lunch take | Hamline's Mass Shooting Data, Headwinds in Hormel & Best Buy Earnings Reports
8.28.25
Support for labor unions is at a level seen in the late 50s and early 60s. GALLUP: https://fluence-media.co/4m8GOgN
Today’s WCCO Radio morning takes with Vineeta Sawkar. TAKE 1: https://fluence-media.co/4fYbIGR TAKE 2: https://fluence-media.co/4lQOEvd
Sunday Take was live at the State Fair as GOP Rep. Keith Allen and DFL Sen. Doron Clark discussed their lifelong friendship and how to bridge political divisions. LISTEN: http://fluence-media.co/3HuzoGl
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Fluence Advisory hosted a cannabis forum on the “State of Cannabis in Minnesota including an interview with Executive Director of the Office of Cannabis Management Eric Taubel.
SHOOTING: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “A day after a shooter opened fire on children praying at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis, Hennepin Healthcare has released an update on the conditions of the victims in their care . . . During a news conference Thursday, Hennepin Healthcare shared that six patients were in ‘satisfactory’ condition — five children and one adult. One child and one adult were in serious condition, and one child is in critical condition. One patient had also been discharged as of Thursday morning.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4oT6uk5
SOPHIA: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “And now we know the name of one of the children injured during yesterday's shooting a Annunciation Church and School. Sophia Forchas, a 12-year-old girl, was shot and critically injured during the incident. Her younger brother was also at the school but was physically unharmed. Their mother, a pediatric critical care nurse, was at work to help with the tragedy before she knew her own daughter was a victim. Sophia is in critical condition in the ICU after emergency surgery.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3Jv28zp
RESEARCH: Via KARE-TV, VERBATIM: “In the wake of the Annunciation School tragedy, The Violence Prevention Project Research Center at Hamline University shared statistics on mass shootings at schools and houses-of-worship from 2000 through 2025. Researchers focused on 125 shootings across the nation with more than 2 fatalities or more than 3 casualties. Here are the patterns they found.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3JA7klv
MORE: Via Hamline, data from its Violence Prevention Project Research. DATA: https://fluence-media.co/4n219ou
ICYMI… morning take had comprehensive coverage of the shooting as well as reaction and insights. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4oYF5Np
HORMEL: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “Hormel Foods Corp. (HRL) on Thursday reported fiscal third-quarter earnings of $183.7 million. On a per-share basis, the Austin, Minnesota-based company said it had net income of 33 cents . . . The results did not meet Wall Street expectations . . . The maker of Spam canned ham, Dinty Moore stew and other foods posted revenue of $3.03 billion in the period, beating Street forecasts.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3HKzA4m
MORE: Via The Wall Street Journal, VERBATIM: “Hormel Foods said it’s planning to take ‘targeted pricing actions’ as higher commodity input costs hurt its latest quarter and were expected to weigh on profitability for the rest of the year. The company’s profit outlook for the current fourth quarter fell shy of Wall Street estimates.” QUOTE: “The third quarter demonstrated the relevance of our portfolio, evidenced by our strong organic volume and net sales performance across each of our segments,” said interim CEO Jeff Ettinger, who returned in June. “Our earnings results, however, were disappointing, and we fell short of our expectations.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/47NlvNZ
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)
FAIR BUSES: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “The first half of the Minnesota State Fair has come and gone, but transit officials in Maple Grove say it was a record-setting weekend for bus service. A total of 12,984 people took the State Fair Express Bus from the Maple Grove Transit Station during the first weekend of the Great Minnesota Get-Together. That’s 3,662 more riders than last year.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3HXLSq3
GOLF: The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reports Oak Hill Golf Club, a public course in Rice, has been sold. READ: https://fluence-media.co/463nFqy
BEST BUY: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “Best Buy posted a solid second quarter that exceeded Wall Street expectations, but the performances was overshadowed by an outlook that has grown cloudy due to tariffs the U.S. is imposing on trading partners. Despite easily beating expectations, shares slid more than 2% before the opening bell Thursday after the company stuck to earlier guidance for 2025. The Richfield, Minnesota, company cited the potential impact of tariffs.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3HVOkNJ
MORE: Via The Wall Street Journal, VERBATIM: “Best Buy Chief Executive Corie Barry said that the chain’s customers remain resilient, but are focusing more on finding good deals. ‘In the current environment, customers continue to be thoughtful about big-ticket purchases and are willing to spend on high-price-point products when they need to, or when there is technology innovation,’ she said on Wednesday’s earning call. She added later in a call with media that shoppers were particularly looking for value when buying TVs and laptops. ‘There are people who are definitely gravitating towards those opening price points,’ Barry said.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lL4MOH
