In Buffalo this morning, school was delayed because of a gas leak. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3UnQJUl
Today’s 6:20 morning take on WCCO Radio with Vineeta Sawkar. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4e2GKuE
Last weekend’s Sunday Take was all about polls with American Strategies’ Joe Goode. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4dVKnT6
Yesterday’s SportsTake is a MUST read. HERE: https://fluence-media.co/3C1Wykb
Sunday Take at 9AM on WCCO Radio, a US Senate Debate with Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Royce White. STREAM: https://fluence-media.co/WCCOLive
Blois
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WALZ: From Ryan Faircloth and Sydney Kashiwagi via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris has wagered that Minnesota’s folksy, flannel-wearing governor can help her win over working-class voters in battleground states, but in neighboring western Wisconsin, it’s unclear whether Gov. Tim Walz is having much sway . . . The Harris campaign has trumpeted Walz’s small-town roots and background as a former soldier, football coach and gun owner ever since he joined the ticket, and it has deployed him to red counties in several battleground states over the past couple months. Democrats hope that Walz, a former red-district congressman, can boost their appeal in rural America. They know they probably won’t win in Trump country, but they’re trying to narrow the margins, which could make the difference in a close election.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40hc5Xm
RUSSIA: Via The Verge, VERBATIM: “A former Florida sheriff who moved to Russia amid an FBI investigation is a Kremlin-backed propagandist responsible for viral deepfake videos and misinformation targeting Kamala Harris’s campaign, according to European intelligence documents reviewed by the Washington Post. The GRU, Russia’s military intelligence service, gave funding to John Mark Dougan, the operator of several fake news websites. According to documents reviewed by the Post, Dugan was responsible for several websites that seemingly published fake local news . . . Dougan may also be responsible for disseminating a video involving false sexual misconduct allegations against Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, disinformation experts told the Post. The person in the video claims to be Matthew Metro, a former student of Walz’s — but the real Matthew Metro has debunked both the video and the claims.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3UpjXCu
NATIVE VOTE: From Allison Herrera via MPR, VERBATIM: “Earlier this year, the non-partisan organization IllumiNative gave grants to six organizations in six states including Minnesota to talk about the importance of voting in Indigenous communities. In Minneapolis, the Native American Community Development Organization received money for their campaign, ‘Make Voting a Tradition.’ The campaign is educating community members about who’s on the ballot, sharing what some of the issues are and getting people registered to vote. Part of getting registered to vote is, in the words of Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, proving you are who you say you are.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3AbmHfU
11A: From Hannah Morgan via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “The race for the Minnesota House seat in District 11A is between challenger Pete Radosevich (D-MN) and incumbent Jeff Dotseth (R-MN). This district serves cities like Carlton, Cloquet and Barnum. These two men faced off in the same race back in 2022, where Dotseth won by less than 500 votes.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3YBKdfl
CD8: From Dan Kraker via MPR, VERBATIM: “When Jen Schultz won the first of her four House terms at Minnesota’s Capitol in 2014, she joined a stable of Democratic legislators from the area and the 8th Congressional District was in the party’s hands, too — albeit by a very narrow margin. A decade later, it’s a far different picture. Outside of her home base in Duluth, Republicans hold sway in much of northeastern Minnesota. And the 8th District has elected a Republican in U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber in three consecutive elections. Schultz, who left the Legislature after the 2022 session, challenged Stauber for the congressional seat later that year and came up well short. She kept a political oar in the water and is opposite him on the ballot again. But to win she’ll have to row against the tide.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YnTJBg
CD2: Via news release from the Angie Craig campaign, VERBATIM: “Today, the Angie Craig for Congress campaign released their latest ad of the cycle, ‘I Know,’ highlighting the plea deals Joe Teirab cut with violent repeat offenders, fentanyl dealers and child abusers during his time as a prosecutor.”
