Topic: Dakota Access Pipeline

The hosts review reports from recent meetups in Oklahoma City and announce upcoming virtual meetups in Kansas City and Rochester due to lockdown orders. They also provide brief updates on the conflict in Yemen, Boko Haram attacks in Chad, and a federal judge's ruling on the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez questioned the CEO of Wells Fargo regarding the bank's financial responsibility for climate change and the Dakota Access Pipeline. She suggested the bank should be liable for "sea walls" and "wildfire cleanups" resulting from fossil fuel financing. The CEO responded that the bank provides financing to companies but does not operate the infrastructure itself.

Comedian Sarah Silverman announced she moved her money to a credit union to protest the Dakota Access Pipeline. She claimed the pipeline was rerouted from a "rich white neighborhood" to sacred indigenous land. The hosts question the factual basis of her claims and point out the irony of her divestment given the interconnected nature of the global banking and insurance industries.

Authorities in North Dakota cleared the final protesters from the Dakota Access Pipeline camp as the deadline to vacate passed. While most protesters left voluntarily, several holdouts were arrested. Protester Chase Iron Eyes described the eviction as "ethnic cleansing," a term criticized for cheapening the historical meaning of the phrase.

The protests at Standing Rock against the Dakota Access Pipeline are analyzed. The hosts suggest the protests may be covertly supported to protect Warren Buffett's interests in the Burlington Northern railroad, which currently transports oil. They criticize the Obama administration's lack of direct involvement, noting they have only sent "monitors" to the site.

Actress Shailene Woodley was arrested during a protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline on Indigenous Peoples' Day. Woodley streamed her arrest on Facebook Live to her 40,000 followers, complaining about the police presence. The hosts mock the incident as a "credit for her IMDB" and a typical celebrity activist performance.

"Democracy Now!" reported on "scandals" involving Donald Trump appearing fully clothed in Playboy videos and having small investments in the Dakota Access Pipeline. The hosts dismiss these stories as desperate attempts to find "traction" against Trump, noting that the financial ties mentioned are negligible for a billionaire.

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe is protesting the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, citing threats to their drinking water and the destruction of sacred burial grounds. While the pipeline does not cross tribal lands, it passes underneath the Missouri River nearby. The Army Corps of Engineers is under fire for granting permits without sufficient tribal consultation, leading the governor of North Dakota to call in the National Guard.

Native American tribes, led by the Standing Rock Sioux, are protesting the construction of the $3.8 billion Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota. Video footage captured by Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! shows private security guards using pepper spray and attack dogs against protesters who claim the pipeline threatens their water supply and burial grounds. Experts criticized the security personnel for using untrained dogs in a chaotic and excessive manner.