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POLLING
2026: Via AP-NORC, VERBATIM: “To explore the public’s agenda for the coming year, The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research conducted a poll in December 2025, in which respondents provided, in their own words, up to five issues that they believe should be priorities for the government in 2026. In terms of broad policy areas, economic concerns dominate. About 7 in 10 Americans mention at least one economic issue for the government to prioritize in 2026. And 43% mention at least one issue related to personal finances, up from 31% last year. Immigration issues (44%) and health care issues (41%) also dominate the public’s agenda. Immigration remains a top issue. Mentions of health care issues are up from last year (41% vs 33%).” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qIUJwL
MORE: Via AP, VERBATIM: “The uptick on health care was much sharper than on other commonly mentioned issues. It comes after President Donald Trump’s Republican administration reduced spending on Medicaid, a safety net program for poor people, and decided to end coronavirus pandemic-era subsidies for the Affordable Care Act, essentially guaranteeing that millions of people will see a steep rise in costs early next year.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4933Ukg
MORE: Via The Hill, VERBATIM: “The Friday poll found that health care was the top issue for 45- to 59-year-olds, with 54 percent of the demographic ranking concerns as their top priority. It was the second most concerning topic for those over the age of 60, with 40 percent of the demographic flagging the topic as an issue.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YHEaVL
HEALTHCARE: Via Fox News, VERBATIM: “The latest Fox News national survey, released Thursday, finds 86% are extremely or very concerned about the price of healthcare, up 5 points since 2023. The 55% of voters who are extremely concerned about health costs is up from 46% in 2023. Majorities of Democrats (67%) and independents (57%) are extremely concerned, while 4 in 10 Republicans say the same (43%).” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3MSlD6u
SPECIAL NEEDS: Via NORC, VERBATIM: “A new, nationally representative study of parents reveals that children and youth with special health care needs consistently receive less care, face more barriers while navigating the health care system, and experience worse outcomes compared to other children. These challenges are significantly more prevalent for Black and Hispanic families.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/45hMsaz
Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3KsuDrZ
MEDICAID SUPPORTS HEALTH CARE FOR ALL OF US: Medicaid keeps Minnesota’s hospitals strong and ensures communities across the state have access to care. Policymakers must protect Medicaid so every Minnesotan — regardless of income or health status — can get the care they need, when they need it. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/3FtrCuH (SPONSORED: Minnesota Hospital Association)
HEALTH IN MN
FLU: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Department of Health is reporting nearly 2,000 cases of influenza across the state, with more than 500 hospitalized. The highest cases among children aged 4 and younger and adults 65 and older. And that has emergency rooms and urgent care centers absolutely packed with people suffering from symptoms according to University of Minnesota Doctor Phoebe Smith.” QUOTE: “One of the catch-22s of being sick is you’re often very contagious that first day, when those symptoms are either really mild or barely noticeable, right,” says Dr. Smith, speaking to Susie Jones on WCCO’s Health Hour Sunday. “So, you do your best you can, but once you really start to notice you’re sick, it’s that first three to four days that you’re going to be contagious after those symptoms start.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4pceJGS
MORE: KSTP-TV has information about the impact on hospitals, schools, and travelers. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3LghcC0
MORE: The Minnesota Department of Health updates its influenza statistics on Thursdays. You can find the most recent data HERE: https://fluence-media.co/3Y10bib
GENDER CARE: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Minnesota has long been a safe haven for transgender youth, but new moves by the Trump administration to ban gender-affirming care put that status in jeopardy. One of the proposed rules would withhold all Medicaid and Medicare funding from hospitals that provide any gender-affirming care to anyone under the age of 18, even if that care is paid for by private insurance or by families out of pocket. Those federal program dollars make up a significant portion of hospitals’ revenue.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4jaYQPn
THE LATEST RESEARCH
ALZHEIMER’S: From Northwestern via Science Daily, VERBATIM: “New research suggests Alzheimer’s may start far earlier than previously thought, driven by a hidden toxic protein in the brain. Scientists found that an experimental drug, NU-9, blocks this early damage in mice and reduces inflammation linked to disease progression. The treatment was given before symptoms appeared, targeting the disease at its earliest stage. Researchers say this approach could reshape how Alzheimer’s is prevented and treated.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4j9smF7
