POWERS: From UCare via Facebook, VERBATIM: “UCare members have superpowers. Learn about Carl's power of reinvention.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4f2ivyU (SPONSORED: UCare)
All Fluence tipsheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:
ABORTION: Via AP-NORC, VERBATIM: “The latest AP-NORC poll indicates continued support for legal access to abortion in all or most cases. Support hasn’t shifted much since the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision overturning the constitutional right to abortion. While large majorities support legal abortion in some relatively rare circumstances, opinion is more divided over other post-Dobbs considerations including shield laws for health care providers, protecting access for pregnant people to obtain an abortion out of state, and the ability of doctors to prescribe and mail abortion pills from states where abortion is legal to patients in states where it is banned.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lNQbmD
POLL: Via KFF, VERBATIM: “Following passage of the tax and budget reconciliation bill, dubbed the “big beautiful bill” by President Trump and Republicans, public attention to the bill has increased. Two-thirds now say they’ve heard ‘a lot’ or ‘some’ about the legislation, up from half who said so in June. Overall views remain largely negative, with about two-thirds (63%) continuing to hold unfavorable views of the legislation – which is similar to the share who said the same last month before the legislation passed. Despite this stability in overall views, partisan divides have widened, with the share of Republicans expressing favorable views increasing from 61% to 78% and the share of Democrats expressing unfavorable views rising from 85% to 94%.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3TYz2u7
MORE: Via News From The States, VERBATIM: “People enrolled in Medicaid, the state-federal health program for lower income individuals and people with disabilities, have significant concerns about how changes to the program will impact them. Sixty-five percent of Medicaid patients under the age of 65 said they expect the law to hurt them or their family. Another 17% said it won’t make much of a difference for them and 18% expect the policy changes to help.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3IIQe4q
AI: Via University of Michigan, VERBATIM: “In February 2025, the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging asked a national sample of adults age 50 and older about their experiences with and views on AI technologies.”
“Overall, 35% of people age 50 and older reported interest in using AI in their day-to-day lives. Older adults who rated their physical health as fair or poor were less likely than those who rated their physical health as good to excellent to express interest in using AI in their day-to-day lives (29% fair or poor physical health vs. 36% good to excellent physical health).” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3H2UsDo
WORKFORCE: Via HIPAA Journal, VERBATIM: “A recent survey by The Harris Poll has revealed that three out of five (59%) healthcare workers are concerned about safety in the workplace, and almost two out of five healthcare workers have considered leaving their employment due to safety concerns as incidents of violence in the workplace increase.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3UvolPQ
Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3KsuDrZ
AIR: Via Sahan Journal, VERBATIM: “More air quality alerts are likely on the horizon for Minnesota this summer and into the future as wildfires become larger and more frequent due to warmer weather and drier conditions, state officials say. ‘Right now, they’ve [Canadian wildfires] quieted down a little bit, but likely in the next week or two, they might ramp back up again, and we may see continued smoke impacts through the summer,’ said David Brown, an environmental meteorologist with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency. Wildfire smoke from Minnesota’s neighbor to the north has been drifting into the state this summer as numerous fires continue to burn across Canada.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4o3SoMd
MORE: Via MPCA, a map showing current air quality conditions. MAP: https://fluence-media.co/3Clysh2
MORE: Via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “But in some parts of the state, under all that smoke is a more permanent threat to air quality — toxic chemicals released into the air by manufacturing or mining processes. Areas surrounding St. Cloud and northwest of the city, as well as southern parts of the state around Albert Lea, have some of the highest rates of air toxins in the entire nation, according to EJScreen, a mapping tool previously maintained by the EPA and now run by nonprofit Public Environmental Data Partners.” READ/MAPS: https://fluence-media.co/4mbfKxy
BEACHES: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “On a quiet, summer day, Laurie Hammerschmidt and her dog Daisy, a 5-year-old boxer, take their routine walk around the shore of Sleepy Eye Lake . . . Since Daisy doesn’t swim, Hammerschmidt isn’t worried about her jumping into the lake. But, she is concerned about the water quality, because it recently looked — scuzzy . . . The slime Hammerschmidt describes is a toxic blue-green algal bloom, which forced the city of Sleepy Eye to close the beach for about 10 days. Other lakes and beaches across Minnesota have been closed this summer, too, as hotter and wetter weather appears to be making these potentially dangerous algal blooms more frequent.” LISTEN/PHOTOS: https://fluence-media.co/4on3R9Z
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)
