An unusually-divided Fed is expected to cut interest rates today. How unusual is the division? Today’s vote could see the most Governors dissenting since 1992.
An organization that advocates for civil liberties says the U.S. is showing signs of a “rapid authoritarian shift.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48GyjVm
What does Elon Musk think of DOGE? “Somewhat successful.” Would he do it again? No. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3XMvMUw
The number of passenger vehicles crossing from Canada to the U.S. dropped nearly 20% from January to October. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4oNLb1Q
Our next Fluence Forum, The State of Health Care is scheduled for December 16th. REGISTER: https://fluence-media.co/StateofHealthCare
Today’s WCCO Radio morning take at 6:20 with Vineeta Sawkar. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4iOF2RR
The latest Fluence Brief for MNSider subscribers – a deep dive on the GOP Field for Governor. Subscribing is supporting. HERE: https://fluence-media.co/4pogmSB
This week’s Sunday Take covered civility, immigration, and Republican Ron Schutz’s campaign for attorney general. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4iEm5B2
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Fluence Advisory hosted a cannabis forum on the “State of Cannabis in Minnesota including an interview with Executive Director of the Office of Cannabis Management Eric Taubel.
FIRST: The Metropolitan Airports Commission and Delta Air Lines this morning showed off the results of the MSP Airport Modernization Program. A few pictures from this morning:
(DISCLOSURE: Delta is a client of Fluence Advisory)
SD4: Senator Rob Kupec (DFL-Moorhead) announced this morning he’s running for re-election.
SNOW LOGISTICS
SCHOOLS: Via Bring Me The News, a list of schools closed, delayed, or on remote learning. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/48ygOYs
ROADS: The MnDOT map looks a lot better this morning – at least in the Twin Cities. To the north and west, not so much. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3JXtVZX
MORE: On 94 in Monticello Tuesday afternoon, troopers responded to crashes that spilled PALLETS: https://fluence-media.co/44jlGOE and PASTA: https://fluence-media.co/491WPkZ
HOW MUCH: Via WCCO-TV, snow totals around the state. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4a39JAm
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)
IMMIGRATION
TODAY: Via City of Minneapolis, VERBATIM: “Today, Mayor Jacob Frey will hold a press briefing with Mubashir, a 20-year-old Minneapolis resident and U.S. citizen, to share his recent experience of being wrongfully detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. On Tuesday, Mubashir was taken into custody—despite being an American citizen and showing his identification multiple times—and was held for a while at a federal building in Fort Snelling before being released. The mayor will underscore the City’s commitment to supporting immigrant communities and standing with residents who may have experienced similar unconstitutional or unjust treatment.”
SOMALIS: Via Sahan Journal, VERBATIM: “How did Minnesota become a hub for people fleeing the chaos of the war-torn East African nation? The answer is best explained by the culture of both Somalia and Minnesota, according to Ahmed Ismail Yusuf, a writer and teacher whose 2012 book ‘Somalis in Minnesota’ explains the community’s rise. Minnesota was not the first state Somalis moved to when they began to arrive in the United States in the late 1980s and early ’90s, but it is where many gravitated toward after learning of job opportunities.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4puEWRI
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)
NECESSITIES
CHILD CARE: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “Parents might have an easier time finding a child care spot in Minnesota, but it’s likely to cost more. The big picture: The state’s child care shortage has improved in recent years, according to a new Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank study. But high costs can still be an economic drain on Minnesota, as they could force some parents to stay home with the kids.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4arA0Zt
MORE: Via Minneapolis Fed, from the study:
SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3KDwW1K
GROCERIES: Via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “Residents of a small, rural town in southern Minnesota are bracing for the loss of their local grocery store at the end of the month. The Board of Directors of the community-owned Kiester Market announced Monday that the store will close Dec. 31.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4oKu6pC
MINNESOTA BUSINESS
ROBOTAXIS: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “More automated vehicles are hitting the road in Minnesota as the robotaxi company Waymo continues its testing in Minneapolis. But for now, they still have drivers behind the wheel. That’s partly because it’s a legal gray area. Minnesota law assumes that there’s a driver in the car — someone who can take responsibility for a crash. There aren’t specific regulations for autonomous vehicles. Legislators and industry leaders say that could change soon.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4iN0uGV
STARS: Via Duluth News Tribune, VERBATIM: “Buying a ticket to space may now be possible, but astrotourism doesn’t require making a large cash transfer to Elon Musk. Instead, you can just call John Fredrikson at Gunflint Lodge in Grand Marais . . . Since purchasing the historic lodge in 2016, Fredrikson and his family have increasingly promoted their property as a place to stay if you’re seeking an epic view of the cosmos.” QUOTE: “Astrotourism wasn’t really a (term) at that point,” recalled Fredrikson, though he noted the lodge has long attracted stargazers. “We’ve leaned into it.” QUOTE: “It’s really blown up in the last couple of years,” said Kjersti Vick, marketing and public relations director for Visit Cook County. “People really are interested in getting that experience.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YlBLQm
GOLF: Via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “It was a long journey, but after looking at about 80 swaths of real estate nearly a decade ago, the team behind Five Iron Golf was finally able to persuade a landlord that real golf balls hit in an enclosed space where alcohol was served was a good idea . . . In the last three years, Minneapolis’ North Loop has seen the debut of Five Iron (on Washington near N. 7th St.), Puttery (Washington at Hennepin), and most recently, Puttshack (on N. Third St. near Target Field). Five Iron is a simulator-based driving range, while the competitors are techy indoor mini golf, plus food and alcohol.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3KKumqz
