Some residents of Gary, Indiana, have been without electricity for weeks, and many in the black community are rushing to blame racism and discrimination.

Deadly storms knocked over electricity poles and brought damaging flooding to northeast Indiana, including Gary, and initially knocked out power for about 300,000 residents.

‘It’s full of black people. We the blackest city out here, so they don’t want to check on us.’

While the Northern Indiana Public Service Company has been working to return power to customers, it has been hampered by violence targeting utilities workers.

On Aug. 14, restoration efforts were paused after a utility truck was damaged by gunfire. No injuries were reported.

“These aren’t simple repairs,” said Melody Birmingham, an executive at the parent company of NIPSCO. “These are lines that ordinarily take us, and systems that ordinarily take weeks or months that we are trying to accomplish in days or weeks.”

She rejected accusations that NIPSCO was neglecting the city because a majority of its population is black.

“We have areas that are probably affluent where we still have customers out as well. … This has nothing to do with race or any type of division,” said Birmingham, who is black. “It’s really a matter of where the storm hit.”

Among the most prominent voices blaming racism are Dr. Bernice King, the daughter of the late Martin Luther King Jr.

“What is happening in Gary, Indiana, raises a deeper question about whose communities are treated with urgency,” she wrote on social media Monday.

“Black communities have too often been expected to endure neglect, absorb the consequences, and keep surviving,” she added. “No community should have to prove that its families are worthy of immediate care. Our communities deserve more than survival. Black communities deserve to be valued.”

Others are speaking out to the media.

“We know why they not coming out here though. I mean it’s obvious, you know, it’s obvious” said one resident named Amara to BreakThrough News.

“It’s full of black people. We the blackest city out here, so they don’t want to check on us.”

RELATED: Black man blamed racism for arson at his home that killed 2 — until an accomplice speaks up

Some residents signed onto a class-action lawsuit against the company for allegedly neglecting the area and setting up the conditions for far worse damage from the storms.

Six adults and one boy were killed as a result of the storms, according to the state Department of Homeland Security.

NIPSCO indicated that it was close to returning power to most Gary residents sometime this week.

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​Racism, Indiana, Natural disaster, Storms, Politics 

The Democrat candidate for one of two U.S. Senate seats for Texas was seemingly caught spreading misinformation about an emergency incident at an Amazon warehouse.

James Talarico was campaigning at a church when he referred to an incident at an Amazon warehouse in which an employee died.

‘Lying isn’t very Christian. And that’s what you’re doing here because that’s not what happened.’

He posted a video of his comments to social media on Sunday to spread the message against corporate greed.

“An Amazon worker died in one of Amazon’s warehouses. And as he lay dying, management told the other workers: ‘Turn around. Don’t look. Get back to work.’ Get back to work? That was a human being. That was a child of God,” Talarico claimed.

“Sacrificed on the altar of corporate greed,” he added.

An Amazon employee did die after collapsing at an Oregon facility in April in Troutdale, Oregon, and that story has been used by Democrats and other activists to attack capitalism, though Amazon has specifically denied allegations about it.

Amazon responded to a Blaze News request for comment by directing to a previous statement about the incident, denying the “misinformation” being spread online.

“Sadly, one of our teammates collapsed during his shift from what we now understand as a pre-existing medical issue. When our onsite team was notified, three CPR certified team members, including two from our on-site safety team, provided CPR and deployed an automated defibrillator until emergency medical services (EMS) arrived shortly after.”

The statement went on to say that the area was cordoned off while the company’s safety teams and EMS cared for the worker. Unfortunately, the employee passed away.

And in contrast to criticism casting Amazon as cold and heartless in its response, the company outlined steps taken to protect the man’s privacy and to care for the other workers at the warehouse.

“Shortly after this event occurred, employees were sent home with pay for the rest of the day,” they added. “When we resumed operations the following day, any employee who requested time off was given that time, and onsite grief counselors were provided to anybody who chose to come to work and needed them.”

Many online found Talarico’s politicization of the man’s death to be inappropriate and crass, especially as the Democrat regularly cites Christianity in his campaign.

“Lying isn’t very Christian. And that’s what you’re doing here because that’s not what happened,” said one critic.

