Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve on news the New York Liberty fired coach Sandy Brondello: “I am absolutely thrilled if I am Seattle, Toronto, and Portland that I was just gifted a championship level coach.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4mxQX6K
Higher-income individuals are more likely to like brand-name products – a difference attributed to access. MORNING CONSULT: https://fluence-media.co/42c5k9A
A sniper fired at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Dallas this morning, killing one detainee and wounding two more. UPDATES: https://fluence-media.co/46mJMJT
Today’s WCCO Radio morning take at 6:20 with Vineeta Sawkar. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3IBFncO
After 40+ years in the legislature, Sen. Ann Rest is retiring at the end of her current term. On Sunday Take, an exit interview reflecting on her time in office and the shifts she’s seen over the years. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4gvKcki
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.
LIST: Minneapolis’ Owamni is the only Minnesota restaurant we spotted on Eater’s list of the 38 “most essential — and influential — restaurants in America of the past 20 years.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/46kQLTt
COMMUTATION: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Board of Pardons commuted a 30-year-old murder conviction on Wednesday morning. Brian Pippitt was convicted of first-degree murder in the 1998 killing of Evelyn Malin, who was found dead in her home connected to the Dollar Lake Store that she owned outside of McGregor. However, last year, the Minnesota Attorney General’s Conviction Review Unit (CRU) called for Pippitt’s conviction to be vacated, saying he was wrongly convicted.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4nRLGbj
RETAIL: Via Marketplace, VERBATIM: “Best Buy is making a push to get more advertising in its physical stores. The electronics retailer held an event last week to highlight new ad solutions from its in-house creative agency. Selling ads is generally much more lucrative than selling stuff, so a lot of retailers have styled themselves as media networks in recent years. The most successful model by far is Amazon, and that’s what most retailers have been trying to imitate: selling banner ads or sponsored search results when you browse their sites online. But big box retailers like Best Buy have a lot of real estate in-store too, and they’re not about to let it go to waste.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/48v86ui
SOCIAL MEDIA: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Kevin Parsneau, A Professor of Political Science at Minnesota State University Mankato joined Tom Hauser to discuss calls for his resignation in light of a social media post that mentioned Charlie Kirk 10 days ago.” PARSNEAU: “I’m not a late night comedian or famous celebrity, so it’s really weird to have a congressman and his allies stalking me around social media just to score political points off me whenever I have a cranky outburst online.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4ngBV6r
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)
TIMBERWOLVES: Via Timberwolves, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Timberwolves today unveiled their Classic Edition uniforms and court design which will be featured throughout the 2025-26 season. The uniforms and court will debut on Oct. 26 when the Timberwolves face the Indiana Pacers at Target Center.”
“The ‘Black Trees’ Classic Edition uniform celebrates the fans and reaffirms the team’s connection with the Twin Cities community, honoring legacy while highlighting the style and culture that defined one of the most celebrated chapters in team history.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3KjbZZt
SURVEY: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “We asked readers last week what the city of Minneapolis should do about deteriorating bricks on Main Street between Hennepin and Sixth avenues. The big picture: Most of you said the city should keep the bricks and not pave the historic street with smoother concrete or asphalt.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gAMkYa
SENATE: Via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “[Rep. Angie Craig], who has represented the south metro in the U.S. House since 2019, is balancing her party’s fight against President Donald Trump with a desire to find common ground with her Republican colleagues. She’s banking on the idea that Minnesotans want a senator who will be a counterforce to the political polarization that has defined Congress in recent decades. Her primary opponent is Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, who is running to Craig’s left and promising to take a no-compromise approach to governing and especially opposing Trump.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42EPSmo
IMMIGRATION: Via Sahan Journal, VERBATIM: “Local immigration attorneys and citizenship teachers are preparing immigrants in reaction to a flurry of changes to the naturalization process that could make it more challenging to obtain U.S. citizenship.
The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced policy changes in the last few months instructing officers administering the naturalization interview to test applicants on more questions. The agency also gave its officers more leeway to optionally request that applicants show additional evidence of ‘good moral character.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42cfAyC
SPECIAL SESSION: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “Walz, the only one with the power to reconvene the Legislature, said Tuesday that talks are ongoing and he remains “open to a deal” that involves votes on both gun measures and other proposals related to school safety and mental health support . . . Speaker Lisa Demuth (R-Cold Spring) said Walz, who still hasn’t released his own promised package of specific gun reform policies, ‘has given no language or detail of what he wants voted on aside from vague bans.’” DEMUTH: “If he is serious about wanting a vote, he should be honest about what he’s actually looking for a vote on instead of playing politics to further his campaign.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mHQwac
CHILD CARE: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s home-based child care providers are shutting their doors at an alarming rate. Some say one reason so many providers are quitting is because they feel burdened by complex regulations and strict enforcement actions that drive up their cost of doing business. Kelsey Hayley, 35, is a family child care provider from Mounds View in Ramsey County and has been running her business for three years . . . a growing part of her job is all the documentation and paperwork she needs to do to keep her license up to date and meeting all the state’s rules and regulations. Hayley agrees that most of those rules are needed to help keep kids safe. But some of them, she says, go a little too far.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4nL6WPR
BACK TO WORK: The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reports RBC Wealth Management, one of the largest employers in downtown Minneapolis, has ordered employees to return to the office at least four days per week. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gEZO53
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS TO CELEBRATE: Flint Hills Resources and its employees are proud of the company they keep, including many community partners that help make Minnesota a better place to live and learn. Not only is the Pine Bend refinery celebrating 70 years, many of the company’s long-time partnerships have milestones in 2025: 25 years of the Flint Hills Family Festival in partnership with the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, 25 years with Frends of the Mississippi River to restore critical habitat, 30 years with the Minnesota Zoo, and 40 years with Ducks Unlimited. WATCH: Celebrating our Community Partners (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery)
MEDIA: Via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “Lori Barghini and Julia Cobbs, the talkative, ever-opinionated sisters-in-law, are returning to the Minnesota media world.
