Fake news this morning tamped down by Rep. Brad Tabke, that there was an ICE killing in Shakopee. It didn’t happen according to Tabke.
New Consumer Price Index data out this morning shows inflation at a four-year low in December. AXIOS: https://fluence-media.co/49Ep1JX
Have you encountered dynamic pricing when shopping? A new poll finds more than half of adults are against it, with many citing price-gouging as a concern. MORNING CONSULT: https://fluence-media.co/3Zaepxv
Bill and Hillary Clinton are refusing to testify in the U.S. House’s Jeffrey Epstein investigation. NYTIMES: https://fluence-media.co/4sC8ezJ
Snow is headed our way this weekend. How much and where to expect it depends on whether you believe the American, European, or Canadian models. MAPS: https://fluence-media.co/4qlAzZO
You’re not imagining it – a lot of Minnesotans bought the retro “blackout” license plates last year. NUMBERS: https://fluence-media.co/45JKzUj
At the Golden Globes Sunday, some actors were seen wearing “Be Good” pins in tribute to Renee Macklin Good. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4jAjrN8
Today’s WCCO Radio morning take at 6:20 with Vineeta Sawkar. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4qOUikh
In a must listen, Legislative Auditor Judy Randall joined Sunday Take to discuss fraud in state programs. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3YTziND
The Fluence Forum - The State of Energy is Jan. 21.
Health Care will remain a top issue into 2026, the State of Health Care Fluence Forum panels from last week are now available in podcast form. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/FluenceForumPodcast
Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription
The latest insight from Fluence Advisory on the loss of institutional knowledge from the Minnesota Legislature. READ: https://fluence-advisory.com/insights/
Blois
tips/feedback bloisolson@gmail.com
BREAKING THIS MORNING
THOMPSON OUT: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Joe Thompson, the leading federal prosecutor and public voice on uncovering rampant fraud around Minnesota, has resigned from the U.S. Attorney’s Office . . . Thompson was appointed acting U.S. Attorney of Minnesota by President Donald Trump in May of 2025 and served in that role for six months until Daniel Rosen took office as U.S. Attorney last October. He was the lead prosecutor in the massive Feeding Our Future food fraud case . . . Thompson has been considered a potential political candidate and has also been rumored to be a candidate for a new position with the Department of Justice.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/45FuOxC
NOTE: In the fall, someone close to Thompson shared that he had no interest in running for public office. Did something change?
SENATE MOVES
Legislative news has been flowing freely the last 24-hours with the Top 5 race for SD3 being the rematch of Sen. Grant Hauschild vs. Andrea Zupanicich which was a 703-vote difference in 2022. Hauschild’s announcement isn’t news. The reality is that this race will cut on the DFL top of the ticket and Haushchild was rightfully worried if Walz had been the gubernatorial nominee. Meanwhile, Zupanicich will need energy and discipline on focused issues to flip the seat.
In a safe GOP seat, Sen. Bill Weber announced this AM that he isn’t running again. Another GOP battle to see how MAGA the successor might be and how the next GOP caucus may govern. That’s a 2027 story to think about.
Meanwhile, via Mesabi Tribune, VERBATIM: “Sen. Rob Farnsworth says his favorite part about being an Iron Range senator is advocating for people, communities, businesses, and mining. Farnsworth, R-Hibbing, announced his re-election bid Monday for Minnesota State Senate District 7.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YWFIeV
Senator Jordan Rasmusson (R-Fergus Falls) announced he’s seeking re-election to SD9.
Countering the DSA-far left opposition to Sen. Ron Latz, Sen. Majority Leader Erin Murphy has endorsed Latz. Latz’s DFL opponenet, St. Louis Park City Councilor Lynette Dumalog, who is Rep. Larry Kraft’s former campaign manager brings some local DFL drama of the far left lurching further into St. Louis Park and Hopkins. Kraft endorsing a senior Senator’s opponent, along with fmr. Mayor Jake Spano suggest that there is not room for a more moderate and thoughtful DFLer in the first ring anymore. Reminder that Latz was seen as a more liberal member of the caucus when he was first elected.
A new candidate for Sen. Julia Coleman’s seat, Chanhassen City Councilmember Mark von Oven announced his candidacy in District 48 today. Coleman, who is leaning to run again and has been speculated for and positioned herself for higher office, is dealing with family stuff before she finalizes her decision. If there is a major DFL wave, Coleman could be vulnerable.
