Storytime
It's been years since i've been to what i reckon is the most beautiful place on Earth. Drive north on Highway 61 along the shores of the BIg Lake, then, just before you enter the Village of Grand Portage, take a left heading west northwest on Mineral Center Road. The steep grade will take you past Billy (my namer) and Mary Blackwell's old place on the left and you'll pass Porky's old djibo shack on the right just before you make another left turn on what was once an old logging road and trading route. About a quarter of a mile more and you'll make a right onto a road that requires driving a vehicle with high clearance and four wheel drive to navigate. Without these tools you risk tearing out your gas tank. Pick your spots carefully as the boulders create a formidable hazard with a simple miscalculation. But the choice to pursue the adventure surely reaps deep rewards. Once the berm is scaled, the one lane road evens out, topographically speaking. The forest is deep and diverse; wildlife abounds and the air is clean and clear.
One of the many times my friend and i made the trek in the late afternoon, as we rounded a bend in the road, a bull moose with a huge rack appeared, standing still as a manakin smack dab in the middle. As we pulled to a stop, we ogled each other for quite some time...he, i imagined, was wondering the purpose of this intrusion, i marveling at the guy's stature, condition, and beauty while attempting to calculate his intent. After a five minute stand off, he abruptly bolted through the woods up a short rise without so much as touching a tree and disappeared silently into the evening. Shortly afterward, we came upon the pond i'd named Mishiike (turtle) for the abundance of four-legged reptiles that resided there. (If it hadn't rained it was safe to stop and watch a while; if it had, best to keep the wheels turning or risk sliding into a quagmire.) Another quarter to half mile more before we reached the campsite on Trout Lake. The place is remote and sees few human visitors, although there is a bunk cabin close by which we called the Bat House, for good reason...hardly a place for a peaceful night's sleep. One summer it was so dry the sunsets on the lake were deep yellow with haze as a red-orange orb slowly went to sleep on the other side of the hills. As stars emerged, snowshoe hares regularly paid us a visit after sunset, the leverets surprisingly cozying up to our legs as the temperature dropped, while their mothers partook of the charred logs around the edge. Mornings came early as our friend Beasley, a red squirrel, chattered us awake awaiting granola and trail mix bits that dropped to the ground occasionally. The herons seemed unafraid of our presence as they fed from the edges of the small lake. Eagles caught fish on the fly and gracefully hauled their catches to nests that could be seen in the distance. One day, we decided to climb the firetower at Mt. Sophie, not far away from camp. It was overcast, still, and damp as we approached the area. As we got closer to the structure, the leaves of the understory began to snap as if hit by rain. Dry skin, no rain...a closer look revealed hundreds of tree frogs. Those closest reamined perfectly still; those further away kept leaping. We soon moved on to let them fulfill their purpose in peace. There were the creatures of the day, the spirits of the night, and those of the in-between complete without us. Dramas were played out and stories were told by each and all. We did our best to listen in wonder and beauty.
Mi'iw
— jester ©2026
Upcoming Events ^
Rally against the criminal actions of ICE
Join us in Hibbing!
- When:
- July 20, 5:00pm
(Meet at the college parking lot by 4:45)
- Where:
- 169 & 25th St
Hibbing, MN
Trina Swanson for MN08
Pizza Party in Cook!
- When:
- July 24, 4:00–6:00pm
- Where:
- Cook Community Center
Cook, MN
It's Parade Time!
Upcoming parades with St Louis County 03 DFL
There will be campaign signs, banners, and flags to carry at each parade. We will bring small American flags and candy for you to distribute to the kids. A limited number of campaign t-shirts will be available for you wear. Some campaigns ask that you return the shirts so that they can be laundered and used at the next parade.
July 25, Hoyt Lakes Water Carnival Parade
Line up at 11am along Kennedy Memorial drive near the two churches (305-315 Kennedy Memorial Dr). Look for the SOAR float and the DFL signs. Parade starts at noon and is approximately 8 blocks long.
Indivisible for Peggy Flanagan
Indivisible U.S. Senate Phone Bank Series
- When:
- Jul 27–Aug 10, 5:30–7:30 CT
- Where:
- Anywhere
We’ll be telling voters all about this exciting candidate and why they should be voting to send Peggy to represent them in DC. Help make calls to voters in Minnesota, and let’s send a real fighter for families and a defender of democracy to the Senate!
