The first finisher has crossed the line in a 135-mile endurance race up north. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4hxsxbw
In Duluth, athletes are competing in the National Curling Championships. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4aCtmxo
Today’s WCCO Radio morning take at 6:20 with Vineeta Sawkar. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/40QBp6n
On Sunday Take House DFL Leader Melissa Hortman and GOP Rep. Kristin Robbins about the current state of the chamber. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4jLC4xF
Blois
tips/feedback bloisolson@gmail.com
GOLF: Interlachen and White Bear Yacht Club both made Golf’s list of the top 100 courses in the country. LIST: https://fluence-media.co/3WAfEFi
TARGET: Via Reuters, VERBATIM: “Please don't boycott Target: That's the message from Black founders and influencers to consumers about a backlash against the retailer's decision to end its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. With the U.S. political climate trending right, the Minneapolis-based company announced the move on Friday prompting calls for a boycott of its stores from labor advocacy group We Are Somebody and a Minneapolis city council member. The campaign would be aimed at hurting the company's sales and preventing Target from profiting from products by minority-owned companies, advocates said. But Black-owned companies and entrepreneurs urged against a boycott on Monday, saying they would lose revenue and consumer exposure, which would harm the brands more than the retailer.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40CE95U
PRIDE: From Al Schoch and Steve Simpson via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Twin Cities Pride won't be hurting for funds this year, despite telling corporate partner Target they were not welcome in any festival activities this year. The group was able to raise $50,000 through a donation link on their web page. That amount covers what Target usually donates for the pride festival.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4gfQnaC
TODAY: From Samantha Fischer via KARE-TV, VERBATIM: “Voters in Senate District 60 are casting their ballots in a special election Tuesday to determine who will replace the late Democratic Sen. Kari Dziedzic and whether the DFL can repeat its majority in the chamber for another legislative session. As it stands, the Minnesota GOP and DFL are temporarily tied in the Senate, 33-33.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4ayN8tu
EDUCATION: From Elizabeth Shockman via MPR, VERBATIM: “While Minnesota lawmakers struggle to start the new legislative session, education committee leaders in the House and Senate are quietly starting to set budget and policy priorities for nearly 850,000 students in prekindergarten through 12th grade. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle say they can work together to meet the needs of schools, but they have some differences.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/40Phuoi
MPD: From Winter Keefer via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “Bucking a trend seen across the country in recent years, the Minneapolis Police Department ended 2024 with more police officers than it started with. This marked the first year the department has seen an increase in officers since 2019. The department ended the year with a net gain of 36 sworn-in officers, according to an email communication by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. Additionally, there was a year-over-year 133% increase in applicants looking to join the department.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Ec8LnD
IMMIGRATION: From Christopher Magan via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Minnesota county sheriffs are caught between growing demands from the Trump administration to help with deportation efforts and state court rulings that emphasize their limited role in federal immigration enforcement. Richard Hodsdon, attorney for the Minnesota Sheriffs' Association, said county sheriffs may want to help U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but they only have jurisdiction to enforce state and local laws. Federal immigration statutes, which are typically civil matters, are outside their legal authority.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3X0jtnN
WILD ABOUT READING: More than 500 Minnesota classrooms and 15,000 students are 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, Rookie; 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
WEALTH: From Christopher Ingraham via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “The wealthiest communities in the Twin Cities are roughly 10 times richer than the poorest ones, according to a new database of household wealth. Median households in parts of the west metro — including Lake Minnetonka, Plymouth and Maple Grove — have a net worth well over $400,000. Those in parts of south Minneapolis and the western part of St. Paul have closer to $40,000. Meanwhile, Minnesota wealth has also become more concentrated in fewer hands.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ht8tqs
WALZ: From Briana Bierschbach via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Walz’s budget plan and other proposals he’s rolled out represent a shift in tone for the governor, who has returned to the state after his failed national campaign facing a new political reality. Instead of a DFL trifecta and a state flush with cash, he must now try and hash out a budget with a narrowly divided Legislature and a multibillion-dollar deficit looming on the horizon.” QUOTE: “A new political invisible fence has been installed around him. The public is fed up with fraud, Republicans wisely won’t raise taxes and Minnesota has an actual balanced budget requirement,” said former Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who also briefly returned to the job after running for national office. “His political roaming area has shrunk significantly.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hdgiRF
