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Tag: North Dakota

  • Arizona House Passes Legislation Targeting App Store Payments

    Arizona House Passes Legislation Targeting App Store Payments

    Just weeks after North Dakota failed, the Arizona House has passed legislation to force Apple and Google to allow third-party payments options.

    Apple and Google have both come under fire for requiring in-app payments be routed through their app stores. The issue came to a head when Epic, the maker of Fortnite, sued both companies. North Dakota recently tried to pass a bill that would force both companies to allow third-party options, but the bill failed to gain enough support.

    In contrast, Arizona’s bill has already passed the House of Representatives with a 31-29 vote, and is set to go to the Senate. In particular, the bill would forbid Apple or Google from requiring a developer based in Arizona “to use a particular in-application payment system as the exclusive mode of accepting payments.” The bill would also prohibit the companies from requiring “exclusive use of a particular in-application payment system as the exclusive mode of accepting payments from Arizona users.”

    It remains to be seen if the bill will pass the Senate and be signed by Governor Ducey. If it does, however, it will likely serve as a template for other states. Arizona may also suddenly find itself the destination of choice for app development companies looking to relocate.

  • UK Court Blocks Epic’s Case Against Apple

    UK Court Blocks Epic’s Case Against Apple

    The UK antitrust tribunal has blocked Epic from pursuing its case against Apple — over how the App Store and in-app payments work — in the UK.

    Epic sparked a confrontation with Apple and Google when it tried bypassing both companies’ in-app purchasing rules and the two removed Fortnite from their app stores. Epic filed lawsuits, first against Apple, claiming Apple harmed its business by banning Fortnite from the App Store.

    In her initial ruling, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers pointed out that Epic can’t argue it was harmed by Apple’s actions when it was Epic that started the problem by breaking its agreement with Apple and then crying foul. The company could have challenged Apple in court, and then collected back damages if it prevailed. By breaking its agreement first, Epic looks to have intentionally created a fake crisis specifically to take advantage of the situation.

    It appears UK courts want no part of the dispute, ruling that Epic will not be able to pursue its case in the UK, according to Reuters. The UK tribunal did not exclude Epic’s against Google, but believes the US is the best jurisdiction to handle the Apple case.

    The ruling is the latest victory in challenges against Apple and Google’s app stores, after the North Dakota legislature voted against a bill that would have required the companies to support third-party app stores and payment systems.

  • North Dakota Votes Against App Store Bill

    North Dakota Votes Against App Store Bill

    North Dakota has voted against a bill that world force Apple and Google to support third-party app stores and in-app payment methods.

    North Dakota made headlines last week when a bill — the first of its kind in the US — was introduced that targeted Apple’s App Store, as well as the in-app payment methods Apple and Google use. The bill would have forced the companies to embrace third-party options, as well as protect developers from retaliation if they chose to go that route. The bill was touted as a way to level the playing field and protect smaller developers.

    Apple, in particular, has faced increasing criticism over the App Store. Some developers object to the fees Apple charges, want third-party store options, want to bypass Apple for in-app payments, or all of the above. Meanwhile, Apple has consistently said the App Store is critical to the iOS and iPadOS ecosystem, as it provides a layer of security that is one of the company’s selling points.

    Erik Neuenschwander, an Apple software manager specializing in privacy, underscored the point in his testimony (PDF) for the ND legislature:

    The App Store is curated. I understand some of you have owned stores yourselves, so this will be familiar to you: you don’t put just any product on your shelves; you stock your shelves only with products that meet your standards for safety and quality. You don’t want to sell products that don’t work or pose a danger to your customers. And that’s how we run the App Store: to keep out apps that would steal your banking information, or break your phone, or spy on your kids. Each week, we review about 100,000 submissions, and we reject about 40% of them because they don’t meet our standards. And we know that our approach works: research shows that iPhone has far fewer malware infections than the Android Platform.