RELATED: James Talarico shamelessly panders on Karmelo Anthony verdict — on NY-based radio show

“Total LIE about the actual events. Do you EVER tell the truth??” said another.

“You don’t turn someone’s distress into a sideshow Talarico,” responded one detractor. “You allow medical personnel and others qualified to handle the situation and ask everyone else to leave the scene. And it’s also exactly what the first responders tell you too. And another reason you are unfit to serve in our senate.”

Amazon has been hounded by critics pointing out that its workers are twice as likely to be injured as non-Amazon workers. Another report found that Amazon warehouses had 30% more injuries than the industry average in 2023.

The company responded to the criticism by noting Amazon had invested $2.5 billion in increased safety standards.

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​Amazon, Capitalism, James talarico, Texas, Us senate, Politics 

President Donald Trump has threatened to punish Canada with 50% tariffs on automotive and steel imports after the country’s leaders rejected his trade deal offer.

In a post on Truth Social on Monday, he cited Canada’s tariffs on farms and said the situation was no longer sustainable. The new tariffs will go into effect on New Year’s Day, 2027, the president said.

‘We’re all in … everyone’s in for an economic war.’

“On January First, 2027, Tariffs on all Cars, Trucks, both large and small, Automotive Parts, and Steel, will be increased to 50%. Build in the U.S. and there are ZERO TARIFFS,” wrote the president.

“Canada will be treated like a State no longer!” he added. “On Trade, and in other ways, also, they are among the worst Nations in the World to deal with. They feel entitled, and yet, WE DON’T NEED CANADA, THEY NEED US!”

Ontario Premier Doug Ford responded defiantly to the tariffs.

“He underestimates Canada. We’re all in,” Ford said. “Up here, we’re at a fever pitch, everyone’s in for an economic war. They know they’re going to have to sacrifice.”

On Friday, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney walked away from talks with the Trump administration on trade, and the U.S. responded on Saturday by immediately imposing 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian products.

Carney said Canada would retaliate with reciprocal tariffs beginning Sept. 8.

Ford went on to threaten to cut off energy and materials from Ontario to the U.S.

“I’ll cut them off,” Ford said in reference to critical minerals. “You won’t get a grain of sand out of Ontario.”

He noted that Canada provides electricity for about 1.5 million homes and businesses.

“He can kiss my ass as far as I’m concerned,” Ford added.

“We need to throw everything and the kitchen sink at him. He’s arrogant, he’s cocky.”

RELATED: Trump says Canada is considering his offer to become the 51st state of the US

Canada is one of the largest trading partners of the U.S., but the U.S. depends far less on Canadian imports than our neighbor to the north depends on U.S. imports.

About 59% of Canada’s imports come from the U.S., while only 12.6% of U.S. imports come from Canada.

The Trump administration also launched a new campaign Monday to cripple Iran through economic sanctions in order to end the war and open the Strait of Hormuz completely.

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​Canada, Donald trump, Doug ford, Economic war, Mark carney, Tariffs, Trade war, Politics 

Karmelo Anthony, who savagely murdered 17-year-old Austin Metcalf at a high school track meet last year, appealed to have his conviction and corresponding 35-year prison sentence thrown out.

Anthony’s attempt to forgo the legal consequences of his actions is off to a rocky start.

‘Im gonna lick there blood off the blade.’

After District Judge John Roach Jr. — who presided over Anthony’s trial — was recused last week from overseeing subsequent steps of the case, Anthony’s lawyers made their play for a new trial before retired Judge Michael Chitty, who replaced Roach.

With the push for a new trial came new character evidence about the killer and his victim — evidence from police reports, school records, and cellphone data that was previously withheld owing to what prosecutor Bill Wirskye referred to as a “gentleman’s agreement” between prosecutors and the defense.

According to court documents referred to in court and reviewed by CBS News, hours before killing Metcalf, Anthony allegedly sent a text message stating, “I’m lowk on the verge.”

RELATED: James Talarico shamelessly panders on Karmelo Anthony verdict — on New York-based radio show

That same morning, the killer’s ex-girlfriend notified a staff member at Centennial High School that Anthony was “engaging in stalking behavior, to include, but not limited to, driving by her home and refusing to allow her to end their relationship,” said prosecutors.

