An AP/NORC poll of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) adults asked about top priorities for the coming year. Respondents said inflation, cost of living, immigration, and health care. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4pYiUpY
Some businesses are closed today. Others stayed open. To those who will judge, a plea from MplsStPaul’s Justine Jones, QUOTE: “Let’s make a pact to be kind to all of them. Things are incredibly difficult for local independent businesses right now, and it simply is not the time for us to be tearing each other down.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Zrzfsi
Cold is the reason many schools are either closed or online today. MPR has a list. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4qAFNki
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer shared thoughts on ICE, midterm elections and the state of Congress with Sunday Take. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4sLFN2v
In a must listen, Legislative Auditor Judy Randall joined Sunday Take to discuss fraud in state programs. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3YTziND
Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription
The latest insight from Fluence Advisory on the loss of institutional knowledge from the Minnesota Legislature. READ: https://fluence-advisory.com/insights/
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FRACTURES & FOCUS GROUPS
SWING STATE VOTERS: Via NPR, VERBATIM: “On Tuesday, NPR observed online focus groups with 14 voters from Pennsylvania who supported Joe Biden in 2020 and then swung to Trump in 2024. Seven of those voters identified themselves as Republicans, six identified as independents, and one identified as a Democrat . . . eight voters said ICE is generally ‘getting things about right,’ while six said it has ‘gone too far.’ No one thought it has ‘not gone far enough.’ Rich Thau, president of Engagious and the moderator of the focus groups, said he observed ‘a lot of frustration with ICE and how ICE has been performing around the United States’ with these Pennsylvania voters.”
MORE: On the shooting of Renee Macklin Good in Minneapolis, VERBATIM: “There were mixed opinions on who was more to blame for the incident, though. When asked, four voters blamed Macklin Good, five blamed the ICE agent, and another four said both were equally to blame.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qMfrvV
10,000: Via Star Tribune, on repeated assertions by Trump administration officials that they’ve arrested “over 10,000 criminal illegal aliens.” VERBATIM: “It’s nearly impossible to independently verify any of ICE’s numbers. The agency has refused to release information or provide names of all those detained, and immigration court has become increasingly opaque, with hearings held in secret. But if ICE has arrested 10,000 people in the past year, a majority of the arrests would have had to occur before Dec. 1, when it began sending officers into the state. The 10,000 figure is a substantial increase from what officials have said previously.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4pQUrmn
BOVINO: At a Thursday news conference, KSTP-TV’s Eric Chaloux asked Border Patrol Commander Eric Bovino how long ICE’s Minnesota Surge would last. BOVINO: “As we continue to apprehend dozens, if not hundreds, of these criminal illegal aliens a day, we’re going to continue conducting that mission,” Bovino responded. “We’re not going to put a date or a timeline to stop this mission.” Chaloux asked again if there’s a set number of people that immigration agents would like to arrest. “There is a number — and it’s called all of them.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4r8JzkO
PROTESTERS: Via MS Now, VERBATIM: “Federal judges in Minnesota have several times in recent weeks rejected arrest warrants for people protesting a surge of immigration officers in that state, finding that federal agents do not have sufficient evidence that protesters assaulted officers or committed other crimes, according to two people briefed on the discussions. In these sealed court proceedings, magistrate judges in the federal court in Minnesota have been deluged with requests from federal prosecutors to arrest and criminally charge protesters.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bbcfVN
PENTAGON: via CBS News, VERBATIM: “The Pentagon is asking military attorneys to travel to Minnesota on assignment to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, CBS News has learned, after the Justice Department called for more resources. … The Justice Department is also in talks with the Pentagon to send some of its forensic auditors to Minnesota to assist with fraud investigations and potentially to testify in court. … The short-term volunteer assignment [will] begin in March.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YYnJEK
CLERGY: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Over 650 clergy and faith leaders from across the United States have arrived in the Twin Cities, answering what they call an urgent call to stand in solidarity against a ‘lawless’ surge in federal immigration enforcement.” READ/LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4r1zx4U
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)
FEDERAL MONEY
ORDER: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “President Donald Trump’s budget office this week ordered most government agencies to compile data on the federal money that is sent to 14 mostly Democratic-controlled states and the District of Columbia in what it describes as a tool to ‘reduce the improper and fraudulent use of those funds’ . . . The memo, obtained by The Associated Press, directs federal agencies to submit information by Jan. 28 to the president’s budget office. It asks for a swath of information about money flowing to California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and the District of Columbia. All but Minnesota are controlled by Democratic legislatures and all but Vermont have Democratic governors.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3LKHeh6
HOUSING $: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Two Minnesota cities have delayed spending federal housing funds because they’re unsure they can meet new grant requirements from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). These new rules include validating participants’ immigration status, housing transgender people according to their assigned gender at birth and a ban on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Cities and the nonprofits they fund say they are shifting resources this year to maintain normal operations as staff at the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development have refused to answer questions to aid with compliance.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YZsQ7E
