The Daily Agenda: Health Take

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

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)

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

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)

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

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)

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

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 | 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

health take | MN BCBS: Claims Up $1.7 Billion

Mike Maybay — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 20:30:16 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 ISSUES: Via KFF, VERBATIM: “National exit polls from elections over the past several decades show that voters ranked health care among their top concerns, but ‘the economy’ was the number one issue in most elections. While exit polls usually ask voters to choose between health care and the economy as separate issues, KFF polling has long shown that health care costs are a key economic concern for the public. Analysis of exit poll data also show that health care has been more top-of-mind for voters immediately following periods of national debate on health care reform, such as in elections held during President Clinton’s presidency (1992-1998) and later during President Obama’s presidency (2008-2016) and the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cbyb22

FOOD + CANCER: Via Health, VERBATIM: “What you eat can influence your risk of colorectal cancer, and evidence suggests that regularly consuming processed meats like hot dogs and sausage is a risk factor. Yet a recent poll suggests that 45% of Americans are unaware of the link between these meats and an increased risk of the disease, which is now the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among people under 50.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sSwMV4

Subscribe now

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

MINNESOTA + HEALTH

ALLINA: Via Doctors Council, VERBATIM: “After more than two years at the bargaining table, the bargaining teams for Doctors Council - SEIU and Allina Health reached a tentative agreement (TA) late Wednesday evening for a historic first union contract. The 3-year agreement, which covers over 600 Allina doctors, physicians’ assistants, and nurse practitioners who provide Primary and Urgent Care, comes four years after the group kicked off their efforts to unionize.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4m896t5

MORE: Via KMSP, a statement from Allina, QUOTE: “The tentative agreement reflects the priorities of both parties and supports Allina Health’s ability to continue caring for our community well into the future. This important step forward allows us to focus on caring for patients and supporting the teams who provide that care every day.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48p9T3b

BCBS: Via Blue Cross, VERBATIM: “Today the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota family of companies (Blue Cross) reported a combined $353 million in operating losses on $10.4 billion in fully insured premium revenue for 2025 . . . Overall, Blue Cross paid $9.8 billion for members’ medical and pharmacy services in 2025, or nearly $27 million in claims on a daily basis. This represents an increase of $1.7 billion in claims spending over the year prior.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4c5z8c2

MORE: Via Becker’s, VERBATIM: “Rising costs in specialty medications, including GLP-1s, and hospital inpatient services were noted as contributing to the loss. In MA, the plan cited pressure around reimbursement rates and high utilization trends. The company also absorbed a large surge of Medicare members after multiple carriers in Minnesota reduced benefits, narrowed service areas or exited the market entirely for 2026, which BCBSM said required operational and administrative expansion.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4c8DQpz

HCMC: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Healthcare providers in the Twin Cities are sounding the alarm, warning that one of Minnesota’s primary safety-net hospitals is facing a shutdown by June. The group of providers say without immediate state and federal aid, Hennepin County Medical Center won’t be able to stay open, and that is a problem for all of them to face.” QUOTE: “If HCMC closes, our patients don’t just disappear, the emergencies don’t stop,” President of the Hennepin County Association of Paramedics and EMTs Shane Hallow explains. “What happens instead is the entire system will strain under the weight.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/41bGfup

HEALTH HEADLINES

MEASLES: Via KFF Health News, VERBATIM: “This week, the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention posted online its first large tranche of advanced genetic data from measles viruses spreading last year. Scientists with knowledge of the operation expect the agency to post heaps more in weeks to come, revealing whether the U.S. has lost its hard-won measles elimination status. The CDC withheld the data for months as a team hit hard by mass layoffs and resignations sorted through the information.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4m4SO4i

RABIES + POX: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has temporarily paused testing for rabies and pox viruses, the family of viruses that includes smallpox and mpox, according to an update to the agency’s website on Monday . . . The C.D.C.’s rabies and pox virus teams have lost many of their members. By July, the rabies team will be down to just one person with the clinical expertise to advise state and local officials, and the pox virus team will have none.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sS316T

NUGGETS: Via Gray News, VERBATIM: “The Department of Agriculture said dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets could contain lead. The USDA’s Food and Safety Inspection Service is issuing a health alert for the Walmart Great Value Dino-Shaped chicken nuggets.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4c6Tq4Y

TICKS: Via Sanford Health, VERBATIM: “The sun’s rays are warming and the snow on the ground has all but disappeared. That means tick season is here and Marshfield Clinic Research Institute, part of the Marshfield Clinic region of Sanford Health, is beginning its second year of its Tick Inventory via Citizen Science (TICS) in Minnesota. Originally launched in 2024 in Wisconsin, TICS is an effort to identify ticks to assess risk of encountering a tickborne disease and to learn more about who is being exposed to and diagnosed with tickborne diseases.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3OhXWFK

DC + HEALTH

MEDICAID: Via KFF Health News, VERBATIM: “Last August, as part of the federal government’s crackdown on people in the country illegally, the Trump administration sent states the names of hundreds of thousands of Medicaid enrollees with orders to determine whether they were ineligible based on immigration status. But seven months later, findings from five states shared with KFF Health News show that the reviews have uncovered little evidence of a widespread problem.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sONvsn

INSULIN: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “Two-year-old Bain Brandon has Type 1 diabetes and needs insulin to live. But even with health insurance, the price tag isn’t cheap . . . A bipartisan group of senators is aiming to relieve that cost burden with the INSULIN Act, a bill to cap the cost of the lifesaving drug at $35 per month for Americans with private insurance plans.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4m8oKVz

GLP-1: Via CNN, VERBATIM: “The US Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved the second GLP-1 pill for weight loss, adding another option to a rapidly growing arsenal of obesity therapies.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4v7nkPb

TARIFF: Via Stat, VERBATIM: “The Trump administration has prepared an order that would impose a 100% tariff on imports of patented medications and their active ingredients, according to a draft obtained by STAT.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4m73fEt

ICE IMPACT: Via Sahan Journal, VERBATIM: “Since Donald Trump returned to office, thousands of kids across the country have had a parent detained by ICE . . . The kids left behind after a parent’s detention often face increased adult responsibilities, as well as the trauma of separation from a parent, said Ana Mariella Rivera, a Minneapolis-based social worker and therapist who often works with Latino clients.” QUOTE: “Time and time again, you see this adultification happening in young teenagers and young adults, even children,” she said. “That robs kids of the childhood that they should have, and the innocence and the ability to deal with age-appropriate challenges.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4m5zWlT

RESEARCH + INNOVATION

BLACK WELLNESS: Via Insight News, VERBATIM: “What would it look like if healing extended beyond the doctor’s office? For the African American Leadership Forum, that is not a rhetorical question. It is a design brief. ALF is building what it calls Black Wellness Pathways — a community-rooted framework for health equity that refuses to center the story of Black illness, and instead draws on the knowledge, wisdom, and talent already present in Minnesota’s Black communities.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/47Eq2la

DEMENTIA: Via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “Over Jessie Waks’ 17 years at Bluestone Physician Services, a Stillwater-based care provider, she has noticed a trend: The number of patients or patients’ families choosing to receive care at senior living communities has gone up. So has the number of senior living communities. Despite those increases, dementia care continues to present a considerable challenge to physicians, Waks says, including those at Bluestone, which provides primary care to patients in assisted living and group home settings and counts memory care among its key services.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dr5h00

PARK RAPIDS: Via Sanford Health, VERBATIM: “Sanford Health is now offering child and adult psychiatry services at the Sanford Health Park Rapids Clinic.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dl0ygh

GOLF: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “As golf season approaches, preparation should start before your first tee time. Building strength off the course can improve performance and help reduce injury risk.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4c2xtDQ

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

MORNING: Via Brigham and Women’s Hospital, VERBATIM: “Millions of people start work before sunrise—but their brains aren’t ready for it. A new clinical trial has found that the wake-promoting drug solriamfetol can significantly boost alertness in early-morning shift workers struggling with shift work disorder. Participants who took the drug were able to stay awake and function better throughout full shifts, with improvements in productivity, safety, and daily performance.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Oi8ftp

MEAT: Via Karolinska Institutet, VERBATIM: “A surprising new study suggests that genetics may change how diet affects brain health—especially when it comes to Alzheimer’s risk. Researchers found that older adults carrying high-risk APOE gene variants didn’t show the expected cognitive decline if they ate relatively high amounts of meat. In fact, those with these genes who consumed the most meat had slower cognitive decline and lower dementia risk, challenging conventional dietary advice.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4v7kCsZ

STUDY: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “As lung cancer screening identifies an estimated 1.6 million suspicious lung nodules each year in the U.S. alone, physicians face a challenge. Most peripheral pulmonary lesions are benign, yet the malignant minority represent the leading cause of cancer death for both men and women. A five-year, multisite study from Mayo Clinic suggests robotic-assisted bronchoscopy may provide a less invasive and more precise approach to diagnosing lung cancer.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4toke7C

health take | MN Reproductive Health Report Card

Mike Maybay — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 20:30:55 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: “Republicans hope the Make America Healthy Again movement becomes a permanent fixture of a big GOP tent. But the party can’t count on its support heading into midterm elections this November. New results from The POLITICO Poll show both broad frustration and dissatisfaction with the Trump administration on health priorities and opportunities for Democrats to make inroads with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s MAHA supporters.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tdlKtc

DOMESTIC WORRIES: Via Gallup, VERBATIM: “As the Iran war intensified in March, the latest Gallup poll found healthcare topping Americans’ list of domestic concerns, with more saying they worry ‘a great deal’ about it (61%) than about 15 other domestic policy areas. This was followed by four economic matters of high concern to about half of adults: the economy, inflation, federal spending and the budget deficit, and the way income and wealth are distributed.”

“Healthcare’s current position represents a return to its prominence in prior decades. It ranked as the top concern from 2015 to 2020, before being displaced during the Biden presidency by other issues, especially the economy and inflation.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3NQ8gom

MEDS: Via KFF, VERBATIM: “Prescription drugs touch the lives of most people in the U.S. in some way, and the public broadly recognizes their benefits. About two-thirds (66%) of adults say they are currently taking at least one prescription drug, and three in ten (31%) say they currently take four or more prescription medications. While many adults across age groups take prescription medications, older adults are much more likely to report taking 4 or more medications.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dPqrVG

LGBT: Via KFF, VERBATIM: “LGBT people, like the public overall, worry about the economy, with eight in ten (83%) LGBT adults saying their cost of living has increased in the past year, including more than half (58%) who say it has increased “a lot.” These are similar to the concerns among non-LGBT adults, 82% of whom say their cost of living has increased, including half who say it has increased ‘a lot’.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cf6cPY

Subscribe now

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

HEALTH HEADLINES

REPORT CARD: Via rePROs Fight Back, VERBATIM: “Today rePROs Fight Back released its 50-State Report Card on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights tracking multiple indicators during 2025 including access to family planning, sex education, abortion care, and gender-affirming care. The US flunked for the seventh year in a row, with the lowest overall grade in the report card’s 14-year history amid continuing fallout from attacks on Title X and Medicaid. Twenty-five states failed while 16 got ‘As’ or ‘Bs,’ reflecting polarization between places where access and rights are eroding, and places that still preserve them.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tkERBQ

MORE: Via rePROs, Minnesota’s report card – the state received a “B.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3PD1V05

RULING: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “The Supreme Court on Tuesday overwhelmingly sided with a Christian therapist, rejecting a Colorado law that prohibited mental health professionals from trying to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of L.G.B.T.Q. minors. The court’s decision has implications for more than 20 other states that have similar laws barring so-called conversion therapy, and is a major win for conservatives.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sKMsd2

MORE: Via Revisor of Statutes, Minnesota’s conversion therapy law. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4gZZ230

ACA: Via Bloomberg, VERBATIM: “The share of Affordable Care Act insurance customers in plans that cost more than $6,000 a year doubled, a sign of the squeeze on household budgets after Congress let Covid-era assistance expire. The US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services posted data late Friday on ACA plans, also called Obamacare, that showed total enrollment this year dipping by about 5% to 23.1 million. That figure doesn’t yet count people who still may drop off plans because they can’t pay premiums, so the decline is expected to deepen.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dUbT76

MAHA

PROTEIN: Via NPR, VERBATIM: “Protein is having a moment. From coffee chains adding it to lattes to food companies marketing protein cookies and snacks, to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. touting steak instead of cake, the noise around protein can make it hard to know what you actually need. And under Kennedy, the federal government updated the Dietary Guidelines to recommend a higher daily protein intake than before. But nutrition science makes it clear that protein is not one-size-fits-all.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3PL3ngQ

NEW GUIDANCE: Via The Wall Street Journal, VERBATIM: “New nutrition guidance from the American Heart Association advises getting protein from plants rather than meat, choosing low-fat or fat-free dairy and using olive, soybean and canola oils instead of beef tallow and butter. The recommendations, released Tuesday by the association, contrast with dietary guidelines that the Trump administration introduced earlier this year.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sNhssS

TEEN GIRLS: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “The newest evangelists of the Make America Healthy Again lifestyle aren’t muscled bros crushing reps or wellness moms posting about vaccine schedules — they’re high-school- and college-aged young women. In another, not-too-distant era, they might have channeled their energy into writing “Twilight” fan fiction or playing beer pong. In this era, they’re making “pizza crust” from ground meat, perfecting their supplement regimens and posting Instagram reels about the supposed dangers of Tylenol and seed oils.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3PGbkny

HEALTH IN MN

NEXT MONTH: Via Minnesota Oral and Facial Surgery, VERBATIM: “The Head and Neck Cancer Foundation will host its annual free oral cancer screening events across the country during Head and Neck Cancer Awareness week, April 13-17, 2026. The foundation seeks to bring awareness and education around head and neck cancers and the importance of early detection.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/411Rd5I

MORE: Via MNOFS, a schedule of events. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4lXMziA

MAY 21: Via Medical Alley, VERBATIM: “In 2026, Medical Alley is doubling down on transformation. As the unprecedented global network for health and life sciences, comprising 800+ partners and over 2,000 startups, we recognize that true innovation is measured not just by its technical sophistication, but by its reach. To celebrate this momentum, we’re breaking the mold. This year’s partners-only event moves away from the traditional ‘sit-down’ gala as the evening is designed to foster energy and connection.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Qc5YR1

