What is it about veteran quarterbacks and the Vikings’ playoff chances? Axios sorts through the history. READ: https://fluence-media.co/46o17kd
Leaves are turning – in some places, they’re already near peak color. WHERE: https://fluence-media.co/423SOJ3
Sarah McLachlan will play The Armory in November. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/42B4pzx
Sunday Take featured DFL Sen. Judy Seeberger and GOP Rep. Danny Nadeau discussing how they want to move forward with a special session as purple district legislators. LISTEN: http://fluence-media.co/4gxlhNy
Blois
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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.
HC ATTY: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “Law enforcement heads are speaking out Friday on a new policy from Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty to not prosecute felonies that arise from low-level traffic stops. The new policy is designed to disincentivize police from pulling drivers over for minor infractions such as broken tail lights, expired tabs or having an item dangling from the rearview mirror as a pretext for searching their cars. In support of the new policy, Moriarty cited policies that show pretextual stops rarely produce contraband and disproportionately affect people of color.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/420iTsw
KIRK: Via Bloomberg, VERBATIM: “The House formally voted to honor conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s life and condemn his assassination Friday, with 95 Democrats joining all Republicans to support the measure. The resolution (H.Res.719), sponsored by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), also commends law enforcement for its response to last week’s shooting in Utah, extends condolences to Kirk’s family, and calls upon all Americans to reject political violence. Thirty-eight Democrats voted present, and 58 opposed the resolution.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41Yt1Ce
MORE: From Rep. Angie Craig (D-CD2) who voted in favor of the resolution, QUOTE: “I have always condemned political violence in the strongest possible terms – just as I did last week, following the killing of Charlie Kirk. And in June, after the murders of my friends Melissa and Mark Hortman. Political violence is a grave threat to our democracy. As Members of Congress, we have a responsibility to lead our country through this incredibly difficult time and that means working to unite, not further divide us. While I strongly disagree with Charlie Kirk’s views and wholeheartedly reject his hateful and divisive rhetoric – including toward people of color, immigrants and LGBTQ+ families like my own – free speech is a fundamental right in our nation.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4pv85wF
MORE: The Republican Study Committee compiled lists of those who voted “nay” or “present.” It has Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-CD5) voting “nay.” Via X, SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4mlrDAV
FED: Via Reuters, VERBATIM: “Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis President Neel Kashkari on Friday said job market risks warranted this week's rate cut and likely reductions at the central bank's next two meetings, and downplayed any worry that the Fed was losing trust with the public given inflation that is still above target and the ongoing political pressure from the Trump administration. In a new essay overnight Kashkari laid out his case for accelerated rate cuts, while in later comments to CNBC he rejected the suggestion that Fed debates were inevitably becoming more political given the arrival on the board of new Governor Stephen Miran, on leave as the chair of President Donald Trump's Council of Economic Advisers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3IxLleL
MORE: Via Investing, VERBATIM: “Kashkari pointed to four consecutive weak payroll employment reports, noting that while reduced immigration explains part of this trend, Minneapolis Fed economists estimate it accounts for only one-third to one-half of the decline in job creation. He identified weak labor demand as another likely factor.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46cR02T
MORE: Kashkari on CNBC this morning. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/46uSOmK
USPS: Via Marshall Independent, VERBATIM: “After dealing without a local post office for the past three years, Cottonwood City Administrator Teather Bliss said the wait to build a new one has been a burden for residents. ‘It’s been frustrating for the community,’ Bliss said. If residents don’t have their mail delivered to their homes or a mailbox in Cottonwood, they have to go to the Hanley Falls post office, about 7 miles away. Now, the matter has gone to the top of the U.S. Postal Service. Earlier this month, U.S. Rep. Michelle Fischbach, R-MN, sent a letter to the U.S. Postmaster General, formally asking for answers about construction delays.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42DOuAm
COOKING OIL: Via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “Video surveillance caught the liquid larceny: A man pulled a box truck behind a Maplewood strip mall in the wee hours in late October, got out, grabbed a hose and jammed it into a bin of used cooking oil outside Great Moon Buffet. He siphoned nearly $800 worth of grease from the restaurant, pumping it into a storage container in the back of the truck and slipping away into the darkness, according to felony charges against the alleged culprit, who’s also accused of hitting up two other restaurants.” QUOTE: “I had never heard of anything like this before,” said Derek Fritze, a 10-year Maplewood police detective who investigated the case. “Apparently, it’s a big thing.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4nyqaYQ
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)
MINNEAPOLIS: Department of Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson was on WCCO-Radio this morning, talking about how State Troopers are helping in the City of Minneapolis and where they’ll be focusing their efforts. JACOBSON: “We’re really trying to focus on that south Minneapolis area, Lake Street, 35W, where we’ve seen some just very traumatic difficult situations that have developed. And I think the community, the city of Minneapolis, the request that came in through the mayor asking for additional assistance, the decision was made to really focus our resources in that area.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3KufADP
HOUSING: Via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “A federal housing program for families exiting homelessness awarded $5.2 million to a nonprofit Twin Cities housing developer for two projects, but the money never came through. Instead, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development rewrote the program guidelines, re-issued the funding application, and gave applicants just one week to re-apply. Advocates sued, arguing that the new guidelines disqualify all projects in jurisdictions with policies — on immigration, homelessness, harm reduction and transgender acceptance — that do not align with Trump administration policy.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4prHRLz