Prosecutors also highlighted text messages where Anthony allegedly admitted to punching girls in the face and committing burglaries; discussed robbing someone for $300; threatened to vandalize a house because of a “grudge”; and told a friend, “Imma shoot the school up tmr” “with my blick.”

According to a message thread between Anthony and his ex-girlfriend presented in court, Anthony allegedly wrote, “I like punching people”; “when get mad I see red”; “when I get mad I blackout”; and “when I get mad I can’t control myself.”

Prosecutors also alleged that Anthony had not only repeatedly threatened to murder his ex-girlfriend but in one instance allegedly texted her, “When I stab sb im gonna lick there blood off the blade,” reported KXAS-TV.

This sharing exercise was a two-way street, and some allegations about Metcalf and his brother were likewise revealed.

Metcalf and his twin brother, Hunter, were once caught spray-painting racist remarks and sentenced to 12 months of juvenile probation. The documents also raised allegations about Metcalf using racial slurs in school, swearing at a teacher, discussing bringing a gun to school, bullying at least two other students, and texting provocative statements.

On Saturday, Judge Chitty denied the defense’s retrial without elaboration.

“Our commitment to our client has not changed,” said Russell Wilson, an attorney for Anthony, reported the Associated Press. “We will continue to advocate vigorously on his behalf through every lawful avenue available.”

The defense will reportedly continue an appeal in the Fifth Court of Appeals.

Blaze News did not immediately receive a response from Wilson.

Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis stated, “We respect, and expected, the court’s decision denying the motion for a new trial.”

“The jury’s guilty verdict stands, and we remain confident in the process. Every defendant has the right to appeal, and our thoughts and prayers remain with the Metcalf family in the painful wake of last week’s hearing,” added Willis.

The Stand With Karmelo Coalition said in response to the ruling,

We continue to maintain that serious constitutional and legal errors denied Karmelo Anthony the fair trial to which he was entitled. The restrictions placed on public access to his trial raised fundamental Sixth Amendment concerns. The defense made consequential decisions throughout the trial in reliance upon an agreement with the State concerning the evidence that would — and would not — be introduced, only to have the State change its position at a critical point in the proceedings. And we maintain that errors in the jury instructions impaired the jury’s consideration of the issue at the very heart of Karmelo’s defense: whether he acted in self-defense.

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​Crime, Karmelo anthony, Austin metcalf, Politics, Murder, Racism 

The thought of China making it to the moon likely left a lot of Americans with an uneasy feeling.

To make matters worse, the communist giant was primed to make a first-of-its-kind discovery.

China’s boots-on-the-ground mission was set for 2030.

The China National Space Administration’s Chang’e‑7 has taken aim at the moon’s south pole, where the darkest and most barren parts of the surface are located. Particularly, China has focused on the Shackleton Crater, whose large rims provide permanently shadow regions where researchers believe water ice could exist.

Chang’e‑7’s launch, complete with lander, rover, and mobile probe, was scheduled to take place before the end of August, but China’s entire lunar exploration roadmap has now been blown out of the water after the space program officially delayed its launch on Sunday.

The Chinese government announced that the Chang’e-7 mission has been delayed until at least 2027.

“Based on the principles of safety, reliability, and infallibility, after comprehensive analysis and judgment, the Chang’e-7 mission does not meet the launch conditions and cannot be implemented in the scheduled window this year,” the space administration said, per a translation.

And so far, at least, the United States government has not made any comment on the momentous development.

No reason for the delay was provided by Beijing, but the most circulated scenario has been that Typhoon Narra and its 45 mph winds were the cause for disruption.

Singapore outlet the Straight Times reported that 54,000 Chinese were displaced by rising flood waters, including more than 8,000 being moved to emergency shelters.

RELATED: LIFE ON MARS? Bizarre formation in NASA photo sparks red planet conspiracy theory

CN-STR/AFP/Getty Images

Ars Technica reported on a typhoon warning center that warned the storm is expected to persist for several days, preventing workable launch conditions at China’s Wenchang site. This would cause the Chinese space authorities to miss their launch window to hit the underside of the moon.

