The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reports on a Meet Minneapolis survey of hospitality providers that found 80% had bookings or sales canceled, reduced, or postponed – 90% said fear or stress was impacting their businesses. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qUj8jo
The man accused of spraying vinegar at Rep. Ilhan Omar has been charged with assault. NYTIMES: https://fluence-media.co/4tcWqoe
Here’s Rolling Stone’s take on Bruce Springsteen’s new song “Streets of Minneapolis.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/49Mtzzj
From The Boss via Bluesky, “I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday and released it to you today in response to the state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis.” POST: https://fluence-media.co/4tmzzXk
The role of sports in troubled times, Paul Allen’s misstep on KFAN, a women’s hockey controversy could be rekindled and how to help a Minnesota hockey writer -- mentioned in Wednesday’s Morning Take -- who is battling a rare genetic disease. All that and more coming early this afternoon.
Follow the 2026 Minnesota election’s up close with the Fluence ElectionTracker. www.FluenceElectionTracker.com
The MNSider Brief: With Michele Tafoya’s entrance into the US Senate race, the latest analysis for premium subscribers came out Friday. HERE: https://fluence-media.co/3NEy8Di
Today’s WCCO Radio morning take at 6:20 with Vineeta Sawkar. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/49WHTp7
Sunday Take covered the impact of Alex Pretti’s killing and ICE activity in Greater Minnesota with Rep. Dave Baker (R-Willmar). LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3Zxvvpi
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
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A DRAW DOWN IF…
HOMAN: Via USA Today, VERBATIM: “White House border czar Tom Homan on Thursday vowed to ‘draw down’ the federal presence in Minnesota as agents focus on more ‘targeted’ enforcement, a major shift in operations that comes amid backlash following the fatal shooting of two U.S. citizens by immigration officers. ‘You’re going to see some massive changes occurring here in this city,’ Homan said, adding that there will be ‘less agents in the street’ as federal authorities concentrate on detaining those with criminal records, something he said the Minneapolis operation had strayed from.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rmbiyO
MORE: Via CBS News, VERBATIM: “While Homan said that the plan is to facilitate a ‘drawdown’ in federal immigration enforcement forces in Minnesota, he added, ‘I’m staying ‘til the problem’s gone.’” QUOTE: “I didn’t come to Minnesota for photo ops or headlines. I came to seek solutions, and we’ve come a long way, and we’ve got some good wins for the people of Minnesota.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qOWoRR
“COOPERATION”: Via KMSP-TV, VERBATIM: “White House Border Czar Tom Homan, in his first briefing after taking over Operation Metro Surge, said he is working on a drawdown plan of federal agents in Minnesota, but it depends on cooperation with state and local officials . . . Homan said cooperation with local authorities, especially jails and prisons, will give federal agents better access to people in the United States illegally. This would then lead to fewer federal law enforcement on Minnesota streets.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qK0BpF
MORE: Via WCCO-Radio, HOMAN: “More agents in the jail means less agents in the street,” said Homan. “This is common sense cooperation that allows to draw down on the number of people we have here. Yes, I said it. Draw down the number of people here.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4t5yIKb
WATCH: You can watch Homan’s news conference HERE: https://fluence-media.co/4rpojaQ
WORST OF WORST: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “DHS issued a news release on Jan. 13 that highlighted ‘…the success of Operation Metro Surge in arresting the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens from Minnesota neighborhoods…’ and shared details of those arrested, including naming Rene M. Hernandez for a couple of crimes . . . Hernandez wasn’t out on the streets, as mentioned in the DHS news release, but instead in prison at the time of his arrest, according to state officials.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/49Y4ct3
POLITICS
GOP MAYORS: Via NPR, VERBATIM: “At the annual U.S. Conference of Mayors, Republicans were among those expressing concern about ICE’s tactics and calling for a de-escalation in Minnesota.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4kcPdjW
TODAY: Via City of Minneapolis, VERBATIM: “Mayor Jacob Frey is traveling to Washington, D.C. today to attend the U.S. Conference of Mayors, where he will meet with mayors and federal lawmakers from across the country to advocate for an end to Operation Metro Surge and other unlawful ICE operations.”
DHS FUNDING: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “Senate Democrats on Thursday blocked a package of government funding bills from advancing, as Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) inches toward a deal with President Trump for changes at DHS in exchange for averting a shutdown. Why it matters: Democrats spent the week pledging to block government funding without reforms to ICE and Customs and Border Protection following a string of shootings involving federal law enforcement in Minnesota. They’re now working toward a deal, but the clock is ticking.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3NEBKoR
GOV RACE: Via release from the Lisa Demuth campaign, VERBATIM: “Amy Klobuchar did nothing while fraudsters exploited our generosity and stole millions of our tax dollars. She has raised the cost of living for working families through trillions in tax increases and a health care system that has made care harder to access and more expensive. She covered up for Joe Biden, has a disastrous record as one of the worst bosses in the U.S. Senate, and stood by Tim Walz until the bitter end throughout his endless fraud scandals.”
