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Page 4A NATION East Oregonian Tuesday, December 6, 2016 Winter menaces camp as pipeline protesters dig in NATION Tuesday, December 6, 2016 East Oregonian Page 5A 36 dead in Oakland warehouse fire By PAUL ELIAS AND JANIE HAR Associated Press By JAMES MACPHERSON Associated Press CANNON BALL, N.D. — So far, the hundreds of protesters fighting the Da- kota Access pipeline have shrugged off the heavy snow, icy winds and frigid tempera- tures that have swirled around their large encampment on the North Dakota grasslands. But as they defy govern- ment orders to abandon the camp and vow to stay put even after a surprise federal decision to further delay and review the project, demon- strators know the real deep freeze comes when the full force of the Great Plains win- ter descends on their commu- nity of nylon tents and tee- pees. Life-threatening wind chills and towering snow drifts could mean the greatest challenge is simple survival. “I’m scared. I’m a Cali- fornia girl, you know?” said Loretta Reddog of Placer- ville, California, a protester who said she arrived sever- al months ago with her two dogs and has yet to adjust to the harsher climate. The government had or- dered protesters to leave federal land by Monday, though authorities made no noticeable effort to enforce that mandate as the deadline passed. Many demonstra- tors insist they will stay for as long as it takes to perma- nently divert the $3.8 billion pipeline, which the Standing Rock Sioux tribe believes threatens sacred sites and a river that provides drinking water for millions of people. The pipeline is largely complete except for a short segment planned to pass be- neath a Missouri River reser- voir, and opponents scored a victory during the weekend when the Army said it would not approve a permit for the crossing while further assess- ing potential changes. The company doing the building says it is unwilling to reroute the project. For several months, the government permitted the gathering, allowing its pop- ulation to swell. The Seven Council Fires camp began growing in August as it took in the overflow crowd from smaller protest sites nearby. It now covers a half square mile, with living quarters that include old school bus- es, fancy motorhomes and domelike yurts. Hale bales are piled around some tee- pees to keep out the wind. There’s even a crude corral for horses. The number of inhabi- AP Photo/David Goldman U.S. Air Force veteran Jarrod Phillips, of St. Louis, left, serves stew to veterans at the Oceti Sakowin camp where people have gathered to protest the Dakota Ac- cess oil pipeline in Cannon Ball, N.D., Monday. AP Photo/David Goldman People walk along a snowy hillside in a storm at the Oceti Sakowin camp where people have gathered to protest the Dakota Access oil pipeline in Cannon Ball, N.D., Monday. Trump not saying what he’ll do about pipeline CANNON BALL, N.D. (AP) — In- dustry leaders are urging President-elect Donald Trump to make approval of the disputed Dakota Access oil pipeline a “top priority” when he takes office next month, while opponents who have protested the project for months are vowing to stay put on their sprawling North Dakota encamp- ment despite harsh winter weather and a tribal leaders’ call to leave. The moves come after the Army de- clined to issue a permit for the $3.8 billion pipeline to cross under a Missouri River reservoir in southern North Dakota near the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation. While the Army’s decision doesn’t end the debate over the pipeline, industry analysts and the chairman of the Native American tribe that’s led the protests said Monday they don’t expect any developments for months. Standing Rock Chairman Dave Ar- chambault lauded the Army’s decision as taking “tremendous courage,” and Nation- al Congress of American Indians President Brian Cladoosby said it showed “respect for tribal sovereignty.” tants has ranged from several hundred to several thousand. It has been called the largest gathering of Native American tribes in a century. Increasingly, more perma- nent wooden structures are being erected, even though the Army Corps of Engi- neers considers them illegal on government property. The Standing Rock Sioux insist the land still belongs to their tribe under a nearly 150-year- old treaty. Nate Bison, a member of South Dakota’s Cheyenne River Sioux, came to the camp after quitting his job in The Standing Rock tribe believes the 1,200-mile pipeline to transport North Dakota oil through the Dakotas and Iowa to a shipping point in Illinois threatens drinking water and cultural sites. Dal- las-based pipeline developer Energy Transfer Partners has denied that and said the pipeline will be safe. The segment under Lake