It’s official – Monday’s Vikings-Rams wild-card playoff game has been moved to Arizona because of the fires in southern California. ESPN: https://fluence-media.co/4gOlTxl
Minneapolis drivers lost 26 hours to traffic last year – up 37% from 2023 but down 6% from 2022. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3jbcFmn
Today’s WCCO Radio morning take at 6:20 with Vineeta Sawkar. LISTEN:
Sunday Take had new GOP Alex Plechash to discuss how he feels about primaries, fundraising and the GOP opportunity. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3WaJ8cL
Blois
tips/feedback bloisolson@gmail.com
TRUMP: Via Reuters, VERBATIM: “U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will not go to jail or pay a fine over his criminal conviction stemming from hush money paid to a porn star, a judge ruled on Friday, but the sentencing will place a judgment of guilt on his record. Justice Juan Merchan's sentencing of Trump, 78, to unconditional discharge closes a case that had loomed over his bid to retake the White House just days before his Jan. 20 inauguration.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42acaNE
HEGSETH: From Ana Radelat via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “Ahead of his confirmation hearing next week, Democrats have taken aim at Pete Hegseth’s nomination for secretary of defense, complaining they have not received the results of an FBI background check and other materials they say are needed to vet the candidate. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee that will hold Tuesday’s confirmation hearing, wrote the GOP chair of the panel, Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., this week demanding information about Hegseth.” BLUMENTHAL: “I am deeply concerned that the Senate Armed Services Committee is considering the nomination of Pete Hegseth for this critically significant position without full information regarding his capacity and experience to lead our military and steward a budget of nearly $850 billion.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aeidm9
GUNS: From Stephen Montemayor via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Two long-haul truckers, with the backing of a legal nonprofit that has argued multiple U.S. Supreme Court cases, are suing Minnesota over the state’s refusal to recognize more than half of the firearm permits issued by other states. The plaintiffs, one from Texas and another from Georgia, are leaning on a 2022 landmark opinion from the high court used last year to invalidate Minnesota’s age restriction for permit applications. David A. McCoy II of Texas and Jeffrey M. Johnson Sr. of Georgia filed their suit against Department of Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson on Tuesday, arguing Minnesota’s refusal to recognize their existing gun permits violated their Second Amendment rights and presented them with an ‘unreasonable burden.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4h0A2HO
EGGS: From Torey Van Oot and Kelly Tyko via Axios, VERBATIM: “Egg prices in the Twin Cities are no yolk. Why it matters: The cost of a carton is soaring nationwide, breaking new records as the bird flu outbreak grows. Zoom out: A dozen large eggs in the Midwest hit an ‘unprecedented’ $6.07 in early January, surpassing the previous record of $5.46 set in December 2022, according to price-reporting service Expana.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3DQBAWi
DEPORTATIONS: From Elizabeth Shockman via MPR, VERBATIM: “Since the election, districts across Minnesota have started planning how to support students and staff should large-scale deportations happen. Last month, an online seminar on the issue drew more than 100 leaders from districts across the state.” QUOTE: “There’s a real sense of anxiety, of uncertainty,” said Carlos Mariani Rosa, a former state lawmaker and executive director of the Minnesota Education Equity Partnership, which hosted the seminar. “School districts have already begun to have structured conversations around this.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fRHfZt
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
REPORT: From Nick Longworth via KMSP-TV, VERBATIM: “New research shows how much salaries increased year-over-year for Minnesotans who stayed at the same job. What we know: Online payroll and HR services provider ADP Pay found that Minnesotans who stayed in their current profession the last 12 months saw their wages increase 4.9% from December 2023 to 2024.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40hWhCi
SNOW: From Dan Kraker via MPR, VERBATIM: “When Theresa Rautio was growing up in northern Minnesota, she remembers snowbanks so tall she could slide on to them from her garage roof. That’s a far cry from the past two winters, with barely any snow. And that’s been a huge blow to the family bar and restaurant she owns outside the small town of Britt, among the lakes and woods north of the Iron Range . . . Across the region people who rely on winter tourism are worried about the future. Northern Minnesota winters have warmed by several degrees over the past few decades. While many winters are still snowy, thaws have become increasingly common.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3WfzTbr