BREAST CANCER: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Mayo Clinic researcher Fergus Couch, Ph.D., has spent his career studying inherited breast cancer and cancer genetics. Early on, he saw that many families lived with uncertainty of their cancer risk, especially when genetic tests revealed variants no one fully understood. He set out to change that.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4arqQfm
ALS: Via ABC News, VERBATIM: “A new drug may slow progression of -- and even reverse -- symptoms of a rare form of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, a new study published Monday finds. The drug, tofersen, targets a very specific mutation -- SOD1 -- which applies to only 2% of the ALS population.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4jbUcAJ
MPOX: Via UofM CIDRAP, VERBATIM: “A prospective cohort study from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) suggests that mpox infection during pregnancy, particularly in the first trimester, is associated with a high risk of fetal loss.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Yago4E
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)
U.S. HEALTH
VACCINES: Via The Hill, VERBATIM: “Former Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Scott Gottlieb expressed concern over the Trump administration’s pending overhaul of the childhood vaccine schedule. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will release a new vaccine schedule next year that recommends fewer shots, NewsNation reported Friday. The move would bring the U.S., which recommends 72 childhood vaccines doses targeting 18 diseases, in line with Denmark, which recommends 11 doses targeting 10 diseases.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3MZ6Zua
VA: Via Becker’s, VERBATIM: “Three U.S. senators have penned a letter to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs expressing apprehensions over the resumption of the agency’s EHR rollout in 2026. The project has been on hold amid technical and patient well-being issues, but the VA plans to go live with Oracle Health at 13 medical centers next year. U.S. Sens. Patty Murray, D-Wash., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., wrote Dec. 19 to VA Secretary Doug Collins, requesting a briefing to address their concerns by Jan. 19.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qk5qW3
AUTISM: Via KFF Health News, VERBATIM: “Families around the country have also recently had their access to the therapy challenged as state officials make deep cuts to Medicaid — the public health insurance that covers people with low incomes and disabilities. North Carolina attempted to cut payments to ABA providers by 10%. Nebraska cut payments by nearly 50% for some ABA providers. Payment reductions also are on the table in Colorado and Indiana, among other states. Efforts to scale back come as state Medicaid programs have seen spending on the autism therapy balloon in recent years.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qqxszn
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)
LOOKING AHEAD
WORKFORCE: Via MedPage Today, VERBATIM: “The decision to fund 400 new medical residency positions at hospitals across the U.S. marks a meaningful -- though limited -- step toward addressing a looming physician shortage expected to worsen over the next decade, public health officials said. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) last week allocated the 400 Medicare-funded residency slots to 135 hospitals in 37 states. Nearly two-thirds of the positions will support primary care and psychiatry residency programs.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48Re0pw
ADVICE: From the folks helping those writing into KFF Health News for advice on medical bills, takeaways from 2025. LIST: https://fluence-media.co/496RuaV
HOPE: Via The Guardian, VERBATIM: “With humanitarian funding slashed by the US and other countries, including the UK, this year’s global health headlines have made grim reading. But good things have still been happening in vaccine research and the development of new and improved treatments for some of the most intractable illnesses.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4schsmf
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
STEPS: From American College of Physicians via Science Daily, VERBATIM: “A large population-based study examined whether the way people accumulate their daily steps affects their long-term health, regardless of how many total steps they take. The research focused on adults who were not highly active, defined as walking fewer than 8,000 steps per day (<8,000 steps per day). The findings showed a clear pattern: people who walked in longer, uninterrupted sessions faced lower risks of death from any cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) compared with those whose steps were spread out in short bursts.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4pSuqUw
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