From MplsStPaul, the immigration enforcement surge by the numbers. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3OhMkCd
Minnesota ranks high for dating economics and romance & fun on WalletHub’s list of best states for singles. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4a8J6JR
Follow the 2026 Minnesota election’s up close with the Fluence ElectionTracker. FluenceElectionTracker.com
Today’s WCCO Radio morning take at 6:20 with Vineeta Sawkar. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4kwbrNR
Sunday Take featured Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Lunde and HCMC co-CEO J. Kevin Crosston discussing how the state can help stabilize the healthcare sector. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4qnLZeM
Blois
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DC + MN
THIS MORNING: Governor Tim Walz, DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek, The Market at Malcolm Yards owner Patty Wall, and other business and political leaders held a news conference this morning to talk about the immigration enforcement surge’s impact on business. He said there is a “package for business coming this week.” WALZ: “I’m going to remain hopeful at this moment, trusting but verifying. Every indication I have is that this thing is winding up on the front end. But I want to assure all Minnesotans, I want to assure the business owners, we don’t see this as the end. Our work just starts now.” From KMSP-TV via YouTube, WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4qxI4fw
HEARING: Via The New York Times, updates from this morning’s DHS oversight hearing. VERBATIM: “Perhaps unsurprisingly given the debate around immigration enforcement happening in Congress and the national outcry over the two shootings in Minnesota, the hearing room is packed with staff, the press and members of the public . . . Representative Andrew Garbarino of New York, the Republican chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, called for “complete and impartial investigations” into the Minnesota shootings. But he also criticized state and local jurisdictions for not cooperating with federal immigration enforcement efforts and blasted Democrats for withholding their support from a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security . . . Representative Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, the top Democrat on the committee, used his opening statement to criticize federal immigration enforcement agencies for avoiding congressional oversight.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4a9ClaJ
MORE: You can watch the hearing HERE: https://fluence-media.co/45VyxaK
CD1: Rep. Brad Finstad’s seat is among five added to those the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is targeting. Via MS Now, VERBATIM: “The additions — shared first with MS NOW — bring the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s overall target list of districts where it hopes to go on the offensive to 44. That far exceeds the handful of districts Democrats need to flip to win the House and notch a foothold of power in GOP-controlled Washington.”
MORE: “[DCCC Chair Susan DelBene, D-Wash.] also noted that the Minnesota seat has the distinction of being won by both Trump and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the Democratic incumbent, in 2024 — a sign, she said, that a Democrat can win there, too.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ckn4Fm
POLL: Via Rochester Post Bulletin, VERBATIM: “Voters in Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District are still a baseball season away from casting ballots in the 2026 election, but if fundraising totals and a newly released poll from a Democratic-aligned group are any indication, GOP Congressman Brad Finstad is facing his stiffest challenge in any recent election cycle in DFLer Jake Johnson. The new poll, conducted by Public Policy Polling, a polling firm affiliated with the Democratic Party, showed Johnson within 3 points of Finstad, 44% to 41%, with a hefty 15% of voters undecided.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rFDwEH
US ATTY: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Former U.S. Attorney Andy Luger warns of a ‘Washington takeover’ in Minnesota’s Department of Justice Office. Luger, who stepped away from the office in last January, says that Minnesota’s federal prosecutor’s office has shifted toward total control by the Trump administration. He says that type of control from Washington has ‘never happened before,’ and has been leading to an alarming rate of staff departures.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3ZsLlSg
ATTORNEYS: Via MPR News, two of the federal prosecutors who resigned in protest from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Minnesota — Joe Thompson and Harry Jacobs — have started a private defense firm together. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rGRlmu
ASYLUM: via NPR, VERBATIM: “Dozens of asylum cases filed by Somali migrants in immigration courts were suddenly rescheduled and recategorized. … Lawyers across at least three states — Minnesota, Illinois and Nebraska — received notices starting Friday night that moved up hearings for their clients to later this month and next month. Some of these hearings were previously scheduled to take place by 2028; others hadn’t yet been scheduled. … [Attorneys] argue that this appears to be a coordinated effort between the Executive Office for Immigration Review and the Department of Homeland Security to reject Somali asylum applications without court hearings.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/45WrnTv
