Obama administration takes a side in energy battle

The halting of a pipeline project in North Dakota could set a new precedent for the influence Indian tribes have in energy and infrastructure planning. Brigham McCown, a former acting administrator for the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, said the Obama administration let politics take over by asking an energy company to stop construction on the Dakota Access pipeline Friday at the request of the Standing Rock Sioux Indian tribe. The pipeline does not run across Sioux lands, but the tribe says it will destroy ancient burial sites and could pollute the Missouri River. Tribe members say they should have been consulted during the planning phase of the pipeline.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.