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A4 U.S. NEWS
Wednesday 22 november 2023

In wake of Voting Rights Act ruling, North Dakota to appeal

decision that protected tribes’ rights

By JACK DURA Band of Chippewa Indians
Associated Press members into one house
BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A district, and cracks Spirit
day after a federal ap- Lake Tribe members out of
peals court dealt a sig- any majority Native house
nificant blow to the Voting district.”
Rights Act, North Dakota’s Welte had ruled last week
top election official an- that the 2021 map “pre-
nounced Tuesday that he vents Native American vot-
wants the court to review ers from having an equal
a judge’s recent ruling opportunity to elect can-
that protected two Native didates of their choice”
American tribes’ voting a violation of Section 2,
rights. Voting rights groups a provision of the Voting
had hailed U.S. District Rights Act that “prohibits
Chief Judge Peter Welte’s voting practices or proce-
ruling Friday that the tribes’ dures that discriminate on
voting rights were unlawful- the basis of race, color” or
ly diluted by a 2021 legisla- membership of certain lan-
tive redistricting map. guage minority groups, ac-
But, in an unrelated lawsuit cording to the U.S. Justice
Monday, the 8th U.S. Cir- North Dakota Secretary of State Michael Howe, left, and Attorney General Drew Wrigley, right, Department.
cuit Court of Appeals ruled converse with State Treasurer Thomas Beadle, unseen, before a meeting at the state Capitol, Sept. But the 8th Circuit decision
that private individuals and 29, 2023, in Bismarck, N.D. Associated Press did not address the exact
groups such as the NAACP claim the tribes brought,
do not have the ability to panel, which is based in St. day said the appeals court would follow up. according to Jason Mari-
sue under a key section of Louis and has jurisdiction ruling “is an interesting and The Turtle Mountain Band of sam, an associate profes-
the Voting Rights Act. over seven states, including timely development” as Chippewa Indians, the Spir- sor at the Mitchell Hamline
In announcing his intention North Dakota. It is unclear state officials and legisla- it Lake Tribe and three tribal School of Law and a former
to appeal Welte’s ruling, whether the same panel tive leaders pondered their members sued last year, Minnesota assistant attor-
Republican Secretary of of three judges would hear next steps as to the Friday seeking a joint district for ney general who has han-
State Michael Howe spe- the North Dakota case. ruling. A spokesperson said the two tribes. They alleged dled election and voting
cifically cited Monday’s 2-1 Republican Attorney Gen- he wasn’t immediately the 2021 map “simultane- issues. q
ruling by the appeals court eral Drew Wrigley on Mon- available for comment but ously packs Turtle Mountain

Navy plane overshoots runway and ends up in ocean, but all 9

aboard escape unharmed

By AUDREY McAVOY and Diane Dircks showed the New York river. All 155 peo- ter rainy weather cut their tional Weather Service me-
BEATRICE DUPUY plane in water just offshore, ple aboard survived. pontoon boat trip short teorologist in Honolulu.
Associated Press a sight reminiscent of the The P-8A and the Airbus when her daughter noticed The P-8A is often used to
HONOLULU (AP) — A Navy 2009 “ Miracle on the Hud- A320 that Sullenberger pi- the plane in the water. hunt for submarines and for
plane flying in rainy weath- son “ when a passenger jet loted are roughly the same “We went running over to reconnaissance and intelli-
er overshot a runway Mon- piloted by Chesley “Sully” size. the end of the dock, and gence gathering. It is man-
day at a military base in Sullenberger made an Dircks and her family had I took some pictures,” she ufactured by Boeing and
Hawaii and splashed into emergency landing on the just returned to the dock af- said. shares many parts with the
Kaneohe Bay, but all nine Dircks, who is visiting from 737 commercial jet.
aboard were uninjured, au- Illinois, said her daughter The plane belongs to the
thorities said. keeps a pair of binoculars Skinny Dragons of Patrol
The Coast Guard respond- on her for birdwatching, Squadron 4 stationed at
ed, but rescue operations so she was able to see the Whidbey Island in Wash-
were quickly called off, plane and the rescue boats ington state. Patrol squad-
said Petty Officer Ryan Fish- arriving. rons were once based at
er, a Coast Guard spokes- “It was unbelievable,” she Kaneohe Bay, but now de-
person. “It sounds like all said. ploy to Hawaii on a rota-
parties involved were res- The Honolulu Fire Depart- tional basis.
cued,” he said. ment received a 911 call Marine Corps Base Hawaii
Marine Corps spokesper- for a downed aircraft short- is about 10 miles (16 kilo-
son Gunnery Sgt. Orlando ly after 2 p.m., spokesper- meters) from Honolulu on
Perez had no information son Malcolm K. Medrano Oahu. The base houses
about what caused the said in an email. It was about 9,300 military person-
P-8A aircraft to go off the cloudy and rainy at the nel and 5,100 family mem-
runway at Marine Corps A downed U.S. Navy aircraft is seen in Kaneohe Bay, Monday, time. Visibility was about 1 bers. It’s one of several
Base Hawaii. Nov. 20, 2023, in Kaneohe, Hawaii. mile (1.6 kilometers), said key military installations on
A photo taken by witness Associated Press Thomas Vaughan, a Na- Oahu.q