ST PETER: Via KARE-TV, VERBATIM: “A Twin Cities law firm has filed a lawsuit against the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) and several employees of the Forensic Mental Health Program (FMHP), alleging that neglect and indifference led to a violent death inside the FMHP at the Minnesota Security Hospital in St. Peter in 2023. David Otey killed his roommate, Abdirashid Hussein, inside the facility on Dec. 31, 2023. The lawsuit was filed in federal court on Monday on behalf of Hussein’s brother.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4sLpLWb

HCMC: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Hennepin County Medical Center is coming dangerously close to closing. As March comes to a close, the head of the hospital board, Hennepin County Commissioner Jeffrey Lunde, says they were able to find $50 million dollars in cuts in order to survive the first quarter of the year - but they still have to find $125 million more to cut by the end of the year, a massive number they say isn’t survivable.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3NMPD4F

FIREFIGHTERS: Via Worthington Globe, VERBATIM: “Only a week into spring, southwest Minnesota has been besieged by several fires and has been placed under a fire watch, effective today. As the fires grow, many firefighters subject themselves to physical and mental health risks as they keep communities safe. Helping firefighters get access to health resources is the Minnesota Firefighter Initiative (MnFIRE), a nonprofit based in Isanti. In its 10th year of operation, the organization is currently teaming up with firefighters and departments across the state for its ongoing public awareness campaign.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4saiG0f

FUNDING: Via Minnetonka-based Monteris, VERBATIM: “Monteris Medical, a private company leading the field in minimally invasive neurosurgery with its NeuroBlate System for magnetic resonance-guided laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT), announced today that it has closed $28 million in Series E equity financing. The equity capital will support the company’s technology innovation program and other growth initiatives. Monteris also announced that it has refinanced its current debt and established a new $35 million credit facility with Trinity Capital.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sJ7ecO

RURAL HEALTH: Via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “Rural health care is in trouble. Last fall, the University of Minnesota Medical School made a significant move to help address what is a critical problem. Its strategy: launch two new outstate campuses offering four-year medical education and training programs. Campuses in Duluth and St. Cloud welcomed their first four-year cohorts in August 2025.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sN8mMG

NEXTGEN: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “Central Lakes College has joined Bemidji State University’s Operation LEAD initiative, which aims helps Minnesota’s nurses quickly and affordably earn bachelor’s degrees. The partnership aims to address ongoing workforce shortages in health care by making higher education more accessible for working nurses. Through Operation LEAD, students enrolled at CLC can transfer into BSU’s Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program and complete their degree in as little as one year after earning their associate’s degree.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4dU5SaA

RESEARCH & INNOVATION

AI: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Mayo Clinic research identified a powerful new way to improve the prediction of a patient’s long-term cardiovascular disease risk by enhancing a routinely performed imaging test with artificial intelligence (AI). Heart disease develops over time and remains the leading cause of death worldwide, so identifying risk early is critical to preventing heart attack, stroke and other serious outcomes.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4s2bF1r

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

KNEE PAIN: Via PLOS, VERBATIM: “A major analysis of nearly 10,000 patients shows that simple, non-drug treatments like knee braces, hydrotherapy, and exercise can significantly ease knee osteoarthritis symptoms. These approaches not only reduce pain and improve mobility, but also avoid the risks tied to common medications. The findings suggest that low-cost, accessible therapies could play a bigger role in how doctors treat arthritis in the future.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bXp70t

health take | DOJ Investigates Med School Admissions

Mike Maybay — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 20:30:46 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 KFF, VERBATIM: “With the recent explosion of consumer artificial intelligence (AI) tools and chatbots, KFF’s latest Tracking Poll on Health Information and Trust finds about a third (32%) of adults are turning to AI for health information and advice. This includes about three in ten (29%) who say they’ve used AI tools in the past year for information or advice about their physical health, and one in six (16%) who’ve used them for mental health information or advice.”

“AI use is on par with the share who say they turn to social media for health information, but lags behind the shares saying they’ve sought health information from health care providers and internet search engines (where they may be encountering AI generated results, even if they are not looking for them).” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tcB7Ch

MORE: Via Healthcare Dive, VERBATIM: “Respondents said their top reasons for using AI include the desire for quick health advice and researching information before seeing a provider, according to the survey. But about 1 in 5 said not having a provider or not being able to get an appointment were major drivers of their AI use.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40WQfHP

FINANCIAL CONCERNS: From a Quinnipiac poll published this week, VERBATIM: “Given a list of 11 personal financial concerns and asked which is the biggest one for them right now, healthcare costs (21 percent) top the list for voters, followed by food costs (13 percent), mortgage or rent payments (13 percent), gas prices (11 percent), and retirement savings (10 percent). No other listed concern reached double digits.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bObEYN

Subscribe now

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

HEALTH HEADLINES

MED SCHOOLS: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “The Trump administration has opened investigations into admissions policies at three major medical schools, expanding the federal government’s pressure campaign beyond campus culture and taking aim at the heart of scientific authority in the United States. The Justice Department on Wednesday informed Stanford University, the Ohio State University and the University of California, San Diego, about the investigations and demanded that the schools turn over extensive lists of data by April 24 or risk interruptions to essential federal funding, according to two administration officials familiar with the inquiries and documents reviewed by The New York Times.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4syVwkR

FLU: Via MDH, new data released this morning shows 196 adult and two pediatric flu-related deaths along with 5,219 hospitalizations, 265 school outbreaks, and 112 long-term care outbreaks. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3Y10bib

SOCIAL MEDIA: Via CBS News, VERBATIM: “A jury on Wednesday found that Meta and YouTube are liable for creating products that led to harmful and addictive behavior by young users, a landmark decision that could set a legal precedent for similar allegations brought against social media companies. The jury awarded $3 million in compensatory damages and $3 million in punitive damages to the lead plaintiff in the case, a woman named Kaley. Identified in court filings by her initials ‘KGM,’ she alleged that using YouTube and Instagram from a young age led to addictive use of the platforms and contributed to her mental health problems, including depression, body dysmorphia and suicidal thoughts.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4svkCkN

ABORTION: Via The Hill, VERBATIM: “Sen. Josh Hawley’s (R-Mo.) bill to revoke the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of the drug mifepristone for use in terminating pregnancies is picking up Senate Republican support, as the push to stop its shipment across state lines is becoming a top priority of the anti-abortion movement. Hawley’s bill, which would make distributing and labeling mifepristone for abortions a violation of the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, has quickly picked up the support of three other GOP senators: Sens. John Cornyn (Texas), Ted Budd (N.C.) and Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.).” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3NSm9Ce

DC + HEALTH

MEDICAID: Via Fierce Healthcare, VERBATIM: “As many as 10 million people could lose Medicaid coverage in 2028 following the rollout of new work requirements established under H.R. 1, a new study shows. Analysts at the Urban Institute, a left-leaning think tank, estimate that between 4.9 million and 10.1 million individuals would lose access to Medicaid, depending on how intensive eligibility checks ultimately become. The study estimates that between 2 million and 3.1 million will lose their Medicaid coverage because their eligibility would be checked more frequently, while between 3 million and 7 million would lose coverage due to the work requirements alone.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tgOaTn

CDC: Via KFF Health News, VERBATIM: “President Donald Trump will soon nominate a permanent director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, its acting chief, National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya, told agency employees at a Wednesday staff meeting. According to a recording obtained by KFF Health News, Bhattacharya at one point suggested to CDC staff that Trump could name a new leader for the agency as soon as Thursday. ‘But if not, I don’t think much will change,’ he said. Though his official position as acting director was set to expire Wednesday, Bhattacharya will continue to lead the agency until the top spot is filled. Meanwhile, news outlets including Axios and The Washington Post reported that the administration was postponing filling the permanent director job amid the challenges of gaining Senate confirmation and other political pressures.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41ugfdP

NEW DRUG: Via Stat, VERBATIM: “The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved a new medicine from Denali Therapeutics for a condition called Hunter syndrome, a notable decision by the agency as it has recently taken tougher stances on rare disease drugs. Last month, the FDA rejected a Hunter syndrome gene therapy from Regenxbio, saying that the company needed to produce more clinical data, a higher standard of evidence that could take the company years to meet.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4t5RwrZ

LTC: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimates that more than half people over age 65 will need help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing or eating at some point, either for an extended period or the rest of their lives. Some research suggests that share may be as high as two-thirds. Yet relatively few older Americans have private long-term care coverage. AHIP, a trade association representing the U.S. health insurance industry, estimates that only 3% to 4% of Americans over 50 have an active policy that covers extended care. Medicare, the main health insurance program for older Americans, generally does not pay for continuing support services in a nursing home or assisted-living community.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dcGXik

For rural hospitals, 340B isn’t a windfall – it’s a lifeline: 30% of Minnesota hospitals are operating in the red. Savings from the 340B Drug Pricing Program help keep the doors open for safety-net hospitals that serve the most rural and underserved populations. Legislators can support access to local, high-quality care in their districts by strengthening the 340B program this session. READ MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4uPSZV1 (SPONSORED: Essentia Health)

RESEARCH & INNOVATION

WEARABLES: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Sleep data captured with a wearable device could help clinicians better tailor care by identifying patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who may need additional support to participate in pulmonary rehabilitation, according to new research published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Digital Health.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41ue8GV

LIFESPAN: Via Stanford, VERBATIM: “By closely monitoring fish throughout their lives, researchers found that simple behaviors in midlife—like movement and sleep—can predict lifespan. Fish that stayed active and slept mostly at night tended to live longer, while those slowing down earlier lived shorter lives. Surprisingly, aging didn’t unfold smoothly but in sudden jumps between stages. The work suggests that tracking daily habits in humans could reveal early clues about how we age.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sKONEH

ADHD: Via NBC News, VERBATIM: “A large, new study found that the stimulant methylphenidate, such as the drugs Ritalin and Concerta, may lower the risk of psychosis when prescribed to younger children with ADHD. Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder have been identified to be at greater risk of developing psychotic conditions such as bipolar or schizophrenia, compared with neurotypical kids. Some studies have suggested a link to stimulants prescribed for ADHD.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sgnxNv

AI X-RAYS: Via Radiological Society of North America, VERBATIM: “Deepfake X-rays created by AI are now convincing enough to fool both doctors and AI models. In tests, radiologists had limited success identifying fake images, especially when they didn’t know they were being shown. This opens the door to risks like fraudulent medical claims and tampered diagnoses. Experts say stronger safeguards and detection tools are critical as the technology advances.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bF4mGw

NEW CCO: Via Mendota Heights-based St. Croix, VERBATIM: “St. Croix Hospice, a leading hospice agency serving the Midwest, today announced the addition of Tami Johnson-White as Chief Compliance Officer. Johnson-White brings more than 30 years of healthcare leadership and compliance expertise, further strengthening St. Croix Hospice’s executive team.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bPZCxU

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

CEREAL: Via General Mills, VERBATIM: “Lucky Charms and Trix are adding more fun and imagination to the cereal aisle with two new cereals made with colors from natural sources. This summer, fans can enjoy Lucky Charms Unicorn Cotton Candy cereal, featuring three new unicorn marshmallows, and Tropical Trix featuring Disney’s Moana cereal, a special collaboration inspired by the fan-favorite film . . . General Mills remains on track with its commitment to remove certified colors from its U.S. cereal portfolio by summer 2026 and from its full U.S. retail portfolio by the end of 2027.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lWnV1Y

health take | New MN Fish Consumption Guidelines

Mike Maybay — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 20:30:41 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

AFFORDABILITY: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “A new state report is pulling back the curtain on some of the reasons why health care so expensive. One in four Minnesotans delayed surgery or prescriptions last year due to cost, according to the first legislative report from the Center for Health Care Affordability. These new figures highlight a troubling trend as Minnesota’s uninsured rate climbed to 5.8%.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4uQ4Gey

WOMEN’S HEALTH: Via The Well, VERBATIM: “A majority of Americans of every political persuasion believe that women’s health care deserves greater attention and that policymakers can and should do more to increase women’s access to a range of critical services. That was the core finding of a poll released Thursday by Center Forward, a group dedicated to fostering cross-party dialogue in Washington.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bFszww

MORE: Via Center Forward, the full poll results. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/487WQ66

Subscribe now

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

HEALTH IN MINNESOTA

MEDICAID: Via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “It got lost in the shuffle of a news week that included a federal immigration agent killing Renee Good. But at the start of January, Minnesota Department of Human Services officials rang the alarm that the Trump administration was poised to cut off more than $2 billion over the course of the year in Medicaid funds . . . But on Thursday, CMS sent a letter to the Department of Human Services indicating a sea change in their plan to claw back Medicaid dollars.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41pIFpj

MORE: Via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “Unfortunately, the federal government is about as clear on this issue as Trump’s various tariff plans and Iran war aims. In the Thursday letter, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services stopped short of explicitly stating that its approval would at least temporarily halt its funding threats to Minnesota, though that’s what it has previously indicated.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3NoKqjr

HOSPITALS: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Medicare payment problems are generating steep financial hardships for some of Minnesota’s rural hospitals at a time when many are struggling to stay afloat. State hospital leaders and officials at several rural hospitals say they have been vexed by a recent payment processing change by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services that is effectively holding back millions of dollars needed to pay the bills.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bshuA8

OPIOIDS: Via Stateline, VERBATIM: “Since their peak less than three years ago, opioid overdose deaths dropped nearly by half as of October, according to a Stateline analysis. The drop comes as a shrinking fentanyl supply has made the drug weaker and less deadly and volunteer efforts get more people into treatment. The weaker fentanyl tracks to a crackdown on materials used to make fentanyl in China around the time U.S. deaths started dropping in 2023. Some experts see it as a welcome, but possibly temporary, break for states in a scourge that boosted crime as people who are using the drugs sometimes fall into homelessness and steal to support fentanyl habits.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Ptz8Lq

RSV: Via KTTC-TV, VERBATIM: “Data from the Minnesota Department of Health shows most of southeast Minnesota is showing no or very few RSV hospitalizations recently. Despite low numbers, Steele County is listed as a ‘high-risk’ level based on its RSV hospitalizations. Respiratory syncytial virus causes infections of the lungs and respiratory tract. Mayo Clinic says it can be severe in some people including babies, older adults, and people who are immunocompromised.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4sYok6m

MORE: Via MDH, maps showing hospitalizations by county for COVID-19, Influenza, and RSV. MAPS: https://fluence-media.co/4uO3hFd

