Not enough snow for you? February may bring a welcome change. BMTN: https://fluence-media.co/3POykgQ
President Trump has ordered the release classified records related to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and Reverand Martin Luther King Jr. AP: https://fluence-media.co/4jri5nF
Senate DFL Leader Erin Murphy and Senate GOP Leader Mark Johnson were both on Sunday Take to discuss fraud, co-equal governing and more. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/42lWBCv
Tune-in to Sunday Take at 9AM on WCCO Radio.
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ICE: From Ana Radelat via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “The first Trump administration threatened to take federal money, mainly policing funds from states, counties and cities that they deemed ‘sanctuaries’ for undocumented immigrants. President Trump wants to do that again, but his new administration has upped the ante. Officials at the Justice Department this week have told federal prosecutors across the nation to investigate any official who defies efforts to deport undocumented aliens. The U.S. attorneys were ordered to prosecute those officials on charges that could send them to prison . . . ICE considers Anoka, Dakota, Hennepin and Ramsey counties as ‘sanctuary counties’ because they decline to hold non-citizens on ICE detainers. But a key Trump adviser has expanded the definition of sanctuary counties in the state to include 12 Minnesota counties.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40MQm9N
BACK TO WORK: From Torey Van Oot via Axios, VERBATIM: “Thousands of federal workers living in Minnesota could be headed back to the office under President Trump's executive order mandating a full-time return to in-person work. By the numbers: About 6,500 of Minnesota's roughly 47,700 federal employees worked from home at least one day a week as of 2023, per U.S. Census data.” READ/MAP: https://fluence-media.co/40wVehS
MORE: From Callan Gray via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “The mandates end remote work arrangements, implement a federal hiring freeze, and order the termination of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. The President ordered DEI staff be put on paid leave this week.” QUOTE: “Broadly what the theme of all of this is aimed at reducing the size of the federal government,” said Ruark Hotopp, national vice president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) District 8. “Around DEI specifically, we’re not really sure how many people it impacts because the agencies themselves aren’t really sure how to implement the executive order.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4gadT8T
NUCLEAR: From Walker Orenstein via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Momentum is building at the Minnesota Legislature to lift the 31-year-old moratorium on new nuclear plants, with newly empowered Republicans naming it a top priority and resistance softening among DFLers. GOP lawmakers in the narrowly divided House and Senate have introduced bills to end that moratorium, reigniting a debate over whether the around-the-clock carbon-free energy produced by nuclear reactors is worth the cost and the health and safety risk of storing waste in Minnesota.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Cn5tNy
ROBBINSDALE: From Kevin Miller via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “Robbinsdale Area Schools’ top administrator says the district is moving at ‘incredible’ speed to cut more than $20 million from the budget. ‘Decisions, especially for staffing, have to be made by the end of March — for $21 million.’ Superintendent Teri Staloch told the school board on Jan. 21. ‘So, usually, you know — I know of a district that had three years to do $17 million in cuts … we are working as fast as we can. We also want to be really wise.’ In November, district officials discovered an error in the budgeting process that resulted in a $19-21 million shortfall.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4hvNJyj
WILD ABOUT READING: More than 500 Minnesota classrooms and 15,000 students are participating in the “Wild About Reading” program, a partnership with Flint Hills Resources which encourages students to read more using Minnesota Wild-branded posters, reading logs, and bookmarks. Teachers set weekly reading goals and give certificates to students who complete the four-week program. Fun program incentives include classroom visits from the Wild’s mascot, Nordy – and the team dog, Rookie; a pair of tickets to a Wild home game, player signed pucks and photos; and a pizza party for a classroom. LEARN MORE: Wild About Reading SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources
SPORTS BETS: From Susie Jones via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Minnesota lawmakers could get another shot at making sports betting legal in the state. Republican State Senator Jeremy Miller (Winona) has a sports betting bill that he thinks can passed this session. Miller says they were close last session but ran out of time. He says they have agreements in principle with the key players, including the race tracks which has been a key sticking point, along with charities the state's tribal leaders.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4gbjzPW
(DISCLOSURE: Sports Betting Alliance is a client and sponsor of Fluence)