    Neuenschwander also emphasized that customers can vote with their wallets if they don’t like Apple’s walled-garden approach:

    And, remember: customers can make this choice for themselves. Today, if a customer wants our curated App Store approach, he can buy an iPhone; but if he wants a different approach without the protections Apple provides, then he can choose one of our competitors. We think our approach is better, but at the end of the day, it’s the customer’s choice to go with us or with someone else. Senate Bill 2333 could eliminate that choice if it required all mobile device makers to adopt the same approach of stocking their shelves without first screening the products.

    Ultimately, it appears Apple’s arguments were effective, as the ND legislature voted against the bill 36-11.

  • North Dakota Bill May Force Alternate App Stores

    North Dakota Bill May Force Alternate App Stores

    North Dakota has introduced a bill that would force Apple, as well as Google, to allow alternate app stores on their platforms.

    Apple has increasingly come under fire for its insistence that iOS and iPadOS apps can only be distributed via the official App Store. Apple has long-maintained that the App Store is one of the reasons iOS and iPadOS are so secure, since Apple is able to vet apps before they’re released to the public. Those arguments are not without merit, as Android consistently has more malware and malicious apps on the Google Play Store than Apple does.

    Nonetheless, the App Store has become the focal point of complaints against Apple, with everyone from Basecamp to Epic targeting it, calling it a monopoly. In particular, many companies have taken issue with Apple forcing in-app purchases and upgrades to be routed through the App Store, giving the company a percentage.

    North Dakota appears to be tackling the issue head-on, introducing Senate Bill 2333, which would prohibit Apple and Google from forcing developers to exclusively use their app stores and in-app payment methods. The bill would also ensure all app stores and developers are treated fairly and equally, by prohibiting any kind of retaliation against developers that choose to use an alternate store.

    “The purpose of the bill is to level the playing field for app developers in North Dakota and protect customers from devastating, monopolistic fees imposed by big tech companies,” said Sen. Kyle Davison, regarding the 30% commission Apple and Google charge on in-app purchases, according to The Bismarck Tribune. He further said the fees particularly penalize smaller developers “by raising prices and limiting choices for consumers.”

    Should the bill pass, it’s unclear how far-reaching the ramifications may be. On the one hand, the bill would only be enforced within the state of North Dakota and would have no legal implication outside the state. On the other hand, Apple may take a similar approach that many companies have taken to California’s privacy laws, and decide it’s simpler to apply the bill to all US customers.

  • Google Now Facing Third Suit, As 30 State Sue Over ‘Illegal Monopoly’

    Google Now Facing Third Suit, As 30 State Sue Over ‘Illegal Monopoly’

    Google is being sued by 30 states, as the company faces its third lawsuit over abusing its monopoly in search and online advertising.

    Google is already facing lawsuits by the Department of Justice (DOJ), as well as a coalition of 10 states. The new lawsuit is led by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, and includes Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming, the District of Columbia, and the territories of Guam and Puerto Rico.

    “Our economy is more concentrated than ever, and consumers are squeezed when they are deprived of choices in valued products and services. Google’s anticompetitive actions have protected its general search monopolies and excluded rivals, depriving consumers of the benefits of competitive choices, forestalling innovation, and undermining new entry or expansion,” Weiser explained. “This lawsuit seeks to restore competition.”

    The scope of this lawsuit goes beyond the previous two, accusing Google of “engaging in a multi-pronged effort to maintain its monopolies.” In particular, “Google’s acquisition and command of vast amounts of data obtained because of consumers’ lack of choice has fortified Google’s monopolies and created new barriers to competition and consumer value.”

    The states have filed a motion to join their case with the DOJ’s case, which could significantly expand the scope of the DOJ’s case.

  • States Sue Google For Antitrust Violations

    States Sue Google For Antitrust Violations

    As predicted, a coalition of 10 states have sued Google for alleged monopolistic behavior in digital advertising.

