Blizzard conditions to the north, severe thunderstorms to the south – we may be in for an interesting weather weekend. FORECAST: https://fluence-media.co/4hzH7i0
Meanwhile, golfers returned to Brooklyn Park’s Edinburgh USA Thursday. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4251Wxj
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says trade tensions between the U.S. and Canada have de-escalated a bit. WSJ: https://fluence-media.co/4iSlQ4b
GOP Rep. Brad Finstad was on Sunday Take to discuss tariffs, the Farm Bill, the federal deficit and more. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4hmnB8E
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)
ICE: Via Duluth News Tribune, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota House Public Safety Committee advanced a bill Wednesday that would require local law enforcement to report an individual arrested for a violent offense to ICE and to cooperate in data sharing with federal immigration authorities. The bill, HF16, sponsored by Max Rymer, R-North Branch, would require local law enforcement to inform U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, when an undocumented individual is arrested on suspicion of committing a crime of violence, even if the county elects not to file charges. The bill also makes it illegal for officials to restrict the release of individual immigration status data to federal immigration authorities or to establish any policy that would limit local law enforcement officials from cooperating with federal immigration authorities.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3DGNPFf
MORE: Via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “President Trump is planning to invoke a law known as the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 as soon as Friday to authorize the summary deportation of some migrants, multiple U.S. officials familiar with the plan told CBS News, and a Minnesota college professor says it could have sweeping impacts. The act is a wartime authority that allows the president to detain and deport non-U.S. citizens from enemy countries. Since the U.S. is not at war, it would have to be determined that a country is either carrying out or threatening an invasion.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3Frr7Sb
TODAY: KSTP-TV reports two DFL senators will announce details of legislation to change Minnesota’s DWI laws. The announcement will take place at Park Tavern in St. Louis Park where two people were killed and nine others injured by a repeat drunk driver. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ivATRE
MORE: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “It could be a bad legislative session for bad drivers. Traffic safety is one place where lawmakers appear inclined to reach bipartisan consensus this year. Proposals range from more requirements for people looking to get behind the wheel after impaired driving offenses to stiffer penalties for those with a lead foot.” QUOTE: “Running stop lights, speeding — all the highways are insane. I mean, you go down any highway somebody blows your doors off at 100 miles an hour,” said Rep. Terry Stier, R-Belle Plaine. “Hopefully the public is fed up with it, and they get behind us.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3FwPZrF
BUDGET: Via Indivisible Twin Cities, VERBATIM: “Indivisible Twin Cities is today publicly thanking Senator Tina Smith for her commitment to vote against the extreme budget continuing resolution put forward by Congressional Republicans at the direction of Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Further, we thank Representative Angie Craig, Representative Kelly Morrison, Representative Ilhan Omar, and Representative Betty McCollum for voting against this extreme continuing resolution as well. We continue to demand that Senator Amy Klobuchar vote no on cloture and no on the continuing resolution.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/426kRrC
DULUTH: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “Denfeld High School has had many evacuations this year due to the fire alarm going off. However, the alarms are actually more of a warning for dangerous behavior than a fire. Students are beginning to feel frustrated by the interruptions . . . According to the Duluth School District, Denfeld has been evacuated 16 times this school year because the fire alarm was triggered. However, the Duluth Fire Department (DFD) has not been dispatched for nearly half of the incidents . . . What is known is the leading cause of the alarms: vaping.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3Fyjj0T
ACQUISITION: Via The Wall Street Journal, VERBATIM: “Compass is in advanced talks to acquire Warren Buffett’s [Minnesota-based] real-estate brokerage business, according to people familiar with the matter, the latest sign of consolidation among real-estate brokerages during a prolonged period of lackluster home sales. A deal could come together soon, if talks don’t hit any last-minute snags, the people said. The acquisition price couldn’t be determined. Compass was the biggest U.S. brokerage by volume in 2023, while HomeServices was the fourth-biggest, according to RealTrends.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ivw8Yi
