If you can catch a clear night sky, this week is a good time to look up. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3VxCBbJ
Snow closed or delayed several Minnesota schools today. LIST: https://fluence-media.co/4gnZMgM
Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year is “polarization.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3D6B3PK
The inspiration for the Vikings’ most recent celebration dance: a movie with a 15% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fZMJ5k
Today’s WCCO Radio morning take at 6:20 with Vineeta Sawkar. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4itgcGr
Yesterday on Sunday Take, U of MN President Rebecca Cunningham shared legislative priorities. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3BkGFFq
Blois
tips/feedback bloisolson@gmail.com
E-BIKES: From H. Jiahong Pan via Minnesota reformer, VERBATIM: “More than half of the people who received an e-bike tax rebate are tax filers with more than $100,000 in income, according to data from the state Department of Revenue, obtained by the Reformer through a public records request. Meanwhile, just under 37% of the roughly 1,500 Minnesotans who received an e-bike tax rebate are low income, falling just short of the law’s 40% mandate, which was intended to give working people a chance at the ascendant transportation option . . . The high-income tilt of the rebate has prompted calls for reform, including from the rebate’s bill author, state Sen. Omar Fateh, DFL-Minneapolis.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gnSbig
RURAL MN: From Dan Gunderson via MPR, VERBATIM: “At 70, [Brent Olson] has been a farmer, a county commissioner, a short order cook and — most importantly to him — a writer. He’s firmly rooted in two worlds — a ‘bleeding heart liberal’ in the middle of rural Minnesota Trump country. In his writing, he tries to bring understanding to both. He's written a weekly, nationwide syndicated column since 1996 that reaches several hundred thousand mostly rural readers. He says he understands the feelings of disenfranchisement that he believes turned many rural people toward Donald Trump in the November election.” OLSON: “People feel like there’s forces out there that are beyond their sight, that are controlling their lives, and there’s a certain validity to that,” said Olson. “There’s a lot of very powerful people, people with a lot of money, who influence the world we live in and we just have no clue except we see things that we don’t quite understand.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Zv4cvm
BOOK BANS: From Sheila Mulrooney Eldred via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “Most of the recent bans target books by LGBTQ and BIPOC authors and books that feature queer or Black or brown characters. This trend may have gone mostly unnoticed if not for the work of a local writer who put her pen aside when she realized she might be able to help. Tasslyn Magnusson, who grew up in St. Paul and now lives in Prescott, Wisconsin (practically Minnesota, she says), pivoted careers when an author mentioned online that someone should keep track of the growing number of book bans. Oh, I can do that, she thought. I know how to use a Google spreadsheet. ‘I was teaching creative writing at The Loft, and now Banned Books Queen is my title,’ she says.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49rdRYo
DULUTH: From Peter Passi via Duluth News Tribune, VERBATIM: “Following a rain that turned to sticky snow Sunday, Miller Hill Mall began to receive reports of water entering its building. The Glik's women's shop took in enough water to force its temporary closure for the day.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3ZkcF4A
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT: Flint Hills Resources makes fuels and other products people need and use every day, products that help keep Minnesota moving. The company does this while prioritizing safety and environmental stewardship and contributing meaningfully to the community. STEWARDSHIP WITH A PURPOSE: Four pillars of stewardship (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources)
PROPERTY TAX: From Kyle Stokes via Axios, VERBATIM: “With year-end budget deadlines looming, some elected officials in Minneapolis and St. Paul are pushing to limit this year's property tax levy increases. Why it matters: Across the Twin Cities, tax bills are giving many homeowners sticker shock. The adjustment to slowing development and a declining office market both spell more pain for residential property owners. The big picture: Many cities, counties and school districts are navigating these pressures.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49vLwQH
MINNEAPOLIS: From Winter Keefer via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “When the Minneapolis City Council passed its resolution to create a city Labor Standards Board, the motion passed in a 9-3 vote, a council supermajority. When Mayor Jacob Frey vetoed this resolution, proponents of the board as currently outlined in the council-passed resolution needed this supermajority to hold in an override vote. But at the council’s regular meeting this week, council members Jamal Osman and Andrea Jenkins changed course, sustaining the mayor’s veto. These council members joined Michael Rainville, LaTrisha Vetaw and Linea Palmisano in their opposition to the resolution.” OSMAN: “While I initially voted for the Labor Standards Board, I expressed concern over the limited opportunities for residents of Ward 6 and the East African community to engage in the process and learn about what was proposed.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3ZNaubm
GREENERY: From Dan Kraker via MPR, VERBATIM: “On an 80-acre patch of boggy black spruce swamp outside the small northeast Minnesota town of Babbitt, the telltale signs of a unique North Woods crime are everywhere . . . He and other DNR officers across northern Minnesota spent a good chunk of their fall chasing down bandit spruce thieves, who have illegally cut and bundled thousands of tree tops from private, county, state and federal land, often in the dead of night. The illicit activity is driven by a seemingly insatiable demand for holiday décor. For decades there has been a strong market for balsam boughs and other greenery.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3OL28uk
ST PAUL: Via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “The premise: offer an artist, an eatery or retail entrepreneur the opportunity to prove themselves to a downtown St. Paul landlord through a temporary, sweetheart lease. After six months of renting a storefront for as little as $1 — and maybe insurance, utilities and incidentals — both parties can negotiate a longer-term contract, or go their separate ways . . . Grow Downtown has matched 18 new businesses — almost all of them run by women and people of color — with property owners to date, filling more than 40,000 square feet of empty retail space.
