GOLD: From UCare via Instagram, VERBATIM: “We’re proud to share that @tcbmag has awarded us Gold in the Health Insurance category. This honor reflects the passion and dedication of our #PeoplePowered team and their commitment to serving our members with compassion and care every day.” PHOTO: https://fluence-media.co/45QZE7j (SPONSORED: UCare)
All Fluence tipsheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:
POLL: Via KFF, VERBATIM: “Millions of adults who get health insurance from Medicaid and the ACA Marketplaces across the political spectrum are at risk of losing coverage if the current version of the reconciliation bill becomes law. While most Medicaid beneficiaries under age 65 are Democrats or lean Democratic (37%), or do not lean toward either party (36%), more than one in four are Republicans or lean that way (27%), including one in five (19%) who identify as MAGA supporters, President Trump’s strongest base of support. Republicans also make up 45% of adults who purchase their own health insurance, most of whom do so through the ACA Marketplaces, including about three in ten (31%) who identify with the MAGA movement.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4jGHOr2
PTO: Via Human Resources Director, VERBATIM: “Wondr Health's poll among nearly 2,000 employees revealed that paid time off (PTO) or mental health days are the most-cited resource to reduce stress and anxiety. But time poverty is taking those days away. A separate poll from Solitaired this year revealed that 47% of Americans have left some PTO on the table in 2024, with their top reasons including work.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4jGInBa
ANTIBIOTICS: Via news release from Immunexpress, VERBATIM: “An online poll of healthcare professionals engaged in sepsis programs and patient advocates shed light on critical perspectives in healthcare regarding antibiotic stewardship as well as the diagnosis and treatment of sepsis. The results indicated that 73% of the 236 respondents believed host response testing can help guide antibiotic stewardship efforts, emphasizing the potential of tools based on this approach to optimize antibiotic use and combat antimicrobial resistance.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4jGgetR
Check out all the episodes of Sunday Take on 830 WCCO. CLICK: https://fluence-media.co/3KsuDrZ
OVERDOSES: Via NPR, VERBATIM: “‘What we're seeing is a massive reduction in [fatal] overdose risk, among Gen Z in particular,’ said Nabarun Dasgupta, an addiction researcher at the University of North Carolina. ‘Ages 20 to 29 lowered the risk by 47%, cut it right in half.’ This stunning drop in drug deaths among people in the U.S. is being tracked in data compiled by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other federal agencies. The latest available records found fentanyl and other drugs killed more than 31,000 people (see chart) under the age of 35 in 2021. By last year, that number had plummeted to roughly 16,690 fatal overdoses, according to provisional CDC data.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3SHEcKr
TYLENOL: From The Hebrew University of Jerusalem via Science Daily, VERBATIM: “A new study from Hebrew University reveals that acetaminophen doesn't just work in the brain -- it also blocks pain at its source by acting on nerve endings in the body. The researchers found that its active metabolite, AM404, shuts down specific sodium channels in pain-sensing neurons, stopping pain signals before they reach the brain. This discovery not only reshapes our understanding of how one of the world's most common painkillers works, but also opens the door to developing safer, more targeted pain treatments.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4jGescf
ALZHEIMER’S: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Alzheimer's disease, marked by memory loss, trouble concentrating and thinking, and changes in personality and behavior, devastates patients, their families and loved ones. With new treatments available for people with early signs of Alzheimer's disease, there is a growing need for accessible and cost-effective tests to diagnose Alzheimer's disease sooner. In a new study, Mayo Clinic researchers confirmed the accuracy of an FDA-approved blood test that can be used at outpatient memory clinics to diagnose the disease in patients with a range of cognitive impairment.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/44itlMv
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)
SPECIAL SESSION: Via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “Despite Democratic-Farmer-Labor control of the state Senate, the governor’s office, and half of the House, Republicans forced Democrats to roll back one of their signature accomplishments from the 2023 legislative session: health care for undocumented people. The Legislature passed a bill Monday to repeal undocumented adults’ eligibility for MinnesotaCare, the state-subsidized health insurance program for the working poor.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dV1fez
MORE: Via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “In the evenly-divided House, DFL caucus leader Melissa Hortman was the only Democratic lawmaker to vote for the bill's passage. In the DFL-controlled Senate, Majority Leader Erin Murphy, Sen. Ann Rest, DFL-New Hope and others joined Republicans in voting for the bill. ‘I cannot vote to shut down our state, I just can't,’ Rest said in brief remarks on the Senate floor. ‘I made an agreement, I gave my word,’ Murphy said shortly before the vote. ‘I will vote for this. And it's among the most painful votes I've ever taken.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43DCW1h
MORE: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “Northland Senator Grant Hauschild was one of four DFLers to vote to remove undocumented immigrants from MinnesotaCare. The Hermantown senator says the removal of undocumented immigrant eligibility for MinnesotaCare is projected to save the state nearly $60 million over the two-year budget cycle. He says compromise was needed with the split legislative body this year.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4dXbDCw
HEARING LOSS: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “A walk to help raise funds and awareness for hearing loss and the isolation it can bring brought out around 100 people in Bemidji on Saturday. The Minnesota Lions Hearing Foundation hosted its annual Walk to D-Feet Hearing Loss at two locations in Minnesota, including at Diamond Point Park in Bemidji.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/448cb4Z
RULING: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “A federal judge in California has blocked the Trump administration from enforcing anti-diversity and anti-transgender executive orders in grant funding requirements that LGBTQ+ organizations say are unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar said Monday that the federal government cannot force recipients to halt programs that promote diversity, equity and inclusion or acknowledge the existence of transgender people in order to receive grant funding. The order will remain in effect while the legal case continues, although government lawyers will likely appeal.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/45dxmDV
RESEARCH: Via Stat, VERBATIM: “The National Institutes of Health has, for now, walked back a policy requiring universities and other research institutes to certify that they do not have unlawful diversity, equity, and inclusion programs or boycotts of Israel in order to receive research dollars. The rule, which was initially posted in April, was seen as the next stage of using research funds as leverage against private universities and efforts to increase diversity in the sciences.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dXlk3T