    The DOJ filed a lawsuit against Google in October, accusing the company of abusing its monopoly in the search business. Shortly after, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton warned that state lawsuits would likely follow.

    The first of those lawsuits has now been filed, according to NPR, with 10 states accusing the search giant of similarly abusing its monopoly in online advertising. The states involved are Arkansas, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas and Utah.

    “These actions harm every person in America,” Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a video announcing the lawsuit. “If the free market were a baseball game, Google positioned itself as the pitcher, the batter and the umpire.”

    Google has said the claims are “meritless” and vowed to vigorously defend itself in court.

  • North Dakota’s Contact Tracing App Shares Location Data With Advertisers

    North Dakota’s Contact Tracing App Shares Location Data With Advertisers

    Researchers have discovered that, contrary to its own privacy policy, North Dakota’s contact tracing app shares data with FourSquare.

    North Dakota became one of the first states to unveil a contact tracing app to help combat the coronavirus pandemic. The app, Care19, was created for the state by ProudCrowd LLC. The app’s privacy policy makes the following statement regarding how data is used:

    “This location data is private to you and is stored securely on ProudCrowd, LLC servers. It will not be shared with anyone including government entities or third parties, unless you consent or ProudCrowd is compelled under federal regulations.”

    Similarly, the privacy policy claims to anonymize user data, saying “your data is identified by an anonymous code.”

    There’s only one problem: It isn’t true. Researchers at Jumbo Privacy analyzed the app and found that it was sharing user location data with FourSquare. To make matters even worse, the anonymized code was sent to FourSquare along with a device’s Advertiser Identifier (IDFA). As Jumbo Privacy states, “An IDFA is an identifier that is shared across all apps on your phone, and often leaked by third-party SDKs, along with personal information.”

    ProudCrowd is perfectly illustrating why Apple and Google have fought so hard to build their contact tracing API with a focus on privacy. Even when using the API, there is still room for abuse.

    In the meantime, Jumbo Privacy recommends that users not install the app until the application lives up to its privacy policy, or the privacy policy accurately reflects what the app is doing.

  • North Dakota Oil Fire Extinguished

    North Dakota Oil Fire Extinguished

    A large fire that broke out at an oil supply and logistics company in Williston, North Dakota has been extinguished.

    The blaze, which ignited in an oil patch hub in the western part of the state, grew so hot that fireballs shot hundreds of feet into the air. The fire started at around midnight Monday, and Williston Fire Department shift captain Steven Kerzmann said that it is still unclear what caused the blaze. Fire trucks from neighboring towns Ray and Epping assisted in controlling the fire, and three of the five buildings at the site were saved.

    Red River Supply owns the facility, and the company says it provides storage, blending and delivery of oil drilling fluids, soil stabilization materials, dust control products and proppants. North Dakota state records show that various flammable chemicals were stored at the site of the fire.

    Kerzmann commented that the majority of firefighters who battled the blaze left Tuesday evening, though one truck remained at the site to monitor hot spots. “The fire is out, but you’ve got some smoldering embers that might pop up here and there,” Kerzmann said. Red River Supply said that no one was injured in the fire.

    Williston Fire Chief Jason Catrambone said officials have yet to identify which specific chemicals had burned at the site, though Williston Mayor Howard Klug said a hazmat unit monitoring air quality found nothing potentially harmful. Tim Wiedrich, a spokesman for the North Dakota Department of Health, said the agency is also monitoring air quality around the site.

    Flights were restricted from Williston’s Sloulin Field International Airport until 2 p.m. Tuesday, according to airport manager Steven Kjergaard. The Federal Aviation Administration issued the six-hour restriction due to concerns over the massive pillar of smoke rising from the still-smoldering site.

    Local police initially evacuated everyone within a half-mile of the blaze, and traffic in the area was diverted. The perimeter has since been downgraded to two blocks from the Red River Supply facility.

