Will this be Ben Johnson’s last game as Gopher men’s basketball coach? AXIOS: https://fluence-media.co/3DoQqDN
Surprise over prices has been trending lower of late – until last month. GALLUP: https://fluence-media.co/43Mj24i
A ship that sunk in Lake Superior in 1892 has been found. AP: https://fluence-media.co/3R7HJRa
Today’s WCCO Radio morning take at 6:20 with Vineeta Sawkar. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4iIpldx
GOP Rep. Brad Finstad was on Sunday Take to discuss tariffs, the Farm Bill, the federal deficit and more. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4hmnB8E
Blois
tips/feedback bloisolson@gmail.com
All Fluence Media tip sheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:
RESPONSIBLEGAMING: Legal sports betting platforms offer responsible game tools that offshore and illegal sports betting don’t offer. In fact, age verification is not required with most offshore providers. Learn more about why legalized sports betting is more responsible. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4kgJoS4 (SPONSORED: Sports Betting Alliance)
CD7: Via Park Rapids Enterprise, VERBATIM: “Democrat Erik Osberg officially announced his bid for Congress in Minnesota’s 7th District on Tuesday, March 11 at a launch event held at the historic Wadena Depot. The event attracted a group of local supporters and community members to hear Osberg’s vision for the future of rural Minnesota.” OSBERG: “I want to make sure that the safety nets for our most vulnerable communities and residents, especially senior citizens, remain intact.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hpI2Sd
PAID LEAVE: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s paid family and medical leave program is in the crosshairs even before it even gets off the ground and is shaping up as one of the legislative session’s big bargaining chips. Later this spring, a Minnesota agency will ramp up training and other outreach for a paid leave program geared toward new parents and other caregivers. That’s assuming GOP lawmakers don’t succeed in efforts to delay it or significantly change who qualifies for the benefits.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3FpOECO
HOUSING: Via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “A bipartisan group of lawmakers, including leaders of the House and Senate housing committees, introduced a package of bills aimed at increasing the supply of housing in Minnesota. The state, like the rest of the country, is facing a massive housing shortage, which is driving up home prices and rents. Housing developers say strict city zoning rules, exhaustive public hearings and aesthetic requirements make construction more expensive and reduce the number of units built.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3FoduD3
HUNGER: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “Minnesota food bank leaders came together at the Capitol on Tuesday, calling for policies to address hunger in Minnesota . . . [Allison O’Toole, CEO of Second Harvest Heartland in Brooklyn Park] said the Federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) helps families with more than food shelves are able to provide. She said for every one meal a food shelf provides, SNAP covers another nine. She said if these programs are cut, busy food banks will be more strained.” O’TOOLE: “This trajectory is not sustainable,” she said. “We must convene nonprofit and social services leaders, corporate partners and our lawmakers to find fixes for these solvable, non-partisan issues. We can’t stress enough that any reduction to SNAP benefits will turn the current crisis into a catastrophe.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/41I73SQ
FARIBAULT: Via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “Amid tariffs and wild swings in the stock market, iconic Minnesota manufacturer Faribault Mill made a bold statement Wednesday, announcing permanent price reductions of as much as $100 on many of its most popular blanket styles. The textile mill, which dates back to 1865, is one of the last of its kind to make handcrafted blankets on giant looms. Many of its large wool or cotton blankets cost upwards of $400.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bMKLDX
ST PAUL: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Former St. Paul City Councilmember Jane Prince talks about the current business environment in St. Paul. She is a member of Insight St. Paul which is a group that focuses on the economic issues facing the city. It comes as the Downtown Lunds and Byerlys announced it will soon close and business owners are asked to vacate the Alliance Bank Center.” PRINCE: “One thing that the CEO of Lunds, Tres Lund, said the other day is, it’s time for the city, county, and state to bring their workers back to work, just like the private sector is doing.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/41ZWDzh
ICYMI… In Tuesday’s lunch take, we shared the news that Alliance Bank Center would have its electricity cut today and business would have to vacate immediately. Today’s morning take shared an update with a brief reprieve. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4iploKY
CLIMATE: Zillow tallied the climate risk of fire, flood, and wind in major metropolitan areas. For the Twin Cities:
Fire: $7.8 billion
Flood: $34.1 billion
Wind: N/A
SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3XHVV7i
PRODUCING THE FUELS THAT HELP KEEP MINNESOTA MOVING: Flint Hills Resources, one of the Midwest’s leading producers 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)
PROTEST: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “Protests have been popping up around the country, with constituents demanding their elected officials take against what they say are anti-democratic actions by President Trump. Those same protests are happening in Minnesota, including one on Tuesday at Brainerd City Hall. Those in attendance were looking for answers from 8th Congressional District Rep. Pete Stauber, who they say is not stepping up and addressing his constituents’ concerns over actions taken by Trump in the past two months.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3R3PHe9
