August 10, 2019

Coal Unit at Center of Trump Bailout Bid to Shut 19 Months Early

Last unit at Bruce Mansfield plant to be shuttered in November
Power plant was at center of Trump’s efforts to save coal

A Pennsylvania power plant that was at the center of President Donald Trump’s effort to revive the coal industry will be closing 19 months ahead of schedule.

FirstEnergy Solutions Corp. plans to shutter the Bruce Mansfield power plant’s Unit 3 in November because of “a lack of economic viability,” according to a statement Friday. The company had earlier said it would close the site in June 2021. Units 1 and 2 were deactivated in February.

Bruce Mansfield was the state’s biggest coal-fired power plant but struggled to compete against cheap natural gas flowing out of nearby shale formations. One of its biggest supporters was Robert E. Murray, chief executive officer of Murray Energy Corp. and a major supplier for the complex. He lobbied the Trump administration for policies that would help the facility, and in 2017 the Energy Department proposed a plan to pay coal generators more for stockpiling fuel on-site. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission rejected the idea in 2018.

FirstEnergy Solutions filed for bankruptcy in March 2018, dragged down by its coal and nuclear power plants. It’s a unit of FirstEnergy Corp. The company said the deactivation process at Bruce Mansfield will be complete by May.

FirstEnergy Solutions had said that it would close two nuclear plants in Ohio, and the state last month approved a plan to offer financial assistance that would let the company keep them open.


Short article, no more at link: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-09/firstenergy-solutions-to-shut-coal-fired-plant-19-months-early



Vehicles drive along a road near the Bruce Mansfield coal-fired power plant in Shippingport, Pennsylvania. Photographer: Justin Merriman/Bloomberg

August 10, 2019

A Minnesota Farmer Spent His Life Collecting Cars And Now His Gigantic Fleet Is Up For Auction

This weekend will be a wild time near the small town of Wheaton, Minnesota, because a roughly 200-car collection belonging to a farmer who passed away in December is headed for auction. And the fleet, filled with some true gems, will no doubt bring in droves of prospective buyers.

The farmer’s name was James Graham, and he was, according to WDAY ABC News out of Fargo North Dakota, a bachelor whose love for cars began with a 1934 Ford coupe (whose roof Graham and a friend hacked off) that Graham drove to prom many years ago. After that, the vehicles just kept rolling in. From the news site:

Jim Graham, who recently passed away at 88, left behind quite the collection of more than 250 cars he had accumulated over the years. At one point the collection numbered around 500 vehicles, which he housed in sheds across from his farm.

<snip>

The company handling the vehicle auction, which is set to commence Friday and continue to Saturday, is called Vanderbrink Auctions, and it has posted a few videos of the incredible herd of mostly Detroit iron. While the video quality is rather poor, the sheer number of astonishing old vehicles shown on the property is mind blowing:

Much more, including videos: https://jalopnik.com/a-minnesota-farmer-spent-his-life-collecting-cars-and-n-1837066153



You can check out the full listing of cars on Vanderbrink’s website, but some of the highlights include this 1958 Edsel Pacer



And my goodness, look at the hood ornament on this 1954 Packard 200 sedan



And this 1954 Pontiac Chieftain also looks deserving of a few turns of some wrenches

August 10, 2019

Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO) - 8/9/19

Monologue: Tragedy Meets Trump



Bill recaps the top stories of the week, including President Trump's lackluster response to the gun massacres in Dayton and El Paso.




Gov. Terry McAuliffe: Beyond Charlottesville



Former Governor Terry McAuliffe (D-VA) joins Bill to discuss his new book, "Beyond Charlottesville: Taking a Stand Against White Nationalism" and the Democrats' chances in 2020.




Richard Engel



NBC News Chief Foreign Correspondent Richard Engel joins Bill to discuss the threats facing America and democracy abroad.




New Rule: Past & Furious



In his editorial New Rule, Bill calls on liberals to stop judging everyone's past behavior by today's "woke" standards.




Overtime: Terry McAuliffe, Richard Engel, Anthony Scaramucci, Catherine Rampell, Tom Nichols



Bill Maher and his guests answer viewer questions after the show.

August 10, 2019

Seth Meyers - President Trump's Visits to El Paso and Dayton - Monologue - 8/8/19

Seth's Favorite Jokes of the Week: Instagram from Facebook, Ryan Lochte



Seth's favorite jokes from the week of August 5.

August 10, 2019

The Daily Show: Eva Longoria Talks El Paso Shooting

August 9, 2019

Stephen Colbert - Monologue and Opening - 8/8/19

Dem Candidates Take Desperate Measures To Qualify For Next Debate



Only 8 candidates have qualified for the next Democratic Presidential debate so far, which means Michael Bennet, Andrew Yang and others from the crowded field must do everything they can to break through before the deadline.




Hey Straight Guys: Recycling Does Not Make You Look Gay



Ruggedly heterosexual male talk show host Stephen Colbert takes a fearless look at the rumor that straight men avoid eco-friendly activities so as not to appear less masculine. Is there no limit to straight male fragility?




There Was A Turtle By The Name Of Mitch



And the N.R.A. kept him very rich. When gun control legislation was pitched, he knew just what to do.

August 9, 2019

Seth Meyers - Trump Attacks Biden; NRA Calls Trump: A Closer Look

Seth takes a closer look at the president lashing out at critics and taking cues from the NRA.

August 9, 2019

Seth Meyers - SoulCycle and Equinox Owner to Host a Fundraiser for Trump - Monologue - 8/7/19

August 9, 2019

The Daily Show: Backlash Over SoulCycle & Equinox Owner's Trump Fundraiser

Equinox and SoulCycle members call for boycotts of the popular gyms after their billionaire owner plans a Trump fundraiser, and Jaboukie Young-White hits the street to show liberal gym rats how they can stay active without sacrificing their values.

August 9, 2019

The Daily Show: America's Mass Shooting PTSD - Between the Scenes

A backfiring motorcycle causes panic in Times Square, highlighting a broader ramification of mass shootings: a nationwide state of terror.