1. United States
2. Md.
3. Letter

Gary, Indiana has been without power for nine days following the August 11 derecho. The predominantly Black city is still in the dark while the majority-white neighboring towns have already had their power restored. That is not a coincidence — it is a pattern, and it demands your immediate intervention. Pressure NIPSCO to restore Gary's power now and launch a formal investigation into why this community was deprioritized. This is a public health emergency. Extended outages can shut down water distribution pumps, creating conditions for deadly disease outbreaks. Residents have reported that NIPSCO crews were in the area surveying damage rather than making repairs. Meanwhile, Gary has been plagued by frequent outages for years, with power lines strung through difficult terrain that the company has never adequately maintained. The infrastructure failure is real, but so is the racial disparity in the response. Gary's residents deserve the same urgency that was extended to their white neighbors. Do not let this get buried. Hold NIPSCO accountable, push for federal support, and make clear that a community's race cannot determine how fast the lights come back on.