A short phonebanking training will be included at the beginning of each phonebank, so both first-time dialers and phonebank pros are welcome to join. Be sure to have both a computer and a phone so that you can make calls to voters.
God & Country
Community Film Screening & Conversation Hosted By Ely Indivisible
- When:
- July 30, 6:30pm
- Where:
- Ely Community Center
27 South 1st Avenue
Ely, MN
You are invited to a public screening of God & Country, a documentary produced by Michele & Rob Reiner that explores the relationship between faith, politics and democracy in the United States. This is an opportunity to learn more about the political movement – Christian Nationalism-- and to consider its role in contemporary civic life. We will host a respectful post-screening conversation about how religious conviction, democratic institutions and the common good can peacefully coexist in a pluralistic society. Following the film, participants will be invited to engage in a civil discussion grounded in mutual respect, curiosity, and a commitment to understanding one another.
6th Annual Iron Range Pride Festival
Fantabulous Diverse TRANSformative
- When:
- August 8, 11:00–4:00pm
- Where:
- Iron Trail Motors Event Center
Virginia, MN
This year's festival will include vendors, food trucks and a full day of entertainment.
MN Primary Election
Voting open now!
- When:
- August 11
A primary election determines which candidates will be on the ballot in the November general election
Strategy & Action ^
Downstream and In Danger
How You Can Act Now to Defend Minnesota’s Watersheds from Toxic Sulfide Ore Mining
- When:
- July 22, 6:00pm
- Where:
- Online
Toxic sulfide ore mines are proposed for the Boundary Waters, Lake Superior, Mississippi River, and St. Croix River watersheds. This summer, your action is critical for the future of our water, wild rice, and health. Get caught up and ready to act on Wednesday, July 22!
During this FREE webinar, WaterLegacy Executive Director and Counsel Paula Maccabee will bring you up-to-date on the history of sulfide mine proposals in Minnesota, how industry pressure on regulators and legislators shapes the laws and permitting process, and what you can do right now to advocate and defend the Mississippi River, St. Croix River, Lake Superior, and Boundary Waters watersheds from toxic sulfide ore mining pollution.
Urge Democrats to Oppose and Stop Trump's Crypto Corruption
Oppose the CLARITY Act (H.R. 3633)
"Last year, the House passed the CLARITY Act (H.R. 3633), a bill disguised as “crypto regulation” that actually serves the billionaires and bad actors at the center of today’s crypto chaos. This bill doesn’t protect consumers, doesn’t close money laundering loopholes, and does nothing to stop the biggest threat of all: Trump’s crypto-fueled bribery machine. The CLARITY Act is being considered in the Senate and we need to stop it. Unfortunately, 78 House Democrats helped pass the CLARITY Act last summer. We need to make sure Senate Democrats don’t make the same mistake.
"Call your Democratic Senators now and tell them: OPPOSE the CLARITY Act. We won’t let Congress enable more of Trump’s corruption or gamble away our financial stability just to appease crypto billionaires."
Call Senator Amy Klobuchar: (202) 224-3244
Call Senator Tina Smith: (202) 224-5641
What Is Political Corruption and What Can We Do About It?
It hurts ordinary Americans in concrete ways, and the risk has never been greater given today’s unprecedented mixing of private wealth with political power
"Rising political corruption highlights the need for structural reforms to strengthen federal institutions and rein in conduct that harms American citizens. Harmful Supreme Court decisions, erosion of norms, and public officials’ increasing brazenness have created this moment. But the public and Congress can take immediate steps to curtail political corruption and, in the longer term, push for more fundamental reforms to return democratic power to the American people.
"When government officials make decisions motivated by money or other forms of undue private gain, it warps policy and hurts the public. Things like public education, healthcare, infrastructure, and public safety lose out as public funds get misdirected and the quality of government services decreases.
"Trump is merging the powers of the presidency with his businesses and personal finances to an extent never before seen..."
