Daybreak Drive-IN: New session gavels in… Trump talks military takeovers… Indy 500 fan favorites make offseason splashes

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Wednesday’s first and fastest look at news, sports, and weather starts with the new General Assembly at the Statehouse, explains the sentence for a former top police officer, and outlines the NASCAR aims of one of the Indy 500’s all-time greats. subscribe to the Daybreak Drive-IN to get ‘in the know’ before you get out the door – or as you head into work or school.

• State lawmakers get to work today, gaveling in the new Indiana General Assembly for a long, budget-setting session. It’s also the first session for incoming governor Mike Braun, once he takes office Monday.
• A former Southern Indiana police lieutenant is now sentenced to more than 12 years in prison, for for beating three men without cause. Prosecutors say other officers reported Aaron Strong’s abuses, which include beating a man with a baton after he had surrendered and stomping inmates at the county jail. Strong worked for the New Castle police department.
• President-elect Donald Trump says he won’t rule out the use of military force to seize control of the Panama Canal and Greenland. He said in a wide-ranging news conference Tuesday that U.S. control of both are vital to American national security. Trump also expanded on his hints that he wants Canada to be part of the United States, saying he would use economic force, rather than military force, to do that.
• Another round of California wildfires is forcing tens of thousands of people to flee their homes. The blazes are burning around Los Angeles and have already burned homes and clogged evacuation routes. In one case, an entire senior living center had to clear out.
• Two fan favorites from the Indy 500 have big news. Andretti Global says Marco Andretti will run in may. He is purely a part-timer in open wheel now, but considered a perennial contender at the 500. Four-time winner Helio Castroneves is giving oval racing’s other headlining event a go: he’s going to make a run at the Daytona 500 – making his NASCAR debut at 49 years old – for Trackhouse racing..
• The Indiana Pacers try to make it four straight wins tonight – hosting the Bulls at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Tipoff is set for 7pm. Indiana’s current run has put the Pacers back above .500 for the first time since the opening week of the season.
• Expect partly cloudy skies and colder highs today, with the temperature topping out at 23°