The Daily Agenda: Health Take

health take | STUDY: The One Drink that Increases Death Risk

Mike Maybay — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 20:31:06 GMT

All Fluence tipsheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

POLLING

BLAME GAME: Via Healthcare Dive, VERBATIM: “Americans primarily blame insurance companies for rising healthcare costs, as widespread concern about unaffordable medical care coincides with growing public animus against insurers for care delays and denials, according to a new survey. The survey commissioned by the hospital-backed Coalition to Strengthen America’s Healthcare found that 47% of people say corporate health insurers are the principal driver of rising spending, followed by 36% who blame the federal government and 34% who blame drug companies.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ejEnpK

MORE: Via SAH, the full results of the poll which was conducted by Morning Consult. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/49Thcky

TEETH: Via P&G, VERBATIM: “A national survey of more than 2,000 Americans, conducted by Ipsos in partnership with P&G and supported by the AAFP, found that while 76% of Americans say they are motivated to take care of their oral health, only 3% of Americans associate oral health with whole-body health when polled. The findings highlight that nearly half of Americans (44%) say they have never heard of the connection between oral health and cardiovascular disease, with awareness dropping even further for other conditions including diabetes (55%), respiratory disease (68%), pregnancy complications (67%), and Alzheimer’s disease (77%).” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aK2o8a

Subscribe now

Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3KsuDrZ

MEDICAID SUPPORTS HEALTH CARE FOR ALL OF US: Medicaid keeps Minnesota’s hospitals strong and ensures communities across the state have access to care. Policymakers must protect Medicaid so every Minnesotan — regardless of income or health status — can get the care they need, when they need it. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/3FtrCuH (SPONSORED: Minnesota Hospital Association)

HEALTH HEADLINES

LIST: We count nine Minnesota institutions on Newsweek’s list of “America’s greatest workplaces in Health Care.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3SBrMGU

HOSPITALS: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “The Trump administration has warned more than 500 hospitals that they are failing to provide the public with basic pricing information — arguing that the lack of disclosure is keeping healthcare costs higher than they should be. The Associated Press obtained exclusively the list of hospitals that since April have either received letters of warning or, in more severe cases, requests to submit plans to provide transparent pricing. Failing to comply with the warnings comes with penalties as high as $2 million annually for each recipient that doesn’t create a plan to post clear pricing data.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3SjKZNg

MORE: Via AP, the list of hospitals which includes 18 here in Minnesota. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3PWV3LD

ACA: Via The Hill, VERBATIM: “Newly released state enrollment data show ObamaCare coverage losses could be even more severe than initially anticipated, due to Congress’s unwillingness to renew enhanced subsidies. Monthly enrollment data through April from Arkansas, Colorado, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico and New York showed a significant number of people canceled their coverage or did not pay their premium bills after signing up for coverage in 2026, according to an analysis from Georgetown University.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4xt4u6k

DOCS: Via Politico, VERBATIM: “American doctors want their leading lobby to drop its nice guy routine with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. At the American Medical Association’s annual meeting this week, members of the group’s House of Delegates are sending a clear message to their leaders: Call out Kennedy, even if it costs us in the pocketbook.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43uBGg2

AI: Via MedPage Today, VERBATIM: “Artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine must always be overseen by physicians, according to a policy adopted by the American Medical Association (AMA) on Tuesday. At its annual meeting on Tuesday, AMA’s House of Delegates passed a resolution requiring its leaders to advocate for legislation and regulation requiring AI tools to ‘integrate with the physician-led team and be used at the direction of the treating physician; respect the continuity of care and best practices related to transitions of care; have transparent, auditable data demonstrating safety and efficacy; [and] be subject to relevant and appropriate regulations (including but not limited to those related to liability and documentation).’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aJ5pWh

VACCINES: Via Stat, VERBATIM: “The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has released a recommended vaccine schedule for pregnant people, one that diverges from the advice currently offered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ACOG is recommending four vaccines be routinely administered during pregnancy, with several other vaccines recommended under certain circumstances. The new schedule is endorsed by 13 medical societies and health organizations.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43qDQx9

TOBACCO: Via KFF Health News, VERBATIM: “President Donald Trump, who once declared he had ‘saved’ flavored vapes, grew his stock holdings this year to as much as $1.64 million in tobacco giant Philip Morris. He also had holdings in Altria and a third leading tobacco company, though an apparent discrepancy in his disclosures clouds the extent of his investments. In 2025, tobacco interests donated $6 million to MAGA Inc., a super PAC that supports the president, and Trump’s inauguration. And, on April 30, a week before FDA guidance that provided a critical boost to the industry, Reynolds American dropped an additional $5 million into the super PAC’s coffers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ehrOuZ

LEGISLATORS STEPPED UP FOR HCMC, BUT MORE SUPPORT IS NEEDED FOR RURAL HOSPITALS: Savings from the 340B drug program help local hospitals sustain access to cancer treatment, specialty services, and technology investments in rural communities. While drug companies continue to raise prices and rake in profits, rural hospitals will be forced to stretch limited resources even further if legislators don’t step up to strengthen the 340B program. READ MORE: Tough times for rural hospitals after legislative session - KSTP.com 5 Eyewitness News (SPONSORED: Essentia Health)

RESEARCH & INNOVATION

BOOZE: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM; “A government alcohol study published on Tuesday concluded that the health risks of alcohol start at a single drink a day. The report was caught up in controversy after drawing the ire of the alcohol industry. For people who have one drink a day on average, the researchers found, there was an increased risk of premature death from an illness or injury directly attributable to alcohol, though it was small — one in 1,000 people. But the risk of premature death jumped to one in 25 for those who had two drinks a day, a level long considered safe for men, according to the study, which was published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49XZwEy

GLUCOSAMINE: Via UF Health, VERBATIM: “A major study suggests glucosamine, a popular supplement for joint pain, could be linked to faster progression from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers found a 25% higher likelihood of developing dementia among glucosamine users and uncovered biological clues that may explain why.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4av7dCf

SUNSCREEN: Via KFF Health News, VERBATIM: “Officials, environmental health advocates, and skin care industry groups are expressing hope that the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of a sunscreen ingredient on June 9 — after consideration for two decades, and global use for nearly as long — will help restore Americans’ wavering faith in sunscreen.” QUOTE: “Bemotrizinol has been used safely in Europe for decades,” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in the announcement about the approval. “FDA’s action will increase competition and consumer confidence in sunscreen products.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aHHd6C

TUMORS: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “One of the most detailed maps to date of meningioma — the most common brain tumor in adults — reveals how the tumor’s surrounding environment helps drive disease behavior and patient outcomes, according to new research from Mayo Clinic. The study, published in Nature Genetics and conducted in collaboration with scientists at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto, combines several advanced laboratory techniques to examine tumors at an unprecedented level of detail, offering clues to why some meningiomas grow slowly while others recur or become more aggressive. The findings could lead to more precise ways to predict risk and guide treatment decisions.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4eCOib6

1970-: Via Fox News, VERBATIM: “Americans born after 1970 are dying faster than their parents did, data shows. New analysis from Tufts University reveals that Gen Xers and millennials are failing to outlive their predecessors, dying at higher rates from common chronic illnesses and external causes than previous generations did when they were the same age.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4xt65ZS

FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com

GLP-1: Via The Guardian, VERBATIM: “Weight-loss drugs are saving users’ households more than £400 a year on grocery bills, according to a survey, which found use of GLP-1s has nearly tripled in the past two years to 1.9 million adults.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4olpSq1

Copyright © 2026 Fluence Media, All rights reserved.
You signed up or are media / a public official interested in health care news from Fluence Media.

Our mailing address is:
Fluence Media
PO Box 270031
Minneapolis, MN 55427

health take | Smartphones Linked to Birthrate Decline

Mike Maybay — Tue, 09 Jun 2026 20:30:13 GMT

All Fluence tipsheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

POLLING

TRUST: Via de Beaumont, VERBATIM: “A year after changes to federal leadership in the U.S. public health system, a new poll finds that trust in public health agencies has dropped dramatically. Only 50% of U.S. adults say they trust health recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), compared to 77% in spring 2025.”

“The fraction who say they trust their state health department has declined from 80% to 66% and the fraction who say they trust their local public health department has fallen from 82% to 70%.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4eeJtUc

MORE: Via PBS, VERBATIM: “That partisan breakdown specifically is worrying, said Brian Castrucci, president and CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation, adding that the data demonstrate a ‘deep polarization of facts and science.’” CASTRUCCI: “We now live in a world where scientific fact is understood through a partisan lens,” he said, “and while we can make partisan differences between health facts, disease doesn’t discriminate.” Measles, Ebola and hantavirus “don’t really care what we think,” he added. “If we don’t have a united response, that is extraordinarily dangerous for our country.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43Xjpb8

MORALITY: Via Gallup, VERBATIM: “Americans’ views of the moral acceptability of five of the 20 behaviors Gallup tracks annually have fallen significantly since last year, with each dropping between six and nine percentage points.”

“Those behaviors include using birth control (83%), having a baby outside of marriage (58%), gambling (57%), sex between teenagers (35%) and cloning animals (27%). Birth control, gambling and cloning animals have all hit record lows this year after holding relatively steady throughout most of the trend.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3RTYhjy

CHILDCARE: Via The Harris Poll, VERBATIM: “Research from The Harris Poll on behalf of KinderCare finds that working parents in the US spend more than a third of every month in complete burnout. And the cause is often the daily scramble to find childcare they can count on. The gap in care drives much of this strain with 81% of parents say they’re constantly thinking about childcare gaps. 60% say parenting pressures are harming their mental health. And 76% feel extremely frustrated by how little childcare support exists in the US.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4olpaZM

ICYMI… lunch take featured a Minneapolis Fed survey in which 80% of childcare providers said the industry is in a crisis. READ: https://fluence-media.co/43qqaSJ

Subscribe now

Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3KsuDrZ

HEALTH HEADLINES

SMOKE: Via KQDS-TV, VERBATIM: “A new study finds wildfires may be making the U.S. smoggy again, potentially back-peddling long-standing efforts to clean-up the air. After more than a decade of progress in the U.S. to reduce smog levels, scientists now say since 2015, smoke from increasingly larger wildfires has been reversing those trends making the air dirtier and potentially deadlier.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4umunSj

NUTRITION: Via The Hill, VERBATIM: “The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced Monday that numerous medical school accrediting organizations and assessors have agreed to increase nutrition requirements for U.S. medical education. HHS said in a release that eight medical school organizations had agreed to ‘increase nutrition requirements at every level of U.S. medical education, competency-evaluation, training, and residency.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ainoCQ

RFK JR: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “Shortly after the World Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak in Africa a public health emergency, a reporter asked Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. if he was worried about the virus. Six Americans had already been exposed. His response was brief: ‘Yeah, we’re working on it’ . . . Mr. Kennedy’s approach to the crisis reflects his broader management of the Department of Health and Human Services, which affects the health of 340 million Americans and provides health care to 40 percent of the population through Medicare and Medicaid. Mr. Kennedy has shown little interest in managing the details of work in his department, according to multiple colleagues. Instead, they say, he is single-mindedly focused on his top priorities, including food recommendations and pesticide exposures, and hunting for evidence to support his long-held beliefs that vaccines are harmful.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4v7WmGU

SEX ASSAULT: Via Sahan Journal, VERBATIM: “A clinic in south Minneapolis will soon offer forensic sexual assault exams, giving survivors another option for care besides the emergency room. Southside Community Health Services, which previously operated out of an elementary school, recently opened its new location on East Lake Street. The community health center aims to support low-income and uninsured residents in a diverse corridor of the city.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43qnt3z

MENTAL HEALTH: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “Vail Communities says new state and private funding will keep its Minneapolis and St. Paul clubhouses open for now after the nonprofit faced closure. The nonprofit said the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) surprised them in a March letter by saying more money was off the table, leaving Vail Communities facing closure as of this month. Following 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS reporting in April, DHS has seemingly reversed course in the nick of time.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/43matft

RESEARCH & INNOVATION

SMARTPHONES: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “The enduring mystery of the fertility decline has a new culprit: the smartphone. Experts have long wondered if phones played a role in the birthrate decline — which began in 2007, the same year that Apple introduced the iPhone — but until now there had not been hard evidence to prove it. Two new papers, one published Monday and the other in May, are the first academic endeavors that test whether the smartphone was a cause.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4eh3BoE

KIDS: Via CHOP, VERBATIM: “Researchers at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), in collaboration with the University of California, Berkeley and the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, found that a year after receiving their first smartphone at age 13, teens at 14 who spent significant time on their phones were more likely to experience depression, obesity, and insufficient sleep.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aBHU1i

AI: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Mayo Clinic researchers and collaborators have shown that an artificial intelligence (AI) tool can analyze routine pathology slides to help clinicians classify meningiomas, the most common primary brain tumor in adults, and better understand a patient’s risk of tumor recurrence.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3PUTJc5

TELEHEALTH: Via Military.com, VERBATIM: “Rural veterans with chronic kidney disease and refractory hypertension are hospitalized more frequently and die at higher rates than veterans in urban or suburban areas. Many go years with their kidney care managed exclusively by a primary care provider who may not have the training or time to adjust the specialized medications these patients need. A new VA study published in the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology shows that the VA’s telenephrology program is closing that gap, and saving lives in the process.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ebTamh

NEW CFO: Via Brooklyn Park-based CVRx, VERBATIM: “CVRx, Inc. (NASDAQ: CVRX), a commercial-stage medical device company focused on developing, manufacturing and commercializing innovative neuromodulation solutions for patients with cardiovascular diseases, announced today that Jared Oasheim, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, will be stepping down from his role to pursue other professional opportunities. To support a seamless transition, Mr. Oasheim will remain with the Company until a successor is appointed and remain available as an advisor through February 2027.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4xfpbm0

FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com

GLP-1: Via University of Pennsylvania, VERBATIM: “A large study found that women taking GLP-1 drugs, the medication class behind Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound, were about 30% less likely to develop breast cancer. Researchers say the findings are promising but not yet proof, and clinical trials are now being planned to test whether these drugs could help prevent breast cancer.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4eaXjXt

health take | 3,411 MN Medicaid Providers Disenrolled

Mike Maybay — Thu, 04 Jun 2026 20:30:42 GMT

All Fluence tipsheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

POLLING

SNAPCHAT: Via Mashable, VERBATIM: “Teens on Snapchat frequently encounter unwanted or dangerous content on the platform, according to a new survey. A third of the poll’s 1,016 respondents said they’d seen or received unsafe content or messages in the past week. More than half said they’d had at least one such experience in the past year.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4v16VeD

HEALTHCARE: Via Fierce Healthcare, VERBATIM: “One in five adults with private insurance coverage said that they or a family member had a medical service denied in the past year, even though it was recommended by their physician. The Commonwealth Fund released its 2025 Affordability Survey and the results of focus groups on the subject, which found that 8% of coverage denials were due to denied claims, while 13% were due to prior authorization denials. One percent of the denied services fell into both categories, per the report.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ukZe1Q

AI: Via Medical Economics, VERBATIM: “Physicians remain split on whether artificial intelligence (AI) is improving medicine, even as adoption of AI scribes climbs across primary care and specialty practices . . . The poll, which gathered responses from 103 physicians, showed that 55% believe AI is improving medicine, whereas 45% do not. Seventy percent of respondents currently use AI scribes or are evaluating vendors, but the time those physicians report actually saving varies widely.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ebSs8G

YOUTH: Via The Trevor Project, VERBATIM: “The Trevor Project, the leading suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people, released The 2025 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ+ Young People, analyzing the experiences of more than 16,000 LGBTQ+ young people ages 13 to 24 across the United States. In its seventh iteration, the national survey again found that LGBTQ+ young people are often placed at heightened risk for suicidality because of how they are mistreated and stigmatized.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4o5vdBr

AGING: Via Medical Xpress, VERBATIM: “LGBTQ+ folks 50 and older are less confident than their peers that they’ll be able to age gracefully. Aging LGBTQ+ adults already have higher rates of disability, loneliness and isolation than non-LGBTQ+ people their age, the survey found. It also found that fewer think they’ll be able to count on support from social services, health care, friends or family as they age.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4e91dQL

POT + SLEEP: Via AASM, VERBATIM: “New survey results from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine explore the complex relationship between marijuana use and sleep. One-third (33%) of adults reported that their sleep is slightly or significantly better when they use marijuana. In contrast, 19% of adults reported either no impact (11%) or that their sleep is worse when they use marijuana (8%), and 47% of respondents indicated that they don’t use marijuana.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4uQXfTZ

Subscribe now

Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3KsuDrZ

THURSDAY FEED

MEDICAID: Via DHS, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Department of Human Services finished a comprehensive top-to-bottom review of nearly 5,600 high-risk Medicaid providers on time on May 31. Completing the effort is a key part of Minnesota’s plan to stop the federal government from withholding up to $2 billion from its Medicaid program. The five-month review required providers to show they met heightened legal and eligibility standards required to operate and serve vulnerable people.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ojij2X

MORE: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “Of the 5,583 high-risk providers, 2,061 were successfully revalidated, while 3,411 were disenrolled and will stop receiving payments. Nearly three-quarters of the providers that weren’t revalidated (2,491) were due to incomplete or unsubmitted documentation. Another 916 failed on-site verification visits, and four failed background checks.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4e7RPwM

MORE: Via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “Providers may appeal their disenrollment, DHS said, but in the meantime, some Minnesotans may see disruptions to their services.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4v9OBQN

WORK RULES: Via NPR, VERBATIM: “Advocates for people with serious illnesses, like cancer and HIV, say the strict Medicaid work rules that the Trump administration released this week are likely to put ongoing treatments in jeopardy. States must put the work requirements into effect by January 1. That was already a tight timeline, says Adrianna McIntyre, assistant professor of health policy at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43Ump89

MED RECORDS: Via KFF Health News, VERBATIM: “U.S. health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is pursuing federal government access to most Americans’ medical records, in a quest to research a link between vaccines and autism — a connection the medical establishment studied for decades and flatly rejects. The Department of Health and Human Services is seeking data from little-known state systems that allow hospitals and clinics to exchange detailed, identifiable patient information, KFF Health News has learned. In private meetings, some public health leaders have objected to giving Kennedy’s team access to such data, raising doubts that it’s legal or that the information would even be useful.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4x9keLn

URINE TEST: Via HealthDay, VERBATIM: “A simple urine test might help identify children who are likely to have autism earlier than the best assessment tools now available, a new study says. Autistic children appear to have specific gut microbe profiles that can be used to distinguish them from neurotypical (or typically developing) children, researchers reported May 26 in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fVGEtu

OVERDOSES: Via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “Authorities in the south Twin Cities metro have issued a warning after a spike in overdoses over the past week – some of them fatal. The Dakota County Drug Task Force said it has seen a flurry of fatal and non-fatal overdoses, with a noticeable spike between Tuesday and Wednesday.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dQeXB2

TOBACCO: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Quit Partners of Minnesota is looking for former smokers to help others quit too . . . [Spokesperson Mike Sheldon] says they are simply asking former smokers to share what worked for them.” QUOTE: “We do want to make sure that folks understand that they have these, again, these free tools and resources that are available to them, to help them quit any type of tobacco product,” says Sheldon. “Whatever it is that they need support with.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4vycrFy

VAPES: Via HealthDay, VERBATIM: “E-cigarettes that offer a lot of extra puffs might become more toxic the longer they are used, a new study says. High-puff vapes can typically deliver into the thousands of inhalations before they run out, because they hold more e-liquid and are designed for extended use, researchers said. But toxic chemicals called aldehydes start building up in the e-liquid as it is repeatedly exposed to vapor-producing heat, researchers reported May 28 in the journal ACS Omega.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43Ad6uh

SUMMER LOADING…

SWIMMING: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “With the school year coming to a close for many and warmer weather here to stay, swimming safety experts are reminding eager swimmers that basic safety precautions can be the difference between life and death this summer.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/43k03Nh

SUNSHINE: Via Minnesota Medical Association, VERBATIM: “Now that summer weather has arrived, Minnesota physicians are urging their fellow Minnesotans to take the summer sun seriously and take precautions to prevent skin cancer.” QUOTE: “Skin cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in the United States,” said MMA President Lisa Mattson, MD. “Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a proven human carcinogen, and we must all take the steps necessary to limit our exposure and decrease the risk of skin cancer.”

