60% of the U.S. population has unfavorable views of ICE. In the U.S. AAPI population, it’s 73%. AP/NORC: https://fluence-media.co/4swKfSr
Twin Cities home prices fell 3.8% in February – one of the biggest drops in the country. REDFIN: https://fluence-media.co/4d7Syix
Fluence Advisory is seeking candidates for a new position. JOB: https://fluence-media.co/4duXaiK60% of the U.S. population has unfavorable views of ICE. In the U.S. AAPI population, it’s 73%. AP/NORC: https://fluence-media.co/4swKfSr
Twin Cities home prices fell 3.8% in February – one of the biggest drops in the country. REDFIN: https://fluence-media.co/4d7Syix
Fluence Advisory is seeking candidates for a new position. JOB: https://fluence-media.co/4duXaiK
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/4bExtda
Sunday Take featured GOP Rep. Jon Koznick and DFL Sen. Scott Dibble discussing transportation in Minnesota. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4t1X5aP
Blois
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THE BUSINESS OF DOING BUSINESS
TARGET: Via Supermarket News, VERBATIM: “Target is tightening up its employee dress standards as part of the retailer’s efforts to provide customers with a more consistent in-store experience. As first reported by Bloomberg, workers will now be required to wear a red shirt with blue denim or khaki pants or a skirt. They can also wear a company-issued red vest instead of a red shirt. The new policy takes effect in July. Target will provide a free red shirt to all employees and a coupon for 50% off denim, a Target spokesperson told Supermarket News, confirming that the company was seeking to provide a more consistent in-store experience for customers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Nqz3aF
MORE: A memo to employees about the changes shared via Reddit, SEE: https://fluence-media.co/41u9SXO
EMPLOYEE DISCOUNTS: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “Target is boosting employee discounts on some of its own brands as it leans into store labels to fuel its turnaround, the retailer told Axios exclusively. Why it matters: New CEO Michael Fiddelke is pushing to make style and store brands a bigger driver of growth at Target. Between the lines: Retailers across the industry are leaning more on private-label brands to drive profit and stand out in a competitive environment.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4c1jSxP
TABLE TRAC: Via Stock Titan, VERBATIM: “[Minnetonka-based] Table Trac, Inc. reported stable results for 2025, with revenue of $11.0M, down 1.0% from 2024, but net income edging up to $1.63M from $1.58M. Earnings per share were $0.35, slightly above $0.34 a year earlier.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4uOKN7B
GUESTCHECKS: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “Technically, the restaurant guest check is a single-use slip of increasingly obsolete paper. Emotionally, as with the Anthora coffee cup or the smiley face plastic bag of New York City, it has transcended its station. Everybody knows the guest check, or if branding matters to you: the GuestCheck. That trademark belongs to the family-owned National Checking Company, or NCCO, which has been producing guest checks, in some form, since 1917. The St. Paul, Minn., company, founded in 1909, did not invent the guest check — Adeline Dutton Train Whitney’s 1868 novel ‘Patience Strong’s Outings,’ for example, mentions ‘settling the dinner checks’ — but NCCO was among the first cohort of manufacturers, and is one of the few left.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/47gKSXB
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)
MNLEG
SINGLE SUBJECT: Via the Upper Midwest Law Center, VERBATIM: “UMLC, on behalf of the Minnesota Private Business Council, has filed a lawsuit challenging key provisions of Minnesota’s 2024 Omnibus Bill as unconstitutional. The case argues the massive, last-minute law violates the Constitution’s Single Subject Clause and imposed major business mandates without proper legislative review.” COMPLAINT: https://fluence-media.co/3NCBDdK
MORE: Via Minnesota Private Business Council, VERBATIM: “The lawsuit targets provisions related to paid family and medical leave (PFML), earned sick and safe time requirements, and independent contractor classification rules, all of which impose significant new costs and compliance burdens on Minnesota job creators.” QUOTE: “This case is about restoring accountability and pushing back on policies that are making it unbelievably difficult to do business in Minnesota,” said Jim Schultz, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Minnesota Private Business Council. “Our members and their employees are being asked to absorb the burdens of sweeping mandates that were rushed through without scrutiny of any kind. That is not sustainable for a state that wants to compete and grow.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3NZ0Hvx
SD37: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Senate Republicans are still searching for a serious recruit for a Maple Grove swing seat that could decide the majority next year. State of play: Warren Limmer‘s retirement creates an opening in Senate District 37. While Limmer has kept the area in Republican hands for three decades, demographic shifts have made the district a top battleground.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/482RA3C
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)
IMPACTING PEOPLE
