Arctic sea ice hit a record low maximum – what that means for Minnesota from meteorologist Sven Sundgaard. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4i920kv
China raised its retaliatory tariff on U.S. imports overnight. UPDATES: https://fluence-media.co/3RyY8i9
This weekend on Sunday Take, Rep. Dave Baker and Sen. Nick Frentz, listen at 9AM on WCCO Radio Sunday. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/WCCOLive
US Senate candidate Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan was a guest on Sunday Take – what she’s learned as Lt. Governor, and what she’s hearing in her listening tour. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3E6acEn
Blois
tips/feedback bloisolson@gmail.com
All Fluence Media tip sheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:
RESPONSIBLEGAMING: Legal sports betting platforms offer responsible game tools that offshore and illegal sports betting don’t offer. In fact, age verification is not required with most offshore providers. Learn more about why legalized sports betting is more responsible. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4kgJoS4 (SPONSORED: Sports Betting Alliance)
CHAMPION: Via Senate Republican Caucus, VERBATIM: “Today, Senate Republicans announced they filed a formal ethics complaint against Senate President Bobby Joe Champion (DFL – Minneapolis), citing serious concerns about conflicts of interest and violations of ethical conduct standards in his role as both a legislator and practicing attorney.” QUOTE: “This is a clear and deeply troubling case of a public official using their legislative position to potentially benefit their private legal clients,” Senator Michael Kreun (R – Blaine) said. “With what we know, at a minimum this is a conflict of interest that warranted disclosure. At worst, it’s an abuse of public office for personal and professional gain.” COMPLAINT: https://fluence-media.co/4lJpIqP
RETAIL: Via Fast Company, VERBATIM: “For years, Target wore the halo among big-box retail brands: It may not have been the cheapest, but Tar-zhay offered solid value, often through collaborations with top designers, while enjoying a forward-looking and enlightened reputation. But it’s become increasingly clear that for many shoppers, the halo has been passed—to Costco. And it’s paying off for the big-box club chain. The proximate cause of this divergence seems clear enough. Decisions made by Target to pull back on diversity, equity, and inclusion practices, which included efforts to explicitly support Black-owned brands and welcome LGBTQ+ consumers, alienated some of its regulars.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cx1qMn
MORE: Via analytics firm Placer.ai, how Target foot traffic has changed, year-over-year:
REPORT: https://fluence-media.co/4i9dUeg
SALES: The Street notes that despite the current economic situation, many grocers, including Target, are offering sales for Easter – with one caveat. VERBATIM: “Notably, none of the retailers are including eggs in their Easter deals.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42sQQkT
ECONOMY: Via Reuters, VERBATIM: “The Federal Reserve should intervene in markets only reluctantly and in a true emergency, Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari said on Friday in the most explicit comments yet from a Fed official about responding to the volatility that has torn across markets in response to President Donald Trump's tariff barrage.” QUOTE: "The Fed or Treasury stepping in should be done reluctantly, should be done when it is only truly needed," said Kashkari, who as a Treasury official during the 2007-09 financial crisis led the Troubled Asset Relief Program. "I think we should be very cautious about taking moves that could demonstrate a weakening, which I don't think is there, to the Fed's commitment to getting inflation down." READ: https://fluence-media.co/4jyCc2B
MORE: Via The Wall Street Journal, VERBATIM: “Kashkari said the value of the dollar typically goes up following a big tariff increase but this time has been different.” KASHKARI: “The fact that the dollar is going down at the same time, I think, lends some more credibility to the story of investor preferences shifting.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4jmLxu4
TODAY: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “A University of Minnesota graduate student from Turkey who’s been jailed for two weeks is expected to make a bid for his freedom at the Fort Snelling Immigration Court on Friday. The Department of Homeland Security is seeking to deport Doğukan Günaydın because of a drunk driving conviction. Günaydın, 28, pleaded guilty to gross misdemeanor DWI last year following a June 2023 incident in Minneapolis. Günaydın will appear for a bond hearing, where he’s expected to testify.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43JkxjX
METRO STATE: Via Sahan Journal, VERBATIM: “An international student at Metropolitan State University in St. Paul sued Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Tuesday, claiming the agency unlawfully terminated his legal student status over a drunk-driving conviction. According to the lawsuit, ICE terminated the legal status for Rattanand Ratsantiboon, a nursing student from Thailand, on March 28. The reason entered in the database that tracks international students: ‘Student identified in criminal records check.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4jwfTdH
ROCHESTER: Via Rochester Post Bulletin, VERBATIM: “People of Hope Lutheran Church voted last week to become a sanctuary congregation for undocumented migrants, becoming the latest Christian congregation in Rochester to offer protection to individuals facing the threat of detention and deportation.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42qzXal
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)
