Nine in ten associate and bachelor’s degree students say they’re confident their degree will lead to a good job. GALLUP: https://fluence-media.co/40okBme
Only five states are less sinful than Minnesota according to WALLETHUB: https://fluence-media.co/4u0m003
Tommy James & The Shondells will play the State Fair Grandstand along with Herman’s Hermits. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3OpLXG2
Freezing rain is causing a lot of traffic headaches in the Twin Cities this morning. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4b8A8g8
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/4kRtX3j
Sunday Take dug into Minnesota’s housing situation with DFL Rep. Esther Agbaje and James Vagle, CEO of First Housing. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4cImGAP
Blois
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POLITICS LEAD THE DAY
SOTU: From Rep. Betty McCollum via YouTube, a news conference along with Representatives Ilhan Omar and Angie Craig talking about tonight’s State of the Union and why they believe President Trump has been bad for Minnesota. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4kYFs9o
MORE: Rep. Tom Emmer talked on CNBC about why he believes President Trump has been good for Minnesota, which he describes as a “red state except for a dot on the Twin Cities metro and then the arrowhead up in the northeast corner where you got more moose than people.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4rKUQbG
GUNS: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Democrats are renewing a push for new gun restrictions on Tuesday, Feb. 24, after their attempt to take up the issue during a special session failed to gain traction last fall. Gov. Tim Walz is rolling out a package of gun proposals in a morning news conference at the State Capitol. Lawmakers will also debate bills to ban assault-style weapons and large-capacity ammunition magazines in a House committee Tuesday afternoon.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46ry7cd
FLEET FARM: Via news release from the Attorney General, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced today that he has resolved the October 2022 lawsuit he filed on behalf of the State of Minnesota against Fleet Farm for negligently selling firearms to straw purchasers. The consent judgment with Fleet Farm comes after Attorney General Ellison’s Office prevailed in court last fall over Fleet Farm’s attempt to obtain summary judgment and dismiss the lawsuit. In the settlement, Attorney General Ellison has obtained significant policy changes from Fleet Farm that will keep Minnesotans safer, as well as a $1 million monetary payment.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3OLxW5v
AUDIT: Via Office of the Legislative Auditor, a performance audit release this morning on the faculty payroll system at Minnesota State. VERBATIM: “Minnesota State generally complied with the requirements we tested. However, we identified some instances of noncompliance related to faculty payroll accuracy and timeliness.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46Zm7Pp
OIG: Via MN House GOP, VERBATIM: “For the second time in a week, House Democrats have blocked movement on SF 856, a bill with broad bipartisan support establishing an Office of Inspector General.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aJtFa8
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)
AROUND THE STATE
THC: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “Minnesota lawmakers are weighing a one-year delay of in-state testing requirements for the low-dose THC seltzers and gummies that have flooded breweries and liquor stores. Why it matters: The move could alleviate a backlog at state labs and offer some immediate relief to an industry that’s facing existential threats due to competition from the new adult-use cannabis market and a looming federal ban.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rKI6So
(DISCLOSURE: Plift is a Fluence client)
DATA CENTER: Via Xcel, VERBATIM: “Xcel Energy (NASDAQ: XEL) announced today it will power a new Google data center in Pine Island, Minnesota. The data center and associated Electric Service Agreement will provide a significant contribution to the state’s economy, including a large buildout of new clean energy projects that will contribute to Minnesota’s clean energy goals while ensuring that Xcel Energy’s current customers benefit as a result of this growth.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qX5R8K
(DISCLOSURE: Xcel is a Fluence sponsor)
FLIGHTS: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Sun Country Airlines on Tuesday, Feb. 24, said it is sending two planes to the Puerto Vallarta Airport in Mexico to pick up passengers whose flights were canceled. The airline called off flights in and out of the popular tourist destination on Monday due to civil unrest that broke out following the killing of the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel in a military operation over the weekend.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3ZQ9Toq
MSP: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “The big snowstorm in New York City and along much of the East Coast is causing its share of flight cancellations and delays, even here in Minneapolis-St. Paul. ‘So airlines are certainly going to have to play catch-up over the next several days for the impact of their operations that are occurring now on the East Coast,’ says Metropolitan Airports Commission spokesman Jeff Lea.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/40xOGjb
DULUTH: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “After shouting paused several recent Duluth City Council meetings, there was debate Monday night inside council chambers involving civility and the approach to meetings by both councilors and the public. Conversations around respect at city council had been a large topic of discussion in recent meetings, with several going to recess due to shouting. There was also a recess at Monday night’s meeting, not due to shouts at councilors, but two community members shouting at each other.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4cKxm1K
BEMIDJI: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “During his recent state of the city address, Bemidji Mayor Jorge Prince detailed physical and financial damages caused by last June’s devastating storm, which he said the city is still grappling with. And he laid out some possible avenues to alleviate some of those burdens. In his 35-minute address last week, the two-term mayor said the storm dominated much of what happened in the city last year, and the effects will be felt for years to come.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46mmjrL
SCHOOL: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “J.W. Smith Elementary is one of the oldest schools in the Bemidji School District and is the last remaining neighborhood school in the area. The Bemidji School Board, however, is proposing the closure of J.W. Smith at the end of the school year due to a large budget deficit. Parents, teachers, and staff members packed the Downtown Education Center during Monday night’s school board meeting to show their concerns before the board votes on the closure.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4kYuWyY
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)
DC + MN
