lunch take | Push to Reopen MN Coast Guard Station + 80-Year-Old BBQ Business for Sale
9.12.25
A 22-year-old from Utah has been arrested in connection with the shooting of Charlie Kirk – family members turned him in. UPDATES: https://fluence-media.co/46yhkod
A teacher, and a police officer. A DFLer and a Republican. On Sunday Take, a discussion with GOP Rep. Jeff Witte and DFL Sen. Steve Cwodzinski on how the state should move forward after the Annunciation Church mass shooting. LISTEN: http://fluence-media.co/3V1bEg9
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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.
NORTH SHORE: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “Three years ago this month, the Grand Marais Auxiliary U.S. Coast Guard station closed for good. It had been used for a century as a launching point for Lake Superior rescues. The Coast Guard decided there wasn’t enough staffing or need. In the years since its closure, lawmakers have called for its reopening in the wake of several drownings and water emergencies.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4n0oYh5
NEXT WEEK: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Control of the Minnesota House of Representatives will once again be at stake Tuesday in a special election to replace Melissa Hortman, the former Democratic state House speaker who was slain along with her husband at their home in June . . . Republicans now hold a 67-66 seat edge in the state House. If Democrats hold Hortman’s seat in the heavily Democratic district, the chamber will once again be tied at 67-67.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4glzCwr
SOS: Via news release from the Jude campaign, VERBATIM: “Tad Jude, a former district court judge and Republican leader with decades of experience in Minnesota government, today announced his candidacy for Minnesota Secretary of State in the 2026 election. He said his campaign will prioritize voter integrity, transparency, and public confidence in election administration.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41T3TN8
U OF M: Via Senate DFL Caucus, VERBATIM: “The Duluth delegation to the Minnesota State Legislature, Senator Jen McEwen, Representative Liish Kozlowski and Representative Pete Johnson, released the following statement.” QUOTE: “The members of Teamsters Local 320 are the workers that keep the University of Minnesota running. From the maintenance and custodial staff who keep classrooms, labs and student housing whole; to the food service workers who feed thousands of people every day, our Universities could not exist without these workers. In a strong union state like Minnesota, University employees should not have to strike to secure the fair wages and contract they deserve. We stand in wholehearted solidarity with our neighbors, friends and family in Teamsters Local 320 as they remind the administration that without their labor, there is no University of Minnesota. We urge the University of Minnesota administration to meet these workers at the bargaining table with dignity and respect.”
DATA BREACH: Via Cook County, VERBATIM: “Cook County Public Health and Human Services has experienced a data breach that may have exposed private information of individuals who received county services. If you are impacted, you will receive a letter in the mail from Cook County.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Ijtg40
ROCHESTER: Via KTTC-TV, VERBATIM: “Rochester Public Utilities is issuing a Boil Water Advisory for some households in southwest Rochester . . . The Boil Water Advisory follows a brief loss of pressure in RPU’s water system. That was the result of a power outage caused by a tree that fell on a power line.” READ/MAP: https://fluence-media.co/3VaVHnF
TRADE: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “Brooklyn Park Mayor Hollies Winston recently returned from a two-week trip to West Africa, a long sojurn that aimed to build connections with sister cities and bring eventual trade opportunities. Winston and his wife, Latrice, first made the lengthy flight to Nigeria, where they visited Udu, an area in Delta State known for oil production. The couple then made their way to Liberia, where they visited Brooklyn Park’s sister city of Kakata, a coastal city of about 34,000 people . . . The couple paid for most of the trip out of their own pocket. The Brooklyn Park City Council did approve paying for about $1,600 in costs for the mayor to visit Udu through the city’s annual sister city budget.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3JXPh92
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)
TODAY: Via Indigenous Protector Movement, VERBATIM: “Activists are holding an emergency press conference on Friday, September 12th at 1pm at the Minneapolis Federal Courthouse Plaza (300 S 4th St.) to demand that the U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson immediately drop the charges against Isavela López, a local poet, water protector, and community organizer. López is facing up to eight years in prison after federal agents brutalized her during a protest against an ICE raid in Minneapolis this June. López’s allies denounce these trumped-up charges as blatant political repression from the Trump administration.”