DARTS: Also coming to the North Loop, a British pub featuring something called “social darts.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rMxpiG
SNOW BUSINESS: Via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “After a couple of rough winters, Minnesota businesses that rely on snow are seeing a much-needed uptick in sales. ‘I think there is a little PTSD in correlation with not getting any snow or ice, honestly,’ Tyler Roles said. At Power Lodge in Ramsey, Minnesota, the past few years have been full of stops and starts.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3MypgOL
AIRCRAFT: Via Minnetonka-based Stratasys, VERBATIM: “Powered by Stratasys (NASDAQ: SSYS) technology, Airbus is producing more than 25,000 flight-ready 3D-printed parts annually, transforming how aircraft are built and maintained across its global fleet. Evolving from its first part, a spare crew seat component, Airbus has embraced additive manufacturing, taking it to new heights with more than 200,000 certified Stratasys polymer parts now in active service.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4pyMJ14
ACQUISITION: Via news release from New Brighton-based APi, VERBATIM: “APi Group Corporation (NYSE: APG) today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire CertaSite, an inspection-first provider of comprehensive fire and life safety services in the Midwest region.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3KUk7QC
BUSINESS EXCELLENCE: Flint Hills Resources was just awarded the 2025 Large Business of the Year award from the Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce at their annual Business Excellence Awards celebration. The award celebrates the outstanding achievements of businesses that exemplify the thriving and growing spirit of Dakota County. The businesses honored make an impact and contribute to the continued success of our community. LEARN MORE: About the Pine Bend refinery. (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery)
AROUND MINNESOTA
INFRASTRUCTURE: Via DEED, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Public Facility Authority (MPFA) today announced $91.7 million in loans and grants for wastewater and drinking water infrastructure projects in 26 cities throughout the state. The funding will replace nearly 1,000 lead service lines in 15 cities, among other projects.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48wQxtG
DULUTH: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “The Duluth City Council voted Monday to begin transferring the former Lester Park Golf Course land to the Duluth Economic Development Authority (DEDA) after hours of public comment. The vote opened a path for development on the upper portion of the golf course, which stopped operating in 2020. However, officials say there is still a lengthy process before any development begins.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3YktNHb
ROCHESTER: Via KTTC-TV, VERBATIM: “As we near America’s 250th birthday, patriotic spirit will be on display with American flags flying high. One Rochester man knows a lot about flags. You could say it’s his life’s work. For Lee Herold, a change to the Minnesota state flag, changed the course of his life. Herold reflects, ‘The original flag from 1893, it was changed in 1957. And I thought that they diminished it some. And so, I would talk to people about it, and they would ask me, where do you get flags?’ Since 1992, the answer to that question has been Herold Flags.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4pwwfqg
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. Kari Rehrauer
Rep. Wayne Johnson
Rep. Julie Greene
Rep. Keith Allen
Rep. Peter Johnson
Follow on your favorite podcast platform, or at www.TheDailyAgenda.com/Podcasts. (SPONSORED: Minnesota Telecom Alliance)
AROUND THE CITIES
BRECK: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “After purchasing the Chester Bird American Legion Post in Golden Valley, Breck School is developing plans for a new athletic facility. It’s part of a three-phase, 25-year plan for the school’s future. Along with the new sports facility, Breck is aiming to reconstruct its middle school building.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/452RmYP
SUSHI: Via Eater, VERBATIM: “The Twin Cities prove that great sushi can be found far from the ocean. Options range from tried-and-true takeout to buzzy restaurants serving refined omakase tastings. All options on this list take pride in their pristine cuts of fish, thoughtful rolls, and expansive menus, each with its own personality.” LIST/MAP: https://fluence-media.co/4iLGq7E
CHALK: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “The future of a popular summer arts event that brings thousands of people to Maple Grove every year could be in jeopardy. The group behind Chalkfest Maple Grove announced that it’s ceasing operations. The Maple Grove Business Association has organized Chalkfest Maple Grove since 2016 (initially as the Arbor Lakes Business Association).” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4pwHG1d
WHAT’S NEXT?
THIS WEEK: The Stage North Theatre Company in Brainerd presents “A Nutcracker Christmas” tonight through Sunday. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4iPBX3H
SATURDAY: Via Mesabi Tribune, VERBATIM: “The public is invited ‘to a holiday tradition unlike any other, Merry TubaChristmas,’ Tom Baldrica, brass instrument musician, said in an email. The concert is at 1 p.m. Saturday, December 13, at the Rock Ridge High School Performing Arts Center.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48w2ekj
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
BASILICA: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “Festive light displays are beginning to pop up around the Twin Cities as community members settle in for one of the most magical times of the year, and just in time for the holiday season, the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis is hosting its own visually stunning show rooted in the historic church’s origins and architectural beauty.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48MRxsz
MORE LIGHTS: Via Minnesota Monthly, a guide to holiday light displays around Minnesota. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4pZ4TJ1
BDAYS: WCCO TV’s Jennifer Mayerle, lobbyist Melissa Reed, Justice Paul Thissen, writer Doug Grow, former Capitol reporter Dennis Lien, Strib retiree Paul Levy
Send us your tips at BloisOlson@gmail.com
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