North Dakota, federal government go to trial Thursday as state seeks to recoup $38 million for destructive 2016 DAPL protests

BISMARCK (KFGO) – Trial begins Thursday in Bismarck to determine if the federal government will pay the state of North Dakota compensation for damages during the Dakota Access Pipeline protests. The state has been battling to recoup $38 million in damages tied to the protest south of Mandan between 2016 and 2017. They say the federal government and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ failure to contain the protests or assist law enforcement resulted in the damages. According to the lawsuit, activists illegally occupied federal lands engaged in unlawful, destructive,...