FISH: Via MDH, VERBATIM: “After analyzing data showing the presence of mercury and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the tissue of some fish from certain Minnesota waterbodies, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has updated its fish consumption guidelines. The updates include new length-based guidelines for walleye and northern pike, more protective guidelines for Northeast Minnesota, and new guidelines for the Vermillion River in Dakota and Scott counties.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3PlBw6V

DC + HEALTH

ABORTION: Via NPR, VERBATIM: “Since the reversal of Roe v. Wade in 2022, anti-abortion rights advocates have continuously pursued laws and court cases to make access to abortion more difficult. A report published Tuesday finds those efforts haven’t worked in one basic way: The number of abortions in the country hasn’t budged. ‘There were an estimated 1,126,000 abortions provided by clinicians in the U.S. in 2025 — that’s pretty much unchanged from 2024,’ says Isaac Maddow-Zimet, data scientist at the Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit research organization that supports abortion access.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4uPHywH

MORE: Via Guttmacher, from the report:

FULL REPORT: https://fluence-media.co/4rQkACY

FAXES: Via MedPage Today, VERBATIM: “So long, fax machines -- we hardly knew ye. ‘The 1980s called, and they want their fax machines back,’ Mehmet Oz, MD, MBA, administrator of CMS, said in a press release announcing a final rule from the agency that establishes national standards for the electronic exchange of clinical documentation used to support healthcare claims.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4svGTyO

DOCS: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “The Trump administration’s suspension of certain immigrants’ work authorization renewals is sidelining possibly thousands of foreign-born doctors, some of the affected physicians tell Axios. Why it matters: The policy could worsen access to care in a health system already facing physician shortages. About a quarter of the U.S. physician workforce are immigrants. Rural communities especially depend on immigrant doctors to fill workforce gaps.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4taituQ

HEALTH HEADLINES

SEPSIS: Via UofM CIDRAP, VERBATIM: “Sepsis is a fast-moving, life-threatening condition that occurs when the body overreacts to an infection, sometimes causing permanent organ damage and death. A new study, published yesterday in JAMA, identified sepsis in 1.3% of hospitalized US children ages one month to 17 years old. The study, which included data from nearly four million admissions from 2016 through 2023, found that 10% of children with sepsis died while in the hospital.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40O6sPB

NEXTGEN: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Innovation in healthcare begins with curiosity — and with caregivers who are trained to ask better questions. At Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education (MCSGME), the Clinical Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) Academy helps residents and fellows build an entrepreneurial mindset by integrating hands‑on innovation, collaboration and problem‑solving directly into their training.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/47g1G0Y

GRANT: Via Northern Lights Foundation, VERBATIM: “The Northern Lights Foundation is proud to announce the creation of the Shimia Nord Legacy Grant, an annual $5,000 grant established to honor the remarkable life and inspirational spirit of Shimia Nord. Shimia, a Duluth East High School graduate, passed away after a courageous battle with cancer in September 2025 at the age of 18. The grant is being launched in March, Kidney Cancer Awareness Month, to bring greater awareness to the disease Shimia so bravely faced.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3NWgBa0

ECUMEN: Via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “On March 10, Ecumen, a Shoreview-based nonprofit senior care and housing provider, announced a transition in leadership, with Cyrus Batheja taking over as president and CEO. Shelly Kendrick, who had been president and CEO since 2019, announced her retirement in September.” Q&A: https://fluence-media.co/40RtUeM

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

INSULIN: Via Kumamoto University, VERBATIM: “For over a century, scientists have chased the dream of insulin pills, but the digestive system kept destroying the drug before it could work—forcing millions of patients to rely on daily injections. Now, researchers at Kumamoto University have developed a clever workaround using a tiny peptide that helps insulin slip through the intestinal wall.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4d8M8jb

health take | New Estimate: 155,000 More U.S. COVID Deaths

Mike Maybay — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 20:30:28 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

ACA: Via KFF, VERBATIM: “Following the expiration of the enhanced premium tax credits for people with Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace plans, a new KFF follow-up survey of the same Marketplace enrollees KFF surveyed in 2025 finds half (51%) of returning enrollees say their health care costs are ‘a lot higher’ this year compared to last year, including four in 10 who specifically say their premiums are ‘a lot higher.’ In all, a large majority (80%) of these enrollees say their health care costs, which can include premiums, deductibles, co-pays, or coinsurance, are higher.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4uDZjPv

MORE: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “Of the 1,117 Americans surveyed who had ACA marketplace coverage in 2025, including those who dropped coverage or changed plans, about 55% said they’re planning to deal with health care costs by cutting spending on food and other basic household needs.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sw1OBV

MORE: A couple of notable findings from the survey:

FULL SURVEY RESULTS: https://fluence-media.co/4lKpbVY

SCIENCE: Via Stagwell, VERBATIM: “The Harris Poll, a Stagwell (NASDAQ:STGW) agency, announced today the results from a landmark survey, ‘Science Under Siege: The Battle Between Viral Misinformation and Shared Belief in the Value of Science,’ sponsored by Bayer. The survey revealed a profound ‘misinformation paradox’ at the heart of American life: while 80% of Americans blame social media for false or misleading health and science information in the media and online, these platforms are the public’s top source for such news.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4snrQHF

CAREGIVING: Via University of Michigan, VERBATIM: “Nearly a third of Americans over age 50 provide regular care to an adult relative or friend with a health issue or disability, a new poll finds. But many of them don’t know about, or use, local resources that could help them with caregiving. And about 20% of these caregivers are like highwire acrobats working without a net, the poll reveals. They’re taking care of someone else with health needs, but without close friends or family members to pitch in if they needed help with their own health concerns. The new findings from the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging could inform caregiver-related policy discussions at state and national levels.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41lA2Ml

GLP-1: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “Nearly 1 in 5 Americans (18%) say they or someone in their immediate circle has taken weight-loss drugs in the last three months, according to the Axios-Ipsos American Health Index survey of 1,225 adults conducted March 6-9. Millions more remain interested: Of those who haven’t tried, 15% say they’re interested in a weight-loss injection and 21% in a pill. The new Wegovy pill from Novo Nordisk is still relatively unknown, with 39% saying they’re very or somewhat familiar.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bPPM0h

Subscribe now

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

MN HEALTH HEADLINES

FLU: In its weekly update released today, the Minnesota Department of Health reports 194 adult and two pediatric flu-associated deaths, 5,109 hospitalizations, as well as 265 school and 111 long-term care outbreaks. READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Y10bib

MNLEG: Via Senate DFL, VERBATIM: “Today, the Judiciary committee passed Senator Matt Klein’s (DFL – Mendota Heights) critical legislation to ensure pharmaceutical companies follow the law and comply with their duty to provide more affordable medications to Minnesotans. In 2024, the legislature took action to prohibit drug manufacturers from restricting access to discounted medications under the federal 340B program. However, many pharmaceutical companies have continued to ignore these requirements by denying lower-cost drugs, compromising safety net hospitals’ financial stability, and putting patient care at risk. Senator Klein’s SF3769 adds a clear enforcement mechanism for the law by empowering the Attorney General to hold bad actors accountable and classifying violations as unfair or deceptive trade practices. The legislation also repeals the sunset date from the program, originally July 1, 2027.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bkw78y

ACQUISITION: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Allina Health and Sutter Health say their proposed tie-up will bring much-needed investments to improve patient care in Minnesota while economists caution of the potential to drive up the cost of health care. Sutter, the much larger Sacramento, Calif.-based health care system, said it plans to acquire Allina and spend $2 billion on initiatives including more ambulatory care locations and specialty institutes in Minnesota and western Wisconsin to ‘improve patient access and affordability.’ Economists expressed skepticism, noting a costly potential side effect of the planned combination: higher health care prices caused by the creation of a larger system with more power to extract higher payments from insurers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cS5Csi

ICE SURGE: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Hamline University creative writing professor Angela Pelster-Wiebe never expected to have to make a plan like the one she brought to her students on the first day of the semester in January. She told them a plan for what they would do in the unlikely situation of immigration enforcement officers coming into class . . . Now, nearly two months later, Pelster-Wiebe said it remains too early to talk about what happened as people process. She said she sees the ripple of anxiety and trauma in her classes still.” QUOTE: “It feels like people are emotionally unwell in a way that feels a little bit different from other years,” Pelster-Wiebe said. “Maybe I’m just making that connection because it feels like it’s a difficulty I’m still processing. But it‘s not usual for students to just start crying in class one after the other.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/41hmOAi

DC + HEALTH

HEALTH CARE: Via Stat, VERBATIM: “Democrats are laying out their plans to rebuild the health care system in the hopes of eventually regaining control of Congress and the White House. On Thursday, a dozen Senate Democrats proposed a framework for private health insurance with the goal of making it affordable, and more standardized and simple. The plan, led by Ron Wyden (Ore.), the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, is the second in a series.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/47H0HqA

VACCINE POLICY: Via ProPublica, VERBATIM: “Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who founded an antivaccine group and once likened the immunization of children to a holocaust, is transforming a government that long championed the lifesaving benefits of shots into one that spreads doubts about their safety here and abroad . . . Kennedy’s efforts to reshape vaccine policies have been well chronicled, but ProPublica wanted to take a broader look at how the changes might affect Americans’ health in the years to come. We found that long-forgotten plagues have roared back, killing and maiming children in parts of the world where access to vaccines or trust in them faltered. What seemed like subtle changes to a country’s vaccine policies had disastrous consequences years later.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4d3Jk77

COVID: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “The COVID-19 pandemic’s early death toll was much higher than the official U.S. count, according to a new study that spotlights dramatic disparities in the uncounted deaths. About 840,000 COVID-19 deaths were reported on death certificates in 2020 and 2021. But a group of researchers — using a form of artificial intelligence — estimate that as many as 155,000 unrecognized additional deaths likely occurred in that time outside of hospitals. That would mean about 16% of COVID-19 deaths went uncounted in those years.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40LULc6

Poll: Public Worries as Prescription Drug Costs Reach New High, Harming Patients and Safety-Net Hospitals: Despite bipartisan attempts to lower the cost of drugs, a growing majority of Americans are worried about being able to afford prescription drugs, and majorities across parties want the government to do more to regulate prices, a new KFF Health Tracking Poll finds. At the same time, drug prices in Minnesota have increased, on average, more than 37% over the past five years – three times the rate of inflation on medical goods. With 30% of Minnesota’s hospitals operating in the red, immediate relief from the world’s highest drug prices is critical. Lawmakers should pass HF 3609/SF 3769 this session and stop drug companies from robbing resources from rural and safety-net hospitals that Minnesotans rely on every day. READ MORE: Public Views on Prescription Drug Costs: Regulation, Affordability and TrumpRx | KFF (SPONSORED: Essentia Health)

RESEARCH & INNOVATION

CANCER: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “Colorectal cancer cases in Minnesotans under 50 have risen by roughly 80% since the early 2000s, per federal data. Why it matters: Colorectal cancer is now the deadliest cancer for Americans under 50, per new research in JAMA. By the numbers: In Minnesota, colorectal cancer cases in people under 50 jumped from around 6 per 100,000 people in the early 2000s, to 10.7 in 2022— per NCI and CDC data.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cXMSaW

MENOPAUSE: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “Women who go through menopause before turning 40 have a significantly higher lifelong risk of heart attacks than women who go through the transition later, according to a new study. The study found that women who went through what is referred to as premature menopause had 40 percent more fatal and nonfatal heart attacks throughout the course of their lives than those who went through menopause after 40.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lHe7IX

STARTUPS: Via Staples-based AscendRural, VERBATIM: “AscendRural, which funds and facilitates pilots for growth stage startups in rural communities, announces the nine companies chosen to participate in the AscendRural Senior Care Innovation Accelerator: CarePredict, care.coach, Medex Finance, Plated Foodservice, Pontosense, Total Life, Vivo, Xandar Kardian, and Zemplee. The nine startups, which hope to tackle a range of problems connected to senior living, including care delivery, health monitoring, mental health treatment, fitness instruction, and social connection, were selected for the four-week, cohort-based program from a field of 90 applicants.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/47LzOSr

POLYPS: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Technology is changing how doctors detect colon cancer. New AI-enhanced imaging tools help physicians find subtle polyps that might otherwise be missed. Learn more from Dr. Michael Wallace, a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4rGRTbu

EXERCISE: Via McMaster University, VERBATIM: “New strength training guidelines emphasize that doing any resistance training is what truly matters. Based on decades of research, experts say even simple routines can increase muscle, strength, and physical function. The key is not perfection but consistency. In fact, the best workout plan is the one you can maintain long term.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41kuKRe

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

MEDIC: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “A medical emergency is the last thing anyone wants to think about. But when seconds count, trained EMTs and paramedics provide life-saving help. ‘Every minute that someone is down from a cardiac arrest and there is no action taken, their survival rate decreases by 10 percent,’ said North Memorial Health paramedic Alexis Lombard. She’s worked in the emergency medical services industry since 2020. And she still vividly remembers her first day on the job.” QUOTE: “As I drove to it, my heart rate outpaced the ambulance’s speed because I realized I’m not just driving to that emergency,” said Lombard. “It’s my job, my responsibility to save their life.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3Nt9nu0

CAREGIVERS: Via KTTC-TV, VERBATIM: “A group of retired and active volunteer nurses in Rochester is coming together to honor caregivers who have passed away. Assisted by the Wisconsin Nurses Honor Guard, the Rochester Nurses Honor Guard provides a ceremonial tribute during a nurse’s funeral, memorial, or in hospice. No matter the organization or facility, at no cost.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3PbS6Gf

health take | Allina Acquired by California System

Mike Maybay — Tue, 17 Mar 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

VACCINES: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “Just 6 in 10 Americans now trust the government’s vaccination recommendations for children, according to the Axios-Ipsos American Health Index, reflecting the dramatic erosion of public trust during the tenure of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. At the same time, nearly 1 in 3 Americans say they personally identify with Kennedy’s ‘Make America Healthy Again’ movement.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tb2zR1

TEEN DRIVING: 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 and young adults 16-25 years about their children’s driving habits . . . One-quarter of parents (25%) say they have observed their teen or young adult child engaging in distracted driving, such as texting (17%) or multitasking (19%). Seventeen percent of parents have observed their child driving when impaired, such as driving while sleepy (10%), when emotionally upset (9%), or after drinking alcohol (2%), or using marijuana (2%). Nearly half of parents (44%) have witnessed their child exhibit aggressive driving behaviors, such as speeding (41%), tailgating (12%), or showing “road rage” (6%). Over half (51%) have witnessed at least one type of unsafe driving behavior, and 8% have witnessed all three.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40ydbgr

WORKPLACE: Via Ipsos, VERBATIM: “Three in four full-time employees say it is appropriate to discuss mental health at work, yet nearly half worry they would be judged for doing so, according to the latest NAMI/Ipsos Workplace Mental Health Poll.”

