Let’s hope for a quiet news weekend.
A developing story is a Draft Sen. Erin Maye Quade effort for Governor. It’s not clear who is organizing the effort, but it confirms that there are far left DFLers that are not jumping on the Klobuchar bandwagon. Website: https://fluence-media.co/3ZM9Idv
From protests overseas to national broadcasters hosting their shows in the Twin Cities, Minnesota continues another unfortunate run in the global spotlight.
From a protest this week in Paris:
From one of the protesters: “I’m here because we can protest without being worried about getting shot,” she said. “I’m doing it for my family in Minnesota who feel like they can’t.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4c1Lm71
Two more kids from 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos’ Columbia Heights elementary school are now in ICE custody. READ: https://fluence-media.co/3OcrG6q
From Morning Consult’s weekly tracking poll: “Buzz about immigration issues remains poor: Voters are 28 points more likely to have recently heard something negative about immigration than positive, similar to a record low reached last week.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3WCPQbY
Canada is warning about “FIFA visas” purported to grant permission to work or settle there. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4btnwRp
This morning’s Epstein files release includes 3 million pages, 2,000 videos, and 180,000 images, according to the FBI. AP: https://fluence-media.co/460jJYr
Follow the 2026 Minnesota election’s up close with the Fluence ElectionTracker. www.FluenceElectionTracker.com
The MNSider Brief: With Michele Tafoya’s entrance into the US Senate race, the latest analysis for premium subscribers came out Friday. HERE: https://fluence-media.co/3NEy8Di
Sunday Take covered the impact of Alex Pretti’s killing and ICE activity in Greater Minnesota with Rep. Dave Baker (R-Willmar). LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3Zxvvpi
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/
Blois
tips/feedback bloisolson@gmail.com
A BUSY FRIDAY…
VIKINGS: From Around the NFL via X, VERBATIM: “BREAKING: Vikings fire general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah after four seasons, per @TomPelissero” TWEET: https://fluence-media.co/4t6JcZQ
MORE: Via NFL, VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s decision comes as somewhat of a shock, considering the Vikings agreed to an extension with the GM in May of 2025.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/45zwTeI
TWINS: Via MLB, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Twins on Friday announced that the club and former President, Baseball and Business Operations Derek Falvey have mutually agreed to part ways.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4khzwIc
CRASH: Via KARE-TV, VERBATIM: “A car chase led to a three-car pileup in north Minneapolis Thursday morning, leaving one woman hospitalized. The crash took place around 6:45 a.m. at Penn Avenue North and West Broadway Avenue. Federal agents were driving a Dodge Charger in pursuit of someone in a Chevrolet van when a collision took place in the intersection, according to the Minneapolis Police Department.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bZxnyr
MANGIONE: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “A Manhattan federal judge on Friday ruled that prosecutors would not be able to seek the death penalty at the trial of Luigi Mangione, the 27-year-old man accused of assassinating UnitedHealthcare’s chief executive in 2024.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4a6mh8i
EXTINCTION EVENT: Via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “As the federal immigration enforcement action in Minnesota drags into another month, ripple effects are being felt in business. The industry most affected seems to be restaurants, where a broad-based cross section is reporting revenues off 50% compared to a typical January . . . TCB spoke with a group of prominent Twin Cities restaurateurs—household names—who shared details of their financial distress. They are among the most sophisticated local operators with the greatest access to resources. They said if business does not improve in the coming weeks, the industry is facing an extinction event in the Twin Cities.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bshVec
MORE: Via The DeRusha Download, details of a fund set up to help small businesses, including restaurants. READ: https://fluence-media.co/46oE0Xw
POLL: CNBC asked 34 C-suite leaders about the situation in Minneapolis. One said their organization had spoken publicly about it. VERBATIM: “Among those whose firms have not made a statement, one respondent said the reason is that they are ‘not opposed to ICE’s conduct in Minnesota’; 9% responded that they are ‘still contemplating’ speaking out; and 18% are ‘worried about backlash from the Trump administration.’ One-third of the leaders (33%) responded that it is ‘not relevant to their business.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49PH7Kl
15B: Via MN House GOP, VERBATIM: “State Representative Paul Torkelson (R-Hanska) announced today that he will not seek re-election to the Minnesota House of Representatives this November.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4brarYX
