The Minneapolis Fed on Friday shared results of a survey of businesses in the region and shared this slide showing what business are paying for supplies and what they’re charging customers:
You can watch the Fed presentation HERE: https://fluence-media.co/4wPn1IJ
The national average for a gallon of gas again topped $4 today. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4fJnYfT
After their game against Portland over the weekend, the Lynx honored current Portland assistant coach and Lynx legend Sylvia Fowles for her hall of fame induction. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4pzESkK
Add this weekend’s Blueberry Art Festival in Ely to the list of impacts of the wildfires up north. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3T6H7ji
Fluence Advisory has released its Insights memo on “The Next Legislature”. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aNNSMV
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Today’s WCCO Radio morning take at 6:20 with Vineeta Sawkar. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4vPXHBK
Sunday Take featured DFLers Matt Little, Sen. Matt Klein and Rep. Kaela Berg for the CD2 DFL primary debate. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4yssTcu
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MONDAY NEWS FEED
ELECTION SECURITY: Nonprofit news organization Votebeat reported from last week’s National Association of Secretaries of State conference, VERBATIM: “Several secretaries of state noted that DHS typically gives regular briefings to state election officials outside of the conference throughout the year, offering threat overviews and mitigation options. But not this year. Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, a Democrat, said that while states can pay outside vendors for security assessments and other services [Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency] now no longer provides, they can’t replicate briefings from the federal government.” QUOTE: “You can’t just buy that off the shelf,” Simon said. “You can’t hire a private vendor to give you a U.S. government-grade intelligence assessment.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4psBV5c
SENATE: Via news release from the Tafoya campaign, VERBATIM: “Today, Michele Tafoya launched the second TV ad of her campaign leading up to the Republican Primary election for Minnesota’s U.S. Senate seat. The 30-second spot, filmed outside of the shuttered Quality [Learning] Center, reminds voters that Minnesota’s current leaders failed us and allowed millions of taxpayers dollars to be siphoned away from the programs that truly needed it because they were weak and caved to fraudsters.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4vLc9uB
WORLD CUP: Via Front Office Sports, VERBATIM: “Mega sports bar owners and operators across the country tell Front Office Sports a similar story: Their spaces—built to accommodate hundreds or even thousands—have spent nearly every open minute of the past six weeks at capacity, often with lines snaking out the door. They all describe the stretch as the busiest and most exhausting in their histories—but also the most rewarding and, simply, fun.” QUOTE: “The 48-team format essentially doubled the amount of action, which made for some very long days for us—especially early on,” says Shane Higgins, GM of Brit’s Pub, a 1,600-person, indoor-outdoor spot in Minneapolis. The venue has shattered sales record after sales record during the tournament: “We’d fill up for one game and then immediately be at capacity again an hour later for the next.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ptNM39
TARGET: Via Forbes, VERBATIM: “Picolette, which launches on July 26 in approximately 1,400 Target stores and [Target.com], is a labor of love for Olivia Culpo. The model and actress, who rose to prominence after winning the Miss Rhode Island, Miss USA and Miss World contests, is a new mother. She said she searched for products for her daughter, Colette, but found that nothing made the grade, so she created her own brand.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4wWvJFm
MORE: Via Target, VERBATIM: “In addition to the introduction of Picolette, Target is making significant investments to better serve new and expecting parents with nearly 2,000 new baby items, more premium brands and inspiring in-store experiences through Baby Boutiques and personalized Baby Concierge services. These investments are complemented by new gifting destinations, industry-leading registry benefits, sustainable programs like Car Seat Trade-In and added convenience through Target Circle 360, including same-day delivery and extended returns.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4wdgY0V
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)
INFRASTRUCTURE
CONVERSIONS: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “The yearslong effort to turn office buildings into apartments is finally breaking through this summer, with three projects bringing hundreds of new residents downtown. Why it matters: The conversions — two in Minneapolis and one in St. Paul — will provide a boost to local businesses that have long depended on office workers who are spending more time at home.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3T9oGuo
RETAIL: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “An old idea is new (and extra fancy) at Southdale Center, the shopping mall that started it all. This spring’s opening of Tiffany & Co. marked the completion of Southdale’s gleaming new luxury wing. On a recent weekday, there was little foot traffic to scuff up the white-marble floors, unlike the Edina center’s opening day 70 years ago. That fall, 75,000 people came to see the country’s first fully-enclosed, climate-controlled shopping mall.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4w9ib9h
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)
AROUND MINNESOTA
