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POLLING
YOUTH SPORTS: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “Americans overwhelmingly see major benefits to children playing organized sports, a new poll finds, but higher-income families are more likely to participate. Learning teamwork and reducing screen time are among the perceived benefits of youth sports, according to the AP-Ipsos survey.” READ: AP STORY | SURVEY RESULTS
HEALTH CARE: Via Commonwealth Fund, VERBATIM: “With our survey partners, SSRS, we interviewed more than 25,000 U.S. adults in May 2026. Americans ranked the high cost of health insurance and health care as top concerns, regardless of their political party, with opinions split on who can best address the problems.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/45pUHkM
ABORTION: Via KFF, VERBATIM: “Much of the public is unaware of mifepristone’s long-standing safety record. While larger shares of adults say medication abortion is safe (44%) than say it is unsafe (15%) when taken as directed by a health care provider, about four in ten (41%) say they are unsure. This uncertainty is higher among Black women, with half (51%) saying they are unsure whether abortion pills are safe. Among women of reproductive age – or those ages 18-49 – roughly half (52%) view the abortion pills as safe while three in ten are not sure.”
“Republicans (50%) and independents (42%) are most likely to be uncertain about mifepristone’s safety, while a majority of Democrats (61%) view the medication as safe.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4wsXdSb
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 HEADLINES
POSTPARTUM: Via NPR, VERBATIM: “Postpartum mental health is at the forefront of a trial going on in Massachusetts. Lindsay Clancy has pleaded not guilty to murdering her three children in 2023, and her defense hinges on the dangerous condition known as postpartum psychosis. Medical experts and women who have experienced this disorder say that this trial shows the need for more understanding and education.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4zwwGpY
MEDICAID: Via KFF Health News, VERBATIM: “States are scrambling to get ready for a new federal requirement to double-check that many people on Medicaid qualify for the benefit, by showing they are working, volunteering, or studying at least 80 hours per month. Politicians’ focus on requiring work has angered many people with disabilities who have Medicaid and say current policies that apply to them have the opposite effect — making them choose between working or receiving benefits.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4xGkUHL
CDC: Via UofM CIDRAP, VERBATIM: “All leaders of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) face tough challenges. But the biggest test for the CDC’s new director, Erica Schwartz, MD, MPH, JD, has arrived before her first day on the job. Schwartz, who has been confirmed but not sworn in, will have to decide how to respond to President Donald Trump’s executive order, issued August 10, calling for children to receive fewer life-saving immunizations.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4xZxwKn
MIDTERMS: Via The Hill, VERBATIM: “The Trump administration has thrust vaccine policy back into the headlines just three months before the midterm elections, potentially complicating matters for vulnerable Republicans who are hoping to keep control of Congress . . . The president’s own pollsters have warned vaccine changes are unpopular and politically risky, but Trump has long shown a personal interest in the issue.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3TLpq9n
MEASLES: Via CBS News, VERBATIM: “So far in 2026, the U.S. has recorded the most measles cases in more than three decades as outbreaks spread in multiple states, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows. By mid-July, the number had already surpassed all of 2025, which had been the worst year in recent history with more than 2,200 confirmed cases. Ongoing outbreaks have put the U.S. at risk of losing its official measles elimination status, which it has held since 2000.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hyu1p4
MORE: Via MDH, the agency reports 17 measles cases in Minnesota this year. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3S39rz0
CYCLOSPORA: Via ABC News, VERBATIM: “Cases of cyclosporiasis have topped 24,000, according to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). There are at least 13,895 laboratory-confirmed cases of cyclosporiasis, including 740 hospitalizations, the data shows. The agency is also aware of at least 10,455 additional cases that have not yet been laboratory confirmed. The rate of increase appears to have slowed.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gbmJFt
DULUTH: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “Aspirus St. Luke’s held a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the completion of a $1.2 million revitalization project at two of its Duluth clinics — Aspirus St. Luke’s Clinic Duluth – Ear, Nose & Throat and Aspirus St. Luke’s Clinic Duluth – General Surgery. The project refreshed the audiology workspace and created improvements for patient experience, privacy and workflows in general surgery.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4wwnu2b
