Bits ’n’ Pieces

From east, west and beyond

East, west or beyond, sooner or later events elsewhere may have a local impact.

A recent sampling:

Multnomah County, Ore., is suing 17 major oil companies for their role in causing the climate crisis that triggered the 2021 heat dome, which killed 69 people in that county. The litigation states the heat dome was “not a natural weather event,” and seeks $50 million in damages and $1.5 billion for future climate damages, The Guardian reported. Oregon Public broadcasting said another $50 billion is sought for climate adaptation measures. The county’s heat dome-response officials said research indicated the heat event was 150 times more likely to occur due to climate change.

By Lorraine H. Marie Reader Columnist

Moscow after a deal was struck to end the “mutiny.” Historian Heather Cox Richardson observed: it’s “crystal clear” that Putin’s hold over Russia is not secure, since the mercenaries were able to travel hundreds of miles into Russia with minimal resistance. The mercenaries’ leader is a former convict and has been indicted for operating a troll program to get Trump elected in 2016.

works are prohibited on federal public lands. During closed fire season (May 10-October 20), it is illegal to throw away any lighted material, including firecrackers or fireworks on any forest or rangeland in the state of Idaho (Idaho Code 38-117). Starting a wildfire with the use of fireworks is considered negligence, and the person who started the fire could be billed for the cost of fighting the fire (Idaho Code 38-107).

•Don’t be the spark — Do not drive or park on dry grass. Hot exhaust pipes or sparks can start a fire. This applies to off-highway vehicles and personal vehicles.

•Check your chains — When pulling a trailer, be sure safety chains and other metal parts aren’t hanging from your vehicle as these can drag and cause sparks.

Recreate Responsibly Idaho and its statewide partners also remind recreationists ATV, UTV and off-highway vehicle use; proper etiquette at boat ramps; water and life jacket safety; minding your wake on lakes, rivers and reservoirs; and more.

The campaign includes the Bureau of Land Management, USDA Forest Service, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, Idaho Department of Lands, Idaho Department of Commerce, Idaho Department of Transportation and the Idaho Rangeland Resources Commission.

Nonprofit news organization ProPublica has reported yet another U.S. Supreme Court justice has violated federal financial disclosure rules: Justice Samuel Alito was the recipient of a fishing trip worth more than $100,000 and did not recuse himself from a court case linked to the donor. As well, CNN said Alito made a trip to Rome, paid for by a group involved with the decision to overturn Roe vs. Wade. According to The Intercept, Alito recently ruled to dilute clean water laws, enhancing the value of real estate his wife owned. Justices Neil Gorsuch and Clarence Thomas also face ethics scrutiny.

Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich says trust in the court can be restored with a code of ethics, term limits for justices and expanding the Supreme Court. That’s not likely to occur quickly, he admitted, since “big monied interests will fight to keep their control of the Supreme Court.”

In a 6-3 ruling in Moore vs. Harper, the Supreme Court just rejected the “independent state legislature theory” that former-President Donald Trump attempted to use to keep power in 2020. The majority opinion stated, “the Elections Clause does not insulate state legislatures from the ordinary exercise of state judicial review.”

Justices Thomas, Alito and Gorsuch dissented, The New York Times wrote.

A Utah school board that approved banning the Bible in its libraries has reversed course. A school district subcommittee of three decided the “serious value for minors outweighs the violent and vulgar content it contains,” according to The Guardian.

Opposing Vladimir Putin’s handling of war against Ukraine, Russia’s private mercenary group recently took control of a key war staging area, then began marching toward Putin. They stopped short of

Blast from the past: After the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, numerous pivotal moments shaped our nation. The Declaration, points out historian Heather Cox Richardson, was not a form of government. Rather, in 1777 a new committee wrote the Articles of Confederation; it said each state had sovereignty, freedom, independence, powers, jurisdictions and rights “not [stated] by this confederation expressly delegated to the United States,” and that the new government was “a firm league of friendship” with the purpose of “common defense.” By 1783 problems were evident: Congress had no power for enforcing recommendations to the states, states balked at raising taxes to pay off the Revolutionary War’s debts and, lacking unity, Congress could not effectively enter negotiations with foreign countries (individual states acted mostly on their own behalf, as though they were independent nations). That resulted in a reorganization effort in 1787, resulting in the “We the People” document, followed by the Bill of Rights. By the 1830s, some state leaders claimed they should not be bound by laws of Congress, such as if they wanted to take land from Indigenous tribes or enslave Black people — they saw those actions as an expression of democracy. That led to the Civil War, followed by the 14th Amendment’s equal protection for all. It wasn’t until the post-WWII years that there was an appetite for enforcing the 14th. But so-called “traditionalists,” along with white supremacists, joined forces with businessmen who resented the federal regulation and taxation; they called for rolling back federal powers and returning them to the states. Lately that’s resulted in their pinning hopes on the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), which, last December, stated it will push for a convention to amend the U.S. Constitution, with a goal of limiting federal power and returning power to the states. Richardson noted it appears those seeking a new Constitution want to make sure “people like them” will “rule forever.”