Young Americans aren’t as happy as they used to be – it’s one of the reasons the U.S. dropped out of the top 20 countries on the Gallup happiness rankings. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4cWZIGi
Hormel is positioning itself as a pizza expert. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/47Sf2k0
Fluence Advisory is seeking candidates for a new position. JOB: https://fluence-media.co/4duXaiK
Follow the 2026 Minnesota election’s up close with the Fluence ElectionTracker. FluenceElectionTracker.com
Today’s WCCO Radio morning take at 6:20 with Vineeta Sawkar. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4bkZKXq
Sunday Take featured Sen. Ron Latz and a check in on the legislative session – lots of noise, few signals and a feeling that in a closely divided legislature isn’t listening to the data, but only to the loudest voices. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3P87zXL
Blois
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THURSDAY HEADLINES
PROTESTERS: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “Just days after Minneapolis erupted into protest over the second killing of a resident demonstrating against immigration agents, a top Justice Department official delivered a hardball message to federal prosecutors. Go after the protesters with everything you have. In a conference call in late January, the official, Aakash Singh, laid out the department’s basis for prosecuting demonstrators: National Security Presidential Memo 7, a sweeping directive issued by President Trump last September. It expanded the definition of domestic terrorism to include not only violent crimes like assault, but also relatively minor ones, like revealing the personal details of agents or getting in the way of immigration enforcement.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41jj0hS
STADIUM: Via MSFA, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority (MSFA) today released a comprehensive economic impact study demonstrating that U.S. Bank Stadium continues to deliver substantial economic, fiscal, and community benefits for the State of Minnesota and within the City of Minneapolis. The analysis shows that public investment in the Stadium has generated billions in economic activity, supported thousands of jobs, and helped drive major redevelopment in the Downtown East neighborhood. From 2017-2025, U.S. Bank Stadium generated $1.36 billion in new direct spending and $2.77 billion in total economic activity, serving as a ‘sustained economic engine’ according to a study by Hunden Partners, which specializes in economic impact and large-scale development analysis. Eighty-one percent of stadium visitors come from outside Minneapolis, and one in four Stadium visitors travel from outside Minnesota for events.”
MORE: Via MSFA, from the report:
REPORT: https://fluence-media.co/4bTSjGE
ACQUISITION: Via Reuters, VERBATIM: “3M will spin off its Scott Safety business and team up with Bain Capital to buy Madison Fire & Rescue for $1.95 billion, combining the two to create a fire and safety joint venture that will expand the industrial giant’s safety portfolio. 3M will own 50.1% of the new company and Bain Capital the remaining 49.9%, the company said on Thursday. 3M has been focused on streamlining its businesses and expanding margins over the last few years, spinning off its healthcare business into a separate company called Solventum in 2024.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3PhGJwl
GOVERNOR: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Governor Tim Walz continues defending his supplemental budget, revealed earlier this week, which he says is necessary for the sustainability of many state programs. One of the most controversial in that budget is a cut in funding for nursing homes. Walz, speaking to WCCO’s Morning News with Vineeta Sawkar, said Minnesota nursing homes statewide are reimbursed at a rate higher than almost any other state.” WALZ: “Nursing homes are, they are being paid quite a bit,” Walz said. “It’s an industry that is challenging because of their workforce needs, and some of the things they need to do. But this is not about cutting.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3Pv4MYG
OMAR: Via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “A key congressional watchdog committee has asked the House Committee on Ethics to look into financial matters tied to Rep. Ilhan Omar and her husband. The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee in early February requested financial documents from Omar’s husband, Tim Mynett, after President Donald Trump insinuated wrongdoing over a sharp rise in the value of two businesses Mynett has ownership interests in. On Tuesday, a spokeswoman for the committee said Mynett has not complied with the request.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rCxYu7
PROPERTY TAXES: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “As property valuation letters continue to arrive in mailboxes across the state, more people are reaching out to 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS to investigate concerns about their assessed value. Some are seeing double-digit increases in valuation… Leading to worries about being taxed out of their homes. For those in the small Dakota County township of Waterford, its city clerk, Tom Davis, is learning that all properties are increasing by double digits, including his own, which is jumping 14%.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4rFlUby
GOLDEN VALLEY: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “Last week, the city announced that its top two finalists for chief were Christopher Chrisostomidis, a police captain with the Savage Police Department, and Victor McDowell Jr., a deputy chief of police with the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority Police Department. Both candidates introduced themselves to the community at a forum on March 11. However, as of March 18, the job posting is back open and new candidates are being considered.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4byn8PM
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)
REGULATIONS