HEALTHCARE: Strong communities depend on sustainable nonprofit healthcare. By planning to join leading nonprofit healthcare system Sutter Health, Allina Health will be better positioned to expand access to high-quality, innovative care in Minnesota and western Wisconsin — supporting patients, caregivers, and communities for generations to come. Learn more about the Allina-Sutter partnership online. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/AllinaHealth (SPONSORED: Allina Health)
KIDS’ HEALTH
BLOOMINGTON: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “A free Bloomington clinic offering health care services to students 21 and under reopened on Monday ahead of the new school year. Health Commons at Pond, located north of Bloomington Kennedy High School, offers a number of services to students including sports physicals, immunizations for those 18 and younger, a variety of screenings, children’s dental services and telehealth visits.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4woJyeI
BRAINERD: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Chip Rankin was eight days into his new job as Brainerd school superintendent when a 13-year-old student at Forestview Middle School died by suicide. Just three weeks earlier, an 11-year-old student at the same school had also taken her own life. Rankin and other school officials faced a grieving community asking: How did this happen, and what can be done to keep it from happening again? . . . the rise in youth suicide extends beyond Brainerd, and some say it needs a broader response. Rankin said the Brainerd district has limited resources to address challenges beyond the school walls.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4guksX7
MENTAL HEALTH: Via Minnesota Monthly, VERBATIM: “Over the past decade or so, a growing number of parents, physicians, and teachers have been pushing for a more holistic view of kids’ health and well-being. Annual checkups don’t focus just on picky eating or high school sports injuries; they also look at risk factors for anxiety and depression, touch on bullying prevention, and ask kids about screen time. That shift reflects a broader reality: Children’s mental and emotional health has become one of the most urgent—and complex—conversations in education and parenting today. What, exactly, helps kids feel well?” READ: https://fluence-media.co/461i5oK
ESSENTIA HEALTH SUPPORTS FREE CLINIC IN VIRGINIA, SERVING INCREASED NUMBER OF UNINSURED MINNESOTANS: Every Thursday night, physicians and care team members from Essentia Health-Virginia volunteer at the Project Care Free Clinic, providing treatment, screenings, and preventive care to patients who are uninsured or may be struggling to afford health care premiums. Essentia also provides lab and X-ray services at no cost to the clinic or its patients. Essentia is proud to support the clinic, ensuring everyone in the community can get the care they need. READ MORE: By volunteering at a free clinic, Essentia providers in Virginia ensure access to care for all | Essentia Health (SPONSORED: Essentia Health)
INNOVATION + RESEARCH
HEARING: The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reports on White Bear Lake-based Envoy Medical’s cochlear device currently going through the FDA approval process. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bOkarC
MORE: Via Envoy, information about the device and updates on the FDA process. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3RSupEB
NUMBNESS+TINGLING: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My spouse will tell me occasionally that their hands and feet ‘fall asleep,’ and they experience numbness, tingling and a pins-and-needles sensation. Is this normal, or does it require medical attention?” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3UckRov
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
WOOL+BONES: Via King’s College London, VERBATIM: “Keratin extracted from sheep’s wool helped damaged bone regenerate in animals, producing tissue that was more organized and structurally similar to healthy bone than tissue grown with conventional collagen scaffolds. The discovery could turn an abundant agricultural byproduct into a promising new material for regenerative medicine.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4giGWcG
GLP-1: Via The Conversation, VERBATIM: “Ozempic-like drugs appear to weaken more than hunger—they may also reduce cravings for alcohol and other addictive substances. Scientists are increasingly tracing this effect to the lateral septum, a brain region that helps connect memories and surroundings with rewarding experiences. Packed with GLP-1 receptors, it may act as a crucial control point between thinking about a reward and feeling compelled to pursue it.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4idhKGK
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