MARKET: From UCare via Instagram, VERBATIM: “UCare employees have a heart for #communityservice and #volunteering. They recently lent their #peoplepower to Keystone Community Services Friday Free Farmer's Market drive-through food distribution at Roseville Covenant Church. Visitors got their fair share of fresh fruit and veggies. Good food = good health.” POST: https://fluence-media.co/4etqHYV (SPONSORED: UCare)
All Fluence tipsheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:
POLL: Via news release from Americans for a Balanced Budget, VERBATIM: “Americans for a Balanced Budget released the findings of a national survey of 1,200 likely voters Wednesday. The poll, conducted by John McLaughlin of McLaughlin & Associates, found overwhelming opposition, from across the political spectrum, to misguided and excessive government mandates and regulatory red tape targeting the individual health care marketplace included in the version of the Big Beautiful Bill (H.R.1) passed by the U.S. House.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4nz17G0
HOSPITALS: Via news release from Black Book Research, VERBATIM: “As the Senate advances the amended ‘One Big Beautiful Bill,’ granting critical Medicaid relief exclusively to rural hospitals, urban safety-net hospitals are left facing significant financial peril, according to a flash poll by independent research firm Black Book Research. The survey, conducted June 25-28, 2025, gathered urgent perspectives from twelve senior executives at major urban hospitals averaging 440 beds and a Medicaid payer mix of 67%. Respondents included leaders in finance, clinical operations, and health IT . . . All respondents anticipate serious financial harm from pending Medicaid funding cuts. Additonally, every executive reported that their state has no viable contingency plan to address the shortfall from reduced federal Medicaid matching funds.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4nuVlVA
Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3KsuDrZ
NURSES: Via Essentia Health, VERBATIM: “Our top priority in everything we do is to improve the safety and well-being of the patients and communities we’re privileged to serve. Our nurses are an integral part of that commitment. That’s why we are working hard to come to agreement on a contract with our Twin Ports nursing colleagues represented ty the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA). We have an opportunity to work together to reach an agreement that recognizes the exceptional work Essentia nurses do and setsour entire team up to continue serving rural communities across Northern Minnesota.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/3ZXk62M (SPONSORED: Essentia Health)
BILL: Via CBS News, VERBATIM: “The Senate narrowly passed President Trump's massive tax and spending bill Tuesday after a marathon series of amendment votes that stretched more than 24 hours, delivering a major victory for the president and bringing the signature piece of legislation of his second term one step closer to his desk. The measure passed in a 51 to 50 vote, with all but three Republicans supporting the bill. Vice President JD Vance cast the tie-breaking vote. GOP Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Susan Collins of Maine joined all Democrats in voting against the bill.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3G7RxZU
MORE: Via The Hill, VERBATIM: “Almost 12 million lower-income Americans would lose their health insurance by 2034, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). It still needs to pass the House again, where some moderate Republicans have expressed concerns about the cuts. The CBO was still analyzing the bill after it was released late Friday, and many last-minute changes meant a more exact forecast on coverage losses wasn’t possible before the Senate rushed to vote on it. President Trump and most congressional Republicans say the reductions aren’t true cuts. They argue nobody who should be on Medicaid will lose benefits.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46tD1pM
MORE: Via Politico, VERBATIM: “The Senate rejected a bid by Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) to raise taxes on the ultra-wealthy and boost money for rural medical providers in the GOP’s megabill. The chamber voted 78-22 against a procedural motion related to her amendment, which would have increased a rural hospital fund from $25 billion over five years to $50 billion and allowed a wider range of health providers to tap it. The amendment also would have raised the top tax rates for individuals who earn more than $25 million a year and couples earning more than $50 million starting next year.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/44tMuuK
REACTION: From Senator Amy Klobuchar via X, VERBATIM: “Republicans in the Senate passed a bill that will increase our debt, take away healthcare, and raise grocery prices — all to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy. This is a betrayal of the American people.” TWEET: https://fluence-media.co/46pl63z
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)
PETS: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Lots of pet owners let their animals sleep on the bed with them, which usually disrupts sleep. But many would say it’s worth it. And researchers don't necessarily disagree. Melissa Milanak, a professor at Medical University of South Carolina specializing in sleep health, said most people at her clinic say their pets disturb them often at night. ‘You can’t say that hands down, it’s bad for every single person, but there is a lot out there saying it negatively impacts your sleep,’ she said.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lFfdE5
VACCINES: Via CNN, VERBATIM: “After recent moves by the US Department of Health and Human Services to restrict the approval and use of some vaccines — and signs that more changes might be coming — some states and private partnerships are scrambling to ensure that vaccines will still be available to those who want them. People familiar with various efforts that are underway described them as necessary but not ideal.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3I7hFEE
GUNS: Via Stateline, VERBATIM: “More people in the United States died by gun suicide in 2023 than any year on record — more than by gun homicide, accidental shootings and police shootings combined. A new report analyzing federal mortality data found that suicides involving firearms made up 58% of all gun deaths in 2023 — the latest year with available data. In total, 27,300 people died by gun suicide in 2023, according to the report from the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions and the Johns Hopkins Center for Suicide Prevention.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lrCMzO
USAID: Via NBC News, VERBATIM: “More than 14 million people could die over the next five years because of the Trump administration’s dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development, according to an analysis published Monday in the medical journal The Lancet. Researchers calculated the lifesaving benefits of USAID funding over a 21-year period, then used the data to determine how many lives would be lost without USAID funding in the future.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ev60vp