    Image via YouTube

  • North Dakota Abortion Law Overturned by Judge

    Last year, North Dakota’s Republican-led legislature and governor signed into law what abortion rights advocates called the most restrictive law against abortion in the United States. The law, referred to as the fetal heartbeat law, called for the outlaw of abortions in which the fetus’s heartbeat could be detected, limiting the deadline for abortions to as early as six weeks into the pregnancy. Today, a federal judge in North Dakota overturned the legislation, deeming the law “unconstitutional”.

    The law was first brought to court by the Red River Women’s Clinic in Fargo, ND. The group believed that the purpose of the law was to push the abortion clinic out of business considering that nearly all abortions would have been outlawed under the legislation. If the legislation was allowed to stand, the closest abortion clinic to residents of North Dakota would have been some 250 miles away.

    U.S. District Judge Daniel Hovland submitted an injunction against the law after its passage, stating, “The State of North Dakota has presented no evidence to justify the passage of this troubling law. The State has extended an invitation to an expensive court battle over a law restricting abortions that is a blatant violation of the constitutional guarantees afforded to all women.”

    With his position stated a year prior to this particular court hearing, the defense knew their lot was already determined: “He fairly telegraphed it when he issued his preliminary injunction,” stated Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem.

    Judge Hovland based his decision on the standing precedent established by the 1973 Roe v. Wade case, writing in his 25-page decision that, “The United States Supreme Court has spoken and has unequivocally said no state may deprive a woman of the choice to terminate her pregnancy at a point prior to viability. The controversy over a woman’s right to choose to have an abortion will never end. The issue is undoubtedly one of the most divisive of social issues. The United States Supreme Court will eventually weigh in on this emotionally-fraught issue but, until that occurs, this Court is obligated to uphold existing Supreme Court precedent.”

    Under Roe v. Wade, the viability of a fetus during pregnancy comes anywhere from the 22-24 week mark, much later than the six week bright-line established by the North Dakota law.

    Nancy Northrup, CEO and president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, championed Hovland’s decision:

    “The court was correct to call this law exactly what it is: a blatant violation of the constitutional guarantees afforded to all women. But women should not be forced to go to court, year after year in state after state, to protect their constitutional rights. We hope today’s decision, along with the long line of decisions striking down these attempts to choke off access to safe and legal abortion services in the U.S., sends a strong message to politicians across the country that our rights cannot be legislated away.”

    Included in that long line of decisions striking down anti-abortion laws are Arizona’s law seeking a 20-week abortion ban which the Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal of and Arkansas’s 12-week abortion law.

    Despite the overturning of the legislation, the Attorney General of North Dakota may appeal the decision to the Supreme Court of the United States: “There are those who believed that this was a challenge that could go to the Supreme Court. Whether or not that’s likely is something we need to confer about.”

    Image via Facebook

  • Monster Chicken Dinosaurs Were Real

    Monster Chicken Dinosaurs Were Real

    What do you get when you cross Randy Macho Man Savage, Beyoncé’s thighs, a wild chicken, and the unimaginable face of pure excitement from the bowels of hell? Why, you’d get the “chicken from hell”, a newly identified feathered dinosaur species found in North America.

    Roaming around the Cretaceous era 66 million years ago peaks the ugly head of Anzu wyliei, an 11 foot long (3 meters), bi-pedal, birdlike, oviraptorosaurian dinosaur weighing in at 500 pounds (225 kilograms); a study published in the journal PLoS One found that some Anzu weighed over a metric ton, and stood approximately 7-10 feet (2.1-3 meters).

    Strutting with its long legs, feathered body, toothless beak, ginormous feet, and claw-tipped arms, Anzu wyliei was “as close as you can get to a bird without being a bird,” said Matt Lamanna, a vertebrate paleontologist at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh.

