The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal this morning named current managing editor Mark Reilly as its next editor-in-chief. He replaces Dirk DeYoung who retires next month. READ: https://fluence-media.co/3T6PsDp
73% of Americans think immigration is a good thing for the country – down from a record high of 79% in 2025. Views vary by party affiliation:
GALLUP: https://fluence-media.co/4aHsDMF
Half of Jewish adults in the U.S. have an unfavorable view of the Democratic Party – 71% view the Republican Party unfavorably. AP/NORC: https://fluence-media.co/4f2c7cR
MPR has updates on flash flooding that closed parts of I-90 and led to several calls for help getting to safety. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4vQqXZF
The City of LeRoy shared photos via Facebook HERE: https://fluence-media.co/4faNt8E and HERE: https://fluence-media.co/4w1p3Ws
The new Drought Monitor out this morning gives a snapshot of conditions Tuesday – before yesterday’s rain. MAP: https://fluence-media.co/3zN8TDo
Today in Sports Take - A radical idea for the playoff-contending Twins, remembering columnist Doug Grow, soccer injustices and more in today’s Sports Take. Coming this afternoon.
RIP Bonnie Tyler
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Today’s WCCO Radio morning take at 6:20 with Vineeta Sawkar. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4frLKgl
Sunday Take featured Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan discussing her Senate campaign, her time in state government and more. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3SBPx1V
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THURSDAY NEWS FEED
MPS: Via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “Newly unredacted portions of an investigative report indicate Minneapolis Public Schools’ top accountant, Aaron Gilbert, decided on her own to improperly withhold $3 million in payments to a health care trust account . . . The improper withholding, the discovery of which coincided with the departure of senior finance leadership, is among a raft of problems that beset the beleaguered district’s finance office during the past two years. The school district was also assessed millions in fines by the IRS for late filings, as first reported in the Reformer in April.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gtxSTZ
ANOKA-HENN: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “It’s been a talking point in marathon meetings, and the focus of a 3,000-signature petition: Asking the Anoka-Hennepin School District if they’re willing to pay more in property taxes to avoid school staffing cuts. A mother of four from Coon Rapids, is among those behind a petition to force a November tax referendum after district-planned staff cuts in the 2026-27 budget. ‘We don’t get anything out of this, other than that our schools are funded,’ said Sheighlyn Berbig, co-founder of ‘Parents for Good.’” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4pcBLyH
VOTING: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon is responding to the latest demands from the Trump Administration that would require states to transition to paper ballots, which they say will eliminate more voter fraud. ‘I think that’s a recipe for chaos,’ Simon told WCCO’s Adam and Jordana on Wednesday. The Trump administration is reporting that if states don’t comply, they risk losing millions of federal terrorism-prevention funds.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4pvxvuF
ICYMI… morning take shared details of a Legislative Auditor’s report evaluating voter registration in Minnesota. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/44hfCpB
FRAUD: Via KARE-TV, VERBATIM: “Another fraudster, whose crimes were first exposed by the KARE 11 Investigates team, pleaded guilty in federal court Wednesday. Abdifitah Mohamed, an owner of Housing Stabilization Services (HSS) company Foundation First Services LLC (Foundation First), walked into federal court with dark sunglasses and a face mask to hide from KARE 11’s cameras. But facing a judge, he admitted guilt for his role in defrauding a Minnesota Medicaid program intended to help vulnerable people find housing while pleading guilty to wire fraud.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4vrKhvn
DOGS: Via BAH, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Board of Animal Health is warning current and prospective pet owners about the risks and dangers of a zoonotic disease called canine brucellosis. Zoonotic diseases can infect animals and humans. There are several active brucellosis cases in Minnesota and each one connects to imported dogs, many of which originated from the same geographic area in South Dakota. The Board requires any infected dogs to either be quarantined for life or humanely euthanized to prevent the spread of disease and avoid potential complications for the infected dog.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bfa2rq
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)
ENGAGED ELECTORATE
TONIGHT: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “The Osseo City Council will hold a special town hall meeting on Thursday evening, July 9, to hear more public feedback on the city’s planned municipal cannabis dispensary. The meeting follows public pushback during a June 22 hearing on proposed property tax abatement that would help fund the new store.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4eV0l3W