“This hesitation persists as reported stress about the state of the world is on the rise. The share of employees feeling ‘very stressed’ nearly doubled since 2024, and more than half report feeling burned out on the job. Workplace mental health training may help; employees at companies offering such training are more likely to feel supported and less worried about stigma, yet only about one in three have received it.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/419QGyx

WOMEN’S HEALTH: Via Gallup, VERBATIM: “The latest Hologic Global Women’s Health Index shows improvement in key areas of women’s health. More women than at any point in the Index’s five-year history report being tested for high blood pressure, cancer, and diabetes, and report feeling safer in their communities. Yet progress is uneven. Gains in preventive care are concentrated among older women in wealthier countries. At the same time, testing rates in low-income nations remained flat in 2024, and women remain less likely than men to feel safe in 104 of the 144 countries surveyed.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rHE3FV

DRUG PRICES: Via KFF, VERBATIM: “In recent weeks, the Trump administration has renewed focus on lowering the cost of prescription drugs in the U.S., including the launch of TrumpRx. The latest polling from KFF shows that about four in 10 U.S. adults (41%) say it is likely the Trump administration’s policies will lower prescription drug costs for people like them, but views are largely influenced by partisanship. Only the president’s base remains positive, with 79% of Republicans and 88% of Make America Great Again (MAGA) supporters saying it is likely the administration will lower prescription drug costs, while much fewer independents (35%) and Democrats (11%) say it is likely.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3P6gitA

Subscribe now

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

HEALTH IN MINNESOTA

ACQUISITION: Via California-based Sutter, VERBATIM: “Sutter Health and Allina Health have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for Allina Health to join the California-based system, which would create a combined nonprofit health system that will deliver innovative solutions to improve access and affordability and reimagine exceptional care for patients and communities. With Northern California at the forefront of AI and platform development and Minnesota’s position as the leading hub for med-tech and engineering, the proposed combined system will be uniquely positioned to be a national leader in digital and technological advancements that meaningfully improve patients’ and caregivers’ experiences, while continuing to provide the compassionate care their respective communities have relied on for decades.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sKYlPC

MORE: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Sutter Health is a nonprofit group based in Sacramento that’s been looking to expand beyond its home markets in Northern and Central California. As the nation’s 15th-largest health system, Sutter provides same-day, primary, pediatric and specialty care at more than 600 locations, and runs 27 hospital campuses.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sJqEOm

MORE: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “The sale comes as 600 Allina doctors, physician assistants and nurse practitioners represented by Doctors Council – SEIU continue to negotiate their first contract since forming a union in October 2023. Union members have authorized multiple strikes, including a vote last week to approve an open-ended unfair labor practices strike, over ongoing frustrations at the bargaining table. Last year, Allina closed four clinics around the metro and shuttered its birth center in Faribault, consolidating its obstetric care services in southern Minnesota to the Owatonna Hospital.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bMI8Uq

ADVISOR: Via news release from the Governor’s office, VERBATIM: “Governor Tim Walz today announced that longtime health care leader and former Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm will serve as Senior Advisor on Hospitals and Health Systems to the Governor’s Office and the Health Subcabinet . . . Her service comes at a critical moment for Minnesota hospitals, which are facing rising costs, workforce shortages, and growing levels of uncompensated care.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sij79F

GRANTS: Via MDE, VERBATIM: “Today, the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) announced the award of 31 Cardiac Emergency Response Plan (CERP) Assistance Grants to districts, schools, and educational cooperatives across Minnesota. The grants, totaling $836,000, will support emergency response and preparedness planning in schools. The investments will help schools implement their written and practiced cardiac emergency response plans beginning in the 2026-27 school year with ongoing support, training, and technical assistance from MDE.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lBV8PZ

DC + HEALTH

RULING: Via NBC News, VERBATIM: “A federal judge in Massachusetts on Monday blocked Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s recent overhaul of the nation’s childhood vaccine schedule — a major blow to his vaccine agenda. The ruling stems from a lawsuit the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and other medical groups brought against the Department of Health and Human Services, arguing that Kennedy’s changes to vaccine recommendations and to an influential vaccine advisory committee violated federal law.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40CrzEl

MEASLES: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “In North Dakota, 89 percent of the most recent group of kindergartners were vaccinated. ‘Although 89 percent sounds really high, because measles is so contagious you really need a 95 percent vaccination rate to prevent outbreaks in a community,’ said Molly Howell, director of Disease Control and Forensic Pathology at the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services. In Minnesota, rates are even lower. Just 87 percent of kindergartners had the MMR vaccine in 2024, down from 92 percent in 2019.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/40CKqPC

IMMIGRATION: Via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “Andrea Pedro-Francisco was supposed to have surgery more than a month ago. A cyst on her ovary has swelled to nearly the size of a tennis ball and is now at risk of rupturing or cutting off blood supply. The pain is so severe that her doctor prescribed her an opioid. She’s only received Tylenol or ibuprofen for the pain since she was arrested on her way to work on Feb. 5 in Minnesota and shipped to a Texas detention center, where she’s waiting for a judge to decide whether her detention is even legal.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dmRVli

INNOVATION & RESEARCH

RURAL CARE: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Jim Checkel always planned to be a farmer. Growing up on his parents’ farm in the small town of Kasson, Minn., he figured he’d work on the farm full-time once he graduated high school. But his parents wanted him to go to college, so he earned a two-year associate’s degree in auto mechanics and started looking for work. Some 40 years ago, he applied at the prestigious Mayo Clinic about 15 miles east of his farm, hoping to work on its fleet of vehicles. There were no mechanic positions available, so Checkel accepted an entry-level position in one of Mayo’s research labs . . . Checkel threw himself into the work and launched what turned out to be an unlikely research career, climbing up the ranks and eventually getting hired by Mayo Clinic’s allergy department. Part of the reason he was hired was his background on the farm.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/475fDPd

RESEARCH: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Mayo Clinic researchers have developed a promising new way to deliver treatment directly to cholangiocarcinoma tumors, a rare and aggressive bile duct cancer with limited treatment options, using milk-derived nanoparticles that act like guided delivery vehicles. The findings, published in JHEP Reports, point to a potential targeted genetic therapy designed to attack cancer cells while sparing healthy tissue.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4buGPbw

LICENSING: Via Stillwater-based Sub-Q, VERBATIM: “Sub‑Q Bionics, a medical device company developing an innovative implantable lymphatic drainage system designed to help patients living with lymphedema better manage their symptoms, today announced a licensing agreement with Mayo Clinic. Through the agreement, Sub-Q Bionics has licensed clinical know-how from Mayo Clinic related to reconstructive and lymphatic surgery.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40yrKRd

ORAL HEALTH: Via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “Emily Stein, a microbiologist, was pursuing her post-doctoral fellowship in rheumatology and immunology at Stanford University in 2009 when her grandmother suffered a stroke, which Stein says was the result of a tooth extraction . . . Her grandmother’s health scare led Stein to found Primal Therapies in the Bay Area in 2012. Five years later, she relocated to Minneapolis and co-founded a subsidiary, Primal Health, focused on oral health.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sfOcdT

WEIGHT LOSS: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “Recent top-line results from a recent trial on retatrutide, a compound that Eli Lilly is developing, found that people with obesity and knee osteoarthritis lost an average of 28.7 percent of their body weight after 68 weeks on the highest dose. Currently available weight-loss drugs have helped people lose around 20 percent of their body weight over the same time period. Between 12 and 18 percent of participants dropped out of the trial because of side effects, a higher percentage than is typical in trials of existing weight loss drugs. The company said that at least some of those people dropped out because they thought they were losing too much weight, alarming some outside researchers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4br1M6X

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

CELLS: Via Washington University, VERBATIM: “Scientists have discovered that cells can sense far beyond the surfaces they touch. While individual cancer cells can probe about 10 microns ahead by tugging on surrounding collagen fibers, clusters of normal epithelial cells can combine forces to detect layers as far as 100 microns away. This long-range ‘depth sensing’ helps cells decide where to migrate. Understanding how it works could reveal new targets to stop cancer from spreading.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/475ST1u

PEACE: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Amir Lerman, M.D., a cardiovascular physician-scientist, mentor, research leader and active Mayo Clinic staff member, passed away Feb. 23 at age 69. During his nearly 40 years at Mayo Clinic, he became one of the world’s foremost authorities on microvascular function and cardiovascular disease.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4uvsG6B

health take | City Would be First in MN to Ban Kratom

Mike Maybay — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 20:30:44 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

HEALTH CARE: Via Rasmussen, VERBATIM: “Voters continue to trust the Democratic Party more than the GOP to deal with health care, but nearly half favor more market competition in the system. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 47% of Likely U.S. Voters trust Democrats more to handle health care, while 41% trust Republicans more. Twelve percent (12%) are not sure. The Democrats’ advantage on the issue has increased by one point since last summer.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sKEYX5

AFFORDABILITY: Via Gallup, VERBATIM: “The West Health-Gallup Affordability Index indicates that Americans’ ability to afford healthcare has deteriorated in recent years. In 2026, millions are expected to face higher insurance premiums and rising out-of-pocket costs as the expiration of some Affordable Care Act subsidies and upcoming cuts to Medicaid enrollment threaten coverage. Collectively, these shifts could leave millions of Americans without health insurance at a time when financial stress is already running high.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cKIP1t

MORE: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “One-third of Americans — an estimated 82 million people — say they are making sacrifices, including skipping meals or driving less, to pay for care, according to a new survey released on Thursday. In the survey, 15 percent of individuals said they had borrowed money in the last year to pay for medical expenses, while another 11 percent said they had skipped a meal. Those without insurance reported even more trade-offs.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40tajkR

SLEEP: Via HealthDay, VERBATIM: “Nearly half of all U.S. children aren’t getting the sleep they need, a new National Sleep Foundation survey reports. About 44% of children do not consistently get the recommended amount of sleep for their age, according to results from the 2026 Sleep in America Poll.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40ouGjc

Subscribe now

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

HEALTH IN MINNESOTA

MEDICAID: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “A federal judge in St. Paul heard arguments Thursday from the state of Minnesota and the Trump administration over a halt of $259 million in Medicaid payments to the state. The funding halt, announced two weeks ago by Vice President JD Vance and the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Director Mehmet Oz, is the latest federal measure attempting to crack down on alleged fraud in state programs. Attorney General Keith Ellison sued to block the Trump administration from withholding most of that money. Judge Eric Tostrud heard arguments on that request in court Wednesday.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3NASmhk

FLU: In its weekly report out today, the Minnesota Department of Health reports 188 adult influenza-related deaths, 2 pediatric deaths, 5,033 hospitalizations, 257 school outbreaks, and 110 long-term care outbreaks. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3Y10bib

KRATOM: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “The city of Crystal could be among the first in the state of Minnesota to ban the sale of an opioid-like drug found at some gas stations and smoke shops. Kratom is made from the leaves of a tree native to southeast Asia. The largely unregulated drug is legal to sell to anyone over the age of 18 in Minnesota.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4shn2Dt

PARKINSON’S: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “A bipartisan group of Minnesota lawmakers announced a push to fight Parkinson’s Disease on Wednesday through two bills. The first bill aims to ban the use of a chemical called paraquat in the state. The chemical is an herbicide used primarily in agriculture . . . The other bill would set aside $25 million in funding to boost Parkinson’s research in the state.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/47EHN3y

U OF M: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “The sudden closure of a University of Minnesota dental clinic has left some patients scrambling for care and left staff unsure if they’ll be able to keep their jobs. The University closed the century-old Boynton Dental Clinic last month. Staff say clinic managers first told them in mid-February that the clinic was temporarily closing for maintenance. Three weeks later, employees were told it was permanent.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rtD3oD

MORE: Via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “Bring Me The News has learned one of the primary reasons behind the closure is financial, with the clinic reportedly running at a deficit for a number of years. The facility was also in need of a number of immediate equipment upgrades. On Wednesday morning, AFSCME 3800, the healthcare [workers] union, held a rally and press conference outside the Church Street location, demanding the clinic re-open.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rytOUj

AUSTIN: Via KTTC-TV, VERBATIM: “Mayo Clinic Health System (MCHS) is expanding to meet community needs in Austin. MCHS will expand its progressive care unit (PCU) in the hospital to increase access to intermediate-level care in Mower County.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4roYOpx

WATER: Via MDH, VERBATIM: “Drinking contaminated water can, over time, result in serious illness or even death. That’s why during National Groundwater Awareness Week, March 8-14, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is reminding private well owners that regular testing is recommended to ensure the safety of drinking water.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rDHCgo

THIS WEEK: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “In an effort to help community members better understand their heart health, the Sanford Bemidji Heart and Vascular Center is hosting a heart and vascular screening event later this week. Sanford Health officials say heart and vascular screenings can offer valuable insight into your current health and help detect risk factors early, supporting a longer, healthier life.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4cDLYQG

DC + HEALTH

MAHA: Via KFF Health News, VERBATIM: “Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is fielding pressure from the White House to relax his controversial approach to vaccine policies as the midterms near, but his most steadfast supporters are pressing for more aggressive action — like restricting covid-19 vaccines and pesticide use — to carry out the Make America Healthy Again agenda. The tensions risk fraying Kennedy’s dynamic MAHA coalition, potentially driving away critical supporters who helped fuel President Donald Trump’s 2024 election win.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3NAqtGf

SUGARY DRINKS: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “Food stamp recipients sued the Agriculture Department on Wednesday over restrictions barring them from using their benefits to buy sugary drinks and candy, arguing that the limits are unlawful, create confusion and add to their difficulties in managing their health. Since May, the department has approved waivers in 22 states that allow them to bar participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program from using their benefits to buy soda, energy drinks, candy or other prepared desserts.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sHw38L