    The first two Anzu skeletons were discovered and excavated from Maastrichtian Hell Creek Formation of Montana and South Dakota in 1998 by Fred Nuss of Nuss Fossils. Scott Haire found the third known fragmentary skeleton at his uncle’s ranch in Marmarth, North Dakota.

    Due to only recovering fragmentary remains, scientists knew very little about the monster they would soon uncover – the fossils only comprised 75 to 80 per cent of the whole skeleton.

    Tiny prongs of bone found on the skulls’ palates are speculated to have made the swallowing of eggs easy; egg eating snakes possess the same prongs on their skulls. The big hands and curved 4-inch claws of Anzu correlate to other animals with similar appendages that grasp onto and devour small prey. The jaw shape of Anzu suggests that the animal could prune some plants.

    “Oviraptorosaurs are one of the most bizarre groups of dinosaurs to ever live. This new dinosaur, Anzu, looks like something that was placed in the Cretaceous [era] by a Hollywood monster movie director. Looking at these animals, it’s hard to believe they were real. They had big crests on their skulls, a beak, no teeth, and a very bird-like skeleton.” said Stephen Brusatte, a vertebrate paleontologist at the University of Edinburgh.

     “Anzu” gets its genus name from a feathered demon in ancient Mosopotamian mythology. Wylie J. Tuttle, the grandson of Carnegie Museum benefactors, is bestowed with the second portion of the specie’s name.

    Anthropologist Bill DeWalt coined the “chicken from hell” nick name for the animal when he was the director of Carengie Museum of Natural History during the discovery of the beast.

    Images via WikiCommons (1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8)

  • Need a Job? Head For North Dakota

    With the U.S. economy slowly recovering throughout much of the country, jobs have been a bit easier to come by during the past few years – but only a bit. Job creation throughout much of the U.S. is still stagnant, with low-skilled workers struggling to find even low-paying jobs.

    There are parts of the U.S. recovering more quickly than others. Gallup today released the results of a survey into job creation, showing that the northern states in the midwest are seeing job growth much stronger than other parts of the country. The poll’s results are based around asking workers whether their employer is hiring or firing.

    North Dakota ranks highest on Gallup’s job creation index rankings – a position the state has held now for five consecutive years. In fact, North Dakota’s job creation index of 40 is far higher than any other state on the list. The average national index for the U.S. was 20 during 2013.

    North Dakota is followed by Washington D.C. (30), South Dakota (30), Delaware (29), Nebraska (29), Minnesota (28), Texas (27), Michigan (25), Iowa (25), Arizona (23), Wisconsin (23), and Hawaii (23).

    On the other end of the survey, Rhode Island is the state ranked lowest for job growth with a Gallup job creation index of only 12. Rhode Island is followed by New Mexico (13), Vermont (13), West Virginia (14), New York (15), and Connecticut (15).

    Why exactly employers in the midwest are hiring more isn’t entirely clear. Gallup did find that the reported standard of living in states was strongly correlated to higher reported hiring. The firm also found a slight correlation between hiring and higher confidence in the U.S. economy as a whole.

    So, for those needing jobs North Dakota seems to be the place to head. Of course, job-seekers heading to North Dakota will have to contend with the state’s harsh winters. The state’s politics may also be a point of contention for the unemployed coming from the east coast. As an example, temperatures in Fargo are set to hit -8 degrees fahrenheit Thurday night and North Dakota is currently in settlement talks with abortion-rights groups over the state’s harsh abortion restrictions.

  • Drone Farmer Arrest Results in 3-Year Sentence

    A North Dakota man has become the first American sentenced to jail time due, in part, to the use of an unmanned aerial vehicle (a.k.a. “drone” or UAV).

    The story goes back to 2011, when half a dozen wayward cows wandered onto the property of Rodney Brossart. When asked to return the cattle, he refused and a SWAT team out of Grand Forks, ND, was dispatched to arrest him. But Brossart wouldn’t have it. He and his three sons grabbed guns and hunkered down on the farm, keeping the SWAT team at bay for 16 hours. The authorities had to call in a favor from Homeland Security, which loaned the local police a Predator drone that enabled them to gather information on the Brossarts’ position and eventually subdue them.

