A water main break this morning led to a foot of standing water at a south Minneapolis intersection. PHOTOS: https://fluence-media.co/4hW7tLI
The new Drought Monitor released this morning shows no improvement over the previous week. MAP: https://fluence-media.co/3PP2Kzy
Charles M. Schulz’s last “Peanuts” strip ran 25 years ago today. AXIOS: https://fluence-media.co/4gzZ8fX
Eight Minnesota snowplows have new names. LIST: https://fluence-media.co/3ECENJD
Today’s WCCO Radio morning take at 6:20 with Vineeta Sawkar. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3WZJovs
A conversation with Minneapolis candidate for Mayor DeWayne Davis on Sunday Take. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4179dfz
Blois
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SMITH: From Senator Tina Smith via X, VERBATIM: “I’ve decided not to run for re-election to the Senate in 2026. This job has been the honor of a lifetime. For the rest of my term, I’ll work as hard as I can for Minnesotans and our country.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4aXGJs4
MORE: From Kyle Brown via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s junior senator said she wanted to spend more time with her four grandchildren — all born since she took office — as well as her two sons and her 95-year-old father.” SMITH: “This decision is not political, it is entirely personal. But it’s not lost upon me that our country is in need of strong, progressive leadership – right now maybe more than ever.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4jZ2wE4
HOCKEY: From Emily Haugen via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “The city of Plymouth announced that the Plymouth Ice Center will be the host site for next year’s top national high school hockey tournament. The 2026 Chipotle-USA Hockey High School National Championships will feature between 40 and 48 teams, both boys and girls, from across the country. The city of Plymouth is partnering with the Wayzata Youth Hockey Association to host the tournament.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/42V4VcH
TODAY: Via Senate Majority Media, VERBATIM: “A bipartisan coalition of legislators, business groups, and labor unions will highlight a legislative proposal today at noon that would streamline Minnesota’s permitting process that balances environmental integrity and economic growth. The bipartisan proposal, SF 570, is being authored by Senator Grant Hauschild (DFL-Hermantown).” BILL: https://fluence-media.co/41e2qB3
TODAY: Via Republican Party of Minnesota, VERBATIM: “The Republican Party of Minnesota, joined by grassroots supporters, will officially submit the first round of recall petitions to initiate the formal recall process for DFL legislators who refused to show up to the Capitol, effectively halting the work of the Minnesota House of Representatives while continuing to collect taxpayer-funded salaries.”
DRUG TAX: From Peter Callaghan via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “A year ago, no one in the Minnesota Legislature thought it was a good idea to require drug dealers to buy tax stamps on their illegal goods. A year ago, nearly everyone in the Minnesota Legislature thought it was a good idea to repeal such a requirement that was a vestige of the 1980s War on Drugs. But a year ago, the repeal didn’t happen, caught up like a lot of legislation in the chaos of the closing hours of the 2024 session. While popular, it was not included in the 1,400-plus-page Mega Omnibus bill that contained hundreds of other bills. So sponsors are trying again.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41e1kVN
WHISTLEBLOWERS: From Kevin Miller via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “A Maple Grove lawmaker is looking to expand protections for state-employed whistleblowers. Rep. Kristin Robbins (R-Maple Grove), who chairs the new House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy Committee, proposed a bill expanding whistleblower protection for those reporting fraud, waste or abuse.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4b3fZX9
SPORTSBETS: GOP Rep. Nolan West announced that he is no longer supporting sports betting legalization in response to the news seen in yesterday’s morning take that Gov. Tim Walz and tribal leaders are currently negotiating a compact for off-reservation cannabis sales. WEST: “The Walz-Flanagan Administration is giving the tribes a pseudo-monopoly on Minnesota’s cannabis market, jeopardizing hundreds of millions of dollars of investment into our state. If this is how the administration is going to function in negotiations, I am discontinuing my efforts to legalize sports betting in our state.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3D16JWS
(DISCLOSURE: Sports Betting Alliance is a client and sponsor of Fluence)
UMN: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “Fairview Health Services said Wednesday it is not interested in a merger with the University of Minnesota and Essentia Health. The U and Essentia back a plan that would create a nonprofit entity and had invited Fairview to be part of the discussion. The university promised that it and Duluth-based Essentia will spend $1 billion over five years to build an ‘all-Minnesota health system solution.’ … The university currently has an agreement with Fairview that ends next year. … In a letter to employees Wednesday, Fairview President and CEO James Hereford said they still want ‘resolution on sale of the academic assets.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42Xehof