NATIVE AMERICANS: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “Many Native Americans are carrying tribal documents proving their U.S. citizenship in case they are stopped or questioned by federal immigration agents. This is why dozens of the 575 federally recognized Native nations are making it easier to get tribal IDs. They’re waiving fees, lowering the age of eligibility — ranging from 5 to 18 nationwide — and printing the cards faster. It’s the first time tribal IDs have been widely used as proof of U.S. citizenship and protection against federal law enforcement, said David Wilkins, an expert on Native politics and governance at the University of Richmond.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3ZCTQtU
ICE TECH: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “Facial recognition is just one technology tool that ICE has deployed in Minneapolis, where thousands of agents are conducting a crackdown. The technologies are being used not only to identify undocumented immigrants but also to track citizens who have protested ICE’s presence, said three current and former officials of the Department of Homeland Security who were not authorized to discuss confidential matters.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qTr6Jx
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)
PROTESTS
CHURCH ARRESTS: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “The former CNN anchor Don Lemon was arrested late Thursday night on charges that he violated federal law during a protest at a church in St. Paul, Minn., his lawyer said, in a case rejected last week by a magistrate judge. Mr. Lemon has said he was simply reporting as a journalist when he entered the Cities Church on Jan. 18 to observe a demonstration against the immigration crackdown in the area.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/45GC1O9
MORE: Via KARE-TV, VERBATIM: “Independent journalist Georgia Fort was also taken into custody by federal officers on Friday morning. She posted a Facebook live video detailing the arrest.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3ZsG6lD
TRAINING: Via NPR, VERBATIM: “Edwin Torres DeSantiago is with the Immigrant Defense Network. His organization is holding trainings like this one across Minnesota . . . This is a constitutional observer training. Torres DeSantiago is teaching people how to best witness and document immigration enforcement activity like how to identify vehicles, uniforms and weapons. Their aim is government accountability with a strong emphasis on safety.” TORRES DESANTIAGO: “We’re averaging north of 2,000 people every single week. Every single event, every single day, is multiple hundreds of people getting trained. The surge has been immense because people are actively choosing bravery and unity and love for their neighbor than fear and staying home and letting what is happening continue to happen.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4rlrWyr
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)
INVESTIGATION & COOPERATION
MPLS KILLINGS: NPR talked with former U.S. Attorney and Minnesota Supreme Court justice David Lillehaug about DHS taking the lead on investigating the killings of Renee Macklin Good and Alex Pretti. LILLEHAUG: “Well, I hate to say it, but it sounds to me like the outcome is cooked. I mean, if you can’t have an investigation, and you’ve got the secretary of Homeland Security and the personnel on the line of authority down saying nothing to see here, then it looks like we’re not going to see anything.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4qrvkal
JAIL COOPERATION: At his news conference Thursday, border czar Tom Homan walked back Trump administration claims that Minnesota prisons were not cooperating with ICE, but said jails are still an issue. Context via Axios, VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s prisons have an easier time than county-run jails handing immigration suspects over to ICE for two key reasons: Logistics: Prison release dates are set long in advance, so it’s easy to tell ICE when to show up. Minnesota jails churn through 69,000 bookings a year — and some inmates walk free within hours. Legalities: Under Minnesota law, jails can’t hold a person longer than they otherwise would solely because of an ICE detainer — which doesn’t have the force of a judicial warrant or a court order. Anoka and Nobles counties have been successfully sued for failing to comply.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3NLwsrz
REAL OR AI?: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “With what seems like an endless stream of videos and pictures of protests, arrests, and federal operations, concerns and questions of what’s real and fake are becoming common in a world of emerging artificial intelligence (AI). Some of those worries were sent to us, so we sought to learn how best to spot the fakes.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3MaTwzv
COMMERCE
TARGET: Via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “Plans have been launched to protest at Target stores across the country this weekend to demand the Minneapolis-based retailer takes a firm stand against federal immigration enforcement. Organizers are staging anti-ICE protests in at least 17 Twin Cities locations on Saturday, including the Richfield store where two Target employees who are U.S. citizens were detained earlier this month.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3NXsFr4