DC + MN
SOMALI MIGRANTS: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “Eight weeks after President Donald Trump announced that he was ‘immediately’ terminating temporary protected status (TPS) for Somali migrants living in Minnesota, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed TPS will end in March. Noem announced the decision to Fox News on Tuesday morning. Her office later sent the following statement to 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS.” QUOTE: “Temporary means temporary. Country conditions in Somalia have improved to the point that it no longer meets the law’s requirement for Temporary Protected Status. Further, allowing Somali nationals to remain temporarily in the United States is contrary to our national interests. We are putting Americans first.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sTlkJk
MORE: Via NBC News, VERBATIM: “U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services confirmed on X that ‘Somali nationals with TPS are now required to leave the United States by March 17, 2026.’ The United States provides temporary protected status to immigrants from certain countries that are impacted by safety conditions such as natural and human-made disasters.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qkr3Gp
TARIFFS: Beth Benike, owner of Oronoco-based Busy Baby, asked Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent at a recent event about what she should do in the face of tariffs on China. She told Bessent that her business was too small for large manufacturers and too big for small ones. Via Axios, VERBATIM: “What should businesses like hers, stuck in the middle, do? Bessent’s answer was that she should consider relocating manufacturing from China to another Asian country, where tariffs are 18%-19%. For comparison, her products are currently tariffed at 30%. Afterward, Benike told Axios she thought Bessent’s answer was ‘bullsh*t.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YzovIf
RETAIL: Via The Wall Street Journal, VERBATIM: “The federal immigration crackdown in Minnesota has descended on the stores and parking lots of Target, putting the hometown retailer in a tough political spot as it faces pressure from some locals to keep border protection agents out . . . A spokesman for Target declined to comment, but retailers have said they can’t stop law enforcement, including immigration officials from entering public areas of stores and parking lots.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3LcUKKf
Meanwhile, Wrecktangle Pizza did stop ICE from entering their store. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4pABnsk
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)
ICE IN MN
RIDE-ALONG: A Minnesota Reformer rode along with a “community patrol” as they followed and were confronted by ICE officers in the Twin Cities. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sEoIaM
PAYNE: Via Bring Me The News, Minneapolis City Council President Elliott Payne shared via social media video of ICE at a bus stop Monday night. VERBATIM: “One of the ICE agents is then seeing pushing Payne, who commented on BlueSky: ‘If this is how they treat the President of the Minneapolis City Council who is legally observing, just think of what they’re doing to everyone else in our City.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49Bw8mz
DULUTH: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “Tensions flared Monday at Duluth City Hall with questions surrounding Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Duluth Police Department taking center stage. At one point, things got out of hand to the point City Council President Lynn Marie Nephew called for a recess while ICE protestors confronted Chief of Police Mike Ceynowa.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3NjYc6n
MORE: Via Duluth News Tribune, VERBATIM: “[Duluth Police Chief Mike Ceynowa] said local police officers rely on LexisNexis for valuable tools that help them track, investigate and predict crime patterns. However, he said information collected by local officers is not routinely shared with other agencies by way of the same technology. Yet resident Danny Frank expressed his distrust, saying: ‘I urge you to cut ties with LexisNexis, whose systems are enabling HSI and ICE to terrorize our communities. Moreover, I implore you to stand with people and to stand by your commitment not to cooperate with HSI and ICE in their illegal, overreaching and morally abhorrent operations.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Yz6rxR
MANKATO: KEYC-TV reports “tempers flared” at Monday night’s Mankato City Council meeting. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3NrFDx0
PRIVATE DATA: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “MPR News has looked into reports that federal agents have accessed private data to track and intimidate anti-ICE activists since the immigration crackdown surged in Minnesota in December. Privacy advocates say it’s a clear violation of state law. License plate readers and personal data in people’s car registrations are only supposed to be accessed for an active criminal investigation, said John Boehler, a policy counsel with the ACLU of Minnesota.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4pCneew
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)
DE-ESCALATION: Via CBS News, an interview with Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino. VERBATIM: “Bovino claimed in an interview with CBS News that agencies within the Department of Homeland Security are working to de-escalate situations, saying, ‘every day we de-escalate.’ CBS News witnessed agents confronting the protesters outside of the facility, telling demonstrators to move back and antagonizing them. CBS News pointed out to Bovino that it didn’t look like de-escalation.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4pFlf9f
EMMER ON ICE: Via House Majority Whip Press Office, VERBATIM: “Today, Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) joined House Republican leadership to back Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers as they get criminal illegal aliens off the streets of Minnesota despite Democrats in the state making every effort to impede their operations.” EMMER: “Law enforcement officers are repeatedly harassed, assaulted, and demonized by paid agitators and failed and corrupt politicians who care more about scoring points with the radicals in their party than enforcing the rule of law and keeping Minnesota safe. Minnesota’s so-called leaders – like Governor Tim Walz, Attorney General Keith Ellison, and Mayor Jacob Frey – would rather go to war with the Trump administration than get criminal illegal aliens out of our communities and expose the fraud that’s been allowed to run rampant on their watch.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4bwqXqq