Oahe is the only remaining big chunk of construction. “I am hopeful President-elect Trump will reject the Obama administration’s shameful actions to deny this vital energy project,” American Petroleum Institute President and CEO Jack Gerard said in a statement late Sunday. The institute represents the U.S. oil and natural gas industry. Trump supports construction of the pipeline, spokesman Jason Miller told The Associated Press on Monday, but Mill- er wouldn’t say whether Trump would reverse the Army’s decision. “We will review the full situation when we’re in the White House and make the appropriate determination at that time,” Miller said. Las Vegas. He said last week that he intends to stay indef- initely, a prospect that may cause him to lose his house in Nevada. “But since I’ve lived in these conditions before, to me it’s not all that bad,” he said. Camp morale is high, he added, despite the onset of winter. “Everybody I’ve talked to, you hear laughter and people just having a good time, en- joying the camaraderie and the support from each other,” Bison said. “And the love. People are taking the shirts off their own backs for other people. No one is left out that I’ve seen.” In the last week, the camp near the confluence of the Missouri and Cannonball rivers has been shrouded in snow, much of it compacted by foot and vehicle traffic. Temperatures hovered in the 20s. This week’s forecast calls for single digits and sub- zero wind chills. Camp dwellers are get- ting ready for the hardships of a long stay. Mountains of donated food and water are being stockpiled, as is fire- wood, much of which has come from outside of North AP Photo/David Goldman A woman offers cleansing smoke during a ceremony with military veterans and Native Americans on a closed bridge outside the Oceti Sakowin camp in Cannon Ball, N.D., Monday. Dakota, the least-forested state in the nation. A collec- tion of Army surplus tents with heating stoves serve as kitchen, dining hall, med- ical clinic and a camp-run school. Many of the smaller tents have become tattered by the wind. Thane Maxwell, a 32-year- old Minneapolis native who has been living at the camp since July, said North Dako- ta’s bitter cold will not deter protesters committed to fight- ing the pipeline, or “black snake” as they call it. Tribes from the Great Plains states are adept at sur- viving brutal winters, he said. Others from warmer climes are being taught how to en- dure the frostbite-inducing temperatures that are sure to come. “A lot of these people have been living in this cli- mate for hundreds of years,” said Maxwell a member of Minnesota-based Honor the Earth Foundation. “It’s a skill set that can be learned. The danger is escalating from law enforcement, not the weath- er.” Reddog said she has con- fidence in the camp com- munity. “Everybody’s really stepping up and taking care of each other,” she said. Maxwell put out a call on social media for more do- nations, seeking four-wheel drive trucks and foul-weath- er clothing. He also asked for gas masks and protective baseball and hockey gear to shield protesters from any future skirmishes with po- lice. More than 525 people from across the country have been arrested since August. In a recent clash between police and protesters near the path of the pipeline, officers used tear gas, rubber bullets and large water hoses in sub-freezing temperatures. Organizers said at least 17 protesters were taken to the hospital, some for hypothermia and one for an arm injury. One officer was hurt. North Dakota has often conjured images of a wind- swept, treeless wasteland. The perception was so great that it led to a short-lived proposal to change the state’s name by dropping “North” and leaving just “Dakota,” to dispel the image of inhospita- ble winter weather. OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Terry Ewing was among the anxious family and friends who received confirma- tion Monday of what he already knew in his heart: His girlfriend was among the three dozen killed in the Oakland warehouse fire. Authorities confirmed the death of Ara Jo as the death toll rose to 36. Prosecutors also said Monday that murder charges could result from their investigation into the fire that broke out during an underground dance par- ty at a building known as the “Ghost Ship.” Alameda County Sheriff Gregory Ahern told The Associated Press he didn’t believe there would be addi- tional bodies found in what is the most lethal building fire in the U.S. in more than a decade. But he cautioned that it was “im- possible to be absolutely positive” until the entire recovery effort is com- plete. Authorities had gone through about three-quarters of the building by Monday afternoon. The laborious job of digging with shovels and buckets through the