CANCER SCREENING: Via Daily Yonder, VERBATIM: “A new research project in Minnesota hopes to save lives in rural parts of the state by increasing the number of people who recommend lung screening. Getting to people in rural parts of the state may come down to getting more people in a rural doctor’s office to recommend lung cancer screening to patients, according to Dr. Abbie Begnaud of the Masonic Cancer Center at the University of Minnesota, who is working with the Minnesota Cancer Clinical Trials Network to increase lung cancer screening across the state.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4e5jhLG

STUDY: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “In a study published in the Liver Transplantation journal by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, Mayo Clinic researchers found that a new proactive treatment protocol for alcohol use disorder after liver transplant resulted in a 0% heavy alcohol relapse rate among patients who followed the protocol, compared with a historical relapse rate of approximately 25%.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3RSfREs

TRANSPLANTS: Via Minneapolis-based NMDP, VERBATIM: “NMDP, the nonprofit organization that operates the national registry of unrelated bone marrow donors and cord blood units through the federally-authorized C.W. Bill Young Cell Transplantation Program, and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), which oversees the Program, hosted today a celebratory event recognizing their public-private partnership expanding patient access to lifesaving bone marrow and cord blood transplants also known as blood stem cell transplants. The celebration highlighted the Program’s milestone of facilitating 150,000 blood stem cell transplants.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3RRrcEK

TASK FORCE: Via Minnesota Medical Association, VERBATIM: “The MMA Advocacy & Policy Committee (APC) is seeking physician volunteers to serve on its newly created Medical Liability Task Force. The task force is charged with recommending changes to the APC on MMA policies that deal with medical liability, many of which have not been updated since the 1980s.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ue9zwk

FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com

DIET MED: Via Karolinska Institutet, VERBATIM: “Scientists have developed an experimental diabetes and obesity pill that works in a completely different way from drugs like Ozempic. Rather than reducing hunger, it activates metabolism in skeletal muscle, helping lower blood sugar and increase fat burning while preserving muscle mass. Early clinical results suggest the treatment is safe and well tolerated.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4obJWLt

CLOCK: Via Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, VERBATIM: “A newly discovered genetic clock acts as the master timekeeper for development, orchestrating crucial bursts of gene activity throughout a worm’s growth. When the clock is disrupted, development stops, offering fresh clues about how growth-related disorders may arise.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vP7bO3

health take | Mayo & Microsoft Build AI Model

Mike Maybay — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 20:30:31 GMT

All Fluence tipsheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

POLLING

OFFICE SPACE: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Office life in Minnesota is tense these days after recent reorganizations, layoffs and now expanding in-office mandates at several of the region’s largest employers. And with the rollout of artificial intelligence at workplaces threatening to displace white-collar jobs, workers are riddled with fear about their futures. This cocktail of factors is contributing to higher levels of stress and anxiety among U.S. workers today than at any time in recent history, a new survey by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) found.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dZzlOT

MORE: Via SHRM, from the poll:

SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3PZY65B

HEALTHCARE: Via center right-leaning Washington Reporter, VERBATIM: “A recent national survey of 1,600 likely voters conducted by McLaughlin & Associates on behalf of the Great American Health Alliance and shared with the Washington Reporter found that 79% of voters believe the healthcare system is either in crisis or facing major problems. The survey also found that 76% of voters are intensely concerned about out-of-pocket healthcare costs, including premiums, deductibles, and co-pays. The polling found broad support for reforms that would shift more healthcare spending decisions directly to consumers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4o2PRlL

FREEDOM: Via Gallup, VERBATIM: “In 2025, a median of 82% of adults across 138 countries said they were satisfied with their freedom to choose what they do with their life, while 17% were dissatisfied. This is nominally the highest level of satisfaction on record, though perceptions have been relatively stable near 80% since 2017.”

“Four of the eight countries that have seen the steepest declines in satisfaction over the past two decades are G7 members: the United States (-16 points), France (-15), the United Kingdom (-13) and Canada (-10). In 2006, these countries’ satisfaction with the freedom to choose what they do in life averaged near 90%, among the highest globally.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4u7fgwd

PRIDE: Via Elon University, VERBATIM: “Sixty-eight percent of American adults say they are proud to be American, and 79% agree the United States plays a uniquely important role in world history. At the same time, 69% believe the signers of the Declaration of Independence would feel more disappointment than pride about modern American democracy.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dTD2pi

Subscribe now

Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3KsuDrZ

HEALTH IN MN

AI: Via CNN, VERBATIM: “People have been seeking out health information online since the dawn of the internet. And now, tens of millions of people are turning to artificial intelligence for questions they once asked ‘Dr. Google.’ But the large language models behind most mainstream AI chatbots are trained on a wide variety of content — including huge swaths of the internet — meaning the advice can be iffy and occasionally dangerous. Microsoft and Mayo Clinic are now teaming up to address that by building an AI model trained specifically on medical data, including records, research and the expertise of the hospital’s clinicians, which they say will help both patients and providers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4u4wmdT

MORE: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “The model is designed to synthesize diverse clinical data to support earlier diagnoses, more personalized treatment decisions and better patient outcomes. By expanding access to actionable insights and supporting care teams in complex decision-making, the collaboration aims to address some of healthcare’s most challenging problems.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3RFEKDm

HOME CARE: Via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “Parents of Minnesota’s most vulnerable children say lawmakers let them down, and now they’re going to extremes to fight an insurance company that’s denying coverage. A WCCO Investigation found private insurers Medica and HealthPartners stopped fully covering nursing care. That left families who need registered nurses in their homes around the clock to keep their kids alive scrambling to find other options.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4x4tQag

PAIN HELP: Via MDH, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Department of Health, in partnership with Hennepin Healthcare, is helping Minnesotans manage their pain without opioids. NOPAIN MN is a comprehensive, searchable public resource that maps the locations of non-opioid pain management providers across the state. Minnesota is currently the only state in the country with a resource map of this kind.” NEWS RELEASE: https://fluence-media.co/4o2OXpx SEARCH: https://fluence-media.co/3PPvgot

COLD WATER: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “With boating and swimming season ramping up, authorities have a cautionary message about lakes and waterways that may look inviting, but can still be dangerous. ‘I mean, we’ve lost people who have just jumped into the water off a boat in May and never resurfaced because the water temperature was so cold,’ explains Crow Wing County Sheriff Eric Klang.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4uhxFX7

GRAD: Via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “More than a year after a devastating hockey injury changed his life, Jackson Drum walked across the stage to receive his high school diploma. Jackson Drum, an Alexandria, Minnesota, teenager, was injured during a hockey game in Vancouver, Canada, in January 2025. His mother, Erica Drum, said he suffered a severe spinal cord injury and doctors told the family he might not be able to eat, swallow, breathe or walk on his own again.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4voAS83

NEXTGEN: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “It’s not every day that a high schooler gets to visit the operating room — or get their hands on the tools orthopedic surgeons use every day. Students recently visited the WestHealth Surgery Center in Plymouth. Doctors and health care leaders hope visits like this begin to address a looming surgeon shortage.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4u4uTnT

NATION & WORLD

MEDICAID: Via NBC News, VERBATIM: “Pregnant women, parents of young children, veterans with disabilities and several other groups will be exempt from Medicaid’s new work requirements, the Trump administration said Monday. The guidance was released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, meeting a June 1 deadline under President Donald Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ to explain how states should carry out the work rules. Beginning Jan. 1, many adults on Medicaid will need to work, attend school or volunteer for at least 80 hours a month to keep their coverage.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4x9xDDq

MILK: Via Politico, VERBATIM: “Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. expressed his love for milk again Monday. This time it was in the district of embattled GOP Rep. Derrick Van Orden, whose western Wisconsin seat in America’s Dairyland is one Republicans really want to hold this November. The visit, just the latest in a string of them from Cabinet secretaries to Van Orden’s district, comes as Republicans seek to shore up incumbents in toss-up races who must win this November if the GOP is to keep its House majority.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dMPzfy

EBOLA: Via The Wall Street Journal, VERBATIM: “An outbreak of a rare strain of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo is already the third largest in history, just weeks after it likely began. It is spreading rapidly in one of the most volatile and vulnerable regions of the world, worrying U.S. and international health officials. Cuts to international health aid over the past year and a half are adding to the burden, some public-health leaders say.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4onzW1P

VACCINES: Via UofM CIDRAP, VERBATIM: “The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) has announced it’s helping fast-track three Ebola Bundibugyo virus vaccine candidates from the University of Oxford, Moderna, and the International Aids Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), as the world races to control the growing outbreak caused by the virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vt0sck

COVID: Via Fierce Pharma, VERBATIM: “After a prior misfire in demonstrating its protease inhibitor ensitrelvir’s potential as a COVID-19 treatment for U.S. patients, Shionogi has secured an FDA green light for the medicine in the prevention setting. Sold under the Xocova moniker—and available in Japan since 2022—Shionogi’s oral drug has been cleared for post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) of COVID-19 in U.S. adults and adolescents ages 12 and older following contact with someone who has COVID.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vqwHsB

RESEARCH & INDUSTRY

POT + BOOZE: Via Johns Hopkins, VERBATIM: “New research from Johns Hopkins Medicine suggests that combining cannabis edibles with alcohol can impair driving more than using either substance alone. The study also found that standard field sobriety tests often failed to detect impairment caused by cannabis, whether it was consumed by itself or alongside alcohol.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3RJS6hV

KIDNEY CANCER: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “An experimental drug combination may help overcome treatment resistance in advanced kidney cancer, according to early results from a first-in-human clinical trial led by Mayo Clinic researchers. The study evaluated the investigational drug darlifarnib in combination with the targeted therapy cabozantinib, a standard treatment for clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC), the most common type of kidney cancer. Among patients whose disease had progressed despite prior treatment, 44% responded to the combination therapy, while disease control was achieved in 94% of participants.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ap11eV

AIR AMBULANCE: Via Air Med & Rescue, VERBATIM: “Air ambulance provider Life Link III has opened a new facility at Willmar Municipal Airport in the US state of Minnesota. Construction of the base, funded by a one-time US$1.5 million federal grant, was completed in February, and the site was formally opened in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on 8 May.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3PSIiBE

F&N: Via Minneapolis-based F&N, VERBATIM: “Friends & Neighbors (F&N), a Minneapolis-based brand strategy and creative agency, today announced the appointment of Dan Hoedeman as Managing Director. He joins at a pivotal growth moment to strengthen client relationships, expand agency capabilities, and accelerate F&N Med, the agency’s specialized MedTech practice.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dGmPF4

MANKATO: Via KEYC-TV, VERBATIM: “Mankato Clinic names a new chief financial officer who starts today. The physician-owned clinic says Brandon Janike —a Waldorf native—will serve as CFO.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3ShgcAD

FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com

WALK: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “Northwoods Caregivers has been providing elderly care in the Bemidji area for 25 years. Last year, several employees got together to start ‘A Walk Down Memory Lane’ event to raise awareness for dementia and Alzheimer’s patients, and that tradition continued on Thursday.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/49xgBF5

FALCONS: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “A hospital building in Rochester known for life-saving medical treatment is also home to some fierce airborne predators: Peregrine falcons who live in a rooftop nest, where four fluffy feathered chicks hatched just a few weeks ago. To welcome the falcon hatchlings, hundreds of patients, staff and friends of the Mayo Clinic community gathered recently in Mayo’s Geffen Auditorium, where member of the peregrine falcon recovery team brought the four fledgling birds from their nesting box atop the Mayo building in downtown Rochester.” LISTEN/SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4aiQnpZ

health take | MN a Health Destination for the Rich

Mike Maybay — Thu, 28 May 2026 20:31:09 GMT

All Fluence tipsheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

POLLING

BOSSES: The Harris Poll finds six in ten employed U.S. adults say they have a toxic boss. VERBATIM: “Mental health takes the biggest hit. Nearly half of workers (47%) say their boss’s behavior is causing stress, burnout, or declining mental health. More than half (53%) have sought therapy because of a toxic boss.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43EHW4A

POT: Via Pew, VERBATIM: “The vast majority of Americans support legalizing marijuana in some way, according to a January 2026 Center survey. A majority of U.S. adults (55%) say that marijuana should be legal for medical and recreational use, and another 33% say it should be legal for medical use only. Just 11% say the drug should not be legal at all. These views have held relatively steady since 2019.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49tKupJ

STRESS: Via AMFM, VERBATIM: “AMFM Healthcare today released findings from a new national survey of 2,000 U.S. adults, revealing that nearly three in four Americans (72.7%) feel stressed on a regular basis, and that many are turning to a mix of healthy, harmful, and emerging digital behaviors to cope. The survey found that stress is being driven by a convergence of pressures.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fe3L25

BLADDER CANCER: Via The Harris Poll, VERBATIM: “More than 90% of patients who underwent bladder removal surgery or received Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) treatment report negative impacts on their physical, emotional, and mental health. More than half describe those impacts as moderate or significant. What’s striking is how much emotional stress patients absorb alone. About three in four say they hide the emotional impact of their disease. One in three always, or often, conceals how they feel.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4v7e10E

Subscribe now

Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3KsuDrZ

HEALTH HEADLINES

DOG BITES: The U.S. Postal Service reports 29 dog incidents in Minneapolis last year. READ: https://fluence-media.co/3RStgMJ

REAL ESTATE: The New York Times reports on a trend of wealthy retirees buying first or second homes in locations with desirable medical care. VERBATIM: “Pockets of the Midwest have been in on the trend for decades. The global reputation of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., has made the nearby Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul—located about 90 minutes by car north—a residential hub for medical migration. ‘Clients move to Florida to enjoy life, but when health issues get serious, they come right back,’ says Isaac Kuehn, a real-estate agent at DRG in Minneapolis. He recently helped a couple return from Florida after the wife’s accelerating Parkinson’s disease prompted them to seek Minnesota’s healthcare system. The state’s medical network also attracts wealthy buyers with no local roots, Kuehn says.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49rv6du

PRESIDENT’S HEALTH: Via NPR, VERBATIM: “The White House is saying little about President Trump’s check-up at Walter Reed Tuesday, his third in 13 months. Critics say the lack of transparency only raises more questions about his health.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4dNmjE2

MORE: Via Time, VERBATIM: “There is no constitutional or legal requirement for American Presidents to publicly share their medical records. And Presidents, like other Americans, are covered by medical privacy protections under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Any details that are made public are typically shared by the White House, with the President’s consent. ‘At this point in time, what the law requires is for a President’s physician to respect a President’s confidentiality, and the President gets to choose what is disclosed,’ says M. Sara Rosenthal, a professor of bioethics at the University of Kentucky.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4e8wtjY

BIDEN: Via CNN, VERBATIM: “Jill Biden’s new comments about Joe Biden’s disastrous 2024 debate have reignited a conversation that tore the Democratic Party apart during and after the now-former president’s performance. Biden told CBS News in an interview clip published Wednesday that her husband’s stumbles and apparent confusion ‘scared me to death,’ and she worried her husband was having a stroke.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4o0vg1E

EBOLA: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “Uganda on Wednesday ordered the closure of its border with Congo, where suspected cases of a rare type of Ebola are surging, and as cases have been confirmed at home after Ugandan health workers were exposed to the disease from Congolese patients. The measure, which goes against the guidance by the World Health Organization, underscores growing fears of contagion in East Africa from Bundibugyo, a rare type of the Ebola virus that is behind this outbreak and that has no approved medicines or vaccines.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vhrK5j

MISINFORMATION: Via KFF, VERBATIM: “A hantavirus outbreak linked to a Dutch cruise ship in early May was followed by false health claims that mirror patterns documented in previous outbreaks, including unsupported claims that ivermectin is an effective treatment, that the outbreak was planned in advance, and that it was caused by COVID-19 vaccines.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4oey0Zr

HEALTHCARE: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “The proportion of Americans without health insurance held steady at around 8% of the population in 2025, according to new findings from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The national survey results, released Thursday, show the all-ages uninsured rate has stayed significantly down from where it was several years ago, but the ranks of the uninsured could soon expand as the Trump administration’s sweeping changes to the health landscape begin to take hold.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4wVS5r6

INNOVATION

INVENTION: The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reports on the owner of a Twin Cities bicycle wheel manufacturer who invented a device that makes mammograms more comfortable for the patient. It all started with a painful mammogram followed by a prototype made from a shoebox and duct tape. READ: https://fluence-media.co/3RNjwDp

RESEARCH: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center researchers will present more than 30 studies at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting, highlighting advances in precision oncology, early cancer detection, artificial intelligence (AI) and personalized cancer care. The meeting will be held May 29–June 2 at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vgxzzW

HEP B: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “A new drug has essentially cured 1 in 5 patients with chronic hepatitis B infections, researchers reported on Thursday, a feat that has stymied scientists for years. ‘It’s the first major advance in the treatment of chronic hepatitis B in decades,’ said Dr. William Jarnagin, a surgeon and liver specialist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The study included patients who, unlike most infected with hepatitis B, did not recover. Instead, the virus — transmitted by body fluids like semen or blood — takes up residence in the liver.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4nYfIeG

CHILDREN’S: Via Children’s Minnesota, VERBATIM: “Children’s Minnesota today announced the appointment of Sameer Gupta, M.D., MBA, as executive vice president and chief medical officer, effective Aug. 1.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42X43mN

FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com

VISION: Via American Chemical Society, VERBATIM: “Researchers are developing a futuristic alternative to LASIK that reshapes the eye without lasers or incisions. Using mild electrical pulses and platinum contact lenses, they temporarily soften the cornea so it can be molded into a new shape. Early tests on rabbit eyes successfully corrected nearsightedness in about a minute while preserving the eye’s structure.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3PJbTgQ

CRAVINGS: Via Institute for Basic Science, VERBATIM: “When the body runs low on protein, the gut sends powerful signals to the brain that reshape cravings and push animals to seek essential amino acids instead of sugar. Researchers say this newly discovered gut-brain network could transform our understanding of appetite, nutrition, and obesity.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dD9I7H

health take | Locals Push to Ban Flavored Vapes

Mike Maybay — Tue, 26 May 2026 20:30:53 GMT

All Fluence tipsheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

POLLING

FAMILY DOC: Via HealthDay, VERBATIM: “More than 8 in 10 U.S. adults (84%) have a family physician or primary care doctor, according to a new HealthDay/Harris Poll survey. But many of these folks have a family doctor only on paper, it seems. The survey found that nearly 3 out of 5 people who have a family doctor (58%) say they are unable to receive care when they need it – due to a lack of available appointments, an inability to reach a receptionist, a too-long wait for the next open date or other similar problems.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42Y3mtj

COMMUNICATION: Via ASHA, VERBATIM: “A new national poll commissioned by ASHA and conducted by YouGov of caregivers to adults with communication difficulties highlights the importance of effective communication and reveals what caregivers and their care recipients face every day. Fortunately, professional support from audiologists and speech-language pathologists can make a positive difference and substantially improve the quality of daily life for everyone concerned. The timing of this new information is highly relevant, as May is recognized as National Speech-Language-Hearing Month.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4e6cQsJ

STI: Via Annenberg, VERBATIM: “While data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that the total number of U.S. cases of three sexually transmitted infections (STIs) declined from 2022-24, infection rates remain 13% higher than a decade ago. CDC provisional data show more than 2.2 million U.S. cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis were reported in 2024. Now, a nationally representative survey of empaneled adults from the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the University of Pennsylvania finds that while most Americans understand how STIs spread, there are significant gaps in public knowledge about which infections can be prevented through vaccination.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dxq8OT

Subscribe now

Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3KsuDrZ

HEALTH IN MN

NEXT MONTH: Via news release from the Attorney General, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Attorney General’s Office is inviting members of the public to share their opinions on the proposed acquisition of North Memorial Health by Sanford Health at a community forum on Monday, June 8, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm in Robbinsdale, Minnesota.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3RvFDOI

VAPES: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “As the Trump administration takes action to loosen regulations on fruity flavored e-cigarettes, anti-tobacco activists in Minnesota are stepping up efforts to ban flavored vapes and other nicotine products at the local level. Several groups are joining forces to push for a ban or at least restrict the sale of flavored nicotine in Olmsted County, home to Minnesota’s third largest city, Rochester. They’ve formed a coalition called ‘Love Your Lungs Olmsted,’ arguing that flavored tobacco products are designed to entice and hook kids on harmful and addictive nicotine.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4f4Gsb1

RURAL: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “Rural health leaders in Minnesota say state funding rules and a stalled drug discount measure are leaving some hospitals with few options. One issue involves the federal 340B program, which allows hospitals to buy prescription drugs at discounted rates. This past session, the Senate voted for protections to expand the number of pharmacies that got the discount, but the House did not take up the measure. Rural health leaders said they are also upset over guidelines for a $500 million reserve fund that Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) and other struggling safety-net hospitals will have access to.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4v5Qo8Q

HCMC: Via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “In the wake of recent attention on HCMC’s financial woes and resulting bailout from the state Legislature, the training program –one of 11 residencies at the hospital – offers an under-the-radar example of the stakes for public health should the hospital continue to falter. Since its establishment in 1970, the residency has trained over 550 doctors – about 34 at any given time. Roughly 75% of graduates have stayed in Minnesota to practice, according to Hennepin Healthcare figures.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4oaaQU1

SOUTH MPLS: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “The Native American Community Clinic announced this week that its south Minneapolis health clinic and affordable housing project is expected to open in September. And those interested in applying for one of its units are able to apply today. The $55 million dollar project along Minneapolis’ American Indian Cultural Corridor is being spearheaded by the clinic and a coalition of public, private and philanthropic partners.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Rz5vZY

U OF M: Via Sahan Journal, VERBATIM: “A major expansion at a community health center in south Minneapolis will boost care for vulnerable residents in an era when they need it most. The Community-University Health Care Center serves low-income residents, immigrants and refugees, regardless of their ability to pay. Last year, it saw more than 12,000 patients. Collectively, the center’s patients speak more than 50 different languages, and the majority rely on public health insurance.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4v5QyNn

SALMONELLA: Via MDH, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has confirmed that two people in Minnesota became ill with Salmonella in April 2026 after consuming moringa capsules from the brand tnvitamins (lot 2793, expiration February 2028) purchased on Amazon. Neither person was hospitalized and both have recovered. MDH is warning people not to consume the tnvitamins brand of moringa leaf powder capsules.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4veYTi7

HEADLINES

HANTAVIRUS: Via The Hill, VERBATIM: “World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Sunday said the hantavirus ‘situation is stable for now.’ Tedros provided an update stating that WHO has reported 12 cases of hantavirus and three deaths, with no other confirmed deaths since May 2.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vbCnXo

TREATMENT: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is offering to shield drugmakers from legal liability as an incentive to develop treatments for the Andes hantavirus that caused a deadly outbreak on a cruise ship this month. Why it matters: The move is stirring criticism within Kennedy’s ‘Make America Healthy Again’ movement and harks back to COVID-era protections the government gave to obtain antivirals, vaccines and other products during the health emergency.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Q04Wbc

EBOLA: Via Politico, VERBATIM: “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expanding its power to prevent individuals from entering the U.S. ‘in the interest of public health’ — including lawful permanent U.S. residents. An interim final rule, released Friday, cites the current Ebola outbreak as the reason for the change.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4uv97L5

MORE: Via ABC News, VERBATIM: “Some public health specialists told ABC News that monitoring travel exposures is an important part of containing and tracing the spread of a disease. However, they warned that broader bans can have unintended consequences that may negatively impact global public health and hinder containment efforts that should be considered when making these decisions.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tU175r

ACA: Via Politico, VERBATIM: “Both the Trump administration and state officials agree on the numerical fact: People this year are dropping their Obamacare coverage — to the tune of 1.2 million people out of a total enrollment of 24.3 million as of March, according to the latest federal data. But they are at odds over why. Trump officials say better federal policing of fraud on Healthcare.gov accounts for much of the drop. Meanwhile, some state Affordable Care Act exchanges blame higher costs, particularly after Congress decided not to extend beyond Jan. 1 the enhanced subsidies that brought premiums down for higher-income people.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4uxqwCN

APPOINTMENT: Via Essentia, VERBATIM: “Essentia Health is proud to announce that its CEO, Dr. David Herman, has been appointed to Joint Commission’s Board of Commissioners, the organization’s governing body responsible for advising leadership and shaping strategy to advance healthcare quality and safety nationwide. Joint Commission is a global driver of quality improvement and patient safety in healthcare. The organization accredits and certifies more than 22,000 healthcare organizations and programs in the United States.”