ICE: From Allison Kaplan via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “Robbie Harrell’s dreams of setting a record for the world’s largest ice maze melted with last winter’s unseasonably warm weather. Cancelling the event just days before it was scheduled to open in January 2024 cost his company, Minnesota Ice, upwards of $1 million—enough that you might think he’d stick to ice cubes. Not Harrell. He decided to go bigger for 2025. He spent months planning, strategizing, and obsessively monitoring weather forecasts.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Wf32n4
MORE: The Minnesota Ice Festival begins today. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/40dsqLa
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)
DOGS: From Kevin Miller via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “After a series of serious dog attack incidents last year, the Brooklyn Park Police Department is proposing new rules for dog owners . . . One proposed ordinance aims to crack down on backyard dog breeding. Brooklyn Park Police Inspector Toni Weinbeck said that a proposed new ordinance would limit property owners from keeping more than three dogs at a time. Another ordinance would require that all dogs have some form of identification.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4hbhBQs
EV: Via Inside Climate News, VERBATIM: “Andrew Garberson has a message for drivers in cold-climate states like Minnesota: Yes, you can still drive an electric car. Public scrutiny over how well EVs perform in cold weather has grown in recent years following high-profile incidents, like one in Chicago last winter, when several Tesla drivers found themselves stuck in line for hours, waiting for their turn at public charging stations as temperatures dipped below zero. Many drivers reported that the cold had not only sapped their batteries of power but also made charging them a major hassle.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40sfy51
CANTON: From Ryan Paris via KTTC-TV, VERBATIM: “The city of Canton has a new mayor following Joshua Nordsving’s resignation. Former City Council member Kristy Ziegler is now taking the reigns as Canton’s new mayor, which means there is now an opening for Ziegler’s old position on the city council.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4gPYmfu
3M: From Nathan O’Neal via KMSP-TV, VERBATIM: “Insurance company AIG filed a lawsuit against Minnesota-based manufacturer 3M to avoid paying for thousands of lawsuits related to 3M’s production and dumping of PFAS chemicals. What they're saying: In a federal lawsuit, AIG says its own policies have language ‘limiting or barring coverage’ for various reasons, including PFAS-related liability and damages stemming from pollution.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4j8kR0R
“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)
HOLIDAZZLE: From Dan Niepow via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “Tens of thousands of revelers headed to downtown Minneapolis for Holidazzle this holiday season, and planners aim to keep it in the city’s urban core for future iterations. According to data compiled by the Minneapolis Downtown Council, about 65,000 people attended the mid-December holiday festival, which, after several years in Loring Park, returned to Nicollet Mall for the first time in a decade.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3DMzXJ7
UPTOWN: From Taylor Rivera via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “After 60 years, the Uptown Art Fair is no more. At least how it ran for the majority of those six decades. It will now be replaced by a new event dubbed the SoMi Art Fair and will take place at Bachman’s in South Minneapolis. Programming Director Jill Osiecki says it's just not possible to return the event to it's former glory after major changes in Uptown.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/40pXXuu
MIA: From Macy Harder via Minnesota Monthly, VERBATIM: “If you haven’t explored the vast collection at Minneapolis Institute of Art (Mia) in a while, now’s the time for a visit—the museum announced Thursday that it acquired a handful of new works spanning several continents and centuries.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3BS80PP
RETAIL: From Delane Cleveland via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “The northwest metro is losing another pharmacy, as the nation’s two largest pharmacy chains, Walgreens and CVS, continue to downsize. CCX News has learned that the Crystal Walgreens, located at the corner of West Broadway and Bass Lake Road, plans to close.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4afuvLi
MORE: The new list of closures from Macy’s has stores in Maplewood and Burnsville on the chopping block. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3WfE9Yt
TODAY: Via WDIO-TV, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission is hosting a remote public hearing today regarding the acquisition of ALLETE, Minnesota Power’s parent company, by the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Global Infrastructure Partners.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aeNgy5