de- bris was suspended overnight because of a dangerously unstable wall. It re- sumed in the morning, though a rain- storm Tuesday could complicate the effort. The cluttered warehouse had been converted to artists’ studios and illegal living spaces, and former den- izens said it was a death trap of piled wood, furniture, snaking electrical cords and only two exits. AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File In this Aug. 25 file photo, former Republican presidential candidate Dr. Ben Carson speaks before Republican presi- dential candidate Donald Trump’s arrival at a campaign rally in Manchester, N.H. AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez Alameda County Sheriff J.D. Nelson holds an aerial picture of a warehouse fire near the site Monday in Oakland, Calif. Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley said Monday her office has sent a team to search for evidence of a crime in the warehouse, but has not yet determined whether a crime even occurred. She said poten- tial charges could range from invol- untary manslaughter to murder. She declined to say who her team has in- terviewed. “It’s too early to speculate on any- thing,” O’Malley said. “We just start- ed our investigation, and we owe it to the community and those who per- ished in this fire, and those who sur- vived the fire to be methodical, to be thorough, and to take the amount of time it takes to be able to look at every piece of potential evidence.” Derick Ion Almena and his partner, Micah Allison, ran the building’s arts colony called the Satya Yuga collec- tive. Almena told San Jose television station KNTV in an interview Mon- day that about 20 people lived there. He said he had gone to a hotel Friday night with his wife and children be- cause he was exhausted. “We’re sorry to the families and all the friends that have lost loved ones,” he said, with Allison by his side hold- ing his hand. “I gladly would give my entire life of fortune, of wealth of ex- perience again and again and again, and I say this to you and I say this to the camera and to whoever is watch- ing me that I surrender everything.” Police: Fake news story led gunman to pizzeria WASHINGTON (AP) — The bizarre rumors be- gan with a leaked email referencing Hillary Clinton and sinister interpretations of references to pizza par- ties. It morphed into fake online news stories about a child sex trafficking ring run by prominent Dem- ocrats operating out of a Washington, D.C., pizza joint. On Sunday, it culminat- ed in violence when police say a North Carolina man fired an assault rifle multi- ple times inside the Comet Ping Pong restaurant as he attempted to “self-investi- gate” the conspiracy theory known in the Twitterverse as “Pizzagate.” No one was hurt and the man was arrested. But the shooting alarmed those from neighboring busi- nesses all the way to the White House about the real life dangers of fake news on the internet. One of those posting on the con- spiracy theory is the son of President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed national AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana The front door of Comet Ping Pong pizza shop, in Washington, Monday. A fake news story prompted a man to fire a rifle inside a popular Washington, D.C., pizza place as he attempted to “self-investi- gate” a conspiracy theory police said. security adviser. White House Spokes- man Josh Earnest, asked about the shooting Mon- day, said, “There’s no de- nying the corrosive effect that some of these false reports have had on our political debate ... It’s deeply troubling that some of those false reports could lead to violence.” Edgar Maddison Welch, 28 of Salisbury, North Car- olina, was arrested Sunday afternoon outside the pop- ular eatery in an affluent capital neighborhood, po- lice said. At a first appearance Monday in D.C. Superi- or Court, Welch appeared handcuffed in a white jumpsuit and was ordered held pending a hearing Thursday. A public defend- er representing him didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment. Comet’s owner, James Alefantis, said in a state- ment Sunday night: “Let me state unequivocally: These stories are com- pletely and entirely false, and there is no basis in fact to any of them. What hap- pened today demonstrates that promoting false and reckless conspiracy the- ories comes with conse- quences.” Still, at least one person clinging to the conspira- cy theories is prominently connected to Trump’s tran- sition team. Michael Flynn Jr. is an adviser to his fa- ther, Michael Flynn, whom Trump selected to serve as national security adviser. Flynn Jr. has sent nu- merous posts on Twitter about the Pizzagate con- spiracy theories. Flynn Jr., who has accompanied his father to presidential transition