NUCLEAR: Via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “If Minnesota doesn’t lift its 32-year-old ban on new nuclear power reactors soon, it could blow through a self-imposed 2040 deadline to clean up its electric grid. That was one of the messages hammered home by a bipartisan group of legislators and company officials in the Capitol rotunda this week. They appeared at the behest of the Minnesota Nuclear Energy Alliance, a coalition of 60-odd utilities, electric cooperatives, labor unions, local governments and others pushing to repeal the United States’ only remaining nuclear construction moratorium. Sen. Grant Hauschild, a northeastern Minnesota Democrat, spoke Tuesday as a supporter of the 2023 law mandating 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040.” HAUSCHILD: “I was explicit (at the time) that we had to have nuclear.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rIb7xt
SPORTS BETS: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Another push is underway at the State Capitol to legalize sports betting in Minnesota. State Senator Jeremy Miller (R) says it’s time to put protections around the sports betting that’s already happening in the state.” QUOTE: “People in Minnesota are already betting on sports,” Miller told Vineeta Sawkar on the WCCO Morning News. “They’re either doing it through illegal offshore accounts, they’re doing it on the prediction markets, or they’re doing it in other states. So anyone who says that sports betting is not happening in Minnesota is kidding themselves. Because we know sports betting is already happening in Minnesota.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4sUiTFk
(DISCLOSURE: Sports Betting Alliance is a Fluence client)
CLEANUP: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “The Bemidji City Council authorized Bid Package No. 1 for the initial soil cleanup and remediation of the Bemidji Rail Corridor back in February of 2025, and at their meeting on Monday, they approved Bid Package No. 2 for the remaining city work in the corridor.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3NNksWL
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
DATA CENTERS: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “Data centers have become a point of tension in Twin Cities suburbs, but for downtown developers, they could be a goldmine. Why it matters: The collapse of office tower values has pushed property taxes higher for residents. Data centers could help boost those values again, spur more residential and commercial development and even help heat other buildings.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Nt5THS
SPORTS VENUES: Via Twin Cities Business, a look at the benefit sports facilities have on Saint Paul and whether they’re just substituting for other entertainment options. VERBATIM: “That argument overlooks some key considerations. There is an economic benefit to St. Paul if a Woodbury family goes to Grand Casino Arena for a Wild hockey game, if a Blaine couple goes to Allianz Field for a Minnesota United FC soccer match, or if a group of friends from Minneapolis goes to CHS Field to watch a Saints baseball game. If those facilities didn’t exist, people wouldn’t be traveling to St. Paul for a sports entertainment experience. The ‘substitution effect’ economic argument is sound when considering the breadth of the Twin Cities metro area. But it ignores the fact that some St. Paul visitors are spending money in St. Paul establishments beyond the sports venues. In addition, the job base in St. Paul is expanded because people are working within the St. Paul-based sports facilities.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rIUodw
394: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “Currently, all westbound traffic is being diverted into the reversible E-ZPass Express lanes between downtown and the Highway 100 exit. The cordoned-off lanes are normally reserved during rush hour for high-occupancy vehicles and drivers who pay a variable toll. But with no one paying a toll right now, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) projects it will lose more than $1 million in toll revenue generated by that 3-mile stretch of road.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4svcPDx
YOUR NEIGHBORS RIDE ATVs: From the Twin Cities to the Iron Range, thousands of Minnesotans own and ride ATVs. They are families, veterans, teachers and small business owners who rely on Minnesota’s trail system for recreation, tourism, and economic activity. ATV riders aren’t just “up north” — they live in the Twin Cities metro area. And they care deeply about maintaining safe, well-managed trails. As the legislature considers trail policy, funding, and land-use decisions this session, ask them to support Minnesota’s ATV community and the outdoor opportunities they value. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4td9sRR (SPONSORED: ATV Minnesota)
DC + MN
NEXT WEEK: Via “Yeah, No” Benefit Concert, VERBATIM: “Join us on Wednesday, March 25th, for the ‘Yeah, No’ benefit concert, a celebration of Minnesotan resolve and commitment to supporting our communities for the long haul. ‘Yeah, No’ is us saying, ‘I see what you’re doin’ there, and I don’t like it,’ after our communities were overwhelmed by federal immigration operations.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3PMWTOk
NEXT WEEK: Via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “The national flagship rally at the Capitol in St. Paul is among more than 3,000 events planned on Saturday, March 28 as part of the national ‘No Kings’ movement protesting Trump and his administration. Celebrity activists including Jane Fonda, Joan Baez and Maggie Rogers are slated to join Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, Attorney General Keith Ellison and other Minnesota officials for the big event.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bxA3l3
MORE: Via KMSP-TV, other speakers confirmed for March 28’s flagship “No Kings” protest include St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her, DFL Rep. Shelley Buck and numerous union leaders. More speakers are expected to be announced. LIST: https://fluence-media.co/4sp1xkc
