data centers.

Consumer advocates said the two bills will ultimately hike energy bills for everyday Hoosiers and put them on the hook for nuclear projects that may never get up and running.

The debate in Indiana reflects one playing out across the country over the cost and environmental implications of the spike in energy demand from AI data centers.

Kerwin Olson, executive director of Citizens Action Coalition, a consumer advocacy group, called the bills "a disaster for Hoosier ratepayers" and said it will "exacerbate the utility affordability crisis."

Republican Rep. Ed Soliday, who co-sponsored the bills, other GOP lawmakers, and a trade group representing utilities in Indiana argued the bills contain sufficient safeguards for consumers and that SMRs are the future of clean and affordable energy as demand from data centers and new manufacturing plants grows.

Indiana's $15 billion data center pipeline

While Indiana doesn't top the list of major US data center hubs, the Rust Belt state is attracting more development due to tax incentives and a reliable power supply.

Big Tech companies, including Amazon Web Services, Google, Microsoft, and Meta, plan to invest about $15 billion combined in Indiana. In January, President Donald Trump announced that a billionaire in Dubai planned to invest $20 billion in data centers across the US, including in Indiana.

Data centers require around-the-clock electricity to power and cool the racks of servers fundamental to cloud computing and storage. These projects could demand thousands of megawatts of electricity by 2035 — more power than the nearly 7 million residents in Indiana combined, according to utility forecasts analyzed by the Citizens Action Coalition.

A bet on small nuclear

So far, most of the demand is expected to be met by fossil fuels. But many tech companies and utilities have promised to shift to cleaner energy and are therefore exploring SMRs, which don't produce carbon emissions.

SMRs are about one-third the size of traditional nuclear power plants, which could make them less expensive and quicker to build. To date, none are operating in the US, and only a few exist in Russia and China. It's unclear when the first plant might come online, with forecasts range from five to 15 years.

Cost estimates for SMR projects vary widely, from $2.4 billion to $4 billion, depending on the start-up.

A law Braun signed in April allows utilities to recoup the costs of exploring SMR projects from customers, even if they never supply power to the grid.

The utility Indiana Michigan Power is evaluating the potential of SMRs at a coal-fired plant in Rockport, and the aerospace manufacturer Rolls-Royce is considering SMRs for a plant in Indianapolis.

Soliday told Business Insider that allowing utilities to recover dollars from customers in real time for their early-stage activities will save Indiana residents money in the long run. Otherwise, utilities would have to fund the projects by raising capital, leading to extra costs that residents would ultimately pay for, he said. Soliday added that state regulators must approve the costs and determine they aren't overly expensive for customers.

Democratic Rep. Matt Pierce, who opposed the law, said it isn't fair to let utilities burn money investigating a technology that may never produce power, and then charge customers for it. Pierce noted that a federally funded SMR project by NuScale Power in Utah was canceled in 2023 due in part to escalating costs.

Braun appeared to agree in February, when he told News 10 that he supported nuclear power but that utilities should shoulder the costs. "They are out there as investor-owned, and some of that is going to have to be the risk that they take," Braun said.

When asked why he signed a law allowing the opposite, Braun's spokesperson, Griffin Reid, said it would address Indiana's high energy demand.

"Indiana is committed to pursuing diverse generation options, from fossil fuels to renewable energy to nuclear power, wherever they prove practical," Reid said.

Critics call out loopholes

Consumer advocates said the other bill passed by Indiana legislators isn't broad enough to shield residents from higher energy bills to cover the cost of new infrastructure for AI data centers.

While the bill requires tech companies to pay for 80% of the new power generation needed to serve them, this requirement is not guaranteed to apply to every project.

Danielle McGrath, president of the Indiana Energy Association, said in an email that the 80% requirement only applies if utilities pursue the new voluntary, fast-tracked approval process for big power projects.

"The legislation addressed concerns expressed by some large customers that speed was critical to their decision making and that longer timelines could serve as a deterrent to locating their projects," McGrath said.

Pierce and Olson said utilities can pursue other pathways outside the new fast-track process to recover the costs of new power plants and other infrastructure, which could ultimately raise customer rates. That includes special contracts hidden from public view that may not require large energy users like data centers to pay 80% of the bill.

Soliday told BI that the 80% cost-share applies no matter what pathway utilities seek to get projects approved by state regulators.

"You are not going to get any utility to build in the state of Indiana for a large load customer without that customer paying 80%," Soliday said. "Whether they take plan A or B to get there, they're paying it."

New infrastructure needed to serve Indiana Michigan Power's pipeline of data centers could cost up to $1 billion, according to a cost-share agreement the utility reached with the Citizens Action Coalition, Amazon Data Services, Google, Microsoft, and others.

Do you have a story to share? Contact this reporter at [email protected].

Indiana Lt. Gov. Micah Beckwith criticized state Senate Democrats for equating a GOP legislative proposal intended to root out diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in higher education to the Three-Fifths Compromise. 

"They were saying this is a bad bill because it actually encourages discrimination, just like the Three-Fifths Compromise going all the way back to the foundations of our nation. I would like to share with you the Three-Fifths Compromise is not a pro-discrimination compromise," Beckwith, a Republican, said in a video shared on X after an emotional floor debate. "It was not a pro-discrimination or a slave-driving compromise that the founders made. It was actually just the opposite."

"Don't buy into the DEI radical revisionist history that is happening in today's culture," he said. "Know your history. Go back and study the documents. Read them for yourself like I have. Go look them up and you will find that the Three-Fifths Compromise and many other things like that were designed to make sure that justice was equal for all people and equality really meant equality for all." 

INDIANA GOV PULLS PLUG ON DEI IN ‘EXHILARATING’ MOVE FOR STATE

The legislation in question, Senate Bill 289, ultimately passed both chambers of the state legislature last week and heads to Republican Gov. Mike Braun's desk. The bill restricts DEI programs at K–12 schools, charter schools, state agencies, and public universities and allows people to sue such institutions if they compel students, teachers or administrators to adopt that one race, sex, ethnicity, religion, or national origin "is inherently superior or inferior" to another, that a person's moral character is determined by one of those characteristics, or that a person should be blamed for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race, sex, ethnicity, religion, or national origin.

The GOP-sponsored bill – titled "unlawful discrimination" – also includes transparency requirements for institutions to post any DEI-related trainings online and repeals provisions concerning university diversity committees, among other reforms. It follows an executive action Braun, a former U.S. senator, issued when he took office as governor in January prioritizing merit over DEI in education and state government. 

Critics of the bill in the state Senate last week said the proposal leaves out of consideration a legacy of discrimination in the U.S., citing the Three-Fifths Compromise, Jim Crow laws and real estate redlining.