    While Brossart was exonerated of the original allegations of cattle theft, he was eventually charged with terroristic threatening of police. He contested the charges on the grounds that use of the drone constituted a warrantless search of his property. Brossart attorney Bruce Quick claimed that the drone was “dispatched without judicial approval or a warrant” and that the further tasing of Brossart in the course of the arrest constituted “guerrilla-like police tactics.” A federal district court disagreed with the drone argument, citing that the UAV had no direct bearing on the charges that Brossart had terrorized police.

    The federal government has owned up to using drones regularly for border patrol and drug enforcement purposes. Even so, a recent report by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a group that opposes drone use for domestic criminal investigations, released a report earlier this month that revealed that the federal government has used the vehicles hundreds of times more than what has gone on the official record. Brossart’s case was the first in which a UAV has been used for municipal law enforcement.

    Brossart was sentenced to three years with only six months of the sentence suspended. His sons were each convicted of misdemeanor charges and sentenced to a year of probation.

    Now we turn to the real question: how did four farmers hold off an entire SWAT team for 16 hours?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Casselton Residents Allowed To Return Home

    On December 30th, authorities ordered the evacuation of Casselton, ND residents after a massive train collision. A BNSF train carrying oil tankers crashed into another train and several of the oil tanks caught fire. Despite the lack of injuries or fatalities directly associated with the crash, a series of blasts and toxic smoke remained a cause for alarm. This was verified through the sheriff’s office which noted that the wind would be taking the smoke from the crash into populated areas. The exposure to the fumes could have resulted in a potential health hazard for anyone in the area. To prevent this, approximately 2,400 people and individuals within a five mile radius of the crash were asked to remove themselves from immediate danger until weather conditions changed and there was no longer a concern.

    The mandatory evacuation order was lifted the next day, and Casselton residences were allowed to return to their homes.

    The Cass County Sheriff’s Office released a statement declaring, “The environment within the city limits of Casselton is now safe for residents to return to their homes.”

    A couple of the cars on the train were still burning when the order to evacuate was lifted, however there were no longer any fears of far-reaching consequences. Casselton Mayor Ed McConnell said that the fire was contained. Dr. Alan Nye, who is a toxicologist that was hired by BNSF Railway to test air quality said that there was no byproducts detected from the crude oil in the cars.

    This crash is said to be at least the fourth major explosive crash involving the transportation of crude oil. As investigations continue into this latest crash, there is a sense that lax safety standards are responsible. With more than two thirds of the state’s oil transformed by train and due to increase, there is concern that such crashes could increase. It is hoped these incidents will allow for a push towards better railway standards.

    Image via Hibou TV

  • White Supremacist Town In This Day And Age?

    After recognizing the efforts of Dr. Martin Luther King Junior and Rosa Parks, one may wonder if teachings against racial segregation are still relevant in the twenty-first century. However, for the peaceful, secluded town of Leith, North Dakota, this issue is not only relevant, but threatens to tear the town apart. Paul Craig Cobb is a 61-year-old resident of the town with aspirations to mold the local government into a white supremacist-ruled town.

    “I don’t understand why all the different other people don’t say ‘whitey’ is pretty darn nice and clever. There are many organizations which whites have to support other cultures. Where is the organization of people from around the world that says let’s keep these white people? They’re pretty darn good, all in all,” Paul Craig Cobb said.

    The following video shows an overview of Paul Cobb’s intentions for the town as well as opinions of other local residents.

