January 29, 2016

Malheur Standoff Puts Science in the Crosshairs

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/malheur-standoff-puts-science-in-the-crosshairs/

Before it became a flashpoint in an antigovernment protest, the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge was a place where dozens of scientists conducted research projects aimed at studying the plants, animals and ancient cultures who lived in eastern Oregon’s high desert. Despite some indication that the ordeal might soon be over, with only four militants still occupying the refuge at press time as the standoff continues into its fourth week, concern that the militia’s activities could have long-term effects on the refuge’s ecosystem and archaeological sites is growing.
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The archaeology work at the refuge became one of the occupiers’ complaints against the government on January 20 when the militia released a video showing one of their leaders, Robert “LaVoy” Finicum, and others inspecting cardboard boxes of stone artifacts that had been recovered from the refuge. Finicum, who was killed in a confrontation with law enforcement officers on Tuesday, expressed dismay over the treatment of the artifacts and asked for a liaison with the Burns Paiute Tribe to discuss returning the artifacts to them. The tribe has responded by enacting a resolution calling on the U.S. Department of the Interior to prosecute the militants to the fullest extent of the law citing federal government’s treaty obligations. “We have a long standing relationship with the tribe,” says Malheur archaeologist Carla Burnside of the Native Americans who are descendants of the land’s original inhabitants, “they are involved in every aspect of the work we do out there.”
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One of the sites that has, until now, been left intact happens to be the headquarters buildings the militants are occupying. They have been using a bulldozer in the area around those structures. The headquarters buildings and prehistoric sites near them are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. “If soil is being disturbed out there, it is highly likely that they have impacted prehistoric resources,” Burnside says. Damaging a site listed on the Register is a violation of the Archaeological Resources Protection Act of 1979 and could add to the list of charges facing the militants.


Bold added by me.
I hope they are prosecuted to the full extent for the damage they have caused.

January 28, 2016

WA state Rep/Cruz Chair/Bundy fan has military service questioned

Supports Bundy gang, supports Cruz and lied about military service. Now even his fellow Republicans are ditching him.


http://www.thestranger.com/blogs/slog/2016/01/25/23474798/icymi-the-state-rep-behind-the-transgender-bathroom-bill-faces-questions-about-his-military-record

In case you didn't catch this story from Jim Brunner in the Seattle Times over the weekend: State Rep. Graham Hunt—a Republican from Orting who's behind a couple of terrible bills this session—is facing questions about whether he has exaggerated his record of military service. The issues include a doctored photo, the list of medals Hunt claims he received, and a question of whether Hunt was really "wounded in combat"—and where.
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If Hunt's name sounds familiar, it may be because he's the lead proponent of a bullshit bill currently circulating in Olympia that would require transgender people to use public bathrooms and locker rooms associated with their birth sex instead of their gender identity, as the state's Human Rights Commission has said they have the right to do. Hunt is also one of the sponsors of the troubling bill I wrote about last week that would restrict poor women's access to abortions in Washington state, even in cases of rape and incest.
A self-described “conservative constitutionalist,” Hunt is the Washington state chairman for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s presidential campaign. He was one of two Washington state lawmakers who recently visited armed protesters who have seized the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon.


http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/hunt-needs-to-clear-up-military-questions-or-resign-lawmaker-says/

In an interview Wednesday, House Minority Leader Dan Kristiansen, R-Snohomish, said he has told Hunt, R-Orting, to produce proof he did not knowingly exaggerate his military service.
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Hunt is up for re-election this fall. But as of Wednesday, his name and photo had been stricken from the website of the House Republican Organizational Committee — the campaign arm of the state House GOP.
Kristiansen said he ordered Hunt’s photo and bio removed because of the military-service questions.



http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/combat-veteran-records-fail-to-back-state-lawmakers-claims/

A doctored war photo and discrepancies about medals have raised questions about state Rep. Graham Hunt’s military background. He served in the Middle East and says he was “wounded in combat,” but has been vague about the details.

Much more info in the linked article.