SD6: Via Minnesota Reformer, a look at a Republican candidate forum to fill a vacant state senate seat and what it says about the current state of politics. VERBATIM: “About an hour into a Republican forum for the Minnesota Senate District 6 election, candidate Matthew Zinda told the crowd that his opponent Keri Heintzeman and her husband Rep. Josh Heintzeman are funneling campaign donations to benefit themselves and pay for legal fees. Keri Heintzeman said Zinda, who unsuccessfully primaried Rep. Josh Heintzeman last year, had an unnatural fixation on her family. Suddenly, a pajama-clad man from the crowd of about 100 interjected, accused Keri Heintzeman of lying and cut her off, after he’d already repeatedly interrupted the candidate forum.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4j6FQRr
MORE: MPR also looks at the state of the race, with profiles of candidates on both sides of the aisle. READ: https://fluence-media.co/44jpXlW
TESTING: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “The April 15th primary election for state Senate District 6 is less than a week away, and to ensure that the election process will run smoothly, an accuracy test was held Thursday at the Crow Wing County Historic Courthouse. Election judges from various precincts in the district gathered to test out ballot counters, as well as to report data back to the state to ensure a safe and streamlined voting process.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/44iEiyX
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)
CHARTER SCHOOLS: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “In a rare rebuke, the Minnesota Department of Education is threatening to terminate a nonprofit’s authority to regulate charter schools for the state after a series of oversight failures showed the organization lacks the capacity to act as an authorizer, records show. In a March 27 letter obtained by the Minnesota Star Tribune, state officials criticized Pillsbury United Communities of Minneapolis for failing to address problems at nine of the 16 schools it oversees.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43Jr4Lw
ZONING: Via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “A budget bill passed by the state House housing committee Wednesday would prioritize funding for communities whose rules allow for multifamily housing construction, and don’t require certain size, parking or aesthetic requirements for new developments. The bill (HF2445, as amended) instructs the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency to ‘prioritize applications for projects located in jurisdictions that have policies conducive to developing residential properties’ in its competitive grant and loan programs.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4jsDOdR
(DISCLOSURE: Minnesota Multi Housing is a Fluence Client)
ST PAUL: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “Nobody seems to want the Alliance Bank Center in St. Paul, raising questions about how the city is going to keep the tower safe. Why it matters: With rising office vacancies and plummeting property values in downtown St. Paul, the abandoned tower highlights a problem that could be the first of more to come.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43JgvrP
FASTENAL: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “Fastenal Co. (FAST) on Friday reported first-quarter net income of $298.7 million. The Winona, Minnesota-based company said it had net income of 52 cents per share. The results matched Wall Street expectations . . . The maker of industrial and construction fasteners posted revenue of $1.96 billion in the period, exceeding Street forecasts.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4j5ev1J
“MY WHOLE LIFE CHANGED:” EMPOWERMENT TRAINING OPENS PATHWAY INTO THE TRADES - Since 2019, a partnership between Five Skies Empowerment Training and Enbridge has broadened as unions, contractors and other groups look to connect Native American job seekers to meaningful careers. “They’re gonna open the door for you,” says Joel, a program graduate. “Before the 5 Skies program I wasn’t aware there were so many opportunities,” explains Ashley. “My whole life changed,” says Melissa. Click here to submit an application, and find out more on upcoming training. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3XoPg0D (SPONSORED: Enbridge)
CANNABIS: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “The approval of cannabis regulations Monday was a key milestone on the road to the long-awaited launch of the state’s legal marijuana market. Office of Cannabis Management Interim Director Eric Taubel sat down with the Minnesota Star Tribune this week to lay out where things stand right now, what still needs to happen and how his agency is approaching the licensing of pot businesses.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4icVDNc
AUTO SHOW: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “The 52nd annual Twin Cities Auto Show kicks off in Downtown Minneapolis starting this Friday and running through Saturday, April 19. The event is expected to feature new electric vehicles, classic cars, and a live demonstration on an obstacle course for Jeeps.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4j8qc86
DRONES: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “Minnesota fire officials say wildfire activity is picking up across the state, and they are reminding people to keep their drones grounded around wildfires.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3FZFfCq
JUNK: Via Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, VERBATIM: “For Brayshaun Gibson, founding a junk removal business wasn’t a lifelong dream — it was an accident. The owner of JunkNMyTrunk Junk Removal stumbled into the business in 2024 after posting a simple Facebook status offering help with moving and junk removal.” QUOTE: “I had gotten access to a trailer,” Gibson recalls. “I made a Facebook status and asked who needed something moved or picked up, and my inbox went crazy. My phone was going off every day for like three months straight. And then I was like, oh, this is something I could possibly do for a long time and take seriously — and that’s what I did.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4jo7YPr
TODAY: Via news release from the Governor’s office, VERBATIM: “Today, April 11, 2025, Governor Tim Walz will visit Duluth to break ground on a $200 million Sofidel expansion alongside community and business leaders. He will also visit the 148th Fighter Wing to highlight one of the infrastructure projects included in his 2025 infrastructure plan.”