MORE: Via YouTube, the ad. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3UooLYy
PRODUCING FUELS THAT HELP KEEP MINNESOTA MOVING: Flint Hills Resources, one of the Midwest’s leading producers s of transportation fuels is hiring! With openings in IT, accounting, engineering, operations, procurement and asset management, Flint Hills Resources’ goal is to match talented individuals with their passions and interests to truly shine. APPLY TODAY: Flint Hills jobs (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources)
MEDIA: Via news release from the Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Star Tribune today announced it is launching a new statewide news partnership, powered by a grant from Google News Initiative. The partnership will enable content sharing between news organizations across the state, as well as forthcoming subscription bundling between participants, creating new revenue streams for local news. The partnership is kicking off in southern Minnesota, with the Albert Lea Tribune, the Austin Daily Herald, the Jackson County Pilot and the Lakefield Standard as pilot partners.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4f9RMzo
SOLVENTUM: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “Solventum, the healthcare company spun off from 3M this year, has retained bankers to explore a sale of its purification and filtration business, according to people familiar with the matter . . . Saint Paul, Minn.-based Solventum has a market value of nearly $13 billion. The company reported sales of $8.2 billion in 2023.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hiF6Im
HCMC: From Christopher Magan via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Mohamed Omar is the new board chair of Hennepin Healthcare System, the organization that runs HCMC, making him Minnesota’s first Somali American hospital board leader. The health care system board permanently appointed Omar to the position Wednesday at their regular meeting. He had served as interim chair since Babette Apland stepped down in September.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4e47JpP
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WINDOM: From Sophia Gernander via KEYC-TV, VERBATIM: “Two months ago, a bitcoin mining company, proposed a new facility just outside of Windom. But the plan caused an uproar among those who lived in the area. ‘It would’ve been in my front yard, and based on my research that we did in our group of concerned citizens, the noise would have been relentless in my house 24/7, 365,’ said Char Woizeschke. Now, they’ve withdrawn their request - in part because the county asked them to fill out an Environmental Assessment Worksheet.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/40mQZa3
UTILITIES: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “A decision by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission means Minnesota Power customers will see a decrease in their monthly bill. As Northern News Now reported, Minnesota Power filed for a rate increase of 12% last November. Thursday the MPUC approved a final rate increase of about 4.9% for residential and small business customers, which is about $5 a month.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/40eDZTZ
BUSES: From Dan Niepow via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “Amtrak’s recent growth in Minnesota has been in the news of late, yet it remains a niche product for the Twin Cities. Popular regional destinations from the Twin Cities like Madison, Green Bay, Rochester, Duluth, Sioux Falls, Rapid City, and Bismarck can only be reached over land by bus. The metro is served by several bus companies, including Greyhound (owned by German concern FlixBus), Megabus (owned by bankrupt Coach USA), and locally owned Jefferson Lines, which serves the central U.S. About a year ago, in a cost-cutting move, Greyhound closed its Minneapolis bus station, relocating to a boarding space in Ramp B near Target Field. In Chicago, the status of the company’s downtown station remains in flux. If the station closes, it will make the Second City the largest in the Northern Hemisphere without a central intercity bus terminal.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YCuixh
MHA NATION-ENBRIDGE AGREEMENT: “IT’S AN AWESOME DAY” - Enbridge has sold its Plaza/Wabek Pipeline in North Dakota to the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara (MHA) Nation, paving the way for the MHA Nation to become the first Tribal shipper on the Enbridge liquids pipeline network. The pipeline will “create an avenue” from the MHA Nation’s Thunder Butte facility, notes Mark N. Fox, Chairman of the MHA Nation, “to move our very valuable assets and resources to the marketplace.” Adds Bernie Fox, Thunder Butte’s CEO: “I’m thankful to Enbridge, because now they’re part of our history. They’re our partner.” As part of Enbridge’s Indigenous inclusion strategy, “we want to provide even more opportunities,” says Mike Koby, VP of our U.S. Liquids Pipelines group, “to partner with the MHA Nation and other Tribal communities along our operations.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/47ozrun (SPONSORED: Enbridge)
FOOD: From Taylor Rivera via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “New concessions options are coming to Target Center with more local vendors for the upcoming Timberwolves season.” LISTEN/PHOTOS: https://fluence-media.co/4hmNypS
ROMANCE FRAUD: From Corey Bork via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “A Brooklyn Park man has been sentenced to prison for his role in carrying out a nationwide romance fraud scheme that stole more than $2 million from dozens of victims, many of them elderly. A U.S. District Court judge sentenced Dodzi Kordorwu, 38, to more than five years in prison. Kordorwu had pleaded guilty last December to mail fraud. According to court documents, the scheme went on for four years, from May 2018 through June 2022, and largely preyed on seniors.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3AgkxeX
