Yes, he said this — REAL NEWS:

“Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?”

And his family came from where, when conditions were what???  Granted it looks like his grandfather tried to go back to Germany and was deported, but…

Harpers Magazine: The Emigrants — Friedrich Trump

SNOPES: Did Trump’s Grandfather Beg the Government of Bavaria Not To Deport Him?

Unless you where already here when us white folks landed, unless you were brought here to live in a penal colony, unless you were brought here in chains in the belly of a slave ship, odds are you chose to come here because it looked a lot better to take the risk and than stay where you were.

In the STrib:

Trump: Why allow immigrants from ‘shithole countries’?

Trump’s ‘shithole’ comment about Haiti lends credence to report he said Haitians ‘all have AIDS’

In the Chicago Tribune:

Trump dubs Haiti, El Salvador, African nations ‘shithole countries,’ sources say

President Donald Trump on Thursday questioned why an immigration deal should help immigrants from “shithole countries” in Africa, according to two people briefed on the meeting.

The slur came in an Oval Office meeting with lawmakers about a proposed bipartisan deal on immigration.

Trump made the remark after Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., told Trump that under the proposal, a lottery for visas would be ended. Durbin said that in exchange, people from African countries that have benefited from that lottery would be given other access to visas.

The sources said Trump questioned why the U.S. would want to admit more people from “shithole countries.” They say Trump said the U.S. should allow more immigrants from places such as Norway.

The two people spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to publicly discuss the Oval Office meeting.

Trump included Haiti and El Salvador in his disparaging remarks, according to the Washington Post.

“Why are we having all these people from shithole countries come here?” Trump said, according to the newspaper.

Also in the meeting was Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.), the Post reported.

The White House did not deny that Trump used profanity in the meeting.

Spokesman Raj Shah said that while “certain Washington politicians choose to fight for foreign countries,” Trump “will always fight for the American people.”

He said Trump wants to welcome immigrants who “contribute to our society, grow our economy and assimilate into our great nation,” and will always reject “temporary, weak and dangerous stopgap measures” that he said “threaten the lives of hardworking Americans” and undercut other immigrants.

In Illinois, one leading Democrat said the remarks show the president is a racist.

State Sen. Kwame Raoul, D-Chicago, who born in Chicago to Haitian immigrants, said Trump’s comments show his “ignorance of the contributions Haitians have made to this country, as well as other immigrant nations.”

“Clearly he’s a racist. He has ignorance with regard to the history of his country and the contributions Haitians have made to this country,” Raoul said, adding Chicago was first settled by Jean-Baptist-Point Du Sable, a Haitian.

Raoul, who is running for Illinois attorney general, said an apology from the president over his comments won’t be enough.

“There’s not enough apologies that Donald Trump can do. I think this guy is unfit to be president of the United States,” Raoul said. “There’s nothing he can say that can even be received as sincere.”

Raoul said his sister Ninaj runs an organization in Brooklyn called Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees, where she works with immigrants, both documented and undocumented.

Good try, DOE Secretary Perry, but you’re outta here!  Yes, it’s true, a tRump stacked FERC said “NO!” to a proposed rule to subsidize coal and nuclear plants, generation with 90+ days of fuel on hand, outmoded generation plants that are oh-so-suffering while they try to compete in the wholesale “free market” and sinking south fast because costs of production are high and market prices are higher.  I’m shocked, utterly shocked, and very pleasantly surprised!

What did Perry ask for?  Here’s the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking:

Secretary Rick Perry’s Letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission

Bottom line?  Gotta snort, “Now that a quorum has been restored at the Commission, I am confident…” (click for larger version):

SOL!!! 

That’s SNORT out loud… how’s that workin’ for ya, Secretary Perry?

What he thought was a slam dunk was a 5-0 rejection of preferential “out of market” treatment for certain generators.  Nope, ain’t gonna happen.