MORE: Via release from the Kendall Qualls campaign, VERBATIM: “Amy Klobuchar is Tim Walz 2.0 – a career politician who stood silently as the largest case of fraud in American history unfolded, watched Minneapolis burn to the ground and become infested with crime, and helped facilitate the decline of our great state during her two decades in the U.S. Senate. As governor, Klobuchar would be another rubber stamp for Tim Walz’s extreme agenda. I have absolutely zero faith that she’ll stop the fraud and turn Minnesota around.”
MORE: Via Kristin Robbins campaign, VERBATIM: “Amy Klobuchar talks about change, but she is Walz’s handpicked successor. She has been a cheerleader for Walz’s policies and has not stood up to the radical left in her party who want open borders, boys in girls’ sports, and higher taxes.”
MORE: Via RGA, VERBATIM: “After failed vice presidential candidate Tim Walz was forced to drop his campaign due to a massive fraud scandal, now enters failed presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ajfucK
SENATE: From Rep. Angie Craig via Facebook, VERBATIM: “I’m honored to have the support of seven more local leaders in my run for the U.S. Senate.” POST: https://fluence-media.co/4q9jYrk
25B: Via KAAL-TV, VERBATIM: “Minnesota State Representative Andy Smith is running for a third term in office.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3NMoy19
36A: Via Johnson campaign, VERBATIM: “Craig Johnson announced today that he is running for the Minnesota House of Representatives and will seek the Republican endorsement for House District 36A, which includes North Oaks, White Bear Township, Centerville, Circle Pines, and Lino Lakes.”
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MANY MEETINGS
VIGIL: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “A crowd gathered Wednesday night at 26th Street and Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis, near where Alex Pretti, 37, was killed by federal agents last weekend. Several hundred people filled the block, which police closed to traffic. Candles were passed hand to hand, and the street twinkled with candlelight mixing with white Christmas lights strung through the trees.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bpoJcz
TOWN HALL: Via CNN, VERBATIM: “Three Republican Minnesota state lawmakers who participated in CNN’s town hall didn’t absolve the Trump administration for its role in the chaos that has played out in the streets of Minneapolis, but they said state and local Democratic officials bear a share of the blame.” QUOTE: “It’s literally all the people involved,” said state Rep. Nolan West. “That’s what we’re seeing, is that there is not a desire to lower the temperature. It’s immediately tit-for-tat, we’re not going to work together.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4t7DGGo
MORE: After the town hall, Rep. West posted this on social media, VERBATIM: “I went into the CNN Townhall with high hopes of making this situation better even just by a hair. However, the journalists had absolutely no interest in bridging divides (yes call me naive it’s true). They just were after more trash cable news bits . . . It was kinda cool though.” POST: https://fluence-media.co/3NTEles
TGT CENTER: Via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “When marchers rallied inside Target Center last week during a day of solidarity against Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s surge in Minneapolis, it wasn’t the arena’s corporate namesake that paid for the event. Labor unions booked the venue and covered the costs.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4t4uyCm
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)
LAW & ART
PRETTI FAMILY: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “The family of Alex Pretti, the man who was fatally shot by Border Patrol agents on Saturday, has retained an attorney. Steve Schleicher is well known for his work assisting in the prosecution of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qYRrpi
ORDER: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “A federal judge on Wednesday evening ordered federal agents to stop detaining and deporting refugees in Minnesota who were lawfully admitted to the United States, and to immediately release those currently held for re-examination of their cases. The judge granted a temporary restraining order, halting for now the Trump administration’s operation, which has swept up at least 100 people so far. The administration is likely to appeal the ruling.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rklHLa
ICE VIOLATIONS: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “A federal judge says U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has violated nearly 100 court orders this month alone, highlighting the serious concerns about the agency’s judicial compliance amid its surge in Minnesota. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Patrick Schiltz wrote in an order Wednesday that ICE ‘has likely violated more court orders in January 2026 than some federal agencies have violated in their entire existence.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49YhmpX
PROSECUTION: Via Politico, VERBATIM: “The 2017 shooting of Bijan Ghaisar by two U.S. Park Police officers in a Northern Virginia neighborhood — and the protracted legal battles that followed — may be the best preview of what Minnesota officials can expect if they pursue criminal charges against federal immigration agents. And the same legal theory that stymied Virginia’s prosecution may also block Minnesota’s.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3ZCVLP0