HISTORY: Via Sahan Journal, VERBATIM: “Mao Vang was a teenage nurse on the night shift at a secret military base in Long Tieng, Laos, when a soldier came into the hospital with a stomach injury. The hospital had seen wave after wave of wounded soldiers — so many that the nurses, some as young as 11, had to fill in for doctors handling the most serious cases . . . As Hmong Americans mark the 50th anniversary of their arrival in the U.S. this year, and honor the contributions of Hmong veterans during the Vietnam War, the role of Hmong girls and young women, who were pressed into service as military nurses, is a less-known chapter.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4l872jw
SUPCT: Via CNN, VERBATIM: “The Supreme Court on Monday tossed aside a handful of lower court rulings that sided with transgender Americans, requiring that judges in those cases revisit their decisions in the wake of a blockbuster ruling this month that upheld a ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth. The justices upended rulings that blocked state policies excluding coverage for gender-affirming care in state-sponsored health insurance plans. The high court also tossed out an appeals court ruling that went against Oklahoma in a challenge to the state’s effort to ban transgender residents from changing the sex designation on their birth certificates. In a loss for the transgender Americans who sued, those decisions will now be reviewed again.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3InmPwi
BIRTH CONTROL: Via KFF Health News, VERBATIM: “For more than a decade, a small team of people at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention worked to do just that, issuing national guidelines for clinicians on how to prescribe contraception safely for millions of women with underlying medical conditions — including heart disease, lupus, sickle cell disease, and obesity. But the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the CDC, fired those workers as part of the Trump administration’s rapid downsizing of the federal workforce. It also decimated the CDC’s larger Division of Reproductive Health, where the team was housed — a move that clinicians, advocacy groups, and fired workers say will endanger the health of women and their babies.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Gvp9AO
CANCER: Via Stat, VERBATIM: “The Department of Health and Human Services will renew funding to states for cancer prevention and tracking efforts, alleviating anxieties among local officials about the future of their work. Over 50 notices had gone out as of Monday, an HHS spokesperson said. The rest of the awards will be sent to states, tribes, and other contractors ‘no later than early next week,’ press secretary Emily Hilliard told STAT in an email.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3GjWS0g
OPIOIDS: Via Department of Human Services, VERBATIM: “New state grants will build on Minnesota’s recent progress in addressing opioid abuse. Grants totaling $15 million will expand services for people suffering from opioid use disorder and make it easier to get help. The Minnesota Department of Human Services will award grants to 23 organizations recommended by the Opioid Epidemic Response Advisory Council. This funding follows several encouraging developments in the fight against opioid abuse.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46nxIbv
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)
MNSURE: Via MNsure, VERBATIM: “Earlier this month, Governor Tim Walz appointed Yusra Arab to MNsure’s Board of Directors. Governor Walz also reappointed Dr. Daniel Trajano to serve a second term representing the areas of health administration, health care finance, health plan purchasing, and health care delivery systems. Both board members’ terms will expire in 2029.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/44rynGb
SPACE: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Mayo Clinic physician and researcher Dr. Abba Zubair’s work combines two passions — medicine and space — for the benefit of astronauts and people on Earth. His research in space is yielding discoveries in cancer, stroke, bone loss and more. In this expert alert, Dr. Zubair answers five questions about his studies in microgravity.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kmpYK5
TRANSPLANTS: From Beyond via Science Daily, VERBATIM: “Scientists have achieved an unprecedented look into how the human immune system attacks a transplanted pig kidney, using spatial molecular imaging to map immune activity down to the cellular level. They discovered early signs of rejection within 10 days and pinpointed key immune players—like macrophages—driving the response. Even more exciting: when targeted therapies were applied, the immune assault weakened. As U.S. clinical trials of pig kidney transplants begin, this breakthrough offers hope for overcoming the immune barrier that has long stood in the way of xenotransplantation.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3I6XPcO
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)
SALUDA: Via news release from Bloomington-based Saluda, VERBATIM: “Saluda Medical, Inc., a pioneer in the development and commercialization of a novel neuromodulation platform designed to transform the lives of patients with chronic neurological conditions, today announced the appointment of Barry Regan as President and Chief Executive Officer effective as of July 14, 2025.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lyGuaY
MOYERS: Via news release from Center City-based Hazelden Betty Ford, VERBATIM: “The Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation expresses deep sorrow at the passing of Bill Moyers, a revered journalist, documentarian, and advocate for public health and social justice. While his exploits as a journalist, public commentator and press secretary to President Lyndon Johnson are well-known across America's cultural landscape, Bill Moyers leaves another legacy that was even more personal and perhaps just as impactful: as an advocate for families affected by addiction.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kC1Y6d
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
LEPROCY: From Max Planck Institute via Science Daily, VERBATIM: “Leprosy’s tale stretches from 5,000-year-old skeletons in Eurasia to a startling 4,000-year-old case in Chile, revealing that the rare strain Mycobacterium lepromatosis haunted the Americas millennia before Europeans arrived. Armed with cutting-edge ancient-DNA sleuthing, scientists have pieced together remarkably well-preserved genomes that challenge the idea of leprosy as purely a colonial import and hint that the disease may have homegrown American roots awaiting confirmation by future finds.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ko0LPI
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