The stories about World Cup tourists’ excitement over American food are fun, but as The New York Times found out, they’re not all what they seem. READ: https://fluence-media.co/3SBfsGR
A pair of Gallup polls reflecting the impact of the war between Russia and Ukraine: In Ukraine, attitudes about the war are unchanged – what has changed is opinion of the U.S.. In Russia, perception of the economic situation is worsening. UKRAINE: https://fluence-media.co/448tcvh RUSSIA: https://fluence-media.co/4xYgGMz
The Supreme Court this morning issued a ruling upholding state laws barring transgender girls and women from playing on school sports teams. AP: https://fluence-media.co/4gLErkH
Reaction from the DFL, QUOTE: “Every child deserves dignity, respect, and the chance to belong. Decisions about youth sports belong with parents, schools, and sports leagues. Politicians need to stop using our kids as political pawns — it’s wrong and it doesn’t help anyone,” said DFL Party Chair Richard Carlbom. “Minnesota will continue to be a place where everyone can participate fully in their communities with dignity and pride.”
Reaction from MN GOP Chair Alex Plechash, QUOTE: “Today’s Supreme Court ruling is a victory for fairness, common sense, and every girl who deserves a level playing field. The Court affirmed what parents, coaches, and female athletes have been saying for years: women’s sports should be for women and girls. That should not be controversial. Now Amy Klobuchar needs to stop hiding and take a stand.”
St. Paul-based True North Legal, which represented parties in the case, also sent out a release. READ: https://fluence-media.co/444OtpM
The court also struck down President Trump’s executive order to end birthright citizenship. SCOTUS BLOG: https://fluence-media.co/4eTcOUg
And it struck down a law limiting how much national political parties can spend in coordination with candidates. NBC NEWS: https://fluence-media.co/3T9zaJU
Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription
Follow the 2026 Minnesota election’s up close with the Fluence ElectionTracker. FluenceElectionTracker.com
Sunday Take featured a breakdown of 5 key things to watch before the Aug. 11 primaries in Minnesota. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4gca1bg
Blois
tips/feedback bloisolson@gmail.com
Follow the 2026 Minnesota elections up close with the Fluence Election Tracker.
https://fluence-media.co/electiontracker
SPONSOR: Sponsorships are available to reach over 30,000 readers per day on Fluence’s tip sheets and website, TheDailyAgenda.com – email BloisOlson@gmail.com.
TUESDAY NEWS FEED
LIST: We count a dozen Minnesota companies on Newsweek’s list of the most patriotic. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4waFIX8
TARGET: Via Fortune, VERBATIM: “Starting this September, Target will begin tracking the unexcused tardiness and absences of its store and warehouse workers with a new points system, according to Business Insider reporting confirmed by the company . . . Target’s attendance system comes as its new CEO, Michael Fiddelke, looks to improve store operations and create a better experience for shoppers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aZ6ERm
RICHFIELD: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “The City of Richfield is warning that a sharp drop in the Best Buy Headquarters assessed value could shift more of the city’s tax burden onto other property owners. As Richfield plans its 2027 budget, the city said Hennepin County’s new assessed value for the Best Buy corporate campus fell from roughly $63 million to $32 million in one year. The city said that means a 5% drop in its commercial tax base for taxes due next year.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Szc7bn
STORM DAMAGE: KAXE-Radio reports on storm damage in northern Minnesota. VERBATIM: “Wake low winds reaching about 50 mph destroyed the Bemidji Jaycees’ tent set up on the Lake Bemidji lakefront for the 82nd Annual Water Carnival scheduled for July 1-5. The large tent was lifted by the winds and shredded by trees, with debris blowing around Paul Bunyan Drive and Bemidji Avenue.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4xYCOGv
MORE: Via Northern News Now, more storm damage up north. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4y1O0Cw
SOCCER: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “The Ethiopian Sports Federation in North America almost didn’t host its annual soccer tournament in Minnesota this year because of the federal government’s ‘Operation Metro Surge.’ Federation spokesperson Yared Negash said the operation frightened many community members, most of whom are immigrants. But he said protests against the operation made them feel welcome in Minnesota . . . The tournament is held every year in different cities across the United States, bringing 32 Ethiopian teams from around the country and tens of thousands of people. The first game began Saturday.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gMcr0i
GOLF: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “The status of the 3M Open in the PGA Tour’s dramatically restructured two-tier competitive format that begins in 2028 is still being negotiated and should not be presumed to land in the lower-tier Challenger Series. That’s the word from Hollis Cavner, CEO of Pro Link Sports, the company that stages several pro and college golf tournaments, including the 3M Open at the TPC of the Twin Cities in Blaine. Cavner said he couldn’t provide more details because the PGA Tour has asked that tournament officials not discuss last week’s announcement of the sweeping changes coming in two years.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4wbZWQa
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)
LAW & ORDER
MANGIONE: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Luigi Mangione’s federal trial in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson will now begin in January, a judge said Monday, delaying it from the fall. U.S. District Judge Margaret Garnett said she was postponing the federal trial so Mangione’s lawyers can focus on his state murder trial, which is scheduled to begin on Sept. 8.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4vGMCnd
DWI: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “For the second straight year, Minnesota’s impaired driving totals around Independence Day surpassed the equivalent periods around NYE and St. Paddy’s, the two other busiest holidays historically for DWI enforcement. The state saw 594 DWI stops or crashes between July 2-6 last year — the highest total for the holiday in a decade.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/445SDgX