As for the Three-Fifths Compromise, Beckwith said it was "a compromise that the North made with the South. At the time, there were basically 13 independent nations." 

"They had not really created a Constitution. They were sort of a European Union-esque nation, and they were saying to the pro-slave states, 'Hey, if you want to count your slaves to have representation, more representation in Congress, we're not going to let you do that,' because they knew that that would codify things like slavery into our nation and the North stood up to the South," Beckwith said. 

PASTOR LEADING TARGET DEI BOYCOTT CALLS MAGA, TRUMP 'ROACHES' IN EASTER SERMON

Made during the 1787 Constitutional Convention, the Three-Fifths Compromise set forth that slaves would be counted as three-fifths of a person when counting a state's population for taxation and congressional representation. While it reduced the influence that slave-holding states initially wanted, it ultimately allowed them more seats in the House of Representatives and more sway in presidential contests in terms of the Electoral College than if free people were only counted.

The Three-Fifths Compromise ended after the Civil War with the adoption of the 13th and 14th Amendments, abolishing slavery and establishing equal protection under the Constitution. 

When the Constitution was being written, Beckwith explained, southern states considered slaves as property but still wanted to count slaves as part of their population in the census to get more members of Congress from the South. The North said if the South wanted it to count its "property," or its slaves, as whole people in the census, the North would in turn count its tables, chairs and all their belongings in their homes as part of their population as well, according to the lieutenant governor. 

"They came up with a Three-Fifths Compromise. They said you will only get three-fifths of a vote when it comes to your slave. And what that did, it actually limited the number of pro-slave representatives in Congress by 40%. This was a great move by the North to make sure that slavery would be eradicated in our nation," Beckwith said. "They knew what they were doing. But now here you have Senate Democrats in today's American Republic who do not understand that."

"They think the Three-Fifths Compromise was something that was a scourge on Black people. That's not what it was. And how did we get to this place? We got to this because of DEI in education. We got here because you have professors at woke schools that will not teach the history of what actually happened back in the foundations of our nation," Beckwith continued. "Many, many men and leaders in our nation's history knew how wicked slavery was. They knew that God had created Black people, White people, red people, all people in his image, and they were fighting for equality for all, but they're not taught that today, and that's why you had the Senate Democrats who were getting up talking about the Three-Fifths Compromise like it was some sort of terrible thing in our past it was not it actually was the exact opposite that helped to root out slavery and lead us into a more perfect union that we now see." 

Beckwith said the Three-Fifths Compromise was the beginning of the U.S. later evolving to where all people can have equal representation under the law. 

The anti-DEI state bill passed the state House by a 64-26 vote and the state Senate by a 34-16 vote. It awaits Braun's signature. 

A transgender inmate in Indiana convicted of reckless homicide of a baby is suing President Donald Trump over alleged sexual assaults caused by the president's "transphobic" and "extremist rhetoric," court documents filed on April 1 show.

Jonathan C. Richardson, who goes by Autumn Cordellioné, claims in the handwritten complaint that, due to Trump's "extremist rhetoric and transphobic hate speech," he has "emboldened the Defendants and the assailants that brutally assaulted and raped plaintiff, not once, but multiple times, to act on their hate and prejudices, constituting the cause in action and his liability in this case. Therefore, President Trump was negligent due to his alleged knowledge that others may act on his words."

Cordellioné also claims the alleged assaults came after being transferred from New Castle Correctional Facility (NCN), where he was being "housed in protective custody," to Westville Correctional Facility (WCA), an all-male prison. Fox News Digital reached out to the Indiana Department of Corrections (IDOC) to find out whether the transfer was due to Trump's executive order mandating federal prisoners be housed in units according to their biological sex.

TRANS INMATE IN PRISON FOR KILLING BABY MUST GET GENDER SURGERY AT 'EARLIEST OPPORTUNITY': JUDGE

When reached for comment about the lawsuit, a White House spokesperson said: "President Trump has vowed to defend biological women from gender ideology extremism and restore biological truth to the Federal government."

The inmate is seeking $3.5 million in compensatory damages from Trump, alongside the other defendants, including prison employees and 12 other "gang affiliated inmates," who allegedly "stabbed" and sexually assaulted the inmate over a four-day period in January.

"Trump's president now, and we won’t even get in trouble for f-----g you trannies up, we’re patriots and even if you tell on us, Trump will pardon us and probably give us a medal," Cordellioné claimed one of the offenders said, according to the complaint. 

Cordellioné further alleged the unit team manager and case manager also said similar things during the alleged assaults.

"I’ve seen your case on the news, and I personally don’t think us tax payers should have to pay for your surgery," the case manager allegedly said.

INDIANA JUDGE RULES PRISON MUST PROVIDE TRANSGENDER SURGERY FOR INMATE WHO KILLED BABY

The lawsuit alleges that the offenders had violated Cordellione’s Eighth Amendment rights and committed gross negligence under Indiana tort law.

Cordellioné’s years-long legal battle began in August 2023, when, with support from the ACLU, Cordellioné sued the Indiana Department of Correction over a state law that bans taxpayer-funded transgender surgeries for inmates.

Since then, Cordellioné—serving a 55-year prison sentence for the reckless homicide of an 11-month-old stepchild—has filed several complaints, including a civil lawsuit against the prison chaplain for allegedly prohibiting the wearing of a hijab outside of immediate bedquarters, despite identifying as a Muslim woman.

ACLU SUES INDIANA OVER DENIAL OF SEX REASSIGNMENT SURGERY FOR INMATE WHO STRANGLED 11-MONTH-OLD TO DEATH

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita has been defending the state's law and submitted a brief in January to a court of appeals defending Indiana’s law barring sex-change operations for inmates. The attorney general argued that the Eighth Amendment doesn’t require the state "to provide experimental treatments generally, and it certainly doesn’t here, when multiple doctors have said this inmate is a poor candidate for surgery," a spokesperson previously told Fox News Digital. 

In March, Judge Richard Young, a Clinton appointee, ordered the IDOC to arrange sex reassignment surgery for Cordellioné at the "earliest opportunity." 

Fox News Digital scooped earlier this month that states failing to comply with federal orders to house inmates based on their biological sex can expect "imminent changes" and funding cuts. Trump's orders also bar federal funds from being used for sex reassignment surgeries for inmates.

Indiana is taking a first step toward a rather unlikely effort to amend its border and acquire parts of Illinois.

The legislature in the Hoosier State passed a bill last week to establish the Indiana-Illinois Boundary Adjustment Commission that would recommend whether to alter the border between the two states.

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun, a Republican, plans to sign the measure into law, his office said on Friday. The governor will then face a Sept. 1 deadline to schedule the commission's first meeting.