OBSERVERS: Minnesota Reformer, asked two law professors to weigh in on FBI director Kash Patel saying his agency is investigating Minnesota protestors’ use of group chats. VERBATIM: “[University of Minnesota professor of media ethics and law Jane Kirtley] said Patel’s statements to date have been too vague to support firm conclusions about what the FBI will actually investigate or what charges, if any, the United States Department of Justice would bring as a result. The sorts of loaded terms that influencers like Higby and President Trump himself have used to describe organizers’ activities — such as ‘conspiracy’ or ‘insurrection’ — are formal legal concepts that require certain standards to be met, she added. Jason Marisam, a constitutional law professor at Mitchell Hamline School of Law, said any prosecution would likely need to pass a two-part test established in a nearly 60-year-old U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Brandenburg v. Ohio.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3NVNtPH
SURVEILLANCE: Via Sahan Journal, VERBATIM: “By now, the videos of immigration agents holding up their phones to people’s faces or scanning license plates are everywhere. While the exact reasons may seem murky, experts say one thing is clear: The ongoing federal crackdown is being powered by a vast surveillance network that has spread far beyond immigrant communities. Surveillance technology experts and digital rights advocates told Sahan Journal that they are alarmed about the ability of more than 3,000 Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Patrol agents in Minnesota to surveil, monitor, and collect data on-the-go during field operations – from facial recognition technology to ‘stingrays’ that collect information from phones by impersonating cell phone towers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qXtcrJ
NATIVE AMERICANS: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “History is resonating loudly for Minnesota’s large Native American population as the Trump administration carries out its aggressive, sometimes deadly, crackdown on immigrants deemed ineligible to live in the United States and citizens challenging the operation. The word ‘occupation,’ the preferred term local officials and residents use to describe the civic war they are fighting against the federal government, strikes deep historical tones for many in the Indigenous community.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qN6imN
PROTEST ART: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “Over the last few weeks, our streets and sites have been full of hyper-specific protest art. Loons with wings arcing upward like The Hunger Games’s Mockingjay dot social media profiles. Signs, T-shirts, pins, and stickers depicting various forms of ‘ICE Out’ have become ubiquitous around town as ways to signify solidarity. Monarch butterflies, loons, and snowplows have taken on new meanings.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4a0RkCv
THE CITIES
MPLS + ICE: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “Even if Mayor Jacob Frey wanted his city’s police officers to help the Trump administration with immigration enforcement, it’d be just about impossible to do it. Why it matters: Frey’s resistance to President Trump’s demand for local ICE support set the president off on Wednesday, threatening to disrupt what had been 48 hours of de-escalation between local and federal officials . . . Minneapolis has a separation ordinance that bars police from undertaking ‘any law enforcement action for the purpose of enforcing federal immigration laws.’ Minneapolis Police Department officers can control crowds at immigration raids, but coordinating this response with federal officials could be problematic under the ordinance.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4alUXnS
ST PAUL + POTHOLES: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “If you know anything about filling potholes, then you know you can’t get hot asphalt in winter — that is, unless you have a Bagela Asphalt Recycler. Late last year, the St. Paul City Public Works purchased one of these machines from Minneapolis for $15,000. Public works employees have been using the recycler since the start of January.” QUOTE: “If you notice the cold patch that we put out, it covers the pothole. It makes it safe, but it’s not durable, and it doesn’t last very long, and we have to go back,” said St. Paul Director of Public Works Sean Kershaw. “This is more durable and more efficient, and so we can cover more potholes and get the work done so that it lasts longer.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3MdmgaM
MORE: St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her was out with a crew using the new asphalt machine. Via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “The chance to get hands-on with city operations was a welcome break from the national spotlight, including a subpoena from the Justice Department and a lawsuit against the federal government alleging the ongoing Operation Metro Surge has violated the First Amendment and other constitutional rights of city residents.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Men7bc
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
POT: Via The Reporters, VERBATIM: “For a budding market, the recreational cannabis industry in the U.S. has hit some major roadblocks. Small businesses across the country trying to capitalize on the legalization of marijuana in their states now find themselves struggling to stay afloat. New rules, new taxes, a major shift in marijuana’s federal classification, and a tightening of hemp regulations have licensed dealers irate. As a result, some pot users are turning back to the black market, where the unlicensed product is more affordable—and more dangerous. ‘It is an unfair sandbox, and there’s no possible way for me to compete,’ says Mark Eide, owner of a Minneapolis, Minnesota store called In-Dispensary.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3NE5zpz