Immigrant Justice Summer
a training series from Indivisible
- When:
- July [9], 23, & August 6 (& more), 7:00 CT
- Where:
- Online
The Trump administration is buying up warehouses across the country to expand its detention and deportation regime while planning for more militarized surges in major US cities. The threat is escalating. This resource breaks down what we're demanding, how communities are fighting back, and how you can get trained to respond when ICE comes to your community.
Election Protection Tabletop Workshop
Duluth Indivisible hosts the Groundworks Institute
- When:
- July 25, 9:30am–12:30pm
- Where:
- Radisson Hotel Duluth — Harborview
Great Hall
505 West Superior Street
Duluth, MN
Come work through scenarios generated in conjunction with the offices of the Minnesota Secretary of State and Attorney General about possible disruptions in our upcoming elections, and what we as a community can do to be prepared. This workshop is meant to calm our minds by thinking through concrete examples together regarding our upcoming elections. If something untoward happens, we’re executing a plan, not trying to create and execute at the same time. It’s a long road from voter registration to election certification and for most of us it has operated in the background our whole voting lives. This year, 2026, is different.
Beyond the BWCA: Sulfide Mining Looming Threat to Minnesota
with Water Over Nickel, Friends of the Mississippi River, and Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy (MCEA)
- When:
- July 28, 12:00pm
- Where:
- Online
"Talon Metals/Rio Tinto plans to mine a 'massive sulphide mineralization' with high levels of sulfide and toxic metals. Drilling in the huge 31,000 acre area where Talon controls private land and state leases (about 85% of the size of Minneapolis) controlled by Talon Metals in central Minnesota’s Aitkin County, Talon has already found sulfide ore both in the Sandy River and Tamarack River watershed, which flow through the Big Sandy Lake Flowage to the Mississippi River and along the West Branch Kettle River, which flows downstream to the St. Croix River."
Upcoming
- August 5: DNR Public Meeting McGregor High School
- August 12: DNR Public Meeting Blaine Sports Arena
Building Trust with Community Works
from the Rural Urban Bridge Initiative (RUBI)
- When:
- July 22, 5:30 CT
- Where:
- Online
Find out how to get involved in RUBI’s on-the-ground work to build trust, address concrete local needs, and increase collaboration across the ideological divide in rural and working class communities.
Not an additional dime to fund Trump's Iran war
Tell Congress Now
Trump's unauthorized, unprovoked war in Iran has cost the lives of US service members and thousands of civilians in Iran and across the Middle East...
Democracy on the Block Organizer Toolkit
from MN Voice
"DOB gatherings are celebratory community care events intended to promote voter participation and civic engagement at a precinct level. Gatherings are organized and hosted by teams of local volunteers, all of whom will receive Democracy Observer training through Minnesota Voice.
"Across the country, BIPOC, native, and immigrant voters are facing increased uncertainty around their right to vote in the 2026 election. One major concern is that immigration enforcement officers will expand their operations in communities and target polling sites to suppress voter turnout and encourage division among communities.
Democracy On The Block gatherings direct communities to combat dangerous narratives by reframing elections through the lens of community care. Through boots-on-the-ground organizing, connection to supportive live community calls, voter education, and community collaboration, Democracy On The Block reaffirms voting as a joyful expression of community power, and upholding our rights under the constitution."
Act Free to Be Free
A State and Local Pro-Democracy Framework A Civil Society Framework for Election Defense in 2026
"Anyone paying attention knows that Donald Trump is not preparing to lose the 2026 midterms. He is preparing to disrupt and sabotage them, and his administration has beenlaying the groundwork for months.
"The harder problem is this: most of us (organizers, elected officials, legal advocates, pro-democracy funders) are still preparing for a normal election. We are running election programs. We are testing messages. We are mobilizing voters. These are not wrong things to do. They are profoundly insufficient for the threat we are actually facing.
"There is also something harder to name, a kind of collective avoidance. An unwillingness to fully believe our own eyes. Many Americans have internalized a story about ourselves that says we are immune from this kind of thing. We are not. And the next six months will matter enormously for how far down the abyss we go."
Greater Minnesota Organizing Call
Peggy Flanagan to the U.S. Senate
- When:
- Every Other Wednesday (Next: July 29)
7:00–8:00pm
- Where:
- Online
This is your chance to connect with volunteers from across Greater Minnesota, get the latest campaign updates, and learn how you can help elect Peggy Flanagan to the U.S. Senate. Whether you're a longtime volunteer or getting involved for the first time, these calls are a great way to build community, share ideas, and take action to help us win.
