Indiana
Northwest Indiana officials divided on Biden's decision to block Nippon takeover of US Steel
GARY, Ind. (WLS) — Leaders in Northwest Indiana reacted Friday after President Joe Biden decided to block Japan’s Nippon Steel from acquiring U.S. Steel.
The U.S. Steel smokestacks along the lakefront are a prominent landmark for the city of Gary. The company, with its more than century-long history in Gary, is the city’s largest employer with nearly 5,000 jobs.
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Gary Mayor Eddie Melton has been a big supporter of the proposed $15 billion merger between U.S. Steel and Japan’s Nippon Steel.
“Gary has seen a significant downturn over the last 50 years,” Melton said. “As we are constantly rebuilding from within, we couldn’t risk losing one of our largest employers.”
The Gary mayor said during a visit last month, Nippon executives promised a $1 billion investment in the Gary plant, replacing the four blast furnaces over the next ten years. However, union leaders support President Biden’s decision to block the deal, citing concerns about the long term stability of the steel industry.
“The president took action to block the deal so U.S. Steel remains a proud American company, American-owned, American-operated by American Union steel workers and the best in the world,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.
Yesterday we had a potential deal in hand. Today we have nothing. So it’s uncertain what the future’s gonna be.
Northwest Indiana congressman Frank Mrvan also agrees, saying in a statement, “It is absolutely right to prevent a foreign company with proven trade abuses from controlling our domestic steel production.”
The companies, however, are vowing to fight the President’s decision, saying, “Blocking this transaction means denying billions of committed investment to extend the life of U.S. Steel’s aging facilities and putting thousands of good-paying, family-sustaining union jobs at risk. In short, we believe that President Biden has sacrificed the future of American steelworkers for his own political agenda.”
Gary’s mayor agrees.
“Yesterday we had a potential deal in hand. Today we have nothing,” Melton said. “So it’s uncertain what the future’s gonna be.”
A White House spokesperson said the president’s decision has nothing to do with Japan, a close ally of the United States.
In the meantime, a spokesperson for U.S. Steel says they do intend to pursue their legal options, but it’s unclear exactly what that means.
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RIPLEY COUNTY, Ind. (WSBT) — A statewide Silver Alert has been issued for two young children in Indiana.
Police in Ripley County, southeast of Indianapolis, are looing for the children who may be siblings.
The first child is 3-year-old Aaliyah Buckingham.
She was last seen wearing a pink cat shirt and tie-dye shorts.
The younger child is 1-year-old Shane Buckingham, last seen in a red shirt and diaper.
Police think both are with 45-year-old Timothy Buckingham, who was last seen driving a brown GMC truck.
Timothy is described as a 6′ 3″ white man weighing 225 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes.
Photo of Timothy Buckingham provided by Indiana State Police
Police have not confirmed the relationship of the three, or why the children are believed to be in danger.
Anyone who sees the three are asked to contact the nearest police department.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A firefighter for the Indianapolis Fire Department was sent to the hospital Wednesday after battling a fire at a vacant house.
According to a Facebook post made by IFD, the fire happened around 10:15 a.m. at a house on Bluff Rd. IFD says that there were several complications, including limited access to fire hydrants and “interior hoarder conditions” that IFD says was due to squatters.
The injured firefighter received “slight injury,” the Facebook post said.
It took over an hour and a half to get the fire under control, according to IFD, and another hour to put out all the remaining hot spots in the building.
According to IFD, the cause of the fire is currently unknown. Their Fire Investigations Unit is working on figuring out what caused the fire.
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