Most people in high-income countries say climate change is a real threat – but they don’t think their neighbors believe the same. GALLUP: https://fluence-media.co/43VC07E
Two DoorDash drivers told Fox9 they’ve been hit by scammers. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4xHzjEe
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Today’s WCCO Radio morning take at 6:20 with Vineeta Sawkar. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4eIt36I
Sunday Take covered the status of third parties in Minnesota with Chip Tangen, Libertarian candidate for secretary of state, and Jay Reeves, Forward Independence candidate for state auditor. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4uICwRf
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A BUSY TUESDAY
TODAY: Via KMSP-TV, VERBATIM: “The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office is set to announce the results of its review of six convictions involving the work of Dr. Michael McGee, whose work has been called into question . . . Ramsey County Attorney John Choi started reviewing McGee’s work in 2023 after a federal judge ruled McGee’s conclusions and testimony in the death of Dru Sjodin were ‘unreliable, misleading, and inaccurate.’ The finding came as part of an appeal by Alfonso Rodriquez, who faced a death sentence for Sjodin’s death.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gBElMs
EARLY VOTING: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Early voting for the 2026 primary election starts Friday and election officials are expecting a spike in turnout. While Minnesota has famously high turnout in general elections, primaries always have fewer voters. Still, turnout increases ‘where there’s a lot of action and competitiveness on the ballot,’ said Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon. ‘And we certainly have that this year.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4w9897V
DATA CENTERS: Via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “Despite their vocal protests, proposed developments hummed through local regulatory processes over the past two years — unless court orders forced them to pause, as they did in Pine Island and Faribault. Higher up the elected office chain, a host of bills seeking to rein in data center proposals failed at the Legislature last session . . . But campaign season presents another opportunity. With city, county and state offices in the balance across Minnesota this fall, [activist Aubree Derksen] said data centers should be seen as a key election issue.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vX1tta
TOMORROW: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “Google is holding a community open house for its proposed data center in Hermantown.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4oHks8Z
SCHOOLS: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “The Robbinsdale School Board is moving ahead with plans to put a bonding referendum on the November ballot. The board voted on June 15 to advance three ballot questions that could fund at least $343 million worth of the district’s future construction and maintenance plans. It’s been more than 40 years since the district last asked voters to approve a referendum.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4eUSqU1
POOL: Via Brainerd Dispatch, VERBATIM: “The city of Brainerd’s involvement in funding for a new YMCA pool remains up in the air, but a referendum in this fall’s election does not seem to be in the cards. Council members last discussed the issue during their meeting on June 15 after having asked staff to draft a question that could be put on a referendum ballot in November.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3So5fh2
DRONES: Via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “St. Paul police are now launching drones from the rooftops of three city buildings to potentially arrive before officers and survey the scene aerially with live-view cameras. Since the drone program began in St. Paul in 2023, specially trained officers would put up a drone at the scene of some incidents. The department’s new drones are called ‘drones as first responders’ by the companies that make them, though St. Paul Police Deputy Chief Kurt Hallstrom said he thinks that term gives the public the wrong idea of what St. Paul police refer to as a ‘docked drone’ program.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aRpeuH
DAIRY: Via MPCA, VERBATIM: “After thoroughly reviewing comments received during the public comment period and in alignment with Minnesota state law, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has determined that an environmental impact study (EIS) is not required for Riverview LLC’s proposed expansion from a capacity of 7,855 cows to 18,855 cows at its West River Dairy facility near Morris.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vCK9tG
MORE: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Some local residents, as well as sustainability groups, had called for an environmental impact statement, a report outlining the project’s potential impacts on the surrounding environment, including land, air and water. Sean Carroll, the policy director for the Land Stewardship Project, a sustainable agriculture group, said he’s disappointed that the pollution control agency won’t proceed with an environmental impact statement.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gzkFJ4
DULUTH: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “The City of Duluth has indefinitely closed a Skywalk pedestrian tunnel connecting the Radisson Hotel and Maurices buildings due to concerns surrounding health, safety and ‘unwanted behavior.’” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4uWt8JP
ROAD WORK: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “MnDOT giving St. Paul commuters interactive view of upgrades being made to the I-35E bridge near downtown. A new public webcam is now archiving real-time images every 15 minutes, allowing residents to monitor the full history of the ongoing I-35E infrastructure project.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4w4l1vM
MORE: Via Earthcam, the webcam, SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4aMn3Zi
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)
ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
SHRIMP: Via Bridge Michigan, VERBATIM: “Scientists now have evidence that yet another invasive the aquatic species — the bloody red shrimp — is established in all five Great Lakes. Using traps and nets, researchers last summer collected dozens of adult and juvenile specimens, including pregnant females, at Wisconsin Point and the Montreal Pier in Duluth-Superior Harbor, according to a new study.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gAwKxB
