{"id":20334,"date":"2016-03-05T07:02:05","date_gmt":"2016-03-05T15:02:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/?p=20334"},"modified":"2016-03-06T00:11:55","modified_gmt":"2016-03-06T08:11:55","slug":"squatchs-open-thread-05032016","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.politicsplus.org\/blog\/2016\/03\/05\/squatchs-open-thread-05032016\/","title":{"rendered":"Squatch’s Open Thread 05\/03\/2016"},"content":{"rendered":"

Well today turned out to be one of those days!  Everything was going well . . . physio was good and teaching went well.  Then all hell broke loose.  Loliyo, Lucia's 9 year old daughter had a bedroom door slammed on her thumb.  There was great howling understandably and a fair amount of blood.  We took her to the hospital where they gave her tylenol and x-rayed the thumb.  Fortunately, her thumb was not broken and the doctor didn't think stitches were required.  She has a big blood blister but she is not likely to lose her thumb nail.  After a couple of hours in emergency and making sure Loliyo was OK, I was beat.  A cat nap cut short my online time so there was no Open Thread yesterday.  I am still working on the Monthly Report.<\/span><\/p>\n

Short Takes<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Huffington Post<\/strong><\/span><\/a> — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was honoured by a southern Alberta First Nation in a ceremony full of colour and history Friday, but aboriginal leaders also challenged him to deliver on his promises to Indigenous Peoples.<\/p>\n

\"justin<\/p>\n

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau poses after receiving a ceremonial headdress while visiting the Tsuut'ina First Nation near Calgary, Alta., Friday, March 4, 2016. (Photo: Jeff McIntosh\/CP)<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Trudeau shared the stage on the Tsuu T'ina reserve with chiefs in full feather headdresses, elders in vests or beaded jackets and the First Nation's rodeo stars.<\/p>\n

High-pitched chanting and the rhythmic pounding of drums were all part of an elaborate ceremony in which the prime minister was presented with his own headdress and blessed with the aboriginal name "Gumistiyi," which means "The One Who Keeps Trying."<\/p>\n

The headdress presented to Trudeau symbolizes accomplishment, respect, bravery and peace-building. The Tsuu T'ina Nation on the outskirts of Calgary said it has not seen fit to bestow one on a prime minister since John Diefenbaker [13th Prime Minister 1957 – 1963].<\/p>\n

Here is a 2 minute <\/font>video of the ceremony<\/span><\/a><\/strong> <\/strong>and Trudeau's remarks.  The enquiry into the fates of murdered and missing Aboriginal women and girls is in its infancy and encountering some differences of opinion on how it should proceed.  It will get done.  Harper refused to deal with the issue.  It should also be noted that the Tsuu T'ina Nation is close to Harper's riding.<\/span><\/p>\n

Alternet<\/strong><\/span><\/a> — <\/span>In the oral arguments for Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt — the case before the Supreme Court concerning Texas' anti-choice law, HB 2 — Texas Solicitor General Scott Keller relied on a common right-wing media myth to justify medically unnecessary restrictions on abortion. In his argument, Keller made the long-debunked claim — pushed for years by right-wing media — that HB 2 was passed to prevent another "Kermit Gosnell scandal," in which illegal operations led to multiple deaths at a Philadelphia clinic.<\/p>\n

Supreme Court Heard Challenge To Texas Law Restricting Abortion Access<\/p>\n

"Landmark" Abortion Case "Could Shape Abortion Rules For Years To Come." The Supreme Court heard oral arguments for Whole Woman's Health v. Hellerstedt on March 2. The case involves a Texas abortion law that "requires abortion doctors to be affiliated with nearby hospitals and also limits abortion to ambulatory surgical centers," according to The New York Times. Pro-choice advocates and "major medical groups say [the law] will not enhance patient safety and will only reduce women's access to abortion."<\/p>\n

Click through to see how the arguments went.  It is always a good day when the "notorious" RBG, Sotomayor, Kagan and Breyer pin back the ears of someone like Keller.<\/span><\/p>\n

Raw Story<\/strong><\/span><\/a> — Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson officially ended his bid for the White House on Friday after failing to win any of the early states in the race for the November election.<\/p>\n

And then there were four!  It is now official . . . Carson is out!<\/span><\/p>\n

Truthout<\/strong><\/span><\/a> — TransCanada's claim that the southern route of the Keystone XL Pipeline<\/a> is the safest pipeline ever built in the United States is challenged by the release of new documentation confirming multiple code violations.  …<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

After mandatory safety tests revealed potential problems with the integrity of the southern pipeline, TransCanada dug up 130 sites and made repairs before the pipeline was permitted to start up.  …<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A repaired pipeline segment on the Keystone Gulf Coast pipeline. (Source: PHMSA FOIA 2016-0041_000077)<\/span><\/p>\n

They requested PHMSA require TransCanada do a new pressure test on the pipeline to test the integrity of the repairs. But PHMSA turned them down at a private meeting held shortly before TransCanada started up the pipeline. 
\n\t 
\n\tPHSMA explained that it had faith the repairs were done correctly …<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

So, when there is a catastrophic incident, who pays for cleanup, lost wages, medical bills etc?  Will the BP Gulf spill be a measuring stick for reparations?<\/span><\/p>\n

My Universe — <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Cat-dumps-the-water-out-of-the-vase-resizecrop--\"<\/a>The reason I don't have flowers or plants in my house!<\/strong><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n