This now puts China’s entire timeline into question, as Chang’e‑7’s mission was the crucial first step toward getting more robots, and eventually humans and engineering and military equipment, onto the moon’s surface.

Chang’e-8, another probing mission, was set for 2029, while China’s boots-on-the-ground mission was set for 2030. Beijing had stated that it had its space station “steadily in orbit” to serve as a platform for its manned lunar landings.

These steps would have put the communist nation’s preparatory framework ahead of the United States’ Artemis program but still would have had its manned-landing come after NASA’s.

RELATED: Vast secrets hide below the moon’s surface — and China is about to find them out before we do

CN-STR/AFP/Getty Images

Now China finds itself at risk of falling permanently behind America’s Artemis program.

After the Artemis II flyby, Artemis III will serve to monitor the lunar surface for future landings while testing U.S. systems associated with the fourth mission. Artemis III has a window of 2027, now the same as Chang’e-7.

Artemis IV astronauts have a goal of landing on the moon in “early 2028” to establish permanent residency on the satellite.

The Chinese shake-up now could put NASA and team USA considerably ahead of China, whose lunar landers were said to be large and impressive.

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​China, Chang’e-7, Nasa, Artemis, Tech, Moon 

Right-wing activist Eoin Richard was carried out of a church over the weekend after an anti-Islam protest ended in chaos.

Richard intended to launch his Take Back L.A.: Free Speech Rally on Sunday at the Islamic Center of Southern California, but he ended up at Precious Blood Catholic Church after claiming to have received death threats. He was quickly outnumbered by counterprotesters, chased through the church, and assaulted at a nearby Starbucks.

‘We aren’t going to be able to march to the Islamic Center due to threats on our lives.’

In videos posted to Instagram, Richard and at least one supporter are seen fleeing into Precious Blood Catholic Church while agitators follow closely behind.

After being picked up and removed from the church, Richard is cornered at a nearby Starbucks along with his companion. The activist group shouted that he is a “Nazi,” a “piece of s**t,” and a “terrorist.”

“JIHADISTS and ANTIFA storm CATHOLIC CHURCH and abduct EOIN RICHARD after mass,” Richard’s Instagram caption reads.

Masked assailants later poured blue paint all over Richard and his companion. Eventually, Los Angeles Police Department officers arrived to escort the men from the store. They did not appear to make any arrests.

A day prior to the confrontation, multiple Islamic organizations drew attention to Richard’s event.

RELATED: Is Ilhan Omar getting deported? Trump’s post raises eyebrows

Nihad Awad, the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, says so many minorities, including American Muslims, “have been attacked in the past two years.” (Bill Pugliano/Getty Images file photo)

The Council on American-Islamic Relations Los Angeles, the Muslim Public Affairs Council, and the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California condemned Richard’s rally in a press release Saturday.

“ICSC has served as a place of worship, community, and belonging in L.A. for generations. Attempts to bring hate, intimidation, or fear to the doorstep of any house of worship have no place in our city,” ICSC spokesperson Omar Ricci said in a statement. “We will not allow those who seek to divide our communities to define who we are or how we respond.”

MPAC even provided its followers with detailed background information on Eoin Richard, sometimes referred to as Eoin Richard Connolly, and his activism.

“There is no identified public evidence that Connolly has explicitly called for violence against the Islamic Center, Muslims, or event participants,” MPAC admitted in its community alert and threat assessment posted to Facebook.

MPAC did, however, warn its followers that Richard’s flyer combined “explicitly Christian mobilization with Crusader-associated symbolism” and that he had “documented relationships with activists involved in confrontational protests.”

“We aren’t going to be able to march to the Islamic Center due to threats on our lives. But we’re still having our rally here, rallying with Christians and Catholics here in L.A.,” Richard said in an Instagram story filmed outside of Precious Blood.

Richard, Precious Blood Catholic Church, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, MPAC, the LAPD, CAIR-LA, and the ICSC did not respond to requests for comment.

It is unclear who removed Richard from the church.

Richard was previously a candidate for Los Angeles mayor, according to the L.A. Times.