CITIES/COUNTIES: Via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “This year, Minnesota taxpayers have some bigger buckets to fill. Preliminary property tax levies for cities and counties rose by an average of more than 8% across the state. No single factor is causing these upticks, but city and county groups have pointed to cost shifts as a key contributor. The premise is that local governments had to increase levies to account for added costs heaped on them by state or federal policies. That cost shifts are happening isn’t in dispute. Where it gets complicated is figuring out which level of government is most responsible for it in cities or counties.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qAJnee
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)
ICE ARRESTS
ST PAUL: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “Sometimes, the ‘worst of the worst’ — the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s catchphrase for undocumented immigrants with violent criminal records — are exactly where one would expect: prison. That was the case for Lue Moua, a 52-year-old Laotian man who DHS officials say they were looking for when they instead arrested an elderly U.S. citizen last weekend.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4jVGlyE
2-YEAR-OLD: Via KARE-TV, VERBATIM: “Minneapolis City Councilmember Jason Chavez is raising funds after a 2-year-old and her father were reportedly detained by ICE.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4k05uIL
NEW MEXICO: Via Source New Mexico, VERBATIM: “Dozens of immigrants currently housed at a New Mexico detention facility arrived there recently from the Minneapolis area, the site of a massive federal immigration operation and intensifying protests. Three detainees at the Torrance County Detention Facility in Estancia told Source New Mexico in phone interviews Wednesday evening that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested them separately in Minnesota on or around Jan. 5 before quickly flying them to a detention facility in El Paso, which was rapidly filling with new arrestees as they stayed there for several days. On Jan. 11, officers woke them up around 4 a.m. and bussed about 40 of them to Estancia, a journey that required detainees to be awake for 24 hours, detainee Jorge Cordoba told Source. Everyone on the bus to Estancia was arrested in Minneapolis or nearby, he said.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tdVRun
TODAY
CLOSED: Via Twin Cities Business, a look at what went into businesses’ decision on whether to close today in response to ICE actions. VERBATIM: “January is already a tough month for the retail industry because of the frigid weather in Minnesota. There’s also the notion people are recovering from the expenditures of the holiday season. And over the past few weeks, store owners tell Twin Cities Business they’ve lost revenue compared to this time last year. Why? They say many consumers fear going out and getting detained by a federal agent. One restaurant owner tells TCB there are many places being ‘forced to close’ because their employees ‘don’t feel safe to come into work.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/45ZHek5
MORE: Via Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, a look at how Black-owned businesses are responding to the call to close today. READ: https://fluence-media.co/467xjZK
ONE BUSINESS: MplsStPaul has an example of how quickly things can get out of hand – it all started with an incident where customers of a butcher/deli were misidentified as ICE and were confronted as they left. VERBATIM: “The story got picked up by Fox News (and the Daily Mail and New York Post), circulated on social media, and death threats and firebombing threats targeting her home and business pelted in—first like hail, then like an avalanche. Pro-ICE folk internationally are review bombing and threatening Clancey’s because they falsely believe that Tombers confirmed the identities of the customers as ICE, bringing on the observers’ heckling, though she never actually did. But a lie travels faster than the truth. Now Tombers is hiring security, locking the doors, and has stopped answering the phone.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bb77B1
WILD ABOUT READING: Join more than 800 Minnesota classrooms and 30,000 students 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, Paulie; 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 Pine Bend refinery)
ISSUES AND ELECTIONS
THE FED: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “The prospect that the Fed will lose its independence to the White House led three state treasurers and one auditor to hold a press conference Thursday urging Trump to back off. Minnesota state auditor Julie Blaha, joined by state treasurers from blue states Colorado, Washington, and Massachusetts, warned that if political interference takes hold, the risk is inflation could rise quickly.” BLAHA: “Undermining the Fed’s independence will raise costs for families and states,” said Blaha. “It means higher mortgage rates, higher interest for credit cards and car loans, and increased borrowing costs for states funding roads, schools, and infrastructure. This is unnecessary manufactured chaos, and Americans are left paying the price.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3NBg9gX
BIG BUSINESS: The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal asked political science professor David Schultz and crisis management consultant Jon Austin for their takes on how Minnesota’s largest companies are responding to the ICE surge. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4a8bUlE
KLOBUCHAR: In a statement, GOP Chair Alex Plechash called for Sen. Amy Klobuchar to resign from her Senate seat if she runs for governor. PLECHASH: “Minnesota is in crisis — and this is not a moment for politicians who hedge, waffle, or keep one foot out the door. If Amy Klobuchar wants to be governor, she should prove it by giving up her U.S. Senate seat and committing fully to the job. … If Klobuchar can’t even choose which job she wants, Minnesotans can be confident she won’t have the backbone to fix the problems Democrats created.”