    Converting the town of Leith, North Dakota, with a population of twenty-four residents is just one goal set forth by the white supremacist. Paul Craig Cobb wants to continue voicing his ideals and promoting his message to other areas in the hope that nations around the world will listen and adopt these neo-Nazi principles. Paul is not content to have white-supremacy banners flying high in the sky, but aims to also discourage minorities from roaming the town as well. The amount of supporters likely to visit Leith and support Paul Cobb’s vision is not yet known; however, Paul’s conceived vision is clearly known. Mr. Cobb claims that his wishes are not intended to encourage violence, but are meant to be peaceful. He does not want to rule over other races, but rather prefers to have separation from other races.

    In the following video, Paul Cobb provides more in-depth analysis of his views.

    According to Heidi Beirich, a representative from the Southern Poverty Law Center, Paul Craig Cobb supports the notion that white-skinned individuals are distinct from other members of society. “He believes whites should be separate from other races. He’s also an anti-Semite, a raging anti-Semite, and he’s a member of the creativity religion, which is a religion that literally worships the Aryan man instead of God,” Heidi Beirich said.

    [Image And Videos Via YouTube]

  • White Supremacist Town Needing Support

    White Supremacist Town Needing Support

    A small town in North Dakota, population 24, is fighting a battle against a man that moved into their tiny community and is wanting to take over and make it a white supremacist community.

    61-year-old, Craig Cobb, purchased property in Leith, a town located in Grant County. He is a self-declared white supremacist and recently made known his plans to take control of the town and local government.

    “We need people from across the state to come alongside of us and show support that they don’t believe in what this guy is doing,” Lee Cook, a Leith City Council member told The Bismarck Tribune. “There are a lot of people who could speak up. It’s not tricky. Silence, to me, means that whatever he’s doing is OK.”

    The community has started a legal defense fund to help with any legal costs that they may endure while trying to stop Cobb from taking over their town.

    Jeremy Kelly of Bismarck said he and the other organizers are hoping to have people from all over the state come join them for a peaceful show of solidarity for Leith. A bus was scheduled to leave at 1:30 p.m. at the Stamart Truck Stop off Interstate 94, Exit 161.

    “We cannot accept this racist hatred they are bringing here. Leith is in a crisis and is crying out for help,” Jeremy Kelly, a resident of Bismarck told The Tribune.

    Cobb believes that he is superior because he is white and he doesn’t trust people of other races or women.

    “I only need 17 people,” he said. “You have to have a majority to win an election. If we get 22 we’ve got a landslide.” He continued saying: “If I’m the only one in Leith forever, white consciousness has already been raised.”

    You can make a donation to the City of Leith Legal Defense Fund, Grant County State Bank, 202 N. Main St., Carson, N.D. 58529.

    Image via http://www.leithnd.com/
    Video via NDN

  • North Dakota Death Rate Highest For Workers, Shows Report

    North Dakota Death Rate Highest For Workers, Shows Report

    The AFL-CIO, the largest union federation in the U.S., this week released its annual report on worker deaths. The report found that 4,693 U.S. workers died while on the job in 2011, and that an estimated 50,000 die each year from “occupational diseases.”

    The report breaks down the demographics of the latest worker death data available. Latino workers were found to have the highest workplace fatality rates, with a rate 14% higher than other workers. North Dakota was also found to be the most dangerous state, with a fatality rate of 12.4 per 100,000 workers.

    “In 2013, it is unacceptable that so many hardworking men and women continue to die on the job,” said Richard Trumka, AFL-CIO President. “No one should have to sacrifice his or her life or health and safety in order to earn a decent living. Yet, elected leaders, business groups and employers have failed to provide adequate health and safety protections for working families. At the same time, too many politicians and business leaders are actively working to dismantle working people’s right to collectively bargain on the job and speak out against unsafe, unjust working conditions. This is a disgrace to all those who have died. America’s workers deserve better.”

    The AFL-CIO’s statement on the report mentioned the recent West Texas fertilizer plant explosion as an example of how, it says, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is underfunded and understaffed. The organization also stated that it believes OSHA penalties are “too low to be taken seriously.”