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​Islamic center, Jake lang, Lapd, Los angeles, Muslims in america, Politics 

LaRell Herbert once believed the only explanation for his lifelong gender confusion was that he had been born in the wrong body.

So after leaving the Mormon faith, embracing a secular worldview, and undergoing a gender transition, Herbert openly identified as a woman for seven years.

And he believes it all started when he stumbled onto pornography on the internet.

“I had this weird experience where when I started exploring pornography, I realized that there was a very particular flavor of pornography that was my poison, you might say,” he tells BlazeTV host Allie Beth Stuckey on “Relatable.”

“This happened to be BDSM pornography,” he says, noting that after some “self-healing,” a repressed memory surfaced.

“I had this repressed memory from when I was 5 years old come up where I was restrained, as just a child, restrained by this electrical cord and violated sexually,” he says.

As his addiction grew, he “started envisioning [himself] in the shoes of the women in the pornography.”

“That was the only thing that would do it for me. And also it felt like a victimless crime. If I could pleasure myself to the thought of me being in their shoes in the scenario, then it wasn’t a sin in my mind,” he explains.

“And this is one of the things that I like to teach people now, is that sexuality can be programmed,” he continues. “We of course all are born with the biological sex tendencies that are in us because we’re male or female and attraction to the opposite sex is natural to one’s biology.”

“If that differs at all in your psyche, in your system, that means that something happened, some sequence of experience happened to you as a child or you were exposed to things in a certain sequence that made you develop the perspective you have now,” he adds.

With the addition of his childhood trauma, Herbert recognized that his “sexuality was very much programmed by viewing that pornography, by repetitively exciting those feelings.”

Herbert was also married when he began his transition, which led to a lot of “distress” in his marriage — especially for his wife.

“I didn’t want to cause her distress, even though I felt like I had to pursue being a woman in order to be happy. I at some point told her basically, I can’t go on living if I can’t do this,” he tells Stuckey.

“I think it was largely for selfish reasons at the time. I’ve learned that being trans is a very selfish thing. It’s all about me and my needs and what I can do for myself to be happy, and you forget the people around you,” he adds.

Want more from Allie Beth Stuckey?

To enjoy more of Allie’s upbeat and in-depth coverage of culture, news, and theology from a Christian, conservative perspective, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

​Gender transition, Pornography addiction, Transgender, Mormon, Trauma, Allie beth stuckey, Larell herbert, Blazetv show 

An investigation into a suspected quintuple homicide has one sheriff describing the crime scene as one of the most “complex” she’s ever seen.

First responders answered a call Saturday morning about a vehicle fire at a rural property outside of Portland, Oregon, where they also discovered five human bodies.

‘Any time you have one person deceased, let alone five, that’s a logistical challenge.’

The fire personnel who were first on the scene in the 47300 block of NW Otis Lane near Forest Grove soon called deputies.

Investigators later discovered the remains of “several domestic animals,” according to a Washington County Sheriff’s Office news release; no details have been disclosed regarding the identities of the human bodies.

“I will say that in my 22 years here, I have not been a part of or witnessed a scene quite this complex involving this type of an investigation,” Sheriff Caprice Massey said, according to the Associated Press.

According to CBS News, the investigation into determining the identities of the five victims was ongoing as of Sunday afternoon.

RELATED: Threatening male begins beating up Florida mobile homeowner, but victim pulls gun, fires once — ‘and the threat was over’

In a news conference, sheriff’s Detective Shannon Wilde reportedly said, “Any time you have one person deceased, let alone five, that’s a logistical challenge.”

From the first update, detectives said they believed this case was not a “random act of violence.”

Authorities provided an update Sunday saying they had located and identified a suspect in connection with the killings.

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office identified 36-year-old Benjamin Charles Parker as the homicide suspect in this case.

Parker was found dead in a car in Enumclaw, Washington, which is roughly 200 miles north of the crime scene.

KOIN-TV reported that the car containing Parker’s body was found behind a Safeway grocery store.

His death is believed to be a suicide.

A Washington County Sheriff’s Office representative on Monday told Blaze News they are not releasing more information on the case until next of kin are notified.

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​Suicide, Suspect, Oregon, Homicide, Washington state, Bodies, Crime