Sometimes presidential advisor Steve Bannon told NPR he expects “a summer like no other” and a “constitutional crisis.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3EEwa1v
The Wisconsin Supreme Court suspended the Milwaukee County judge accused of obstructing immigration officials. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4iHrXrU
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ended a “woke divisive/social justice/Biden initiative” that President Trump signed into law in his first term and many in his current cabinet supported. FOX NEWS: https://fluence-media.co/44Pf0Zv
48% of Gen Z adults say they use TikTok daily – more than use Instagram Reels, Snapchat, and YouTube Shorts. MORNING CONSULT: https://fluence-media.co/3ELNXDS
A $67 million Navy fighter jet and the tractor that was towing it fell off an aircraft carrier into the Red Sea. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lT4Hdd
The federal funding freeze accelerated plans by philanthropist and former Medtronic chief Bill George to donate $1 million to Harvard. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4k0WF0e
Today’s WCCO Radio morning take at 6:20 with Vineeta Sawkar. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4cZ4MYL
On Saturday we launched our first premium publication. The Fluence Brief, they will be released 3-4 times a month and dive deeper into the business, economic and political dynamics of the Midwest. First one is gratis, but then we’ll have a fee. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cQw43r
KSTP’s Tom Hauser was on Sunday Take to discuss how Minnesota politics and media have changed since morning take began 15 years ago. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4jvVJRy
Blois
tips/feedback bloisolson@gmail.com
All Fluence Media tip sheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:
RESPONSIBLEGAMING: Legal sports betting platforms offer responsible game tools that offshore and illegal sports betting don’t offer. In fact, age verification is not required with most offshore providers. Learn more about why legalized sports betting is more responsible. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4kgJoS4 (SPONSORED: Sports Betting Alliance)
CD2: Via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “Matt Little, the former DFL state senator and Lakeville mayor, is entering the race to replace Rep. Angie Craig in Minnesota's 2nd Congressional District. Craig announced on Tuesday that she will not run for re-election in 2026 as she intends to run for the Democratic nomination to replace outgoing U.S. Sen. Tina Smith.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cYS7Fl
MORE: From Little via Facebook, VERBATIM: “I’m running for every underdog who’s working hard and still can’t get ahead, for families who can’t afford groceries, child care, health care, or assisted living. I’m running because the American Dream shouldn’t be out of reach. I’m fighting for a future where Americans are still free. Free to pursue the American dream; free to peacefully protest, and free from reckless, incompetent, and cruel federal policies. Policies that carelessly wreck the economy, stoke inflation, and slash vital public services that seniors, veterans, and children depend on.” POST: https://fluence-media.co/3EF2eSV
SURVEY: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “An HR professional dreads a recession. An entrepreneur hopes a 30 percent slump in his business will recover. And an unemployed single mom is feeling ‘terrified.’ Many Minnesotans are experiencing economic uncertainty — but some are also feeling confident that things will turn around soon. As President Donald Trump nears the milestone of his first 100 days in office, MPR News talked to voters around the state to see how they are faring economically under the Trump administration and how they rate the president’s job performance so far.”
QUOTE: “I’m not going to lie, it's terrifying,” said Samantha Herd, a human resources professional in St. Paul, who said economic conditions seem to be deteriorating. “I know our company has suffered from it. I’ve had to do quite a few layoffs.”
QUOTE: “Every time I have to get something done, it seems like it’s gone up another 50 bucks,” [said Brandon Doty of Bemidji]. “I just had to get my septic tank pumped, and it went from $155 to $220.” But Doty, who has supported Trump in three elections, is willing to give the president time to sort things out and was not surprised by the tariff moves. “He said he was going to do these things, and now he’s doing them. I respect someone who follows through.”
LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/42AvPWJ
RETAIL: Via The Wall Street Journal, VERBATIM: “To keep prices low on phone chargers, towels and blenders in the face of rising tariffs, America’s largest retailers are trying everything. They are pressuring their suppliers to absorb cost increases and dropping free perks from corporate offices. They have paused some shipments of goods from China and are leaning on inventory that has already been imported to the U.S. So far, most prices have held steady overall. The average price of some 10,000 everyday household products sold online by Walmart, Target and Amazon is effectively flat since April 2, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of data harvested by e-commerce-data firm Traject Data.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42YM6Ux
BEER: The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reports changes made during the COVID supply chain disruptions are helping Summit Brewing weather the current tariffs on Canadian aluminum. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lU2ldT
MNLEG: Via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota House passed a housing budget bill Tuesday, featuring funding boosts for homelessness prevention and affordable housing development, plus $100 million in bonds for financing housing developments statewide. But the Senate’s housing budget, which passed the chamber last week, is about $62 million smaller than the House version and it doesn’t include bonds.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lZAeKA
TWINS: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “It was a gloomy month at Target Field, and we're not talking about the weather. The big picture: The Twins drew an average of 17,030 fans per game in April — the fifth-worst in MLB this year, and the team's second-worst month for attendance since it left the Metrodome in 2009, according to an Axios analysis. We didn't count two seasons with heavy COVID restrictions on fans at Target Field, which has a capacity of 38,544.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YQjSda
WOMAN’S CLUB: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “For 118 years, the Woman’s Club of Minneapolis has acted as a social and charity organization for the Twin Cities community. Now, after it anticipated running out of operating funds by the end of May, a vote last week by its members has decided its fate. More than 75 percent of members voted to sell the historic property, and only if the buyer is open to leasing to the club will it consider remaining at its current Loring Park location. (The club currently reports three interested unnamed parties.) As for its future as an organization, over 75 percent voted in favor of continuing elsewhere.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3EN82JY
PRODUCING THE FUELS THAT HELP KEEP MINNESOTA MOVING: Flint Hills Resources, one of the Midwest’s leading producers of transportation fuels is hiring! With openings in IT, accounting, engineering, operations, procurement and asset management, Flint Hills Resources’ goal is to match talented individuals with their passions and interests to truly shine. APPLY TODAY: Flint Hills jobs (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources)
DMV: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “Minnesota lawmakers are weighing whether to give a green light to renewing your driver's license online . . . Driving the news: A proposal directing the Department of Public Safety to establish a process for online renewals of regular and Real ID-compliant driver's licenses sailed through the divided House as part of a broader transportation spending and policy bill this week.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3GwgsWC
CHARTER SCHOOLS: Via The Wall Street Journal, VERBATIM: “Since the first charter school opened 33 years ago in St. Paul, Minn., the movement for independently run but publicly financed and supervised education has exploded, now serving nearly four million students. And every one of the nation’s 8,000 charter schools is nonsectarian, because state and federal law has required it. That could change after Wednesday, when the Supreme Court considers arguments that the Constitution requires states to allow religious charter schools on equal terms with secular ones. The case, one of the biggest on church and state in a generation, could hinge on whether the justices conceive of charter schools as extensions of the government that provide free education for all children, or as private entities entitled to obtain public grants on a nondiscriminatory basis.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4jByvJP
NEXTGEN: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “At Champlin Park High School, students are working tirelessly to make sure they sound as good as possible for their May concert . . . Sophomore Janae Rupert plays the clarinet. She grew up around music and has made it part of her identity. ‘I’ve always felt a pull towards music just because, you know, it’s a language with no words,’ said Rupert. This year, Rupert channeled that passion for music to earn a spot on the State Honor Band . . . But Rupert isn’t just all about the arts. She’s also one of 36 students selected to serve on the Minnesota Youth Council, which advises the governor and state legislature.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4jW2lby
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)
BEMIDJI: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “A few weeks ago, Bemidji Fire Chief Justin Sherwood approached the Bemidji City Council about what he feels are critical staffing needs for the Bemidji Fire Department. Sherwood says the current staffing model at the fire station has remained unchanged since 2004, which has led to operational strain, firefighter fatigue, and can potentially limit the services they can provide to the city.” SHERWOOD: “Year to date, our members have gone out on calls 64 times with two or less firefighters.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3YqSXVg