(DISCLOSURE: Essentia is a Fluence sponsor)

INNOVATION & RESEARCH

HEART DISEASE: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “In a small, preliminary study, an experimental gene-editing treatment dramatically lowered cholesterol levels, perhaps permanently, after just one infusion, scientists reported on Monday. If confirmed in larger studies, researchers hope the findings may lead to a one-and-done way to prevent heart disease in large numbers of people. Most gene therapies target rare diseases, but cardiovascular disease kills nearly 800,000 Americans a year.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dy11vd

STROKE: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Stroke can happen anywhere to anyone. In the U.S., someone has a stroke every 40 seconds. And Mayo Clinic experts say knowing the risk factors of stroke can help prevent long-term disability and even death.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4dRjcLp

FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com

NASAL SPRAY: Via Texas A&M, VERBATIM: “Researchers at Texas A&M have developed a nasal spray that appears to reverse brain aging by calming inflammation and restoring the brain’s energy systems. After just two doses, memory and cognitive function improved for months, raising hopes for future treatments targeting dementia and brain fog.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4wT6hkD

GLP-1: Via University of Pennsylvania, VERBATIM: “By analyzing over 400,000 Reddit posts, researchers discovered that users of popular GLP-1 weight-loss drugs frequently discussed unexpected symptoms like menstrual irregularities, chills, and hot flashes. The findings suggest AI could turn social media into a powerful early-warning system for spotting side effects that clinical trials may miss.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49Tluby

health take | New Shot Shows Promise in Treating Obesity

Mike Maybay — Thu, 21 May 2026 20:31:03 GMT

All Fluence tipsheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

POLLING

ADULTHOOD: Via Ipsen, VERBATIM: “Ipsen (Euronext: IPN; ADR: IPSEY), a global biopharmaceutical company, today announced the findings of a major new survey conducted by The Harris Poll showing broad consensus that young people are under-prepared for the move from pediatrics to the adult healthcare system and more resources are needed to support young adults. The Healthcare Shift Survey found 71 percent of youth aged 14-26 find the adult healthcare system confusing, and two-thirds say they would have benefited from more preparation for the change to an adult primary care provider (66 percent).” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4do1XlR

DOOMSCROLLING: Via SQ Magazine, VERBATIM: “Roughly 31% of American adults regularly doomscroll, with 51% of Gen Z and 46% of millennials caught in the same compulsive loop, according to a 2024 Morning Consult survey. The behavior has hardened into a measurable public-health pattern that links late-night phone use, news avoidance, and rising anxiety into a single feedback cycle.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49bkcsf

LONELINESS: Via CNBC, VERBATIM: “Americans are yearning for connection: 41% of U.S. adults say they feel lonely at least some of the time, according to the 2025 Social Connection in America Report. When they feel those pangs of loneliness, many don’t immediately turn to the people around them, according to the American Psychiatric Association‘s annual mental health poll. Fifty-four percent watch TV, movies or online videos, another 54% listen to music, 44% sleep, and 38% turn to social media.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4v5PSI7

Subscribe now

Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3KsuDrZ

HEALTH HEADLINES

FRAUD: Via CNN, VERBATIM: “Federal charges were filed Wednesday against 15 people accused of defrauding social service programs in Minnesota, Assistant Attorney General Colin McDonald announced Thursday. The cases involve theft of more than $90 million in taxpayer money, McDonald said . . . The other allegations outlined in court documents show one person is accused of defrauding the Federal Child Nutrition Program and a state program providing grants to child care providers, in part by falsifying the numbers of meals served to children. Another, accused of defrauding a state program that helps child care centers pay staff, is alleged to have inflated the number of staffers and their hours worked. Some of the other cases involve allegations of Medicaid fraud.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4v2nG90

MORE: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “Among the defendants are an owner and an employee of autism clinics, who are charged with submitting $46.6 million in fraudulent claims to Medicaid, the public health plan that covers low-income people. Additional defendants were charged with filing bogus claims to Medicaid for other services, including those that assist disabled people with obtaining housing and living independently.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3PURlSs

ICYMI… lunch take had this morning’s news conference announcing the charges and more. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4wK7MBB

TASK FORCE: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “The Trump administration has fired the two leaders of an influential health group that determines when insurance must provide free preventive care, like mammograms and colonoscopies, for millions of Americans. In letters dated May 11, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. notified the two doctors who chaired the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force that he was terminating their appointments immediately, before the end of their multiyear terms.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4utgwL4

OBESITY DRUG: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “An experimental shot helped participants in a large trial lose far more weight than obesity drugs already on the market, Eli Lilly, the maker, announced on Thursday. Among the heaviest patients in the trial, the results were on par with those seen with gastric bypass surgery, the only effective treatment for most with severe obesity. The drug, retatrutide, appears to be the most powerful yet in a wave of injections and pills that have transformed the treatment of obesity — so much so that some participants in other research have said they stopped taking retatrutide because they felt they were losing too much weight.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3RTjZ72

TOBACCO: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “The tobacco company Reynolds American donated $5 million to a super PAC backed by President Trump last month, about one week before his administration rolled out a new policy that could prove lucrative to the tobacco industry. The donation, which came through a Reynolds subsidiary and brings to $8 million the total donated by the subsidiary to MAGA Inc., the Trump-backed super PAC, was revealed in a campaign finance report filed Wednesday night.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dzbFAz

EBOLA: Via UofM CIDRAP, VERBATIM: “There are now 600 suspected cases and more than 160 deaths in a growing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, the World Health Organization (WHO) said today, with numbers expected to rise.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fxpRg3

TICKS: Via Newsweek, VERBATIM: “Scientists have issued fresh warnings about Lyme disease as tick bites continue to climb across the United States. Emergency room visits for tick bites have climbed to the highest levels for this time of year since 2017 in every U.S. region except the South Central states, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in warning earlier this morning.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4v0QqyP

MAYO: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Inspired by the memory of their infant son and Mayo Clinic’s vision for the future of healthcare, Paula and Randy Ringhaver of St. Augustine, Florida, have made a $75 million gift to Mayo Clinic in Florida. The gift will support Bold. Forward. Unbound., Mayo Clinic’s investment across the organization to transform healthcare through integrated digital and physical spaces.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3PQviwh

DESPITE FINANCIAL CHALLENGES FACING HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS, ESSENTIA HEALTH RECOGNIZED FOR COMMUNITY BENEFIT CONTRIBUTIONS: The Duluth News Tribune’s latest editorial highlights the vital role nonprofit hospitals play in our communities – from providing uncompensated care to supporting access to high-quality care close to home. Read more about why this community benefit matters now more than ever. (SPONSORED: Essentia Health)

INNOVATION & RESEARCH

ACQUISITION: Via Fierce Biotech, VERBATIM: “Medtronic has entered a deal to acquire SPR Therapeutics, a Cleveland-based company whose flagship product delivers short-term electrical nerve stimulation for chronic pain patients, for approximately $650 million in cash. The deal would add SPR’s FDA-cleared SPRINT Peripheral Nerve Stimulation System to the Irish medtech giant’s already broad pain therapy portfolio.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3RjOqDm

MERGER: Via Allina, VERBATIM: “Allina Health and Sutter Health announced today that they have approved a definitive agreement, taking the next step toward their shared goal of creating an integrated nonprofit health system. The organizations will expand local access to high-quality, affordable care, while leading nationally in digital and technological advancements that transform care and meaningfully improve the experiences of patients and caregivers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4o1sCZz

BROOKLYN PARK: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “A Brooklyn Park manufacturing company is helping doctors and patients get quicker access to life-saving medical devices. Earlier this month, Velosity celebrated the grand opening of its new 100,000-square-foot manufacturing lab, located at 6835 Winnetka Circle. The company specializes in producing precision plastic and metal parts used across the medical device and defense industries.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3PDmD06

VIRGINIA: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “The Iron Range is getting a major investment in rural healthcare. On Wednesday in Virginia, Essentia Health broke ground on a $13 million dollar emergency department expansion — a big investment in rural health care that leaders say will nearly double the ER’s space, add more specialized treatment areas, and bring in new state-of-the-art emergency technology.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4nIYmSL

(DISCLOSURE: Essentia is a Fluence sponsor)

PATHOLOGY: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Mayo Clinic Digital Pathology (MCDP) is advancing efforts to build an integrated innovation ecosystem that supports the future of pathology across clinical care and research. The work reflects Mayo Clinic’s broader digital pathology strategy, including investments in emerging companies, expanded use of digitized pathology data and collaborations designed to improve diagnostic workflows and speed.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4upoRiG

FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com

ALZHEIMER’S: Via UC San Diego, VERBATIM: “Women not only face higher rates of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, but new research suggests they may also be more strongly affected by several common risk factors linked to cognitive decline. Scientists at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine analyzed data from more than 17,000 middle aged and older adults and found that certain modifiable dementia risk factors appear to have a greater impact on women’s cognitive function than men’s.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4v0OLt5

JUNK FOOD: Via University College Cork, VERBATIM: “Eating too much junk food early in life may rewire the brain in ways that last into adulthood, even after switching to a healthier diet. Scientists found that high-fat, high-sugar diets changed feeding behavior and disrupted appetite-control regions in the brain. Excitingly, certain gut-friendly bacteria and prebiotic fibers appeared to help undo some of the damage.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42Pkx03

health take | Tick Season Begins

Mike Maybay — Tue, 19 May 2026 20:30:52 GMT

All Fluence tipsheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

POLLING

MEDICAL BILLS: Via Fierce Healthcare, VERBATIM: “Patient collections are playing a bigger and bigger role in health systems’ total revenues, bringing a new focus on the difficulties organizations face in securing timely, or any, payments for their services, a new survey report warns. The poll of 205 healthcare revenue heads, conducted by healthcare fintech vendor PayZen and the Healthcare Financial Management Association, found that 22% of respondents named patient balances as their top priority, roughly double the 11% rate reported a year prior. Patient balances were a ‘nearly universal’ presence among the respondents’ concerns, also up from the 73% rate of a year prior.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ulGP5N

DOCS: Via AMA, VERBATIM: “An exclusive survey from the AMA reveals a promising shift in the physician workforce: fewer doctors now say they intend to leave their current health care organizations within the next two years. The downward trend suggests that health systems are making meaningful progress in addressing long-standing issues such as physician burnout, work-life balance and administrative burden.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3PMEhyu

TEEN PRIVACY: Via University of Michigan, VERBATIM: “The C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health asked a national sample of parents of teens age 13-17 about healthcare confidentiality for their teens age 13-17 . . . Among parents who attended their teen’s most recent preventive care visit, only 35% say the provider talked privately with the teen, without the parent in the room. Parents are more likely to report private time with the provider for older than younger teens (41% vs 29%). Reasons for not having private time include the provider did not offer (62%), teen was not comfortable talking privately with the provider (26%), parent was not comfortable with their teen talking privately (11%), and unsure (14%).” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4nCGY2f

MIDTERMS: Via Fabrizio Ward, a poll of 1,000 voters nationally plus 500 more in key states Florida, North Carolina, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, VERBATIM: “Nearly 9-in-10 voters say they are concerned that some Alzheimer’s patients are unable to get FDA-cleared diagnostic tests and FDA-approved treatments their doctors recommend because private insurance plans and Medicare delay or deny coverage. The same very sizable share (89%) say they are concerned that some doctors choose not to prescribe Alzheimer’s tests or treatments because they know insurance will not cover them and patients cannot afford to pay out of pocket. This concern is high nationally, in each of the key states, and across the partisan divide.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dygIBw

HOPE: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “A new poll reveals that hope is less about optimism and more about what people do. That has real implications for how organizations and communities show up for one another. Hope isn’t abstract: 93% of Americans say it’s essential to everyday life, according to a new Harris Poll commissioned by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and shared exclusively with Axios.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4v45X0Z

Subscribe now

Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3KsuDrZ

HEALTH IN MN

TICKS: Via USA Today Network, VERBATIM: “Warm weather brings melting snow and lots of water — a combination that often harbors ticks. These tiny creatures are active in The North Star State from spring through fall. Minnesota is one of 14 states where about 90% of U.S. tick cases have been reported, according to Harvard Health. As tick activity increases, experts advise taking extra care before spending time outdoors.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3R9Vt1r

AMBULANCES: Via KARE-TV, VERBATIM: “A North Branch woman was stuck with a $4,600 bill after a lifesaving ambulance ride. Many Minnesotans could find themselves in the same spot due to a gap in the law . . . Susan Long of the Minnesota Ambulance Association said out‑of‑network ambulance bills are common – most ambulance providers do not have contracts with insurers. Many ambulance services in the state are small operations that are already struggling to stay in business.” LONG: “It is very expensive to have an ambulance on standby 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We don’t schedule those emergencies so we have to have staff there all the time.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4wGaKHn

MAYO: via Rochester Post Bulletin, VERBATIM: “On Jan. 1, 2027, a new leader will take the helm of the globally known Mayo Clinic. … Mayo Clinic’s Board of Trustees has started a formal search for the next president [and] will elect that new leader in November. … Mayo Clinic’s bylaws state that the organization’s president and CEO must be a medical doctor who ‘shall have been a member of the Voting Staff of Mayo Clinic for at least the preceding five years.’ … It’s a large group; in 2025, almost 300 [new members] joined the Voting Staff’s ranks.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43ctq3W

MORE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “As Mayo Clinic prepares to choose a new CEO this year, communities across southern Minnesota are waiting to see what the world-famous medical system has in store for its small-town patients. … Mayo closed six Minnesota clinics last fall, citing staff shortages, patient declines and issues with some buildings.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tF9Mse

HEALTH HEADLINES

ACA: Via KFF, VERBATIM: “The average Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace deductible experienced the steepest increase in history—growing by 37% or over $1,000, from $2,759 in 2025 to $3,786 in 2026 as enhanced premium tax credits expired, according to a new KFF analysis. After the enhanced tax credits ended, many Marketplace shoppers shifted toward lower-premium, higher-deductible plans. Between 2025 and 2026, sign-ups for bronze plans jumped from 30% to 40% of total plan selections—growing from 7.3 million to 9.2 million people.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42MeWHX

MORE: Via KFF Health News, VERBATIM: “Now experts are watching how many of the approximately 23 million people who enrolled will fail to pay their share of premiums. While available data on premium payments is mainly from January, a few states that run their own ACA markets have released information for later months. The sharpest drop in people paying premiums, based on limited data, is in Georgia, which saw a 28% drop in April compared with the same period a year ago, according to an analysis by Charles Gaba, a healthcare policy analyst and blogger who specializes in the ACA.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dwFO3x

“BLACK”: Via 19^th News, VERBATIM: “The word ‘Black’ has been almost completely removed from a package of bills that have long been viewed as Congress’ main legislative vehicle to address the Black maternal health crisis, frustrating some advocates who feel Black women are being erased from the policy.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dlhOlh

ABORTION PILL: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “Four years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which established a national right to abortion in 1973, it remains widely available, and the number of abortions per year has actually increased slightly. Much of that is due to the availability of abortion pills. The Food and Drug Administration has so far not walked away from a decision made during the Biden administration to allow access to the abortion pill mifepristone through the mail. But a lawsuit against the F.D.A. now threatens that access, and the Trump administration has remained strikingly silent about it, even as the case reached the Supreme Court this month.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tP5gHR

SUPCT: Via Stat, VERBATIM: “The Supreme Court on Monday dealt a major blow to the brand drug industry’s legal campaign against the Medicare drug price negotiation program. The court declined to take up lawsuits against the program by AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol Myers Squibb, Janssen, Novartis, and Novo Nordisk. The justices did not give a reason for their decision.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42GukFR

EBOLA: Via BBC, VERBATIM: “A US doctor who tested positive for Ebola while working with a medical missionary group in the Democratic Republic of Congo is being treated at a hospital in Germany, officials said. The American is in a special isolation ward at Charité hospital in Berlin, Germany’s Foreign Health Ministry said, after he was evacuated from Central Africa. At least 131 deaths have been reported in an Ebola outbreak in the DR Congo, with more than 513 cases suspected, officials have said.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4nCIGAH

MORE: Via Politico, VERBATIM: “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is suspending entry into the U.S. for 30 days for travelers who have visited areas where there is an ongoing outbreak of the Ebola virus, the agency announced on Monday. That restriction does not apply to U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals or lawful permanent residents returning from Ebola outbreak areas.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tKPeyE

WATER: Via The Hill, VERBATIM: “The Trump administration on Monday moved to partially roll back drinking water protections from toxic ‘forever chemicals.’ The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed to allow some delays for water systems to regulate these chemicals. It also said it would rescind four of the six types of forever chemicals covered under a Biden-era rule.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dxHwS9

COOKIES: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Each T-Rex cookie is about the size of an adult’s face, and several ounces of sugar make up some of its half-pound weight . . . More than 11 years after Tina Rexing founded her aptly named dessert company, the business is ramping up production to expand its wholesale-baked line to reach more restaurants and retail outlets despite increased public scrutiny on sugar from consumers and the White House. The success of the company, which sells its half-pound cookies in grocery stores and continues to bake a gigantic 5-pound cookie costing $70, shows that better-for-you food trends and the rise of appetite-curbing GLP-1 drugs are not enough to destroy Americans’ sweet tooth.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43oiK29

PRESCRIPTION DRUG PRICES CONTINUE TO SOAR: While Minnesota’s safety-net hospitals navigate bleak financial outlooks, drug manufacturers continue to raise drug prices at rates that far outpace inflation, rising 23% in the last year alone. By strengthening the 340B drug pricing program, local hospitals can weather these soaring prices and continue to deliver the care and treatments that Minnesotans need. NEW: Minnesota Prescription Drug Price Transparency, Report to the Minnesota Legislature, March 2026 (SPONSORED: Essentia Health)

INNOVATION

RESEARCH: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Sophie Sandin isn’t wearing a white coat, but she’s getting ready for a day in the lab. The 18-month-old, in her tie-dye shirt and pink leggings sits calmly in her moms lap while researchers fit her with an EEG cap to monitor her brain waves . . . Sophie’s participating in one of many studies across the University of Minnesota’s catalog of childhood research. The Institute of Child Development has 20 research labs, all studying the ways children and families and their environments relate to each other.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4tJRhms

BRAIN TUMORS: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Each year, about 90,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with a brain tumor, including roughly 25,000 with cancerous tumors. These tumors are especially challenging because in the brain, even small changes can affect critical functions like movement, speech and memory. Across Mayo Clinic‘s campuses in Rochester, Arizona and Florida, researchers are advancing the understanding of brain tumor biology, improving diagnostic precision and developing new treatment approaches to support timely, personalized care.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dTbIIR

NEW DRUG: Via Minneapolis-based MEKanistic, VERBATIM: “MEKanistic Therapeutics, a biotechnology company developing first-in-class precision medicines designed to overcome cancer resistance mechanisms, today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared the Investigational New Drug application for MTX-531, the company’s lead oncology candidate.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ftBtRc

AI: Via Bayesian Health, VERBATIM: “Mayo Clinic and Bayesian Health today announced they have co-developed an artificial intelligence (AI) solution to identify hospitalized patients who may benefit from palliative care earlier in their stay. The solution is designed to support timely consultations, with the objective of improving goal-concordant care for patients with serious illness and reducing non-beneficial readmissions.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4us0UHM

TODAY: Via Caravel, VERBATIM: “Caravel Autism Health, a leader in the diagnosis and treatment of young children on the autism spectrum, is hosting a ribbon-cutting on Tuesday, May 19 to celebrate the grand opening of a new, state-of-the-art autism therapy clinic. The clinic, located at 4130 Blackhawk Road, Suite 140, in Eagan, is staffed by childhood autism experts who specialize in Applied Behavior Analysis therapy.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43oh20J

HEAT SAFETY: Via Perry Weather, VERBATIM: “Perry Weather, a leading weather safety platform, is thrilled to announce the official opening of the Perry Weather Heat Lab at the University of North Florida (UNF), the first satellite location of the Korey Stringer Institute (KSI). A milestone nearly 25 years after Minnesota Vikings lineman Korey Stringer‘s passing reshaped athletic heat safety.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49b1T6w

FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com

NEW CLO: Via HealthPartners, VERBATIM: “HealthPartners today announced that Sarah Karlgaard will join the organization as senior vice president and chief legal officer beginning May 18. Karlgaard will oversee legal, clinical risk management, integrity and compliance, physical security and sustainability.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dXdPKP

EYOTA: Via KAAL-TV, VERBATIM: “Eyota’s ambulance service is marking 50 years, with local leaders crediting volunteers and community support for helping the small-town team keep going. The service started with eight volunteers in Eyota and is now celebrating its 50-year milestone on Sunday. Rural EMS teams have long faced challenges finding enough volunteers to provide emergency care in small towns.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43n0mGU

health take | OD Deaths Down Again

Mike Maybay — Thu, 14 May 2026 20:30:30 GMT

All Fluence tipsheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

POLLING

THE FEDS: Via KFF, VERBATIM: “KFF’s latest April Health Tracking Poll finds that fewer than half the public express confidence in the independence of the CDC, FDA, or EPA – government agencies that hold key responsibilities over food and drug safety and public health. Overall, four in ten or fewer adults say they have ‘a lot’ or ‘some’ confidence in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (40%), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (36%), or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (36%) to act independently without interference from outside interests.”