CONSERVATIVE PORTION OF BLUE STATE LOOKING TO BREAK OFF AND JOIN NEIGHBORING RED STATE

This comes as residents of some counties in Illinois seek to separate from the densely populated and deep blue Chicago area.

But despite support from the Indiana government and the people in the Illinois counties that would change states, the Illinois government and the U.S. Congress would need to approve the plan to change state boundaries.

Illinois' top elected officials do not support the idea.

A companion bill in Illinois authorizing the state to participate in the commission to change the border has not received a hearing in an Illinois House committee. Democrat Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker also described the Indiana measure earlier this year as "a stunt."

Minor boundary changes between states are not a new idea, as there have been at least 50 in U.S. history, according to the National Center for Interstate Compacts at The Council of State Governments. However, no major changes have been implemented since the Civil War era, when some counties in Virginia separated to create West Virginia.

The current effort to change the border between Illinois and Indiana is fueled in part by political divisions. The Chicago area is controlled by Democrats and, given the area's large population, the party also controls the state government, while Republicans represent many other parts of Illinois. The Indiana government, meanwhile, is controlled by Republicans.

NY LAWMAKER CALLS FOR STATEN ISLAND TO SECEDE

In the last five years, voters in 33 Illinois counties have approved ballot measures asking if they want to consider separating from Cook County, a county that includes Chicago, to form a new state. But the initiative does not necessarily mean they would join Indiana, if given the opportunity.

A similar effort is ongoing in eastern Oregon, as some counties in that Democrat-controlled state want to break away and join Republican-led Idaho. The Idaho House approved a measure two years ago allowing Oregon to enter into discussions, but similar measures have not moved forward as they remain stuck in committees in the Oregon legislature.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Indiana filed a suit against the Trump administration on Tuesday, claiming that the lawful status of seven international students in Indiana were reportedly terminated without explanation.

The suit claims that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not offer the students any opportunity to challenge the decisions and therefore violated due process rights. The suit names DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Todd Lyons, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The Trump administration has targeted hundreds of international students in recent weeks for their engagement in anti-Israel protests, which the administration argued was support for U.S.-designated terrorist organization Hamas. The administration has also revoked visas for international students over past infractions such as traffic violations. 

"There is no rhyme or reason for DHS’s action," ACLU of Indiana Legal Director Ken Falk said. "To terminate an international student’s status, the U.S. government must adhere to regulatory standards and provide basic due process, which it has failed to do."

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS SUE OVER TRUMP ADMIN REVOKING VISAS

Plaintiffs claimed international students are allowed to continue their studies and maintain their legal residency status even after their visas get revoked.

The lawsuit asked the U.S. District Court to allow the seven international students to continue their studies by reinstating their status. A temporary restraining order has also been requested to provide immediate protection to the students, according to the ACLU of Indiana.

Among the students named in the lawsuit, six are Chinese citizens attending Purdue University or Indiana University Indianapolis. Another student is a Nigerian citizen attending the University of Notre Dame. Two of the seven students named were expected to graduate next month.

"The impact on these students’ lives is profound, and now they live in fear of being deported at any moment," Falk continued. "We're calling on the court to take immediate steps to stop these unlawful actions." 

TRUMP COLLEGE CRACKDOWN: LIST OF STUDENTS DETAINED AMID ANTISEMITISM ON CAMPUSES

Fox News Digital reached out to the DHS for comment, but they did not immediately respond.

The lawsuit is one of the increasing number of complaints the White House is facing over student visa revocation.

Numerous international students whose visas were terminated without explanation recently also filed another suit against the Trump administration over an alleged violation of due process.

Trump administration officials have defended the revocation of student visas, claiming that the government reserves the right to cancel them.

"There is no right to a student visa," Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters on March 28. "We can cancel a student visa under the law just the same way that we can deny a student visa under the law. And we will do so in cases we find appropriate," 

Fox News' Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.

Federal and state authorities are operating within the bounds of the U.S. Constitution when they deny federal prisoners access to taxpayer-funded sex change procedures for transgender inmates, Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita told a U.S. district court this week.

Rokita filed a 24-state amicus brief in support of President Donald Trump's legal effort to uphold his executive order, "Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government," which prohibits the use of federal taxpayer dollars for transgender procedures for inmates.

"If we're to lose this case, the floodgates will open, and you will see an unending amount of these cases being filed. Costs are going to go up for the state of Indiana to accommodate these unneeded, unnecessary and dangerous surgeries," Rokita told Fox News Digital in an interview Wednesday.

TRANS INMATE IN PRISON FOR KILLING BABY MUST GET GENDER SURGERY AT 'EARLIEST OPPORTUNITY': JUDGE

Rokita is also helping his state fight a two-year legal battle brought on by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) on behalf of a transgender inmate — convicted of killing his 11-month-old baby — to receive a sex-change surgery.

The federal judge in the case, Clinton appointee Richard Young, repeatedly ruled that the inmate must be given gender surgery at the "earliest opportunity," despite Indiana's law barring the state Department of Corrections from using taxpayer funds to cover sex reassignment surgeries for inmates. Rokita has filed an appeal of that decision.

"It's absolutely imperative that not only President Trump's executive orders stand, but that Indiana wins this case," Rokita said. 

ACLU SUES INDIANA OVER DENIAL OF SEX REASSIGNMENT SURGERY FOR INMATE WHO STRANGLED 11-MONTH-OLD TO DEATH

Both Rokita and the Trump administration's cases deal with the accusation that prohibiting so called "gender-affirming care" for inmates violates the Eighth Amendment's prohibition of "cruel and unusual punishment."

In the Trump case, an inmate anonymously identified as Maria Moe, is being represented by advocacy groups GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders and National Center for Lesbian Rights and Lowenstein Sandler LLP. Once Trump signed the executive order, Moe was transferred to a men's prison facility, and BOP records changed the sex from "female" to "male," the complaint says.

Several inmates who signed onto the lawsuit as plaintiffs were also transferred to men's facilities to match their biological sex, but are now being sent back to women's facilities after U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth, a Reagan appointee, issued a preliminary injunction blocking the executive order last week.

TRANS INMATE WHO KILLED BABY AND IDENTIFIES AS MUSLIM WOMAN SUES CHAPLAIN FOR ALLEGEDLY NOT ALLOWING HIJAB

"The politics of some of these courts these days, and playing into this is really a head scratcher," Rokita said. "But the chaos that would ensue in the prison system, with all these jailhouse lawyers, all of a sudden… the expense of the taxpayer would be astronomical."

• My family has spent time in every region of the United States, and the Midwest is our favorite.
• We found a lot of natural beauty, historic sites, and epic hotels in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio.
• We did so much in our short trip and can't wait to return to the Midwest.