POLLING PLACE: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “The Bemidji Ward 1 polling location for elections has been on the Bemidji State University campus for decades, having been in the American Indian Resource Center since 2012 and in other campus buildings before that. But at their Dec. 15 meeting, the Bemidji City Council approved to move the polling off of BSU’s campus to the Northwest Indian Community Development Center. Some university representatives feel as if they were not a major part in the planning process and did not did out about the move until after it was approved.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4jVKp1S
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)
COMMERCE
TARGET: Via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “Target has announced the addition of two seats to its board of directors, less than two weeks from COO Michael Fiddelke taking the reins. The timing isn’t a coincidence, as the company frames it; the new members’ backgrounds complement what incoming CEO Fiddelke has defined as his strategy for reestablishing the beleaguered retail giant: a renewed focus on style and design.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4jVCFNm
POT: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “Several Bemidji residents have voiced their concerns over the last few weeks with the location of what could be the first cannabis dispensary within Bemidji city limits. Due to some confusion about the language used in Minnesota cannabis buffer zone regulations, the Bemidji Planning Commission tabled their hearing in December with First City Cannabis to approve them for an interim use permit. Because the proposed location on Washington Avenue S is very close to a daycare, Kandiland Learning Center, as well as the Gym Bin, a youth gymnasium facility, the commission tabled their decision until Thursday’s meeting to clarify where building measurements should begin.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4sWKA1c
DULUTH: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “Hoops Brewing will close its doors permanently on February 23, owner Dave Hoops announced on Facebook. Hoops said the brewery has operated for more than 10 years and served as more than just a place for beer.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4pRfEgd
BASKETBALL: The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reports Edina-based Hoop Habits plans a new basketball training facility in Minnetonka. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4641ykf
MOVE: Via St. Louis Park-based Lifespark, VERBATIM: “Travis Palmquist, a senior care executive with over 35 years’ experience in senior living has joined Lifespark, a complete senior health company, as their Chief Growth Officer.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ba9R1v
APPOINTMENTS: Via Blue Cross, VERBATIM: “Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota (Blue Cross) today announced the appointment of Allysia Jenkins, DNP as Vice President of Health Solutions and Benjamin Pepin as Vice President of Affordability.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/45sO5SX
WHAT’S NEXT?
NEXT MONTH: Via Minneapolis-based Regis, VERBATIM: “Regis Corporation (NasdaqGM:RGS), a leader in the haircare industry, will issue financial results for the second fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2025, before the market opens on February 5, 2026.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/45XtFBG
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
WINTER ARTS: Via Minnesota Monthly, VERBATIM: “Winter in Minnesota is made brighter by a rich lineup of performances, storytelling, and cultural experiences that bring the season to life. From beloved theater productions and world-class dance to immersive history and vibrant community stages, the region’s arts institutions offer something for every kind of audience.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4pVI0pw
BDAYS: Fluence Advisory’s Briggs Tople, Sen. Eric Pratt, Merchology’s Ally Delgado, MN House GOP’s Andrew Wagner, Ag Commissioner Thom Petersen, labor leader Tom Dicklich. SAT: WCCO Radio BDAY twins Vineeta Sawkar and Jason DeRusha, media pro Sonya Goins, lobbyist Sonnie Elliot, matchmaker Erica McKay
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