“While Democrats are somewhat more likely than Republicans or independents to express confidence in the CDC (47% vs. 37% and 38%, respectively), four in ten or fewer across partisanship say they are confident in the FDA or EPA to act independently.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4u7dtYJ

DOCS/NURSES: Via Fierce Healthcare, VERBATIM: “Nurses feel they have more time with patients than doctors do, and are much more optimistic about their organizations’ use of AI, a new report finds. Elsevier’s Clinician of the Future report is based on a survey fielded between the end of 2025 and early 2026. The survey reached over 2,700 clinicians globally, including physicians and nurses. It found 71% of nurses globally feel they have enough time with patients, compared to 60% of doctors.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4nNMi2Z

MORE: Via Elsevier, the report. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4eNkaua

HPV VACCINE: Via UofM CIDRAP, VERBATIM: “A new study shows wide state-level variation in the uptake of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. The study, which analyzed data from the 2023 National Immunization Survey-Teen (NIS-Teen), found that states in the Northeast census region had significantly higher odds of HPV vaccine uptake, while states in the South had significantly lower odds. But even within regions, there was wide variability.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4uftFXY

CANADA: Via Town and Country, evidence that growing vaccine hesitancy isn’t just a U.S. thing. VERBATIM: “A new online survey suggests nearly a quarter of Canadians say they’ve declined to get a vaccine recommended by their doctor, and the data indicates most of them did so because they were concerned about potential side effects. A report from Proof Strategies released Thursday — which is World Vaccine Day — explores how Canadians feel about vaccines and why some of them hesitate to get the shots.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tEWnjY

OBSESSION: Via Daily Voice, VERBATIM: “The newly released Talker Research poll of 2,000 US adults found that 64 percent believe the country has a serious obsession problem, with people willing to fixate on almost anything. Sixty-five percent said Americans obsess over food, while 55 percent cited health and fitness.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tEX8JQ

MEDICAID: Via KFF, a survey of state Medicaid agencies about new or enhanced public health initiatives. VERBATIM: “More than three quarters of responding states reported at least one new or expanded initiative implemented in FY 2025 or planned for FY 2026 (see Appendix), with maternal and child health and behavioral health emerging as areas of focus for newly implemented or expanded Medicaid and Public Health initiatives. Initiatives frequently fell into common areas, including data sharing, rural-focused initiatives, initiatives to improve access, and workforce initiatives.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3RbeBvR

Subscribe now

Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3KsuDrZ

HEALTH IN MN

ICYMI… morning take had comprehensive coverage of the budget deal reached between the Governor and legislative leaders that includes both short-term and ongoing funding to help save Hennepin County Medical Center. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4nraBU9

MORE ON HCMC: Via Minnesota Reformer, from a story published before last night’s deal was reached. VERBATIM: “Hennepin Healthcare and Hennepin County Medical Center — the state’s largest safety net hospital on the verge of financial collapse — served patients from all but one Minnesota county in 2025. The vast majority of patients served by Hennepin Healthcare, which operates HCMC as well as community clinics, live in Hennepin County. But many patients from other counties are transferred from outside the metro area because the hospital offers specialized services not widely available elsewhere in the state. The hospital has the state’s largest emergency department and trauma center and a vital burn unit, for example.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4uiqoY2

NEW CLINIC: Via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “South Minneapolis is home to a new health care clinic aimed at serving low-income and underinsured patients, replacing a Family Dollar store that was heavily damaged during the protests following the murder of George Floyd. Southside East Lake Street clinic’s opening comes at a time when financial strife has put Minneapolis’ Hennepin County Medical Center at risk of closing and massive federal cuts are coming for Medicaid, leaving uncertain options for the city’s growing number of uninsured residents.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3RoOiSR

WATER: Via MDH, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Drinking Water Annual Report for 2025, released by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) today, showed that more than 99% of Minnesota’s public water systems met all federal health-based drinking water standards in 2025. Where violations occurred, consumers were notified and corrective actions were taken.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ueYOLd REPORT: https://fluence-media.co/4ueZ2C3

340B HOSPITAL MARKUPS HURT PATIENTS: Minnesota’s latest 340B report shows covered entities generated $1.34 billion IN PROFIT in 2024, including an estimated $261 million from Medicaid prescriptions. Independent research finds the program raises costs for patients, taxpayers, and employers statewide. Minnesota should sunset the 340B mandate and Congress should fix the federal 340B program, so it actually helps patients. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/46Bh9IA (SPONSORED: PhRMA)

HEALTH HEADLINES

DATA: Via KFF Health News, VERBATIM: “Several states have joined President Donald Trump’s deportation efforts and are taking federal reporting requirements to immigration authorities a step further — by using their public health agencies as arms of enforcement. North Carolina, in late April, became the latest member of a growing group of Republican-led states to require their public health agencies to flag recipients of Medicaid to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security if their legal status is in question.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4doRmG5

OVERDOSES: Via The Wall Street Journal, VERBATIM: “The number of people who died from drug overdoses dropped again in 2025, a promising trend as the U.S. emerges from a national fentanyl crisis that accelerated these fatalities. There were an estimated 69,973 drug-overdose deaths in 2025, a nearly 14% drop from a year earlier, according to preliminary data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4u58p78

GLP-1: Via NBC News, VERBATIM: “India got it earlier this year, and Canada approved it last month. But when is the United States going to get a generic version of Ozempic? Not this decade, experts say. Thanks largely to loopholes in the U.S. patent system, Americans aren’t expected to get generic forms of semaglutide, the drug in Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy, until at least the end of 2031.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4uQ7CqJ

INNOVATION

RESEARCH: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “When Mayo Clinic researchers sequenced the genomes of 484 seemingly healthy adults, they found that about 13% carried a serious, previously unrecognized genetic risk — conditions those patients did not know about and that standard care would likely miss. Nearly all participants, 98.6%, had at least one genetic finding, and for most, the results called for monitoring. The study, published in Genetics in Medicine, also takes a closer look at what it takes to turn those findings into the proper follow-up care.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ntlm8h

RARE: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “Just a year ago, Claire Stern’s life changed forever with the diagnosis of a rare genetic heart condition. Since then, the Maple Grove basketball alum turned that diagnosis into a passion by striving to fund research that could change others’ lives for the better. Stern was at home last June after finishing her first year playing a successful season of Division I basketball at North Dakota State University. She began having what she later learned were a series of heart attacks.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tFsz6P

PAUSES: Via Baycrest Corporate Centre for Geriatric Care, VERBATIM: “The little pauses, ‘ums,’ and moments when you struggle to find the right word may reveal far more about your brain than anyone realized. Researchers discovered that everyday speech patterns are closely tied to executive function — the mental system that powers memory, planning, focus, and flexible thinking. By using AI to analyze natural conversations, the team found they could predict cognitive performance with surprising accuracy, potentially opening the door to simple speech-based tools that could detect early signs of dementia long before traditional testing does.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4eNKcgY

MULTIVITAMIN: Via Mass General Brigham, VERBATIM: “A daily multivitamin may help slow biological aging, according to researchers studying older adults in a large clinical trial. After two years, participants taking multivitamins showed slower aging in several DNA-based ‘epigenetic clocks,’ with the effect equal to about four months less biological aging. People who started out biologically older than their actual age appeared to benefit the most. The findings hint that a simple supplement could play a role in healthier aging.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tB2fL6

FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com

SOUND GARDEN: Via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “As [JG Everest] plans a permanent Sound Garden at Eagan’s Caponi Art Park, he’s also collaborating with the Earl E. Bakken Center for Spirituality & Healing at the University of Minnesota’s School of Nursing to explore how art and artistic activities – like meandering through trees, immersed in music – can benefit brains and bodies. For the Sound Gardens, Everest visits a nature site, typically a park, and composes music that fits with the surrounding environment. After a few weeks of visits, composing and tweaking the music, he places spatial speakers, each playing a different part of the symphony, throughout the site to create an immersive, 3D soundscape.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Rr5mrr

health take | UofM's Jaundice Onesie + FDA Commissioner Resigns

Mike Maybay — Tue, 12 May 2026 20:36:00 GMT

All Fluence tipsheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

POLLING

FOREIGN AID: Via KFF, VERBATIM: “When asked about their awareness of the Trump administration’s reductions to U.S. spending on foreign aid, including funding to improve health for people in developing countries, nearly six in ten (58%) adults correctly identify that the administration has made cuts, including over four in ten (44%) who say there have been ‘major’ cuts and one in seven (14%) who say there have been ‘minor’ cuts. An additional third (36%) of adults say they don’t know enough to say.”

“When it comes to assessing the impact of the changes the Trump administration has made to foreign aid and global health, majorities of the public say these changes have had a negative impact on ‘how people around the world view the U.S.’ (64%) and on ‘the health of people in developing countries’ (59%). Additionally, nearly half (46%) say ‘the ability to keep infectious disease from spreading to the U.S.’ has been negatively impacted by the changes made by the Trump administration.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4wqwGGm

SUNSCREEN: Via Scripps, VERBATIM: “According to a new study, Americans are four times as likely to remember to plug their phone in at night than they are to put sunscreen on daily. The poll of 2,000 U.S. adults revealed 53% frequently forget to put on sunscreen daily, and only 10% said they put on SPF products daily.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4d4RBHr

OTC MEDS: Via U.S. News & World Report, the results of a Harris Poll survey of pharmacists and dermatologists on their picks for the best over-the-counter meds and other health products. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4u5Z8LY

Subscribe now

Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3KsuDrZ

MN + HEALTH

TOMORROW: Via news release from the Attorney General, VERBATIM: “Attorney General Ellison is holding a forum on the future of Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC), a flagship health care institution that Minnesotans across the state rely on, on Wednesday, May 13 at 6:00 pm in Minneapolis. HCMC is enduring a significant financial pressure, but closure is not an option. Attorney General Ellison will hear from HCMC staff, civic leaders, community members, and patients about their ideas for making HCMC stronger.”

340B: From Minnesota Hospital Association via Facebook, VERBATIM: “Hospital leaders from across the state joined bipartisan lawmakers Tuesday at the Capitol to urge the Minnesota House to pass legislation that protects Minnesota patients’ access to local care by enforcing the state’s 340B program. Reps. Natalie Zeleznikar, Dave Baker, and Robert Bierman spoke at the event, along with hospital leaders from Blue Earth, Staples, Ely, Cuyuna, Crosby, Cloquet, and Grand Marais.” POST: https://fluence-media.co/4wlN237 WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4nqaR5x

STRIKE: Via KARE-TV, VERBATIM: “Nearly 600 nurses at North Memorial Health’s Maple Grove Hospital have voted to authorize an unfair labor practice strike, the Minnesota Nurses Association announced Tuesday morning. A strike is not immediate. Under Minnesota law, nurses would be required to give a 10-day notice before any walkout could begin.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3PF21o9

MORE: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “Last year, the nurses voted to become part of the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA), and after 29 bargaining sessions, they have yet to come to terms on their first contract with leadership from North Memorial Health.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4u9qW2h

HARM REDUCTION: MinnPost profiles a Duluth nonprofit helping to keep those struggling with addiction alive. VERBATIM: “Not long ago, the idea of harm reduction was considered radical. As the name suggests, it’s not a treatment for substance use disorder but a set of approaches aimed at reducing the negative consequences of drug use, including infections and overdoses, until users can manage a safer, more stable lifestyle. Today, it is largely accepted by medical and public health professionals as a life-saving approach to the addiction crisis. But over the past year, harm reduction has become a political target tied up with rhetoric around crime-ridden streetscapes and open-air drug use. Directives from President Donald Trump and his appointees threaten to criminalize key harm reduction practices, throwing the future of nonprofits like Harm Reduction Sisters, and the people they serve, into uncertainty.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4uaArOK

RURAL DOCS: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “The University of Minnesota Medical School is adding a site to its rural family medicine residency program — the only program of its kind in Minnesota. The medical school is partnering with Lakewood Health System to launch a residency in Staples, a small 3,000-person city in west-central Minnesota located across Todd and Wadena counties. Residents will begin with one year of training at North Memorial Health in Minneapolis, followed by two years in Staples.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4d7WEXy

NEW DOCS: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Mayo Clinic honored the achievements of its newest physicians and scientists from the Class of 2026 during a combined commencement ceremony held Saturday, May 9, in Rochester, Minnesota. Degrees were conferred by Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine and Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4uJTQWD

DC + HEALTH

FDA: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “Dr. Marty Makary, the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, resigned on Tuesday, according to an administration official, after weeks of pressure and rumors that President Trump was planning to fire him. Dr. Makary ultimately resigned over concerns about the administration’s decision to authorize fruit-flavored e-cigarettes, an action he opposed, according to four people familiar with the matter.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fi5O5b

COVID: Via UofM CIDRAP, VERBATIM: “Maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy was not associated with an increased risk of congenital anomalies in newborns, according to a large population-based study published last week in JAMA Network Open. Some initial studies had raised concerns about maternal COVID infection and birth defects, specifically heart abnormalities, while other research has shown no connection.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tv35Ja

ABORTION PILL: Via NPR, VERBATIM: “The Supreme Court on Monday gave itself more time to consider a national ban on telemedicine access to the abortion pill mifepristone. Justice Samuel Alito extended an earlier order he issued by three more days, so rules for prescribing mifepristone online or through the mail remain in effect through Thursday at a minimum.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QW2aEa

FERTILITY: Via The Hill, VERBATIM: “A new proposed rule from the Trump administration aims to make it easier for employers to offer coverage of fertility treatments, as part of larger efforts to expand access to fertility services including in-vitro fertilization. The new rule released Sunday from the Department of Labor would create a new exempted insurance benefit — in the same category as dental and vision benefit coverage— for treating infertility.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4uBbMm0

VACCINES: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said little publicly about vaccines in recent months, at the behest of a White House worried that his unpopular stance will hurt Republicans in November’s midterm elections. But he has not abandoned his quest for evidence that they are unsafe. Working behind the scenes, Mr. Kennedy is spearheading an intense push, across health agencies under his purview, for government scientists and federal data contractors to examine his long-held theory that vaccines are helping to fuel an epidemic of chronic disease, according to multiple people familiar with the effort.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dfDjm4

STUDY: Via UofM CIDRAP, VERBATIM: “The mental images that pop up when pregnant women consider vaccinations during pregnancy may affect their opinion and uptake of the vaccines, according to a study published in Social Science & Medicine.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48ZoHWF

NEW NAME: Via Stat, VERBATIM: “PCOS is dead. Long live PMOS. Revealed Tuesday, the one-letter change in nomenclature for a common metabolic condition in women may seem unremarkable, but it follows more than a decade of vigorous debate over the need for a name that more precisely and completely describes what until now was known as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3R74I2b

INNOVATION

PITCH COMPETITION: Via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “A Minnesota version of innovation pitch show Shark Tank (that’s not on TV), Walleye Tank celebrated its 10th anniversary on Monday at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis. Walleye Tank is a health care and life science pitch competition connecting early-stage startups with investors. Some Walleye Tank companies have gone on after the competition to raise $52 million in capital.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4wFsnHs

WEARABLES: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Researchers and scientists at the University of Minnesota’s College of Design Wearable Technology Lab are developing wearable apparel that combines traditional garments with new technology to make clothing more useful for people. [Lucy Dunne], a professor in the College of Design, founded the Lab in 2008. One project she is currently focused on is a specialized onesie for newborns that treats jaundice while allowing caregivers to hold and comfort them during treatment.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4u76Q8P

DEVICE: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “A medical device company based in Maple Grove is poised to redefine the standard of care for prostate cancer patients worldwide. Francis Medical has officially received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for its ‘Vanquish Water Vapor Ablation System,’ a breakthrough technology eight years in the making.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4wuUfxW

SMELL: Via MPR, a Fargo chef who had to retrain herself after a car accident messed up her sense of smell. VERBATIM: “Specialists diagnosed [Candace Stock] with dysosmia, or a distortion of her sense of smell. Smell plays a significant role in the way food tastes. For Stock, under-ripe fruit tastes like chemicals, fresh meat smells spoiled and, generally, she can’t really be sure what anything she cooks truly tastes like to anybody else, even her son.” STOCK: “I couldn’t even feel confident feeding my child because I was like, ‘How do I even know this is good?’” she said. “How could I ever cook for anybody knowing that this is how I perceive things?” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/48VFmdR

BP EXERCISE: Via American College of Cardiology, VERBATIM: “An ancient Chinese exercise routine may be just as powerful as a daily brisk walk for lowering blood pressure — without equipment, gyms, or intense workouts. In a major clinical trial, adults with stage 1 hypertension who practiced baduanjin, a gentle mind-body exercise combining slow movements, breathing, and meditation, saw meaningful drops in blood pressure within three months that lasted for an entire year.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4uNr3R6

BANKING: Via Minneapolis-based U.S. Bank, VERBATIM: “U.S. Bank is expanding its healthcare business banking offerings with a new startup loan product for dentists and veterinarians, giving clinicians a new option to build independent practices and serve patients in their communities.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42zyHlU

FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com

STUDENT VIDEOS: Via MDH, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is proud to announce the winners of the 2026 Escape the Vape Video Challenge. More than 260 students from 29 schools across Minnesota created 30-second videos to spread the word about the dangers of vaping. Winners were selected from high school and middle school divisions.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dEj6Yv

health take | Predicting This Summer's Air Quality

Mike Maybay — Thu, 07 May 2026 20:31:01 GMT

All Fluence tipsheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

POLLING

MAHA: Via Reuters, VERBATIM: “Even for the ‘Make America Healthy Again’ advocates who helped usher President Donald Trump back to the White House for a second term, affordability will be top of mind when they vote in November’s midterm elections, ‌a new poll found. Lowering costs is the top health priority for voters across parties who identified as MAHA supporters, with at least half saying that will have a ‘major impact’ on their decision to vote and who they will support, according to a poll from KFF, a nonpartisan health research organization.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QUZdUd

MORE: Via Scientific American, VERBATIM: “Interestingly, support for lower health care costs carried across political parties. Just more than half of MAHA voters in the poll were registered Republicans, nearly a third were Independents, and 15 percent were Democrats. But responders from all of these groups, including 57 percent of Democratic MAHA voters and 40 percent of Republican ones, listed health care as their top priority.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48MjLEw