My wife and I have traveled with our four young children across every region of the continental United States.

Our family has had fun throughout the Northeast, Southwest, and many places between — but the last region we visited was also our favorite: the Midwest.

We recently spent a week traveling throughout Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio and were wowed by epic scenery, fascinating sites, and great hotels in each state. Although we still have so much left to see in the region, we're already in love.

Here's what we saw and did, where we stayed, and why we're already planning to head back to the Midwest next year.

We saw a lot of natural beauty and experienced our favorite state park to date

When our family travels, we love exploring rivers, lakes, beaches, mountains, and islands — things Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana have in abundance.

Our kids squealed in delight watching salmon go from one level to another at Fish Ladder Park on the Grand River in Michigan.

In Ohio, we enjoyed hiking through the rolling hills and expansive forests of Cuyahoga Valley National Park and seeing its waterfalls and unique geological formations.

We also loved ferrying across Lake Erie out to Kelleys Island to go fishing and see its massive glacial grooves that were carved millions of years ago.

Still, Ohio's Hocking Hills State Park was our favorite nature stop. It provided deep, hemlock-shaded gorges, towering cliffs, an incredible bat cave, and picturesque waterfalls.

The bridges and pathways of its many hikes were well kept and offered plenty of variety — including a floating stepping-stone bridge our kids loved crossing on the Whispering Cave trail loop.

Plus, we got to visit many historic, academic, and entertainment sites

Our family got to experience historical offerings throughout our trip to the Midwest, including visits to multiple museums and the previous homes of seven US presidents.

We were also able to see the studio where Motown music was first recorded, the Ford Company's first manufacturing plant (which houses dozens of first-generation vehicles), and the childhood home and first bicycle shop of the Wright brothers.

On top of that, we stopped by notable academic institutions like Purdue, Notre Dame, Michigan, and Ohio State.

We also couldn't resist spending time at Cedar Point amusement park (nicknamed "Roller-coaster Capital of the World"), the historic state prison where "Shawshank Redemption" was filmed, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

I couldn't believe how many iconic sites our family was able to experience in such a short time.

Lastly, we were impressed by the hotels we stayed in and what they had to offer

Staying in fun and historic hotels is one of our family's favorite parts of a vacation — and the Midwest had some of our top picks so far.

The Kensington Hotel in Ann Arbor, Michigan, welcomed us with a complimentary toast at check-in. We enjoyed our tasty meals at its on-site Relish Restaurant, and our kids appreciated that it had the largest indoor pool of the whole vacation.

We also loved Cinncinati's historic Lytle Park. Its luxurious-feeling rooms had the most comfortable beds we've ever slept in and a great view of the Ohio River. The hotel had interesting touches throughout, including a century-year-old fountain in the lobby.

Indianapolis' Crowne Plaza was also memorable because it's housed within structures of the world's first Union train station. We slept in (renovated versions of) the very same train cars that once passed through it.

By the time our week had ended, we were excited to go back and see even more of each state we visited and the Midwest as a whole.

A federal district judge in Indiana has once again ordered the state Department of Correction (IDOC) to arrange a sex reassignment surgery for a transgender inmate convicted of reckless homicide of a baby, marking the latest development in the ongoing legal saga challenging an Indiana law banning the procedure.

The case, now in its second year, involves inmate Autumn Cordellioné's request for sex reassignment surgery. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) first filed the lawsuit against the Indiana Department of Corrections in 2023 on behalf of Cordellioné, challenging an Indiana law that prohibits the Department of Corrections from using taxpayer funds to cover sex reassignment surgeries for inmates. The ACLU argues the law is a violation of the Eighth Amendment’s prohibition of "cruel and unusual punishment."

"The court ordered that the Commissioner of the Indiana Department of Correction should be preliminarily enjoined to take all reasonable actions to secure Ms. Cordellioné gender-affirming surgery at the earliest opportunity," Judge Richard Young, a Clinton appointee, wrote in a March 5 filing. "Ms. Cordellioné seeks to extend the injunction for the second time. For the reasons that follow, her motion to renew or extend preliminary injunction… is granted."

INDIANA JUDGE RULES PRISON MUST PROVIDE TRANSGENDER SURGERY FOR INMATE WHO KILLED BABY

Cordellioné, born Jonathan Richardson, sought out another injunction as the one issued in December last year expired on March 6, court documents show.

"In its Order granting the motion for preliminary injunction, the court acknowledged that 'surgery may take time as it will be provided by a surgeon who is not affiliated with either IDOC or its contracted medical provider. It is therefore the court's intention… to renew this preliminary injunction every 90 days until the surgery is provided,'" the document states.

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita has been defending the state's law and submitted a brief in January to a court of appeals defending Indiana’s law barring sex-change operations for inmates. The attorney general argued that the Eighth Amendment doesn’t require the state "to provide experimental treatments generally, and it certainly doesn’t here, when multiple doctors have said this inmate is a poor candidate for surgery," a spokesperson told Fox News Digital. 

The brief also contends that the Indiana law, which went into effect in 2023, is not "sex discrimination" under the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause because it bans sexual reassignment surgeries across the board. 

"Convicted murderers don't get to demand that taxpayers foot the bill for expensive and controversial sex-change operations," Rokita told Fox News Digital. "It lacks all common sense. We won’t stop defending our state’s ban on using taxpayer funds to provide sex-change surgeries to prisoners."

ACLU SUES INDIANA OVER DENIAL OF SEX REASSIGNMENT SURGERY FOR INMATE WHO STRANGLED 11-MONTH-OLD TO DEATH

In the ongoing case, a key issue was the evaluation by psychologist Kelsey Beers, who was tasked with assessing Cordellioné’s eligibility for sex-change surgery. 

Beers concluded that Cordellioné was not a suitable candidate for the surgery, stating that Cordellioné’s distress was not due to gender dysphoria but rather stemmed from her diagnoses of antisocial personality disorder and borderline personality disorder. 

Beers further noted that Cordellioné "displays an established pattern of attention-seeking behavior." 

Despite Beers' conclusions, the court ruled that her report did not justify reconsidering its decision and questioned Beers’ qualifications.

"In summary, the court finds that Dr. Beers' report does not present a significant factual development that would cause it to reconsider its grant of injunctive relief as to Ms. Cordellioné's Eighth Amendment claim," Young wrote. 

TRANS INMATE WHO KILLED BABY AND IDENTIFIES AS MUSLIM WOMAN SUES CHAPLAIN FOR ALLEGEDLY NOT ALLOWING HIJAB

The ACLU’s original lawsuit on behalf of Cordellioné asserts that the inmate was diagnosed with gender dysphoria in 2020, and has been prescribed female hormones and testosterone blockers, which Cordellioné has "consistently taken since that time." 

