Congressman are calling on the Biden Administration to Reverse Willow Oil Project Approval. Climate groups have warned that the project would release a “carbon bomb.” A group of 33 House Democrats is urging Biden administration officials to heed calls from numerous climate and Indigenous groups to suspend a permit that would allow fossil fuel giant ConocoPhillips to construct a massive drilling operation on pristine Alaskan land. The lawmakers, led by Representatives Jamaal Bowman (D-New York), Jared Huffman (D-California) and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-New York), said that the administration should suspend the permit while the $8 billion project is in litigation, and reject future permits that the company may file to pursue the project. “Given the permanent damage ConocoPhillips’ preliminary construction efforts will inflict on the surrounding ecosystem and community, necessary steps must be taken to mitigate harm as it undergoes comprehensive review,” the group wrote in a letter to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.
Native American graduation regalia protected by a Colorado state bill. The Creek schools fashion policies in Denver would guarantee the right of Native American students to wear items such as eagle feathers and other traditional clothing at graduation ceremonies through a bill under consideration this year. Federal law protects Native American religious and cultural rights. But students sometimes run into issues or find flat-out prohibition at schools when it comes to wearing regalia at ceremonies, advocates say. They say families must then fight to make districts aware of the importance of traditional clothing. Or students running into a lack of understanding might choose to skip graduation ceremonies altogether. Senate Bill 202 would ensure K-12 schools, colleges, and universities create policies to protect Native American students, so they don’t run into issues.
Those are your headlines at this hour. I’m Colette Keith in the KIPI News center.