ICE: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Around 50 people, some holding signs that read ‘keep ICE out of the courthouse and protect our neighbors’ gathered at the Hennepin County Government Center Tuesday afternoon. Attorneys and immigration advocates say they’re concerned that Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE agents, are increasingly showing up to court hearings and using that time as an opportunity to arrest people before they get ‘access to justice.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3DBClCU
INTERRUPTERS: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “The founder of Minneapolis-based violence interrupter group 21 Days of Peace confirmed one of his own was hurt in a shooting on Monday night.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3FoEVwx
TRAFFIC STOPS: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “A message to drivers who attempt to flee when pulled over in Hennepin County and it's become a troubling trend: Do not flee if you've been pulled over by law enforcement. Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt says they are seeing more and more people fleeing deputies who pull them over for traffic stops.” QUOTE: "There's been times where people encountered that we've had to chase and they surprisingly would say you're not supposed to chase us," Witt told WCCO's Jordana Green Tuesday. "And so that makes you wonder like, OK, are you gonna flee because you think that law enforcement will not pursue you? Well, surprise, here we are and we're gonna continue to do what we need to do to keep people safe." LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/43F9pnZ
FRESH15: The latest season of Fresh15 includes interviews with new Minnesota House members. So far, five new members have shared their goals, background and fun facts before they take office in a historic session this January.
Rep. Kari Rehrauer
Rep. Wayne Johnson
Rep. Julie Greene
Rep. Keith Allen
Rep. Peter Johnson
Follow on your favorite podcast platform, or at www.TheDailyAgenda.com/Podcasts. (SPONSORED: Minnesota Telecom Alliance)
ERA: MinnPost talked with Betty Folliard, former Minnesota House member and founder of ERA Minnesota, about previous failed efforts to pass an equal rights amendment and send it to Minnesota voters. VERBATIM: “‘You expect the other side to always be pushing back, but it’s hard when your friends fail,’ Folliard said, referencing opposition from anti-abortion organizations and religious groups and the failure of the DFL to take advantage of their House and Senate majorities. She cited ‘hubris’ on the part of DFL leaders who had control of the body and thought they had time to work out internal disagreements before the session ended.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43FqfTJ
LAYOFFS: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “A Minneapolis man has filed a legal challenge against the federal government after he was fired from his job as a top official in the Minnesota district office of the Small Business Administration (SBA) in last month’s wave of federal layoffs. Chris Wicker, the former deputy director of the SBA office in Minneapolis, filed a class appeal on Friday with the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), an independent, quasi-judicial agency that mediates disputes between federal agencies and their employees.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43H8Zxr
BEMIDJI: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “Back in early December, the Bemidji City Council approved plans for reconstructing Highway 197 along with other major city streets, thanks to help from a RAISE Grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation. But those plans are now on hold due to President Trump’s federal grant freeze. Since the approval of the Highway 197 project in December, the Bemidji City Council and staff members were looking to have construction start in May of this year. Now, there is no timetable as to when the project can begin.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3XLK87T
VITAL PUBLIC WORKS PROJECT FUELS THE FUTURE OF THIS WISCONSIN TRIBE - In 2017, one of the “glaring needs” for the Lac Courte Oreilles (LCO) Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, in northwest Wisconsin, was an expanded wastewater treatment facility. “It was at capacity. We were not able to expand any of our businesses or facilities,” says Jason, the LCO Band’s Emergency Management Coordinator. With the support of Enbridge and several other partners, the LCO Band quadrupled its wastewater treatment capacity—allowing for creation of a new preschool, fire hall, 40-unit apartment complex, police headquarters and, still to come, health clinic and new residential community. “I’m very grateful for the partnership we’ve developed with Enbridge,” says Jason. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/49v4mHc (SPONSORED: Enbridge)
ROCHESTER: Via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “Medtech offices tend to be cold and clinical. But the lobby of Discovery Square Two in Rochester circumvents that stereotype with a modern gas fireplace that’s always burning, cozy seating areas, independent and group workspace, a café, and an inviting courtyard. This is the second building in a three-part project designed to support medical research and connect Mayo Clinic to the University of Minnesota Rochester and other businesses looking to work with the hospital system.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4iohXUS
