Also on today’s menu:
Biden Focuses On Tribal Relations
Oath Keepers Guilty Of Seditious Conspiracy
A Ban On Chinese Electronic Equipment
New Hampshire’s bear population is “at goal”, according to Andrew Timmons, the game programs supervisor at the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, but a “no-food year” has forced mother bears to travel more widely in search of sustenance, which has led to an impression of an increased bear population. It also has led to more bears being struck by cars or being shot by homeowners or state authorities as nuisance animals.
That has led to a surge in orphaned bears. The Kilham Bear Center in Lyme, which serves as a bear rescue organization, reports having cared for 109 bears so far this year. In a typical year, the center handles 20-25 rescues by winter, according to Sierra.
No-food years occur when there is a low production of beech nuts and acorns, and berry crops are less productive. Mary Stampone, New Hampshire’s chief climatologist, said a severe drought this year affected the food supply, and that climate change means that such seasons are likely to become more frequent. Ben Kilham said no-food years used to occur once a decade, but they are becoming more frequent: The last one occurred in 2018.
Biden Focuses On Tribal Relations
At today’s Tribal Nations Summit, President Joe Biden Jr. plans to sign a new presidential memorandum to establish uniform standards for federal agencies to follow during tribal consultations, and new “best practices” for the 17 federal agencies to integrate tribal treaty and reserved rights into the decision-making process.
Biden has recognized the importance of increasing tribal participation in the management of federal lands and waters, and in 2021 he signed an order committing to tribal stewardship. This year, the United States Department of Agriculture and Department of the Interior signed more than 20 new co-stewardship agreements with tribes, with more than 60 additional agreements under review.
Additional measures to be announced today include utilizing indigenous knowledge in federal research, policy, and decision-making; providing access to capital for tribal initiatives; and purchasing electricity and other “energy products” from tribal enterprises.
Oath Keepers Guilty Of Seditious Conspiracy
A federal jury has convicted Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes and Florida Oath Keeper Kelly Meggs of seditious conspiracy to prevent the peaceful transfer of power on January 6, 2021. They, along with Kenneth Harrelson, Jessica Watkins, and Thomas Caldwell (no relation, by the way), were convicted of obstructing Congress as it met to confirm the 2020 election results. Meggs and Watkins were found guilty of conspiring to stop the congressional proceeding.
The decision came after three days of deliberation, and will likely play a part in the deliberations for the two remaining seditious conspiracy trials against five other Oath Keepers and leaders of the Proud Boys.
Randall D. Eliason, a former federal prosecutor who teaches law at George Washington University, commented, “The jury’s verdict on seditious conspiracy confirms that January 6, 2021, was not just ‘legitimate political discourse’ or a peaceful protest that got out of hand. This was a planned, organized, violent assault on the lawful authority of the U.S. government and the peaceful transfer of power. Now the only remaining question is how much higher did those plans go, and who else might be held criminally responsible.”
A Ban On Chinese Electronic Equipment
Regulators have banned electronic equipment created by several major Chinese technology corporations, citing national security concerns. The Federal Communications Commission adopted new rules on November 25 that will prohibit the import or sale of Chinese communications equipment deemed to pose an unacceptable risk to national security.
I previously did a story on the imbedded software hidden inside electrical transformers manufactured in China — software that poses the risk of allowing the Chinese government to shut down U.S. electrical grids. Before the passage of the infrastructure bill that provides funding for domestic production of such equipment, the transformers that our electric transmission network depend upon were only available from overseas, with China being the largest and most common supplier.
The federal ban applies to the Chinese telecom firms Huawei and ZTE, but also prohibits telecommunications equipment and video surveillance equipment produced by Hytera, Hikvision, and Dahua, as well as the the companies’ subsidiaries and affiliates. The products pose an “unacceptable risk to [the] national security of the United States or the security and safety of United States persons,” the FCC said.
Café Chatter
On ‘Hate In Frankin’: This is unacceptable in New Hampshire.
— Kathleen D. Bailey
Responding to the question: What is the most absurd thing you’ve seen this month?
Most absurd? My capturing a possum into the tiny trap that I use to trap kittens. Got his teeth and jaw stuck trying to get out. Had to wire cut him out. Good thing that I still have some hand strength. What a start to Thanksgiving morning! I hope your wife is ok. Hate is insidious. Our family have already had an issue of our CA relatives who just missed the gun man who shot up their synagogue in San Diego. Our trans niece lives in Colorado Springs. I look forward to your newsletter arriving in my email.
— Candace Skurnik
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