SCHOOLS: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Districts across the state rely on a mix of federal, state and local money to fund school personnel salaries, technology purchases, building upkeep and renovations and other education programming costs. More schools, however, are leaning on local tax dollars to fund larger portions of their budgets. Referendums are becoming more and more common as districts look to local residents to pay for schools, said Kirk Schneidawind, executive director of the Minnesota School Boards Association, which tracks the number of districts that put referendum questions on November ballots each year.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4piNfAj
ELECTRICITY: Via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “The Trump administration’s targeting of clean energy is complicating the path to 100% clean electricity in northern Minnesota. As of now, Minnesota electric utilities are on track to comply with a 2023 state law requiring them to sell only carbon-free power to customers by 2040. But the road ahead looks more challenging — and more expensive — thanks to Republicans’ rollback of several Biden-era efforts to accelerate the transition from polluting power plants.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ppRpqs
JOBS: Via news release from Inkit, VERBATIM: “Inkit celebrated the grand opening of their new office in Saint Paul, Minnesota on Friday, September 5th. The event brought together influential leaders in government, business, and academia, underscoring the importance of Minnesota’s growing role in innovation and federal technology modernization. With this expansion, Inkit expects to add a significant number of high-paying technology jobs in Saint Paul, strengthening Minnesota’s workforce and positioning the region at the forefront of government technology innovation.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4nqETVw
HABITAT: The Pine Bend Bluffs along the Mississippi River in Dakota County is a key migration corridor for millions of songbirds and 40% of North America’s waterfowl and shorebirds. This area also provides habitat to the rare, rusty patched bumble bee that was discovered in the Pine Bend Bluffs in 2019 and 2020. Collaboration among Friends of the Mississippi River, Great River Greening and Flint Hills Resources volunteers help to restore this natural area to pre-settlement conditions. The Pine Bend Bluffs has earned Wildlife Habitat Council Conservation Certification since 2001. The site recently earned gold certification, making the Pine Bend Bluffs currently the only gold certified site in Minnesota and the first ever in the metro area. WATCH: Flint Hills Resources: Certified Gold by the Wildlife Habitat Council (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery)
TODAY: MPR will air an interview recorded Wednesday at the Fitzgerald Theater. VERBATIM: “Activist and novelist Stacey Abrams joined Kerri Miller on the stage and began the evening with a moment of silence to mark the assassination of Charlie Kirk, who had been shot and killed only hours earlier. Abrams, herself a national political figure, said dark moments such as these need to be met with determined unity — to stand for and with one another.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48fE6Cx
SCHOOL SHOOTINGS: Via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “Nicole Hockley’s 6-year-old son Dylan was one of 20 first graders killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting that horrified the nation and ushered in the grim realization that America’s children might not be safe in their classrooms . . . Hockley, who provides support for the families of shooting victims, has already spoken with a parent of one of the victims of the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting in Minneapolis and her team at Sandy Hook Promise is in contact with state legislators who will consider new gun and school safety measures at a special session called by Gov. Tim Walz, who has said he wants an assault weapons ban.” Q&A: https://fluence-media.co/3KkQFT6
40 YEARS: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “Forty years ago, former Gov. Rudy Perpich and his wife, Lola Perpich, launched the Minnesota Center for Arts Education. Today, now named for the couple, the Golden Valley arts education fixture continues to thrive. The centerpiece of Perpich is its arts high school, which currently enrolls 135 students, 93 of whom live on campus. The tuition-free public school takes in 11th and 12th graders who have shown interest in the arts and seek to develop their skills within those disciplines.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/46erRDF
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)
MINNEAPOLIS: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “Kingfield's Petite León, which opened in 2020 as a pandemic-era takeout spot and grew, over the next five years, into a James Beard-nominated destination restaurant with a Yucatecan-influenced menu, is closing at the end of the year. Last call is New Year's Eve, 2025. But! The news isn't all bad; not in the least. Owners Travis Serbus and Ben Siers-Rients and their staff, who profit-share in the restaurant, are transforming it into a neighborhood bar.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4glm4kz
BBQ: Via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “A family-owned Minneapolis restaurant that's been in business for nearly 80 years is on the market. Market Bar-B-Que owners Steve and Anthony Polski are selling their fully-equipped restaurant at 220 Lowry Ave. NE, plus four food trucks and the brand itself.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41OQ6qK
STURGEON: Via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “Lake sturgeon sightings on Big Stone Lake were few and far between until recent years . . . Once abundant in the long, narrow lake along Minnesota’s border with South Dakota, the native species were wiped out by 1946. Since the DNR began reintroducing fingerlings in 2014, the normally slow-developing fish has grown beyond expectations.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3VgFb5z
TOMORROW: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “Strangers Meeting Strangers, a local group that aims to ‘bring strangers together, just because,’ has organized the second Talk 2 Me Day in Loring Park.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mXo2d7
THIS WEEKEND: Via Sahan Journal, VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s Latino community will come together this weekend for two big parades to celebrate Mexican Independence Day, kicking off Hispanic Heritage Month.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41OWIp6
BEST BUY: Via news release from Best Buy, VERBATIM: “Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE: BBY) has appointed Meghan Frank, a leading global retail and finance executive, to its Board of Directors, effective immediately. Frank is the chief financial officer of lululemon, a global athletic apparel, footwear, and accessories company, and has held that role since Nov. 2020.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4pkW7FD
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
LEAVES: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “Minnesotans’ love for the state’s stunning fall foliage runs deep, but for many of us, it always seems like the window to soak it all in before the long winter months closes too soon. Thanks to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, there’s a way to plan ahead and give ourselves the perfect opportunities to appreciate the changing autumn colors.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41SNAzL
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