NEXT WEEK: From University YMCA-UofM via Facebook, VERBATIM: “U of MN College Students are invited to join us for Health is Wealth and JJ’s Jab-oree Flu Vacc’s! Thank you to Vaccinate Your Family for their sponsorship, and to UCare for their support of our event. These two partnerships along with Cub Pharm make this colloborative event each year an incredible success!” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4oE6mUq (SPONSORED: UCare)
All Fluence tipsheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:
TIME CHANGE: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “Yes, you’ll get a shot at an extra hour’s sleep. But even with that, it might be one of the most dreaded weekends on the American calendar: the end of daylight saving time. Only 12% of U.S. adults favor the current system of daylight saving time, which has people in most states changing the clocks twice a year, according to a new AP-NORC poll, while 47% are opposed and 40% are neutral.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/47zagqX
POLL: via Yahoo News, VERBATIM: “As the ongoing shutdown of the federal government nears its 30th day, a new Yahoo/YouGov poll shows that nearly twice as many Americans want it to end with Democrats getting their way rather than Republicans. … A majority of Americans (51%) say they would prefer to extend the expiring Obamacare subsidies. Roughly half as many (27%) say they would prefer to end the shutdown without an extension. … Views on how best to end the shutdown defy the usual pattern of partisan polarization. Less than half of Republicans, for instance, say they’d prefer to reopen the government without extending Obamacare subsidies (49%). The rest either say they want the subsidies extended (26%) or that they’re not sure (25%).” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4hDAPzM
MED DEBT: Via Healthcare Dive, VERBATIM: “Voters across political parties agree that insurers are most at fault for medical debt in the U.S., according to a national survey published this week. Sixty-three percent of all respondents blamed insurance companies the most for medical debt, according to the poll by nonprofit Undue Medical Debt. Just 12% blamed pharmaceutical companies the most, and 9% pointed the finger at hospitals.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49u6X6N
Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3KsuDrZ
HEALTHCARE: Via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “Demographics, drug prices and a sunsetting Covid-era federal subsidy, all of which have combined to cause MNsure enrollees’ projected premiums to skyrocket by an average of 57% next year. The period to enroll (or reenroll) in a MNsure plan starts Saturday, Nov. 1, and ends Jan. 15. The much discussed federal subsidy, whose Dec. 31 expiration strikes at the heart of the budget stalemate that led to the federal shutdown, is ‘only part of the answer’ for mind-boggling health insurance hikes, said Jean Abraham, a professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3X8cqZu
NATIONWIDE: Via The Hill, VERBATIM: “The rates, pricing and other data for 2026 Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance plans were publicly posted on the federal Healthcare.gov marketplace on Wednesday, just three days ahead of the start of open enrollment. The health research nonprofit KFF said the average increase in premiums for ACA plans will be 26 percent next year, based on data for ‘benchmark’ silver plans, which are the midtier plans in each region that most people purchase and are used to set the subsidy amounts.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43sbMKj
SHUTDOWN: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “Local lawmakers and residents are speaking out during the government shutdown as the threat of rural clinics and their services being closed looms. On Wednesday, community members gathered near Essentia Health in Duluth to protest the Trump administration’s cuts to healthcare. The rally was hosted by the Minnesota DFL party beginning at 4 p.m. on the corner of 2nd Street and Sixth Avenue. Protesters lined 2nd Street and 6th Avenue with signs voicing their concerns about the federal cuts to health care.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4oDiaGC
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)
PATIENT DATA: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “A federal judge in Seattle has rejected a Justice Department effort to obtain confidential patient information from a provider of gender-affirming care, accusing the agency of ‘prosecutorial coercion’ and of failing to conduct an investigation in good faith. The ruling, filed on Monday, was a scathing rebuke from a federal judge over an extraordinary attempt by the Justice Department to secure personal data in service of what it said was a bid to determine whether certain providers had committed fraud or made false claims about its services.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3WzxM1Q
HOSPITAL FINDER: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “HealthLocator, a new, free digital tool, launches today to help patients and families find hospitals that consistently provide high-quality care. HealthLocator gathers national quality data into a single, easy-to-navigate tool that allows users to search by city, specialty, or hospital. With just a few clicks, people can compare hospitals based on performance and make more informed choices about their care.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4oIHUkG
MEDS: Via Stat, VERBATIM: “The Trump administration announced a draft framework Wednesday that officials say will speed cheaper versions of biologic drugs to market with the aim of making medicine more affordable and accessible for patients. The framework will shorten the path for the Food and Drug Administration to approve biosimilars, or copycat versions of biologic drugs, by lowering the clinical standards companies need to meet before bringing the drugs to market.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3WtoMvh
HOME CARE: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “The cost of hiring help to care for an elderly or a sick person at home is skyrocketing. Why it matters: A labor shortage and surging demand from an aging population was already driving up prices, and now the White House’s crackdown on immigration and funding cuts are making things worse. By the numbers: So far this year, the price of in-home care for the elderly, disabled or convalescent at home is up 10%, compared with a rise of 3% for prices overall, according to government data.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3L8eu1d