DEI: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “When [Target] announced last month it is pulling back on its diversity goals, [they] were accused of political expediency. … Yet Target is far from being the only Minnesota company stepping back on its public-facing DEI policies. … [We] surveyed Minnesota’s largest public companies, and some offered general statements of diversity remaining valuable at the company. Others declined to comment. None of the surveyed companies offered a manager or executive to interview about the issue, and few would confirm or deny whether specific policies or goals, previously trumpeted publicly, still exist.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QhCuxY
WILD ABOUT READING: More than 500 Minnesota classrooms and 15,000 students are 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, Rookie; 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
TODAY: From Kilat Fitzgerald via KMSP-TV, VERBATIM: “The Minneapolis City Council is meeting on Thursday morning to further discuss the city's violence prevention programs. The backstory: The council is set to discuss a proposal to move $1.25M in violence prevention programming after the move passed out of a budget committee with mixed support on Monday.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4hvaMKa
TRAINING: From Nate Rau and Torey Van Oot via Axios, VERBATIM: “U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and a bipartisan group of senators re-introduced legislation this week to incentivize domestic violence awareness training for cosmetologists and beauty professionals. Why it matters: Domestic violence is a deadly problem in the United States. Cosmetologists' close relationships with their clients position them to recognize cases of domestic violence and lead victims to help.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40UbE3T
ST PAUL: From Katie Galioto via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “An Indianapolis-based developer wants to transform downtown St. Paul’s Central Station, with ambitions to build 300 apartments, 10,000 square feet of retail space and public plazas on the site of the notorious light rail stop. The St. Paul City Council, acting as the Housing and Redevelopment Authority (HRA), and the Metropolitan Council are poised to grant Flaherty & Collins tentative developer status for the 1.66-acre site, bisected by the Green Line. City boosters have pegged redeveloping the property — which spans most of a block between E. Fourth and Fifth streets and Cedar and Minnesota streets — as key to the success of downtown revitalization efforts.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4jUs8BP
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.-Elect Kari Rehauer
Rep.-Elect Wayne Johnson
Rep. Elect Julie Greene
Rep. Elect Keith Allen
Rep. Elect Peter Johnson
Follow on your favorite podcast platform, or at www.TheDailyAgenda.com/Podcasts. (SPONSORED: Minnesota Telecom Alliance)
ST PAUL: From Serena Maria Daniels via Eater Twin Cities, VERBATIM: “Stalwart Lowertown bar and restaurant Dark Horse Bar & Eatery is closing its doors after nearly a decade. Ownership announced that the bar’s final day of operation would be Valentine’s Day.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4jUdoD3
BEER: From Andrew Stark via Minnesota Monthly, VERBATIM: “Beer has become as complex as wine, with styles like bruts, sours, milkshakes, and various IPA types—East Coast, West Coast, and Cold IPAs, which use lager yeast. Now, beer sommeliers, or cicerones, are even a thing. Minnesota’s relationship with alcohol has been complex and sometimes contentious. ‘At times, some Minnesotans have embraced alcohol consumption,” says Bill Convery, director of research for the Minnesota Historical Society. “At other times, they’ve struggled to control it, or prohibit it altogether. It all depends on who, and where, and when.’ From Lieutenant Zebulon Pike’s whiskey-fueled 1805 treaty to the German immigrants who founded the state’s first brewery in 1850, alcohol has played a key role in Minnesota’s history—now home to over 220 breweries.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QiZEnU
VITAL PUBLIC WORKS PROJECT FUELS THE FUTURE OF THIS WISCONSIN TRIBE - In 2017, one of the “glaring needs” for the Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO) Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, in northwest Wisconsin, was an expanded wastewater treatment facility. “It was at capacity. We were not able to expand any of our businesses or facilities,” says Jason, the LCO Band’s Emergency Management Coordinator. With the support of Enbridge and several other partners, the LCO Band quadrupled its wastewater treatment capacity—allowing for creation of a new preschool, fire hall, 40-unit apartment complex, police headquarters and, still to come, health clinic and new residential community. “I’m very grateful for the partnership we’ve developed with Enbridge,” says Jason. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/49v4mHc (SPONSORED: Enbridge)