ICE MAP: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “I’ve spent the last week poring over the federal government’s official narrative: the press releases, the social media posts and the ‘Worst of the Worst’ registry meant to showcase high-profile arrests. While many outlets have either ignored these reports or taken them at face value, I painstakingly gathered every available data point to understand not just what is being said, but what is missing. The result is an interactive map of ‘on the record’ ICE arrests in Minnesota, categorized by the claims the government has made about them.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4a7L7Ge
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)
TWO MONTHS
WHAT’S CHANGED: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “In four days of interviews in Minneapolis and St. Paul, people reflected on the two months since the federal immigration operation began. Almost everybody interviewed in the heavily Democratic region opposed the federal presence. Some also worried that protesters would destroy property; many had not attended any of the protests. But almost all of those interviewed said they had learned a lot about each other in the past two months, as the Twin Cities have been confronted by an immigration sweep that, by the government’s own account, has been the largest in the nation.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aaC2MZ
EVICTIONS: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “At the Duluth City Council Monday night, Councilors Wendy Durrwachter and David Clanaugh presented a resolution calling on Minnesota Governor Tim Walz to issue an emergency executive order across the state to temporarily ban evictions and provide rental assistance to families impacted by Operation Metro Surge. However, councilors voted to table the resolution, causing community members in attendance to begin shouting. The commotion ultimately resulted in a five-minute recess.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3O5xnmQ
GOVERNORS: Via States Newsroom, VERBATIM: “President Donald Trump decided to exclude Democratic governors from a traditional annual meeting at the White House and to disinvite several others from a black-tie dinner, according to the White House, the governors and the National Governors Association . . . The governors’ visit to the nation’s capital comes amid rising tensions over Trump’s deployment of the National Guard and surge of federal immigration border patrol agents into Democratic-led states, including California, Illinois, Minnesota and Oregon.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bRQIBX
RULING: Via Sahan Journal, VERBATIM: “An appeals court decision late Friday has paved the way for immigrants detained in Minnesota to be held indefinitely in Texas detention facilities . . . The ruling has significant ramifications for immigrants detained in Minnesota who have increasingly been rushed out of state to detention facilities in Texas, which is in the Fifth Circuit’s jurisdiction. According to ACLU policy counsel John Boehler, the court’s decision to subject detainees to mandatory detention without bond hearings — where an immigration judge determines if a detained individual can be released from custody — is a particularly difficult blow.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aECUcK
LEGISLATION: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “A group of DFL legislators are preparing to introduce a series of bills, aimed at shielding residents from federal enforcement by designating schools and hospitals as sensitive spaces and allowing individuals to sue federal agents for civil rights violations. DFL State Senator Scott Dibble says they are also considering a move to ban what he calls ‘deceptive tactics’ and hold federal agents accountable to state law.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4r5hdZ7
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)
COMMERCE
AUTONOMOUS: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Two tech companies that have recently set up shop in Duluth have an ambitious vision to make northern Minnesota a destination for research and testing of autonomous vehicles, from unmanned underwater submarines in Lake Superior to driverless underground machines in abandoned mines on the Iron Range. The companies, Anno.Ai and Spear.Ai, aim to build out testing infrastructure in and around Lake Superior, across northern Minnesota and into North Dakota, to collect data that would enable companies to test and train the artificial intelligence models that autonomous vehicles rely on.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/45X2uag
POT: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “After controversy over the location of First City Cannabis, the first proposed cannabis dispensary within Bemidji city limits, the Bemidji Planning Board approved an interim use permit for the business on Monday. The vote was held after the Bemidji Planning Commission split on whether to approve a permit last month. Minnesota cannabis laws state that a cannabis business must be at least 500 feet away from a daycare facility. What had been debated is from where the measurement should be made.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4to84N3
ECOLAB: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “Ecolab Inc. (ECL) on Tuesday reported fourth-quarter net income of $563.9 million. The Saint Paul, Minnesota-based company said it had profit of $1.98 per share . . . The results exceeded Wall Street expectations . . . The cleaning, food-safety and pest-control services company posted revenue of $4.2 billion in the period, also topping Street forecasts.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46kaqTl