At least a dozen of those businesses are still open in their original locations, occupying a total of 27,000 square feet.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4g7Uvua
“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)
TONIGHT: From Elza Goffaux via Sahan Journal, VERBATIM: “When she accepted the National Book Award for poetry last month, Palestinian American writer Lena Khalaf Tuffaha called on her peers to speak out against Israel’s genocide in Gaza. Khalaf Tuffaha is one of six writers who will be in Minneapolis [Monday] for ‘Palestine, Minneapolis and the Urgent Word,’ a night of poetry and discussion exploring the role of writers in the U.S. as Israel’s war in Gaza continues and Donald Trump returns to the White House.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Bn8mgW
GRANTS: Via DEED, VERBATIM: “The Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) is looking to recruit roughly 100 community members to serve as grant reviewers for competitive workforce development grant programs in winter 2024-2025. Please consider applying to be a community reviewer today – or pass along this information to others in your networks! By maintaining high-quality standards and fostering collaboration, community reviewers contribute to the improvement of projects and the holistic growth of individuals and communities in Minnesota.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3ZKUl60
RUBY SLIPPERS: From Anika Besst via MPR, VERBATIM: “Even though the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids was unable to top the winning bid for Dorothy's ruby slippers, a new addition is still making its way to the collection. The museum’s executive director Janie Heitz flew out to Dallas hoping to bring the slippers back to the museum, but Heitz didn't have a whopping $28 million to spare at the auction on Saturday. She had set her sights on the movie’s door to Dorothy’s Kansas home, but when a new piece captured her eye, she knew the museum had to have it.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Vu2dGs
RETAIL: From Delane Cleveland via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “Local sports fans now have a new place in the northwest suburbs where they can buy merchandise and apparel featuring their favorite team. Rally House opened a new location in the Maple Grove Crossing shopping center on Nov. 27.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3DfWtK8
DULUTH: From Georgia Youngblood via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “Over 40 local venders set up shop in tents and cabins outside the DECC this weekend for the Winter Village. The Duluth Winter Village has become a staple during the holiday season for local businesses to showcase their work.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4ivyXt1
BEMIDJI: From Dennis Doeden via The Bemidji Pioneer, VERBATIM: “There's a new sign outside Bemidji's Hampton Inn and Suites, 20 years after the hotel opened on the south end of Lake Bemidji. Its new name is the SouthShore Hotel on Lake Bemidji, Trademark Collection by Wyndham. The change was necessitated by a new franchise agreement, said owner Rich Siegert.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49udWe0
NOTE: Every day, we’re sharing significant political, business and other news in other newsletters. If you love lunch take, sign up for the other tip sheets.