The lawsuit further claims that Cordellioné has been provided with accommodations such as "panties, makeup, and form-fitting clothing" while incarcerated.

The lawsuit states that gender-affirming surgery is now necessary for Cordellioné to alleviate the gender dysphoria. 

"She believes that the only remedy for her persistent gender dysphoria, and the serious harm it causes her, is to receive gender-affirming surgery, specifically an orchiectomy and vaginoplasty," the filing explains.

According to the ACLU, Cordellioné, who has identified as a woman since age 6, is "a woman trapped in a man's body." 

In 2001, Cordellioné was convicted of strangling his then-wife’s 11-month-old daughter to death while she was at work. During an initial interview with police, Cordellioné was described as "calm and unemotional" while recounting the incident, according to court documents from Indiana's Court of Appeals.

Fox News Digital has reached out to IDOC for comment.

Indiana Gov. Mike Braun signed an executive order Tuesday to prohibit transgender athletes from competing in women's college sports. He was joined by former San Jose State University volleyball player Elle Patterson, who claims she lost out on a scholarship to a trans athlete. 

Braun said his order ensures fairness in women’s sports in a news release.

"Women’s sports create opportunities for young women to earn scholarships and develop leadership skills," Braun said. "Hoosiers overwhelmingly don’t want those opportunities destroyed by allowing biological males to compete in women’s sports, and today’s executive order will make sure of that."

The order states, "This executive order mandates that Indiana’s state educational institutions must comply with the 2020 Title IX Rule rather than the 2024 Biden Administration reinterpretation that extended protections based on self-reported, ever-changing new idea of ‘gender identity.’

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

"The order ensures that female athletes in college sports are not forced to compete against biological males, preserving the integrity of women’s athletics and protecting opportunities for women in female-only sports leagues."

Braun then signed another executive order that "rejects extreme gender ideology in favor of the scientific reality of biological sex" by reinforcing Indiana’s legal definitions for "sex," "gender," "women," "male," "citizen," "individual" and "person."

TRUMP ADMIN PROBING SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR TRANS ATHLETE SCANDAL EVEN AFTER CHANGING POLICY TO FOLLOW EXEC ORDER

"Today’s executive order will end any confusion about our state’s policy on this issue so we can focus on my goal to secure freedom and opportunity for all Hoosiers," Braun said after signing the second order. 

Braun honored Patterson during the signing. Patterson joined a lawsuit against SJSU and the Mountain West Conference in November with 10 other conference players and one former assistant coach over its handling of transgender player Blaire Fleming. 

Patterson alleges the university did not fulfill previous verbal offers of a scholarship to her for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Patterson says she even paid full tuition to play in 2023 after being told she would get a scholarship for 2024. However, the program did not make good on that offer either, she alleges, while Fleming got a full scholarship.

"Ultimately, Patterson informed Associate Head Coach Batie-Smoose and Head Coach Todd Kress that she was financially unable to pay for full out-of-state tuition, room and board at SJSU again in 2024 and therefore would be unable to return to the SJSU Team without a scholarship," the documents state. 

"Nevertheless, Todd Kress remained firm in his position that Patterson would not receive a scholarship to play on the SJSU Team in 2024, and that Fleming would receive a full scholarship to play on the SJSU Team."

Braun expressed sympathy for Patterson during his address Tuesday. 

"It's just wrong, and leaders need to stand up for young women like Elle," Braun said. "We need to protect their physical safety and the great opportunities that come with that athletic excellence." 

The order comes just one day after the U.S. Senate failed to pass the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act. Despite getting 51 votes by the Republican majority, Democrats filibustered the bill with 45 votes against it. 

President Donald Trump signed an executive order to prohibit transgender athletes from competing in women's sports Feb. 5. However, some Democrat-led states have so far refused to comply with the order. 

Braun has taken steps to ensure that does not happen in his state, joining Idaho Gov. Brad Little, who signed a similar executive order in August. 

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Sen. Jim Banks, R-Ind., praised the likely decision by Honda to manufacture its popular Honda Civic model in Indiana instead of Mexico.

The move by the major automaker was triggered by President Donald Trump’s 25% tariffs on Mexico, which are set to go into effect on Tuesday after a month-long pause after a temporary agreement with the country, Reuters reported.

The outlet reported that production is likely to start in 2028 for over 200,000 vehicles, but the announcement has yet to be made public by the company.

"President Trump has taken the ‘kick me’ sign off the backs of our workers and manufacturers. This report is great news for Hoosiers and all Americans—and it’s only just the beginning," Banks said in an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital.

HERE'S HOW TRUMP'S TARIFFS ON CHINA COULD IMPACT DRUG PRICING AND OTHER HEALTHCARE COSTS

"The America First agenda is going to be racking up countless wins over the next four years," the senator added.

The report is presumably good news for the Greensburg, Indiana, plant of the Japanese company, which has over 3,000 employees and opened in 2008, according to its website. Greenburg itself has a population of just over 12,000 people, according to the United States Census Bureau data from 2023. WISH-TV reported that Honda only has one plant in Indiana right now. 

"It’s called the ‘TRUMP EFFECT,’" the White House’s rapid response account tweeted Monday.

Trump’s tariff policies on Mexico, Canada and China have made waves in recent weeks as proponents argue it’s a critical step in boosting American manufacturing and stopping illicit fentanyl trafficking, whereas opponents worry it will unnecessarily raise the price of goods. The president also announced that reciprocal tariffs all over the globe will take place on April 2.

TRUMP SAYS TARIFFS WILL GO INTO EFFECT MARCH 4 AFTER 'UNACCEPTABLE' FENTANYL LEVELS

"To the Great Farmers of the United States: Get ready to start making a lot of agricultural product to be sold INSIDE of the United States. Tariffs will go on external product on April 2nd. Have fun!" Trump said on Truth Social on Monday.

As for Banks, he recently praised the reciprocal tariffs, saying they will likely serve as a benefit to the United States.

"The globalist approach to trade threw our workers under a bus driven by their foreign competitors," Banks tweeted on Feb. 13. "President Trump’s America First trade plan corrects this injustice that our industries and workers have faced for decades. The reciprocal tariffs announced today will bring back fairness and prosperity and stop Americans from being taken advantage of."

TRUMP WHITE HOUSE RIPS AUTO STATE GOVERNOR WHO ATTACKED PRESIDENT'S TARIFF PLANS: 'DEADLY STATUS QUO'

Honda is not the first automaker to reconsider its approach to tariff policies. Nissan’s CEO said last month that the company may move some production out of Mexico to accommodate the changes, although he did not say if it would be in the U.S. instead. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The Indiana House Judiciary Committee voted to advance a bill that gives the governor authority to punish local governments that fail to comply with federal immigration authorities.