NE MN: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “There were several road washouts reported in the wake of Monday night’s heavy rain. Tuesday, the Gunflint Trail Fire Department shared photos of damaged roadways. The department says the two-and-a-half to four inches of rain that fell washed out many side roads, making them impassable in spots.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3EONdhj
FRIDAY: Via Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, VERBATIM: “Living Naturally Abundant is inviting the community to prioritize mental wellness and connection at the First Annual Mental Health Awareness Fair on Friday, May 3, 2025. The event, hosted at the Saint Paul YMCA from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM, is free and open to the public.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lT8ebl
From yesterday’s Fluence newsletters:
HIV: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Minnesota is entering a bittersweet phase in its fight against HIV: Improved treatments have helped people with the disease live so long that they are dying of other age-related causes. The state recorded 158 deaths in its HIV population last year, the highest number in at least a decade, but only 32 people died from the disease while the rest were from other causes, according to newly released data from the Minnesota Department of Health. And for the first time half of the state’s deaths in its HIV population involved people 60 and older.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lRf8xH
NEXT WEEK: Via Medical Alley, VERBATIM: “Join us on May 7 for a dynamic discussion on how AI is transforming healthcare operations and patient experience. Life Link III’s Kolby Kolbet and MentorMate’s Josh Marquart will share their real-world experience implementing AI solutions, including what worked, what they learned along the way, and how their approach continues to evolve.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/42X7sBC
JUNE 9-10: Via Minnesota Rural Health Conference, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Rural Health Conference — hosted by the Minnesota Department of Health, Office of Rural Health and Primary Care, the Minnesota Rural Health Association, and the National Rural Health Resource Center — annually seeks to support, connect and inspire rural health professionals and leaders from across the state as they work toward the goal of building healthy communities.” DETAILS: https://fluence-media.co/4j1inkl
NEXTGEN: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “The North Central Small Business Development Center at Central Lakes College hosted its second annual Raider Cup Pitch Competition earlier this week in Brainerd. The event is an opportunity for student entrepreneurs to showcase their innovative ideas. For the North Central SBDC at Central Lakes College, the competition is all about giving students the platform they deserve.” QUOTE: “We’re really big believers in that good ideas can come from anywhere and that they should come from everywhere,” said North Central SBDC Regional Director Katie Heppner. “We really wanted to elevate our students, provide them the extra guidance that we do through the Small Business Development Center, to really polish up those ideas, have them be a little bit more real world and concrete.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/42PkVuZ
KAYAKING: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Interested in kayaking on the Mississippi River in the heart of Minneapolis or St. Paul? You simply log in online, get a code and use it to open a locker to your kayak and gear. ‘It really is that simple,’ said Devin Brown, community programs director for the Mississippi Park Connection. She beams when telling people about the Paddle Share program, which is getting more Minnesotans on the River. Brown moved to the Twin Cities from New Jersey more than a decade ago, specifically for the river.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3SbR4bf
Subscribe to other Fluence newsletters: https://fluence-media.co/TheDailyAgenda
EARNINGS: Via Associated Press, quarterly earnings reports from Minnesota-based companies:
NOG: “Northern Oil and Gas Inc. (NOG) on Tuesday reported first-quarter profit of $139 million. On a per-share basis, the Minnetonka, Minnesota-based company said it had net income of $1.39 . . . The results topped Wall Street expectations . . . The independent oil and gas company posted revenue of $602.1 million in the period. Its adjusted revenue was $577 million, also surpassing Street forecasts.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4jzn3yp
SURMODICS: “SurModics Inc. (SRDX) on Wednesday reported a loss of $5.2 million in its fiscal second quarter. On a per-share basis, the Eden Prairie, Minnesota-based company said it had a loss of 36 cents. Losses, adjusted for costs related to mergers and acquisitions and amortization costs, came to 13 cents per share. The drug delivery technology company posted revenue of $28.1 million in the period.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cVyRYZ
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
CINCO DE MAYO: Via Minnesota Monthly, VERBATIM: “Mexican-American culture is vibrant and deeply influential in Minnesota—from authentic Mexican cuisine to music, artwork, and more. Whether you’re looking for a delicious meal or a traditional celebration, there are plenty of ways to honor the holiday in and around the Twin Cities.” LIST: https://fluence-media.co/4iGYxtW
TACOS: Via Eater, VERBATIM: “The Twin Cities’ taco scene is more dynamic today than ever. From long-established spots like El Burrito Mercado and Las Cuatros Milpas to pop-up and takeout transformations like Yeah Yeah Tacos and masa exaltations like Eater Award-winning Oro by Nixta, Minneapolis and St. Paul have no shortage of stellar options.” LIST/MAP: https://fluence-media.co/3Jnb9XJ
BDAYS: lobbyist Dana Bailey, event pro Amy Mauzy, lobbyist Genevieve Plumadore, Red Cow’s Luke Shimp
Fluence Media curates, produces and distributes specialized media products to thought leadership audiences across the Midwest and about the region. Our publications cover, politics, public policy, health care, agriculture, business, real estate, sports and more. Visit www.fluence-media.com to learn more.
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