VETERANS: Via CNN, VERBATIM: “The wife of one veteran wanted her husband to be evaluated, fearing his cancer may have spread, and sought a radiology appointment last year with the Department of Veterans Affairs. She made ‘multiple phone calls that went to voicemail,’ last March and received ‘no follow-up within the promised 24 hours,’ according to the VA’s chief watchdog. That incident is just one documented by investigators with the VA’s inspector general’s office who are trying to get to the bottom of a longstanding complaint from the nation’s veterans: They can’t get through to their health care providers on the phone.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bBM8qJ

FRAUD: Via Stars and Stripes, VERBATIM: “The Department of Veterans Affairs plans to launch an automated fraud-detection tool to scan more than a million disability benefits questionnaires for evidence of fabrication or other problems that could force a new medical exam and impact compensation, according to a VA official. James W. Smith, a deputy executive director at the Veterans Benefits Administration, told lawmakers that the tool will have the capability to quickly review submitted questionnaires — known as DBQs — that document medical evidence to determine a disability rating and monthly compensation.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sb7gtU

HOMELESS: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “The Trump administration on Wednesday announced a new effort to initiate legal guardianships for hundreds of veterans, including some who are homeless or ‘at risk of homelessness,’ that could be used to force more of them into involuntary or institutional care. Under the new arrangement, the Justice Department would give officials at the Veterans Affairs Department authority they currently lack to initiate guardianship proceedings in state courts for veterans who have no family and are ‘unable to make their own health care decisions.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bBME89

Appeals Court rejects PhRMA’s attack on Minnesota’s contract pharmacy protections: A recent Minnesota Court of Appeals decision upheld the state’s 340B contract pharmacy law – a win for rural and underserved communities. The 340B program allows eligible hospitals to purchase outpatient drugs at reduced prices so they can reinvest in 24/7 access to local health care. Still, many drug companies are not complying with Minnesota law, denying these essential savings to hospitals and the communities that rely on them. Legislators have an opportunity to protect access to affordable health care across Minnesota by supporting SF 3769 and HF 3609, which ensure that 340B is protected and enforced. READ MORE: Appeals court upholds Minnesota’s 340B law in PhRMA lawsuit | AHA News (SPONSORED: Essentia Health)

RESEARCH & INNOVATION

MARBURG: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “University of Minnesota researchers have made key discoveries about one of the world’s most lethal pathogens, the Marburg virus, including potential weaknesses that could result in vaccines or drug treatments against it. Marburg is lesser-known than its close cousin, Ebola, and remains confined so far to Africa. But its severity was apparent last year when an outbreak in Ethiopia killed nine of 14 people with confirmed infections.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rz4vkV

VETERANS: Via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “At a Minnesota State Capitol hearing Wednesday morning, the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs unveiled a ‘Veteran Suicide Prevention Plan.’ Rachel Johnson, director of the department’s Veteran Community Based Services, announced findings from a suicide prevention report that shows Minnesota continues to lose about 100 veterans to suicide each year. That number was down to around 80 deaths in 2024, but last year, it was back up to around 100.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4lrZcCu

GLP-1: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “When Jessica Layeux, a cybersecurity expert from Monticello, Minn., started taking the weight-loss drug Zepbound last year, she didn’t have any of the side effects she had heard about. She didn’t feel much of a change in her hunger or cravings either . . . GLP-1 drugs like Zepbound have helped millions of people shed significant weight. But then there are the often-overlooked outliers: In clinical trials, about one in 10 people on the drugs were “non-responders,” losing less than 5 percent of their body weight, compared with the average of 15 to 21 percent.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3P2izG8

COMPUTING: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “On a global stage in Berlin, surrounded by leading scientists and engineers in quantum computing, a Mayo Clinic team earned first place at the Berlin Quantum Hackathon 2026. The five-week hackathon challenged six finalist teams to prove that quantum computing — one of science’s newest and most complex frontiers — can solve meaningful problems beyond theory.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rvIQu2

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

DEPRESSION: Via University of Queensland, VERBATIM: “Researchers have discovered a surprising change in how cells produce energy in people with depression. Brain and blood cells in young adults with major depressive disorder produced more energy molecules at rest but had trouble increasing energy production when needed. Scientists believe this imbalance may contribute to symptoms such as fatigue and low motivation. The finding could help pave the way for earlier diagnosis and more personalized treatments.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4uvva4U

APNEA: Via University of Gothenburg, VERBATIM: “A European clinical trial found that the drug sulthiame significantly reduced breathing interruptions in people with moderate to severe sleep apnea. Patients taking higher doses experienced up to 47% fewer pauses in breathing and improved oxygen levels during sleep. The drug helps stabilize breathing signals in the brain, reducing airway collapse. Scientists say the findings could pave the way for a pill-based alternative to CPAP machines.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rtFIP9

health take | Walz's Plan to Overhaul DHS

Mike Maybay — Tue, 10 Mar 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

FRAUD

HUMAN SERVICES: Via news release from the Governor’s office, VERBATIM: “Governor Tim Walz today announced a proposal to transform Minnesota’s human services system, outlining a major structural overhaul of the state’s administration of human services. The proposal would streamline Minnesota’s service delivery model, moving away from the complex, layered administration managed by a patchwork of counties, Managed Care Organizations, and state agencies to a single, centralized entity. The proposal would also modernize Medicaid administration, consolidate administrative functions, and initiate independent reviews to strengthen program integrity and improve how services are delivered to Minnesotans.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rmfyOc

MORE: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “The plan would be a major structural overhaul for the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), which has been riddled with fraud allegations impacting numerous programs it administers. The department employs over 7,000 people and manages billions of dollars each year . . . Walz referred to the current organizational structure as ‘a bit of a Frankenstein monster,’ very complex and difficult to manage . . . A key part of the plan would eliminate managed care organizations — the state currently has eight organizations certified to provide health care benefits — and transition to a single statewide administrative service organization. More simply, instead of a HealthPartners or UCare administering nearly 80% of basic care services, a single service would be responsible for it all.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4sCUOCY

RESPONSES:

HOFFMAN: Via Senate Majority Media, from Human Services Committee Chair John Hoffman, QUOTE: “I was disappointed to learn about this proposal just last night without a thorough conversation with the committee that has primary jurisdiction over Minnesota’s human services system. The Human Services Committee has spent years working on program integrity, improving service delivery, and strengthening accountability within Medicaid and our broader human services programs. Major structural changes to a system that serves hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans require thoughtful collaboration between the executive branch and the Legislature. The Senate Human Services Committee exists specifically to examine these types of proposals, hear from stakeholders, and ensure reforms are implemented responsibly.” (DISCLOSURE: Fluence provides media support for the Hoffman family related to the assassination attempt)
RASMUSSON: Via Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus, from Human Services committee GOP lead Sen. Jordan Rasmusson, QUOTE: “With Governor Walz months away from leaving office, his administration is proposing new studies instead of focusing on accountability and action. DHS is years behind performing site visits, decades behind on technology, and is barely able to meet legislative deadlines. Governor Walz has had press conference after press conference announcing supposed reforms, but Minnesotans are still staring at this administration’s failures to protect taxpayers and the Minnesotans who rely on these services.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4biZrLk
KORAN: Via Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus, from Sen. Mark Koran, QUOTE: “Gov. Walz wants to give the agency centralized, unchecked power to administer these programs under the same commissioner who oversaw the fraud explosion and hasn’t even been confirmed by the Senate. He didn’t address fraud for eight years. This is just a hail mary attempt to come back from his disastrous fraud crisis.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4sCQZxA
TORKELSON: From KSTP-TV’s Tom Hauser via X, VERBATIM: “GOP Rep. Paul Torkelson responds to proposal to ‘transform’ human services. Walz wants to eliminate use of Managed Care Organizations and put eligibility decisions in hands of DHS. Torkelson calls it a ‘bad idea, they haven’t been able to handle responsibility they’ve got’ now.” TWEET: https://fluence-media.co/3NvaRUo
HEALTH PLANS: Via Minnesota Council of Health Plans, VERBATIM: “We understand the proposal includes transitioning Medicaid administration to a single administrative services organization. We have not yet reviewed all the details of the proposal, including actuarial modeling, fiscal projections, implementation timelines, or federal approval requirements. However, a structural redesign of this scale requires thoughtful, data-driven evaluation.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46TBU2f

Subscribe now

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

POLLING

HEALTH COSTS: Via Navigator Research, VERBATIM: “Health care costs are a near-universal concern in battleground districts. Eight-in-10 Americans in battleground districts say their health care costs have gone up (80%) – and most say their costs have gone up ‘a lot’ (57%).”

“People in the battleground are eight points more trusting of Democrats in Congress than Republicans to make health care and prescription drugs more affordable (44% and 36%, respectively). Unsurprisingly, this belief corresponds with partisanship.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46USrDb

CDC: Via KFF, VERBATIM: “In the weeks after the Trump administration reduced the number of recommended childhood vaccines for routine use, the public’s trust in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) remains at its lowest point, a new KFF Poll on Health Information and Trust finds. Fewer than half (47%) now say that they trust the agency at least “a fair amount” to provide reliable vaccine information, similar to the share who said the same in September, but down more than 10 percentage points since the beginning of the second Trump administration, and continuing a downward trend first measured during the COVID-19 pandemic.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4unGlwa

CAREGIVING: Via Pew, VERBATIM: “As the U.S. population ages, the need for caregivers among older adults is on the rise. There’s growing evidence that family members are increasingly taking on these roles . . . Among those who regularly help a parent with at least one of the tasks we asked about – errands or housework, personal care, managing finances, or managing health care – 56% say this has had a positive impact on their relationship with their parent. Some 16% say the impact has been negative, and 28% say it’s been neither positive nor negative.”

“Caregivers have mixed views of the impact that helping their aging parent has had on their relationship with their spouse or partner (22% negative vs. 26% positive, among those who have a spouse or partner).” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3MW8fil

HEALTH IN MINNESOTA

UNINSURED: Via MDH, VERBATIM: “New data released today by the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) shows a steep rise in the number of uninsured Minnesotans. According to data from the latest Minnesota Health Access Survey, the state’s uninsured rate increased from a historic low of 3.8% in 2023 to 5.8% in 2025. This equates to approximately 116,000 more Minnesotans without health insurance. It is the highest uninsured rate for the state since 2017, reversing years of improvement in this area.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4urBtXe

CPR: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “There is a new bill in the state legislature that would require all Minnesota high school coaches to be trained in CPR and to be able to use an AED in the event of an emergency. Rep. John Huot supports the measures and talks about how the bills would work and the lives they could save.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3OXTGve

MORE: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Sen. Bonnie Westlin, DFL-Plymouth, the chief sponsor of the bill, said voting for it should be the ‘easiest yes vote that anyone should take this year’ because it doesn’t require legislative funding. Schools can access cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, and automated external defibrillator, or AED, training for free through many organizations.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40VBiph

HCMC: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “Hennepin County Medical Center is not only at ‘real risk of closing.’ It’s a canary in the coal mine for safety net hospitals everywhere, experts say. Why it matters: HCMC is Minnesota’s largest emergency room, trains a raft of future medical professionals, and serves patients whose needs or incomes often prevent them from seeking care anywhere else. Experts predict it won’t be the last hospital pushed to the brink by mounting threats to Medicaid funding.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lpcpMi

STRIKE: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “After two years of negotiations 600 union doctors and other primary care providers with Allina have voted overwhelmingly to support going on strike. Dr. Matt Hoffman is a family medical physician and part of the bargaining team.” QUOTE: “We’re not filing a 10 day notice now,” says Hoffman “but are willing to do so depending on [Allina’s] engagement with us.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4rnqawk

MAYO: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Before Mayo Clinic posted a record $1.47 billion profit, the world-renowned medical system closed clinics and cut services in several cities across southern Minnesota. In those towns, which are still adjusting to the loss, the record 2025 earnings are leaving some people with sick feelings.” QUOTE: “It was just a sinking feeling in my gut,” said Terry Gjersvik, a farmer in rural Albert Lea. “Why are we being punished? ... Why are our services being withdrawn in Albert Lea?” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sHSFGi

HIGHER ED: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “The number of college students reporting disabilities rose more than 50 percent over the last decade across a wide swath of schools, including at some of the most selective universities in the nation, according to a New York Times analysis of government data. The rise, which has corresponded with an increase in A.D.H.D., autism and other diagnoses, has also meant an increase in the number of students requiring accommodations, such as more time to take tests . . . Macalester College, a private liberal arts school in St. Paul, Minn., reported that 29 percent of students in 2024 had a disability, up from 5 percent a decade ago. Shammah Bermudez, head of the Center for Disability Resources at Macalester, said the needs that students are reporting now are more complicated than in past years.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/47lbJ4I

ADDICTION: Via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “Emanuel Roberts has been addicted, unhoused and incarcerated. But today, sober and free, he supports others through their recovery journeys as the founder and executive director of Anything Helps, a North Minneapolis nonprofit open to people experiencing addiction, mental illness and homelessness. At Anything Helps’ sunny, welcoming space, Roberts and his staff provide free food, safer drug-use supplies like clean syringes and smoking kits, mental health resources and a sense of community.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4uhYZpv

MED ACCESS: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “When the federal Drug Enforcement Agency’s Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act took effect in 2023, academic medical centers across the country faced the same challenge: Every DEA-registered clinician would need to complete eight hours of training on substance use disorders before their next registration renewal. At Mayo Clinic, the response became more than a compliance effort. It became a case study in how continuing professional development can function as an effective and supportive workforce strategy.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bjkMUS

RESEARCH & INNOVATION

HIJAB: Via Sahan Journal, VERBATIM: “During the last year of Najma Omar’s doctoral program in occupational therapy at the University of Minnesota, a professor asked students to think about tools that hadn’t yet been invented to help people — but should exist. It prompted Najma, a 28-year-old Minneapolis woman, to start thinking about her own family. Among the 10 children, three are autistic, each with somewhat different communications styles and support needs. In particular, she thought about her younger sister Nasteho, 17, the only girl among the three. She knew that Nasteho struggled with finding a hijab that could assist with her noise sensitivity without adding a lot of weight or increasing pressure around her ears, which headphones or earmuffs did.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bj22oy

