The first rule of these book clubs: don’t talk about anything. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4ab6tmq
Which generation’s doing the most Thanksgiving prep this year? MORNING CONSULT: https://fluence-media.co/4oSdnS4
49% say crime in the U.S. extremely or very serious. Only 12% say the same about where they live. GALLUP: https://fluence-media.co/3LYvebt
Today’s WCCO Radio morning take at 6:20 with Vineeta Sawkar. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4p8Pwh9
Sports Take was going to take the week off, but the Vikings’ disastrous showing in Green Bay changed that plan. Look for a special Purple Peril edition tomorrow afternoon.
Rep. Brad Finstad was on Sunday Take discussing agriculture, immigration, the government shutdown and more. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/48BQRpV
Blois
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Fluence Advisory hosted a cannabis forum on the “State of Cannabis in Minnesota including an interview with Executive Director of the Office of Cannabis Management Eric Taubel.
FIRST, A BIT OF GOOD NEWS…
A Farm Bureau survey finds your Thanksgiving grocery bill might be a little less than expected:
There’s also a breakdown by grocery item HERE: https://fluence-media.co/49wENIu
WEATHER: Whether (see what we did there) this is good news or bad news depends on your perspective. That winter storm predicted for up north? The latest forecast has it moving further south. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4pxaeXP
AND EVEN A LITTLE GOOD NEWS HERE…
PROPERTY TAXES: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Overall, property tax levies across Minnesota are expected to rise 8.7 percent for cities and 8.1 percent for counties. Many homeowners can expect an increase this year, as cities, counties and school districts face rising costs. The precise percentage varies by location. There is help out there for qualifying homeowners facing sticker shock. The state has several programs aimed at easing property tax burdens for people under a certain income ceiling, for some seniors and for certain disabled veterans, among others.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/43MZA71
BROADBAND: Comcast is rewriting the broadband playbook in the Twin Cities. From neighborhood networks to next-gen tech, we’re delivering community-first internet connectivity with no contracts, no surprises. The new Xfinity package means unlimited data, blazing-fast, reliable speeds and a 5-year price guarantee, plus free mobile for a year. It’s not the old Comcast — it’s a bold new era of connection. Let’s power the future, together. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/Comcast2025-1 (SPONSORED: Comcast)
POLITICS AND MORE…
39A: Via news release from the Klemz campaign, VERBATIM: “Aaron Klemz, a clean water advocate, educator, and 19-year resident of Fridley and Columbia Heights, announced a run for the Minnesota House District 39A seat today. He is seeking the Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) party endorsement to succeed Rep. Erin Koegel, who is not running for re-election. House District 39A includes the cities of Columbia Heights, Fridley, Hilltop, and Spring Lake Park in southern Anoka County.”
MINNEAPOLIS: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey delivered two victory speeches on election night earlier this month: One to a mostly white crowd, and another to a mostly East African audience, where he briefly spoke in Somali. While a cynic might view the move as performative, Frey’s support among Minneapolis’ Somali voters has been part of his coalition since he entered politics, reflected in his victory earlier this month over Omar Fateh, Minnesota’s first state senator of Somali descent.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/489owZ3
AIRPORT: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “The food workers at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) have reached a tentative contract deal to avoid a potential strike. UNITE HERE Local 17, the union that represents the workers, announced it reached an agreement with HMSHost, one of the airport’s largest food and beverage operators. The announcement comes days before a strike was scheduled to start.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rgkvJC
STILLWATER: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “As part of the prison’s upcoming closure — by June 2029 — the prison population has been cut in half, a substance abuse treatment program and tattoo parlor have had the room to expand and about 150 staff are transferring to other facilities. But the biggest change is a new housing system called Earned Living Units. The new system gathers together men who the Minnesota Department of Corrections believes are taking their sentence and rehabilitation seriously. If chosen for the program, the men get to live in a cell without a cellmate, move more freely between work and recreational activities and pitch their own rehab ideas.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48uZAeq
CLEAN | RELIABLE | AFFORDABLE: Via Xcel Energy, VERBATIM: “We’re powering the Upper Midwest with clean, reliable, and affordable nuclear energy. For more than 50 years, our Prairie Island Nuclear Plant, located near Red Wing, MN, has been a workhorse of reliable, carbon-free energy. With two pressurized water reactors producing about 1,100 megawatts, Prairie Island generates enough electricity to power 1.5 million homes across the Upper Midwest. Unlike sources that depend on weather, nuclear energy delivers 24/7 reliability—providing the power we need today while protecting the environment for tomorrow.” LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4oCHdK9 (SPONSORED: Xcel Energy)
BUSINESS
DIVERSITY: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “The more than 1,300 Minnesota small businesses owned by women, people with disabilities or people of color who, until last month certified under the federal Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) program were told they would have to reapply. But they were given a catch: They had to explain in the questionnaire how they qualify as disadvantaged without referring to their gender or race. The new guidelines are leaving many of the small businesses wondering if it’s even worth trying to be part of the program. They also wonder if they’ll win any more federal contracts.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/47YdbL8
STARTUPS: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “In the past five years, only four universities have spun off 20 or more startups annually. The University of Minnesota ranks among the top four during that time frame. The U’s Technology Commercialization Office (TechCom for short) focuses on the business prospects of ideas generated by researchers there.