BSU: From Sydney Dick via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “Since the pandemic, Bemidji State University has struggled with low enrollment. Over the past few years, it has had to make teacher retrenchments as well as program cuts in an effort to balance the budget, and just this year, BSU announced they will be cutting 14 more faculty members and two programs. Within the university’s Education department, which trains students to become teachers, there have been six layoffs.” QUOTE: “There’s some complexity in teacher education where there’s rules about what credentials you have to have, what experiences you have to have in order to teach particular things,” explained BSU School of Education Chair Layna Cole. “The people remaining won’t be able to deliver the programs that we have because they don’t have the experience or the credentials.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/48nhdeD
PLYMOUTH: From Kevin Miller via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “Officials broke ground Wednesday on a massive redevelopment project of the former Prudential campus in Plymouth, kicking off the construction work with an obligatory shovel toss of dirt. ‘This has been a long time coming,’ said Plymouth Mayor Jeff Wosje. ‘How often does a city get a change to redevelop 75 acres in the middle of our city?’ The project — known as The Boulevard — comes after the 450,000 square-foot Prudential office building was torn down earlier this year.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3Ap668h
NOTE: Every day, we’re sharing significant political, business and other news in other newsletters. If you love lunch take, sign up for the other tip sheets HERE: fluence-newsletters.com
TOMORROW: Anoka’s Grande Day Parade begins at 1:00. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3YjvWme
SUNDAY: Como Zoo and Conservatory has a behind-the-scenes tour. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4ffWFXE
From yesterday’s Fluence newsletters:
TRANSPLANT: From Heather Carlson Kehren via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Surgeons recently performed Mayo Clinic's first paired living liver donation, a significant first step in helping more people with liver failure get a lifesaving transplant. ‘Liver transplantation is the only treatment option for most people with end-stage liver disease. But sadly, there are not enough donated livers available for everyone who needs one. That is why living liver donation is so important,’ says Timucin Taner, M.D., Ph.D., division chair of Transplant Surgery at Mayo Clinic who led the team that completed the clinic's first paired liver donation.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3BXVxts
MORE: From Jeremy Olson via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Anne Werpy had been waiting a year for a liver transplant — getting sicker and more exhausted the entire time — when she was rescued by an unusual exchange that had never happened before in Minnesota. An Eagan doctor wanted to make a living liver donation at the time Werpy needed one, but he wasn’t a good match for her. He was, however, a match for another transplant recipient, and that woman had a son. And the son’s liver was just the right size and blood type to transplant to Werpy and treat her worsening liver disease.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4eVyein
MERGER: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “Sanford Health has officially signed a merger agreement with Wisconsin-based Marshfield Clinic Health System. Plans for the merger were announced last July, and now, according to a press release from Sanford Health, the merger is expected to close by the end of the year.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40AZheP
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SPS: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “SPS Commerce Inc. (SPSC) on Thursday reported third-quarter earnings of $23.5 million. On a per-share basis, the Minneapolis-based company said it had net income of 62 cents. Earnings, adjusted for one-time gains and costs, were 92 cents per share. The results exceeded Wall Street expectations . . . The provider of supply chain software services to businesses posted revenue of $163.7 million in the period, also exceeding Street forecasts.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Upbxem
PIPER: Via Street Insider, VERBATIM: “(Minneapolis-based) Piper Sandler Companies (NYSE: PIPR) reported Q3 EPS of $2.57, $0.10 worse than the analyst estimate of $2.67. Revenue for the quarter came in at $360 million versus the consensus estimate of $368.48 million.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3BTfAJm
CLEARFIELD: From Brooklyn Park-based Clearfield via Globe Newswire, VERBATIM: “Clearfield, Inc. (NASDAQ: CLFD), the leader in community broadband fiber connectivity, today announced that its fourth quarter ended September 30, 2024, results will be released on Thursday, November 7, 2024, after the close of the market. The company will host a conference call at 5:00 p.m. Eastern time (4:00 p.m. Central time) to discuss its financial results with the investment community.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hnnxXM
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
COFFEE: From Justine Jones and Alex Lodner via Eater Twin Cities, VERBATIM: “Nothing kicks off the day like a solid cup of coffee. With hidden gems on University Avenue, Victorian shops in Cathedral Hill, and indie coffee companies scattered across Minneapolis and St. Paul, the Twin Cities are teeming with neighborhood shops welcoming the weary, under-caffeinated masses.” LIST/MAP: https://fluence-media.co/2Izvnhx
If you like podcasts, listen to Beers with Blois... https://fluence-media.co/3vkqhMN
BDAYS: campaign operative Latisha Townsend, fashion leader Grant Whitaker, policy guy Ken Iosso. SAT: lobbyist Courtney Jasper, education leader Dennis Carlson, entrepreneur John Alexander, policy leader Hue Nguyen. SUN: DFL operative Heidi Kraus Kaplan, marketer Lauren Henry.