NATIVE FISH: Via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “May 8, Gov. Tim Walz had signed a proclamation declaring the first ever ‘Native Fish Day.’ This was not just about walleye, bass and crappie. Native Fish Day was meant to celebrate the 26 other native species that have been here for thousands, if not millions, of years: redhorse, quillback, suckers, gar, bowfin and buffalo. The last of these is often mistaken for carp. But buffalo is not a carp. We’ll get to that later. Until recently, little was known about any of these fish. But thanks to the pioneering work of Alec Lackmann at the University of Minnesota, Duluth, we’ve learned that bigmouth buffalo, for instance, can live to more than 100 years.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QlLWnT
DEER: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has added five counties to a deer feeding and attractant ban to reduce the risk of chronic wasting disease spreading, following the detection of CWD in wild deer in new areas of the state last year.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/43SLDnx
PFAS: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “For years, communities in the east Twin Cities metro have treated their drinking water to remove PFAS, sometimes called ‘forever chemicals.’ The water coming from the tap is safe to drink. But the PFAS contamination remains underground, and continues to show up in lakes, streams and groundwater. A new study from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency recommends the state take action to contain the underground contamination plume and keep it from spreading to new areas. It’s still unclear who would pay for the plan, which could cost hundreds of millions of dollars in addition to what’s already being spent to treat drinking water.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4uUqzbb
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)
BEER
DULUTH: Via WDIO-TV, VERBATIM: “This year’s All Pints North craft beer festival will be the last one held in Duluth, according to an announcement Monday from the Minnesota Craft Brewers Guild. Guild officials said the festival will continue in 2027 at a new, yet-to-be-announced location, marking the end of a 14-year run on the North Shore.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4eYSwtO
ST PAUL: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “Last March, Saint Paul Brewing opened up the old Hamm’s Factory doors to celebrate 161 years of Hamm’s Beer with the inaugural Hamm’s Fest. With photo ops, memorabilia and decor, brewery tours, a Battle of Hamm’s between six local breweries, and the world’s largest functional Hamm’s can, the celebration recalled nostalgia for the beloved beer.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4eXAEiS
PLYMOUTH: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “In a letter to the Plymouth Planning Commission, Tim Naumann, owner of Luce Line Brewing in Plymouth, wrote that monthly taproom sales at his business is down about 8 percent compared to the previous year . . . Naumann appeared before the June 17 Plymouth Planning Commission meeting to request a zoning ordinance amendment change to allow for more flexibility in using a tent for customers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/44pLLuZ
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
LIST: We count six Minnesotans on Ernst & Young’s list of winners of its Entrepreneur Of The Year 2026 Heartland Award. VERBATIM: “Regional winners were selected by an independent panel of past winners, top CEOs and business leaders. Judges evaluated candidates on long-term value creation, entrepreneurial spirit, purpose-driven commitment, and significant growth and impact.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4oF4Ana
3M + AIRBUS: Via 3M, VERBATIM: “3M and Airbus, a leading aircraft manufacturer, have signed a long-term supply agreement to help drive the continued advancement of passenger comfort and aircraft performance on the Airbus A220 . . . 3M will provide advanced thermal and acoustic insulation solutions for the aircraft cabin. The thermal materials will help improve the aircraft’s operational performance, while the acoustic insulation will be integrated throughout the cabin to absorb and reduce engine and airframe noise, creating a more pleasant environment for passengers and crew.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4oJYZMA
MINNEAPOLIS: The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reports Tribe Federal Credit Union opened over the weekend in the Midtown Global Market. It’s Minnesota’s second Black-owned credit union. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4eUUcVb
BBY: Via Best Buy, VERBATIM: “Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE: BBY) today announced that Matt Bilunas will step down as Chief Financial Officer and depart the company at the end of July. Best Buy has engaged an external search firm for its next chief financial officer and expects to name a successor with previous CFO experience. Current CEO Corie Barry, who previously served as CFO, will provide financial oversight during the transition if needed.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4oTB9Or
GLOBAL TRADE BOLSTERS AG ECONOMIES: Via Minnesota Corn, VERBATIM: “Each year, Minnesota’s exports of corn, ethanol, corn-fed meat, and dried distillers grains (DDGS) alone support over 11,500 jobs and add billions to the state’s economy. They also help ensure that consumers around the world have access to affordable protein and dairy products. In May, during World Trade Month, Minnesota Corn celebrates that important role trade plays in all our lives—in the U.S. and abroad. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4dqEqB1 (SPONSORED: Minnesota Corn)
WHAT’S NEXT?
NEXT MONTH: Via Minnesota Monthly, VERBATIM: “This summer, Lake City will proudly host its 54th annual Water Ski Days June 25-28, which will feature not only expanded water ski programming but also a full slate of family-friendly activities. Each year, the festival attracts around 20,000 attendees, who come for the carnival rides, live entertainment, vibrant parade, and spectacular water ski shows.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4f2nfVV
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
DINNER: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “Last year, Dinner du Nord brought together more than 40 different businesses to serve a taste of Twin Cities dining to around 2,000 attendees at its first iteration. This year, Dinner du Nord is running it back. On Thursday, September 10, Dinner du Nord will transform seven blocks of Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis into what is billed as ‘America’s longest dinner table.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4oK0R85
BDAYS: fmr. County Commissioner Jim MicDonough, fundraiser Kaley Taffe, DFL insider Will Davis
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