Navigating life's roadblocks

After a stopover in Minneapolis, we're hitting the road early a.m. for the final leg of our trip to the Cannonball encampment. After an 8-hour drive, on both highway and Dakota backroads, the trick will be evading the roadblocks set up by state police, without getting completely lost.

Folks up there are telling me that there's no wireless or cell reception in the area so GPS probably won't work. We may even have to use roadmaps. Remember those?

First we'll stop for groceries somewhere along the way and load more food into our SUV.

The big news is that yesterday, a federal judge ordered a partial stop on pipeline construction until he makes a final ruling on Friday. This follows Monday's statement of support for the restraining order by the Obama administration. The problem is that the order is only partial.

AP reports:

U.S. District Judge James Boasberg said Tuesday that work will temporarily stop between North Dakota's State Highway 1806 and 20 miles east of Lake Oahe, but will continue west of the highway because he believes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lacks jurisdiction on private land. It wasn't immediately clear how long of a stretch on which work will stop.

He also said he'll rule on the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe's challenge of federal regulators' decision to grant permits to the Texas-based operators of Dakota Access pipeline, which will cross North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa and Illinois, by the end of Friday.

 Standing Rock Sioux tribal chairman Dave Archambault II issued a statement after the ruling, saying: "Today's denial of a temporary restraining order ... west of Lake Oahe puts my people's sacred places at further risk of ruin and desecration." Attorney Jan Hasselman with Earthjustice, who filed the broader lawsuit on behalf of the tribe, noted the tribe will "know more by the end of the week about where we're heading."

One thing I've learned over the years is that the battle in the courts means little without the struggle on the ground. So it's off to Cannonball we go.

For those back home in Chicago, don't forget the solidarity rally Friday, 4 p.m. at Daley Plaza.