LAYOFFS: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Best Buy’s summer so far was better than expected, but its profit was dinged partly because of costs from a restructuring the retailer started in the second quarter. The Richfield-based electronics retailer recorded $114 million in charges from the restructuring, including termination costs. It did not say how many employees were laid off.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mDvwlJ
BROADBAND: Via DEED, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) today released the state's draft final proposal for using federal Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) Program funds to expand broadband availability. The proposal would extend broadband access to 75,000 Minnesota homes and businesses, covering every location eligible for BEAD funding in the state. DEED is accepting public comment on the proposal for seven days, after which it will finalize and submit the plan to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) for approval before the end of the year. Construction could begin in late spring or early summer 2026.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fVR0HI
ST THOMAS: Via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “The media was able to get an inside look at St. Thomas' brand-new Lee & Penny Anderson Arena on Wednesday, which will be home for the school's men's and women's hockey and basketball teams. Here's what you need to know. There is still a lot of work to be done before the men's and women's hockey teams officially open the arena on October 24 against Providence, but there was still plenty to learn about the Tommies' new facility.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/47dGtWb
NORMANDALE: Via Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, VERBATIM: “Normandale Community College has announced the appointment of Mustafa Dualeh as the new program coordinator for Sirtify, an initiative designed to support Black, African American, and African men pursuing careers in education. Dualeh, a longtime higher education professional with nearly a decade of experience at Normandale, returns to the college after serving as a senior academic advisor at Northwestern University in Qatar.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lN62kg
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)
RETAIL: The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reports on six new tenants coming to Rosedale Center. LIST: https://fluence-media.co/45TyKtR
TEA: Via Sahan Journal, VERBATIM: “Yubi Hassan remembers the aroma of tea filling his grandmother’s house in Somalia as he spent long afternoons chatting with relatives and friends . . . Yubi, 24, now owns BlueHorn Tea, a company based in Hopkins that makes authentic Somali loose-leaf tea to brew at home. Yubi said all his tea is made by hand, in small batches.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3HMBAco
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)
ACQUISITION: Via Twin Cities Business, VEBATIM: “Two leaders in Minnesota’s tech ecosystem have become one. Tarmac.IO, a custom software development firm, on Thursday announced it has acquired the software engineering company Warecorp.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41q5nOB
REBRAND: Via The Minneapolis Egotist, VERBATIM: “Cedar and Stone is the premier sauna company in North America. They provide the experience of guided sauna sessions, build high-end custom saunas, educate and coach sauna wellness entrepreneurs, and offer the best-quality retail items. They came to Studio MPLS with a visual identity that wasn’t adequately conveying the highly considered, intentional, and hospitable nature of their brand.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3JDwkbu
FRAGRANCE: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “For Therese Gibbons, fragrance is a design element—a layer to a space similar to a throw pillow. ‘I think of it like a finishing touch to your home,’ she says. ‘It can evoke a sense of emotion, even transport you to an entirely different place.’ One place in particular, Lake Como, Italy, fueled the creation of her home fragrance brand, Alora Ambiance. After Gibbons and her sister, Ann, spent time living in the Italian Dolomites, they discovered the age-old Italian wicking method of reed diffusers. In 2005, they returned to the family farm in Jackson, Minnesota, and created America’s first reed diffuser.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4g3RQT6
OCT 4: Via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “Surly Brewing has announced another installment of its Darkness Day, a one-day music festival that marks the annual release of its imperial stout, Darkness. Darkness Day, like the beer itself, has been through many iterations over the nearly two decades that Surly has been releasing Darkness, including as a short-lived festival in Somerset, Wis.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4n0LQwn
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
STATE FAIR: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “Since its founding in 1859, the fair has long celebrated regional craftsmanship. Although shopping was traditionally focused around the Grandstand and Merchandise Mart, increasing enthusiasm from vendors and visitors has expanded retail options to nearly every part of the fairgrounds. At the forefront is Pam Simon, sales director of the Minnesota State Fair, who, together with her team, is committed to continuously improving the shopping experience each year.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3UM0nQG
BDAYS: communication pro Matt Lindstrom, TPT’s Kari Kenedy, public affairs pro Patrick Connolly, education innovator Mattew Kramer
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