WE NEED MORE RAIN
The new Drought Monitor out this morning shows slight improvement – 70% of the state is now in formal drought status, down from 76% a week earlier. A full third of the state is in severe drought. MAP: https://fluence-media.co/3zN8TDo
It’s been a hot summer, and people have noticed – half say it’s had a major impact on their electric bills. AP|NORC: https://fluence-media.co/4wErWwx
What happens when humanity is gone and all that’s left on earth is our tech? Ray Bradbury wrote about that in 1950. The story takes place on August 4, 2026. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4fVXBCE
An even more ancient text is seeing a demand resurgence at Hennepin County Libraries. AXIOS: https://fluence-media.co/4wHyA4Z
Americans are less likely to get money advice from a professional than they are from a family member – but internet research far outweighs either option. GALLUP: https://fluence-media.co/4gezwbg
Gen Z’s apparently not too worried about money – they’re spending more and saving less than other generations. STUDY: https://fluence-media.co/3TFSiQ9
Sports Take cleans up after the Indiana Fever, does a first-week check on Vikings training camp and is worried about Joe Ryan. That and more coming this afternoon.
Blois
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Sunday Take featured a Farmfest preview and Republican Adam Schwarze discussing his U.S. Senate campaign. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3TyEK93
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THURSDAY FEED
FIRE RELIEF: Via Save the Boundary Waters, VERBATIM: “A letter to Governor Tim Walz and members of the Minnesota Legislature was delivered this morning, signed by 82 Northeastern Minnesota businesses and nonprofits affected by July’s lightning-caused wildfires in the Boundary Waters. The letter calls on state leaders to provide urgently needed economic relief for Wilderness-edge communities facing significant financial losses caused by the wildfires, which led to temporary Wilderness closures and a resulting decline in tourism and visitation. The businesses that signed on are located in the four Boundary Waters counties: St Louis, Cook, Lake, and Koochiching Counties in Minnesota.”
INTEREST RATES: Via Bloomberg, VERBATIM: “Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis President Neel Kashkari said the US central bank should start to raise interest rates incrementally right now to curb inflation that remains too high. ‘Now is the time to start slowly moving up as we get more data in,’ Kashkari said Wednesday in an interview with CNBC. Kashkari was one of three Fed officials who dissented from the decision to hold interest rates steady at last week’s policy meeting, preferring instead to raise them by a quarter percentage point.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hiJ2eE
MORE: Via CNBC, the Kashkari interview. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4xlDEvT
MINING: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources held a public meeting Wednesday on draft environmental review scoping documents for the proposed Tamarack Mine, an underground mining project near McGregor in Aitkin County . . . The proposed mine would be located a couple of miles from the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe reservation. Tribal leaders have raised concerns about the project’s potential impact on the environment and sensitive ecosystems.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4c3llmY
RELATED: Via Talon Metals, VERBATIM: “Talon Metals Corp. (TSX: TLO) (OTCID: TLOFF) today announced a record 46.43-meter intercept of Massive Sulphide Unit and Mixed Massive Sulphide Unit (”MMS”) mineralization at the Tamarack Nickel-Copper-Cobalt Project, located in central Minnesota.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3TG87Gx
APPLETON: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is expressing concern as the federal government prepares to turn a prison in Appleton, Minnesota into a holding center for Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees as soon as this fall.” QUOTE: “My hope is that this facility is going to be used for that, that the federal government follows all laws, they follow the constitutional rights, they make sure that this facility is safe and modern,” said Walz. Still, he is not keen on the idea of private prisons. “You know, philosophically I’ve been very clear on this, I think it’s the state’s job to do these things,” Walz explained. “It’s the government’s job to do these things. I think it’s always a very dangerous situation where you’re outsourcing corrections.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4q27Ny2
SHERIFFS: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “Federal officials recently started threatening to seek criminal charges against two elected county sheriffs who have declined to give immigration agents broad access to inmates subject to deportation. The threats to prosecute the two sheriffs, in Minneapolis and Chicago, cities that have experienced some of the most intense immigration enforcement of the Trump era, are a new salvo in the president’s campaign against state and local officials who refuse to embrace his administration’s crackdown.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4g3b2ki
NE MN: Via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “One door at a time, [House District 3B DFL candidate Aaron] Schweiger is challenging Republican incumbent Natalie Zeleznikar in a district spanning Two Harbors, Hermantown, Proctor and rural areas north of Duluth. He is one of two DFLers looking to unseat House Republicans in the 3rd District, with Aaron Kania facing Rep. Roger Skraba of Ely in 3A. With an evenly split House going into this fall’s elections, DFL leaders see these northeastern Minnesota races as a chance to seize control.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/45KYau4