HOTELS: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “A new report released this week suggests that Minnesota hotels are bracing for a tough year. But that’s not entirely the case in the northwest metro. In Maple Grove, the city has 10 hotels that attract people for a variety of different reasons. ‘They’re easy to access, they’re comfortable, they’re convenient,’ said Greg Anzelc, the executive director of Experience Maple Grove, the city’s marketing organization. Anzelc says those 10 hotels are doing well when it comes to occupancy.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/43EjIJ0
BRAINERD: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “The Brainerd City Council and staff met for an offsite retreat on Monday to help address the city’s future needs. Held at the Brainerd Public Library, the meeting detailed the city’s plans for potential successors for city officials, new goals for each department, and potential new positions that the city may need.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3XN8iim
CRAGUN’S: Via Minnesota Monthly, VERBATIM: “Cragun’s Resort, a cherished Minnesota landmark and family-owned since 1940, is officially changing ownership after 85 years. The resort, known for its rich history and stunning setting on Gull Lake, is now under contract with a local investment group led by Jamie Tatge, a respected veteran in resort management. Cragun’s, the third-largest resort in Minnesota, has been a place of family traditions and lifelong memories for generations of visitors—and that legacy will continue under new ownership.” READ/PHOTOS: https://fluence-media.co/3R2Trg0
GUTHRIE: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “The Guthrie Theater announced its upcoming 2025-2026 season. From classics like Macbeth the world premiere of The Ruins, the Guthrie hopes to continue its mission of using theater to build empathy and elevate new voices.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41ILHon
TOMORROW: Via DEED, VERBATIM: “On Thursday, March 13, Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Commissioner Matt Varilek and Labor Market Information Director Angelina Nguyen will be available to answer questions from the press regarding the latest employment data. Officials will be available Thursday, March 13, from 10:00-10:30 a.m.”
APRIL10: Citizens League will honor Peter Bell, former Metropolitan Council Chair and Sharon McMahon, at the 2025 Civic Celebration. The annual Civic Celebration is an inspiring evening, gathering hundreds of Minnesotans from diverse backgrounds, parties and ideologies to celebrate our state’s enduring civic culture, leadership, and commitment to public service. REGISTER: https://fluence-media.co/41txP1p (SPONSORED: Citizens League)
From yesterday’s Fluence newsletters:
LIST: Allianz, Best Buy, CHS, Ecolab, nVent, Thrivent, U.S. Bank, and Xcel Energy all made Ethispere’s list of the world’s most ethical companies. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4iBdpu2
COVID: Via ABC News, VERBATIM: “Five years ago, the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak to be a pandemic, leading to stay at-home orders and shutdowns across the U.S. and world. The nation looks much different since then, and scientists and researchers have learned a lot about the virus, including how it infects people, the best forms of treatment and what puts someone at risk for long COVID. There are still many questions, however.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3XK0ldM
MORE: Via MPR, five charts that show how Minnesota has been impacted. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4hvoNqq
MORE: Also via MPR, a look back at the pandemic with University of Minnesota infectious disease expert Dr. Michael Osterholm. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4kK0p7d
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RETAIL: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “In a fourth-quarter earnings call a week ago, Target executives acknowledged the retailer had lost a bit of its ‘magic’ that once retained loyal customers and enticed new ones. The Minneapolis-based company vowed to conjure more customers at its annual investors day last week, pledging to grow sales by $15 billion in five years. And it made a step toward that Wednesday with an enhanced slate of Circle Week deals starting March 23.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4iFII72
SUPPLY CHAIN: Via The Wall Street Journal, VERBATIM: “Target is looking to take a bigger bite of the $1.5 trillion U.S. grocery market, in part by bringing its supply chain for fresh and frozen food in house. The Minneapolis retailer has opened three new food-distribution centers over the past two years and plans to add another next year in Thornton, Colo., growing its grocery logistics network to nine temperature-controlled facilities nationwide.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3R2FiPV
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
COMPUTERS: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “In the post–World War II era, Minnesota became a hotbed of computer science innovation. In fact, our state has produced some of the most illustrious dorks, nerds, geeks, and techies in the entire world.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3DzMVu9
SOUP: Via Eater, VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s long, dark winters are best weathered with comfort food — the kind that warms you from the inside out, thick enough to cling to a spoon and satisfying enough to carry you through the darkest months of the year. Few dishes meet that need like wild rice soup — a creamy, earthy, and deeply Minnesotan staple. Found on menus from small-town diners to the Twin Cities’ most upscale restaurants, this dish is a classic.” PICKS: https://fluence-media.co/43ECaRO
BDAYS: comms pro Julie Reuvers, lobbyist Staci Martin, Sen. Erin Maye Quade, Fox 9’s Sean Skinner
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