Mitch Daniels

The Purdue Board of Trustees will meet at 10 Thursday morning to vote on the university's next president.  Their choice will come as a big surprise - several sources have confirmed that it will be Mitch Daniels. The governor will leave office early next year and, so far, has announced no official plans for the next step in his career. His office will not confirm that he has agreed to take the Purdue job. However, sources with connections to both Purdue and the governor say it's a done deal.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - A judge has denied a temporary injunction that would have blocked Indiana's broad new school voucher program. Marion County Judge Michael Keele sided with the state of Indiana in his ruling Monday and against a group of teachers and religious leaders backed by the Indiana State Teachers Association. They sought to block the measure passed this year by the Republican-dominated General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Mitch Daniels.

MISHAWAKA — Supporters of Planned Parenthood of Indiana are invited to attend a rally from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Planned Parenthood health center at 3005 Grape Road. Rallies are planned across the state through Wednesday in reaction to the passage this week in the Indiana House of Representatives of House Bill 1210, which would place further restrictions on abortion and deny the $3 million in federal Medicaid money distributed annually to Planned Parenthood of Indiana.

ELKHART COUNTY - Mitch Daniels is making one of his final stops as Governor of Indiana in Elkhart County today. Governor Daniels is planning to ride in his campaign RV from the Statehouse in Indianapolis to the RV Hall of Fame. The governor's office says Daniels is donating the vehicle to the Indiana State Museum...but it's going on display at the RV museum. Daniels leaves office on January 14. He'll start his new job the next day as Purdue's new President.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Gov. Mitch Daniels was known as "The Blade" for his budget-slicing ways as a presidential aide during George W. Bush's first term but now has some barbering experience to back up the nickname. Daniels donned a white barber's smock to shave the beard of Republican Rep. Milo Smith of Columbus in the House Chambers on Monday to help raise more than $5,000 for two legislative staffers battling cancer. Smith let his beard grow out during the five weeks that minority Democrats boycotted the House.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Gov. Mitch Daniels is urging Indiana residents to pause for a moment of reflection at 9:30 a.m. local time Friday to remember the 20 children and six adults shot to death at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. Daniels' office said Thursday he was acting at the request of Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy. Malloy has issued a proclamation declaring Friday as a day of mourning in Connecticut. He also sent letters to all other governors inviting them to ask their citizens to take a moment to honor the victims.

Wall Street Journal columnist William McGurn attended Notre Dame.  He might want to come back for a little refresher course in local and Indiana politics. By now you may be aware of his column last week “Democrats and Dying Cities.” In it he extols the economic wonders of Mitch Daniels’ policies over the last eight years and blames South Bend’s woes on a succession of bad decisions and policies under a continuing series of Democratic mayors.  Really, it is just that simple.

CINCINNATI (AP) — Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, whose state Legislature is among those debating restrictions on collective bargaining, called public employee unions "the privileged elite" during a speech in Ohio. Daniels spoke Wednesday at the Hamilton County Republican Party's annual Lincoln-Reagan dinner. He said "there may have been a time when government employees needed protection and needed reform, but that was a long time ago. " He says that "public jobs grew while private jobs were lost, public salaries went up, while private sector salaries are shrinking," and added that "it's time to interrupt that loop in the public interest.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels says he'll stay focused on getting his Statehouse agenda passed, even if the legislative session drags on so long that it precludes him for running for president. An ongoing standoff caused by boycotting House Democrats has the potential to cause the legislative session to drag on past its scheduled end in late April. Daniels told The Associated Press Wednesday that his legislative agenda remains his top priority.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — An Indiana state senator is breaking with some fellow Republicans and returning campaign contributions from Timothy Durham, a former Indianapolis businessman charged with running a Ponzi scheme that defrauded investors of more than $200 million. Republican Sen. Mike Delph of Carmel wrote a letter to a bankruptcy attorney Monday saying he's returning the $10,000 Durham donated to his campaign in 2006 and 2007. The investigation into Durham's dealings spurred calls for Gov. Mitch Daniels and other Republicans to return a total of more than $800,000 in contributions.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) - Former Gov. Mitch Daniels has started his tenure as president of Purdue University with a fact-finding tour that students said impressed them with his willingness to engage them on changes he's considering for the university. "He is very personable and makes a great effort to speak with as many students as he can," said sophomore Brian McGuire, an aeronautical engineering major from Indianapolis. "One of the most impressive things about him is that he is great with names.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Indiana Gov.-elect Mike Pence is keeping more top state officials in the positions they've held under Gov. Mitch Daniels. Pence announced Friday that Karl Browning will remain the Hoosier Lottery's director and Scott Waddell will stay as commissioner of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. Browning became the lottery director in 2011 and has overseen the hiring of a private company to run the lottery's marketing, sales and distribution services. He became the lottery drector after Kathryn Densborn resigned amid controversy over spending on a posh new agency headquarters.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Gov. Mitch Daniels is urging Indiana residents to pause for a moment of reflection at 9:30 a.m. local time Friday to remember the 20 children and six adults shot to death at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. Daniels' office said Thursday he was acting at the request of Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy. Malloy has issued a proclamation declaring Friday as a day of mourning in Connecticut. He also sent letters to all other governors inviting them to ask their citizens to take a moment to honor the victims.