HOUSING: From Winter Keefer via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “When an injunction temporarily blocked the Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan in September 2023 injunction, more than 30 developments with more than 500 housing units were halted. That number did not include projects that hypothetically could have been developed, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said this week. The piece of the plan the lawsuit blocked was specifically about the ability for developers to build duplexes and triplexes in the city – an effort to increase housing density . . . Last week, a judge dismissed the lawsuit brought by Smart Growth Minneapolis and Minnesota Citizens for the Protection of Migratory Birds that led to the injunction. So what does this mean for the city?” QUOTE: “We can now continue the work,” Frey said. “A big part of this (comprehensive plan) was to have a diversity of housing options, and therefore a diversity of people in every neighborhood, socioeconomically diverse, racially diverse, age demographically diverse.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3PNB6D1
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.-Elect Kari Rehauer
Rep.-Elect Wayne Johnson
Rep. Elect Julie Greene
Rep. Elect Keith Allen
Rep. Elect Peter Johnson
Follow on your favorite podcast platform, or at www.TheDailyAgenda.com/Podcasts. (SPONSORED: Minnesota Telecom Alliance)
MY PILLOW: From Brooks Johnson via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “MyPillow and CEO Mike Lindell are again suing a merchant cash advance company, accusing the lender of charging an illegally high interest rate. It’s the third such lawsuit Minnesota-based company and its nationally prominent founder have brought against a merchant cash advance firm, which effectively offer payday loans for businesses, the suits contended.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40KOUVd
RETAIL: From Kiara Williams via Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, VERBATIM: “Satiya Amporful, founder and visionary behind Uniquely Global, has taken her childhood memories, global experiences, and military-honed skills to create a brand that is not just about products, but also stories and connections. Uniquely Global is a hidden gem nestled in the heart of downtown Minneapolis located at The Gaviidae. This vibrant space offers a curated collection of ethically sourced fashion and cultural treasures, providing visitors with a unique opportunity to celebrate artistry and heritage from around the world.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hoKrwS
CLOSING: From Corey Bork via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “For the third time in less than a month, a drugstore chain has announced plans to close a store in the northwest suburbs. CCX News has confirmed that the New Hope CVS pharmacy at Bass Lake Road and Winnetka Avenue will close.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/40Jm0Vo
ARDEN HILLS: From Caitlin Anderson via Minne Inno, VERBATIM: “Medical technology manufacturer Intricon Corp. is adding production space to its headquarters in Arden Hills. The company signed a new 11-year lease at 1275 Grey Fox Road last month, according to Scott Drikakis, vice president of global sales and marketing at Intricon. The deal will add 28,000 square feet to the company's existing 47,000-square-foot footprint in the building; Intricon now accounts for 80% of the property's space.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4jmGCdo
DULUTH: From Ryan Hayes via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “The Duluth City Council met for the first time on Thursday since the announcement that the Pastoret Terrace building will be demolished. Councilor Arik Forsman is glad that the money from the settlement will put funds back into downtown historic buildings for repairs and further investments.” FORSMAN: “We are able to reinvest those funds right back into 1st Street and we are also able to address something that has been on many community members minds for a long, long time, 15 years.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/40LXoeU
VITAL PUBLIC WORKS PROJECT FUELS THE FUTURE OF THIS WISCONSIN TRIBE - In 2017, one of the “glaring needs” for the Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO) Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, in northwest Wisconsin, was an expanded wastewater treatment facility. “It was at capacity. We were not able to expand any of our businesses or facilities,” says Jason, the LCO Band’s Emergency Management Coordinator. With the support of Enbridge and several other partners, the LCO Band quadrupled its wastewater treatment capacity—allowing for creation of a new preschool, fire hall, 40-unit apartment complex, police headquarters and, still to come, health clinic and new residential community. “I’m very grateful for the partnership we’ve developed with Enbridge,” says Jason. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/49v4mHc (SPONSORED: Enbridge)
HOCKEY: From Dan Kraker via MPR, VERBATIM: “It was a quintessential northern Minnesota winter night earlier this month at Glen Avon Park in Duluth. A fresh tapestry of snow blanketed the ground. The temperature barely cleared zero. And the unmistakable sound of skates carving across ice scratched out from the hockey rink. But this wasn’t your typical scene of young neighborhood “rink rats” racing around the ice. Instead, there were skaters of all abilities, from 30 to 60 years old, some speeding around the rink, others teetering on unsteady skates.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3PMcmeq
MINNEAPOLIS: From Dustin Nelson via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “The City of Minneapolis is again looking for proposals from groups interested in running Open Streets festivals. It has issued a request for proposals (RFP) on four summer fests in 2025, allowing organizations to run up to two Open Streets events each with a budget of $50,000 from the city.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hpH0pK