DRIVE-THRUS: Via Food Service News, VERBATIM: “Long-debated restrictions on new Saint Paul drive-thru services cruise back to City Hall for a public hearing at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, February 18. Whether restrictions are adopted or curbed is an open question. A January council policy session brought pushback about a ban on any new restaurant and coffee shop drive-thrus. That stance would be welcomed by the city’s Business Review Council, Hospitality Minnesota and other pro-business groups. One point the city’s Business Review Council made is that drive-thru sales account for up to 60% of some restaurants’ revenues.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/45WupHn
TARGET: Via NBC News, VERBATIM: “Target will restructure parts of its organization and eliminate about 500 roles, company executives wrote Monday in an internal memo, as the retail giant looks to rebuild its customer base and return to growth. The cuts include roughly 400 positions across Target’s supply chain operations and about 100 roles at the store district level. No store-level jobs will be affected, but some regional offices will be closed, a Target spokesperson told NBC News.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4a87rQ3
MORE: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “Target CEO Michael Fiddelke is reshuffling his leadership team and making other changes shortly after stepping into the top job at the retailer that has struggled operationally. Rick Gomez, the 23-year Target veteran who oversees the chain’s vast inventory of merchandise, will leave the company. And Jill Sando, the chief merchandising officer overseeing a handful of categories like apparel and home and who has been with the company since 1997, will retire.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ran7II
TARGET FIELD: Via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “The Twins view the ballpark as a community asset, good for more than their 81 home games, hosting private events in the ballpark’s premium spaces as well as concerts on the field. And they don’t mind the revenue 40,000 music fans bring to the ballpark. (P!nk’s 2023 tour was the all-time record setter, attracting over 44,000, while the low-water mark was in 2014, when Thao & the Get Down Stay Down, Dosh, S. Carey, the New Pornographers, and Andrew Bird drew slightly under 3,000.) The process of setting a concert schedule belongs to Twins senior advisor Laura Day and VP of ballpark operations Dave Horsman, and it begins the previous autumn.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4atGLbt
SOCCER: Via Minnesota United FC, VERBATIM: “From the first game on the snowy turf to a record-breaking season in the heart of Midway, we’ve lived a decade of highs and lows, unforgettable experiences overlaid with astonishing growth. This season, we weave that history into our jerseys, repping the Black and Blue like never before. We wear a celebration of 10 seasons of membership in the highest caliber of national soccer. This is the Decade Kit.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3M2zXJP
ST PAUL: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “The days of getting away with skipping St. Paul parking meter payments are coming to an end. Why it matters: In recent years, the city barely enforced parking meters as it struggled with staffing shortages, which contributed to a steep decline in revenue for the cash-strapped city.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aakyQR
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)
BUSINESS PIVOTS
MEDIA: Via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “MPR News‘ chief meteorologist Paul Huttner is retiring. The veteran weatherman confirmed his impending exit from the airwaves, saying his last day with the station will be on April 30.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qrnDk8
MEDIA: Via RSN, VERBATIM: “REAL Shows Network (RSN), the national TV platform dedicated to elevating real estate and lifestyle storytelling, has added Minnesota Living, a new locally hosted series in Minnesota, to its lineup.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qmhLZr
RETAIL: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “Maple Grove will soon have a few new places where people can shop. The Shoppes at Arbor Lakes announced the addition of three new stores.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/406Bvpb
RETAIL: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “Mille has opened at the Galleria—a comeback for a brand that’s quietly flourished since closing at 48th and Grand in 2020.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tpTcgW
EVP: Via St. Paul-based Kigo, VERBATIM: “Kigo, an Augeo company, today announced the appointment of Evelyne Forester as Executive Vice President of Publisher Growth. In this role, Forester will lead publisher strategy and partnerships across Kigo’s loyalty and rewards platform, with a focus on driving growth, deepening relationships, and delivering measurable value for partners.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qvIMtM
WHAT’S NEXT?
SATURDAY: From Jason DeRusha via Minnesota Monthly, VERBATIM: “Valentine’s Day is Saturday, and we’re all shopping local this month to try to help our friends and neighbors who’s small businesses make Minnesota special! Here are some of my favorite local chocolate-makers who have specials for Valentine’s Day.” LIST: https://fluence-media.co/3MztYfx
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
ALL YEAR: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “Union Depot turns 100 this year, and to celebrate, the historic St. Paul train station is hosting special events all year.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4r8BOf5
BDAYS: Strib columnist Eric Roper, Sen. Jennifer McEwen, Bemidji leader Rita Albrecht, TCB’s Traci Auger
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