MORE: Via The Hill, VERBATIM: “The poll found 4 in 10 adults were self-described supporters of the MAHA movement, but some of the concerns elevated within the initiative have reached mainstream and resonate beyond its core supporters. Among all respondents, 75 percent said there is insufficient regulation of chemical additives in food, and 64 percent said the same about pesticides used in agriculture. They also noted a general distrust of the food, agriculture and pharmaceutical industries.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4wgolEZ

MORE: Via KFF, the full poll results. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4dukcG5

Subscribe now

Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3KsuDrZ

MN HEALTH HEADLINES

AIR: Via MPCA, VERBATIM: “As Minnesotans statewide look forward to another summer enjoying time spent outdoors, meteorologists with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) are predicting an active air quality season with conditions similar to those seen in 2024. This year’s outlook highlights air quality concerns related to wildfire smoke and ozone, especially during periods of hot, sunny weather.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4euG6tW

MORE: Via KMSP-TV, VERBATIM: “Officials predict four to six days when ozone levels may reach unhealthy levels for sensitive groups, slightly above the state’s historical average. Ozone pollution typically forms on hot, sunny days and is most likely to affect areas including the Twin Cities suburbs and southeastern Minnesota near Rochester. The outlook is driven in part by a weather pattern influenced by a strong El Niño cycle, which is expected to bring warmer, drier conditions punctuated by periodic storms.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4neowwJ

HCMC: Via KARE-TV, VERBATIM: “New data shows just how much a financial strain uncompensated care is putting on the Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC). Data shows it increased from $40 million in 2020 to a projected $104 million in 2026 and is part of the reason why its leaders say it could close without new funding streams. But what exactly is uncompensated care and what’s driving it?” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4niltU8

KRATOM: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Governor Tim Walz (DFL) has signed a new law increasing both the penalties and age limits for anyone wanting to buy or sell kratom. But questions remain about this supplement that can become addictive, and carry dangers as it rises in popularity around the U.S. Kratom is a supplement that is sold as an energy booster, mood lifter, pain reliever and remedy for the symptoms of quitting opioids. However, medical and addiction experts say the truth about kratom is not so simple.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4tZeHoY

WATER: Via KTTC-TV, VERBATIM: “Rochester Public Utilities is sharing a Boil Water Advisory for parts of Rochester. RPU says a water main break resulted in a loss of pressure in its water system.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tnEZzZ

DC + HEALTH

ABORTION PILL: Via Stateline, VERBATIM: “Advocates and opponents of abortion access say they’re wondering what happens next in a critical telehealth medication case that created chaos and confusion over the past week after an appeals court blocked nationwide access to the drug and, days later, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito issued a temporary stay. Alito’s stay preserves telehealth access until May 11. But it’s unclear what happens next for patients and providers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ncXZQc

DRUG PRICES: Via KFF, VERBATIM: “Since his second term started, President Donald Trump has announced, negotiated, or floated a flurry of initiatives aimed at taming the excesses of the pharmaceutical industry . . . The scope of these grand gestures remains uncertain. But it’s certainly less than what the announcement promised, partly because many details of the negotiations, even which drugs are covered, are hazy.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tFTL5v

ADDICTION: Via KFF Health News, VERBATIM: “The White House’s newly released strategy for tackling the nation’s drug and addiction crisis calls for a number of ambitious public health approaches that some experts say are laudable but will be hampered by the administration’s own actions. The sweeping 195-page National Drug Control Strategy, published May 4, advocates for making access to treatment easier than getting drugs, preventing young people from developing addictions in the first place, increasing support for people in recovery, and reducing overdose deaths.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42lHojK

TEAR GAS: Via ProPublica, VERBATIM: “ProPublica identified 79 children across the country who have been harmed by tear gas or pepper spray as immigration officers dramatically stepped up their use during President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. The Department of Homeland Security has repeatedly defended its use of the chemicals, asserting its agents aren’t to blame. The fault, a spokesperson said, lies with ‘agitators’ in the crowds and parents who put their children in harm’s way.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QN86zh

CRUISE: Via CNN, VERBATIM: “The World Health Organization (WHO) said Thursday that five confirmed infections have been identified among people connected to the cruise ship MV Hondius, as health authorities across several countries race to trace and contain the outbreak. Three people – a Dutch couple and a German national – have died since the vessel departed Argentina last month.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QR9MYx

RESEARCH & INNOVATION

FOOD: Via Community Servings, VERBATIM: “The AMPL Institute at Community Servings has released its second annual publication, ‘A View of the Field: The Landscape of Medically Tailored Nutrition in 2026,’ a new national Food is Medicine report on access to medically tailored nutrition in the U.S. Recent research on medically tailored meals demonstrates reductions in acute healthcare use and healthcare costs, the nonprofit reports. The MAHA goal of reducing rates of diet-related chronic disease through healthy diet continues to present the potential for new federal policy opportunities, including the integration of medically tailored nutrition offered as a covered benefit through Medicare and Medicaid.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4nolNAU

TUMORS: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Mayo Clinic and Stanford Medicine researchers have developed the first blood test to map the complex ecosystem surrounding cancer cells, offering a more accurate way to predict which patients will benefit from immunotherapy. Their study’s findings, published in Nature, represent a major advance in precision oncology and could help guide treatment decisions across multiple cancer types and treatments.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tWBqlg

VOCXI HEALTH: Twin Cities Business reports on the latest venture from Ping Yeh and the lessons he learned from running StemoniX which he launched just ahead of the pandemic. VERBATIM: “Those lessons now inform his next act. In 2022, Yeh created Vocxi Health, an Arden Hills-based medical device company focused on commercializing a handheld breath-sensor platform that can be used anywhere to detect diseases, including early stages of lung cancer, before symptoms begin. The device is about the size of a deck of cards.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4we7IK6

FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com

OBESITY DRUG: Via Helmholtz Munich, VERBATIM: “Researchers have created a next-generation obesity drug that works like a ‘Trojan horse,’ using GLP-1/GIP signals to slip a powerful metabolic enhancer directly into target cells. In mice, it outperformed existing treatments—curbing appetite, increasing weight loss, and improving blood sugar levels. Because the extra drug acts only where it’s needed, it can be used at much lower doses, potentially reducing side effects.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3OOKIRl

GLP-1: Via Frontiers, VERBATIM: “Some people taking Ozempic-like diabetes drugs may be getting dramatically better results for a surprising reason: why they overeat in the first place. A year-long study in Japan found that people who tend to eat because tempting food looks or smells irresistible were much more likely to lose weight and improve blood sugar levels on GLP-1 medications. But people who eat mainly in response to stress, sadness, or emotional struggles didn’t see the same long-term benefits.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ezWsl1

health take | Hospitals in Crisis + Mayo's Skin Printer

Mike Maybay — Tue, 05 May 2026 20:31:08 GMT

All Fluence tipsheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

POLLING

PUBLIC HEALTH: Via AP/NORC, VERBATIM: “When asked about confidence in medical professionals to act in the best interest of public health, AAPI adults report the most confidence in doctors, nurses, scientists, and medical researchers according to a new AAPI Data/AP-NORC Poll. Nine in 10 express at least some confidence in each of these professions, and about 6 in 10 are extremely or very confident. Fewer express the same level of confidence in alternative medicine practitioners (58%), and more than half (56%) are not confident in the federal government to do what is best for public health.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3P44ZlK

CAREGIVERS: Via ASHA, VERBATIM: “According to a new national poll commissioned by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and conducted by YouGov in March, communication breakdowns present a formidable daily challenge for U.S. caregivers—and they are raising concerns about the safety of adults with communication challenges.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tS3K8t

OBSESSION: Via SWNS, VERBATIM: “According to new research, 64% of Americans believe the nation has a serious ‘obsession problem,’ where people will find anything to obsess over. The poll of 2,000 U.S. adults found that over half obsess over food (65%) and health and fitness (55%).” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4wdpQ6Z

Subscribe now

Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3KsuDrZ

HOSPITALS IN CRITICAL CONDITION

The above graphic is from a Minnesota Hospital Association one-pager outlining what it sees as the crisis. MHA REPORT: https://fluence-media.co/48LFFrA

FORUM: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Hospitals across the country continue to raise concerns about their struggles to stay afloat. A forum Monday night, ‘Hospitals in Critical Condition,’ a Fluence Forum with Blois Olson on WCCO Radio [focused] on struggles felt by the country’s health systems.”

THE SITUATION: “Hundreds of rural hospitals across the country are facing closures after years of funding problems, but that struggle is also being felt by hospitals in the core of the largest U.S. cities as well. That is highlighted by the fight for Hennepin County Medical Center to stay afloat in Minneapolis. That system is facing closure unless state funding is granted through the Minnesota Legislature. HCMC is the state’s premier level one trauma center, that treated patients following last year’s Annunciation Church shooting, and is frequently the first stop for the most dire of emergency situations in the state.”
RURAL: “One of the experts joining the forums is United Hospital District CEO Rick Ash, who tells the WCCO Morning News with Vineeta Sawkar that OBGYN and delivery programs in rural Minnesota have been hit especially hard.” QUOTE: “About 11 years ago when I first got here, we had OB in every county around us,” says Ash. “Today, 19 programs across Minnesota have closed, and patients are driving 60-plus miles to give birth. And not to get into too much detail, but we’ve had a couple of occurrences where it’s been nip-and-tuck for babies. Fortunately we were here.”
MAKING THINGS WORSE: “Cuts to Medicaid funding vary by state. In Minnesota, the state is looking at a 15% cut, which amounts to approximately $19 billion over the next decade, and that’s money hospital systems can’t come close to making up.”
AND…: “Government programs like Medicaid often don’t reimburse hospitals at the same cost of the care. This is compounded by a growing number of uninsured patients or even underinsured patients, leaving hospitals with huge amounts of debt and uncompensated care. It’s also costing more to operate a hospital. Inflation is driving up the cost of supplies, services, faculty maintenance, and the cost of labor with widespread staff burnout since the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The entire two-hour forum is available for free online. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/MNHospitalsCriticalCondition

A NATIONAL ISSUE: Via KFF Health News, VERBATIM: “Across the U.S., hospitals and patient advocates are looking to state lawmakers and local officials to help shore up shaky finances. In California, Assembly member Esmeralda Soria, a Democrat representing Fresno, is pushing legislation to expand a 2023 ‘distressed hospital loan fund’ that allocated nearly $300 million in zero-interest loans to 16 hospitals in the state, including $14 million to MLK. The state would pony up another $300 million under Soria’s bill. At least two other states are weighing similar programs. A bill in Pennsylvania would create a $100 million ‘distressed hospital grant’ program. And a funding bill for the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services contains a provision to create an $85 million loan program for troubled hospitals.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4d16Hwg

MORE: Via Becker’s Hopsital Review, a look at how the loss of enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits is impacting hospitals. VERBATIM: “Hospital leaders are not just absorbing a financial hit from the exchange contraction. They are trying to manage it in real time, with incomplete data, moving targets and no clear sense of where the floor is. The most direct impact is the shift from insured to uninsured volume. In the first quarter, [Nashville-based HCA Healthcare] reported a 16% increase in uninsured equivalent admissions compared to the fourth quarter, with more than half of that growth attributable to patients moving off exchange plans.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4umXxBo

HEALTH HEADLINES

UNITEDHEALTH: Via The Wall Street Journal, VERBATIM: “UnitedHealth Group plans to stop requiring doctors to get approvals for an array of procedures, tests and services, cutting back on a process that has long been detested by physicians and patients. UnitedHealth, parent of the biggest U.S. health insurer, said the changes will slash the number of reviews by nearly a third starting later this year. Doctors have long complained about the paperwork they must complete to get insurers’ permission for care, which can lead to delays and denials.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4whH8A6

VACCINE STUDIES: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “Officials at the Food and Drug Administration have blocked publication of several studies supporting the safety of widely used vaccines against Covid-19 and shingles in recent months, a spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services confirmed. The studies, which cost millions of dollars in public funds, were conducted by scientists at the agency, who worked with data firms to analyze millions of patient records. They found serious side effects to be very rare.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ndHdQX

ABORTION PILL: Via NPR, VERBATIM: “Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito on Monday put a one-week hold on major changes to how the abortion pill mifepristone can be prescribed. The ruling temporarily restores nationwide access to a drug used for most medication abortions in the U.S. On Friday, an appeals court had said the Food and Drug Administration needed to revert to rules that the pills, part of a two-drug regimen for medication abortion, must be prescribed only in-person. The change was effective immediately for the whole country.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Rn4m7y

ICE SURGE: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “The surge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in St. Cloud earlier this year created a climate of intense fear and anxiety in the Somali American community that lasted for months, and left some still feeling the effects on their mental health . . . mental health therapist, Ali Aden . . . opened the Bridge Healing Center in St. Cloud about four years ago. It provides culturally specific mental health services mainly for the East African community. Aden said many of his clients are experiencing mental health symptoms as a result of the ICE surge, including anxiety, depression and chronic stress.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4nbNJYB

988: Via KARE-TV, VERBATIM: “The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline has answered more than 17 million calls and text messages since July 2022, according to figures shared through early 2026, as officials point to early signs of impact in youth mental health trends. During that same period, youth suicide rates have decreased by 11%, a development advocates say underscores the importance of accessible crisis support services. One of the key figures behind the lifeline’s development is Kristen Christy, a military spouse and resilience expert who co-created the 988 system.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/49oCbv9

INNOVATION & RESEARCH

MAYO: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Mayo Clinic will no longer post remote-only jobs in a move the state’s largest employer says is meant to ‘strengthen collaboration across roles and disciplines.’ The Rochester-based nonprofit health system will continue to offer hybrid arrangements that allow for some work-from-home flexibility. Hybrid jobs will require employees to live within 100 miles of their assigned sites, which would put most of the Twin Cities metro within range of jobs in Rochester.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4usZkov

SKIN PRINTER: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “In a laboratory at Mayo Clinic, a machine that looks strikingly similar to a desktop printer is quietly reshaping the future of dermatology. Instead of ink, it dispenses living human cells. Instead of paper, it builds tissue — layer by layer — replicating one of the body’s most complex organs: skin. For Saranya Wyles, M.D., Ph.D., a dermatologist and researcher at Mayo Clinic, the journey into 3D bioprinting began not with an ambitious plan to reinvent tissue engineering, but with a practical problem. Her team needed a better way to test new therapies.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tWkgV4

STENT: Via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “After three decades in the medical device industry, including leadership roles at Pfizer and Baxter, John Schorgl believed there was still room to improve the stent. Now, as CEO of Plymouth-based Peytant Solutions, Schorgl is leading a Twin Cities startup developing what it says is a first-of-its-kind airway stent covered with human tissue, taken from the inner membrane of the placenta, rather than with synthetic materials. Founded on patents issued in late 2016, Peytant now employs 11 people.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tcQj1X

ALZHEIMER’S: Via Kindai University, VERBATIM: “A new study suggests a surprisingly simple compound could help fight Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers found that arginine—an inexpensive amino acid already considered safe—can reduce the buildup of toxic amyloid proteins in the brain, a hallmark of the disease. In animal models, oral arginine not only lowered harmful protein deposits but also improved behavior and reduced brain inflammation.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4wiYLiX

SEPSIS: Via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “Tom Burke, founder of Vail Scientific, a Bloomington-based med tech startup focused on early sepsis detection, noticed a problem inside hospitals . . . Vail Scientific, founded in 2015, is aiming to avert as many as 80% of sepsis deaths via rapid diagnosis and treatment, to be achieved with a new device called VSNO, which stands for vital signs and nitric oxide. It is a battery-powered tool the size of a desk telephone that mounts onto an IV pole and monitors a patient’s breath for a chemical called nitric oxide. This way, Vail Scientific claims, its new device can detect sepsis within two minutes.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4d2fnCv

MULTIPLE MYELOMA: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Research from Mayo Clinic is helping refine how multiple myeloma is diagnosed and treated, with findings that support more personalized therapies and identify promising immunotherapy strategies for aggressive forms of the disease. The research led by Sikander Ailawadhi, M.D., Shaji Kumar, M.D., Akhilesh Pandey, M.D., Ph.D., and Richard Kandasamy, Ph.D. in the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, focuses on tailoring treatment based on disease biology and improving outcomes for patients living longer with the cancer.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3PoMJUm

FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com

COFFEE: Via University College Cork, VERBATIM: “Coffee doesn’t just energize—it actively reshapes the gut and mind. Researchers found that both caffeinated and decaf coffee altered gut bacteria in ways linked to better mood and lower stress. Decaf even improved learning and memory, while caffeine boosted focus and reduced anxiety. Together, they show coffee works through multiple pathways beyond just caffeine.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42c9FJv

health take | Why Does Canada Let Some Wildfires Burn?

Mike Maybay — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 20:30:30 GMT

All Fluence tipsheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

POLLING

WORRIES: Via KFF, VERBATIM: “Health costs continue to top the public’s list of affordability worries, even as concerns about gas prices have risen in recent weeks. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of adults are worried about being able to afford health care costs, on par with the share who now worry about gas and transportation costs (64%) and outranking other economic concerns.”

“Health costs also loom large in the upcoming midterm elections. About nine in ten voters say the issue will influence their decision to vote and who to vote for in the 2026 midterm elections, with majorities saying it will have a “major impact” on both areas (55% and 61%). While majorities of voters across partisans say health care costs will impact their vote in November, the issue is more salient among Democratic and independent voters.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ekNR5A

MORE: Via The Hill, VERBATIM: “Six months out from the midterm election, voters gave the Trump administration low approval marks on its handling of the cost of health care. Only a third of those polled said they approve of the administration’s efforts, while two-thirds said they disapprove — including 45 percent who said they ‘strongly disapprove.’ But that number is also impacted by partisanship.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4t9aRbx

MEDICAID: Via KFF, VERBATIM: “A new KFF survey of state Medicaid officials and focus groups in eight states captures the different choices states are making about how to implement Medicaid work requirements, with seven states planning for a more restrictive approach to verifying work or exemption status or to implement work requirements early. These implementation plans are taking shape as states encounter time, cost, and other constraints as well as uncertainty about how to define and verify certain exemptions due to delayed federal guidance. The 2025 reconciliation law requires adults in the 43 states (including DC) covered through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansion and partial expansion waiver programs (Georgia and Wisconsin) to meet work requirements starting January 1, 2027.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cYGzST

Subscribe now

Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3KsuDrZ

MINNESOTA + HEALTH

HCMC: This morning, Isaiah Minnesota began a 24-hour vigil “to pray for the state of Minnesotans’ healthcare and urge state lawmakers to pass funding for the medical center this session.”