DRONES: Via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “The Minneapolis Police Department could start using drones to help do their jobs, but some residents say the higher level of surveillance isn’t worth it. The City Council chambers were so packed on Wednesday for a committee hearing that they opened an overflow room, and even that room completely filled up. Over 40 residents shared their concerns with the council members about the drones-as-first-responder program.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4gpOVGo
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)
BUSINESS UPDATES
POT: The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reports a big seller of cannabis gummies applied for a conditional use permit to build a manufacturing facility in Bloomington. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vgHHYZ
CHS: Via Feedstuffs, VERBATIM: “[Minnesota-based] CHS Inc., a global agribusiness and the nation’s leading cooperative, released results for its third quarter of fiscal year 2026. The company reported net income of $267.4 million attributable to CHS and revenues of $11.6 billion for the quarter that ended May 31, 2026, compared to net income of $232.2 million and revenues of $9.8 billion in the third quarter of fiscal year 2025.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vrJ2fH
NTIC: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “Northern Technologies International Corp. (NTIC) on Thursday reported a loss of $263,000 in its fiscal third quarter. On a per-share basis, the Circle Pines, Minnesota-based company said it had a loss of 3 cents . . . The rust and corrosion prevention company posted revenue of $24.2 million in the period.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4f8f8ak
HABITAT RESTORATION: Flint Hills Resources has earned Tandem Global WHC Gold Certification for habitat restoration at its Cottage Grove fuel terminal. The certification comes after two years of work in partnership with Friends of the Mississippi River to implement a restoration and monitoring plan to re-establish the 6.5-acre site’s natural prairie and savannah. Flint Hills has held gold certification for its work done with community partners over the past 25 years to restore more than 200 acres of the Pine Bend Bluffs, a critical natural area along the Mississippi River that is adjacent to Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery. This makes two Flint Hills gold certified sites in Minnesota and the first two gold-certified sites ever in the Twin Cities. LEARN MORE: Environmental Stewardship (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery)
COMMERCE
DULUTH: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “Downtown Duluth Days drew crowds to Superior Street on Wednesday, with live music, food and local shopping. More than 175 local vendors lined Superior Street to showcase their businesses.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4yvaagL
MOVE: Via Bassford Remele, VERBATIM: “Bassford Remele is pleased to announce that Jazz Hampton has joined the firm. Jazz is a corporate attorney and experienced litigator who advises growth-stage companies, nonprofit organizations, startups, and mission-driven enterprises on commercial transactions, corporate governance, compliance, risk management, and business disputes.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gNiGBl
WHAT’S NEXT?
SATURDAY: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “The long-awaited Duluth Airshow is in its final preparations—getting ready to bring the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and some of the most iconic aircraft in the sky to the Twin Ports this weekend.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/44SHJeL
NEXT WEEK: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “Bastille Day, or La Fête Nationale, commemorates the storming of the Bastille prison in Paris on July 14, 1789, a pivotal moment in the French Revolution. More than two centuries later, the French national holiday is celebrated with Francophone pride around the world—including in the Twin Cities, where you can mark the occasion with these local events.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fsCUyQ
NEXT WEEK: Via Mpls Fed, VERBATIM: “Summer is a good time for businesses to look back at how the year is shaping up relative to their expectations at the outset, and to consider their economic outlook. Join us for an economic check-in at midyear. Following an overview by Vice President of Research Ben Malin of current conditions in the U.S. macroeconomy, Regional Outreach Director Joe Mahon will walk through indicators from a monthly survey of businesses in the Ninth Federal Reserve District.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3R94wjp
THIS MONTH: Via Xcel, VERBATIM: “On Thursday, July 30, 2026, Xcel Energy (NASDAQ: XEL) will host a conference call to review second quarter 2026 financial results.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fraPrN
(DISCLOSURE: Xcel is a Fluence sponsor)
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
LATE EATS: Via MplsStPaul, recommended spots to find a late-night snack. LIST: https://fluence-media.co/4imrqvB
BDAYS: Compeer’s Perry Aasness, labor guy Bernie Hesse, reporter Dave Campbell and we remember organizer Mike Kennedy on his heavenly birthday
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