DAY CARES: Via The 19th, VERBATIM: “They started showing up shortly after the now viral video was posted to YouTube, claiming Minnesota day cares run by Somali Americans were rife with fraud . . . As strangers continue to show up asking to get access to the children inside, there is also the constant fear that ICE may come for the parents, the children or their staff, a large portion of whom are immigrants. Nationwide, about 1 in 5 child care workers are immigrants, almost all of them women. It’s a fear now extending from child care to schools, with parents standing up adhoc networks to support providers, teachers and other immigrant families.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rp8fG4
ACQUISITION: Via Bertram Capital, VERBATIM: “[Minnetonka-based] APPLIED Adhesives, a leading provider of custom adhesive solutions, and portfolio company of Bertram Capital is proud to announce the acquisition of Interlock Adhesives, a premier United Kingdom-based adhesive technology company. This acquisition represents a significant milestone for APPLIED and establishes the company’s presence in the UK.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rezqDg
EARNINGS: Via Associated Press, reports from Minnesota-based companies:
C.H. ROBINSON: “C.H. Robinson Worldwide Inc. (CHRW) on Wednesday reported fourth-quarter earnings of $136.3 million. The Eden Prairie, Minnesota-based company said it had profit of $1.12 per share . . . The results exceeded Wall Street expectations . . . The trucking company posted revenue of $3.91 billion in the period, which missed Street forecasts.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4q5a0XE
AMERIPRISE: “Ameriprise Financial Services Inc. (AMP) on Thursday reported fourth-quarter net income of $1.01 billion. On a per-share basis, the Minneapolis-based company said it had profit of $10.47 . . . The results topped Wall Street expectations . . . The financial services company posted revenue of $4.96 billion in the period. Its adjusted revenue was $4.92 billion, also exceeding Street forecasts.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3NLhBxg
DELUXE: “Deluxe Corp. (DLX) on Wednesday reported fourth-quarter net income of $15.1 million. The Minneapolis-based company said it had profit of 33 cents per share . . . The results exceeded Wall Street expectations . . . The payments and data company posted revenue of $535.3 million in the period.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49KRzCU
HAWKINS: “Hawkins Inc. (HWKN) on Wednesday reported fiscal third-quarter net income of $14.3 million. The Roseville, Minnesota-based company said it had net income of 69 cents per share . . . The results missed Wall Street expectations . . . The chemical maker posted revenue of $244.1 million in the period, which also missed Street forecasts.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49MeRs2
CHAMBER: Via WWMC, VERBATIM: “The Wayzata West Metro Chamber today announced that Judy Johnson, the organization’s Membership Services Director, has been named the Chamber’s next President, following a thoughtful and thorough selection process by the Board of Directors.”
SCSU: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Gregory Tomso hasn’t taken much time to get settled before diving into his new role as president of St. Cloud State University. In his first few weeks, Tomso has met with faculty, staff, students, community members and political leaders who all have opinions on the university’s challenges and how to tackle them.” TOMSO: “Everyone here has been very direct and quite blunt about what needs to be done and what’s going on, and what the past has been like and what we want the future to be,” he said. “I find that very refreshing.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rl9zts
WHAT’S NEXT?
TODAY: Via DEED, VERBATIM: “On Thursday, January 29, DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek alongside small business owners and community leaders will celebrate the designation of February as ‘Shop Local, Stand Together Month’ and discuss the importance of shopping at local small businesses.”
TODAY: Via Minnesota House, VERBATIM: “DFL lawmakers will hold a press conference alongside an expected 50 state lawmakers from 15 states, who will be in Minnesota participating in a Day of Solidarity at the Minnesota State Capitol to confront increasing illegal and reckless activity from federal agents, the expanding presence of federal law enforcement and ICE, the lack of credibility and accountability from the Department of Homeland Security, and the disruption of Minnesota communities in the wake of the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.”
TOMORROW: Tickets go on sale for Bonnie Raitt’s appearance at the State Fair.
NEXT WEEK: Via Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, VERBATIM: “Sheletta Brundidge is hosting an event with the Minnesota Department of Agriculture to introduce community members to resources for starting or growing food businesses next week. The goal is to reduce barriers to entry for aspiring entrepreneurs.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/45D99X7
THIS SUMMER: Via Minnesota Monthly, VERBATIM: “Country music is getting a riverfront home in Minnesota this summer. July 10-11, Harriet Island Regional Park will host the inaugural Minnesota Country Club Festival, a new two-day event that blends roots, Americana, red-dirt country, and modern crossover sounds—all set beneath the cottonwoods along the Mississippi River in St. Paul.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4k9jFLx
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
SNOW SCULPTURES: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “Last weekend, two wintery competitions boasted a masterclass in Minnesotan snow sculpting and ice carving excellency. At the Minnesota State Snow Sculpting Competition at Vulcan Snow Park, carvers worked across 52 hours to produce snow sculptures out of eight-foot cubes of snow.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/467ZMPc
BDAYS: social media realtor Bryan Clapper, foodie Stephanie March, political advisor Gregg Peppin, policy guy Dean Peterson, retired public servant Jim Gelbman
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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