Mirror image or is it really on the wrong ear?!?!

In this weekend’s bEagle:

Letter: Manifestation of MAGA’s dangerous rhetoric

• Published on Jul 19, 2024

It’s not just lies and criminality. For years, we’ve observed the overt MAGA incitement and triggering of violence. There’s projection of that virulent rhetoric on others, and manifestations of that violence by MAGA adherents. Despite false claims that Biden was behind the recent Donald Trump assassination attempt, have MAGA “masterminds” noticed the irony of the Supreme Court immunity decision and the hypothetical of a president deploying Seal Team 6 to assassinate an opponent that was raised in argument before the court?

Ivan Raiklin and Alex Jones on InfoWars argued that assassination of Trump would mean they’d “respond in kind, and we know who you are because we’ve created the list…” Jones saying, “if they kill him, that’s a best case scenario… From a sick level medium, ‘Oh, please kill him.’ I mean, it’s so good after that.” [here’s the link: https://twitter.com/patriottakes/status/1812460546236518607]

The headlines today say the FBI is searching for motive. A 20 year old registered Republican living with his parents with access to an AR15. Where might he get ideas? We know the power of Jones’ misinformation, defamation, and the lawsuit holding him accountable and bankrupting him.

The repeated themes in Trump and MAGA rhetoric are projection and incitement, searching to ignite and disillusion voters, setting up the 2024 election as fraudulent – an election they can’t legitimately win.

While screaming for “less government” and “don’t take away our freedoms,” MAGA’s Project 2025 and Agenda 47 instead lay out specific plans to increase government control and limit our rights, particularly to disenfranchise voters. Taking away voting rights has been a losing battle in court, but attempts continue.

It’s up to us to preserve our democratic republic. “We the People” must reclaim that opening phrase of the Constitution from extremists and show up to vote. November 5 is soon upon us.

Carol A. Overland, Red Wing

Great, just great. “About” a million gallons of Minnesota Power’s Boswell coal plant’s coal ash wastewater dumped into Blackwater Lake (appropriate name!), a pond connected to the Mississippi River, a pond where the plant’s cooling water is drawn from, and also a pond where people fish!

The good news is that MP didn’t do an Xcel and wait for MONTHS to disclose. It appears that MP got on the horn almost instantly after the spill was discovered and reported it.

There’s supposedly a press release, but it’s not posted on their “Press Release” page, so I asked about it. MP did get back to me and shared its statement — THANK YOU!

From KAXE:

1M gallons of coal ash wastewater spilled at Cohasset coal plant

Here’s what the STrib has to say:

One million gallons of coal ash wastewater spill at Minnesota Power coal plant

The Duluth-based electric utility said an unknown amount of polluted water had reached a nearby lake after a pipe leaked. 

By Walker Orenstein and Chloe Johnson Star Tribune

July 17, 2024 — 9:39am

Minnesota Power said about 1 million gallons of coal ash wastewater spilled at its large coal plant in Cohasset, Minn., pouring out over land with at least some reaching nearby Blackwater Lake.

The Duluth-based electric utility said in a news release that a pipeline leaked on Tuesday at the Boswell Energy Center that transfers wastewater from a pond containing the byproducts of coal combustion to the plant where it is used as process water.

Minnesota Power said the leak has been contained and the company is monitoring for potential impacts to water and wildlife, and also notified the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Environmental Protection Agency.

MPCA is investigating the spill, spokeswoman Andrea Cournoyer said in a statement.

According to a report to the State Duty Officer, the spill was originally discovered at 11:15 a.m. Tuesday. The report was made 15 minutes later, and Minnesota Power said a “loss of pump pressure” caused the spill.

Coal ash contains pollutants including mercury, cadmium and arsenic, which can pollute water and air if not properly managed, according to the EPA.

The 674-acre Blackwater Lake is a reservoir on the Mississippi River, according to the state Department of Natural Resources. Lake levels are controlled by the Pokegama Dam operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

It’s still unclear how far the material may have spread, or how long the pipeline was leaking. Walter Shadley, Cohasset’s public works and utility supervisor, said the town does not draw its drinking water from the Mississippi.

Minnesota Power draws water from the lake to cool its plant and releases heated water. The DNR describes the lake as “essentially a flooded river channel.” A bay where the DNR said the coal plant discharges heated water attracts fish and is popular with anglers, according to the agency.