Here’s the FERC Order, straight from the horse’s mouth.  I’m most appreciative of the many articles and posts that include the primary document.  It’s crucial to be able to read the FERC Order.  This is REAL NEWS!

FERC-20180108-3061(32617655)_No2CoalNukeSubsidy

There are a lot of people railing and wailing about subsidies these days, but it’s very lopsided, and I’m not hearing the complaints about all the subsidies of coal and nuclear.  If you want to complain about subsidies, slash them across the board.  “Free market” right, the essence of capitalism, right?

PolyMet’s Draft Site Permit has been released by the Dept. of Natural Resources.  Here’s the link:

DNR’s Draft Site Permit (scroll down)

And in there are some links — official word from Barb Naramore, DNR, is that the Permit to Mine Application & Appendices and DNR’s Draft Special Conditions constitute the “Draft Site Permit” for the PolyMet mine, based on this statement:

Following review of PolyMet’s permit to mine application, DNR has prepared draft special conditions for the application. Together, the application and the draft special conditions are considered the draft permit to mine for the NorthMet project.

Guess that’s what they’re presenting as the “Draft Site Permit” for review and comment, but it looks pretty bizarre to me!

Here is that application and special conditions:

• Permit to Mine Application and Appendices (755 MB)
  (12/13/2017)
• Appendix 16 provided separately – Final Environmental Impact Statement and Related Environmental Reports(1.3 GB)
  (12/13/2017)
• Appendix 18.1 Wetland Replacement Plan Attachment D-1 (1 MB)
  (01/05/2018)
• DNR’s Draft Special Conditions (2 MB) 

Why did I ask about this?  You’ll note above, there is the DNR’s Draft Special Conditions, but tell me, do you see a Draft Site Permit anywhere?  I’d spent a lot of time looking, and cannot find anything that resembles a “Draft Site Permit.”  So I asked around.  Oh, but wait, there’s no project contact info on any of the DNR’s pages or press release.  WHAT? No problem, I have contact info for the chief grand poohbahs at the DNR, and that worked.

To Comment:

DNR’s PolyMet’s Permitting COMMENT Page (note you are asked to accept set up to Comment online

In the news:

4 things to know about the PolyMet mine — MPR

With Minnesota mining permit, PolyMet proposal reaches a turning point – STrib

Comments will be accepted through March 6, 2018.  Two public meetings (not hearings?) will be held.  Petitions for a Contested Case may NOT be filed using the online commenting form, so they say at the link above!

Sustainable: Planners charting Minnesota’s energy future

Yes, we all know that Mike Bull wrote most of the energy law now in place!  But there’s no mention of those many years of work at House Regulated Industries Committee though…

And we all know that there are some big holes and problems with the wind siting statutes, rules, and standards.  What will it take to get some of the problems worked through, like some respectful wind siting standards?  We’re just starting to see, at long last, after years and years of complaints, some Public Utilities Commission action on wind noise issues.

Bent Tree_Noise Monitoring and Monitoring Report_20179-135856-01

Siting will have to be addressed, because despite sound modeling that says “no problem,” there are indeed problems.  Despite shadow flicker modeling that says “no problem,” there are indeed problems.

Preventative siting is long overdue and needs to start NOW!  And what about those already  affected?  “Buy the Farm” for wind?  It’s overdue.  Action after the fact is not the best of options, prevention is always the key, but for those now attempting to live in untenable circumstances, foisted on them by the nuisance moving into their community, and permitted by the Commission, what are the options?

Wind project in southern Minnesota gets pushback

Hey Mikey, how ’bout helping get to some solutions???

There’s been some chatter lately about the financial future of Red Wing if and when the Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant closes.

FYI, for those thinking about this, do check out the plan to convert to natural gas, this was in NSP’s 2002 IRP, just going into the 2003 session and that Prairie Island bill.

Prairie Island Conversion Appendix B 2002 Resource Plan

There’s also a MISO transmission study:

Prairie Island Replacement Study SS01_Report

There are plans…  This is not a binary all or nothing situation!