ICE TRAINING: Via CBS News, VERBATIM: “A former U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement instructor responsible for educating new ICE officers on proper use of force told Congress Monday the agency’s efforts to rapidly scale up its ranks will place recruits on the streets without the training they need to lawfully carry out immigration enforcement.” QUOTE: “New cadets are graduating from the Academy, despite widespread concerns among training staff that even in the final days of training, the cadets cannot demonstrate a solid grasp of the tactics or the law required to perform their jobs,” Ryan Schwank said during a hearing organized by congressional Democrats. “Without reform, ICE will graduate thousands of new officers who do not know their constitutional duty, do not know the limits of their authority and who do not have the training to recognize an unlawful order. That should scare everyone.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4aAE2yh
SOMALIS: Via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “Early on after resettling in the U.S. in 2009, Abdi Daisane talked to family members abroad about a welcome difference in his new country. Unlike in the Kenyan refugee camp where he and his family fled to from Somalia, he didn’t need to carry immigration documents around all the time. He didn’t feel like he lived on a border patrolled by agents who could demand his papers because of how he looked. He didn’t live in fear of being indefinitely detained. Over the last two months, while Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents surged into Minnesota, Daisane felt an erosion of that sense of security he had once excitedly told his loved ones about.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lcqkW5
ORDERS: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “A New York Times review of federal dockets found at least 35 instances since August in which federal district court or magistrate judges issued an order requiring the government to explain why it should not be similarly punished for violating court orders, essentially giving officials one last chance to explain themselves . . . At first, the complaints were concentrated in Minnesota, where the federal bench has had to deal with the legal aftermath of Mr. Trump’s surge of immigration agents. But they have since spread. In New Jersey alone, the Justice Department admitted last week that it had violated judicial orders 52 times in immigration detention cases since Dec. 5.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kVkBUb
JUDGES: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “Congressman Pete Stauber introduced legislation on Friday that would require all American judges to be natural-born U.S. citizens, saying the measure is needed to guard against potential foreign influence in the American judicial system. The proposal, called the Judicial Loyalty Act, would also require any sitting judge who holds dual citizenship to renounce their foreign citizenship within 60 days of the law’s enactment.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/475L6Aw
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
LIFE TIME: Via RTTNews, VERBATIM: “Life Time Group Holdings, Inc. (LTH) announced a profit for its fourth quarter that Increases, from the same period last year. The company’s bottom line totaled $123.00 million, or $0.54 per share. This compares with $37.16 million, or $0.17 per share, last year.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kYND5A
TENNANT: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “Tennant Co. (TNC) on Monday reported a loss of $4.4 million in its fourth quarter. On a per-share basis, the Eden Prairie, Minnesota-based company said it had a loss of 23 cents . . . The maker of products for cleaning floors, parking lots and hospitals posted revenue of $291.6 million in the period.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4s8tNag
DAYTON: Via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “Eric Dayton has yet to enter politics, but he maintained the family tradition of curated retail and hospitality when he returned from grad school to found a series of businesses that helped define the North Loop, affirm the idea of a regional identity (‘North’), and inject sustainability into the outdoors industry. They’re all gone now, and he’s starting over: older, wiser, and ready for his next act. We sat down with Dayton, 45, to hear what pioneering and then ending three businesses in 15 years taught him.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aPMLLI
GROCERIES: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Aldi is preparing to take over the former Lunds & Byerlys storefront in downtown St. Paul, bringing a grocery store to the urban core that’s gone nearly a year without one. Work to remodel the space should start March 16 and run through June 22, according to building permit applications filed last month for the property at the corner of E. 10th and Robert streets. The return of a grocery store would be welcome news to a downtown seeking reinvention in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4azdb5F
MEDIA: Via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “KSTP chief meteorologist Ken Barlow is set to return to the air next week following a surgery-enforced hiatus. Barlow has been out of commission since requiring ‘unexpected’ surgery after he was diagnosed with spinal stenosis, a narrowing of spaces along the backbone that can put pressure on the spinal cord and nerves that travel through the spine.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46r6lN7
MANKATO: Via KEYC-TV, VERBATIM: “Visit Mankato’s director, Ashlee White, was honored as Explore Minnesota’s 2026 Developing Leader for her work to expand the tourism industry in the city. White says over the past 6 months she and her team have been developing a 5 year plan to make sure that industry continues to grow, while providing new opportunities for the existing hospitality industry.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/40oEolw
WHAT’S NEXT?
NEXT WEEK: Via Minnesota Chamber, VERBATIM: “St. Paul, MN (02/24/2026) – The Minnesota Chamber Foundation will bring together top business, education and workforce leaders from across the state for the 2026 Workforce Summit: Fueling Minnesota’s economy on Wednesday, March 4, at the Minneapolis Marriott Northwest in Brooklyn Park.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/46TV5ZI
NEXT MONTH: Via DNR, VERBATIM: “Recent warm weather has deteriorated many public water accesses in the central and southern parts of Minnesota and prompted thin-ice warnings for some bodies of water. As a result, many fish house owners have already removed their shelters from the ice. For those who haven’t, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources reminds anglers to start planning for bringing them off the ice in advance of approaching removal deadlines.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kWG3Iz
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
HAIRCUTS: Via Minneapolis-based Great Clips, VERBATIM: “Great Clips, the Official Hair Salon of the National Hockey League (NHL) and National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA), today launched its first-ever program for athletes to assist with the often-overlooked challenges that traded players have of maintaining normalcy and routine during the season. To help ease their transitions, any NHL player traded before the NHL Trade Deadline on March 6, 2026, will receive a Great Clips Trade Bonus Card, providing free haircuts for the players and their families at any Great Clips salon through the end of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40wLaFK
BDAYS: reporter Jason Olson, attorney Fabian Hoffner, attorney Jonathan Fogel, comedian David Harris, MAC’s Allison Winters
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
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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