CORNELL: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “Brian Cornell‘s missteps at the end of his tenure as CEO of Target will likely overshadow the bold moves he took 12 years ago to get the struggling company back on solid ground. The big picture: Cornell, who hands over the reins to Michael Fiddelke on Sunday, leaves behind a mixed legacy at the Minneapolis-based retailer.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Mfbhh1
TARGET CENTER: Twin Cities Business interviewed new Target Center general manager Amy Rahja. Among the topics discussed, the owners of the Lynx and Timberwolves desire for a new arena. RAHJA: “I can’t really speak to the Lynx’ or Timberwolves’ plans, but I can say I’m always focused on Target Center and continuing to provide the best events and experience for guests. I handle the programming for the building, so I’m always trying to figure out what’s next for us and what’s the next big event, be it NCAA basketball or the next high-profile event that we can bring to Target Center, and I’ll continue to do that for the foreseeable future.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Z80Qio
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)
HUMAN RESOURCES
CASS COUNTY: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “Earlier this month, Cass County announced the suspension of in-person Health, Human, and Veteran Services at their Cass Lake office until further notice. Cass County 5th District Commissioner Rick Haaland told Lakeland News that the closure was due to a shortage of staff and a plan to reopen will happen as soon as they can rehire and train new employees.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4bZ8LG6
BEMIDJI: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Two Bemidji State University academic deans were removed from their positions earlier this month for unspecified reasons. But they weren’t fired, officials from the Minnesota State system said, adding that they’re still on the payroll and that officials are looking for new jobs for the two administrators. … Kay Pedretti, regional director of the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees, [said] the Minnesota State system ‘does this more regularly than I’d like.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3ZGVBpU
FASTENAL: Outgoing CEO of Winona-based Fastenal, Daniel Fiorness talked with Bloomberg Businessweek about the health of the company and the impact of emerging technology. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/46feaoT
RETIREMENT: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Tod Carpenter, who has led Donaldson Co. for 11 years, will step down from his CEO post in March. Chief Operating Officer Richard Lewis will take over as chief executive on March 2. Carpenter will remain executive chair of the Bloomington-based filtration company.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46p1X0T
RETIREMENT: Via U.S. Bank, VERBATIM: “U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB), parent company of U.S. Bank, announced today that Souheil Badran, its senior executive vice president and chief operations officer, will retire from the bank this spring.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4k8keoM
APPOINTMENT: Via Minneapolis-based Sezzle, VERBATIM: “Sezzle Inc. (NASDAQ:SEZL), a purpose-driven digital payment platform, today announced the appointment of Lee Brading as Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”), effective February 1, 2026. Brading will succeed Karen Hartje, who served as CFO and principal financial officer under a Consulting Agreement since November 1, 2025, following her announcement of retirement after nearly eight years as CFO of Sezzle.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4a9wktn
WHAT’S NEXT?
NEXT WEEK: Via Robbins campaign, VERBATIM: “Kristin Robbins, candidate for governor and Chair of the Minnesota Fraud Prevention Committee, will testify before the U.S. Senate about the Walz fraud scandal on Wednesday, February 4.”
MARCH: Via KMSP-TV, VERBATIM: “The Twin Cities will be the sight of a ‘flagship event’ as part of nationwide ‘No Kings’ rallies held across the country on March 28.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tewXuC
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
IGLOO BAR: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Known as the walleye capital of the world, Lake of the Woods is massive. Straddling the U.S.-Canada border, it’s just a couple hours’ drive north of Bemidji. And over the past 16 years, the ancient lake has also become known as a winter pilgrimage destination for tourists from around the region and as far away as France — thanks in part to a pop-up ice bar located directly on the lake when it’s frozen over.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4a6ADG0
BDAYS: radio pro Tash Redel SAT: fmr. police chief JaNaé Harteau, WCCO Radio’s Adam Carter. SUN: pr pro Dan Kessler, middle advocate Shannon Watson, lobbyist Rob Vanasek
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