TOMORROW: From Jasmine McBride via Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Science Museum is inviting African Americans in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields to celebrate diversity and creativity. Saturday, January 11, community members can visit the museum from 11am to 3pm to uplift Black innovators, problem-solvers, and changemakers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3CbyHyM
JAN 24: Via DEED, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Trade Office (MTO) is delighted to invite you to join Governor Tim Walz, Department of Employment and Economic Development Commissioner Matt Varilek and Department of Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen at a luncheon event to honor this year’s recipients of the Governor’s International Trade Awards. These prestigious awards recognize Minnesota companies that have shown exceptional progress and success in exports to foreign markets, as well as foreign-owned companies that have made significant economic contributions through their investments in the state.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4jdSQ8m
NEXT MONTH: From Sun Country via Globe Newswire, VERBATIM: “Sun Country Airlines (NASDAQ: SNCY) will hold its fourth quarter and full year 2024 earnings call on Tuesday, February 4 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40cvbfv
From yesterday’s Fluence newsletters:
UNITEDHEALTH: Via Stat, VERBATIM: “Seven UnitedHealth Group shareholders are calling on the health care conglomerate to produce a report on how often its policies lead to denied or delayed care, and the effects on patients and the economy. The proposal, which could go up for a vote by UnitedHealth’s investors at the company’s annual meeting later this year, comes as the company is under tremendous public scrutiny for tactics such as prior authorization and care denials. The killing of the CEO of UnitedHealth’s health insurance business in early December ignited a firestorm of anger — not against the alleged killer, but against health insurers like UnitedHealth who many blame for the industry’s dysfunction.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3WcWYLD
MORE: Via Newsweek, VERBATIM: “A doctor has shared a shocking story of how UnitedHealthcare stopped a cancer surgery to ask if it was medically necessary in a new Instagram video. Elisabeth Potter, a doctor based in Austin, Texas, created a video on Instagram detailing her experience treating a cancer patient and what she said were the roadblocks UnitedHealthcare put up during a surgery procedure.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3WbkgSa
MORE: From Dr. Potter via Instagram, the video. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4gEoHgB
NOROVIRUS: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “There have been an unusually high number of norovirus outbreaks sickening people across the country, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There were 91 suspected or confirmed norovirus outbreaks in the first week of December, the most recent data available. This is a higher number than the C.D.C. has recorded during the same week in recent years. It also exceeds the number of outbreaks recorded in early December in the years leading up to the Covid-19 pandemic.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4acNd66
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AD CAMPAIGN: Via The Minneapolis Egotist, VERBATIM: “SixSpeed, the globally recognized marketing agency with a reputation for disrupting industries, is once again demonstrating the power of their breakthrough creative. The boundary-pushing shop recently collaborated with Polaris to help bring to life their ‘Tough Doesn’t Quit’ campaign, showcasing what has made Polaris a global leader in powersports for more than 70 years. This innovative creative campaign highlights Polaris’s commitment to quality and testing by capturing their strenuous process to test machines to failure in pursuit of creating new standards that meet the high expectations of today’s consumers.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/42865kv
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
OPENINGS: Eater Twin Cities’ Serena Maria Daniels catches readers up on recent restaurant and bar openings. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4h9c5xN
PEACE: From Kevin Miller via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “The Robbinsdale community is mourning a longtime council member and former mayor. Mike Holtz, who spent nearly 32 years on the city council, died on Tuesday, Jan. 7. He was 76 years old.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4jdQrKz
BDAYS: Veterans Affairs staff Jon Kelly, Hamline’s Jeannie Entenza, St. Paul leader Donna Swanson, SAT: fmr. St. Paul councilmember Chris Tolbert, advocate Matt Flory. SUN: Wells Fargo’s Sophia Khan, NewsDay’s Baird Helgeson, lobbyist Jill Sletten
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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