Indiana

An estimated 21 percent of Hoosiers smoke – one of the highest smoking rates in the country. 

But of the nine bills related to smoking, cigarettes, and e-liquids introduced at the Statehouse this session, only two are moving forward. 

The National Alliance for Mental Illness says about two million people with mental illnesses are booked into jails every year.

But most counties aren’t properly equipped to treat those people while they’re in custody. The problem is especially big in Indiana, where many jails are housing far more inmates than they are supposed to. 

Latosha Poston says she made a lot of mistakes in her life. Her legal troubles began in her teens after her first child was born in Indianapolis. Over the years, bad decisions led to some arrests, some convictions.

"Sometimes we get stuck in our past and let our past guide us," she says.

The 44-year-old has worked hard to straighten out her life. But her criminal records — all involving misdemeanors — continued to haunt her as she tried to find a decent job and place to live.

Indiana Medicaid recipients are getting better access to drugs for treating hepatitis C,  a change triggered by a class-action lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union.

Indiana launched a new work requirement program through Medicaid on the first of the year.  It’s called “Gateway to Work” and is billed as a community engagement opportunity to help connect people with better employment opportunities.

But some worry the changes will result in Hoosiers losing health insurance.

Pete Buttigieg, the 37-year-old Democratic mayor of South Bend, Ind., announced last week that he intends to run for president.

An openly gay man and a veteran of the war in Afghanistan, Buttigieg has been identified by top Democrats — including former President Barack Obama – as a potential future leader for the party.

The Indiana University School of Medicine’s (IUSM) Evansville campus has a new home.

Once located on the campus of the University of Southern Indiana, the med school moved late last year to downtown Evansville. 

Side Effects asked Dr. Steven Becker, the school’s director and associate dean, about the move – and his plans.

In another step to lower its high maternal death rate, Indiana has joined the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health.

The alliance is a national group of public health organizations and hospitals that works to reduce poor birth outcomes. It analyzes hospital data and provides training materials on addressing health complications during pregnancy.

The impressive facade of the main church at Saint Meinrad Archabbey looks like it was taken straight out of Europe. Twin steeples topped by golden crosses loom over the rural Indiana landscape.

During the holiday season, it's a place of healing, as some St. Meinrad monks help people cope with their grief.

Addiction affects millions of Americans. At a live storytelling event, Indiana community members who struggle with addiction shared their stories of life in recovery.

Ceera Moseby is a first-time mom and due early next year. Her pregnancy has been smooth so far. Still, the young, healthy Indianapolis woman has cause for concern.

“Me being a black woman, I am higher risk for death in that hospital," the 20-year-old said.

Physicians across the country have a message for the National Rifle Association: Gun violence is our concern. It's part of a battle being fought vigorously on Twitter in recent weeks.

Vice President Mike Pence often describes his conservative religious views as "Hoosier values." It's a consistent narrative in a state that, with the exception of 2008, has voted for Republican presidents since 1980.

The religious right in Indiana has long been a powerful political force. But now a progressive interfaith movement, called Faith In Indiana, is trying to challenge that foothold.

A number of states have tied Medicaid coverage to work requirements. But legal challenges have followed — a sucessful attempt to stop the program in Kentucky, an ongoing lawsuit in Arkansas and possibly more to come.