Source: David Becker / Getty
It is now official for GOP front-runner, Donald Trump, after the critical New York Primaries today…the next stop is here to Indianapolis. Voters are heading to the polls in New York today and there are 291 delegates up for grabs for the Democrats and 95 available for Republicans. It’s almost impossible to overstate how important the outcome of the Empire State is to Democrats Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. The cache of delegates are divided proportionally so the margin of victory really matters. On the other side of the aisle, Republicans are attempting to win haul as well. Clinton and Trump are favored to win the state, each one calls home. When it’s all over there, we know now that Trump will speak here in Indy at the Indiana State Fairgrounds tomorrow afternoon. This has now been confirmed by his campaign. The event will be held at the Elements Financial Blue Ribbon Pavilion at 3 p.m. Doors open at noon. Access free tickets to the event on his campaign web, HERE.
Faith leaders from across the city are making recommendations on how to improve the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department’s community relations. Implicit bias training, body cameras for all patrol officers and a new policy for the release of video footage are specifically among their suggestions. IMPD Captain Rick Riddle told The Indianapolis Star the department already addresses some of their issues, but other implementations are bound by policies of another agency, such as the Marion County Prosecutor’s office.
More than a half-dozen liberal groups are pressuring Google and Microsoft to stay away from the Republican National Convention. The groups are asking the Internet and tech giants not to provide any sponsorship of the GOP convention in Cleveland in July. They say sponsorship would help provide a platform for what the groups call “the hateful and violent message” of front-runner Donald Trump.
Today is the 21st anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing. Nearly 170 people died, including many children in the daycare located in the basement, as a result of the blast at the Alfred P. Murrah Building. Around 9 a.m. on the morning of April 19th, 1995, a rental truck full of explosives blew up in front of the building in downtown Oklahoma City. The explosion blew off the building’s north wall. More than 300 buildings in the area were damaged. After a major man hunt for the suspects, former U.S. Army soldier, Timothy McVeigh was arrested and later convicted of the bombing. Terry Nichols was an associate of McVeigh’s and surrendered in Kansas. McVeigh was put to death in 2001 here in Indiana at the federal prison in Terre Haute. An African-American then-U.S. Marshall, Frank Anderson, oversaw McVeigh’s execution. (Anderson later served as the Marion County Sheriff.) Nichols is serving a life sentence in prison. The Murrah Building was demolished in May of 1995 and a national memorial and museum was later opened at the site.
The city of Baltimore is still recovering from the death of Freddie Gray. One year ago today, Gray passed away from injuries sustained while in police custody. His death sent the city into riots over police brutality and race relations. Gray had been arrested a week before his death for what police say was possessing an illegal switchblade. While being transported in a police van, Gray suffered a severe spinal injury that sent him into a coma, from which he never recovered and later died. Then-Baltimore Prosecutor, Marilyn Mosby, indicted six police officers in Gray’s death last May. The first of those officers went to trial in December, but a jury was unable to reach a verdict for him. He is Officer William Porter and a mistrial was declared. The cases continue. A pretrial hearing is scheduled Wednesday, April 20, for two more officers. The motions hearing concerns the state of Maryland’s attempt to compel Officer Garrett Miller to testify at the trials of Officer Edward Nero and Lieutenant Brian Rice. Nero is scheduled to go on trial next month, while Rice and Miller’s trials are set for July. The Maryland Court of Appeals also ruled in March of this year that Officer Porter can be compelled to testify against his five fellow officers–a move Porter’s team was attempting to avoid.
Today also marks the 23rd anniversary of the end of the Branch Davidian standoff near Waco, Texas. That tragic event began as a raid by federal agents searching for stockpiled automatic weapons and hand grenades. It ended with the group’s compound burning down. Government officials first stormed the Branch Davidian compound at Mount Carmel, near Waco, Texas, on February 28th, 1993. They were attempting to serve a warrant on the leader of the sect, David Koresh, 33, on charges of possession of illegal weapons. Four federal agents and several Branch Davidians were killed during the initial clash. The standoff lasted 51 days and ending on April 19th, 1993 in a hail of gunfire and a burning inferno that left more than 70 men, women and children dead.
At least five deaths in Texas may be related to the harsh weather that is hitting the state. The Houston-area has been hit the hardest with some 18 inches of rainfall and flooding. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has declared a state of disaster, as of now, that includes nine counties.
A lawsuit filed by eleven women who got booted off the Napa Valley Wine Train last year is over. Word of a financial settlement came down on Monday. The owners of the Wine Train are paying an undisclosed amount to each of the ten black women and one white woman who are part of a book club. The women were removed from the train after other passengers complained they were being too loud. The women filed an $11-million lawsuit in San Francisco’s U.S. District Court and after the settlement, their lawyer would only say he’s “very satisfied” with the outcome.
In Sports…
It’s now a game a piece in the first round of the NBA Playoffs for the Pacers and the Raptors. The Pacers lost Game two on the road last night in Toronto 98-87. It’s a best of seven series. Game Three is here at home Thursday night.
A banner described as “massive” will adorn the side of the J.W. Marriott to commemorate the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500. The banner is 74,538-square-feet and will read “Epic Race. Epic Place.” It’ll also feature the Borg-Warner Trophy, racing stripes and an IndyCar. Installation began Monday and will take about eleven-days to complete. Happy Anniversary on the way to “Start Your Engines!”
Andrew Luck says he still has some work to do before he’s back to 100 percent. He participated in the Colts’ first voluntary workout Monday by lifting weights and running sprints.
Indy Weather…
Cloudy this morning… showers this afternoon. High of 81 degrees.
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