SHIFTING LEFT: From a Wall Street Journal story on Abdul El-Sayed’s victory in Michigan’s Democratic U.S. Senate primary, VERBATIM: “The El-Sayed win shows the party’s leftward shift is taking place beyond coastal and deeply blue enclaves, such as in New York and Colorado, where DSA-aligned candidates have defeated more centrist incumbents in Democratic primaries. It adds wind to the sails of progressive and DSA candidates in coming primaries, including those with similar dynamics in Wisconsin and Minnesota next week.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Sd8FDr
VOTING HELP: Via Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, VERBATIM: “With primary elections around the corner, advocates are working to ensure Minnesotans with disabilities can access the polls too. The Voter Access Project of the Minnesota Disability Law Center (MDLC), a division of Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid, along with the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office, is seeking volunteers to help spot barriers in voting.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hd8sKB
I-694: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “MnDOT is gathering feedback on a nine-mile stretch between Brooklyn Boulevard in Brooklyn Center and Lexington Avenue in Arden Hills. More than 150,000 drivers use that stretch of highway every day. MnDOT said traffic congestion can sometimes last up to seven hours on a busy weekday when drivers are unable to travel highway speeds, particularly around the junction with Highway 252.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bBwMCm
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)
WHAT ABOUT THE KIDS?
READING: Via the progressive North Star Policy Action, VERBATIM: “New research from North Star Policy Action finds that a growing share of Minnesota’s standardized test results may not reliably reflect school performance, due to sharply rising rates of non-participation in the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments (MCAs). The report, What Are We Measuring? Non-Participation and the Reliability of Minnesota’s MCA Results, examines state testing data from the Minnesota Department of Education and finds that non-participation, meaning students who refuse the test or are absent when it’s given, has become widespread across the state, cutting across urban, suburban, and rural districts alike.” REPORT: https://fluence-media.co/4ggRwli
POT: Via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “A longtime Dairy Queen owner is raising concerns about a cannabis dispensary preparing to open next door to his business along Medicine Lake Road in Golden Valley, Minnesota. Dan Lommen placed a message on the restaurant’s sign reading, ‘Weed shop, children don’t mix. Respect! GV.’ Lommen said his concerns are directed primarily at the City of Golden Valley and the location of the proposed dispensary, rather than the business itself or people who use cannabis.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4xjdTfD
EGGS: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Minnesota food shelves can now receive donations of eggs that are past the ‘best by’ or ‘sell by’ date stamped on the carton, providing those in need with greater quantities of a nutritious source of protein while potentially keeping millions of eggs that are still good to eat out of landfills. A new law that went into effect on Aug. 1 allows grocers and other food retailers in the state to donate eggs up to 30 days past their quality assurance date, as long as they’re kept continuously refrigerated and in their original packaging.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3Twz6V4
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)
UP NORTH
SURVEY: Via Duluth News Tribune, VERBATIM: “The results from a business stakeholder survey show small businesses anticipate revenue losses from the closure of the Blatnik Bridge in the years to come. Another survey on consumer habits shows that some businesses might be right to be concerned . . . The first survey took the temperature of business folks in Superior and Douglas County [Wisconsin]. About half of the 126 responses were from businesses with nine employees or less. With a majority of these businesses seeing between 26% and 50% of their revenue coming from across the bridge, 42% of the respondents anticipated a 10%-50% decrease in revenue. Larger businesses, such as national chains, reported that they expected lesser decreases, 10% or less.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4w9bkvS
BWCAW: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “Six separate fires are still burning, down from 20 a month ago. Those still active are roughly 50% contained. Plus: Large swaths of the Boundary Waters have reopened to campers and paddlers. What we’re hearing: Officials say the coordinated state response, combined with rain and cooler weather, helped halt the fires’ spread.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3ROb1Zm
TRIBAL LAND: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “In 2022, the Bois Forte Band of Ojibwe reacquired about 28,000 acres inside its own northern Minnesota reservation, land it had lost more than a century ago to federal allotment and tax forfeiture. By the band’s account, it is the largest tribal land return in the United States. The band could not afford to buy it outright. So, it turned to carbon offsets as a way to generate revenue. As a forest grows, it pulls carbon dioxide out of the air and stores it in wood and soil. A company that wants to offset its own emissions can pay for that stored carbon, one credit for every metric ton.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4wbmnEO