BROOKLYN CENTER: From Emily Haugen via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “A new business that’s part brewery, part dog park is in the works in Brooklyn Center. The city council got a look at the initial plans for a business called Morty’s Bark and Brew earlier this month. This was presented to the council in a dog pun-filled concept review of the business.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3WwOa3y
TOMORROW: From Heidi Stang via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “Hockey Day Minnesota is Saturday and along with Northland athletes competing, some Northlanders will be in the sky. The Duluth-based 148th Fighter Wing will perform a flyover ahead of the 2:30 p.m. outdoor game at Valleyfair.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/40NnEFq
NEXT WEEK: From Chris Pascone via Minnesota Monthly, VERBATIM: “Taking place on Feb. 1 this year in Quarry Park, Duluth Ice & Mixed Fest is open to the public. Community open ropes are available for climbers with previous experience and their own gear. Or you can sign up (for a fee) for beginner, intermediate, or mixed ice climbing, anchoring, dry tooling, and women’s climbing clinics.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hvC0QD
THIS SUMMER: From Alexandra Tostrud via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “Hinterland returns for its tenth annual music festival August 1-3 near the tiny town of Saint Charles, Iowa–just a four-hour drive down I-35 south from Minneapolis. Started in 2015, the festival has exploded in popularity since the pandemic, with recent performers including Chappell Roan, Noah Kahan, and Hozier.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gkc21y
From yesterday’s Fluence newsletters:
HOSPITALS: Minnesota Hospital Association CEO Rahul Koranne testified before the Minnesota House Health Finance and Policy Committee about struggles faced by hospitals around the country, including here in Minnesota. He talked about his beginning in medicine, working as a primary care provider in his home town of Starbuck. KORANNE: “The hospital in Starbuck is now closed. And, I’m worried about many of our other hospitals across the state of Minnesota . . . I’m worried about the sustainability of what our hospitals are trying to do for our patients and continue to provide access and the broad range of quality services and community benefits we provide to Minnesotans and that our patients need and have come to respect.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3Ca3EUl
OBSTETRICS: From Ava Kian via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “University of Minnesota researchers have found that obstetrics units continue to close in rural counties in Minnesota and across the country. Minnesota has seen its fair share of obstetric (OB) unit closures, such as the Mayo Clinic Health System in New Prague, which closed its unit in early 2024, and Essentia Health-Fosston, which also closed in 2024. Mayo Clinic Health System in Fairmont reported its OB unit will close in March due to staffing shortages and other issues, including, according to a statement from the health system, ‘decreasing patient volumes and birth rates, and an increase in the number of patients with complex needs who need higher levels of care.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3WsGnUc
HEALTH AGENCIES: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “The Trump administration has put a freeze on many federal health agency communications with the public through at least the end of the month. In a memo obtained by The Associated Press, acting Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Dorothy Fink told agency staff leaders Tuesday that an ‘immediate pause’ had been ordered on — among other things — regulations, guidance, announcements, press releases, social media posts and website posts until such communications had been approved by a political appointee.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hpJWm9
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SARTELL: From Alyxandra Sego via Minne Inno, VERBATIM: “Niron Magnetics Inc. has been awarded over $52 million in federal tax credit dollars to construct its rare-earth-free magnet manufacturing facility in Sartell. The tax credit is part of the Department of Energy and Treasury’s Advanced Energy Project program, which was created under the Inflation Reduction Act.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4asi9iR
ALLETE: From Duluth-based Allete via Business Wire, VERBATIM: “ALLETE, Inc. (NYSE: ALE) announced today that Chief Financial Officer Steven W. Morris will retire later this year after a distinguished nearly 25-year career with the company. In the interim and as part of an orderly succession plan, Morris, 63, will remain with the company until July.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aA0XIq
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
THC: From Justine Jones and Ryan Meaney via Eater Twin Cities, VERBATIM: “Following Minnesota’s full legalization of recreational marijuana in 2023, more breweries, cideries, and local small businesses are putting out THC drinks than ever. They’ve become so ubiquitous that you can find them at a wide range of restaurants, bars, grocery stores, and liquor stores across the Cities — but here’s a trail of where to find Minnesota-made drinks on their home turf.” LIST/MAP: https://fluence-media.co/3DdIhxF
BDAYS: WCCO Radio hosts Vineeta Sawkar and Jason DeRusha, Stearns County Commissioner Jeff Bertram, lobbyist Sonnie Elliott. SUN: fmr. Gov. Mark Dayton, marketer Madeline O’Phelan, fmr. Chancellor Morrie Anderson, fmr. State Rep. Todd Lippert
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