CAMERAS: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Every day, automatic cameras capture images of passing vehicles, amassing data that can reveal the travel histories of Minnesotans and help law enforcement find crime suspects. It’s highly sensitive data, and Minnesota law requires it only be shared for criminal investigations. But a Minnesota Star Tribune investigation found that some law enforcement agencies left this data accessible to far-flung departments that searched it for immigration purposes at the height of last winter’s brutal federal crackdown.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/44FXuFV
BIKES: Via Minnesota Monthly, VERBATIM: “Last September, the U.S. Department of Transportation under President Donald Trump began revoking or canceling grants that had already been announced—grants that would help fund urban bike lanes, recreational trails, and more cycling and pedestrian infrastructure all around the country, including in Minnesota. Officials cited ‘hostility to motor vehicles’ as the rationale behind the claw-backs, arguing that grant programs should focus on major roads and other projects that support car-focused travel. Now, Minnesota cycling advocacy organizations are stepping up to raise awareness of the funding cuts and shine a spotlight on why bike-friendly infrastructure, from countryside trails to urban lanes, matters.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4pyUIvR
REMEMBRANCE: Minnesota Reformer reports on a Sunday event commemorating “Bloody Sunday” when police shot 70 people in Minneapolis, killing two. VERBATIM: “The 1934 shooting was a crescendo of a months-long battle between the truckers and warehouse workers of Teamsters Local 574, and the ‘Citizens Alliance,’ who were the corporate owners trying to suppress workers’ pursuit of fair wages and working conditions.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3T9qbc0
HABITAT RESTORATION: Flint Hills Resources has earned Tandem Global WHC Gold Certification for habitat restoration at its Cottage Grove fuel terminal. The certification comes after two years of work in partnership with Friends of the Mississippi River to implement a restoration and monitoring plan to re-establish the 6.5-acre site’s natural prairie and savannah. Flint Hills has held gold certification for its work done with community partners over the past 25 years to restore more than 200 acres of the Pine Bend Bluffs, a critical natural area along the Mississippi River that is adjacent to Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery. This makes two Flint Hills gold certified sites in Minnesota and the first two gold-certified sites ever in the Twin Cities. LEARN MORE: Environmental Stewardship (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery)
COMMERCE
ACQUISITION: Via Metal Forming Magazine, VERBATIM: “Trumpf has signed an agreement to acquire [Anoka-based] Mate Precision Technologies, a provider of metal cutting and forming products and solutions. Mate will continue to operate independently in the market under its existing brand, with its management and international teams remaining in place.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4pw3aMp
POT: Via Minnesota Monthly, VERBATIM: “Forget the stereotypical dispensary vibe. MoonLeaf in Shakopee feels more like a cozy lifestyle boutique crossed with an artsy night out. The low-dose cannabis shop has quietly carved out a niche for quirky, community-driven events that blend creativity, wellness, and THC-era curiosity into something fun and approachable.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/44DqMVS
BASKETBALL: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “An annual family-focused three-on-three outdoor basketball tournament is returning to the Twin Cities in August. Players age eight and up can take part in the Twin Cities Gus Macker Basketball Tournament at North Hennepin Community College. The tournament, hosted by Minneapolis Northwest Tourism, benefits local nonprofits.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4b4lx51
WHAT’S NEXT?
TOMORROW: Via St. Louis Park-based Bridgewater, VERBATIM: “Bridgewater Bancshares, Inc. (Nasdaq: BWB), the parent company of Bridgewater Bank, today announced that it will release its second quarter 2026 financial results after the market closes on Tuesday, July 21, 2026.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4wuZWLl
WEDNESDAY: Via Minneapolis-based Graco, VERBATIM: “Graco Inc. (NYSE: GGG) announced today that it will release its second quarter 2026 earnings after the New York Stock Exchange closes on Wednesday, July 22, 2026.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4v3mK3P
THURSDAY: Via Minneapolis-based Ameriprise, VERBATIM: “Ameriprise Financial, Inc. (NYSE: AMP) plans to issue a press release via BusinessWire at approximately 7:45 a.m. ET on Thursday, July 23, 2026 that will include a link to the company’s second quarter 2026 results on its Investor Relations website (ir.ameriprise.com).” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4wgl2wH
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
NEXT MONTH: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “The newly revived Uptown Art Fair will take place August 7–9 along the scenic parkways adjacent Lake of the Isles. And while the location is different, organizers say the mission is crystal clear: Bring people back to Uptown and help reshape the narrative around a neighborhood that has spent years fighting for its footing.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ftzJ9a
NEXT MONTH: Via Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, VERBATIM: “The 2026 Midwest Black Book Fair is honoring stories of resistance and uplifting intersectional narratives of Blackness, Black history and Black futurity during Black August, a month commemorating Black freedom fighters and political prisoners. The family-friendly event features Black authors, book signings, a publishing workshop, and food vendors.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fJgiu6
BDAYS: schools advocate Kim Lewis, attorney Jim Yarosh, music scribe Chris Riemenschneider
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