40% of Americans say the country is too supportive of Israel – among Democrats it’s 58%. AP/NORC: https://fluence-media.co/4vTKKrk
A tornado is believed to have injured two people and caused significant damage north of Detroit Lakes. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4wtojca
In Manhattan, this morning, a high-rise office building was evacuated – an inspection amid renovations found buckling support columns and sagging upper floors. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4wpci7B
The lane closures on 394 between 94 and Highway 100 will switch overnight. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4ltXFuQ
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TUESDAY FEED
ACQUISITION: Via CBS News, VERBATIM: “EasyJet has agreed to be acquired by [Minneapolis-based] U.S. private equity firm Castlelake in a deal that values the U.K. budget airline at £5 billion ($6.7 billion). EasyJet’s board of directors and Castlelake said on Sunday they had reached an agreement in principle after the carrier had previously rejected four earlier bids from the firm. EasyJet shares jumped nearly 10% Monday on the London Stock Exchange.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/44OpkQh
MORE: Via The Wall Street Journal, VERBATIM: “The move comes as airline stocks across the globe have tumbled in the wake of the Iran war and the subsequent surge in jet fuel prices. Higher airfares and concerns about potential fuel shortages have also made would-be travelers more wary about making bookings. EasyJet had previously rebuffed several approaches from Castlelake as ‘highly opportunistic,’ citing the impact of the conflict in the Middle East.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gZ0HHR
NAME ID: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “In a year when Republicans are hoping to win their first statewide election in 20 years, [Kendall] Qualls and [Adam] Schwarze’s dismal name recognition — and lagging fundraising — means they may also have a tougher time reaching voters. … They describe a lack of political experience as an asset, saying people are frustrated with the status quo and are voting against establishment-backed candidates around the country. … [But] Amy Frederiksen, a Republican political consultant, [said] there is a key difference between outsider candidates like Qualls and Schwarze and those like President Donald Trump or former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura. ‘These people had 100% name ID,’ she said.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3SHFsk1
DAYCARES: via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “In a move to detect fraud more quickly, Minnesota has begun rolling out a long-discussed electronic attendance system for its taxpayer-funded childcare program, but only a tiny portion of the program is required to use it. … State officials said the first phase of the electronic attendance rollout includes 81 providers, representing less than 10% of childcare providers participating in the program. … The [state] confirmed it now has 436 open investigations into daycares that receive taxpayer support. … The Department of Children, Youth, and Families declined to provide the number of providers currently under investigation by its Office of Inspector General.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/44hjw1x
ROCHESTER: Via KTTC-TV, VERBATIM: “Rochester’s public transit system will soon be operated by a new company. The Rochester City Council voted Monday night to adopt a resolution awarding a contract to Via Transit Twin Cities to operate Rochester Public Transit. City staff said five companies submitted proposals, and after a review process that included input from multiple city departments and a representative from Mayo Clinic, Via Transit was selected for negotiations.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4ePHTJN
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)
DEVELOPING STORIES
PAID LEAVE: Via DEED, VERBATIM: “In the first six months of successful operations, about 75,000 Minnesotans have been approved to receive benefit payments under the state’s new Paid Leave program, according to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). Paid Leave offers payments and job protections to Minnesota workers who need time to bond with a child, care for their own health or safety, or take care of a family member.” NUMBERS: https://fluence-media.co/4wyxl80
SUBPOENAS: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Grand jury subpoenas against top Minnesota political figures and their offices triggered a legal back-and-forth in private until a federal judge invalidated the expansive document demand last month and ordered sealed court records be made public. At the direction of U.S. District Court Judge Patrick Schiltz, most of those court documents have been put out in the open in recent days. They reveal how Justice Department officials based their probe on old training handbooks, public remarks and social media postings to suggest interference with a winter surge of federal immigration enforcement. Attorneys for the Minnesota leaders in turn argued the investigation was an abuse of the grand jury process and an attempt at political intimidation.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QUvvz9DEVELOPING STORIES
PAID LEAVE: Via DEED, VERBATIM: “In the first six months of successful operations, about 75,000 Minnesotans have been approved to receive benefit payments under the state’s new Paid Leave program, according to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). Paid Leave offers payments and job protections to Minnesota workers who need time to bond with a child, care for their own health or safety, or take care of a family member.” NUMBERS: https://fluence-media.co/4wyxl80
SUBPOENAS: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Grand jury subpoenas against top Minnesota political figures and their offices triggered a legal back-and-forth in private until a federal judge invalidated the expansive document demand last month and ordered sealed court records be made public. At the direction of U.S. District Court Judge Patrick Schiltz, most of those court documents have been put out in the open in recent days. They reveal how Justice Department officials based their probe on old training handbooks, public remarks and social media postings to suggest interference with a winter surge of federal immigration enforcement. Attorneys for the Minnesota leaders in turn argued the investigation was an abuse of the grand jury process and an attempt at political intimidation.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QUvvz9
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)
THE CITIES