TechCom has been involved with 285 startups since 2006, and nearly half of that growth has been since 2020.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/485pV1a
THC: Via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “This story is about the perils of loopholes. It was supposed to be a story about the burgeoning THC beverage industry’s challenges in getting on restaurant and bar menus, but as this TCB went to press, Congress went and outlawed the industry.” QUOTE: “Many local breweries can’t survive now without THC,” says Surly Brewing founder Omar Ansari. “Beer sales are down 30–60%. The GLP-1s [weight-loss drugs like Ozempic] are depressing [alcohol] demand. The economy is depressing demand. Alcohol ebbs and flows.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Xf0F3S
REAL ESTATE: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “Hennepin County Community Investment Manager Ryan Kelley said the county is expanding its support for small businesses through a new pilot initiative aimed at helping owners purchase commercial real estate.” KELLEY: “It’s a struggle for small businesses and owners to owning their own real estate and that can have financial impacts, but also getting into it is really not what most business owners are focused on.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3LVQoai
THE ECONOMY
This morning, MinnPost published a pair of stories looking at the state of the economy in Minnesota:
PERCEPTIONS: “On paper, Minnesota’s economy looks solid. Jobs remain near record highs. Economic output is growing. Major employers, from the Mayo Clinic to 3M, are hiring. And the state’s unemployment rate remains below the national average — a statistic often cited as proof of broad economic health. On the ground, the story feels different. Many Minnesotans experience a daily reality marked by high prices, shrinking financial cushions, and a feeling of being stuck in their jobs. And yet, as they read positive headlines and see others thriving, many are left with a pervasive sense that the economy is working well — just not for them.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48taOA9
HEADWINDS: “Unemployment duration — the amount of time people spend between jobs — has crept up for more than a year, according to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development data. Local nonprofits that aim to match workers to jobs, such as RISE Twin Cities, GoodWill Easter Seals, and Better Futures Minnesota have noticed clients waiting longer for interviews and placements than they used to.” QUOTE: “Duration is the canary,” said Tyler Schipper, associate economics professor at the University of St. Thomas. “When people are out of work longer, even when openings look high on paper, that tells you something in the matching process is breaking down.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3XfaHSA
BUSINESS EXCELLENCE: Flint Hills Resources was just awarded the 2025 Large Business of the Year award from the Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce at their annual Business Excellence Awards celebration. The award celebrates the outstanding achievements of businesses that exemplify the thriving and growing spirit of Dakota County. The businesses honored make an impact and contribute to the continued success of our community. LEARN MORE: About the Pine Bend refinery. (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery)
AROUND MINNESOTA
STOLEN VALOR: Via DOJ, VERBATIM: “A federal jury convicted Mikhail Robin Wicker, also known as Michael Robin Wicker, 39, of Clay County, of wire fraud, mail fraud, using a false military discharge certificate, and fraudulent use of military medals, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Wicker spent years posing as a decorated U.S. Marine. He falsely claimed to have been deployed to Iraq in 2005 as part of Lima Company, 3rd Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, and falsely claimed to be a recipient of the Purple Heart Medal and the Prisoner of War Medal. For years, he relied on these claims to obtain benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4oTkE49
FRANKLIN AVE: Via Sahan Journal, VERBATIM: “In 2018, state highway officials began fencing off public areas in the Franklin Avenue corridor to deter homeless encampments near busy roadways. Seven years later, with the fencing still in place, frustration is spilling over among those who use the high-traffic area and Native leaders who want to make it a cultural corridor. Those concerns bubbled to the surface last month at a public safety meeting of the Metropolitan Urban Indian Directors (MUID), which brings together leaders of local Native-led organizations.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48kwtcE
CRYSTAL: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “The Crystal City Council gave final approval to an ordinance amendment that would allow the keeping of ducks, while adding a section to allow beekeeping.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3LVFW2A
BEMIDJI: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “Two solar projects were approved during Monday’s Bemidji City Council meeting. One of those projects is set to start sooner than you may think, but the second project might not happen at all if certain funding sources are not secured.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4if79Jo
UNITEDHEALTH: Via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “UnitedHealth Group, an Eden Prairie-based national health insurer, announced that Dr. Scott Gottlieb has joined its board of directors. Gottlieb, a practicing physician, is a former U.S. Food and Drug Administration commissioner and has held roles at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and on the Federal Health Information Technology Policy Committee.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4odUB6s
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)
EDUCATION
WAYZATA: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “Wayzata Superintendent Chace Anderson said upgraded kitchens and cafeterias at several schools are among the many improvements the district looks to make as enrollment continues to rise . . . In April, the district will likely hold a special election where voters will have to answer three ballot questions . . . If district voters approve all three questions, a homeowner in a median-priced home of $650,000 would see a tax increase of $33 a month.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4o8jWi9
ESPORTS: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Esports continues to grow at the University of Minnesota. New this fall at the University of Minnesota, an eSports lab in the north building at the Recreation and Wellness Center, home to their eSports team.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4imQy6G
WHAT’S NEXT?
TOMORROW: Via Minnesota State Fair, VERBATIM: “Lowest price of the year! State Fair admission tickets make great gifts for all the fair fans on your list (don’t forget about yourself)! This $15 Flash Sale offer is only good TOMORROW, Tuesday, Nov. 25, while supplies last.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3XfmaBy
THIS WEEKEND: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “It’s no secret the Mpls.St.Paul Magazine team loves to shop local. And what better way to kickstart your holiday gifting than with the post-Turkey Day shopping stretch of Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday?” LIST: https://fluence-media.co/4prDQ8O
SATURDAY: Via Solar Arts, VERBATIM: “Skip the mall. Roll through Solar Arts instead. Artists are all small businesses. Meet the makers, grab a drink from Indeed Brewing (yup another small business) and do your holiday shopping without hating yourself.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4px0kW9
UPCOMING: Minnesota Monthly has a list of holiday events. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3LWhVZ8
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
BDAYS: belated to Stephanie Shimp and Jake Blumberg, TODAY: mining advocate Ryan Sistad, CD2 candidate Matt Little
Send us your tips at BloisOlson@gmail.com
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