ELKHART COUNTY - Mitch Daniels is making one of his final stops as Governor of Indiana in Elkhart County today. Governor Daniels is planning to ride in his campaign RV from the Statehouse in Indianapolis to the RV Hall of Fame. The governor's office says Daniels is donating the vehicle to the Indiana State Museum...but it's going on display at the RV museum. Daniels leaves office on January 14. He'll start his new job the next day as Purdue's new President.

ELKHART - It's the end of the road as governor for Mitch Daniels. Now, the RV that helped get him to the state's highest office is in a local museum. The governor took one last road trip in RV One on Wednesday, making stops throughout the state. Daniels used the RV as a mobile campaign headquarters during his two campaigns for governor. The RV is covered in signatures from supporters collected during the election seasons. Wednesday, Daniels parted with the vehicle that took him to the Statehouse.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) - Outgoing Gov. Mitch Daniels would be paid $420,000 a year in his new job as president of Purdue University under an incentive-based contract approved by the school's board of trustees' compensation committee. The Journal & Courier reports ( http://on.jconline.com/UGJNLS ) the contract given initial approval Friday also calls for Daniels to be eligible for 30 percent more in pay with performance incentives. His pay could reach $546,000 a year.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Gov. Mitch Daniels has directed that flags across Indiana be lowered to half-staff Tuesday in honor of Patriot Day and the National Day of Service and Remembrance commemorating the Sept. 11 terror attacks. Daniels's office says the move is in accordance with a directive from President Barack Obama. The president's directive also includes a call to all Americans to observe a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. EDT. Among the many events around Indiana on Tuesday to honor those who lost their lives on 9/11will be a 7 p.m. remembrance service, wreath-laying and concert at the Indianapolis 9/11 Memorial adjacent to the state government campus in downtown Indianapolis.

The Purdue Board of Trustees will meet at 10 Thursday morning to vote on the university's next president.  Their choice will come as a big surprise - several sources have confirmed that it will be Mitch Daniels. The governor will leave office early next year and, so far, has announced no official plans for the next step in his career. His office will not confirm that he has agreed to take the Purdue job. However, sources with connections to both Purdue and the governor say it's a done deal.

WASHINGTON (AP) - Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels of Indiana thought long and hard before deciding not to run for president. Now, with Mitt Romney the likely nominee, he's professing no interest in joining the GOP ticket as a vice presidential candidate. Daniels says that if Romney came calling, Daniels would "demand reconsideration" and send Romney a list of people he thinks would be better suited for the job. Daniels tells "Fox News Sunday" says there's a lot of talent in the GOP and Romney will have a good pool to pick from.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Gov. Mitch Daniels is toughening penalties for public access violations and cracking down on nepotism in local government. Daniels signed the bills Monday along with another measure that reduces the number of state boards and commissions. Public officials will now face court fines if they violate the state's open meetings laws. Daniels called it a victory for open government supporters. The governor also signed one of his top priorities approved by the Legislature: new limits on who can hold various offices in local government.