COMMUNITY CELEBRATIONS: Flint Hills Resources is celebrating summer with thousands of Minnesotans at local festivals and parades. Look for Flint Hills employees – along with their families and friends – as they show their hometown pride at many local celebrations, including Rosemount Leprechaun Days, Hastings Rivertown Days, Inver Grove Heights Days and Saint Paul’s Lowertown Sounds. For decades, Flint Hills Resources has supported programs, organizations and events that improve our quality of life in our communities. LEARN MORE: Community Partnerships (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery)
COMMERCE
EARNINGS: Via Associated Press, reports from Minnesota-based companies:
DELUXE: “Deluxe Corp. (DLX) on Wednesday reported second-quarter earnings of $19.1 million. The Minneapolis-based company said it had net income of 41 cents per share . . . The results beat Wall Street expectations . . . The payments and data company posted revenue of $499.3 million in the period, also exceeding Street forecasts.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ho0fDz
DIGI: “Digi International Inc. (DGII) on Wednesday reported fiscal third-quarter earnings of $15.7 million. On a per-share basis, the Hopkins, Minnesota-based company said it had profit of 40 cents . . . The results surpassed Wall Street expectations . . . The provider of communication adapters posted revenue of $138.7 million in the period, also exceeding Street forecasts.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/457b5GH
SOLVENTUM: “Solventum Corp. (SOLV) on Wednesday reported second-quarter net income of $92 million. On a per-share basis, the Eagan, Minnesota-based company said it had net income of 53 cents . . . The results beat Wall Street expectations . . . The health care company posted revenue of $2.21 billion in the period, also topping Street forecasts.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3RS9tgU
TENNANT: “Tennant Co. (TNC) on Wednesday reported earnings of $7.6 million in its second quarter. The Eden Prairie, Minnesota-based company said it had profit of 44 cents per share . . . The maker of products for cleaning floors, parking lots and hospitals posted revenue of $324 million in the period.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4579rov
CLEARFIELD: “Clearfield Inc. (CLFD) on Wednesday reported earnings of $3 million in its fiscal third quarter. The Brooklyn Park, Minnesota-based company said it had profit of 22 cents per share. The maker of fiber optic management products posted revenue of $43.9 million in the period.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4z8z1XZ
ARCHITECTS: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “Together, the winners of this year’s 23rd annual Residential Architects Vision & Excellence (RAVE) Awards reveal the remarkable breadth of residential design by Twin Cities firms across a range of project types. From expansive lakeside retreats to compact remodels, each illustrates how thoughtful design can strengthen the relationship between people and the places they call home while making daily life more functional, comfortable, and inspiring. Selected by a national jury of architects and design professionals, the 22 honorees demonstrate that exceptional architecture begins with listening—responding to clients, landscapes, existing conditions, and evolving ways of living.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4hjsBP9
N MPLS: Via Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, VERBATIM: “Community organizers are asking vendors to apply to this year’s Open Streets West Broadway in North Minneapolis. The 10-block festival reflects the heart and spirit of the North Minneapolis community. Organizers say the event allows vendors to pop up, showcase their goods and sell their services at an event bringing in people from all across the state.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4wOCTfc
NE MPLS: Via Minnesota Monthly, VERBATIM: “Just in time for landing on North America’s 50 Best Restaurants, Diane Moua has unveiled the glow-up for Diane’s Place in Northeast Minneapolis . . . Diane’s Place now has two new private dining rooms, a separate grab-and-go cafe, a fully renovated patio—in all, 6,000 more square feet on top of her existing 6,000.” READ/PHOTOS: https://fluence-media.co/3RW61lo
WHAT’S NEXT?
NEXT WEEK: Via Minnesota Monthly, VERBATIM: “IndiaFest returns to the Minnesota State Capitol grounds on Saturday, Aug. 15, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., bringing thousands of people together for a full day of food, performances, family activities, and community spirit. Hosted by the India Association of Minnesota (IAM), the free festival celebrates India’s Independence Day while giving Minnesotans a chance to experience the country’s rich traditions in one place.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cof8lH
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
PEACE: Via Sahan Journal, VERBATIM: “Ahmed Ali Egal, a prominent Somali singer known for his distinctive voice that inspired a nation, has died. He was 76 . . . Egal immigrated to Minnesota 30 years ago, bringing with him a rich tapestry of Somali culture and a message of unity.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fPxmh2
BDAYS: health care leader Anna Youngerman, CAE’s Katie Fulkerson
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