LASERS: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “Lately, one category of treatments has been generating a lot of buzz: lasers. Moxi and BroadBand Light (BBL), once considered niche dermatologist tools, are suddenly having a moment in the spotlight. Medspa experts across the Twin Cities say curiosity around these treatments, which are by no means new, has surged, with more people asking how they work, what they treat, and whether they’re worth adding to a winter routine. We’ve even witnessed an influx of laser-centric concepts opening throughout the metro (like Cleo Skin and Laser and Lasérie in Edina). To break it all down, we turned to local skin care pros for the inside scoop.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bBNcLa

ACQUISITION: Via Texas-based Dynamic Access, VERBATIM: “Dynamic Access, LLC announced today the acquisition of PICC Stat, a respected, family-owned vascular access provider based in Minneapolis and recognized for its commitment to high-quality, patient-centered care.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4b1VjR5

ECUMEN: Via Shoreview-based Ecumen, VERBATIM: “Ecumen, a nonprofit provider of living spaces and services for older adults, today announced that its Board of Trustees has unanimously selected Dr. Cyrus Batheja, EdD, MBA, RN, FAAN, as the organization’s next president and chief executive officer.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46PLXFz

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

COLORBLIND: Via Stanford, VERBATIM: “Colorblindness may be doing more than making traffic lights confusing — it could also be hiding a life-threatening warning sign. Researchers analyzing millions of medical records found that people with bladder cancer who are also colorblind have a 52% higher mortality rate over 20 years compared to those with normal vision. The likely reason: many people with color vision deficiency struggle to see red, making it harder to notice blood in urine, the most common early sign of bladder cancer.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sGGt8I

health take | Diggins' Mental Health Advocacy

Mike Maybay — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 21:31:06 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

TRUST: Via The Hill, VERBATIM: “A poll published Thursday found that Americans have lost trust in federal health institutions and are more likely to say they trust independent, professional medical organizations when it comes to advice on topics like vaccination. The February survey by the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the University of Pennsylvania found that public trust in agencies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) had fallen by 5 to 7 percentage points in the past year.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dalEO6

MORE: Via APPC, from the poll:

SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4smp8BC

FREEDOM: Via Public Health Policy Journal, VERBATIM: “A new national poll conducted by Zogby Strategies on February 26-27, 2026, shows overwhelming public support for health and medical freedom, with supermajorities of registered voters (often 80-88%) affirming core rights to refuse medical treatments, make personal health choices, and protect doctors from censorship.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4crrbzL

GLP-1: Via CBC, VERBATIM: “A new survey suggests about three million Canadian adults are currently taking GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic or Mounjaro and that many more would like to, but cost is a barrier. The poll conducted by Leger Healthcare says more than half of the people surveyed who are taking the medications reported decreased appetite and 40 per cent said they have fewer food cravings. Leger Healthcare said those effects are reshaping how GLP-1 users are spending their money, with about 30 per cent going to restaurants or getting takeout food less often.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/408QIq5

Subscribe now

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

MN HEALTH HEADLINES

DHS: Via email from the Senate Republican Caucus, VERBATIM: “Today the Senate received the appointment of Shireen Gandhi as Commissioner for DHS. Sen. Rasmusson moved that the appointment be placed immediately on the confirmation calendar. After serving in this role on a temporary basis since Feb 3, 2025, there is no reason to delay Gandhi’s confirmation. Sen. Wiklund was unable to commit to a confirmation hearing for Gandhi in the Health and Human Services Committee within one week. The motion failed on a party-line vote as Democrats continue to stall meaningful action to address Minnesota’s fraud problem.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4rUiCCv

IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT: Via KFF, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota crackdown revealed the sweep of the surveillance and capture system the Trump administration is using to uproot immigrant communities in the United States, and the effect of its powerful brake on the medical system. Similar health crises surfaced wherever immigration officers massed in the past year. In Dallas, public health clinics administered about 6,000 vaccinations to Latinos last August, half as many as during a similar program a year earlier. In Chicago, doctors rerouted patients daily from clinic to clinic depending on ICE activity. Across the country, crackdowns suppressed immigrants’ health care visits.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3N0eOQU

MPD: Via KARE-TV, VERBATIM: “Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara is urging City Council members to move quickly on approval for a new position titled Director of Police Heath and Wellness within the department, citing growing concern about the toll recent operations have taken on officers. MPD says this position would oversee a newly created Health and Wellness Division, and would create a shift from being reactive to proactive when it comes to officer health, mainly mental health.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3OPI6SJ

DIGGINS: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Jessie Diggins, who grew up in Stillwater, is the most decorated cross-country skier in U.S. history. The reigning two-time world champion and four-time Olympic medalist is preparing to retire at the end of the year. She’s perhaps best known for her legendary ability to dig deep into what she calls the ‘pain cave,’ extracting every ounce of energy before literally collapsing at the end of a race. She’s also become well-known as a mental health advocate who has been very open about her journey recovering from and managing a serious eating disorder. Diggins was interviewed this week by Jillian Lampert of The Emily Program, a Minnesota-based organization that provides eating disorder support and treatment.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rN9C1P

FLU: In its weekly update, the Minnesota Department of Health reports 4,913 flu-related hospitalizations, 182 adult deaths and 2 pediatric deaths. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3Y10bib

METHODIST: Via SEIU Local 26, VERBATIM: “In-house HealthPartners security officers at Methodist Hospital in St Louis Park MN announced today their push to unionize with SEIU Local 26. Workers were joined by healthcare workers who are members of MNA (Minnesota Nurses Association) and SEIU Healthcare MN & IA who expressed their support for these (approximately 30) essential workers having a union like other workers in the facility.”

CHILDREN’S MN: Via Children’s Minnesota, VERBATIM: “Children’s Minnesota is pleased to announce a $2.5 million, state-of-the-art biplane neuroangiography suite—the region’s only facility dedicated to pediatric neurointerventional procedures. This advanced imaging technology brings new treatment options for children with a variety of cerebrovascular diseases, further expanding Children’s Minnesota’s neurosurgical capabilities.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4b9PZKi

STARTUPS: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Mayo Clinic Platform_Accelerate has announced its latest cohort, welcoming 18 national and international healthcare technology companies that are creating cutting-edge digital solutions to advance health innovation. Through the Accelerate program, these companies will participate in an immersive, 30-week program that offers access to expert mentors, industry-leading technologies and millions of de-identified, longitudinal clinical records to develop and validate artificial intelligence (AI)-driven healthcare solutions.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sjEuGU

DC + HEALTH

ICE DETENTION: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “The Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday that officials were reviewing a contract for Camp East Montana, a detention center in El Paso that is facing growing scrutiny over its living conditions and is grappling with a measles outbreak. A spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security said officials were examining the center and that the department conducts rigorous inspections of facilities to ‘ensure they are meeting our high standards.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cvOAjE

DEATH: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “A Haitian man confined at an Arizona immigration detention center for months died at a hospital Monday after a tooth infection was left untreated, the man’s brother said Wednesday. Emmanuel Damas, 56, told medical personnel at the Florence Correctional Center that he had a toothache in mid-February, but he was not sent to a dentist, said Damas’ brother, Presly Nelson.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rhNH1R

FOOD SAFETY: Via The Hill, VERBATIM: “Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said Dunkin’ and other companies will need to prove that their ingredients are safe, prompting Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey (D) on Wednesday to reply back, ‘Come and take it.’ Kennedy, while at a rally at Brazos Hall last week in Austin, Texas, said, ‘We’re going to ask Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks, ‘Show us the safety data that show that it’s OK for a teenage girl to drink an iced coffee with 115 grams of sugar in it.’’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4l8CaAi

TRUMPRX: Via Stat, VERBATIM: “President Trump heralded his signature drug discount platform, TrumpRx, as ‘one of the most transformative health care initiatives of all time.’ But a month after its launch, few drugs are available, data about how much the site is being used remains unknown, and the private deals underlying TrumpRx are still being worked out.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/47gjd93

Support rural health care by strengthening 340B: Policymakers have an opportunity to support rural care providers by strengthening the 340B Drug Pricing Program – a program designed to support health care facilities that provide a high level of services to low-income, underserved communities. Savings from those discounts are used to reinvest in care and stretch limited resources further for patients. To prevent these savings from moving to drug manufacturers’ bottom lines, we need to extend and strengthen the 340B program. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4s0oGc4 (SPONSORED: Essentia Health)

RESEARCH & INNOVATION

YOUTH SPORTS: Via Minneapolis-based American Academy of Neurology, VERBATIM: “Youth football accounts for the largest share of sports‑related traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in children and young adults, nearly one in every five TBIs, according to a preliminary study released March 4, 2026, that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology‘s 78th Annual Meeting taking place April 18-22, 2026, in Chicago and online. Youth sports and activities included in the study, in addition to football, were soccer, basketball, cycling, skiing, snowboarding, running, baseball, hiking, roller skating, skateboarding, wrestling, cheerleading, ice hockey, lacrosse, field hockey and volleyball.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cpgJsu

KIDNEYS: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Mayo Clinic researchers have identified a drug-and-supplement combination therapy that is capable of reducing the harmful effects of senescent cells – also known as ‘zombie cells’ – in diabetic kidney disease. In eBioMedicine, a publication of The Lancet, the team reported that the combination of the cancer drug dasatanib and a naturally occurring substance known as quercetin decreased inflammation and boosted protective factors in the kidney.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/408ULmh

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

MALARIA: Via University of Nottingham, VERBATIM: “Scientists have uncovered a crucial weakness in the malaria parasite that could open the door to new treatments. Researchers identified a protein called Aurora-related kinase 1 (ARK1) that acts like a traffic controller during the parasite’s unusual cell division process, ensuring its genetic material is properly separated as it multiplies.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cuaZhd

GLP-1: Via University of Bristol, VERBATIM: “Popular weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro may do more than help people shed pounds. New research suggests these GLP-1 medications could also help protect the heart after a heart attack by restoring blood flow in tiny blood vessels that often remain blocked even after doctors reopen a major artery.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sykroB

health take | More MN Single Moms in their 40s

Mike Maybay — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 21:30:27 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

NUMBERS & POLLING

HEALTH SPENDING: Via KFF, VERBATIM: “In a given year, a small portion of the population is responsible for a very large percentage of total health spending. We tend to focus on averages when discussing health spending, but individuals’ health status – and thus their need to access and utilize healthcare – varies over the course of their lifetimes. In fact, very few people have spending around the average.”

“While there are people with high spending at all ages, overall, people age 55 and over accounted for 57% of total health spending in 2023, despite making up only 30% of the population. In contrast, people under age 35 made up 44% of the population but were responsible for only 21% of health spending.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aMuy2T

LTC: Via CareScout, VERBATIM: “The cost of long-term care services in Minnesota was mixed year-over-year, according to the 2025 Cost of Care Survey conducted by CareScout.”

“Nationally, long-term care costs remain elevated across care settings, reflecting years of inflationary pressure, workforce challenges, and growing demand as the population ages. However, findings suggest the pace of increases may be moderating across many care types, following several years of sharper growth.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40E0D75

RELIGION: Via Gallup, VERBATIM: “The percentage of Americans who say religion is “very important” in their lives has leveled off below 50% in recent years, including 47% in 2025. The reading has been gradually declining from 58% in 2012 and was as high as 70% to 75% in the 1950s and 1960s.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rNHBr3

Subscribe now

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

HEALTH IN MINNESOTA

CDC FUNDING: Via KTTC-TV, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is fighting to keep $38 million in funding as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that it is terminating its Public Health Infrastructure Grant. According to the MDH 107, health departments across 50 states received that funding, but only Minnesota, California, Colorado and Illinois have had these funds cancelled. MDH Commissioner Brooke Cunningham says the grant supports local health agencies, tribal public health, and community partners who receive funds from these awards through MDH.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4cYh7hG

FRAUD: Via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “Thousands of Minnesotans enrolled in Medicaid take a total of millions of trips to their medical appointments each year through nonemergency medical transportation services, a federally required, taxpayer-funded program that’s among more than a dozen others Minnesota determined to be at ‘high risk’ for fraud. On Monday, Department of Human Services officials testified to the Minnesota House fraud prevention panel about its vulnerabilities and steps the agency has taken to fight fraud.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4sh3w9K

NEW MOMS: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “More new moms in Minnesota are having kids solo in their 40s, with births to unmarried women 40 and over roughly tripling since 2007. State of Labor and Delivery: Just over 1% of babies in Minnesota were born to women who met that criteria in 2024, per CDC data. That small but growing group translated to about 700 births that year.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4787eKG

PRENATAL CARE: Via Stateline, VERBATIM: “Nearly a quarter of pregnant women aren’t getting prenatal care in the early stages of pregnancy, according to a new analysis from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The share of pregnant women getting prenatal care had been improving: It rose between 2016 and 2021 to a high of more than 78%, but then declined to 75.5% by 2024, wiping out previous gains.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4b1guBD

MAYO: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “In 2025, Mayo Clinic advanced cures, accelerated diagnoses and expanded access to care through its Bold. Forward. strategy, introducing hundreds of innovations to better serve patients worldwide.” QUOTE: “Guided by our primary value of putting the needs of our patients first, 2025 was another strong year for Mayo Clinic,” said Gianrico Farrugia, M.D., president and CEO. “Through our Bold. Forward. strategy, we delivered new capabilities that meaningfully improved patients’ lives and positioned us to accelerate patient-centered transformation in the year ahead.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ck63eG

DC + HEALTH

MEASLES: Via The Hill, VERBATIM: “Jay Bhattacharya, the recently appointed acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), on Monday urged families to consider vaccinating against measles as outbreaks across the country continue. In a video statement posted on the social media platform X, Bhattacharya discussed the steps that the CDC is taking the address the measles situation in the U.S., including ‘surging’ resources and coordinating with states to spread education and outreach.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4l9dyHB

LEAD CLEANUP: Via KFF Health News, VERBATIM: “Tighter regulations and an influx of federal money in recent years have helped communities across the U.S. initiate efforts to clean up lead contamination in soil, drinking water, and older homes. But Congress and the Trump administration have partially rolled back those rules and resources, potentially making it more challenging for cash-strapped cities and towns to undertake sweeping lead remediation programs.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4b3Ibtk