IMMUNITY: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Mayo Clinic researchers have identified a specific immune cell that can be targeted to give a boost to standard immunotherapies for cancer. Two research teams, working collaboratively but using distinct approaches, found that ‘first-responder’ immune cells known as myeloid cells can be manipulated to enhance the activity of tumor-killing T cells. The finding suggests that enhanced myeloid cells may boost certain immune checkpoint therapies, which are the standard of care for some cancers but may not have lasting effects. A clinical trial is now being developed at Mayo Clinic to test the enhanced cells in patients.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/47gx3c3
VIRUSES: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “A number of viral infections, including flu, Covid-19 and shingles, are linked to an increased risk of heart disease and stroke, a new study affirmed. The risk of a heart attack triples within the first few weeks after a Covid-19 infection, the study suggested, and quadruples in the month after a flu infection.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ofRVpM
DESPITE THE CHALLENGES OF RURAL HEALTH CARE, ESSENTIA IS RECOGNIZED FOR PROVIDING TOP CLINICAL CARE: According to the latest report from Minnesota Community Measurement, a statewide resource on health care quality, costs and equity, Essentia ranked as a high performer with 19 of 20 clinical quality metrics scoring above statewide averages. According to Dr. Maria Beaver, chief quality and patient safety officer at Essentia: “This is a testament to the amazing care provided by all our clinical care teams and all our colleagues who support them.” LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4dCxy1D (SPONSORED: Essentia Health)
HEAT: Via news release from Perry Weather, VERBATIM: “Perry Weather, the leading weather safety platform, today announced a new collaboration with the Korey Stringer Institute (KSI) at the University of North Florida (UNF) to open a state-of-the-art Heat Lab at UNF’s campus in spring 2026 . . . The Korey Stringer Institute (KSI) at the University of North Florida is the nation’s premier exertional-heat-stroke prevention center. Founded in 2010 at UConn to honor Minnesota Vikings lineman Korey Stringer, KSI blends cutting-edge research, education, and service to curb heat-related illness among athletes, soldiers, and outdoor workers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48QSCRL
DEMENTIA: Via Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, VERBATIM: “A North Minneapolis mental health clinic dedicated to serving African and African American families has been awarded a two-year, $149,000 state grant to help close the gap in dementia awareness and early detection across the Twin Cities. The African American Child Wellness Institute (AACWI) received funding from the Minnesota Board on Aging (MBA) to launch a culturally specific education and outreach campaign focused on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Jde2y5
OMEGA-3: From University of Helsinki via Science Daily, VERBATIM: “Finnish scientists found that eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) from fish oil impacts each person’s metabolism uniquely. Participants showed strong but short-lived increases in EPA levels, with significant differences in lipid profiles. The results reveal how metabolism shapes individual responses to omega-3 supplements and underscore the need for personalized heart health strategies.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/47OdQP0
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)
POT: Via NPR, VERBATIM: “Teens who start using cannabis before age 15 are more likely to use the drug often later in their lives. They are also more likely to develop mental and physical health problems in young adulthood compared to their peers who did not use the drug in adolescence.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/47nzloo
TOBACCO: Via The Hill, VERBATIM: “The tobacco industry’s influence on public health policymaking in the U.S. is growing, according to the latest report by the anti-smoking organization Action on Smoking & Health (ASH). ASH’s Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2025, provided first to The Hill, found the U.S. scored an 89 out of 100 on the Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index, a survey used to measure how governments respond the interference by the tobacco industry.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/490tacF
NURSES: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “Another agreement has been reached between Essentia and the Minnesota Nurses Association. On Wednesday, healthcare workers at the Solvay Hospice House finalized their first contract. As we reported, hundreds of MNA union members walked off the job in July.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/47xhYBA
(DISCLOSURE: Essentia is a Fluence sponsor)
FLU SHOTS: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “Spooky season is upon us, and children in the Bemidji area had the chance to get into their Halloween costumes a few days early, but not for trick-or-treating. Earlier this week, Sanford Health in Bemidji held their annual ‘Boo to the Flu’ event to encourage local children and their families to get their flu shots as we get into colder weather.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4nzgDAm
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
HEARING: From University of Washington via Science Daily, VERBATIM: “New research reveals that intelligence plays a key role in how well people process speech in noisy environments. The study compared neurotypical and neurodivergent individuals and found that cognitive ability predicted performance across all groups. This challenges the idea that listening struggles are solely due to hearing loss, emphasizing the brain’s role in decoding complex soundscapes.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/47t2TRG
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