SEPTEMBER: Via news release from Heart Failure Society of America, VERBATIM: “The Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) is marking 30 years of leadership in heart failure care with a dynamic celebration at the HFSA Annual Scientific Meeting 2025, taking place September 26–29 in Minneapolis, MN. At the heart of the event is a special Saturday Plenary Session that will trace HFSA's origins, spotlight its present-day influence, and showcase the forward-thinking ideas and experts shaping the next era of heart failure science and care.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4f5xesV
MENTAL HEALTH: Via Stateline, VERBATIM: “Across the nation, Medicaid is the single largest payer for mental health care, and in rural America, residents disproportionately rely on the public insurance program. But Medicaid cuts in the massive tax and spending bill signed into law earlier this month will worsen mental health disparities in those communities, experts say, as patients lose coverage and rural health centers are unable to remain open amid a loss of funds. ‘The context to begin with is, even with no Medicaid cuts, the access to mental health services in rural communities is spotty at best, just very spotty at best — and in many communities, there’s literally no care,’ said Ron Manderscheid, former executive director of the National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lIK02W
ART: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Artist Rocky Casillas Aguirre has created a mental health universe populated by a ragtag cast of characters . . . The exhibition is inspired by Casillas Aguirre’s own challenges with mental health. When the pandemic hit, he began to struggle with anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia and hallucinations. ‘I didn’t grow up talking about mental health at home, so I didn’t have any resources or tools that I could lean on,’ he says. He saw doctors and therapists, and started meditating and drawing.” LISTEN/PHOTOS: https://fluence-media.co/3UsXxjf
HEALTHCARE: Via Roll Call, VERBATIM: “Senate Republicans say they are working on a bipartisan health package to lower drug and health insurance costs, a development that’s news to some Democrats who remain skeptical that their GOP colleagues will work with them. Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., is leading the talks, with a particular focus on more transparency from pharmacy benefit managers, so-called upcoding practices in Medicare Advantage and other health items.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3GYNjnI
REPORT: Via Minneapolis and Washington, DC-based United States of Care, VERBATIM: “USofCare partnered with the Brown University Center for Advancing Health Policy through Research (CAHPR) to evaluate the impact three different policies would have on consumer premiums and out-of-pocket costs in 3 states (Indiana, Massachusetts, and North Carolina). We also analyzed the impact these policies would have on hospital financial health.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4nZX4CF
VACCINES: Via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “Mahdi Warsama didn’t live in Minneapolis when Andrew Wakefield, former doctor and prominent vaccine critic, shared his message with the city’s Somali community in 2008 and 2011. But Warsama still deals with the consequences. ‘It comes up every time we give a speech [or] we go to a gathering,’ said Warsama, CEO of the Somali Autism Parent Network. Inevitably, he said, someone mentions the debunked link between vaccines and autism. ‘As an organization, we have to respond.’ As communities around the U.S. deal with a 33-year high in measles cases, Warsama said SPAN is considering a more proactive approach to addressing the benefits of vaccination.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40AmiO9
MEASLES: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “First Alert at Four anchor Ryan Haff, spoke with Dr. Susan Kline, a professor and infectious disease physician at the University of Minnesota Medical School, about the comeback and outbreaks of measles. She said that two main causes are impacting these new numbers in cases. One is the vaccination rate in the United States and the other is travel-related cases.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3UvuDio
FLU: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Tuesday formally rescinded federal recommendations for all flu vaccines containing thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative that the anti-vaccine movement has falsely linked to autism. The decision cements a move last month by vaccine advisers whom Mr. Kennedy named to the federal Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices after abruptly firing all 17 previous members.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3IHJYKd
ESSENTIA HEALTH INVESTS IN TWIN PORTS NURSES: Total payroll for Essentia Health Duluth-Superior nurses is $164 million, with $53 million paid in salary increases over the past 3 years. Essentia Health has also increased clinical support staff by 10% over the past 3 years, providing additional support for those nurses. Over half of Duluth area nurses have been with us for over 5 years and enjoy exceptional work-life balance. To join our team at Essentia Health, search for openings HERE: https://fluence-media.co/3FzLe0i (SPONSORED: Essentia Health)
CHEMICALS: Via MDH, VERBATIM: “From lead in toys to mercury in skin-lightening products to formaldehyde in laundry detergent, many consumer products sold in Minnesota contain chemicals that can harm people’s health. The 2025 Minnesota Chemicals of High Concern Report contains an updated list of these chemicals along with examples of how the Toxic Free Kids Program at the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) is working to protect people, especially children, from negative health effects.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3TWEaPn