CROW WING: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “FEMA recently teamed up with Crow Wing County officials to put on a tabletop exercise, where they went over plans and procedures in case of a disaster. Officials at the local, state, and federal levels met at the Crow Wing County Land Services building on Thursday morning to participate in the emergency management exercise.” QUOTE: “We’ve been working with the FEMA’s National Exercise Division, and we initially applied for a grant to get them to assist and exercise support,” explained Clayton Barg, Crow Wing County Emergency Management Director. “So we’re doing a tabletop exercise for a derecho, or severe wind storm event, that they’ve been helping us with over the course of the past 12 months.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3K8ykJ3
PORCHES: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Last spring in Venice, Italy, the sounds of banjo music filled an American porch. People from all walks of life were sitting on porch steps, lounging in swinging chairs and swaying to the music. Ross Altheimer and Maura Rockcastle of Minneapolis were there . . . Altheimer and Rockcastle run TEN X TEN, a Minneapolis design and landscape architecture studio. In 2024, they joined a national team of architects, designers and consultants to create the U.S. Pavilion at the Biennale.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gGC8xl
NORTH LOOP: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “One of the final large industrial sites in downtown Minneapolis will soon hit the market as the Minnesota Star Tribune readies to sell the sprawling plant where it has printed its newspaper for four decades. Developers are salivating for the 13 acres of land — nestled among trendy boutiques and high-end housing on leafy parkways along the Mississippi River — with visions ranging from a data center to a new NBA arena.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3VUkgp8
40 YEARS OF PARTNERSHIP: Flint Hills Resources and Ducks Unlimited (DU) are celebrating 40 years of partnership, a longevity landmark that makes Flint Hills one of DU's longest-standing corporate partners. Working together over the past four decades, Flint Hills and DU have contributed to conserving more than 250,000 acres of wildlife habitat and natural areas in Minnesota and over 900,000 acres across North America. LEARN MORE: Flint Hills Resources and Ducks Unlimited Celebrate 40 Years of Partnership (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery)
WATER PARK: Via Finance & Commerce, VERBATIM: “The Bloomington City Council and Bloomington Port Authority reviewed the public financing plan for the proposed water park at the Mall of America at their joint Tuesday meeting. The meeting, which focused solely on the water park’s financing, took place in preparation of a meeting scheduled for the end of the month where both bodies will vote on a redevelopment agreement and an amended tax increment financing spending plan, according to city documents.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mojuvg
TICKS: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “The Marshfield Clinic Research Institute in Wisconsin, now a part of Sanford Health, is branching out to Minnesota for assistance with its tick research and citizen scientist study. The institute has collected more than 10,000 specimens since its project started last year to figure out where the ticks come from, how many there are, and what pathogens they carry. There are now collection kits around Wisconsin and Minnesota to let people send in ticks that they find to the research study.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3VsQrMe
2026: Via news release from Minneapolis-based Ingredient, VERBATIM: “Ingredient, a leading food, beverage and grocery marketing agency, shared its predictions for the top trends that will define food and beverage marketing in 2026. Based on decades of experience with iconic brands and annoying work with CPG companies and grocery retailers, plus the insights of its culinary and creative teams, Ingredient outlines the shifts it believes will shape the industry in the year ahead.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gFoIlm
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)
EXHIBIT: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “A gigantic quilt in a kaleidoscope of colors greets visitors at the entrance to ‘Queering Indigeneity,’ a new exhibition at the Minnesota Museum of American Art in St. Paul. Curator and artist Penny Kagigebi and supporting curator Ben Gessner both say they thought for a long time about what people should see as they entered the exhibition. They chose a birch bark basket made by Kagigebi to sit next to the quilt. Made with textiles, porcupine quills and seed beads, the basket retells a story told to the Ojibwe artist about the importance of two-spirit people.” READ/PHOTOS: https://fluence-media.co/46cMdyr
80 YEARS: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “In the Twin Ports, many gathered to celebrate eight decades of education. Lake Superior College (LSC) hosted its 80th open house program on Thursday. Attendees of the free event were transported back to 1945, a time when select vocational classes were offered in local high schools.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4neUDeT
NEXTERN: Via news release from Maple Grove-based Nextern, VERBATIM: “Nextern today announced the appointment of John Hastings as Chief Executive Officer, effective September 29, 2025. Hastings most recently served as CEO and Board Member at Nonin Medical, a global leader in non-invasive patient monitoring.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mokQWS
TOMORROW: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “For over four decades, Scandinavian culture has been celebrated in the Northland. ‘When you walk in the door, you’ll smell lefse cooking,’ said Gwen Thorson, a chairperson of the Scandinavian Festival. ‘You’ll be able to see a variety of folk art.’ The festival takes place Saturday, September 20 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Aspirus St. Luke’s Sports and Event Center.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/47M9j07
NEXT WEEKEND: Jevetta and Jearlyn Steele will perform September 27th at St. Philip’s Lutheran Church in Fridley. Via WCCO-Radio, LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3Il8GjS
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
JUICY LUCY: Via Eater, ten “essential” spots to find the iconic burger. LIST/MAP: https://fluence-media.co/46jHGJe
DIRTY SODA: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “The trend was popularized by the St. George, Utah–based brand Swig—dirty sodas have many fans among the Mormon community, which of course abstains from alcohol, coffee, and tea but can get down with a dirty Dr Pepper mixed with coconut cream and lime. Around here, local chain Sota has been leading the dirty soda charge.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mleYxB
BDAYS: communication pro Libbie Chapuran, Republican advisor Leslie Rosedahl. SAT: Attorney Cliff Greene. SUN: BBY’s Jeff Newhouse, attorney Stacey Edgell, sports leader Nadine Babu
Send us your tips at BloisOlson@gmail.com
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