THIS WEEKEND: The Textile Center in Minneapolis is holding a “textile garage sale” today through Sunday. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3XUVjvi
APRIL29: From Minnetonka-based NOG via Business Wire, VERBATIM: “Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. (NYSE: NOG) announced today that it plans to issue its first quarter 2025 financial and operating results on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, after the market closes.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4j2vFwZ
From yesterday’s Fluence newsletters:
AI: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Allina Health is using artificial intelligence to improve decision-making in cancer cases, doublechecking doctors’ reads of lung scans and guiding them on murky treatment decisions for prostate cancer. The Minneapolis-based health care system reported success over the past year through a contract with Ferrum Health, which helped it select and validate an AI tool that discovered abnormal growths, or nodules, in five patients that had been missed when doctors reviewed their lung scans.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/429bgk7
MAYO: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Mayo Clinic has opened a patient information office in Monterrey to assist patients and their families, referring physicians, insurance companies and brokers and others interested in connecting with Mayo. The office is Mayo Clinic's second in Mexico, joining a patient information office in Mexico City that opened in 1998.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4iYT5Dz
MINNEAPOLIS: Via KMSP-TV, VERBATIM: “Minneapolis health officials held a news conference on Wednesday to discuss the cuts that are impacting its vaccine clinics. In a news release Wednesday morning, officials say the cuts have halted the clinics.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4j2S2lU
MYTHS: Via CBS News, VERBATIM: “As measles cases rise across the United States, misinformation about the life-threatening infection can put people at risk. Nationwide, cases have surpassed 600, with infections confirmed in 21 states. The majority of cases have been reported in Texas, where more than 500 people have been infected and two children have died. Here's what to know about some of the common measles myths.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Rcl9Hh
MEDICAID: Via Stateline, VERBATIM: “Some Americans who rely on Medicaid to pay for their health care don’t realize their insurance is funded by that very program, which congressional Republicans are looking to shrink. One reason is that state programs aren’t always called ‘Medicaid.’ Many states have rebranded their programs with consumer-friendly names such as SoonerCare in Oklahoma, Apple Health in Washington, Medi-Cal in California or TennCare in Tennessee. And nearly all states now use private insurance companies such as UnitedHealth or Blue Cross Blue Shield to run their Medicaid programs. That means Medicaid enrollees may hold an insurance card and paperwork with the name of a commercial insurance company.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4jfMHI0
Subscribe to other Fluence newsletters: https://fluence-media.co/TheDailyAgenda
MCAD: Via Minneapolis College of Art and Design, VERBATIM: “As Co-Chairs of the Board of Trustees, we are excited to announce the appointment of Dr. Gwendolyn Freed, MCAD’s 20th president of the college. Following a national search, she was selected by unanimous vote of the Board. Dr. Freed brings a deep passion for art and design, and more than two decades of senior leadership experience in higher education, the arts, and nonprofits. She will start on June 1, 2025.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4joPbUV
REBRAND: Via The Minneapolis Egotist, VERBATIM: “Swim Creative, a future-focused creative agency, just launched a new fully-optimized website. Designed to reflect Swim’s dynamic, creativity-first approach and growth-oriented mindset, the site marks a key milestone in the agency’s strategic rebrand.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/42nwppq
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
UPTOWN: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “A new cafe and general store is bringing Asian-inspired goods to a prominent Uptown storefront. Driving the news: Moona Moono, which owner Angie Lee said means ‘culture octopus,’ is set to open Saturday in the old Paper Source spot on Hennepin Avenue.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42GaWJF
BDAYS: fmr. Congressman Mark Kennedy, journalist Chris PolydorfSAT: Freedom Foundation’s Annette Meeks, Rep. Dave Pinto. SUN: fmr. Rep. Jim Davnie, Land O Lakes comms pro Abby Duininck, advisory to Rep. Angie Craig – Les Anderson, Canterbury’s Randy Sampson, MN Corn’s Nate Gotlieb, Ramsey County Commissioner Rena Moran, House staffer Joe Marble, fmr. KARE photographer Aethan Hart
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.
about morning take- Founded in 2010, morning take has grown to become the leading Minnesota morning newsletter on politics and news of the day. Published by Fluence Media since 2012 the mission is to "make you smarter" before breakfast.
Copyright © 2025 Lunch Take, All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
Fluence Media
PO Box 270031
Golden Valley, MN 55427