Indiana House Bill 1531, which allows local law enforcement agencies the ability to carry out federal immigration laws and threatens to withhold funding from local governments who fail to comply with federal immigration laws, passed through the committee on a party line vote after hours of tense testimony and now moves to the full House, according to a report from the Indy Star Monday.

The bill would also allow the state’s attorney general to impose civil penalties if a local government agency fails to comply with a federal immigration detention request, requires state judges to report any non-U.S. citizen convicted of a crime to federal authorities, prohibits employers from recruiting or hiring illegal immigrants, and grants immunity to government bodies or employees for action taken on immigration detainer requests.

RED STATE AG PROMISES LEGAL FIGHT WITH ICE-RESISTING LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

"We've been doing as much as we can with existing authority under labor trafficking laws to go after this issue of illegal aliens being employed in the state," Assistant Chief Deputy Attorney General Blake Lanning told the Indy Star. "But in many ways, Indiana law was not designed for this problem, to address this problem."

Lanning said the attorney general’s office worked closely with the state’s GOP legislature to craft the bill, which comes after Republican Attorney General Todd Rokita threatened to sue local jurisdictions who do not comply with federal immigration orders.

"Now that's a problem in Indiana, particularly because there's an Indiana state statute that I enforce that says what you have got to give, whatever level of cooperation is allowed by federal law, you shall give it as a state or local law enforcement official," Rokita told Fox News Digital in an interview Friday. 

"And, so, that's what's happening here. That defiance I need to look into now."

‘CLAWED BACK’: DHS CHIEF NOEM SECURES EYE-POPPING SUM SENT TO NYC FOR MIGRANT HOTELS

DOGE PUTS DEI ON CHOPPING BLOCK WITH TERMINATION OF OVER $370M IN EDUCATION DEPARTMENT GRANTS 

The push comes as President Donald Trump has intensified efforts to both secure the border and deport immigrants already in the country illegally. However, some of those efforts have been hindered by so-called sanctuary jurisdictions, which ban local law enforcement agencies from cooperating with federal immigration authorities.

Indiana’s legislation faces stiff opposition from Democrats and outside groups, who question the constitutionality of the bill.

"This is unprecedented to have this many anti-immigrant bills in one legislative session for Indiana. So it really is kind of a race to be the most racist. Any argument against that is just disingenuous," Carolina Castoreno, the co-founder of the Alliance for Latino Migrant Advocacy, told the Indy Star after testifying against the bill.

"The rhetoric that they are continuing to use in these rooms — the mentioning of cartels, the mentioning of Hispanic men, talking about the Spanish speaking language," Castoreno added. "They're not talking about Ukrainian immigrants. They're not talking about immigrants from any other part of the world, except for Latin America."

However, efforts to defeat the legislation face an uphill battle in Indiana, where Republicans enjoy supermajorities in both the state House of Representatives and Senate as well as control the governor’s office.

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita is threatening to sue two local jurisdictions in his state that are refusing to comply with President Donald Trump's mass deportation program of illegal immigrants. 

"Now that's a problem in Indiana, particularly because there's an Indiana state statute that I enforce that says what you have got to give, whatever level of cooperation is allowed by federal law, you shall give it as a state or local law enforcement official," Rokita told Fox News Digital in an interview Friday. 

"And, so, that's what's happening here. That defiance I need to look into now."

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) and Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) have indicated they would not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids.

'DEI ACTIVISM': REPUBLICAN AGS PRAISE TRUMP SEC MOVE TO REVERSE BIDEN CLIMATE RULE THEY FOUGHT IN COURT

IMPD Chief Chris Bailey said local police have no authority to enforce federal immigration law and have no plans to participate in immigration sweeps. Similarly, IPS officials announced the district would not allow ICE agents onto school grounds without a criminal warrant.

"We still have pockets of either elected officials or those that work for elected officials, or some just on their own, that have their own ideas of what the law should be — that is to say not following the law," Rokita said.

Rokita urged IPS and IMPD this week to cooperate with ICE or face legal consequences from his office. And it wouldn't be the first time he's sued a jurisdiction in his state for not cooperating with federal officials.

REPUBLICAN STATE AGS BACK TRUMP BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP ORDER IN COURT FILING: 'TAXPAYERS ARE ON THE HOOK'

Rokita filed a lawsuit against the St. Joseph County Sheriff's Department and its sheriff, William Redman, last month, alleging a persistent refusal to comply with federal immigration detainer requests. The lawsuit claims that, between March and September 2024, nine detainer requests from ICE were not honored, hindering ICE's efforts to apprehend illegal immigrants in the county.

Indiana University and the local sheriff's office have refused to cooperate with federal immigration laws, Rokita said, "so we're going to be in court, and I'm planning to get an injunction against their bad behavior."

TRUMP ADMIN HITS BACK AS ACLU LAUNCHES LAWSUIT ON BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP: ‘READY TO FACE THEM’

President Donald Trump's ICE raids continue across the country, and the agency detained 700 illegal immigrants last weekend, 500 of whom had prior convictions or charges, according to a senior official from the Trump administration who previously shared the details with Fox News Digital.

Fox News Digital has reached out to IPS and IMPD for comment.

Only days after Indiana Gov. Mike Braun was sworn-in in Indianapolis, the former Republican senator officially rid the state government of its Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) apparatus.

Instead, Braun – who grew a small Jasper truck-body business called Meyer Distributing into a major player with 700 product lines – said on Friday it takes a politician who "signed the front side of a paycheck" to understand what economic priorities actually matter, and DEI is not one of them.

"At the [Indiana] inaugural, which was over the weekend for me, there was so much excitement knowing something is afoot even in a good red state like Indiana, mostly because of what's going to happen out in D.C. and the partnership that can happen between enterprising states like ours has always been," Braun said on "Fox & Friends."

"We’ve never really had somebody from Main Street… be our own governor here."

BRAUN DEMANDS FULL AUDIT OF MEDICARE AFTER FRAUD DISCOVERY

Braun contrasted the conservative economic vision with that of President Biden and other Democrats, whose platform is "built on big government."

"Rahm Emanuel said ‘never let a crisis go to waste’," he said in that respect, referring to the former President Barack Obama confidant’s motto during the 2008 financial crisis. The line was seen as a suggestion to use tough moments to force through tenets of one’s personal agenda. 

In comments to Fox News Digital, Braun said that in nearly 40 years of running a business, he knows what works and what does not.

Instead of DEI, Indiana needs "MEI" – or Merit, Excellence and Innovation – to be a priority, he said.