THIS MONTH: From Alex V. Cipolle via MPR, VERBATIM: “On Dec. 21, Bryant Lake Bowl & Theater in Minneapolis will host the 113th and final performance of ‘A Very Die Hard Christmas.’ The rowdy musical farce reenactment of the 1988 action film starring Bruce Willis was partly inspired by the hotly debated question: Is ‘Die Hard’ a Christmas movie?” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4g3CeOB
NEXT YEAR: From Declan Desmond via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “It might be a first for the Minneapolis Institute of Art, aka Mia: an exhibit built entirely from the private art stash of two married pop music icons. ‘Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys,’ a traveling exhibition that kicked off at New York's Brooklyn Museum in early 2024, will be coming to the Minneapolis museum in March.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3OMfSVC
From Friday’s Fluence newsletters:
SOLAR: From Mark Dorenkamp via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “Solar farms displacing productive farmland will likely remain a sensitive topic among farmers in 2025. Minnesota Farmers Union president Gary Wertish says solar sites should not be located on prime crop ground. ‘But then I see the investments (by) utilities (so) they want it close to their transmission lines, and it’s more economic for them to do that. But it is a concern, we don’t want to lose prime farmland. But then again it gets to be a property rights issue too.’ He tells Brownfield another concern is landowners who don’t actively farm.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3VqB0oa
BIRD FLU: Via USDA, VERBATIM: “Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is announcing the start of its National Milk Testing Strategy (NMTS), which builds on measures taken by USDA and federal and state partners since the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 in dairy cattle was first detected in March 2024. Today, USDA is issuing a new Federal Order, as well as accompanying guidance, requiring that raw (unpasteurized) milk samples nationwide be collected and shared with USDA for testing. This new guidance from USDA, which was developed with significant input from state, veterinary and public health stakeholders, will facilitate comprehensive H5N1 surveillance of the nation’s milk supply and dairy herds.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3VrdEPs
LULLABIES: From Atra Mohamed via Sahan Journal, VERBATIM: “As a young mother in Somalia, Asha Mohamed raised 10 kids in a tight-knit community rich with support from nearby family members. Traditional lullabies, songs and sayings were woven into her child-rearing . . . Minnesota educator Marian Hassan, who has written bilingual children’s books of Somali folktales, has launched a project to preserve this oral treasure trove. This fall, she received a $121,000 Minnesota Legacy Cultural Heritage Grant to launch the Sing-Again Lullaby and Oral History Project, where she and her team collect and preserve Somali language oral traditions.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3ZoH5md
TOYS: From Emily Haugen via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “Cummins, a manufacturing company with several Minnesota locations, produced hand-adapted toys for children of different abilities. The company then made a large donation to Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute in Golden Valley. Early Thursday morning, volunteers loaded vanloads of boxes into the building. Each box contained the handiwork of around 200 volunteers.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4g7iQjB
SANTA STEPH: From He Gets Us via PRNewswire, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Vikings cornerback Stephon Gilmore partnered with Minneapolis-based nonprofit Hospitality House Youth Development and He Gets Us to host, ‘Santa Steph's Workshop’ on Giving Tuesday (Dec. 3), in Minneapolis, Minnesota to give back to in-need children in the community. Children and their families had an opportunity to meet with Gilmore, take photos and receive individually selected gifts from the pro football star himself.” READ/PHOTOS: https://fluence-media.co/3OHfsjj
STAINED GLASS: From Delane Cleveland via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “In many places of worship, you’ll find stained-glass windows. And you’d be hard-pressed to find someone as experienced in the art of stained-glass production as Wayne Norton of Plymouth. ‘Probably a couple hundred. As far as large projects like this, I’ve probably done 30 chapels around the Twin Cities and surrounding areas, and then outside the state of Minnesota, another 10 or so,’ said Norton, the owner of Norton Stained Glass.
He estimates that he spent more than 2,000 hours designing and producing a stained-glass piece in his Plymouth studio for Saint Therese’s Corcoran chapel, which is still under construction.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/49rgg5l
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FINNISH: From Ryan Hayes via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “The Northland’s Finnish community celebrated Pikkujoulu, which means ‘Little Christmas’ in English, Sunday. This is Duluth’s 43rd Pikkujoulu put together by the Järvenpää Finnish American Historical Society.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3ZJW1g6
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
MN SPORTS: Via Minnesota Monthly, VERBATIM: “This holiday season, dive into Minnesota’s rich sports history with the ‘Minnesota Sports Hall of Fame Experience’, a special limited-time exhibit now open at The Dayton’s Project in downtown Minneapolis. Through Dec. 28, visitors can explore the state’s sports legacy through six distinct eras, featuring iconic athletes, teams, and moments that have shaped the sports landscape, from Olympic gold medals to professional championships.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41mbRil
BDAYS: Senate GOP leader Mark Johnson, starter extraordinaire Paul Spangrud, BBY’s’s Josi Hellier
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