MORE: From Thee Lovejoy via X, VERBATIM: “Thank you @isaiahmn for showing up and showing out for folks like me, an HCMC patient. All of my specialists are here. #MNleg please fund this vital service hospital - save HCMC!!” PHOTOS: https://fluence-media.co/48A0p5s

ICYMI… morning take had updates on efforts to save HCMC in both the House and Senate. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ekbPy2

MEDICA: Via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “On Jan. 1, Minnetonka-based health plan provider Medica suddenly gained approximately 300,000 new members. This massive influx came with the well-publicized collapse of UCare, another Minnesota-based nonprofit health insurer, which went into receivership. Medica acquired holders of UCare’s Medicaid and individual and family plans. Before the acquisition, Medica had 1.4 million members across nine states. (About 68% of its members reside in Minnesota.) As a result, UCare plan holders increased Medica’s membership by more than 20%. It was a challenge unique to Medica. But it’s also facing other pressures, ones that all health insurers are struggling with.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4t8xg8P

DISPARITIES: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “A new analysis of health inequities shows that racial and ethnic disparities are widespread and persist in all 50 states, including Minnesota. The 2026 State Health Disparities Report released Wednesday by the Commonwealth Fund, a nonprofit private foundation that supports independent research on health policy and health systems, analyzed 24 indicators to measure healthcare access, quality of care and health outcomes for five racial and ethnic groups from 2022 to 2024.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cSHDr9

MORE: Via The Commonwealth Fund, the report. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/48yCFPa

SMOKE: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “It looks like another smoky summer for parts of the U.S. due to Canadian wildfires. If you’re one of the frustrated people in the northern parts of the U.S. asking why Canada just lets its fires burn? Minnesota Pollution Control Agency meteorologist Matt Taraldsen says it’s because there’s typically no threat to lives and property since they’re often in remote, unpopulated areas.” TARALDSEN: “There’s no easy way to get people in there,” he says. “If you put people out in the middle of nowhere to fight these fires, they cannot come back to a city or something, to fight a fire that would start and would threaten lives and property. So that’s a big part of the problem.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4dgplS7

DC + HEALTH

SURGEON GENERAL: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “President Trump has withdrawn the nomination of Dr. Casey Means, his pick for surgeon general, whose confirmation was stalled on Capitol Hill amid opposition, including from some Republicans, in part over her views on vaccines. In a post on Truth Social on Thursday, Mr. Trump announced that he is nominating Dr. Nicole B. Saphier, a radiologist and director of breast imaging at MSK Monmouth, a branch of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4eq2nsZ

GUNS: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “The Trump administration on Wednesday announced a sweeping rollback of gun regulations, prompting criticism from gun control advocates who called the moves misguided and dangerous . . . The changes include rescinding a 2024 regulation from the Biden administration that sought to end what gun control advocates call the ‘gun show loophole.’ That exemption allowed unlicensed dealers to sell firearms without performing a background check to see if the prospective buyer was prohibited by law from owning a gun.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42GLGCe

AIRBAGS: Via The Hill, VERBATIM: “The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Wednesday banned Chinese airbag inflators tied to at least 10 car crash deaths and injured two other people. NHTSA said an investigation revealed that frontal driver airbags exploded, sending large metal fragments into drivers’ chests, necks, eyes and faces.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4n7l7Qk

VACCINES: Via NBC News, VERBATIM: “The Trump administration has appealed a Massachusetts federal judge’s ruling that blocked Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s recent overhaul of the nation’s childhood vaccine schedule. A filing Wednesday evening in the District of Massachusetts indicates the administration is appealing Judge Brian Murphy’s order March 16. Murphy put any decisions made by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s vaccine advisory committee on hold, ruling that Kennedy replaced the committee ‘unlawfully.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3OxWEXy

GENERICS: Via Stat, VERBATIM: “After months of anticipation, Supreme Court justices heard arguments about a long-standing tactic used by generic companies to carve out a distinct market for a medicine, and did not appear inclined to alter legal standards for the maneuver. At issue is skinny labeling, which refers to moves by generic companies that seek regulatory approval to market a drug for a specific use, but not other patented uses for which a brand-name medicine is prescribed. For instance, a generic drug could be marketed to treat one type of heart problem but not another. In doing so, the generic company seeks to avoid lawsuits claiming patent infringement.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4t5dwCQ

INNOVATION & RESEARCH

MAYO: Via KARE-TV, VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s world-renowned Mayo Clinic continues to live up to its reputation for achieving medical miracles, announcing Wednesday it has developed a test to detect pancreatic cancer up to three years before a patient receives a diagnosis. The AI-assisted test model helps specialists identify early signs of the disease before tumors visibly develop, lending more time for patients to seek curative treatment.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4dgXEbP

PFAS: Via Minneapolis-based Claros, VERBATIM: “Claros Technologies, Inc. (Claros), a leader in PFAS destruction technology, today announced results from a new study demonstrating ≥99.99% destruction of targeted species (PFOS and PFOA) using its ClarosTechUV system in groundwater samples from a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) remediation site in Lake Elmo, Minnesota.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/422haCJ

STUDY: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “In a study published in the Journal of Heart and Lung Transplantation Open (JHLT Open), Mayo Clinic researchers found that remote patient monitoring (RPM) is a feasible and effective way to detect early health changes and support care decisions for lung transplant recipients during their first year after discharge from the hospital.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QGbbBa

T CELLS: Via Université de Genève, VERBATIM: “The body’s ‘killer’ T cells don’t just attack—they strike with astonishing precision, forming a tiny, highly organized contact zone that lets them destroy dangerous cells without harming their neighbors. Now, scientists have captured this process in unprecedented detail, revealing a hidden world of molecular choreography.” READ/SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3OS4ECM

SMELL: Via Harvard, VERBATIM: “Scientists have finally cracked one of the biggest mysteries in the senses: how smell is organized. By mapping millions of neurons in mice, researchers discovered that smell receptors in the nose aren’t random at all—they’re arranged in neat, overlapping stripes based on receptor type, forming a hidden structure scientists never knew existed. Even more striking, this layout mirrors how smell information is mapped in the brain, revealing a coordinated system from nose to neural circuits.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4t2ujqh

FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com

CHILDREN’S: Via Children’s, VERBATIM: “Children’s Minnesota is pleased to announce John Harding, Ed.D., MBA, FACHE, as its new executive vice president, chief operating officer (COO), effective April 27. In his role, Harding will provide enterprise-wide operational leadership across the organization’s hospitals, specialty centers and clinics.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/422ngTD

health take | Feds Stop Paying for Fentanyl Test Strips

Mike Maybay — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 20:30:17 GMT

All Fluence tipsheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

POLLING

ELECTION ISSUE: Via Politico, VERBATIM: “Battleground-state voters across the political spectrum say the cost of their health care has skyrocketed this year. They’re avoiding the doctor because they can’t afford the out-of-pocket expenses. They feel forced to choose between paying their insurance or their rent — and they’re choosing rent. It’s everything Democrats warned would happen when Republicans cut Medicaid and let Obamacare subsidies lapse last year. But those same voters aren’t pinning the blame on Republicans alone. Those are among the findings from a pair of focus groups that Democratic-aligned firm Navigator Research conducted last week with people who have either experienced premium increases or have gone uninsured.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mY6Sx4

MISINFORMATION: Via UofM CIDRAP, VERBATIM: “About a quarter of people worldwide say they believe that raw milk is healthier than pasteurized milk, that use of acetaminophen during pregnancy causes autism, and that vaccines are used for population control. These are a few of the harmful health claims that were surveyed in the 5th annual Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report: Trust and Health . . . The Trust Barometer queried people across 16 countries, including the United States, Canada, and Mexico: Roughly 1,000 people per country were surveyed, for a total of 16,009 respondents.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sXS2rP

MORE: Via Edelman, from the survey:

You can find the full survey results HERE: https://fluence-media.co/48x4sQ2

VACCINES: Via Scientific American, VERBATIM: “Americans trust vaccines scientists as much as they do other scientists, a new U.S. survey finds, despite a decline in vaccination rates and a proliferation of attacks on vaccines in both the wake of the COVID pandemic and the rise of figures such as Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., a noted vaccine skeptic. The results come as the Trump administration is reportedly pivoting away from attacks on vaccines, following other polling that has found broad voter support for immunization.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48o6phG

Subscribe now

Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3KsuDrZ

MINNESOTA HEALTH HEADLINES

BOATING: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s waters reached historic lows last year, as in the lowest number of boating crashes and fatalities. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources recorded 35 nonfatal boating incidents in 2025, the lowest number on record since the agency started keeping track in 1970. Boating fatalities were also at an all-time low at seven. The year before, the agency reported 50 nonfatal boating incidents and nine fatalities.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QARBGk

ADDICTION: Via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “Massive cuts to Medicaid set to go into effect in 2027 under the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act have put Minnesota’s addiction treatment providers in a watchful state of heightened anxiety. The public insurance covers about half of all substance use treatments statewide. But two of the state’s most recognized providers – Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation and The Retreat – don’t rely on Medicaid, making them far less vulnerable. Still, leaders at both organizations are worried, citing concerns about access to care for substance use disorder and the well-being of the recovery community at large.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42AABTe

ALZHEIMER’S: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Subtle biological changes linked to Alzheimer’s disease may begin as early as the late 50s — decades before memory loss or other symptoms appear — according to new research from Mayo Clinic. The study, published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, maps when key brain and blood-based changes tend to accelerate across the lifespan, offering new insight into when detection and prevention efforts could have the greatest impact.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/491yYS9

DC + HEALTH

DRUG TESTS: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “A simple strip of treated paper that can swiftly signal whether a street drug contains deadly fentanyl or other contaminants is a common overdose prevention tool, distributed widely on college campuses and at music festivals and community clinics. The federal government has championed test strips since 2021 and has paid to supply them to states, a position the Trump administration publicly embraced as recently as July. But on Friday afternoon, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration sent a letter to state health departments and grant recipients across the country, saying that the government would no longer pay for the strips because they are ‘intended for use by people using drugs.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49eqZRI

VACCINE: Via The Hill, VERBATIM: “The decision by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to stop recommending giving infants a dose of the hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours after birth is likely to lead to hundreds of more infections, worse health outcomes and millions of dollars in higher costs, according to new research published Monday in JAMA Pediatrics. The CDC in December approved the change to longstanding practice following a vote by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s vaccine advisory panel.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QAL52m

RURAL HEALTH: Via KFF Health News, VERBATIM: “When Congress approved the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last summer, it cut nearly $1 trillion from Medicaid over the next decade. Now, [community health clinic nurse Tory Starr] hopes the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program, which was part of the same bill, will help keep his patients covered. Yet, small community health care providers, such as Open Door, may find they are sharing the billions with an army of corporate giants before it reaches their patients.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vWfY1p

SUPCT: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “The Supreme Court appeared divided on Monday during arguments in a dispute that could determine the fate of thousands of lawsuits that claim a widely used weedkiller causes cancer. The case is the latest turn in a yearslong legal battle over safety concerns with the weedkiller Roundup. Developed by Monsanto in the 1970s, the herbicide is the focus of the lawsuits, which allege that it causes non-Hodgkin lymphoma.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QsPVPf

RESEARCH & INNOVATION

TUMORS: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Mayo Clinic researchers have developed a blood-based method that may help detect germ cell tumors, the most common type of testicular cancer, including cases that do not show up on standard blood tests, according to a study published in Nature Communications. Testicular cancer most often affects adolescents and young adults, and it is highly treatable, especially when found early. However, diagnosis can be challenging when tumors do not produce enough of the usual blood-based substances — called tumor markers — to show up on standard tests, which can make diagnosis harder.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mTSupo

BREAST CANCER: Via Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, VERBATIM: “A daily vitamin D supplement may quietly supercharge chemotherapy. In a small study, women who took low doses alongside treatment were far more likely to see their cancer vanish than those who didn’t. Since vitamin D also supports immune function—and many patients are deficient—it could be playing a bigger role than expected. Scientists say this affordable approach deserves much deeper investigation.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49fLD3X

WEIGHT LOSS: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “A Mayo Clinic study found that both metabolic and bariatric surgery and GLP-1 medications improve cardiovascular health in people with obesity, but surgery was associated with significantly greater reductions in long-term cardiovascular risk.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4n2uGzY

ENZYME: Via University of Utah, VERBATIM: “Researchers have found an enzyme that can turn fragile drug molecules into durable ring shapes. This could help medications like Ozempic last longer and work more effectively. The process is simpler and more precise than traditional methods, even for complex drugs. It may open the door to stronger, longer-lasting treatments.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ngcq6l

TRANSITIONS: Via Real Time, VERBATIM: “Smoother patient transitions from hospitals to continuing care facilities and better patient outcomes are now possible thanks to a collaboration between Real Time Medical Systems (Real Time), the industry-leading post-acute analytics solution for post-hospital care, and Allina Health, a large nonprofit health system serving Minnesota and western Wisconsin. This month, the organizations launched Real Time’s AI-driven platform within several skilled nursing facilities to enhance care coordination and ensure smoother transitions through real-time, actionable insights.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QNqaZR

GOLDEN VALLEY: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “A new mental health provider has officially launched in the Twin Cities west metro, bringing a unique model of ‘intermediate care’ to Minnesotans facing acute mental health crises. Compass Health Center celebrated its grand opening in Golden Valley, marking the organization’s first foray into the Minnesota market. The facility, which has been operational for about six weeks, aims to address a critical gap in the traditional healthcare landscape: the space between once-a-week therapy and inpatient hospitalization.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4vVH9t5

OUTDOORS: Via Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, VERBATIM: “As temperatures climb and daylight stretches longer, fitness communities of color across the Twin Cities are hitting their stride, gathering on riverbanks, neighborhood trails and community spaces to move, heal and connect.” SCHEDULE: https://fluence-media.co/4w2U8JM

FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com

MEDIA: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “’The Pitt’ is the newest hit TV show on HBO, and after just wrapping up a harrowing second season, fans of the medical drama set at an emergency room in Pittsburgh, PA are wondering, ‘how realistic is this?’” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3OyUeYF

health take | Feds Reclassify Medical Marijuana

Mike Maybay — Thu, 23 Apr 2026 20:30:45 GMT

All Fluence tipsheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

POLLING

POLITICS: Via Fox News, VERBATIM: “A new national poll signals warning signs for both Republicans and Democrats with just over six months to go until the midterm elections. On key issues such as border security, immigration, crime and national security, a new Fox News poll — conducted April 17-20 — found that voters say Republicans have the advantage over Democrats. But Democrats hold the advantage over the GOP on the economy, inflation, and healthcare.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tBMLY8

HEALTHCARE: Via Johns Hopkins, VERBATIM: “A majority of U.S. adults agrees that health care is a right, not a privilege, and that the nation should aim to eliminate health inequities for everyone, according to a new report from the Institute for Policy Solutions at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing . . . Among the key findings of the survey:

71% consider access to health care a right, not a privilege.
70% think the nation should aim to eliminate health inequities for everyone, and 61% believe that together we can.
63% say improving the health of everyone will be very or extremely important in their midterm vote, and 59% would prioritize voting for a candidate committed to eliminating health inequities.
57% hold personal values aligned with eliminating health inequities.

The survey also uncovered specific aspects of health equity on which U.S. adults generally agree, suggesting areas in which more and faster progress is possible with evidence-based solutions.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cJaa2m

Subscribe now

Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3KsuDrZ

MINNESOTA HEALTH HEADLINES

HOSPITALS: Via Minnesota Hospital Association, VERBATIM: “A new analysis of community impact data from more than 120 Minnesota nonprofit hospitals and health systems shows they delivered $6.5 billion in community benefit in fiscal year 2024 — a 5% increase year over year — even as hospitals face historic financial pressure and historic cuts to federal programs.” QUOTE: “Community benefit is not something nonprofit hospitals are required to do — it is why we exist,” said Dr. Rahul Koranne, president and CEO of the Minnesota Hospital Association. “Long before any formal reporting requirements, Minnesota’s hospitals were caring for people, regardless of their ability to pay, as well as supporting public health and strengthening their communities.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48hs4bb

MORE: Via MHA, from the report:

You can read the full report HERE: https://fluence-media.co/41UUT9N

TEACHERS: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Health insurance costs have long been a problem for smaller, rural school districts because their smaller staff sizes give them less bargaining power in the marketplace. But, in recent years, school districts of all sizes are getting hit by huge health insurance price increases . . . There’s a mix of reasons for the higher insurance costs, including inflation, an aging population with greater medical needs, and expensive new pharmaceuticals like GLP-1s. So educators are rallying around new legislation that could offer some relief.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4d2FY3y

ALLERGIES: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “The spring allergy season is upon us and there’s one pattern that is causing symptoms to persist longer and potentially be more severe. ‘Our summers are hotter and our winters are also warming. We also have more extremes,’ says Emily Onello, MD, associate professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth Campus. Which equates to a longer allergy season.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/48jGjwc

DC + HEALTH

MEDMAR: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “President Donald Trump’s acting attorney general on Thursday signed an order reclassifying state-licensed medical marijuana as a less-dangerous drug, a major policy shift long sought by advocates who said cannabis should never have been treated like heroin by the federal government. The order signed by Todd Blanche does not legalize marijuana for medical or recreational use under federal law. But it does change the way it’s regulated, shifting licensed medical marijuana from Schedule I — reserved for drugs without medical use and with high potential for abuse — to the less strictly regulated Schedule III. It also gives licensed medical marijuana operators a major tax break and eases some barriers to researching cannabis.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3OVLhss

RFK JR: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “Over four days and nearly 20 hours of testimony, under harsh questioning from Democrats, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has repeatedly backed away from his longstanding criticism of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. On Wednesday, he made his strongest statement yet — albeit on behalf of his department and not himself.” QUOTE: “We promote the M.M.R.,” Mr. Kennedy told the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday morning, referring to the combined vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella. “We have advised every child to get the M.M.R. That’s what we do.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QnyTC1

MORE: Via UofM CIDRAP, VERBATIM: “Throughout the Finance Committee meeting, Kennedy said he had nothing to do with large ongoing measles outbreaks across the country, and implied it was rising international rates of the virus seeding outbreaks in the United States.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QjHdTl

COVID REPORT: Via The Washington Post, VERBATIM: “A report showing the efficacy of the covid-19 vaccine that was previously delayed by the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been blocked from being published in the agency’s flagship scientific journal, according to three people familiar with the decision who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of retaliation. The report showed that the vaccine reduced emergency department visits and hospitalizations among healthy adults by about half this past winter.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4csE2RM

988: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “Over the two and a half years following the 2022 rollout of the 988 national suicide prevention hotline, the rate of suicides among young people in the United States dropped 11 percent below projections, decreasing most sharply in states with a higher volume of answered 988 calls, a new study has found. The findings, published today as a research letter in JAMA, compared suicide deaths from July 2022 to December 2024 with sophisticated mathematical projections that were based on historical trends. This yielded good news, with 4,372 fewer suicides of adolescents and young adults, ages 15 to 34, than had been projected.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48iHXy4

AIR POLLUTION: Via American Lung Association, VERBATIM: “Today, the American Lung Association released its 27th annual ‘State of the Air’ report, which finds that nearly half of the children in the U.S. are breathing unhealthy levels of air pollution. While there has been significant progress in improving air quality over the past 50 years, 152 million people still live in areas with unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution. Recent actions taken by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to roll back clean air protections will expose more people, including children, to harmful air pollution.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4twtV4x

MORE: The full report, READ: https://fluence-media.co/3OTC83D and the Minnesota report card, SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3QInA7r

INDUSTRY & INNOVATION

CANCER APP: Via Allina, VERBATIM: “Allina Health Cancer Institute has expanded its Cancer Connection mobile app beyond breast cancer to now include support for patients undergoing treatment for lung cancer. Cancer Connection is designed to strengthen communication between patients and their care teams, helping patients better manage symptoms, prepare for appointments and engage more confidently in their care.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dZOYYi

FINANCING: Via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “Delivering chemotherapies is often a race against the clock. Because these are radioactive materials, they deteriorate, requiring tight coordination to get them from manufacturing sites to hospitals before they decay. Nucleus RadioPharma, a Rochester-based med tech company, is hoping to tighten that process with $50 million in financing from OrbiMed, a global New York-based health care investment firm.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48hscYd

NEW PRESIDENT: Via Allina, VERBATIM: “Allina Health is pleased to share it has named Matt Wille, FACHE, MHA, MPPA as the new president of Faribault Medical Center and Owatonna Hospital.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cHmTmm

NEXTGEN: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “From the moment David Sanborn, M.D., arrived at Mayo Clinic as a resident in 2018, he envisioned a career built around caring for the whole patient. What he did not anticipate was how fully Mayo’s education programs, mentorship culture and research capabilities would shape his training — and launch his career as a clinician‑scientist in lung transplantation. Dr. Sanborn completed all of his graduate medical training at Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education, including internal medicine residency, a chief resident year, pulmonary and critical care fellowship, and a highly specialized transplant‑focused fellowship. Along the way, Mayo’s educational flexibility allowed him to explore his interests before narrowing his focus.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42pDR3L

MEMORY: Via Northwestern University, VERBATIM: “A rare group of adults over 80, known as SuperAgers, are rewriting what we thought was possible for the aging brain. With memory abilities comparable to people decades younger, their brains either resist or withstand the damage typically linked to Alzheimer’s disease. Decades of research reveal that their social lifestyles and unique brain biology may hold the key to preserving cognitive function. Scientists believe these insights could pave the way for new strategies to delay or even prevent dementia.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mMFuC1

FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com

NEXT WEEKEND: Via Charcot-Marie-Tooth Association, VERBATIM: “Local Twin Cities resident Lynn Anne Groebner is walking to end the rare, incurable disease she lives with every day. On May 2, Lynne will lead the CMTA Minneapolis Walk 4 CMT in Bloomington and invites the Twin Cities to join her. CMT is an inheritable, progressive neuromuscular disease that affects about 135,000 people in the United States, including an estimated 1,500 people in the Twin Cities and 2,300 across Minnesota. It causes muscle weakness, impaired balance, difficulty walking, and nerve degeneration. Many people go years before receiving an accurate diagnosis or proper medical care.”

When
Saturday, May 2, 2026
Start Time: 10:00 AM

Where
Hyland Lake Park Reserve – Sunnyside Picnic Area
10145 Bush Lake Rd.
Bloomington, MN 55438

health take | MN Youth Cannabis Use Down 57%

Mike Maybay — Tue, 21 Apr 2026 20:31:00 GMT

All Fluence tipsheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

POLLING

EXERCISE: Via University of Michigan, VERBATIM: “One in three parents say their child ages 18 to 25 is minimally active or inactive, according to the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health . . . Parents point to several reasons their young adult children are not getting enough physical activity. The most common barriers include lack of time, lack of interest and screen time or gaming. Fewer parents cite cost, lack of a workout partner or health limitations.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cnPbmV

DEPRESSION: Via Gallup, VERBATIM: “The percentage of U.S. adults who report currently having or being treated for depression was 19.1% in the first quarter of 2026, similar to the high mark of 20.0% recorded the preceding quarter and up nearly nine percentage points since the initial measurement in 2015.”