"Government should be laser-focused on one thing: getting results for the people they serve. We’re replacing the divisive DEI ideology with a level playing field of MEI -- the same reason we’re eliminating college degree requirements where they’re not essential and adding key performance metrics for accountability," Braun said.

"[That is] because everyone should be judged on what they do, not who they are."

Braun noted his business background and reiterated how his guiding principle of growing Meyer into the expansive business it is today has been "results – above everything else."

DEMS TRYING TO CONVERT ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS INTO VOTERS WAS A ‘BIG MISCALCULATION’: MIKE BRAUN

"That’s exactly what we’re putting first in my administration."

In his order, Braun cited the Supreme Court’s ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard – which found affirmative action programs violate the Equal Protection Clause – and said state resources would not be used to "support [DEI] positions, departments, activities, procedures or programs if they grant preferential treatment based upon one person's particular race..."

It also bans requirements of Indianans to have to disclose their personal pronouns or for employers to mandate job applicants to provide a DEI-related statement.

"We've grown the federal government to a place that I hope DOGE… brings it down because you’ve got a lot of anxious governors that want to double down on [DOGE] – we’re going to do it anyway," Braun said separately on Fox News Channel.

Braun said that since COVID-19, too many Indiana bureaucrats are still teleworking and that the DEI-nixing effort is also another way to streamline government to be more effective, just like Meyer.

The state’s DEI office had been established by Braun’s predecessor, Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb.

After the George Floyd incident in Minnesota, Holcomb addressed Indianans on the issue of "getting to the root causes of inequities and not just reacting to the symptoms."

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Holcomb, who first ascended to the governorship when Mike Pence became vice president in 2017, appointed then-University of Notre Dame public affairs director Karrah Herring to lead the new DEI department.

Braun also received some pushback on his decision:

The Indiana legislature’s minority leader said he respects Braun’s right to position his new administration how he wants but questioned his chosen hierarchy.

"Thinking of the myriad issues Hoosiers are facing, though, I can’t understand why this is a top priority," State Rep. Phil GiaQuinta, D-Fort Wayne, said in a statement.

GiaQuinta added a recent caucus meeting with the DEI office was "insightful and helpful" to their work addressing Indianans’ needs, and called the department’s sunset a "distraction from the real issues."

A Texas man who was arrested for allegedly stalking and sending sexually violent messages to Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark had a disruptive hearing on Wednesday as he pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Michael Lewis entered Marion County Superior Court, leaned back in his chair and told Judge Angela Davis he was "guilty as charged," according to ESPN.

Davis suggested to Lewis that he exercised his right to remain silent and entered a not guilty plea on his behalf as she wasn’t going to accept anything else in an initial hearing, according to the report. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Lewis was ordered held on $50,000 bail and to stay away from the Gainbridge Fieldhouse and the Hinkle Fieldhouse – where the Fever and the Butler Bulldogs play, respectively. Clark’s boyfriend, Connor McCaffrey, is an assistant on Butler’s men’s basketball team.

Lewis, 55, was charged with stalking threatening sexual battery or death, FOX 59 reported, citing court documents. The charge is considered to be a Level 5 felony. He could face up to six years in prison if convicted.

Lewis allegedly sent Clark sexually violent messages through his X account. One message said he had been driving around her house multiple times and encouraged her "not to call the law just yet." He also allegedly spoke of going to a Fever game and sitting behind the bench.

Authorities talked to Lewis about the messages on Jan. 8, according to the station. He reportedly told authorities he was going to Indianapolis for vacation and downplayed the number of messages he sent to the WNBA sharpshooter.

JEMELE HILL QUIETLY DELETES CAITLIN CLARK POST FOLLOWING STALKER ARREST

Lewis told authorities the messages weren’t threatening and called it a "fantasy-type thing" and a "joke."

Clark reportedly alerted authorities to the messages and said she had become fearful over the words sent to her.

"t takes a lot of courage for women to come forward in these cases, which is why many don’t," Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears said, via FOX 59. "In doing so, the victim is setting an example for all women who deserve to live and work in Indy without the threat of sexual violence."

The arrest of Lewis came nearly a month after an Oregon man pleaded guilty to stalking UConn Huskies women’s basketball star Paige Bueckers.

Robert Cole Parmalee, 40, was arrested in August and was found with an engagement ring and lingerie while walking near Bradley International Airport in Connecticut. He said he intended to marry Bueckers.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

• The author is a California native who grew up witnessing reoccurring wildfires.
• She moved to Indiana due to rampant West Coast wildfires and climate change concerns.
• She's urged her friends and family to leave California as well and doesn't plan on returning.

When I graduated from high school in 2004, there were over 8,000 wildfires across California.

I was born and raised in Southern California, and I've experienced more than my fair share of wildfires. In fact, it's one of the major reasons I left and continue to call Indiana home. I've toyed with the idea of returning someday, but the constant fires — and larger climate change and land mismanagement problems — keep me from buying property there.

I've urged my family and friends from high school to leave, but California can be a bubble. When life is good, no one sees the problems: the increase in homelessness, traffic, etc.

California wildfires have always been a part of my adult life

In 2009, when I graduated from UCLA, over 9,000 wildfires burned across the region from February through November, well beyond the typical fire season. It was worsened by years of drought.

That summer, I watched billows of smoke rise above the skyscrapers in the deadliest fire of the season, the Station Fire, north of LA, before we were all urged to hop into gridlock to evacuate. It was hellish: choking smoke and nowhere to go on the 110 freeway.

In 2018, wildfires struck again. This time my family had moved to Irvine, California, and I was on a date at a Barnes and Noble in Aliso Viejo. My date and I were suddenly urged to drop everything. Fleeing the parking lot, I snapped a quick picture of smoke in the distance, burning dangerously close to Soka University, where I used to teach.

That evening, lying in bed, I felt like I couldn't breathe. My family members felt the same, and later, we installed the highest-quality HEPA filters we could find and portable ones we could move throughout the house.

I left California and moved to Indiana

I moved to Southern Indiana a year prior, in 2017, and still live here now. As a freelance writer of home tours, I encounter many ex-Californians living here and in the Midwest more generally. Concerns about climate change and the fires that result from it are at the top of our list for moving away.

Californians seem to be moving to Indiana and Michigan for access to clean water at the Great Lakes — but that's just my pet theory.

The cost of living is much lower here than in California, and I really feel like I'm a part of a community. People tend to know their neighbors, and there's much less sprawl, so there are plenty of green spaces and state forests to wander in.

Still, Indiana is a more rural state, so everyday conveniences can be difficult to find outside the major cities like Indianapolis and Fort Wayne — there's no Starbucks on every corner.

