No bonfires today – there’s a Red Flag Warning in effect for parts of the state. MAP: https://fluence-media.co/3PVlIrK
The Consumer Price Index rose 3.8% in April – that’s the fastest rate of increase since May of 2023. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dkooHl
A recent bar trivia question was one that would make Minnesota sports fans happy because they’d get it right – but they’d also a little sad. BMTN: https://fluence-media.co/4noFqbK
The Twin Cities is among the markets where Amazon is expanding its Now service that fills some orders in 30 minutes or less. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4wqMuZw
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Follow the 2026 Minnesota election’s up close with the Fluence ElectionTracker. FluenceElectionTracker.com
Today’s WCCO Radio morning take at 6:20 with Vineeta Sawkar. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4dEs0oU
Sunday Take featured Republican Senate candidate Michele Tafoya discussing her campaign, the war in Iran and what the GOP can do to win statewide. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3R09IG0
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TUESDAY NEWS FEED
LIST: Via CoworkingCafe, a list of the best metros for working moms, VERBATIM: “The Twin Cities metro takes the crown among large markets, leading on the strength of an 84% moms employment ratio — a figure that reflects decades of female workforce participation woven into the region’s economic identity.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Pbn55B
AWARD: Via Minnesota Wild, VERBATIM: “The National Hockey League (NHL) today announced Minnesota Wild Executive Vice President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Bill Guerin is a finalist for the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award. The award has been presented annually since 2009-10 to the general manager who best excelled at his role during the regular season.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4nocC3p
INTERNET: Via Lumen, VERBATIM: “The infrastructure behind AI is reshaping how and where data moves, and network routes must evolve with it. Lumen Technologies (NYSE: LUMN) today announced the expansion of its network with NorthLine, a new low latency fiber route that will directly connect Seattle to Minneapolis and expand connectivity across a key northern U.S. corridor between the Pacific Northwest and central U.S. markets.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/432KglL
SLEEP NUMBER: Via Stock Titan, VERBATIM: “Sleep Number Corporation reports a steep first-quarter loss and warns of substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern. Net sales fell 19% year over year to $319 million as comparable retail sales dropped 16% and store traffic weakened. Gross margin compressed to 57.9% from 61.2%, and restructuring costs of $21.7 million, including $18 million of asset impairments tied to store and office closures, contributed to a net loss of $50.3 million, or $2.19 per share.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42qyP7g
MORE: Via Investing, VERBATIM: “The revenue decline was driven by lower volume and a reduced store count, which fell to 577 locations from 637 a year earlier. Gross margin contracted to 57.9% from 61.2% in the year-ago quarter, primarily due to a shift in product mix toward the new ComfortMode bed and discounting of legacy inventory.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4feIaGG
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)
SESSION
BONDING: Via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “The way lawmakers and lobbyists talk about a bonding bill, it comes off as quite a delicate and mysterious piece of legislation. Delicate because negotiations over whether to take on debt to fund local infrastructure projects, let alone how much to borrow, can flame out at any time. Mysterious because deliberations mostly play out behind closed doors, making it seem like nothing is happening before proposals arise from the session’s dying embers. Those factors turn the final week of Minnesota’s legislative session into a waiting and guessing game for observers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4uMzVXa
TODAY: Via Protect Minnesota, VERBATIM: “Emergency room physicians will hold an educational event at the State Capitol today highlighting the devastating impact of gun violence on children and the extraordinary efforts required to save a child suffering from a gunshot wound. During the presentation, physicians will walk lawmakers through the emergency response and life-saving care provided after a pediatric gunshot injury — a process that can involve nearly 50 healthcare professionals. Doctors and advocates will also call on the Minnesota House to pass the comprehensive gun violence prevention package recently approved by the Minnesota Senate.”