Together, we're organizing in every corner of Minnesota and building the grassroots movement needed to send Peggy to Washington.
Neighbor2Neighbor
Indivisible
We're going all in to help Peggy Flanagan win her Senate primary, and last week we launched our Neighbor2Neighbor canvassing tool statewide in Minnesota.
Neighbor2Neighbor (N2N) is our revolutionary voter contact program that makes getting out the vote quick and easy. There's no app to download. No need for fancy tech. Just complete the signup form and we'll connect you with 10 likely progressive neighbors who may need a reminder to vote.
Then, you can knock on doors whenever is most convenient for you.
People who hear from a trusted neighbor are up to two times more likely to vote than those who don't. The key to turnout-and the success of our Neighbor2Neighbor program-is connecting on a personal level with those we live closest to.
How and why to de-Google your life
"Google is the patron saint of enshittification. Sure, the tech giant faces some stiff competition from the likes of Facebook and Microsoft, but when it comes to creating a product that became so widely indispensable, so ingrained into modern life that it’s permanently rendered as a verb, and then systematically degrading said product for the sole benefit of shareholders, Google stands alone.
"Google’s shift to serving often faulty AI search results rather than its traditionally indexed links to direct sources continues apace, upending the very way information is delivered, obtained, and organized on the internet. As a result, a lot of people have had enough, and are looking for alternatives, not just to Google’s once-hallowed search engine, but all of its AI-saturated products."
Hands Off Our Vote 2026
Hands Off Our Vote is Indivisible’s national program to ensure all eligible voters get to cast their ballot, and that those ballots get counted
"We know that Trump and his Big Lie cronies are plotting to do everything they can to undermine our elections in 2026. Whether it’s trying to end mail-in voting, targeting registration programs, blocking vote-counting, even trying to ban states from encouraging people to vote – it’s going to be no-holds-barred from them this year as they try desperately to block the free and fair elections.
"But we’re going to cut through the noise, and we’re going to be ready for whatever dirty tricks they try. And we’re going to do it with community power and preparation, not panic."
5calls
Pick an action & make a call
Americans of Conscience Checklist
Actions, good news & inspiration
The good folks at Ely Indivisible shared this great site.
Learn more about voting
We are gathering links & resources
Please add to this shared space for information on
voting rights & strategies to defend our elections.
Journalism Matters ^
Witness (& the power of the humble hyperlink in the midst of AI search-summary slop)
A Million Warnings and One Huge Invitation: Climate 2026
I probably don't need to sing the virtues of renewables again but maybe every song about climate should have this refrain: they're the cheapest way to generate electricity ever created; the wind and sun are themselves free and all you have to do is build the devices to capture them and store/transmit the resulting electricity; no country or region has a monopoly on it and virtually every country can become largely energy independent, ending the hideous geopolitics of fossil fuel; and because they are dispersed they are relatively hard to target in war; also they don't pollute and poison like fossil fuel does at every stage from extraction to burning; and finally that's a lot of what we need to do to not utterly wreck the climate and thereby the planet and everything on it. Not my catchiest lyrics but....
"It is like a bad dream that keeps recurring: people are drowning while we are prevented from reaching them with our rowboats and life preservers; homes are burning but someone is standing on the firehose or knocking down the ladders; there is a planetary thermostat and countless people are trying to turn it down, but powerful figures backed by militaries and money are turning it up; we grab the firehose but they keep pouring gasoline, literally, on the fire. That's a description of a world in which the majority of us want climate action and a thriving planet; we're overpowered --in some ways– by the minority willing to sacrifice the whole, largely to further enrich the wealthy. Meanwhile, new life rafts and fire retardants are being invented, and the planet itself as well as the news are offering warnings and invitations, over and over and over."
Bad Air. Bad Lettuce.
from Your Local Epidemiologist Blog
"Air pollution levels in [NE MN], Chicago, Detroit, New York, and DC are the worst in the world right now. We are starting to see it on the West Coast too. All from wildfire smoke. I called my friend, Dr. Joseph Allen—a professor of exposure assessment science—to help break this down for you.