PRIVATE CONTRACTOR: Via Sahan Journal, VERBATIM: “Natalie, who is not being identified by her legal name because of her immigration status and fears of retaliation, immigrated to the United States in 2022 from Ethiopia. She has a pending asylum application and no criminal record. She is one of about 185,000 immigrants across the country monitored by the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program, which is run by BI Incorporated, a private contractor employed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The company monitors immigrants across the country as they await the outcome of their immigration cases. Several local attorneys say an increasing number of Minnesota immigrants have been added to the surveillance program and placed on ankle monitors since the start of the year. Attorneys report that their clients face difficulties completing daily activities because of the monitoring tactics, and that their application is inconsistent. Little is known publicly about what kind of oversight and regulation, if any, the federal government has over third-party monitoring practices.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rH4wTQ
COLUMBIA HEIGHTS: Via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “In Columbia Heights, a small city that made national headlines after ICE detained a five-year-old during Operation Metro Surge, community groups are working daily to keep up with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of need. ‘Families are trying to dig themselves out of a hole that their government put them in,’ Columbia Heights School Board Chair Mary Granlund said. According to Granlund, multiple students are now homeless because of ICE operations.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4cRxxbP
911: via Sen. Amy Klobuchar advisory, VERBATIM: “Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and [others] introduced bipartisan legislation to accelerate federal efforts to modernize the nation’s 9-1-1 systems. … The bill will help enable 9-1-1 call centers to handle text messages, pictures, videos, and other information sent by smartphones, tablets, and other devices when faced with an emergency.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3NHkj7j
TSA: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Air travel was already under pressure before the storms. A partial government shutdown that began Feb. 14 has thinned staffing at some security checkpoints, and airports are crowded with spring break travelers and fans heading to March Madness.” QUOTE: “Last Friday was the first complete zero paycheck that TSA agents got since the start of the shutdown just over a month ago,” says Thrifty Traveler Editor Kyle Potter, who spoke with WCCO’s Chad Hartman on Wednesday. “And maybe more importantly, this is now the second prolonged shutdown of work without pay for more than one month, in less than four months going back to the last big shutdown in October and November of 2025. This is going to have, unless if this gets wrapped up real quick, an exacerbating effect.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4uzerOd
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)
PERSONNEL MOVES
HIBBING: Via WDIO-TV, VERBATIM: “After hours of mediation, the Hibbing School Board approved a resolution to authorize a final offer to AFSCME Local 480 on Wednesday, March 18th. That final offer was presented to the union the same day in an effort to move negotiations forward. The Hibbing School board says the offer aims to address the issues raised by the union over their negotiation sessions.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dvykPO
NEW PRESIDENT: Via Minnesota State, VERBATIM: “The Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities has named Jessalyn Sabin to serve as president of Minnesota North College. The appointment becomes effective July 1, 2026.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rBJJRD
NEXT PRESIDENT: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “Leech Lake Tribal College will interview three finalists in its search for the college’s next president. The interviews are scheduled to take place Mar. 30 through Apr. 1, with one interview taking place each day.” CANDIDATES: https://fluence-media.co/4cVEJDV
NEW CEO: Via St. Paul-based Vomela, VERBATIM: “Vomela, a leading provider of visual communications and branded environments, today announced the appointment of Brian Hazelton as chief executive officer. The leadership transition follows a year of significant growth for the company, including new investment from The Riverside Company, strategic acquisitions, and the expansion of its executive leadership team to support the company’s next phase of growth.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41g5z2g
WHAT’S NEXT?
SATURDAY: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “The community is invited to pay their respects to a fallen Iron Range police officer this weekend. Sergeant Cody Siebert with the east range police department died on Feb. 27, about 24 hours after being diagnosed with a brain infection.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4sUoGuv
NEXT WEEK: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “Frauds and scams are specifically targeting older adults these days and are being more and more difficult to detect with the advent of artificial intelligence tools. The group Minnesota Aging Pathways will offer help for Bemidji area seniors on the topic next week.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4rCADUD
JUNE: Via DEED, VERBATIM: “Join the Minnesota Trade Office (DEED) at the Minnesota Pavilion during the BIO International Convention— the world’s largest and most influential biotechnology event— taking place in San Diego from June 22–25, 2026, at the San Diego Convention Center. This premier gathering brings together 20,000+ industry leaders from across the globe, representing the full biotech ecosystem.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3PanjcS
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
BUMPER CARS: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “Last winter, Eagan facilities superintendent Mark Vaughan finally completed a challenging yearslong quest: He brought ice bumper cars to the metro for the very first time . . . It took some convincing (both hockey and figure skaters are protective of their ice time, and the city wanted to find a way to add the program without taking anything away), but now, Eagan offers Bump and Skate a few times each week year-round—specific portions of open skate where part of the ice is partitioned off for a ruthless smackdown.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4srTRxO
BDAYS: House comms pro and hockey dad Troy Young, former Star Tribune scribe Glenn Howatt, content pro Tina Nguyen
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