U OF M: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “The University of Minnesota is launching a new institute focused on identifying and responding to infectious diseases. The new effort comes at a critical time, said University of Minnesota Institute on Infectious Diseases director Michael Gale.” GALE: “The Federal situation has led to many cutbacks, and especially in infectious disease preparedness,” he said. “We’re highly concerned about another epidemic, or even a pandemic developing now in the United States in particular.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3GT2YVE
COVID: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “COVID-19 is rising in prevalence in many states following the July 4 holiday week, but the role of the main therapy to treat it — the antiviral drug Paxlovid — has become less clear. Research studies over the past year found the drug less effective with patients than it was in clinical trials during the race in 2020 and 2021 to find treatments for COVID-19 and slow the global pandemic.” QUOTE: “Data from the original research studies conducted in 2021 among those with their first COVID-19 infection are not valid in extrapolating benefit today in 2025,” said Dr. David Boulware, an infectious disease specialist at the University of Minnesota. He added, “there likely is minimal benefit from antiviral therapy” for people who had previous infections or COVID vaccinations.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fcpfuo
BRAIN: From University of Nottingham via Science Daily, VERBATIM: “Even people who never caught Covid-19 may have aged mentally faster during the pandemic, according to new brain scan research. This large UK study shows how the stress, isolation, and upheaval of lockdowns may have aged our brains, especially in older adults, men, and disadvantaged individuals. While infection itself impacted some thinking skills, even those who stayed virus-free showed signs of accelerated brain aging—possibly reversible.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/45lDgSQ
FRESH15: The latest season of Fresh15 includes interviews with new Minnesota House members. So far, five new members have shared their goals, background and fun facts before they take office in a historic session this January.
Rep. Kari Rehrauer
Rep. Wayne Johnson
Rep. Julie Greene
Rep. Keith Allen
Rep. Peter Johnson
Follow on your favorite podcast platform, or at www.TheDailyAgenda.com/Podcasts. (SPONSORED: Minnesota Telecom Alliance)
AIDS: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “The federal program to combat H.I.V. in developing nations earned a reprieve last week when Congress voted to restore $400 million in funding. But that may be short-lived: Officials at the State Department have been mapping out a plan to shut it down in the coming years. Planning documents for the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, obtained by The New York Times, call for the organization to set a new course that focuses on ‘transitioning’ countries away from U.S. assistance, some in as little as two years.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4o6z68V
TULAREMIA: Via MDH, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the Minnesota Board of Animal Health (BAH) and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) are tracking an increase of tularemia cases in humans and companion animals (especially cats) across Minnesota, including the Twin Cities metro area. Tularemia is a potentially serious illness of animals and people and occurs naturally in Minnesota. It is caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis, which can be found in wildlife, particularly rabbits, squirrels, beavers, muskrats and other rodents.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3ILGzdm
CANCER: Via Newsweek, VERBATIM: “Researchers at the University of Florida are moving closer to developing what they have described as a ‘universal’ cancer vaccine, according to a study published in Nature Biomedical Engineering on July 18. The vaccine would work by ‘waking the immune system up against something that looks dangerous, and then that response spills over to recognize and reject the tumor,’ Dr. Elias Sayour, co-author of the study, director of the Pediatric Cancer Immunotherapy Initiative, and principal investigator at the RNA Engineering Laboratory at the University of Florida, told Newsweek.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3IMwQDv
MAYO: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Lake Regional Health System and Mayo Clinic Platform announced that the health system in Osage Beach, Missouri, has joined the Mayo Clinic Care Network, a select group of independent healthcare providers carefully vetted by Mayo Clinic and granted special access to Mayo's clinical, educational, research and operational knowledge, expertise and resources.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/452uZ4V
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
SPANISH FLU: From University of Zurich via Science Daily, VERBATIM: “Scientists in Switzerland have cracked open a century-old viral mystery by decoding the genome of the 1918 influenza virus from a preserved Zurich patient. This ancient RNA revealed that the virus had already adapted to humans at the very start of the pandemic, carrying mutations that made it both more infectious and more immune-resistant. By pioneering a new method to recover fragile RNA from preserved tissue, researchers gained rare insights into how flu viruses evolve.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4m49pUw
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