"This is very dangerous for everyone’s health — not just people with high-risk conditions. Wildfire smoke contains tiny particles less than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5) that can enter the lungs and irritate our respiratory linings, as well as toxic gases. Once wildfire particles hit your lungs, your body reacts like it’s under attack: it triggers inflammation and puts stress on blood vessels that spreads beyond the lungs into the bloodstream. That inflammation makes blood clot more easily and can destabilize plaque in your arteries, which is why breathing bad air can trigger a heart attack, not just breathing problems.
"The number of people getting sick continues to rise in the Midwest, and we are finally starting to get clarity on the likely culprit: shredded iceberg lettuce..."
The Court vs. Democracy
An interview with Julie C. Suk, author of the forthcoming book The Shadow Court, on the Supreme Court’s recent decisions and the kind of reforms that would be needed to democratize the judiciary.
"In our summer issue, Dissent co-editor Patrick Iber spoke with political scientist David Bateman and legal scholar Julie C. Suk about the dysfunction and degradation of American constitutional government. After the end of the most recent Supreme Court term, I spoke again with Suk, author of the forthcoming book The Shadow Court: Rescuing Democracy from the Supreme Court, about the Roberts Court’s major decisions this year—on voting rights, executive power, birthright citizenship, and more—and the kind of reforms that would be needed to democratize the judiciary."
Inspiration ^
Meeting Our Moment
Rural Women Rise — Power Potluck
A quick recap and highlights from a recent "Power Potluck" that was co-organized and facilitated by women organizers from Aitkin County - across northeast Minnesota - and with support from the nonprofits Women Winning (womenwinning.org) and Fire in the Village (fireinthevillage.org)
"This gathering featured inspiring speeches from Women Winning Director Nevada Littlewolf (they also co-sponsored the gathering) and Palisade Mayor Gaylene Spolarich.
"Some of the women candidates running for office in our region were also present! Including Trina for Congress, Kim 'Kotonias' McLaughlin for Senate District 7, Mary For Minnesota , Denise Decker Slipy, TK For A New Day, Melissa Maertens, Erin McCabe Ningen for State Representative 7a and Dawn Espe for Crow Wing County Commissioner.
"There were also women there representing local struggles for environmental and economic justice.
"Artist organizer Annie Humphrey and Fire in the Village provided artistic encouragement, and grassroots organizers like Hallie Pond from BLA Indivisible and members of dozens of other grassroots groups and local DFL party volunteers were also there to rally.
"It was a powerful gathering of rural women, each bringing something to the table."
DEFLOCK
Cities and States Are Fighting Back and Winning. Here's The Law That Makes Flock Cameras A Felony
"There is a fair chance that a small camera on a pole near your home photographs every license plate that passes it. Flock Safety operates more than 100,000 automated license plate reader cameras across 49 states, and its network scans roughly 20 billion plates per month.¹ In most of the cities where those cameras operate, no elected body ever voted to install them. A police chief or a city manager signed a contract, often a no-cost trial that required no budget approval, and residents learned the cameras existed after they were already recording.
"The record of what happens next is now extensive. Local police ran more than 4,000 immigration-related searches through Flock's network on behalf of federal agencies, according to reporting by 404 Media.² Mountain View, California terminated its contract after an investigation found roughly 600,000 searches of its data in a single year by more than 250 agencies the city had never approved.³ A class action filed in February 2026 alleges that out-of-state and federal agencies searched the San Francisco Police Department's Flock database more than 1.6 million times in seven months.⁴ Flock has installed cameras without required permits in at least five states, and two state transportation agencies barred it from new installations.⁵ It has made false statements to city councils about what its systems do,¹ and in February 2026 it rewrote its standard contract terms to make cancellation harder even when a council votes against approval.
"The public response so far has been cancellation. More than 50 cities have ended their contracts since late 2024.⁷ In the same period, roughly 800 cities signed new ones.⁷ Cancellation works one council at a time, and it happens only after the cameras are installed and the data has already left the jurisdiction. Every state law passed so far, including Washington's Driver Privacy Act, regulates how the data can be used after the cameras exist.⁷ No law anywhere attaches a consequence to the person who decides to install them without asking the public. The model legislation at the end of this article makes that decision a crime."