‘Lori & Julia Still Loud!’ is the twice-weekly podcast they’ll launch Oct. 1 through Hubbard Radio’s Gamut Podcast Network. In announcing the new podcast, the network said Tuesday the two women will be ‘bold, brash, and unfiltered.’ That’s the reputation that they built on the ‘Lori & Julia Show’ over a 22-year run.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4pEuU0M
OSSEO: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “The Osseo City Council approved a preliminary budget this week that includes the addition of a new police officer. According to city budget documents, the preliminary tax levy is proposed to increase by 14 percent. For a roughly $280,000 home, residents could expect to see their city property taxes increase by about $170.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48hkVZp
DULUTH: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “Duluth’s housing difficulties have become a near constant in the city, and a new study shows they won’t be going away anytime soon. The study conducted by Maxfield Research and Consulting for the City of Duluth expects demand to continue dramatically outpacing development for housing of all types over the next decade. It predicts Duluth will need roughly 8,700 new units by 2035 to keep up with demand.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4mtqze7
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)
ZEUS JONES: Via Adweek, VERBATM: “Zeus Jones is ushering in a new leadership era, naming design leader Brad Surcey and former Fallon CEO Rocky Novak as co-CEOs, the Minneapolis-based indie agency told ADWEEK. The pair were quietly appointed in July, with today marking the first public announcement of their roles.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/47YY8RS
ACQUISITION: Via news release from Eden Prairie-based FORTÉ, VERBATIM: “FORTÉ, formerly AVI Systems, today announced it has acquired Informationsteknik Scandinavia AB, headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. With operations in both Sweden and Denmark, this acquisition further expands FORTÉ’s European presence and advances its strategy to support global organizations with modern audiovisual and unified collaboration solutions.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gHChAP
NE MPLS: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “Pikok Lounge, stationed just two blocks from Vinai, Oro by Nixta and Stargazer, recently opened within Daniel del Prado‘s new East Asian restaurant Minari. The vibe: Korean fare, large portions and lower-than-average prices.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3W6v97k
ART BATTLE: Via Minnesota Monthly, VERBATIM: “I’m standing in Crayon Kelly Experience, a gallery in St. Louis Park’s West End, where the artists are about to go head-to-head in a live painting competition known as Art Battle Minnesota—a local offshoot of the global Art Battle International. Founded in 2001 in New York City as a response to gatekeeping in the art world, Art Battle encourages making and selling art without any pretension—the barrier of entry for artists is next to none, and the power lies in the hands of the audience.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mxKhFF
TODAY: Via news release from Rep. McCollum, VERBATIM: “Congresswoman Betty McCollum will host a health care listening session today at 11:00 AM at the State Capitol. She will be joined by a panel of Minnesota health care professionals to discuss the impacts of Republicans’ passage of H.R. 1, also known as the Big Beautiful Bill, and other policies.”
THIS WEEK: Via MSP Film, VERBATIM: “Join us for the 19th edition of Mizna’s Twin Cities Arab Film Festival (TCAFF). Established in 2003, TCAFF debuts independent narrative, documentary, and experimental features and short films from more than fifteen Arabic-speaking countries and their diasporas.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3IhOH5E
FRIDAY: Via news release from Rep. Tom Emmer, VERBATIM: “Following the passage of H.R. 1, which provides crucial tax relief for American small businesses and manufacturers, Congressman Tom Emmer will attend and give brief remarks at the groundbreaking ceremony of Niron Magnetics’ new manufacturing facility in Sartell, Minnesota.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4pzUJ2l
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
DICK VON DYKE: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “Drag king Dick Von Dyke can be found serving ‘stache all over the Twin Cities drag scene. An experienced emcee, lip-syncer, and trumpet player with a Dylan-esque coiffure, Dick is perhaps most notable as host of the eponymous Dick Von Dyke Show, held at the Black Hart of Saint Paul. It’s a variety-style drag show featuring established and first-time drag artists, kings and queens, single and group acts, and styles ranging from goth to boy-band. There’s something for everyone—and, equally important, it’s a stage for anyone and everyone.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gOHkzh
BDAYS: fmr. Gov. Arne Carlson,MN Sports and Events leader Wendy Blackshaw,lobbyist Jeff Hayden,Dept of Ag’s Andrew Vaubel,advocate Mary Hartnett,entrepreneur Eric Taipale
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