WILD RICE: MinnPost reports on a threat to the wild rice harvest on the White Earth Reservation. VERBATIM: “The channel abuts an active Superfund site that is part of a federal government cleanup program for some of the most polluted areas in the country. The site sits between State Highway 371 and Pike Bay, a 4,700-acre lake just outside the city of Cass Lake. Groundwater pollution stretches east beneath the channel and is migrating to the surface. And recent testing shows that the groundwater pollution is spreading south to Fox Creek, which flows into Pike Bay. It’s putting wild rice harvesting — and Ojibwe traditions — in further jeopardy. And if contamination spreads, it could become a problem for communities downstream.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rQW6dE

INNOVATION & RESEARCH

BP: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “University of Minnesota researchers have found that more and more young people are suffering from high blood pressure, but they’re not doing much to address it. ‘You won’t know if your blood pressure is high without checking it.’ Pretty simple, right? But University of Minnesota medical school neurologist Dr. Hathen Hussain says it’s proven to be difficult to get young peopke. who have high blood pressure, to take action.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3MJ92TD

MIGRAINES: Via Minneapolis-based American Academy of Neurology, VERBATIM: “For people with chronic migraine, taking glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, or GLP-1 drugs, for other conditions such as diabetes and weight loss, was associated with fewer emergency department visits and hospitalizations overall, and with less need for medications used to stop and prevent migraine attacks, according to a preliminary study released March 1, 2026, that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology‘s 78th Annual Meeting taking place April 18-22, 2026, in Chicago and online. The people with chronic migraine starting GLP-1 drugs were compared to people with chronic migraine who were starting topiramate, a drug commonly used to prevent migraine.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cTSbrK

APP: Via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “Q-rounds, a Minneapolis-based health care tech company, recently closed a $1.8 million funding round and plans to expand its software-as-a-service product to at least 12 hospitals. That product is a real-time virtual queue that alerts nurses, patients, and families when to arrive for rounds.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46DigaN

DEMPSEY: Via Guardant, VERBATIM: “Guardant Health, Inc. (Nasdaq: GH), a leading precision oncology company, today announced its partnership with actor and cancer advocate Patrick Dempsey to increase awareness about colorectal cancer (CRC) screening and the Shield blood test. Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2024 and recommended in national guidelines, Shield offers an easier way to screen for colorectal cancer (CRC) with just a blood draw for eligible individuals 45 and over at average risk for the disease.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3OVquos

HEART: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “February was American Heart Month and a Maple Grove cardiologist wants to remind people that small lifestyle shifts can make a big difference. ‘Heart disease is the most common reason of deaths in United States for adults. So, it is very important to spread awareness about heart health and following heart-health behaviors to avoid and prevent heart-related diseases and heart-related deaths,’ said Dr. Mohammed Al-Sadawi of M Health Fairview.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4sjUFnH

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

ALZHEIMER’S: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “In a study published in Nature Communications, Mayo Clinic researchers have identified specific DNA-level changes in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Using advanced biological analysis, the team mapped alterations in the brain’s regulatory landscape that may help explain why Alzheimer’s presents and progresses differently from person to person. The findings could also open new avenues for understanding other neurodegenerative diseases.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aXBRDK

CANCER: Via University of Rochester Medical Center, VERBATIM: “Surviving cancer at a young age may come with an unexpected cost: faster aging at both the cellular and brain levels. Researchers found that survivors often show signs of being biologically older than their actual age, with chemotherapy accelerating the process most dramatically. This accelerated aging is linked to struggles with memory and focus, which can ripple into education and career outcomes. Encouragingly, scientists believe healthy habits like exercise may help turn back the clock.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4b1c7WX

AI: Via Brown University, VERBATIM: “As millions turn to ChatGPT and other AI chatbots for therapy-style advice, new research from Brown University raises a serious red flag: even when instructed to act like trained therapists, these systems routinely break core ethical standards of mental health care. In side-by-side evaluations with peer counselors and licensed psychologists, researchers uncovered 15 distinct ethical risks — from mishandling crisis situations and reinforcing harmful beliefs to showing biased responses and offering ‘deceptive empathy’ that mimics care without real understanding.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3N01FHi

health take | Democrats' Health Plan Depends on Midterms

Mike Maybay — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 21:30:23 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

VACCINES: Via Reuters, VERBATIM: “A bipartisan majority of Americans believe vaccines are safe and that children should receive them to attend school, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll, illustrating the challenges President Donald Trump‘s administration faces to win broad support for upending decades of health policy. The six-day poll, which closed on Monday, comes as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has led the U.S. government to drop recommendations for several childhood immunizations and boosted federal support for states providing exemptions to vaccine mandates, such as for school attendance.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kX6nC8

MORE: Via The Hill, VERBATIM: “Survey respondents were asked if they agreed with a statement saying, ‘children in the United States today are given too many vaccines they do not actually need.’ Eighty-one percent of Democrats disagreed with the response, as did 44 percent of Republicans. However, 55 percent of Republicans agreed with the statement, per the poll results.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kXMZoB

TRUMP: Via CNN, VERBATIM: “President Donald Trump won the 2024 presidential race after his initial opponent, then-President Joe Biden, withdrew over worries about his age and mental sharpness. But a year-plus into Trump’s four-year term, polls suggest the American people aren’t just increasingly unhappy with his job performance; they’re increasingly concerned about his mental capacity as well. The unease is not at the levels it was with Biden, who was 81 when he dropped out of the race, but it’s growing as an issue for the 79-year-old Trump.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3OKtMe7

Subscribe now

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

HEALTH IN MINNESOTA

FLU: In its weekly update released this morning, the Minnesota Department of Health reports 176 adult and two pediatric flu-related deaths with 4,797 hospitalizations, 245 school outbreaks, and 106 long-term care outbreaks. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3Y10bib

WASTEWATER: Via Mankato Free Press, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Department of Health is now publishing weekly wastewater monitoring data for COVID-19, influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, on its website, adding a new public dashboard that officials say can help track disease trends across the state. The data, previously hosted by the University of Minnesota, now appears on the health department’s website and as of Feb. 12 will be updated by 11 a.m. each week, alongside statewide respiratory illness reports.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4chMQdx

SALES TAX: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s largest level-one trauma hospital is in need of a transfusion of money. Leaders with Hennepin Healthcare and Hennepin County went before a Senate Committee Tuesday to ask the state to approve a one cent sales tax for Hennepin County that they say could cover the cost.” QUOTE: “It’s a source of revenue that’s stable,” says Hennepin County Commissioner Angela Conley. “We can’t rely on property taxes to do it. In fact, we wouldn’t be able to levy high enough to do it, and we can’t put that burden on the backs of property taxpayers. So we are very limited in the amount of revenue or income that comes in.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/401NQev

VACCINES: Via Senate DFL Media, VERBATIM: “In response to escalating federal attacks on vaccine science and deep cuts to our national health infrastructure, Senator Matt Klein, M.D. (DFL – Mendota Heights), has introduced legislation to establish a Minnesota Science-Based Vaccine Advisory Council to ensure access to lifesaving immunizations and protect public health in Minnesota. The proposal comes amid ongoing vaccine misinformation campaigns led by U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and sweeping changes at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that have raised alarms for healthcare providers and state leaders across the country.” Bill: https://fluence-media.co/3OzdzZm

SUICIDES: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “In the wake of several suicides of noteworthy people, including former Minnesota Viking Rondale Moore, the daughter of actor/comedian Martin Short, and actor Robert Carradine, mental health providers are using this time to educate, and hopefully prevent it from happening. However, suicide can be hard to talk about. ‘There’s so much shame and taboo and stigma around suicide that people don’t talk about it,’ says David Goehl-Manolis, who is the NAMI Minnesota Suicide Prevention Coordinator.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4l0v5BQ

DC + HEALTH

DEMS’ PLAN: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “Democrats are eyeing aggressive oversight of controversial Trump administration moves on vaccines, Medicaid cuts and drug pricing if they flip control of one or both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections. Why it matters: If Democrats win the House, they would have much greater ability to investigate the Trump administration and its dealings with the health care industry, including through the use of subpoenas.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4s8wF6T

SOTU: Via NPR, VERBATIM: “President Trump said last month that he wants to ‘make health care into a Republican issue’ heading into the midterm elections. But his remarks at Tuesday’s State of the Union skipped over many health-related topics he has previously highlighted, from abortion restrictions to medical breakthroughs. ‘It just was not a health care speech by any stretch of the imagination,’ says Katie Keith, director for the Center for Health Policy and the Law at Georgetown Law. The White House defended the attention paid to health topics in Trump’s remarks. In a statement to NPR, spokesman Kush Desai wrote that Trump ‘extensively talked about his health care agenda” and added that “health care affordability and the broader MAHA agenda were and remain top priorities for the entire Administration.’” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4aYmpHH

NOMINEE: Via NPR, VERBATIM: “President Trump’s surgeon general nominee Dr. Casey Means testified before Senate committee on Wednesday in her bid to be confirmed as the nation’s top doctor. The hearing was a long time coming for Means — a wellness influencer, entrepreneur and author — who had to delay the confirmation hearing in late October because she was pregnant and went into labor. During her testimony, Means praised Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.‘s leadership and echoed many of the talking points of his ‘Make America Healthy Again’ agenda, while sidestepping pointed questions about the administration’s controversial actions on vaccines and other issues.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/40wBYkR

INNOVATION

NEXTGEN: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “Northwest Technical College in Bemidji is pumping up a new cardiac sonography degree program for their students to learn all about the heart. Last Thursday, the college held an information night to show prospective students what they can expect. ‘[We’re giving] information, a little hands-on to see what what one of the sonography machines looks like and what it would feel like to to run that machine,’ explained NTC Dean of Allied Health Nicholle Bieberdorf. The program will start this fall and is being run in partnership with Sanford Health of Bemidji. It was created just as much to become a space for prospective students to learn as it was to help out the local struggling health care community.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4aSpskx

BP: Via MDH, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is calling on Minnesotans to use this February, American Heart Month, to start regularly monitoring their blood pressure. High blood pressure is often called the ‘silent killer’ because many remain unaware of their condition until serious complications arise. About 1 in 3, or almost 1.4 million, Minnesotans report having high blood pressure.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46xr0z8

NALOXONE: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Expanded access to naloxone (brand name Narcan), the opioid overdose reversal medication, is making a difference in Minnesota. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the state saw a significant decline in opioid overdose deaths in 2024 and 2025, with naloxone playing a critical role in this positive trend. Access is key, according to Allie Carey, director of programs at the Steve Rummler Hope Network, headquartered in St. Paul and serving Washington County.” CAREY: “We want to make sure naloxone is in the spaces where life is happening. So, we want libraries, we want businesses, we want coffee shops and restaurants. We want places where people are going to feel comfortable accessing this resource.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4aRTZPd

LIST: Mayo Clinic tops Newsweek’s list of the World’s Best Hospitals. It’s the only Minnesota hospital in the top 250. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3OC5wuK

CANADA: Via KFF Health News, VERBATIM: “Last month, Justin and Amy Miller packed their vehicles with three kids, two dogs, a pet bearded dragon, and whatever belongings they could fit, then drove 2,000 miles from Wisconsin to British Columbia to leave President Donald Trump’s America . . . The Millers are part of a new surge of American nurses, doctors, and other health care workers moving to Canada, and specifically British Columbia, where more than 1,000 U.S.-trained nurses have been approved to work since April. As the Trump administration enacts increasingly authoritarian policies and decimates funding for public health, insurance, and medical research, many nurses have felt the draw of Canada’s progressive politics, friendly reputation, and universal health care system.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rCAvVY

PFAS: Via CNN, VERBATIM: “The ‘forever chemicals’ known as PFAS appear to be aging men faster in their 50s and early 60s, a new study found. Called forever chemicals due to the years it takes for them to break down, perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances are present in the blood of an estimated 98% of Americans, according to the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Epigenetic aging — a measurement of one’s biological age instead of chronological age — was most advanced in men, according to the study.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3ZUQmDk

STUDY: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “A multi-institutional study led by Mayo Clinic and published in Cell Reports Medicine reports that pairing a next-generation immunotherapy with standard hormone therapy before surgery may help overcome a long-standing barrier in early-stage prostate cancer treatment.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40yzAtQ

TRAUX: Via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “Truax Patient Services, a Bemidji-based privately held pharmacy, underwent a transition of leadership in October following a majority acquisition by a group of investors. Chris Knutson, previously the co-founder of the Edina-based TeamGenius tech startup, took over as CEO.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4b1zqQO

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

BLOBS: Via Scripps Research Institute, VERBATIM: “Biomolecular condensates were long believed to be simple liquid blobs inside cells. Researchers have now uncovered that some are actually supported by fine protein filaments forming an internal scaffold. When this structure is disrupted, cells fail to grow and divide properly. The discovery suggests scientists may one day design drugs that target condensate architecture to fight cancer and neurodegenerative disease.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aS3r59

OATMEAL: Via University of Bonn, VERBATIM: “Eating nothing but oatmeal for just two days might sound extreme, but it delivered a striking payoff in a new clinical trial. People with metabolic syndrome who followed a short, calorie-reduced oat-based plan saw their harmful LDL cholesterol drop by 10%, along with modest weight loss and lower blood pressure. Even more surprising, the cholesterol benefits were still visible six weeks later.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qXS3ec

health take | POLL: Health Benefits of Pets

Mike Maybay — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 21:30:27 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

PETS: Via University of Michigan, VERBATIM: “In September 2025, the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging asked a national sample of adults age 50 and older about their pets, perceived benefits and challenges of having a pet, and reasons for not having a pet.”

