Image of dark skies and jagged lightening bolt above distant hills.

Let's Call This What It Is . . . Authoritarianism

By michelle

Monday, 12/1/25, I went to the Indiana Statehouse to stand in solidarity with fellow Hoosiers denouncing calls from the Republican Supermajority to Redistrict mid-decade. While House Democrats requested their Republican colleagues observe precedent and protocol, their requests fell on deaf ears. Today, in what for many became a snow day hindering travel, several Hoosiers still showed up for the 2nd reading in Committee to present testimony.

Dark background, Hourglass with sand pouring over the US Capital, words in white read "Distraction, Delay & Despair"

Distraction, Delay & Despair (Saying No to Redistricting, Government Shutdown and Healthcare Cuts)

By michelle

Last week, Vice President JD Vance traveled once again to Indianapolis to visit Republican State legislators. His primary agenda? Convince our lawmakers to redistrict Indiana outside the census years to secure President Trump the remaining 2 of 9 Congressional Representatives. We have moved so far beyond representative government, it is obscene. Vance was once again met with a large crowd protesting his obvious strong-arming. Interestingly, he had no trouble flying across the country.

image of funnel clouds above a green treeline with the words When Storms Come - Mondays with Michelle

When Storms Come

By michelle

The other week, I saw the most unusual cloud formation. It was like a sideways funnel cloud. (See photo I captured in above header image.) I don’t recall ever seeing clouds quite like that before. Mesmerizing, yet I knew a storm was coming. And from past experience, some of the most alluring cloud formations ended up delivering the worst storms. 

Image of a person wearing work boots sweeping floor

Hands & Feet

By michelle

It is a curious thing to see everyone celebrate a holiday weekend that honors the labor movement while living in a state that actively exploits and distances itself from labor. And by distancing, I mean, actively working to dismantle the labor movement. The idea of a “right to work” state with the slogan Indiana - A State That Works just feels…off.

A golden sunset lights up a rural two-lane road flanked by trees, with the sun low on the horizon and a glowing orange sky. A "West US 60" road sign is visible on the right. Overlaid white text reads: "The Road Less Traveled – Mondays with Michelle."

The Road Less Traveled

By michelle

This past weekend I had the privilege to travel the rural roads of Indiana with a group of fellow Hoosiers from southern Indiana in an act of solidarity to decry the cuts to Medicaid and the further risk to our rural hospitals. We called ourselves the Motorcade for Medicaid, a small but mighty brigade committed to the simple truth that all Hoosiers, regardless of zip code or bank account, deserve quality healthcare.

Gray background. Top Left quadrant: black text reads, "Be sand. Find a gear." Top right quadrant: image of gears. Bottom right quadrant: black text reads, "Be seed. Find a field." Bottom left quadrant: photo of a field of sunflowers. Center image is a logo for the Summer of Solidarity showing a signal of a sunflower over a cityscape, red barn in foreground and green fields.

Be Sand. Be Seed.

By michelle

Images and videos from across the country are still coming through after Saturday’s record-breaking turnout in solidarity for the No Kings protest. Like millions of others, I woke up that morning not quite certain what to expect. Escalations in Los Angeles, a place I called home for over 25 years, weighed heavily on my mind and in my heart. How has our country found itself again at this threshold?