MORE: Via Real Estate News, VERBATIM: “HomeServices of America President and CEO Gino Blefari is strongly denying a report that Compass is in talks to purchase HSoA.” QUOTE: "I want to confirm to you that there are no discussions, negotiations or agreements to sell HomeServices or any of its affiliated companies and that includes the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices franchise business," Blefari said in a statement shared with franchisees. "Moreover," he added, "no such sale is being contemplated." READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hf552b
HOUSING: Via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “Home sales in the Twin Cities and statewide are down about 5% year to year, according to the latest reports. Affordability remains an issue with the housing market . . . Four in five aspiring homeowners say the expenses from down payments and closing costs are a significant obstacle to owning a home, according to a new Bankrate survey.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3FIXWK8
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)
SLEEP NUMBER: Via Furniture Today, VERBATIM: “Sleep Number Corp. and its largest investor have come to an agreement that five of the company’s current board members will retire. Late last year, Stadium Capital Management, the company’s largest shareholder, nominated four new board candidates and pushed to appoint bedding industry veteran Gary Fazio as a strategic advisor. Shelly Ibach, Sleep Number’s outgoing chair, president and CEO, announced her retirement in October, and Michael Harrison, Sleep Number board’s independent lead director said earlier this month he would retire at the upcoming annual meeting.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4iMoqsA
MAYO: Via news release from the Attorney General’s office, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced today that his office has obtained a settlement with Mayo Clinic that requires Mayo to change its charity care and debt collection practices. According to the terms of the settlement, Mayo Clinic must provide charity care to certain presumptively eligible patients and streamline their charity care application process. The settlement also prohibits Mayo Clinic from suing to collect medical debt in other than extraordinary circumstances.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3R9vNhX
NEXTGEN: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “Nearly 2,000 students from high schools all across central Minnesota filed into Central Lakes College in Brainerd last week for the 18th annual Career Exploration Day. Arranged through CLC and the Brainerd Lakes Chamber of Commerce, the event hosted 26 high schools from as far away as Henning. Students got the opportunity to see what career pathways are possible.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4271QW6
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)
THIS WEEK: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “Five years ago this week, Gov. Tim Walz first declared a statewide emergency over the newly-declared COVID-19 pandemic — and Axios Twin Cities readers have shared how the fallout impacted them.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Fux8xo
MORE: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “For restaurant workers, success comes from being prepared to face an impending rush. Most learn those skills early and carry them throughout life, along with the reassurance that restaurant jobs will always be there. When the pandemic hit, and the wave of closures followed, industry veterans put those skills to the test and did what they knew best: reacted.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4i7FF7V
WALLEYE: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Here's something we haven't heard in a long time - the Mille Lacs Lake walleye population is in good shape. The Minnesota DNR is allowing anglers to keep two of them this season after years of restrictive regulations.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4iMiHmA
FOREST LAKE: Via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “Alternating cold and mild temperatures combined with a lack of snow this winter have caused significant ice ridges along the shore of Lakeside Park in Forest Lake. The severe ice ridges, which are caused when lake ice pushes material from lakebeds up onto shorelines, have caused light poles to tip, boulders to move and the city’s paved walking path to shift several feet to the west. City officials say it will cost $175,000 to repair the damage.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43JrT6T
“IT’S OUR PEOPLE’S LIVES THEY SAVE” - The Cass Lake Fire Department, located on the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe Reservation in northern Minnesota, serves an area of 400 square miles, three counties, the city of Cass Lake and the Reservation. A foundational Enbridge donation has helped the department begin plans for building a new fire hall to replace its current home base, which the fire department has outgrown. “Our top needs are health and safety—having a decontamination hot zone, and another is training capacity,” says Robert, the chief of Cass Lake FD. Adds Diane, an Enbridge Tribal liaison and a Leech Lake Band member: “We want to see what the needs are out in the communities, and the fire department here is so important to everyone’s safety and well-being . . . it’s our people’s lives they save.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3RfodC9 (SPONSORED: Enbridge)