meetings inside Trump Tower and lists the presidential transition web- site as part of his Twitter bio, tweeted Sunday night that, “Until #Pizzagate proven to be false, it’ll re- main a story.” Trump taps Carson for HUD secretary By JONATHAN LEMIRE Associated Press NEW YORK (AP) — Don- ald Trump chose retired neu- rosurgeon Ben Carson on Monday to be secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development, raising fresh concerns about the lack of experience some of Trump’s Cabinet picks have with agen- cies they’re now being chosen to lead. Carson, who opposed Trump in the Republican pri- maries, has no background in government or running a large bureaucracy. In addition, South Caroli- na Gov. Nikki Haley, Trump’s choice to be ambassador to the United Nations, has no for- eign policy experience. Steve Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs partner and Hollywood executive, is Trump’s man to lead the Treasury Department but has never worked in gov- ernment. And retired Gen. James Mattis, a widely praised battlefield commander, spent decades in the Marines but now is tapped to run the nation’s largest government agency, the Defense Department, with 740,000 civilian employees in addition to 1.3 million service personnel. Democrats swiftly criticized Carson’s qualifications for his job. House Democratic lead- er Nancy Pelosi called him a “disconcerting and disturbingly unqualified choice.” And New York Sen. Charles Schumer said he had “serious concerns about Dr. Carson’s lack of ex- pertise and experience in deal- ing with housing issues. Some- one who is as anti-government as him is a strange fit for hous- ing secretary, to say the least.” Carson would oversee a budget of nearly $50 billion that provides rental assistance for more than 5 million house- holds. Demand for that assis- tance is high in part because housing costs are rising faster than incomes. HUD also pro- motes home ownership with the Federal Housing Adminis- tration underwriting about 1 in 6 mortgages issued in the U.S. The agency is charged with enforcing federal fair housing laws, too. In a statement, Trump said he was “thrilled to nominate” Carson, describing his “bril- liant mind” and his passion “about strengthening commu- nities and families within those communities.” Carson, who grew up poor, quickly endorsed Trump after ending his own presidential bid despite Trump noting what he called Carson’s “pathological temper.” Carson has been coy about joining the new admin- istration, saying shortly after Trump’s election victory that he wasn’t certain he’d fit into a Cabinet-style role in a job like Health and Human Services secretary. “Ben shares my optimism about the future of our coun- try,” Trump said, “and is part of ensuring that this is a presiden- cy representing all Americans.” Heading a Cabinet agency is a huge bureaucratic job, with responsibility for overseeing massive budgets and thousands of employees. Choosing a lead- er without management expe- rience could present challeng- es, warned Ben Chang, who worked under three different administrations. “People can learn the poli- cies and the talking points, but the transition will be dictated by their own managerial style,” said Chang, who remembered incoming Secretary of State Colin Powell walking the halls to meet with career officers and not just his executive staff. UPCOMING CHAMBER EVENTS Nov. 10th! NEW MEMBER RIBBON CUTTING Rod Rutherford Saddlery & Cowboy Art 11 SE Court Ave, Pendleton Tuesday, November 8, 2016 @ 12:15 p.m. 198 NEW MEMBER WELCOME OUR CHRISTMAS GIFT TO YOU : Selected “items” ANNUAL BULB PARTY Quiznos Subs KC Park, Owner 204 SW 20th St, Pendleton • (541) 276-6301 VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! Business Holiday Window Display Contest “Old Fashioned Christmas” November 17th @ 9am 50% OFF 36 years 201 6 249 S. Main, Pendleton • 541-276-6988 Rod Rutherford Saddlery & Cowboy Art 11 SE Court Ave, Pendleton • (541) 279-9060 Something For Everyone 0 Now Accepting Leadership Pendleton Class of 2017 Applications. Visit pendletonchamber.com or call (541) 276-7411 for more information Pendleton City Shops on Byers Avenue 1st • 2nd • 3rd prizes More info at www.pendletonchamber.com each day during December Cari Broker www.deansathletic.com Visit the fi nest Thai Restaurant in the West. Located in the shadow of the County Court House Open 7 days a week • 541-278-4182 210 SE 5th Street, Pendleton, OR 97801 thaicrystalrestaurant.com RAYMOND JAMES FINANCIAL SERVICES, INC. AIRPORT ANTIQUES & THE FURNITURE LADY 1816 NW 51st St. • (541) 278-0141 • 888-222-2397 Tues. - Fri. 10:30 am - 6:00 pm www.pendletonfurniturelady.com f Your regional Aladdin Lamp dealer and authorized repair specialist. 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