The Boswell plant is Minnesota Power’s largest electricity source. Its two operating coal-fired units are capable of producing 932 megawatts of electricity. One unit at the plant is scheduled to retire in 2030, and the second is slated to close in 2035 as the utility transitions to carbon-free power to meet its climate goals and state regulations for a carbon-free grid by 2040.

Here we go, Trump getting his payback after appointing the most unqualified judge ever to the federal bench.

The “documents” case is dismissed. Surprise… surprise…

From Robert Reich, How to prevent America and the world from falling into Fascism:

“Some of us have families and live in communities that agree with us about the profound danger of another Trump presidency. But some of you have close relatives — a parent, child, sibling, even a spouse — who supports Trump. You feel dismayed by what has happened to them.

“Others of you live in a town or city where there are many Trump supporters, or in a red state, or in a neighborhood where you see lots of Trump lawn signs and bumper stickers. You feel isolated and fearful.

Some of you are confused about whether Biden is the strongest candidate to take on Trump, and you’re worried about what Biden and the Democrats will decide.

“I can’t sugarcoat this. It is dismaying, frightening, and worrying. We have already endured four years of Trump, and another term could tip America and the world into full-throated fascism. Trump has become even more unhinged and vindictive, and more knowledgeable about how to get horrendous things done.

“Here are 11 suggestions for what you can do in the 118 days before Election Day:

1. Try not to allow issues such as whether Biden should resign, or his degree of responsibility for Gaza, to get in the way of your determination not to let Trump back into the White House. Regardless of our differences over these issues, they pale compared to the threat Trump poses.

2. For the same reason, please don’t decide to leave the top of the ticket blank or to vote for a third party or not to vote at all. All make it easier for Trump to win. Instead, make sure you and everyone you know and trust is registered to vote, and votes for Joe Biden or whomever is the Democratic candidate for president.

3. Don’t become so upset with politics that you drop out, stop reading the news, or give up on activism. The stakes are just too high. Even if you cannot take much time out of your normal life, you need to help organize, mobilize, and energize others.

4. Focus your time and energies on convincing people who still have open minds, to oppose Trump. Mobilize those who don’t normally vote, to vote. Organize get-out-the-vote efforts in your community. Get young people involved.

5. Counter lies with truth. When you hear someone repeating a Trump Republican lie, correct it.

6. Do not tolerate bigotry and hate. Call it out. Stand up to it. Denounce it. Demand that others denounce it, too.

7. Do not resort to violence, name-calling, bullying, or any of the other tactics that Trump followers may be using.

8. Be compassionate toward hardcore followers of Trump, but be firm in your opposition. Understand why someone may decide to support Trump, but don’t waste time and energy trying to convert them.

9. Don’t waste your time and energy commiserating with people who already agree with you, or criticizing Democrats for failing to communicate more effectively. None of this will get you anything except an upset stomach.

10. Demonstrate, but don’t confuse demonstrating with political action. You may find it gratifying to stand on a corner in Berkeley with a sign asking drivers to “honk if you hate fascism” that elicit lots of honks, but it’s as politically effectual as taking a warm shower.

11. Finally, don’t let any sensationalized news of the day divert your eyes from the goal: protecting American democracy during one of the greatest stress tests it has had to endure, fueled by one of the worst demagogues in American history.

“I cannot overstate how critical the outcome of the next 118 days will be to everything you and I want for America and the world.

Be well and be strong.”

++++++++++++++++++++++

Thanks to Robert Reich for some specifics — deep breathe and carry on.

Yesterday there were two meetings for public comments on the scope of the Environmental Impact Statement for the “Mankato-Mississippi River” transmission project, a/k/a “Wilmarth-North Rochester-Tremval.” First meeting was in Mankato, second in Waterville (the road to the school was no longer flooded).

Comments on scope of EIS are due August 1. Send to:

Here’s the powerpoint presented at the meeting:

I’ve reposted the full application here:

FYI, the Wilmarth – Mississippi Application!

The NoCapX 2020 and Prehn Family comments filed in April point out issues they’d best investigate:

The thing that struck me most about this application is that one of the routes proposed was to go right over the CenterPoint natural gas dome! There was nothing about it. Not a word! And CenterPoint did not know, at least those at the pumping station and water treatment plant on Hwy. 13! We learned that during a tour of the area, rough mapping the wells and monitoring stations:

And today — oh, better get packed and over to the first meeting:

Be there or be square!!