RETAIL: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “It’s been nearly 10 years since a large-scale shopping center opened in the Twin Cities, and despite a growing appetite for more space, there are no imminent plans for another. Why it matters: Retailers and restaurants looking to open shop are feeling the pinch. A recent JLL report says Twin Cities retail rents last quarter grew by 6.7% year-over-year, the largest hike in the nation.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4prdkhr
DOWNTOWN MPLS: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “For years, the Minneapolis Vintage Market has made a name for itself with one-day pop-ups that draw crowds eager to sift through racks of one-of-a-kind finds. Now, for the first time, shoppers can browse those treasures six days a week. The new Minneapolis Vintage Emporium opened June 15 inside IDS Center and will remain open through September 4, transforming a downtown storefront into a rotating showcase of vintage clothing, accessories, jewelry, and home goods from some of the Twin Cities’ best-known vintage dealers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vhS8LQ
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
BANK: Via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “First Independence Bank opened a new branch in St. Paul last month, marking the latest expansion by the Black-owned financial institution that seeks to reduce racial wealth disparities and increase access to banking services for underserved communities. The new branch is located on University Avenue, within the Neighborhood Development Center, a nonprofit that supports small businesses and entrepreneurs. It will primarily serve the University-Frogtown and Rondo neighborhoods. The bank’s leaders said the location was intentionally chosen to provide entrepreneurs and families in underserved communities with greater access to loans, financial education and homeownership opportunities.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4veCyAE
FRENCH: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “So French! Marc and Gaosong Heu, the couple behind Marc Heu Patisserie Paris, are opening a third location later this summer, this time at the Alliance Française on Colfax Avenue. (Yay for Minneapolis’s Harrison neighborhood, which is really blooming with Animales Barbeque Co., La Doña Cerveceria, and now a new Marc Heu spot all in walking distance from one another.)” READ: https://fluence-media.co/44cigwK
MOA: Via Giordano’s, VERBATIM: “Giordano’s, the legendary Chicago-based pizzeria known for its iconic stuffed deep-dish pizza, announced today that it will officially open its second Minnesota location at Mall of America on July 16.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bsesLC
NEW CTO: Via Minneapolis-based DQ, VERBATIM: “International Dairy Queen, Inc. (IDQ) today announced Phil Crawford joined the company as executive vice president and chief technology officer, reporting to the president and CEO. He leads IT and retail technology for the company and its more than 7,800 DQ restaurants worldwide.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vVnTeU
WHAT’S NEXT?
TODAY: Via SEIU MN, VERBATIM: “Tuesday, July 7th, at 5:15 p.m., union healthcare workers, faith leaders, and community members will speak out about their shared demands for a Community Benefits Agreement (CBA) ahead of a forum organized regarding the proposed acquisition of North Memorial by Sanford Health. Speakers will share details of the proposed CBA, which is also being demanded of the leaders of Sutter Health, who are trying to acquire Allina Health. Speakers will speak about the agreements they want to see before any acquisition, including demands that include protections for workers and patients and continued healthcare access for Minnesota communities.”
TOMORROW: Via news release from the Secretary of State, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon will visit an elections office in Washington County to watch local elections officials conduct a public accuracy test of voting equipment ahead of the August 11 Primary Election.”
TOMORROW: Via Minnesota Senate, VERBATIM: “Senator Steve Cwodzinski (DFL-Eden Prairie) will participate in a public reading of the Declaration of Independence, commemorating the 250th anniversary of the document’s first public reading on July 8, 1776.”
THIS WEEK: Via news release from Rep. Omar, VERBATIM: “On Wednesday, Rep. Omar will host a training, Election Protection 101: Defending Our Democracy in Minnesota’s Fifth District . . . On Thursday, Congresswoman Omar will join the grand opening of Project for Pride in Living’s grand opening for Opportunity Crossing, a new six-story, 110-unit affordable housing development in Minneapolis . . . Later that evening, Rep. Omar will host her in-person July Town Hall meeting in Columbia Heights.”
THIS MONTH: Via Medina-based Polaris, VERBATIM: “Polaris Inc. (NYSE: PII) announced today that it will release its second quarter 2026 financial results on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, and will hold a conference call and webcast at 8:00 AM central time on the same day to discuss the results.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3SQN5EG
THIS MONTH: Via Eden Prairie-based C.H. Robinson, VERBATIM: “C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. (Nasdaq: CHRW), announced today that it will issue its second quarter 2026 results after the market closes on Wednesday, July 29, 2026.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4pa8rcg
THIS MONTH: Via Chanhassen-based Life Time, VERBATIM: “Life Time Group Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: LTH) today announced details for its second quarter 2026 earnings conference call. The Company will release its financial results before market open on Thursday, July 30, 2026, and host a conference call at 10:00 a.m. ET that day to discuss the results and provide a business update.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vjp5rr
NEXT MONTH: Via Water Over Nickel, VERBATIM: “Hosted by Water Over Nickel, RIPPLE is a free community event celebrating Indigenous culture and our shared responsibility to protect the waters that sustain us all. Inspired by water in motion, it weaves together art, fashion, and storytelling rooted in stewardship and connection.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bdBRAp
SEPTEMBER: Via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “St. Cloud State University will welcome actor Sean Astin to campus this fall. The film and television star, best known for ‘The Goonies’, ‘The Lord of the Rings’ triology and ‘Rudy’, is set to speak Thursday, Sept. 24 as the inaugural guest in the Bennett D. Melin Family University Speaker Series.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3SN1p0Z
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
WINONA: The Minnesota Beethoven Festival continues. SCHEDULE: https://fluence-media.co/4vQVtm8
BDAYS: Sen. Aric Putnam, attorney Nate Mussell, dean of MN politics Wy Spano
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