RETAIL: From Dustin Nelson via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “Crafting and fabric retail chain Joann — formerly known as Jo-Ann Fabrics and Crafts — is looking to close more than half of its remaining stores. In January, Joann filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time in a year. On Wednesday, the retailer filed a motion to close more than 500 of its roughly 800 stores. The list of stores it plans to close includes locations in 49 states and 12 in Minnesota.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gAnzK8
CRYSTAL: From Corey Bork via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “The city of Crystal has lost one of its fast casual restaurants. CCX News confirmed that Noodles & Co. closed its West Broadway location on Wednesday. Closed signs are now up at the restaurant. Noodles opened the Crystal location in 2015.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gCpFcl
ALLETE: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “Allete Inc. (ALE) on Thursday reported fourth-quarter net income of $50.6 million. On a per-share basis, the Duluth, Minnesota-based company said it had net income of 87 cents. The power company owner posted revenue of $364.8 million in the period.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3ECXmx9
NOG: Via Investing, VERBATIM: “On Thursday, RBC Capital Markets adjusted its outlook on [Minnetonka-based] Northern Oil and Gas (NYSE:NOG) by reducing the price target to $40 from the previous $45 while keeping a Sector Perform rating on the company's stock. Currently trading at $35.12 with a P/E ratio of 4.18, InvestingPro analysis suggests the stock is undervalued. The adjustment follows Northern Oil and Gas's pre-earnings update for the fourth quarter of 2024 and its outlook for the year 2025, which did not meet analyst expectations.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40Un1sB
TODAY: Twins pitchers and catchers report for Spring Training. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3CPxIEQ
From yesterday’s Fluence newsletters:
FUNDING: From Jenny Schlecht via Agweek, VERBATIM: “Programs and universities that have contracts with the U.S. Department of Agriculture are dealing with uncertainty after the Trump administration froze some federal spending. Among the projects in limbo are the more than 141 projects awarded a collective $3.1 billion through the Commodity Credit Corporation as part of the Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities . North Dakota farmers participating in one of those programs — the Alliance to Advance Climate-Smart Agriculture — are now waiting for payments to fulfill their contracts, according to Matt Perdue, North Dakota Farmers Union government relations director.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40PZOYC
MORE: From Kevin Miller via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “The Food Group, a New Hope nonprofit, says it has been locked out of federal farming grants. Located at 8501 54th Ave. N., the organization provides hunger relief services in Minnesota and Wisconsin. It provides food to more than 200 food shelves and other partner organizations in the Twin Cities region. One of its programs teaches new farmers from diverse backgrounds to grow fresh, organic produce through sustainable practices.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3QhALJg
RULING: From Mark Dorenkamp via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to pause a funding freeze that affected certain farm programs. U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley tells Brownfield every program in the federal government is going under review.” GRASSLEY: “To see if it’s needed and not wasting the taxpayers’ money. Obviously I don’t think the EQUIP program is one of those programs, but somebody in the executive department might think it is and think it ought to go. I don’t think it’s going to go.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3QdnzVN
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SEZZLE: From Minneapolis-based Sezzle via Globe Newswire, VERBATIM: “Sezzle Inc. (NASDAQ:SEZL) (Sezzle or Company) // Purpose-driven digital payment platform, Sezzle, will release its fourth quarter 2024 results after the market close on February 25, 2025. The Company will host a conference call at 5:00pm ET that same day.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QhbP4o
TORO: From Toro via Business Wire, VERBATIM: “The Toro Company (NYSE: TTC), a leading global provider of solutions for the outdoor environment, announced today that it will release its fiscal 2025 first quarter results on Thursday, March 6, at approximately 7:30 a.m. CST. The full text of The Toro Company’s earnings release will be available at that time at www.thetorocompany.com/invest. The company will also hold an earnings conference call at 10 a.m. CST that day.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hz51LH
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
SHOW: From Madeline Cisneros via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “First dates are nerve-wracking. Now add comedians and a live audience to the mix. Maybe that’s just what you need to let loose and make a genuine connection. Local comedian Frankie Runquist decided to lean into the mayhem of dating with her show Funny Bachelors. The event combines comedy and live blind dating to create a deliciously funny night full of surprises.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4b454N6
BDAYS: Winthrop marketing pro Gretchen Milbrath, politico Susie Merthan, financial guy Jon Applbaum, fmr. Strib scribe John Reinan, Greater Mankato Growth EVP Andy Wilke
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