SCHOOLS: Via The 74, VERBATIM: “In traditional school settings, students with disabilities often bear the burden of advocating for accommodations and ways to fit into classrooms not made for them. But at three schools in New York, Minnesota and Wisconsin, these students are at the center of operations — and it’s paying off with improved student outcomes. New case study research of these schools, shared exclusively with The 74, was published Thursday by Education Reimagined, a national nonprofit that helps schools implement learner-centered education. It’s an approach where young people have ownership of their education, learn in their communities and show their knowledge through multiple ways, not just tests, according to the nonprofit.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bZdc3n
OFP: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Two Minnesota women killed 12 days apart this month had more in common than the abrupt end to the constantly churning cycle of domestic violence they suffered. Ashley Kittelson and Jennifer Marsaw both turned to the courts for help and were swiftly granted orders for protection from the men now accused of killing them. While these orders are designed and can ward off violent incidents in strained or broken relationships, experts say there is no guarantee they will protect a woman’s life.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4uPEjoT
YOUR NEIGHBORS RIDE ATVs: From the Twin Cities to the Iron Range, thousands of Minnesotans own and ride ATVs. They are families, veterans, teachers and small business owners who rely on Minnesota’s trail system for recreation, tourism, and economic activity. ATV riders aren’t just “up north” — they live in the Twin Cities metro area. And they care deeply about maintaining safe, well-managed trails. As the legislature considers trail policy, funding, and land-use decisions this session, ask them to support Minnesota’s ATV community and the outdoor opportunities they value. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4td9sRR (SPONSORED: ATV Minnesota)
THE CITIES
MINNEAPOLIS: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “2026 is turning out to be a bad year for car thefts in Minneapolis. Mayor Jacob Frey telling WCCO’s Chad Hartman that after two years of decline, they have seen nearly 1,200 thefts in 2026 compared to 935 at the same time last year. What is [different] now? Frey says technology.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3PuWgZN
CHURCH PROTEST: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “The federal government is facing pushback for failing to tell the judge overseeing the cases of 38 defendants charged for a protest at a St. Paul church in January that they’d wrongly charged one woman. Defense attorneys representing three of those accused by the federal government of conspiring to violate the religious freedom of worshippers argued in a filing Sunday that prosecutors knew charges against one woman were false and declined to tell the court before asking for more time to turn over evidence.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3PrIh76
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)
GREATER MINNESOTA
MINING: Via Mesabi Tribune, VERBATIM: “Iron ore pellets produced at Iron Range taconite plants are beginning to move down the Great Lakes again. The 2026 commercial navigation season on the Great Lakes began Sunday when the Welland Canal and Montreal-Lake Ontario section of the St. Lawrence Seaway system opened up, according to the Duluth Seaway Port Authority.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dqkFtF
BRAINERD: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “After being Brainerd’s deputy police chief for the last three years, Tony Runde has been selected to be the next Brainerd Police Chief. The Brainerd City Council voted unanimously Monday, March 16, to promote Runde after current Brainerd Police Chief John Davis announced he will retire at the end of April after more than 30 years in public safety.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bFqEbd
WHAT’S NEXT?
TONIGHT: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “Duluth Mayor Roger Reinert is scheduled to give his State of the City Address Tuesday night. It will take place at Lincoln Park Middle School at 6:00 p.m.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3NN06wK
NEXT WEEK: Rep. Ilhan Omar will host a town hall in Spring Lake Park Monday.
NEXT MONTH: Via Minneapolis-based Ameriprise, VERBATIM: “Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (NYSE: AMP) plans to release its first quarter 2026 results at approximately 4:15 p.m. (ET) on Thursday, April 23, 2026.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41pkuHv
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
MERITAGE: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “If you’re one of those unlucky diners who missed out on Meritage‘s two limited-run steak frites pop-ups—one in January, the second in March—it’s a good day for you! Chef Russell Klein has announced that Steak Frites by Meritage will return to the restaurant every Wednesday for the foreseeable future.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3PVrRE2
BDAYS: Ag Department’s Anna Gedstad, lobbyist Daron Van Helden, journalist Kevin Duchschere, Mpls Chamber’s Maddy Fisher, SSP’s Jimmy Francis
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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