“This poll shows that pets can offer older adults meaningful health and well-being benefits, including social connection and a sense of purpose. Having a pet in one’s life can also encourage physical activity and reduce stress. However, having a pet also requires time, flexibility, and financial resources; personal preferences and cost were older adults’ main reasons for not wanting a pet.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3MMDfAY

TRUMP: Via Reuters, VERBATIM: “Six in ten Americans, including a significant slice of Republicans, think President Donald Trump has become erratic as he ages, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll. The six-day poll concluded on Monday, the day before the ‌79-year-old president gives his annual State of the Union address to Congress following a month of angry reprimands of lawmakers and judges. Overall, ‌61% of respondents in the poll said they would describe Trump as having ‘become erratic with age.’ Some 89% of Democrats, 30% of Republicans and 64% of independents described him this way.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40utJpm

CDC: Via Forbes, VERBATIM: “Are Americans now seeing more ‘quacks’ in the walls of the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention? Well, a January 2026 KFF poll found that now less than half of Americans—only 47 percent—actually trust the CDC. This is down from 63 percent in September 2023, 58 percent in March 2025 and 50 percent in September 2025. Basically, trust in the agency that’s supposed to be protecting the health and public health of the U.S. went really down dog in 2025. Now, before you write this off as simply some kind of partisan divide, realize that it’s not as if trust in the CDC is currently high among either Democrats or Republicans.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3OvlgzK

Subscribe now

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

HEALTH POLICY

FIRST RESPONDERS: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Minnesota legislators want to make sure first responders don’t run afoul of a gift ban for public officials just for accessing mental health resources. A bill that would explicitly allow first responders to access donated health and wellness resources received bipartisan support Monday in the House Elections Finance and Government Operations Committee. Republican Rep. Bidal Duran of Bemidji, a veteran and former law enforcement officer, is the bill’s sponsor.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ccKlt2

TASK FORCE: Via MedPage Today, VERBATIM: “HHS could completely eliminate the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) or delegitimize the independent body like it did with CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), two original USPSTF members warned . . . The task force has been around since 1984 and is made up of volunteer experts who review evidence and provide evidence-based recommendations on screening and other preventive care. By law, recommendations that garner an A or B grade -- such as colorectal or breast cancer screenings -- must be covered by insurers without any cost sharing for patients.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3N3lptH

CDC: Via Stat, VERBATIM: “The drama and chaos surrounding the leadership of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have taken another twist, with the announcement Monday that the agency’s No. 2 official, Ralph Abraham, has resigned. A statement posted to the CDC’s website said Abraham, a former Louisiana surgeon general who was sworn in as the agency’s deputy secretary general only 2 1/2 months ago, stepped down to address ‘unforeseen family obligations.’ The resignation is effective immediately.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qYlD3p

VACCINE: Via UofM CIDRAP, VERBATIM: “Moderna announced late last week that its mRNA combined seasonal flu and COVID-19 vaccine proved robust and produced a durable immune response in a small, mid-stage trial. There were also no serious safety concerns.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qSRmTe

MEASLES: Via KFF Health News, VERBATIM: “As U.S. hospitals face an increasing risk of encountering measles, and pressure to immediately spot it, health care workers face an unusual barrier: Many don’t know what it looks like. ‘There’s a word, ‘morbilliform’ — it means measles-like, and there are lots of viruses that can cause a rash that looks like a measles rash in children,’ said Theresa Flynn, a pediatrician in Raleigh and the president of the North Carolina Pediatric Society. In 30 years in health care, she’s never seen a measles case, she said. North Carolina has reported more than 20 cases since mid-December, and more than 3,000 people nationwide have been infected since the beginning of 2025.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3ZRqyYP

BIPOLAR: Via MedPage Today, VERBATIM: “The FDA approved milsaperidone (Bysanti) tablets as first-line therapy for adults with schizophrenia and manic or mixed episodes related to bipolar I disorder, Vanda Pharmaceuticals announced on Friday. Milsaperidone is an active metabolite of Vanda’s existing drug iloperidone (Fanapt) and represents a new chemical entity in the atypical antipsychotic class. In clinical research, milsaperidone was bioequivalent to iloperidone across all therapeutic doses, Vanda said.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rDOwD0

RARE: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “Federal health officials on Monday laid out a proposal to spur development of customized treatments for patients with hard-to-treat diseases, including for rare genetic conditions that the pharmaceutical industry has long considered unprofitable. The preliminary Food and Drug Administration guidelines, if implemented, would create a new pathway for bespoke therapies that have only been tested in a handful of patients due to the challenges of conducting larger studies. The FDA announcement specifically mentions gene editing, although agency officials said the new approach could also be used by other drugs and therapies.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cS0NPs

INNOVATION

STUDY: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “The brain may inadvertently ‘learn’ to have seizures by treating them like important memories to be stored, according to new research from Mayo Clinic. The study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, found that after a seizure, the brain enters a deep sleep state that mimics memory storage — and that this effect can persist into the following night’s sleep. In effect, this ‘saves’ the seizure’s path like a normal memory, strengthening the disease.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kQK2WV

HEART: Via Innovaccer, VERBATIM: “Innovaccer Inc., a leading healthcare AI company, today announced a strategic partnership with Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute’s Center for Healthcare Delivery Innovation to expand access to guideline-directed heart failure management across Minnesota and western Wisconsin. By using Story Health, Innovaccer’s virtual specialty care and patient monitoring platform, Allina Health Minneapolis Heart Institute will extend continuous Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy (GDMT) optimization into patients’ homes, making specialty cardiology care more accessible and more responsive than traditional clinic-based models.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3MWRROp

DATA: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Mayo Clinic announced today that researchers and solutions developers now have access to decades of high-level, de-identified data from Mercy through Mayo Clinic Platform’s secure, privacy-preserving infrastructure. Mercy, one of the 15 largest health systems in the U.S., has 55 acute care and specialty hospitals in both urban and rural communities in the Midwest. Through Mayo Clinic Platform, researchers, data scientists and innovators can now analyze larger, more diverse patient populations from both Mayo Clinic and Mercy to explore new ways to diagnose, treat and prevent diseases.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46UIp4O

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

TUMORS: Via University of Waterloo, VERBATIM: “Researchers are engineering bacteria to invade tumors and consume them from the inside. Because tumor cores lack oxygen, they’re the perfect breeding ground for these microbes. The team added a genetic tweak that helps the bacteria survive longer near oxygen-exposed edges — but only once enough of them are present to trigger the change. It’s a carefully programmed biological attack that could one day offer a new way to destroy cancer.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40ue1uq

ALZHEIMER’S: Via USC, VERBATIM: “Subtle changes in brain blood flow and oxygen use are closely linked to hallmark signs of Alzheimer’s, including amyloid plaques and memory-related brain shrinkage. Simple, noninvasive scans may one day help spot risk earlier—by looking at the brain’s vascular health, not just its plaques.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Owe1Yh

health take | Prenatal Care Declines

Mike Maybay — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 21:30:44 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

HEART: Via Talker Research, VERBATIM: “Older Americans over age 65 aren’t talking about heart valve health with their doctors — despite many receiving a new health diagnosis in the last year, according to a new national study. The survey of 5,000 Americans who are 65+ from all 50 states also uncovered that nearly nine in ten seniors (89%) believe regular heart health screenings are important as they age, but 84% have never talked with their doctor about getting screened for severe aortic stenosis, also known as heart valve failure.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cCfohS

VACCINATION: Via Michigan Advance, VERBATIM: “In a survey of 2,964 adults over 50, 49% of individuals told the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging that it’d been more than a year since their last dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while 15% never received the vaccine. When asked why they hadn’t received an updated dose, the most common reason people gave was that they did not think they needed an updated dose. Jeffrey Kullgren, a primary care physician at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System and the poll’s director, told Michigan Advance that while it’s good news that many older adults have been recently vaccinated against COVID-19 and influenza, many of the answers from individuals on why they didn’t receive the vaccine were in conflict with public health guidances.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qQVVh9

Subscribe now

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

HEALTH IN MINNESOTA

FLU: In its weekly update out today, the Minnesota Department of Health reports 167 adult flu-related deaths, 4,594 hospitalizations, 240 school outbreaks, and 99 long-term care outbreaks. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3Y10bib

INSURANCE COSTS: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “Health insurance costs ate up almost 9% of the median family income in Minnesota in 2024, according to a new analysis. Why it matters: The findings show how tough it can be to afford health care, even with insurance. Zoom in: The state-by-state breakdown of federal data by the Commonwealth Fund looked at how much people spent on premiums and deductibles before insurance starts to pay for medical services.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46XdOn6

ENROLLMENT: Via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “Enrollment closed Jan. 15, and, according to MNsure, 139,251 Minnesotans signed up, an 8% drop compared with 2025. Given the eye-popping increase in monthly premiums, this 8% dip seems modest. But the decline does not account for tens of thousands Minnesotans who signed up for a less encompassing plan. Plus, it is too early to know how many people will lose coverage for not making premium payments.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rXOu8H

NEXTGEN: Via Minnesota Hospital Association, VERBATIM: “Hundreds of students from across Minnesota were eager to explore careers in health care this week when they joined The Minnesota Hospital Foundation’s (MHF) inaugural Health Care Virtual Career Day on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026. The event was designed for students, classrooms, and individuals interested in learning more about the wide range of career opportunities available in a hospital. The strong turnout highlights the growing interest in health care professions and the value of accessible, career-focused programming.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tEP1hr

As Minnesota Legislators return to the Capitol, patients need their elected officials to support rural hospitals: Rural health care today is facing tremendous challenges, from treating older and sicker patients to navigating declining reimbursement and workforce shortages. But for people in rural Minnesota, having access to an urgent care clinic, cancer or preventative care in town is a lifeline. As the Minnesota legislature returns to the Capitol, patients need legislators to support policies that keep hospital doors open and healthcare accessible in greater Minnesota. Statewide, 18 hospitals are at risk of closing and 7 are at immediate risk of closing in the next 2-3 years. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4kMcEko (SPONSORED: Essentia Health)

NATIONAL HEALTH ISSUES

PRENATAL CARE: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “Early prenatal care improves the chances of having a healthy pregnancy and baby. But a new federal report shows it’s been on the decline. The share of U.S. births to women who began prenatal care in the first trimester dropped from 78.3% in 2021 to 75.5% in 2024, according to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday. Meanwhile, starting care later in pregnancy or getting no care at all has been on the rise.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4s5C8vr

ROUNDUP: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “President Trump issued an executive order late Wednesday aimed at spurring the domestic production of glyphosate, a widely used weedkiller that has figured in health lawsuits. The move immediately set off alarms among supporters of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s ‘Make America Healthy Again’ movement, and appeared to put Mr. Kennedy in an awkward position.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aLAhF7

ANTIBIOTICS: Via Stat, VERBATIM: “In a bid to mitigate antibiotic resistance, the Food and Drug Administration has released guidance for drugmakers to define how long medically important antibiotics should be used in food-producing animals. But critics argue the effort fails to consider the impact on human health. The guidance, which was published last week by the FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine, offers recommendations to drug companies for adding ‘duration limits’ to medically important antibiotics that are given to livestock for approved uses but do not currently have any specific timelines.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aseSlm

SOCIAL MEDIA: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday was grilled for past statements about his company’s role in child safety and knowledge of alleged harms. Why it matters: This is the first time Zuckerberg has faced a jury in a courtroom alongside families who say that Meta’s products harmed their children. This test case could determine the outcome of more than 1,500 other pending social media addiction cases that were consolidated from parents and school districts.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3MQ58Iw

NEW DRUGS: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “The Food and Drug Administration plans to drop its longtime standard of requiring two rigorous studies to win approval for new drugs, the latest change from Trump administration officials vowing to speed up the availability of certain medical products. Going forward, the FDA’s ‘default position’ will be to require one study for new drugs and other novel health products, FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary and a top deputy, Dr. Vinay Prasad, wrote in a New England Journal of Medicine piece published Wednesday.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qHiWmn

FLU VACCINE: Via Stat, VERBATIM: “The Food and Drug Administration reversed course and told Moderna it would review its application for a new flu vaccine, the company announced Wednesday. The agency told Moderna earlier this month that it would not review the submission because of a dispute over the design of a clinical trial, sparking an industry backlash and raising questions about broader decision-making at the FDA. The decision was made by top agency official Vinay Prasad, who STAT previously reported had overruled career scientists in the vaccine center.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tKS8ob

NIH: Via The Wall Street Journal, VERBATIM: “National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya will step in as acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people familiar with the matter said, the latest move by the Trump administration to steady the leadership ranks at the Department of Health and Human Services. The White House and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. last week installed a new No. 2 at HHS and removed Jim O’Neill, who had been running much of the department’s day-to-day operations. White House and health officials are attempting to make Kennedy’s department avoid mistakes and run more smoothly ahead of this year’s midterm elections, The Wall Street Journal previously reported.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qW69Nm

INNOVATION

STUDY: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Mayo Clinic researchers and collaborators have identified a previously unrecognized way lung tumors weaken the immune system, helping explain why many patients do not respond to immunotherapy and pointing to a potential new approach to make those treatments more effective. The study, published in Cancer Immunology Research, focuses on regulatory T cells, immune cells that normally keep the immune system from becoming overactive. In lung cancer, researchers found these same cells can be redirected to protect the tumor instead of the body.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aHXt7a

AI: Via Merck & Mayo, VERBATIM: “Merck (NYSE: MRK), known as MSD outside of the U.S. and Canada, and Mayo Clinic, the world’s top-ranked hospital system, today announced a research and development agreement to apply artificial intelligence (AI), advanced analytics and multimodal clinical data to support drug discovery and development. The agreement integrates Mayo Clinic’s Platform architecture as well as clinical and genomic datasets with Merck’s ambition to harness AI-enabled virtual cell technologies to enhance disease understanding, improve target identification and drive early development decisions.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3OhFxZw

PASH: Via Minnesota Monthly, VERBATIM: “Before she became a nationwide force in mental health care, Erin Pash was the kid in the middle—literally, the middle child—who instinctively understood that everyone carries something unseen. That quiet empathy set her on a path from child psychology student to licensed marriage and family therapist, and ultimately, to co-founder of Ellie Mental Health: a model of care that made therapy feel less clinical and more human through approachable design, accessible services, and a hybrid business structure that empowered both clients and clinicians.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3OCBiaV

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

VISION: Via State University of New York, VERBATIM: “Myopia is skyrocketing around the world, often blamed on endless screen time — but new research suggests the real culprit may be something more subtle. Scientists at SUNY College of Optometry propose that it’s not just devices, but the combination of prolonged close-up focus and dim indoor lighting that may quietly strain the eyes. When we concentrate on nearby objects in low light, our pupils constrict in a way that may reduce how much light reaches the retina, potentially triggering changes that lead to nearsightedness.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rKxGm9

INFLAMMATION: Via University College London, VERBATIM: “A new human study has uncovered how the body naturally turns off inflammation. Researchers found that fat-derived molecules called epoxy-oxylipins rein in immune cells that can otherwise drive chronic disease. Using a drug to boost these molecules reduced pain faster and lowered harmful inflammatory cells. The discovery could pave the way for safer treatments for arthritis, heart disease, and other inflammation-related conditions.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3ZLt56F