I love visiting California, but I'd never buy property there

This year, the Palisades fire was projected to be the costliest in California's history. I'm frustrated with the state's wildfire strategy, which has prioritized fire suppression over prevention for years.

Though millions of dollars are spent on California fire prevention, efforts like removing dead and felled trees aren't enough in the face of climate change, which has lengthened the state's dry season.

What's more, places like LA are experiencing budget cuts that impact emergency responses to natural disasters, and it's unclear if fire insurance requirements will hold in urban areas that have been densified to meet housing demands.

Based on my experiences, I believe California's fire season will only grow and worsen

I'm not surprised to hear about the fire hydrants running dry in Los Angeles. SoCal gets much of its water from the Colorado River — which has been drying up of late. Every year SoCal experiences more water cuts.

In the early 2000s, we were asked not to water our lawns, and starting in 2022, businesses were forbidden from watering decorative grasses. The lack of fresh water is a real problem making the fire season worse.

I miss seeing my family, but for all these reasons and more, I'm hesitant to move back to California.

If you moved away from your hometown and would like to share your story, please email Manseen Logan at [email protected].

President-elect Trump and future first lady Melania Trump paid their respects to former President Jimmy Carter at his funeral in Woodley Park, Washington, D.C., on Thursday, where Trump and one of his most prominent political foes appeared to put politics aside.

Seated at the end of the second row of presidential and vice presidential families, Trump and former President Barack Obama shared several minutes of chatting and chuckling as the rest filed in.

Dressed in a dark suit and more subtle blue tie, versus his trademark red "Trump tie," Trump filed in a little before 10 a.m. ET.

As he entered his row, former Vice President Al Gore smiled and quickly stood up and was the first to greet him. 

CARTER'S DEATH SPURS OUTPOURING OF TRIBUTES FROM STATE LEADERS OF BOTH PARTIES: ‘A SERVANT’S HEART'

Gore, a Tennessee Democrat, did not have a significant other with him at the ceremony. He has been separated from former second lady Tipper Gore since 2010. 

Notably absent were former Vice President Dick Cheney and former second lady Lynne Cheney. Trump has notably clashed with his fellow Republican leader, and Cheney notably called him a "coward" during his daughter's (ex-Rep. Liz Cheney) doomed 2022 re-election bid in Wyoming.

As Trump entered his row, he shared a brief moment with his one-time ally and running mate, former Vice President Mike Pence. The two men's relationship soured following the Capitol Riot on Jan. 6, 2021, when supporters of Trump threatened to hang the Indiana Republican.

JIMMY CARTER DEAD AT 100

It was unclear what Pence said to Trump, but a rough reading of his lips appeared to say "good to see you." 

Former second lady Karen Pence notably remained seated and did not engage when her husband and Gore stood to greet Trump.

After the Trumps were seated, Obama arrived without his wife Michelle Obama by his side. Obama paused to share a quick jovial comment with former Vice President Dan Quayle. 

Quayle — the first of the two Indiana Republican vice presidents of this generation — was seated on the aisle with former second lady Marilyn Quayle, who also sat next to Gore.

Soon after, former President George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush arrived.

Bush appeared to receive the largest greeting of the living presidents assembled.

The Pences, Gore and the Quayles reached over to greet Bush. Meanwhile, Obama and Trump could be seen continuing their conversation unimpeded.

When former President Bill Clinton and 2016 presidential runner-up Hillary Clinton arrived, Trump and Obama largely ignored them as they chatted.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Former President Bush appeared to be the first to stand up when Hillary Clinton took her seat. Former President Clinton, who was recently hospitalized, appeared lively and healthy at the funeral.

Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Douglas Emhoff arrived next.

Trump did not visibly acknowledge Harris, nor Harris to him. 

Emhoff looked straight ahead as Harris briefly looked over her shoulder and appeared to grimace when she saw Obama conversing with Trump.

Emhoff and Harris shared a brief smile before focusing on the somber event once more, as the Clintons could be seen reading through their programs.

When President Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrived, Trump and Obama did not appear to greet them, as Trump soon began chatting with Melania.

Jill Biden sat first, taking President Biden's program off of his chair so he, too, could sit.

President Biden appeared to wipe a mark from his pant leg and lightly brushed his brow before looking straight ahead. None of the other families appeared to greet the Bidens.

Screenshots posted to X also showed outgoing Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau watching Trump as the president-elect filed in.

Indiana lawmakers are looking to go the extra mile in their efforts to keep biological male athletes in boys' and men's sports.

The state's current law, introduced in 2022, prohibits those born male at birth from playing against girls from kindergarten through high school. This week, Republican lawmakers Michelle Davis, Chris Jeter, Joanna King, and Robert Heaton filed a bill that would expand the ban to college teams.

"To ensure a level playing field, it's important that girls compete against girls, and boys against boys," Davis wrote in a statement to the Indy Star. "As a mother and legislator, I authored this bill because I've heard directly from Hoosier parents who want to ensure female athletes have a fair shot at competing and earning recognition."

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Indianapolis, the state's capital, is also where the NCAA's headquarters are located. 

The law would also require out-of-state teams with a transgender athlete to notify their opposing Indiana school of said athlete at least 60 days in advance. Athletes will also be able to file lawsuits against their school if they feel they had an opportunity taken from them or were injured as a result of a potential violation of the law.

Jeter, one of the co-authors, said the bill is intended to "protect women's sports in Indiana."

Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb vetoed the original bill nearly three years ago, but the Indiana General Assembly overturned that decision. Holcomb, a Republican, is leaving office later this month due to term limits, and fellow Republican Mike Braun will succeed him.

Two months after Holcomb vetoed the bill, a federal judge in the state ruled that a transgender student must be allowed to use the boys' restroom at a middle school in the state.

BROTHER OF EX-COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYER KILLED IN NEW ORLEANS TERROR ATTACK LEADS TRIBUTES

Last month, NCAA president Charlie Baker sent a message to women's college athletes who are uncomfortable sharing locker rooms with transgender athletes, putting the responsibility for their own safety squarely on the women themselves.

During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing over legalized sports gambling, Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., questioned Baker about the NCAA's policies that have allowed trans athletes to compete on women's teams. Hawley confronted Baker about the NCAA policy stating that "transgender student athletes should be able to use the locker room, shower and toilet facilities in accordance with their gender identity." 

Baker, the former Republican governor of Massachusetts, responded by insisting other athletes have the option to find other accommodations if they are uncomfortable with it. 

The NCAA saw a controversy that swept the nation, as trans volleyball player Blaire Fleming helped San Jose State University to the Mountain West championship match.

Fox News' Jackson Thompson contributed to this report.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.