NICOLLET AVE: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “Since 1977, Nicollet Avenue has been split by discount chain stores, separating the neighborhood and stunting economic growth in the Whittier community. Minneapolis has taken the first steps to reconnect the community, and construction could start on the first phase of the New Nicollet Redevelopment this year.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3DEYkJg
NOODLES: Via Eater, VERBATIM: “Chef Yo Hasegawa doesn’t want to think about what might happen to Cafe Yoto if the new North Loop restaurant’s noodle machine were to break down. Sure, the casual restaurant has handrolls and other non-noodle items derived from the food Hasegawa enjoyed while growing up in Japan. But the noodles are the heart and soul of the operation.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4iucQ5w
CES: Via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “Alexis Walsko, founder and CEO of Minneapolis-based Lola Red PR, likes to kick-start the year by attending the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. A supersized trade show in January, CES draws nearly 140,000 people to see the latest innovations in technology. ‘I go almost every year to support clients, do trade research, and meet with people in the field,’ Walsko says. Here are some of her observations from the 2025 show to inspire and inform your next event.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Fra1Uv
THIS WEEKEND: Via KTTC-TV, VERBATIM: “The annual Rochester Home and Lifestyle Show begins Friday, March 14, and runs through the weekend at the Graham Arena Complex.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/43KlBUE
THIS WEEKEND: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “The white snow is all but gone, and that means the season of green is drawing near. Monday is St. Patrick’s Day, and there are events being held in Bemidji throughout the holiday weekend to celebrate.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4kSHoiY
APRIL10: Citizens League will honor Peter Bell, former Metropolitan Council Chair and Sharon McMahon, at the 2025 Civic Celebration. The annual Civic Celebration is an inspiring evening, gathering hundreds of Minnesotans from diverse backgrounds, parties and ideologies to celebrate our state’s enduring civic culture, leadership, and commitment to public service. REGISTER: https://fluence-media.co/41txP1p(SPONSORED: Citizens League)
From yesterday’s Fluence newsletters:
FIVE YEARS: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Thursday marks five years since Gov. Tim Walz declared a ‘peacetime emergency’ and the state went into lockdown for the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools moved to remote learning, bars and restaurants were shuttered and people were told to stay home. Nearly 17,000 Minnesotans have lost their lives to the virus. Former Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm led the state through the first two years of the pandemic. She frequently hosted the state’s daily COVID press conferences. She joins MPR News host Nina Moini to reflect on the early days of the pandemic and her role in the Minnesota’s COVID-19 response.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3FuCvwr
ORIGINS: Via Reuters, VERBATIM: “Germany's foreign intelligence service in 2020 put at 80%-90% the likelihood that the coronavirus behind the COVID-19 pandemic was accidentally released from China's Wuhan Institute of Virology, two German newspapers reported on Wednesday. According to a joint report by publications Die Zeit and Sueddeutscher Zeitung, Germany's spying agency BND had indications that the institute had conducted gain-of-function experiments, whereby viruses are modified to become more transmissible to humans for research purposes.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kPy7YZ
HOSPITALS: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “On a calm day in one of Minnesota’s busiest emergency rooms, Dr. John Hick stands next to a ventilator. ‘During COVID, these things were getting an absolute workout because we had a lot of people in the emergency department on them,’ Hick said. ‘We never ran out of such critical devices. I cringe thinking of potential future epidemics where that becomes an issue.’ In March 2020, while working at HCMC in Minneapolis, Hick, an emergency physician and medical director for emergency preparedness, began hearing reports of increasing COVID-19 cases in the Pacific Northwest, particularly in skilled nursing facilities. He realized it was only a matter of time before the virus reached his own hospital.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4iqzGLn
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ST PETER: Via KEYC-TV, VERBATIM: “The Saint Peter School Board has selected three finalists for the school district’s superintendent position.” LIST: https://fluence-media.co/4ivu6az
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
MARCH MADNESS: Via Minnesota Monthly, VERBATIM: “What’s better than cheering on your favorite team with some game-day snacks and beverages? Several bars and restaurants in the Twin Cities are offering specials and promos for the duration of the tournament.” LIST: https://fluence-media.co/4ivkaOm
BDAYS: Sports Take’s Howard Sinker, Rep. Sandra Feist, RD Offutt’s Jennifer Maleitzke, Novartis leader Julie Idelkope. SAT: author David Hakensen, communication pro Doug Belden, govt. relations pro Jeff Peterson. SUN: photographer and lawyer Sam Stern, ag writer Kent Thiesse, Star Tribune’s Ryan Faircloth, Piper’s Craig Johnson
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