ST PAUL: From Molly Guthrey via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “The St. Paul City Council announced on Tuesday that it will elect new leadership for 2025, including new leaders of the City Council, Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA) and Council committees. The leadership changes will take effect on Feb. 12 following the transition of Council President Mitra Jalali who is stepping down to focus on her health after the Council meeting on Feb. 5.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3CDIbDb
LAWSUIT: From Addie McCabe via KTTC-TV, VERBATIM: “A federal lawsuit has been filed on behalf of the family of Melvin Bush, a 59-year-old man who died at the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center (OCADC) in March 2023. Storms Dworak LLC, an attorney’s office representing the family, filed the lawsuit against the Olmsted County Adult Detention Center (OCADC) Monday.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4axZfqV
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.-Elect Kari Rehauer
Rep.-Elect Wayne Johnson
Rep. Elect Julie Greene
Rep. Elect Keith Allen
Rep. Elect Peter Johnson
Follow on your favorite podcast platform, or at www.TheDailyAgenda.com/Podcasts. (SPONSORED: Minnesota Telecom Alliance)
GEN MILLS: From Nick Halter via Axios, VERBATIM: “General Mills is joining a wave of companies calling their corporate workers back into the office. Why it matters: The move is a major shakeup for employees of Golden Valley-based General Mills, who have been allowed to work from home for nearly five years.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4jrWfAx
MINNEAPOLIS: From Anya Capistrant-Kinney via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “There’s a new effort to help revitalize downtown Minneapolis: the Vibrant Storefronts initiative. The city-funded awards offer two years of rent subsidization in a previously vacant downtown storefront to promote artistic and cultural offerings. The city recently announced the five awardees, who will each have storefronts in the Harmon Place Historic District.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3EcjXjY
MORE: Via Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, VERBATIM: “This groundbreaking project pairs property owners with local arts and cultural organizations, creating a win-win scenario: affordable rent for tenants and reliable occupancy for landlords.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hvXg8M
POLARIS: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “Polaris Inc. (PII) on Tuesday reported fourth-quarter net income of $10.6 million. On a per-share basis, the Medina, Minnesota-based company said it had net income of 19 cents. Earnings, adjusted for asset impairment costs and restructuring costs, were 92 cents per share. The results beat Wall Street expectations . . . The snowmobile and ATV maker posted revenue of $1.76 billion in the period, also surpassing Street forecasts.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3X0hQ9F
GRACO: Via Stock Story, VERBATIM: “[Minneapolis-based] Fluid and coating equipment company Graco (NYSE:GGG) missed Wall Street’s revenue expectations in Q4 CY2024, with sales falling 3.2% year on year to $548.7 million. Its non-GAAP profit of $0.64 per share was 15.8% below analysts’ consensus estimates.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3PTXcUp
SETTLEMENT: Via news release from the Attorney General, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced today that he has reached a settlement with Minnesota nonprofit SJM Properties and its founder and President, Steven Meldahl, alleging Meldahl ran a sham nonprofit and violated numerous other governance requirements under Minnesota charities laws. The settlement, also known as an Assurance of Discontinuance, requires that SJM be formally dissolved and prohibits Meldahl from serving as a director, officer or employee of a nonprofit and engaging in any activity that results in Meldahl having control or responsibility over any property held for a charitable purpose.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40SE13y
LISTENING, LEARNING AND REDEFINING INDIGENOUS PARTNERSHIPS - “We want to build partnerships with Indigenous Nations. We continue to listen to and learn from Indigenous leaders and communities, and that’s informing how we engage communities in B.C. and across North America,” said CEO Greg Ebel of Enbridge’s approach to be the “first-choice partner” for Indigenous Nation interested in pursuing energy infrastructure opportunities. READ MORE: https://fluence-media.co/3Yht20R (SPONSORED: Enbridge)
LIST: From Jason DeRusha via Minnesota Monthly, his picks for the best new restaurants of 2024. LIST: https://fluence-media.co/3EeUOoV
GUTHRIE: From Anika Besst via MPR, VERBATIM: “A newsletter from the Guthrie Theater Front-Facing Staff Union, dated Friday, Jan. 25, announced that IATSE Local 13 and the front-facing departments at the Guthrie met with Guthrie senior management. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss creating a union contract — and quickly ran into disagreements about DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility), as well as other labor questions. This will be the first contract for a union representing employees who directly interact with patrons.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aCAp9t