CUTS: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “President Trump’s policy agenda would make deep cuts in government health plans and medical research, and, critics say, could also make finding a doctor more difficult. The Republicans’ major domestic policy bill restricts loans that students rely on to pursue professional graduate degrees, making the path to becoming a physician harder even as doctor shortages loom and the American population is graying. The bill, which passed in the House last month and carries the president’s support, would cap direct federal unsubsidized loans at $150,000 — far less than the cost of obtaining a medical education — and phase out the Grad PLUS loans that help many students make up the difference.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3HyGfy6
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)
THIS WEEK: From Minnesota Department of Health via Instagram, VERBATIM: “This Men’s Health Week, remember the importance of taking action for your own health. Regular screenings can help catch different cancers early, when treatment is most effective. Contact your health care provider today and schedule an appointment for health screenings, including for cancer.” POST: https://fluence-media.co/4dZqGvl
VACCINES: Via CNN, VERBATIM: “US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday dismissed an expert panel of vaccine advisers that has historically guided the federal government’s vaccine recommendations, saying the group is ‘plagued with conflicts of interest.’ The entirety of the 17-member Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which advises the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the vaccine schedule and required coverage of immunizations, will be retired and replaced with new members, Kennedy announced in a Wall Street Journal op-ed. The HHS secretary has authority to appoint and dismiss ACIP members, who typically serve four-year cycles. But removing the entire panel prematurely is unprecedented.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3HD5Ful
MORE: Via The Hill, VERBATIM: “Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) on Monday called Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s firing of all 17 experts on the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) vaccine panel ‘excessive,’ but she cautioned she needs to learn more about the decision . . . The Maine senator said the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee ‘provided helpful guidance to the public on what they should do.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dSaDiQ
HISTORY: Via NPR, VERBATIM: “Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. often says that Americans were healthier when he was a kid in the '50s and '60s. People weren't so overweight or taking so many medications. Diabetes and autism in children were unheard of. Food was fresh and wholesome. Life expectancy researcher Dr. Steven Woolf is Kennedy's age, and he remembers some other features of that time. ‘We were driven around in cars that had no seatbelts. There were no infant car seats; there were no airbags,’ he says. ‘People smoked on airplanes; they smoked in restaurants.’” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4kv5jod
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)
GUNS: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “Firearm deaths of children and teenagers rose significantly in states that enacted more permissive gun laws after the Supreme Court in 2010 limited local governments’ ability to restrict gun ownership, a new study has found. In states that maintained stricter laws, firearm deaths were stable after the ruling, the researchers reported, and in some, they even declined.
Guns are the leading cause of death in the United States for people ages 1 through 17, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43WyYj8
MORE: Via 19th News, VERBATIM: “The Trump administration is proposing a change to how people convicted of crimes can have their gun rights restored, raising concerns over what this means for victims of domestic violence. The Democratic Women’s Caucus and the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force of the U.S. House of Representatives sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi and Robert Hinchman, senior counsel at the Department of Justice (DOJ), criticizing an interim final rule that would move the responsibility for determining if someone gets their gun rights back from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) to the Office of the Attorney General. While the ATF is part of the DOJ, the letter says the proposal would create ‘an apparent lack of an objective, holistic process for making’ these decisions.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kLJaSw
CANCERS: Via NBC News, VERBATIM: “Although they are very rare, cancers of the appendix are on the rise, a new study finds. An analysis of a National Cancer Institute database found that compared with older generations, rates of appendix cancer have tripled among Gen X and quadrupled among millennials, according to the report, published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/45Ook0c
RESEARCH: Via news release from Minneapolis-based Sleep Number, VERBATIM: “Today, Sleep Number Corporation (Nasdaq: SNBR) will present new temperature-focused research using real-world Sleep Number smart bed data at SLEEP 2025. The results indicate that personalized bed temperature, a unique feature available in the brand’s ClimateSeries smart beds, can improve sleep quality and overall wellness. The results are especially important for women, including those experiencing menopause symptoms, and show how Sleep Number’s smart beds can adapt to and respond to each person’s unique sleep needs.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4jIhiO4
HISTOSONICS: Via news release from Plymouth-based HistoSonics, VERBATIM: “HistoSonics, the manufacturer of the Edison Histotripsy System and novel histotripsy therapy platforms, announced today that Addenbrookes Hospital of Cambridge University Hospital Foundation and Trust will be the first site in the United Kingdom and European continent to offer histotripsy to both NHS and private patients. This was made possible through a generous donation by the Li Ka Shing Foundation (LKSF) as well as the expedited limited market access granted by the MHRA in April 2025. The milestone marks HistoSonics’ official entry into the UK and European market.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kZkBkL
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
REWARDS: From Université de Genève via Science Daily, VERBATIM: “A small region of the brain, known as the ventral tegmental area (VTA), plays a key role in how we process rewards. It produces dopamine, a neuromodulator that helps predict future rewards based on contextual cues. A team from the universities of Geneva (UNIGE), Harvard, and McGill has shown that the VTA goes even further: it encodes not only the anticipated reward but also the precise moment it is expected. This discovery, made possible by a machine learning algorithm, highlights the value of combining artificial intelligence with neuroscience.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mTUlKn
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