MORE: Via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “Pressure is building on a top Minnesota lawmaker to take action in the wake of last year’s deadly school shooting in Minneapolis. This year’s legislative session ends in six days, and Republican House Speaker Lisa Demuth hasn’t allowed a gun control bill to hit the floor. That’s why Annunciation Catholic School parents are mounting a new letter-writing and calling campaign. Democrats are accusing Demuth of holding the bill hostage, which would ban semi-automatic weapons and large magazines.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/42qq9Of
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)
EARNINGS SEASON
CVRX: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “CVRx Inc. (CVRX) on Monday reported a loss of $13.1 million in its first quarter. On a per-share basis, the Minneapolis-based company said it had a loss of 50 cents. The results exceeded Wall Street expectations . . . The medical device company posted revenue of $14.8 million in the period, also exceeding Street forecasts.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tOF5RD
NEUROONE: Via Chart Mill, VERBATIM: “[Eden Prairie-based] NeuroOne Medical Technologies (NASDAQ:NMTC) reported financial results for its fiscal second quarter of 2026 after the market close yesterday, posting a sharp 72% jump in product revenue driven by expanding adoption of its OneRF ablation systems, but the numbers fell just short of analyst expectations, with shares drifting slightly lower pre-market. The company reported product revenue of $2.4 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, compared to $1.4 million in the same period a year ago. However, this came in roughly 9% below the consensus analyst estimate of $2.63 million.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3PhKWAo
GRANDMAS RIDE ATVs TOO! Check out Donna’s story - a powerful reminder that ATV riding is about more than trails...it’s about people, community, and connection. Donna’s message reflects what so many riders across Minnesota believe: responsible riding, strong local economies, and protecting access for future generations all go hand in hand. Check out Donna’s story: https://fluence-media.co/4tDeK9r Thank you, Donna, for sharing your story and helping put a face to what “I Ride” truly means. (SPONSORED: ATV Minnesota)
BUSINESS MOVES
TARGET: Via BevNET, VERBATIM: “Mass retail giant Target is adding intoxicating hemp beverages to its Florida, Texas and Illinois locations. The products will be available in over 300 Target locations across the three states, including all stores in Florida and Texas, and in all Illinois locations that allow for intoxicating hemp product sales (some local municipalities and townships, like Chicago, have restricted category sales within their territories).” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tqhJRT
MORE: Via The Street, VERBATIM: “Initially, discussions on social media revealed a lack of enthusiasm for the new category, with some consumers maintaining their boycotts. However, a survey from the cannabis telehealth platform NuggMD revealed something quite different. Per the report, Target’s move into THC drinks has sparked significant interest, with roughly half (50.5%) of cannabis users saying they are now more likely to shop at the retailer. However, this boost in loyalty is largely conditional: 34.4% of those surveyed noted that they would only increase their visits if their specific neighborhood Target actually carries the new products.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fhf6hK
(DISCLOSURE: Plift is a Fluence client)
STARTUPS: Via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “School’s almost out, but several Minnesota startups in the education technology (ed tech) space are already preparing for the next school year. They’ve developed technology meant to make life a little easier for those teachers—and, in many cases, for parents. As ed tech entrepreneur Josh Thelemann observes about teachers (and which also could apply to parents), ‘They’re doing work before they get to school, they’re doing work after school, they’re doing work on the weekends.’ His company and other ed tech startups want to ‘take some of those things off their plates.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4deFYfO
NEW NAME: Via White Bear Lake-based CheckIT, VERBATIM: “CheckIT Learning, a global edtech startup providing neuroscience-based classroom tools, announced today that it has renamed its brain-based LMS from CheckIT LMS to Cleo. After more than a year on the market, the platform has become best known for its neuroscience-trained AI companion of the same name, which has come to define the overall user experience.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48VYgkM
FLINT HILLS FAMILY FESTIVAL: Kick off the summer in downtown Saint Paul with the Flint Hills Family Festival May 29-30, one of the largest and longest-standing events of its kind. The Festival offers free fun for people of all ages in Rice Park and Landmark Plaza, with performances and activities that provide something for everyone, along with world-class shows inside the Ordway for just $8! Now in its 26th year, this year’s Festival lineup includes Cirque Mechanics: TILT!, NOOMA: an opera for babies, and Click Clack Moo! More than one million people have experienced the Festival, including hundreds of thousands of students who have visited on field trips during the Festival’s School Days. Join us this year! LEARN MORE: Flint Hills Family Festival (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery)
COMMERCE
OPEN: Via Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, VERBATIM: “Chase opened a new Community Center branch in Minneapolis’ Longfellow neighborhood Wednesday, bringing financial education resources and expanded banking access to one of South Minneapolis’ most established communities. The branch, located at 2903 26th Ave. S., is one of 19 Community Center locations nationwide and marks Chase’s latest expansion in the Twin Cities since the bank first entered the Minnesota market in 2019. It is the first Community Center branch in Minnesota.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dDPCdf
CLOSING: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “After a decade of designing fashion-forward footwear with a podiatrist’s precision, luxury shoe brand Marion Parke is ceasing operations. Founder Marion Parke announced the closure this week, calling the decision a ‘bittersweet moment’ after ten years in business.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4noDiAM
CLOSED: Via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “The log cabin-style Wendy’s in Nisswa, considered the fast-food chain’s most unique restaurant, has closed.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4uM8MDJ
CLOSED: From Thirty Bales restaurant via Instagram, VERBATIM: “After 30 unforgettable years in Hopkins, we’re preparing to serve our final guests at Thirty Bales tomorrow Saturday, May 9. Thank you for the memories, community, and support, it has meant everything to us.” POST: https://fluence-media.co/4uI7Dga
RETAIL: The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reports on three new shops opening at Rosedale Center. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4u8DSp6
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?
THIS WEEKEND: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “Art-A-Whirl is back on May 15–17, turning Northeast Minneapolis into one big art party. More than a thousand artists open their doors to the public in what is considered the largest open artist studio tour in the country. The event spreads out across 14 studio buildings and 22 standalone sites and small businesses.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3OUOQzi
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
WEST ST PAUL: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Fried chicken lovers rejoiced when news broke last year that a Popeyes would replace a demolished Burger King in West St. Paul, maintaining the balance of chain restaurants in a commercial corridor packed with them. But city leaders have said little publicly about when the Miami-based chicken chain’s signature orange building will materialize. Scraggly weeds have overtaken the edges of the vacant lot on busy Robert Street. And pooling water after big rains has earned the area a less-than-ideal nickname.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4dFbHYQ
BDAYS: NAOIP’s Roz Peterson, US Bank’s Jeff Shelman, biz guy Jorg Pierach, journalist Kyndell Harkness, lobbyist Andrea Perzichilli
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