TREES: From Ava Kian via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “In 2009, an invasive tree pest was discovered on an ash tree in St. Paul. This past fall, 15 years later, the city cut down its last ash tree. While St. Paul and other more populated cities have been aware of the emerald ash borer for some time, many Greater Minnesota cities are more recently learning about the pest and facing the challenges it brings their communities. Restrictions on moving wood have helped contain the ash borer’s spread, but spread along transitways, mainly through human traffic still persists.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3PPSUO2
DRONE: From Delane Cleveland via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “The Maple Grove Police Department’s drone program received a $10,000 boost this month thanks to the generosity of a local religious organization. The Hindu Society of Minnesota made the donation during the Jan. 21 Maple Grove City Council meeting. The money will help the department purchase a larger, more sophisticated drone.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3PSb15J
NEXT MONTH: From New Prague-based Electromed via Business Wire, VERBATIM: “Electromed, Inc. (NYSE American: ELMD), a leader in innovative airway clearance technologies, today announced that it will release its financial results for the fiscal 2025 second quarter ended December 31, 2024, on February 11, 2025 after the close of the stock market. Company management will host a conference call the same day at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time to discuss the results.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4jBPv2M
THIS SUMMER: From Treasure Island via PRNewswire, VERBATIM: “Music by the Mississippi is returning to Treasure Island Resort & Casino for a second year with huge acts, a second day added and more fun for a good cause next summer. Treasure Island's first multi-day festival –– and one of the only in Minnesota –– is coming to the Treasure Island Amphitheater on Friday and Saturday, July 25 & 26.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40MGsop
From yesterday’s Fluence newsletters:
WORKFORCE: From Ana Radelat via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “Saying fewer and fewer native-born Americans want to work for them, Minnesota’s farmers, dairymen and ranchers are increasingly reliant on a foreign-born workforce that is under threat in the new Trump administration. Minnesota’s robust agriculture industry employs both undocumented migrants and foreign-born workers who are in the United States on a provisional or temporary basis. The largest group of immigrant farmworkers are undocumented. The Center for Migration studies estimates that 86% of agricultural workers are foreign born and 45% of them are undocumented.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aBelvM
FARM BILL: Via AgriPulse, VERBATIM: “House Agriculture Chairman Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson indicated Monday he wants to limit cuts to SNAP that Republicans will try to make through the budget reconciliation process. But the panel’s new top Democrat, Rep. Angie Craig, questioned whether he can hold the line and warned that a deep reduction could ultimately doom a new farm bill. She also said the committee's farm bill last year was skewed to benefit southern farmers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40Pa4RZ
FARMLAND: From Mark Dorenkamp via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “Green energy projects infringing on farmland is a concern among American Farm Bureau members gathering at their annual convention this week in San Antonio. Ohio Farm Bureau president Bill Patterson says land is being devoured by green energy.” PATTERSON: “There’s a balance, right. And we’re trying to find the balance and trying to figure out how to meet the energy needs of a nation while meeting the food needs of a nation. So that’s a big part of where we’re at and a big part of what we want to speak to on the floor.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4gg9rWh
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GEN MILLS: Via Investing, VERBATIM: “General Mills , Inc. (NYSE: NYSE:GIS), currently valued at $34 billion by market capitalization, has finalized the sale of its Canadian yogurt operations, including the Yoplait and Liberté brands, to Sodiaal, according to a recent announcement. The transaction also involves the transfer of a production facility located in Saint-Hyacinthe, Québec. The completion of this divestiture is part of a series of strategic moves by General Mills, which also anticipates the closure of its U.S. yogurt business sale to Lactalis within the 2025 calendar year, pending regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4jAZh5f
ADS: From Minneapolis-based Ameriprise via Business Wire, VERBATIM: “Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (NYSE: AMP) today released two new television ads showcasing how the firm helps clients live more confidently and achieve their most meaningful goals. The new ads highlight the value of one-on-one advice from a trusted Ameriprise financial advisor and a strong and stable company.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/411sBeh
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
GUIDE: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “It's officially time to start shaking off the winter doldrums. Have a ball this winter! (After all, this is the month that begins with a ball drop.) Your ultimate out-and-about fun guide is here with 50-plus places (inside and outside) to go have a play date with your buds.” LISTS: https://fluence-media.co/3Ee5NyQ
NEW YEAR: From Macy Harder via Minnesota Monthly, VERBATIM: “Starting this week, the Twin Cities will offer a variety of options for celebrating Lunar New Year, from dining specials to cultural events.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3CzYXDa
BDAYS: U of MN’s Andrew Chelseth, financial pro Katherine Forrester, Hamline’s David Schultz, MPR’s Annie Baxter
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