“The current rate of 19.1%, among the highest in Gallup’s trend, projects to an estimated 51 million Americans suffering from depression.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42laqQl

Subscribe now

Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3KsuDrZ

UNITEDHEALTH

ICYMI… lunch take had the bottom-line numbers for UnitedHealth’s first quarter earnings. Catch up HERE: https://fluence-media.co/4tpgzqH

MORE: Via Forbes, VERBATIM: “UnitedHealthcare’s improving medical cost picture comes in part due to decisions by new management to exit unprofitable markets where the company has sold individual coverage under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, as well as pulling out of scores of counties where the company no longer sells privatized Medicare Advantage plans. Health insurers including UnitedHealthcare, CVS Health’s Aetna, Humana and Elevance Health all have been struggling to contain medical expenses of a record number of older adults enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4toNzzf

MORE: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “Since last spring, United’s sprawling expansion has largely ended, with the company now describing how it is reducing costs — exiting businesses, including some in Britain and elsewhere outside the United States; overhauling its executive ranks; and dropping plans in unprofitable markets. In announcing the company’s results for the first three months of 2026, UnitedHealth executives pointed to those efforts. ‘We are continuing to help simplify and modernize health care for the people we serve, bringing greater value, affordability, transparency and connectivity,’ [CEO Stephen Hemsley] said in a statement. One of the biggest setbacks has been the decline in what had been an extremely lucrative Medicare Advantage business.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QRxpQs

MN HEALTH HEADLINES

TOBACCO: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “The Plymouth City Council hopes a new policy could help to keep kids away from cigarettes. The council is moving ahead with a set of new tobacco restrictions, including a ban on flavored tobacco products.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3ODD4Jk

POT: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Department of Health is refining its prevention tactics as youth cannabis use in the state reaches new lows. State health officials are crediting a new model of layered outreach for a 57% drop in youth cannabis use over the last 12 years. The new data comes from a 2025 study that shows 96% of K through 12 students aren’t using it.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4coMMbF

MORE: From the MDH news release:

RELEASE: https://fluence-media.co/3Qo1fMr

MEDICAID: Via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s spending across 14 Medicaid programs more than doubled in the five years before the Walz administration deemed them ‘high risk’ for fraud, waste and abuse — and began taking drastic measures to rein in spending. Total spending across the programs, which include therapy for autistic children and services helping disabled people live independently, increased from $2.06 billion in 2021 to $4.32 billion in 2025, according to annual spending data from the Department of Human Services obtained through a public records request submitted in December.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4u4PM2X

RELATED: Via DHS, VERBATIM: “The head of Minnesota’s Medicaid program is cautioning that despite the federal government’s approval of the state’s corrective action plan, $3.1 billion in federal Medicaid funding is still at risk. A federal court ruling last week cleared the way for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to continue deferring $260 million in quarterly reimbursements for Medicaid claims the state has already paid out.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41JujR1

HOSPITALS: Via KMSP-TV, VERBATIM: “A new report from a consumer nonprofit warns that several Minnesota hospitals serving low-income and uninsured patients are facing a major threat that could force them to shut down, reduce services or eliminate positions. Seven safety-net hospitals in Minnesota are at risk of shutting down, reducing services or laying off staff. The hospitals care for a larger share of low-income patients and others without insurance. The report, released by Public Citizen, calls the situation a ‘big ugly threat.’” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/48zx37p

MORE: From the report:

REPORT: https://fluence-media.co/4co1xeL

STRIKE: Via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “Hundreds of nursing home workers from across the Twin Cities are on strike Monday. The 300 workers with SEIU Healthcare Minnesota and Iowa say they’re fighting for higher wages, better benefits and safer staffing levels, arguing that current conditions are contributing to a growing worker shortage. The level of care they’re able to provide for seniors has been impacted, they say.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4co228D

DC + HEALTH

MAHA: Via NPR, VERBATIM: “The Make America Healthy Again movement aims to warn against the harmful effects of chemicals and toxins in our water, food and environment. But within the coalition, there’s a growing sense the Trump administration is not living up to its promises . . . Ryerson doesn’t blame Health Secretary Kennedy. She says it’s elsewhere in the administration, namely the Environmental Protection Agency, where she sees troubling decisions on pesticides and chemicals. Last month, [Kelly Ryerson] and other influential voices in the MAHA movement cataloged their concerns to the head of the EPA, Lee Zeldin. The letter states there’s a profound contradiction that as the administration claims to prioritize health, it’s approving, expanding and normalizing chemical exposures.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4u0P7iK

FED WORKERS: Via KFF Health News, VERBATIM: “Democratic lawmakers are demanding that the Trump administration halt plans to collect sensitive medical records for millions of federal workers and retirees, as well as their family members. The Office of Personnel Management has asked 65 insurance companies to provide monthly reports with detailed medical and pharmaceutical claims data of more than 8 million people enrolled in federal health plans, KFF Health News reported earlier this month. The request, which could dramatically expand the personally identifiable medical information OPM can access, alarmed health ethicists, insurance company executives, and privacy advocates.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tpVAUN

CYBERTHREATS: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “The FBI’s No. 2 official told hospital executives Tuesday they need to step up information-sharing on cyberthreats as the agency works to disrupt attacks earlier. Why it matters: Health care was the top target for ransomware and other cyberthreats last year, according to FBI statistics. Data breaches and attacks on hospitals shut down operations, delay time-sensitive treatment and risk harm to patients, and also cost health systems millions per incident.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tVPKKp

RESEARCH & INNOVATION

BREAKTHROUGH: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Rosa Rademakers, Ph.D., a neurogeneticist whose work at Mayo Clinic led to a landmark finding in neurodegenerative disease, has been awarded the 2026 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences for the discovery of the most common genetic cause of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which charted the path for new mechanistic studies of these diseases.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3OTLjB1

AUTISM: Via University of Nebraska-Lincoln, VERBATIM: “A landmark study led by researchers at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) and published in Molecular Psychiatry has identified a significant association between prenatal prescription of commonly utilized medications and the risk of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children. Analyzing 6.14 million maternal-child health records from the Epic Cosmos database—representing nearly one-third of all U.S. births between 2014 and 2023—the team found that prescription of medications known to inhibit the cholesterol synthesis pathway were consistently associated with higher rates of ASD in offspring.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cpR7vh

ANTIBIOTICS: Via UofM CIDRAP, VERBATIM: “New research presented at the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) Global 2026 conference in Munich suggests antibiotic-resistance genes (ARGs) are present in newborns shortly after birth. In a study involving 105 newborns admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) from July 2024 to July 2025, a team led by researchers from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece performed molecular analysis on meconium, the first stool passed by newborns.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QfmkIX

BIRTHS: Via University of Texas at San Antonio, VERBATIM: “While some say having lots of kids can make you lose your faculties, a new study suggests otherwise. Research co-led by UT Health San Antonio, the academic health center of The University of Texas at San Antonio, associates a greater number of live births with a reduced risk of stroke or brain damage for mothers. As more women than men have strokes, the finding is seen as significant in helping determine risk.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4u06vUQ

CHRONIC PAIN: Via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “In March, NeuroOne Medical Technologies Corporation announced the completion of its limited market release of a medical device treating a rare pain disorder. Trigeminal neuralgia is an often debilitating chronic pain condition affecting approximately 150,000 patients in the United States, according to NeuroOne. Harvard Health Publishing reports the disorder newly affects four to five out of 100,000 people in the country each year.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3OPZjf8

SKIN CANCER: Via NYU, VERBATIM: “A molecule that helps control gene activity has now been tied to both the growth of skin cancer and its ability to avoid the body’s immune defenses, according to new research. Scientists from NYU Langone Health and its Perlmutter Cancer Center found that a key protein, known as the transcription factor HOXD13, plays a central role in melanoma.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vJJW8K

BACTERIA: Via John Innes Centre, VERBATIM: “Scientists have uncovered a surprising twist in how bacteria share genes—including those that spread antibiotic resistance. Tiny virus-like particles called gene transfer agents (GTAs), once ancient viral invaders, have been repurposed by bacteria into delivery systems that shuttle DNA between neighboring cells. The study reveals a key control hub of three genes, dubbed LypABC, that triggers bacterial cells to burst open and release these DNA-packed couriers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4u1d1KX

FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com

NEXT MONTH: Via Wayzata-based CRISP & GREEN, VERBATIM: “CRISP & GREEN, a fast-casual dining destination known for its chef-crafted, health-focused menu, is marking National Fitness Day on May 2 with a high-energy, nationwide celebration that brings communities together through movement, connection and feel-good food. Anchored by a commitment to wellness, the brand will host a series of events across four key markets, alongside a limited-time Power Hour offer at participating locations nationwide that rewards guests with a free entrée.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sLeQuI

health take | Phantom Medicare Billing

Mike Maybay — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 20:30:59 GMT

All Fluence tipsheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

POLLING

MAHA: Via UofM CIDRAP, VERBATIM: “A new poll from a progressive polling firm shows support for the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement is narrow and highly vulnerable, and that support drops significantly when voters learn about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s actions in office and his policies. The poll, conducted by Data for Progress and RFK Jr Watch, a project of 314 Action, comes from a national sample of 2,350 likely voters. While many say they support the movement’s goals, only one in six actually identify with the movement. Roughly 30% of those polled outright reject it. Half of Republicans (50%) and 40% of swing district voters said they support many tenets of MAHA but do not identify with the movement.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48Uw4yv

AI: Via Gallup, VERBATIM: “As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in daily life, the West Health-Gallup Center on Healthcare in America reports that 25% of Americans have used an AI tool or chatbot for health information or advice, mainly as a supplemental tool for their care. Over half of recent users say they have used AI because they prefer to research on their own before or after seeing a doctor.”

“Regardless of the reason, almost half of Americans who have used AI for healthcare information (46%) say the AI tool or chatbot made them feel more confident when talking with or asking questions of a provider. Others claim that it helped them identify issues earlier (22%) or avoid unnecessary medical tests or procedures (19%).” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ct9XjT

Subscribe now

Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3KsuDrZ

MN HEALTH HEADLINES

PHANTOM BILLING: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “The Medicare statement that showed up in John Nides’ mailbox in Mendota Heights contained the disclaimer, ‘THIS IS NOT A BILL,’ in bold letters on the front page. But a closer look revealed thousands of dollars in troubling charges that could largely fall on taxpayers in Minnesota and across the country . . . The statement showed charges for hundreds of catheters over the course of five months last year. Nides does not need catheterization, never asked for the devices and never received them. His experience is part of what federal investigators call ‘phantom billing,’ where the names of Medicare beneficiaries are used to seek reimbursement for medical supplies or services that were never provided.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4cfVPeX

I FALLS: Via Essentia, VERBATIM: “Essentia Health is proud to announce a $50,000 contribution to support the International Falls Community Wellness Center project. This contribution will support efforts to transform the high school’s outdated weight room into a modern Community Wellness Center designed to support mental and physical health, youth development and community wellness.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tSnvMT

(DISCLOSURE: Essentia is a Fluence sponsor)

HCMC: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Minnesota clergy are calling on state legislators to save Minnesota’s last remaining public safety-net hospital, HCMC. Faith leaders from around the state gathered at the state capitol sharing personal accounts of life-saving care provided by the level one trauma center, arguing that the hospital’s unique mission to treat everyone regardless of their ability to pay is a lifeline for many Minnesotans.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4sGYmDY

NEW CEO: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “Just a few days into the job, new Hennepin Healthcare CEO Dr. John Cumming is already facing a major financial crisis. The health system is under immense strain, losing millions each year, and its flagship hospital, Hennepin County Medical Center, is on track to close later this year if the Minnesota Legislature doesn’t intervene. Cumming says he knew what he was getting into when he accepted the job.” QUOTE: “When I saw the opportunity to help, I raised my hand,” Cumming said. “That’s with eyes wide open. I know this organization. I believe in the organization.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4cKBcHT

MORE: Twin Cities Business also interviewed Dr. Cumming. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ti8eFi

MAYO: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center scientists, physicians and trainees will present nearly 60 studies on emerging cancer therapies, diagnostics and prevention strategies at the 2026 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting, April 17–22 at the San Diego Convention Center. The meeting is a premier forum for the global cancer research community to share the latest advances in cancer science and medicine.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cf1LVv

DC + HEALTH

RFK JR: Via The Washington Post, VERBATIM: “Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended his controversial record leading the nation’s health department, as Democrats argued his changes on vaccines threatened public health in America and pushed back against his proposed budget cuts. On Thursday, Kennedy kicked off a marathon of seven congressional hearings where lawmakers grilled him for the first time in more than seven months. The hearings will continue through next week.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tSEMWc

EARLIER: Via The Hill, VERBATIM: “The progressive health care advocacy group Protect Our Care is releasing a highly critical review of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s first 14 months in office ahead of a marathon series of hearings he will have in the House and Senate this month to defend President Trump’s budget request. In the report titled ‘Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vs. Public Health,’ shown first to The Hill, Protect Our Care highlights the secretary’s actions on vaccines, medical research, food as well as his apparent aims of mobilizing his ‘Make America Healthy Again’ base as a key voting block ahead of the midterms.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sAdjHT

RECALL: Via Today, VERBATIM: “A specific lot of the widely prescribed anti-anxiety drug Xanax has been recalled nationwide for not passing quality control tests concerning the time the pills take to dissolve, according to the Food and Drug Administration. Prescription-only, 3-milligram pills of Xanax XR in bottles of 60 tablets made in Ireland have been voluntarily recalled by West Virginia-based distributor Viatris Specialty LLC, according to a notice posted by the FDA on April 15.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4eozME7

AFFORDABILITY: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “The Trump administration is bringing on a new official to focus on health care affordability, the Department of Health and Human Services tells Axios. Why it matters: The personnel move suggests the administration is attempting to respond to voters’ concerns about health care costs ahead of the midterm elections.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mC4knZ

VIRUS: Via NBC News, VERBATIM: “Rotavirus, a seasonal virus similar to influenza, has been rising across the U.S. since January. With infection rates higher now than this time last year, doctors have fresh concerns that declining vaccinations could lead to more severe illness and a higher surge in the coming years. The virus — which is spread by hands touching an infected surface, then touching the mouth — used to be a major cause of severe illness among babies and young children in the U.S., responsible for more than 200,000 emergency room visits, up to 70,000 hospitalizations and dozens of deaths each year, according to the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. That drastically changed after the first oral vaccine was approved 20 years ago.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tiY3Ag

340B KEEPS RURAL HOSPITALS OPEN: With 30% of hospitals operating in the red, the 340B drug pricing program supports rural and safety-net hospitals that provide critical services to underserved communities. Thank you to the bipartisan group of Minnesota Senators who voted to support rural health care and stand up to Big Pharma. Now, we need the Minnesota House to do the same: strengthen the 340B program with real enforcement authority and ensure local hospitals can continue to deliver the care Minnesotans need. READ MORE: https://fluence-media.co/Rural_Hospitals (SPONSORED: Essentia Health)

RESEARCH & INNOVATION

TRANSPLANT: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “About 40 million people in the U.S. are living with diabetes. Most are able to manage the condition with medication and lifestyle changes. But in some cases, diabetes, type 1 or type 2, can lead to more serious problems, including chronic kidney disease, even kidney failure, leaving patients with only one option – a pancreas-kidney transplant. The transplant has been performed for decades. Now, surgeons at Mayo Clinic are performing the transplant robotically.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/41zKrEy

VIRUS: Via Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, VERBATIM: “Scientists have taken a major step toward stopping Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), an extremely common infection linked to cancer and chronic disease. By using mice engineered with human antibody genes, researchers created powerful human-like antibodies that block the virus from attaching to and entering immune cells. One of these antibodies completely prevented infection in lab models with human immune systems, marking a breakthrough after years of difficulty tackling EBV’s ability to invade nearly all B cells.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ccQEfK

CELL THERAPY: Via Newsweek, VERBATIM: “CAR‑T cell therapy, a cutting‑edge cancer treatment, is showing growing promise far beyond oncology—offering potential relief to people with severe autoimmune diseases who have exhausted other options.” QUOTE: “In simple terms, CAR T‑cell therapy is a form of treatment that uses a person’s own immune cells to attack and kill their cancer cells,” Dr. Vinod Balasa, medical director of Valley Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, told Newsweek. “While chemotherapy uses a shotgun approach that can impact normal cells while it kills cancer cells, CAR T‑cell therapy is a targeted treatment.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vF25oc

ALZHEIMER’S: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “Since the approval of new Alzheimer’s drugs in recent years, there has been a lingering question: While data indicated that they could modestly slow cognitive decline for some patients, would that effect be meaningful or too slight to make difference? A new review of research spanning a decade, published on Wednesday, concluded that the clinical benefit of these and similar drugs is negligible. But the way the review was conducted spurred heated criticism from many Alzheimer’s experts, including some who had been skeptical of some of them.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dO10E0

FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com

STAR GALA: Via Children’s, VERBATIM: “Children’s Minnesota is excited to announce the 34th annual Star Gala raised a record-breaking $3.7 million to benefit the nonprofit pediatric health system’s mental health program. Star Gala is regarded as one of the biggest nights of the year for the Twin Cities philanthropic community. This year’s event supported The Kid Experts at Children’s Minnesota who support children and families across the full continuum of mental health care, from outpatient psychology to inpatient treatment, so families can access the level of care that best fits their child’s needs.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QhtKv4

MUSIC: Via Duluth News Tribune, VERBATIM: “Joe McDonell hadn’t studied music since grade school and still can’t read notes. But on a recent evening, he sat down and wrote his first song. Titled ‘Not Who You Are,’ the lyrics seemed to hit the page with ease, the U.S. Army veteran said. The words were coming from his heart — though admittedly a darker place — reminiscing on the mistakes he has made in life and the struggle to overcome negative emotions . . . The unique opportunity came from McDonell’s participation in the South St. Louis County Veterans Treatment Court. He was one of four members who recently completed a music therapy retreat offered through the national nonprofit Challenge America. The initiative pairs local veterans in the criminal justice system with professionals across the country. They work together over several sessions with the goal of helping the participants express themselves and find healing through the art of music.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41DGizu

health take | MN Hospital Group Declares Crisis

Mike Maybay — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 20:30:39 GMT

All Fluence tipsheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

POLLING

MAHA: Via The Hill, VERBATIM: “New polling conducted by the progressive political action committee 314 Action found that, despite a decent degree of support for some aspects of the ‘Make America Healthy Again’ agenda, very few voters actually identify as being part of the movement. The polling, released Tuesday, found that while 39 percent of voters say they support many of MAHA’s goals, only 14 percent consider themselves a part of the movement.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Op2ZEj

VACCINES: Via Politico, VERBATIM: “Vaccine skepticism among Americans is widespread, The POLITICO Poll found, indicating that one of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s animating priorities is gaining traction.”