NEW LAWS: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Legislature passed dozens of laws this spring. Many go into effect July 1 — the start of the state’s fiscal year — including social media restrictions, money for infrastructure projects across the state and safety requirements for schools.” LIST: https://fluence-media.co/4oT4Ejg
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)
MOVES
SALE: Via Austin-based Hormel, VERBATIM: “Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE: HRL), a Fortune 500 global branded food company, today announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Brazilian operations, operated under the CERATTI brand to Zanchetta Alimentos LTDA, a Brazilian food company with an established presence in the market.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vGRclp
SALE: Via Minneapolis-based SPS, VERBATIM: “SPS Commerce, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPSC), the leading intelligent supply chain network, today announced it has completed the sale of its 3P Revenue Recovery business. The company previously acquired the business through the Carbon6 Technologies, Inc. (Carbon6) acquisition which closed on February 7, 2025. Carbon6 was a provider of software tools to Amazon sellers, including specialized offerings for revenue recovery for both first-party (1P) and third-party (3P) suppliers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3SrSlyB
DULUTH: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “The Duluth City Council voted 7-2 Monday to approve a salary increase for Police Chief Mike Ceynowa.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4bl52S7
HIGHER ED: Via Tribal College, VERBATIM: “The Leech Lake Tribal College (LLTC) Board of Trustees has asked Dr. Erin Stresow to assume the position of president on July 7, 2026.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4eEUsYw
MOVE: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “With just 60 days left before the first game of the season, and even less time before fall practices begin, Bemidji State announced the departure of its head volleyball coach, Erika Bute. The first-year head coach, who was promoted to the job in February of 2025, announced her resignation as the head coach to accept a position at the helm of her alma mater, Augustana.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4v3KSDa
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
RETAIL: Via Minnesota Monthly, VERBATIM: “According to recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only 20% to 25% of brick-and-mortar retail stores survive past their 20th birthdays, and more than half close within just five years. Across the Twin Cities, shopping hubs are increasingly reflecting this volatility, with storefronts in near-constant rotation as leases expire, consumer habits shift, political tensions mount, and economic pressures intensify. But if you look closely, you’ll find them—a rare handful of shops that have managed to do the one thing few others can: endure.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4eByYM1
DOWNTOWN MPLS: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “For years, the Minneapolis Vintage Market has made a name for itself with one-day pop-ups that draw crowds eager to sift through racks of one-of-a-kind finds. Now, for the first time, shoppers can browse those treasures six days a week. The new Minneapolis Vintage Emporium opened June 15 inside IDS Center and will remain open through September 4, transforming a downtown storefront into a rotating showcase of vintage clothing, accessories, jewelry, and home goods from some of the Twin Cities’ best-known vintage dealers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4oVxX4V
SEAFOOD BOIL: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “A new restaurant is bringing the flavors of Louisiana and Vietnam to Brooklyn Park. Blu Cajun, located at 8517 Zane Ave. N., opened on Friday, June 26.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4b40Dmv
BEER: The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reports Heavy Rotation Brewing Co. is moving from Brooklyn Park to a city-owned building in downtown Osseo. READ: https://fluence-media.co/44EIIz8
COFFEE: Via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “Independent coffee roaster Twenty Below Coffee Co. is ending operations this week, the owners announced. The coffee shops, one in Fargo and one in Moorhead, will close Sunday, July 5.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vPvXh2
WHAT’S NEXT?
TODAY: Via U.S. Attorney, VERBATIM: “The United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota, along with federal and local law enforcement, will announce charges against multiple defendants for their alleged roles in two major Minnesota‑based drug trafficking organizations. The defendants are charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and other controlled substances, firearms offenses, violent crime offenses, and related conduct uncovered through a long‑term federal investigation.”
NEXT WEEK: Via Insight News, VERBATIM: “Motorists will encounter a closure of Highway 50 between Hampton and Douglas Township beginning at 6 a.m. Wednesday, July 8 through late August, according to the Minnesota Department of Transportation. The closure is necessary to allow crews to repave the highway for a smoother road surface, update drainage and improve safety.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4wDfmNR
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
PEACE: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “One of Minnesota’s longest-serving federal judges has died. David Doty would have turned 97 years old on Tuesday. He was best known for his rulings in thorny labor disputes between pro football players and the NFL.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4gNgARB
BDAYS: MPR’s Dana Ferguson, rock star Brian Leighton, fmr. Ramsey County Commissioner Victoria Reinhardt, attorney Scott Benson, business and education leader Scott Breimhorst
Fluence Media curates, produces and distributes specialized media products to thought leadership audiences across the Midwest and about the region. Our publications cover, politics, public policy, health care, agriculture, business, real estate, sports and more. Visit www.fluence-media.com to learn more.
about morning take- Founded in 2010, morning take has grown to become the leading Minnesota morning newsletter on politics and news of the day. Published by Fluence Media since 2012 the mission is to "make you smarter" before breakfast.
Copyright © 2026 Lunch Take, All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
Fluence Media
PO Box 270031
Golden Valley, MN 55427