TRANSPORTATION ISSUES
POTHOLES: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “There’s a good chance you’ve already noticed - we’re in a doozy of a pothole season Minnesota.” QUOTE: “For a typical winter, I would say yes, it’s early,” says City of Minneapolis Director of Transportation, Maintenance and Repair Joe Paumen. “I’m just not sure we have typical winters anymore. And so, you know we are seeing three out of the last four winters I think, we have seen a lot of freeze thaw cycles during times of the year that might normally be considered our coldest times.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4bu2iCO
SUN COUNTRY: Thrifty Traveler has more insight into the potential impact on Twin Cities travelers with the sale of Sun Country to Allegiant. VERBATIM: “While they might both be budget airlines in name, they’re drastically different in practice. Overnight, complimentary drinks could disappear and over time, Sun Country’s more comfortable seating could disappear, too. But bigger picture, the changes could be even more drastic. When airlines buy one another, what they’re really looking to buy is planes and pilots to fuel future growth. While Sun Country has been all-in on Minneapolis for decades, Allegiant focuses on operating flights between smaller airports all across the country – routes where it can have a monopoly and charge higher fares.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sIL0Iw
MORE: Via Freight Waves, VERBATIM: “Amazon will outsource two additional cargo aircraft to Sun Country Airlines this year after being notified of merger discussions with Allegiant Travel Co., signaling the retailer giant’s interest in maintaining their flying partnership, executives for the two low-cost carriers said Monday.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49RKhx3
WILD ABOUT READING: Join more than 800 Minnesota classrooms and 30,000 students 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, Paulie; 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 Pine Bend refinery)
COMMERCE
ACQUISITION: Via Minneapolis-based U.S. Bancorp, VERBATIM: “U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB) announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire BTIG, LLC, a financial services firm specializing in investment banking, institutional sales and trading, research and prime brokerage.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3NHooYB
RETIREMENTS: Via Hormel, VERBATIM: “Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE: HRL), a Fortune 500 global branded food company, today announced the upcoming retirements of two long-tenured leaders: Mark Morey, vice president of operations for fresh pork, and Paul Peil, vice president of marketing for fresh and ready meats.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3LDmhV4
PROMOTIONS: Via Minneapolis-based FORTÉ, VERBATIM: “FORTÉ, formerly AVI Systems, today announced the promotion of three leaders from within the organization to senior leadership roles, further strengthening the company’s ability to scale, innovate, and deliver exceptional outcomes for customers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49khuB7
MOVE: Via Minneapolis-based Jamf, VERBATIM: “Jamf (NASDAQ: JAMF), the standard in managing and securing Apple at work, today announced the appointment of David Helfer as Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), effective immediately.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qnUK9x
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)
SPORTS & REC & ART
BASEBALL: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “Brett Thorney, owner of Thorney Training and Mariucci Elite-Minnesota, is proposing a new indoor youth baseball training facility in Plymouth . . . The facility would offer four batting cages, pitching machines, sensor equipment to monitor ball flight, hitting and pitching metrics, and video analysis software, as well as a weight room.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49mEKhS
CAMPGROUND: Via The Timberjay, VERBATIM: “A long-running dispute over a proposed campground intended to serve disabled veterans on Lake Vermilion has taken a dramatic new turn, with a federal civil rights lawsuit now accusing St. Louis County and Beatty Township officials of discrimination, retaliation, and systemic failures in the handling of zoning and enforcement decisions.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3LobLRH
MIA: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “A restored ancient bronze owl artifact has returned to the Minneapolis Institute of Art nearly three years after a visitor accidentally knocked it off its plinth. The sculpture — a Chinese zun wine vessel that is upwards of 3,200 years old, dating to the Shang dynasty — is one of the most valuable pieces in the museum’s collection, says Yang Liu, the chair of Asian Art.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qlTSCh
WHAT’S NEXT?
THIS WEEK: The St. Paul RV Supershow begins Thursday. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3ZafvJD
THIS MONTH: Via DEED, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Trade Office (MTO) is delighted to invite you to join Governor Tim Walz, Department of Employment and Economic Development Commissioner Matt Varilek and Department of Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen at a luncheon event to honor this year’s recipients of the Governor’s International Trade Awards.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bsZjKT
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
THEATER: Via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “In the 1940s, the New York City Housing Authority declared San Juan Hill, a flourishing neighborhood home to thousands of Black and Puerto Rican families, to be a slum. Over the next 20 years, the city demolished buildings in the area, making way for construction of the Lincoln Center and other developments. The neighborhood, which served as the setting for the 1961 film ‘West Side Story,’ is also the setting for ‘Somewhere,’ the Guthrie Theater’s production about a theatrical family unmoored by the broken promises of the American dream.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qWNgKx
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