“Results from the March poll of 3,851 U.S. adults conducted by Public First show that a plurality of Americans question the safety of vaccines, support reducing the number administered and believe that people’s right to decide what they put in their bodies is more important than preventing the spread of disease.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vtIjf9

ENVIRONMENT: Via Gallup, two polls related to climate change:

63% of Americans say the government isn’t doing enough to protect the environment. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4dO8sPr
44% say they worry a great deal about climate change – the highest since 1989. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3OpJBXY

Subscribe now

Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3KsuDrZ

MN HEALTH HEADLINES

CRISIS: Via Minnesota Hospital Association, VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s nonprofit hospitals and health systems are facing a financial crisis unlike anything in recent memory. Thirty-one hospitals across the state currently meet formal financial distress criteria. Some are unable to make payroll. The state’s largest safety-net hospital faces potential closure. A Level I trauma center warns it is at a ‘breaking point’. Nineteen labor and delivery programs have shut down, forcing mothers to scramble for care. And patients in Greater Minnesota are driving 40, 50, even 70 miles for basic services. The Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) is sounding the alarm: this is a systemwide crisis that demands immediate action from state and federal policymakers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mwQ4wQ

MORE: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “The reason? Too many patients on Medicare or Medicaid, and the federal government not compensating the full amount due. ‘We also have to buy very expensive drugs and the pharmaceutical companies are really making quite a profit from our hospitals,’ says Rahul Koranne President and CEO of the Minnesota Hospital Association.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4teJYDZ

ICE: Via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “U.S. Rep. Angie Craig called on the Trump administration on Monday to release a woman in ICE detention who is suffering from a tennis ball-sized ovarian cyst at risk of rupture and needing urgent medical treatment.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3O6VrGq

WATER SAFETY: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Two years after her son Waeys Mohamed drowned, Fay Jede watches on as her younger son, Warsame learns how to flip himself over to float in water. Warsame is listening as water safety educators from FOSS Swim School give a presentation with the Waeys Water Safety Foundation. Jede started the foundation in honor of her son to provide education, support and scholarships for mothers in her community who she said are limited in access to water safety information.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4ckyVBS

MENTAL HEALTH: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Many Minnesota teens with mental health concerns can access therapy and other resources at a place that’s very familiar to them—their own schools. The school linked behavioral health program through the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) was created to bring additional mental health supports and increased services for youth.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Op1O7R

DC + HEALTH

FDA: Via The Washington Post, VERBATIM: “The Trump administration is considering Houman Hemmati, an ophthalmologist, entrepreneur and frequent Fox News guest, to serve as the nation’s next top regulator of vaccines and treatments for complex diseases, according to three people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal conversations. If selected, Hemmati would replace Vinay Prasad, who is slated to leave the high-ranking position at the Food and Drug Administration at the end of April after a rocky year. Prasad had overseen controversial decisions about drugs and a new plan to tighten vaccine approvals, which drew condemnation from former agency leaders.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4crGO8L

PRESCRIPTIONS: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “Republicans in Congress are trying to attract more people to direct-to-consumer drug purchases on platforms like TrumpRx by requiring insurers to count that spending toward patients’ deductibles and out-of-pocket limits. Why it matters: Paying cash for drugs has limited appeal for insured patients, in part because it doesn’t help them get to the point where insurance picks up a bigger portion of their health costs.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cIPFE6

TRIAL DATA: Via MedPage Today, VERBATIM: “The FDA said it reminded more than 2,000 pharmaceutical companies and researchers about legal requirements to publish clinical trial data, warning that a publication preference for positive trials could be skewing the available evidence on therapies.” QUOTE: “Far too often, companies are suppressing unfavorable clinical trial results and keeping them secret from patients and the scientific community,” FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, MD, MPH, said in a statement. “Those sponsoring clinical trials have an ethical obligation to make results public regardless of the data’s influence on the company’s share price.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3OBQg1g

RESEARCH & INNOVATION

BOOK: Via Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, VERBATIM: “As a Minnesota native, Dr. Brittany Lewis admits she is deeply invested in the innovative change the Twin Cities represent and in the numerous possibilities the cities offer. However, the cities, and the state itself, struggle with performative action from activist organizations and powerful institutions. These actors don’t serve the communities they intend to help, and as Dr. Lewis explains in the introductory chapter of her book, the disconnection is harmful. Living inside this contradiction, Dr. Lewis writes about ways to address and alter the traditional research process and how to close the gap between communities and researchers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tOQ25X

HOCKEY: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “Twelve University of St. Thomas engineering students spent their spring break working with the Minnesota Wild to prototype more protective hockey gear. Why it matters: These Minnesota students are helping to solve a growing problem for the NHL: blocked-shot injuries, which pose serious financial and competitive risks.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ejBMgT

HEADACHES: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Some severe headaches aren’t migraines. They may be caused by a nerve being pinched. When other treatments don’t work, surgery may offer relief. Learn more from Dr. Antonio Forte, a Mayo Clinic microvascular plastic and reconstructive surgeon with deep experience in migraine surgery.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4tHHn5a

FLUORIDE: Via NBC News, VERBATIM: “Tests of intelligence and brain function showed the same results whether or not people drank fluoridated water growing up, a highly anticipated, long-term study found. The new research, published Monday in the respected Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is the first to measure community water fluoridation exposure during childhood in the U.S. and any potential impact on cognition up to age 80. The results contradict claims made by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. that fluoride is ‘industrial waste’ associated with IQ loss.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4szvMEs

BREAD: Via Osaka Metropolitan University, VERBATIM: “Bread and other carbohydrate staples may be doing more than just filling plates—they could be quietly reshaping metabolism. In a surprising twist, researchers found that mice strongly preferred carbs like bread, rice, and wheat, abandoning their regular diet entirely. Even without eating more calories, they gained weight and body fat, not because they overate, but because their bodies burned less energy.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4szs5P0

LIST: 33 senior living communities in the Twin Cities are among 1,614 ranked “best” by U.S. News & World Report, READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tftThg LIST: https://fluence-media.co/4cJIDyZ

NEW CEO: Via St. Paul-based Accanto, VERBATIM: “Accanto Health, the parent company of The Emily Program, today announced the appointment of Jay Campbell as Chief Executive Officer. Campbell, who previously served as President, will lead company strategy and operations, with a continued focus on expanding awareness of The Emily Program, increasing access to its high-quality eating disorder care nationwide, and strengthening the systems that support clinicians and staff delivering compassionate, evidence-based eating disorder care.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Qa1FG7

FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com

MEDS: From the Hennepin County Sheriff via Facebook, a drug take back event in Plymouth. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4sut8Q9

MORE: Via DEA, find drug collection sites near you. SEARCH: https://fluence-media.co/4vu3Jc9

health take | War's Impact on Health Supply Chain + State's Hepatitis Plan

Mike Maybay — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 20:31:06 GMT

All Fluence tipsheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

POLLING

AI: Via Ohio State, VERBATIM: “Artificial intelligence seems to be everywhere – on our jobs, in our homes and at the doctor’s office. While the use of AI grows, a new survey commissioned by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center finds fewer Americans are open to AI being used in their health care. The national poll of 1,007 adults found only 42% are open to AI being used as part of their care compared to 52% when this survey first ran in 2024. The belief that AI can make some health processes more efficient also fell, going from 64% to 55%.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ceFKol

CHATBOTS: Via Healthcare Dive, VERBATIM: “Americans are turning to artificial intelligence chatbots for health information, but many users don’t see the responses as highly accurate, according to a survey published Tuesday by the Pew Research Center. More than 20% of respondents said they at least sometimes use AI chatbots for health questions, including 7% who turn to AI for health information often or extremely often, according to the poll.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dEiLFH

MORE: UofM CIDRAP sums up both of the above polls this way, QUOTE: “The polls show a confusing world for Americans, one in which digital media has made health and medical information incredibly easy to access but increasingly difficult to trust.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tDeffq

CAREGIVERS: Via University of Michigan, VERBATIM: “When it comes to opinions about paying for, and getting access to, care for older adults, direct experience appears to matter a lot, a new University of Michigan study finds. People aged 50 and over who serve as unpaid family caregivers for adults over 65 are more likely than non-caregivers to say that the government should have primary responsibility for paying for the care of older Americans, at 51% vs. 43%.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4c1m48H

Subscribe now

Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3KsuDrZ

HEALTH + MN

RURAL HOSPITALS: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Senate passed updated healthcare legislation Tuesday night, which rural hospitals are calling critical. The 340B drug pricing program currently in place in Minnesota allows safety-net hospitals to receive prescription drugs from pharmaceutical companies at a discounted price. The bill recently passed in the Senate would renew that discount program and add enforcement previously lacking in the current law that would hold pharmaceutical companies accountable.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4tGb6eX

(DISCLOSURE: Essentia and PhRMA are Fluence sponsors)

HEPATITIS: Via MDH, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) published its first-ever Viral Hepatitis Elimination Plan, outlining more than 100 actions aimed at preventing, diagnosing, treating and responding to viral hepatitis A, B and C . . . Viral hepatitis continues to be a notable public health issue in Minnesota. Hepatitis A causes short-term illness, but it can lead to hospitalization or even death. Hepatitis B and hepatitis C can cause lifelong disease, leading to long-term outcomes like liver cancer, liver failure and death.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4c0cGCl

WATER SAFETY: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “An early ice-out on lakes across the state is prompting a warning from the Hennepin County Sheriff’s office for boaters. The county water patrol officially declared Lake Minnetonka open for boaters last Friday, nearly 10-days earlier than normal. Hennepin County Lieutenant Rick Rehman says people should be on the lookout for submerged hazards, and near freezing water temperatures.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4sYd9uH

WAR IN IRAN

HELIUM: Via Health Policy Watch, VERBATIM: “The gas that keeps hospital MRI scanners running has been caught in the crossfire of the war in Iran, raising the prospect of diagnostic delays, rising costs and rationing of one of modern medicine’s most important imaging tools . . . Iranian missile strikes on Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City in late February caused three fires and destroyed approximately 17% of the country’s LNG export capacity. QatarEnergy, the state-run energy firm, halted all production on March 2, stating production will resume only when security in the Strait of Hormuz is guaranteed, taking a third of global helium supply offline.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48n8udu

OTHER SUPPLIES: Via NPR, VERBATIM: “The war in Iran has stalled global supplies of fuel, fertilizers and also medical supplies, due to the restriction of shipments in the Strait of Hormuz. Aid groups are worried. The International Rescue Committee and Save the Children told NPR that clinics and humanitarian centers across the Middle East, Asia and Africa are facing the risk of running out of basic medication and food.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4c0h18B

DC + HEALTH

MEDICAID: Via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “In 2021, Medicaid covered substance use disorder treatments for about 102,500 Minnesotans — nearly 11% of beneficiaries ages 12 and older — according to the most recent federal data. Currently, Medicaid covers roughly half of all substance use disorder treatments in the state, according to Minnesota’s Department of Human Services . . . The One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act, or H.R.1, signed by President Trump on July 4, 2025, aims to reduce spending on federal programs like Medicaid in part by culling its rolls. Even though the bill includes protections for people with substance use disorder, patients and providers fear they’re hardly a guarantee.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vm8Rie

UNINSURED: Via KFF, VERBATIM: “For the first time since 2019, the number of people without health coverage and the uninsured rate increased in 2024. The total number of people ages 0-64 without health coverage increased by more than 1.3 million to 26.7 million in 2024, and the uninsured rate for the population under age 65 increased from 9.5% to 9.8%. A decline in Medicaid coverage drove the increase in the uninsured rate in 2024. While non-group coverage, including ACA Marketplace coverage, increased from 2023 to 2024, the increase did not fully offset the drop in Medicaid coverage from 2023 to 2024 among both adults and children.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tvWMp4

FOOD AID: Via States Newsroom, VERBATIM: “At least 2.5 million low-income people quickly lost help affording groceries under a Republican-passed law that added new requirements for the nation’s largest nutrition program and shifted hundreds of millions of dollars in costs from the federal government to states, according to a study the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities published Wednesday. Some 6% of the 41 million Americans enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, when President Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act on July 4, 2025, were no longer receiving benefits by the end of the year.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4t0A08S

FERTILITY: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “The U.S. fertility rate fell slightly in 2025, to another record low, extending two decades of declines, according to federal data released on Thursday. The fertility rate — the number of births per 1,000 women of childbearing age — dropped to 53.1, from 53.8 in 2024, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. The number of births dropped too, falling by 1 percent from the previous year, to 3,606,400.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vslHMf

RFK JR: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is launching a new podcast that he says will begin ‘a new era of radical transparency in government,’ according to a teaser video first obtained by The Associated Press. The show, titled ‘The Secretary Kennedy Podcast,’ will launch next week and feature Kennedy, a longtime anti-vaccine crusader who has reshaped the country’s health policy, in conversation with doctors, scientists and agency staff, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services officials told the AP ahead of the launch.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tD66HQ

MORE THAN A HOSPITAL: In communities across Minnesota, Essentia Health directly or indirectly supports nearly 19,000 jobs and generates $5.7 billion in labor output every year. From Deer River to Aurora and Detroit Lakes, hospitals are often the largest local employer and keep communities healthy. Learn more about Essentia Health’s economic impact here. (SPONSORED: Essentia Health)

INDUSTRY & INNOVATION

FOSSTON: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “A groundbreaking held in Fosston on Wednesday signaled the beginning of a $12 million project for a brand-new emergency department for Essentia Health-Fosston.” QUOTE: “This project will add more than 5,500 square ft. to our emergency department and create more efficient and welcoming space for our patients, families, staff, and visitors,” said Mike Curtis, Essentia Health-Fosston Administrator, at the ceremony. “This groundbreaking represents much more than a construction project: it reflects our commitment to the people of Fosston, to our staff, and to the future of care in this region.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4skrzUP

(DISCLOSURE: Essentia is a Fluence sponsor)

ROSEVILLE: The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reports on plans by Hempel Real Estate to building a medical lab facility in Roseville. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ckDX1h

BRAIN TUMORS: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Mayo Clinic researchers developed an experimental nanotherapy that delivers two cancer drugs directly to brain tumors, according to a study published in Nature Communications Medicine. The strategy extended survival in preclinical models of glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of brain cancer.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vmlolO

FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com

WEIGHT LOSS: Via Vanderbilt, VERBATIM: “Weight loss drugs and bariatric surgery may work differently, but they lead to surprisingly similar results inside the body. Both significantly reduce fat while also causing a modest loss of muscle, reshaping overall body composition. Since muscle helps protect against early death, this balance matters more than the number on the scale. The study suggests these treatments improve health—but not without trade-offs.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cxkonA

BRAIN DRAIN: Via Medical University of South Carolina, VERBATIM: “A hidden waste-removal pathway in the brain has finally been caught in action. Using cutting-edge MRI scans, researchers discovered that fluid flows along the middle meningeal artery in a slow, lymphatic-like pattern—very different from blood. This confirms the presence of a previously unknown drainage hub in humans. The finding could transform how scientists approach brain aging, injury, and diseases like Alzheimer’s.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41oYY5P

health take | Children's Resumes Gender-Affirming Care

Mike Maybay — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 20:30:15 GMT

All Fluence tipsheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:

Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription

POLLING

MAHA: Via Politico, VERBATIM: “Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s ideas have gone mainstream, but his Make America Healthy Again movement is struggling to find its footing. MAHA-coded ideas about food and nutrition are broadly popular and a third of Americans now identify as MAHA supporters. But new results from The POLITICO Poll suggest Kennedy’s movement is disjointed . . . Despite Kennedy’s emphasis on vaccines during his first year as secretary, for instance, fewer than half of MAHA supporters — 42 percent — say vaccines are a core issue for the movement.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cfm04c

GLP-1: Via Wondr Health, VERBATIM: “As demand for GLP-1 medications continues to surge across the U.S., accelerated by expanding clinical indications, more market entrants, and novel pricing and access models, new research suggests employer-sponsored health benefits may play a significant role in determining who ultimately uses these treatments. A national survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of Wondr Health, the leading provider of behavioral weight management and GLP-1 clinical solutions, finds that coverage policies, behavioral support programs, and social perceptions all influence workers’ willingness to start or sustain GLP-1 treatment.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mlOXQI

AI: Via HealthDay, VERBATIM: “The number of Americans who want artificial intelligence (AI) involved in their health care is declining, a new survey says. Only 42% are open to AI being used as part of their care, down from 52% in 2024, according to the poll commissioned by Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41EafiZ

Subscribe now

Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3KsuDrZ

MN + HEALTH

GENDER CARE: Via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “Children’s Minnesota announced Monday it is resuming gender-affirming care for children just over a month after pausing it amid “threats” from the federal government. The hospital temporarily paused prescribing puberty-suppressing medications and pubertal hormones for patients under 18 in the Gender Health program on Feb. 27.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4siT6WE

UOFM: Via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison showed exasperation Monday with the University of Minnesota administration, because it has failed to reach a final master agreement with M Physicians. In the yearslong saga involving negotiations to reach an operating agreement among the U of M, Fairview Health Services, and M Physicians, Ellison appointed a three-person mediation team last year to bring the parties together. Mediation succeeded in getting the parties to face reality, and they reached a 10-year framework agreement that was unveiled Jan. 26.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bXGVtJ

BIKES: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Rising e-bike and e-motorcycle injuries in Minnesota has public officials reminding what exactly is legal headed into spring. Minnesota state law caps e-bike motors at 750 watts, and top assisted speeds at 28 miles per hour . . . But, e-motos on the other hand often have 1,500, 2,000, or even 3,000 watt motors, making them illegal in the state according to Office of Traffic Safety director Mike Hansen.” QUOTE: “When I talk to my counterparts across the country, particularly in the warm weather states, the number of injuries and the severity of the injuries is going up,” says Hansen. “And that’s a direct result of that weight and speed ratio that e-bikes and e-motors bring into a situation when a crash occurs.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3OeTfwi

NEXTGEN: Via MMA, VERBATIM: “On April 18, the Minnesota Medical Association (MMA) and the University of Minnesota Medical School CentraCare Regional Campus St. Cloud will present Rural Youth Medical Careers Discovery Day on the medical school’s St. Cloud campus. This event is in collaboration with the Minnesota Rural Health Association and the University of Minnesota Pre-Health Student Resource Center. Geared toward youth ages 9 and older, the full-day event will provide youth with a hands-on, community-driven opportunity designed to open doors to careers in healthcare for students from rural Minnesota. The event will bring together students, parents, educators, clinicians, and community leaders to encourage young people to explore careers in healthcare.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/47QAXIC

MAYO: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine has again been recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a top-rated national medical school. The publication released its latest ‘Best Graduate Schools’ rankings today, placing Mayo Clinic in Tier 1, the highest tier, and highlighting the school’s strength in medical research and its distinctive approach to physician education.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4me5A0B

DEMENTIA: Via KQDS-TV, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar visited the Memory Keepers Discovery Team Center in Duluth to present her bipartisan legislation, AADAPT, to the University of Minnesota Duluth’s Medical School. The legislation AADAPT is known as the Accelerating Access to Dementia and Alzheimer’s Provider Training. Would expand training opportunities, such as continuing education for primary care providers. Its goal is to improve the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4t1eyki

DC + HEALTH

MEDICARE: Via Fierce Healthcare, VERBATIM: “Following significant industry outcry over a proposal to keep Medicare Advantage rates largely flat in 2027, the Trump administration has bumped payments up slightly in the final policy. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services initially proposed a 0.09% increase in rates as part of the MA and Part D Advance Notice. In the final rule, the increase is instead set at 2.48%, which CMS said equates to about $13 billion in additional payments to plans for the coming plan year.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tyTEcb

MEDICAID: Via Becker’s, VERBATIM: “As the Medicaid cuts from H.R. 1 begin to settle in, states are looking for workarounds to continue funding their programs. Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a bill March 25 allowing a steeper HMO tax, which will also affect managed care organizations, to bolster the state’s Medicaid program . . . Iowa’s law could be one other states look to as they seek to recoup Medicaid funds. H.R. 1 effectively eliminated new or increased provider taxes, a key source of Medicaid funding.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4me6Pgh

FOREIGN DOCS: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “One Nigerian doctor performed knee and hip replacement surgeries at a New York teaching hospital. A Venezuelan physician treated people with diabetes and hypertension in rural Texas. A U.S.-trained ophthalmologist from Iran can no longer perform eye surgeries in Arkansas. All three physicians have been forced to stop seeing patients after they were pushed out of their jobs because of a Trump administration policy that took effect in January and froze visa extensions, work permits and green cards for citizens of 39 countries as well as people with Palestinian Authority travel documents.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3PYZQeY

PEDS: Via Insight News, VERBATIM: “Drivers struck and killed 3,024 people walking during the first half of 2025, an average of 16 per day, according to a new data analysis from the Governors Highway Safety Association(GHSA). That is an 11% decline from the same period the year before – the largest drop since GHSA began tracking pedestrian fatalities 15 years ago. While this recent safety momentum is positive, pedestrian deaths remain above the 2019 level, the last year before a steep rise in dangerous driving behaviors and traffic deaths caused by the pandemic.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tDIJhr

RSV: Via CNN, VERBATIM: “Respiratory syncytial virus is continuing to spread later into the spring than usual, driving most states to extend the window for RSV immunizations for eligible infants and toddlers. RSV is a common respiratory virus that typically causes a mild illness like a cold. But it can cause serious illness for young children. The RSV season usually starts in the fall, peaks in the winter and continues into spring. Immunization is recommended through the end of March in most states, but this year, nearly all of those states have extended the immunization period through the end of April.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sgfAI5

GOLF: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “As golfers head back to the course during peak golf season, Mayo Clinic sports medicine and orthopedic experts are available to discuss the most common early-season golf injuries, how to prevent them, and when to seek medical attention. While headlines may focus on injuries affecting professional golfers, including Achilles tendon, back and ankle issues, most golf injuries are not sudden. They develop over time and are often preventable with proper warm-up, strength and mechanics.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cdbaf6

INDUSTRY & INNOVATION

MAY 13: Via Nurse.org, details of the Twins Nurse Appreciation Night. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4sixRnO

NEW CEO: Via New Brighton-based Sagent, VERBATIM: “Sagent Behavioral Health announced the appointment of Shawna Gisch as Chief Executive Officer effective April 6, succeeding Mark Peterson, who will continue to serve on the company’s Board of Directors. Gisch brings more than two decades of healthcare leadership experience across UnitedHealthcare, Optum Health, and Optum Rx, with deep expertise in Medicaid, healthcare policy, and large‑scale operational management.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Os2ZDA

NONIN: Via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “Nonin Medical, a Plymouth-based designer and manufacturer of medical devices, named Todd Austin as its new CEO in November. Nonin develops monitoring equipment, notably pulse, cerebral, and tissue oximeters, which measure oxygen saturation in the blood, brain, and tissue hemoglobin, respectively. Austin grew up in a North Dakota farming family and has spent five decades working in health care.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cviQuk

FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com

PROTEINS: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Mayo Clinic researchers have developed a new method to identify which proteins are most likely to trigger an immune response — a discovery that could help improve transplant care, regenerative biotherapeutics and other areas of medicine where the immune system plays a critical role. The results, published in Biomaterials, challenge a common assumption in the field that all proteins are equally likely to provoke immune reactions.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4crikgV

BRAIN: Via UC San Francisco, VERBATIM: “Scientists have uncovered a powerful new clue in the mystery of brain aging: a single protein called FTL1. In aging mice, higher levels of this protein weakened connections between brain cells and led to memory decline. But when researchers reduced FTL1, something remarkable happened — the brain began to recover, rebuilding lost connections and restoring memory performance.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cdovUH

TEETH: Via Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, VERBATIM: “Scientists have created an artificial saliva using a sugarcane protein that can protect teeth and fight bacteria. The key ingredient, CANECPI-5, binds directly to enamel, forming a shield against acids that cause decay. Early tests show it works even better when paired with fluoride and xylitol, significantly reducing damage to teeth. The innovation could be especially life-changing for cancer patients who lose saliva production after treatment.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41m8Ihf