More stormy weather is possible today. Here’s a rundown of impacts from Sunday night’s storms. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/454SI4C
The Storm Prediction Center says we could see a derecho with wind gusts more than 75 mph. READ: https://fluence-media.co/3HaU5Xo MORE: https://fluence-media.co/45lIs9o
4 clocks. 3 different times. All wrong. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3J4gNB4
Today’s WCCO Radio morning take at 6:20 with Vineeta Sawkar. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4mgJclZ
Sunday Take focused on Capitol security concerns and state Sen. Eric Pratt discussing his run for U.S. Rep. Angie Craig’s seat. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4mk2GWV
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:
CANNABIS: Fluence Advisory is hosting a virtual forum featuring an interview with Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management Director Eric Taubel and other industry experts on Monday, July 28th. The event is in partnership with Stinson and Sota Cann.
Other panels included:
· Municipal and Tribal Governments featuring Aarik Robertson of Mille Lacs Corporate Ventures and Kevin Morelli of the City of Anoka Moderated by Will Blauvelt of Stinson
· Cannabis Industry Update featuring Josh Wilken-Simon of Legacy Cannabis, Shaun Tetreault of Kind Bud, and Mark Matejcek of Kria Botanicals Moderated by Carol Moss of Hellmuth & Johnson
· THC Beverages Rapid Growth featuring Elizabeth Anderson Schmidt of Flying Cloud THC and Fat Pants Brewing, and Glenn McElfresh of Plift Beverages Moderated by Bruce Nustad of the Minnesota Retailers
REGISTER: https://fluence-media.co/CannabisForum
TARGET: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “Target is scrapping its longtime price-match policy, which allowed shoppers to match prices from competitors like Walmart and Amazon. Why it matters: The Minneapolis-based retailer was one of the last major retailers offering the price protection option. The change runs the risk of alienating price-conscious shoppers, especially those who've come to rely on the rare policy in a competitive retail landscape.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/45lzg4S
MORE: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “The policy allowed shoppers who could prove that they found a lower price for an item (provided it was the identical brand name, size, weight, color and model number, and was sold by Amazon or Walmart) to receive a price match, according to the Target policy. But starting July 28, shoppers will not be allowed to buy such items at the lower price, a Target representative said in a statement. The only price matching that will be permitted will be if a cheaper price is found on the Target website or in one of its stores. The statement said that Target’s customers are more likely to receive a price match on items sold at different prices by Target than they are on items sold by other retailers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lQUlKs
SOLAR: Via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “More than 180 local households will see significantly lower energy bills after the solar array atop Abbott Northwestern Hospital’s new parking ramp powers up later this year . . . The future of projects like these are in doubt since the election of President Donald Trump, which has ushered in a federal government bent on making it harder for Americans to access affordable, non-polluting electricity. Trump signed a partisan budget law on July 4 that sunsets federal solar tax credits years ahead of schedule while boosting already-generous fossil fuel subsidies, sending solar developers scrambling to grandfather as many projects as possible under the current rules . . . ‘Our lawyers are really trying to define our deadlines and we’re going to push as much as we can before we have to reorient,’ CEF’s Dan Grantier told The Reformer at the Abbot Northwestern ribbon-cutting event.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3GXfoMe
TARIFFS: Via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “After President Trump announced a tariff regime in April, Michael E. Jordan, CEO of the UNRL athleisure company, decided he wouldn’t pass his new tariff costs along to his consumers.” JORDAN: “We ate it and did not adjust our pricing on anything,” Jordan said, referring to the extra expense of doing business in China. One of Trump’s stated reasons for placing a high tariff on China is to force U.S. companies to make their products in U.S. factories. “It’s been painful, no doubt.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/471mo58
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)
DOWNTOWN MPLS: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “There are good signs for downtown Minneapolis as workers flow back into offices, but the real estate situation is as messy as ever. Why it matters: Residential property taxpayers were hit with hefty increases this year in part due to an erosion of office tower values, so much so that the City Council is exploring adding an income tax to help pay for municipal services. Despite some positive metrics in new leasing reports, a rebound in those values — and therefore property tax revenues — is unlikely to happen anytime soon.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3J6SiDl
NATIONAL PARKS: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “According to internal documents reviewed by The New York Times, employees of the National Park Service have flagged descriptions and displays at scores of parks and historic sites for review in connection with President Trump’s directive to remove or cover up materials that ‘inappropriately disparage Americans’ . . . In response, a coalition of librarians, historians and others organized through the University of Minnesota has launched a campaign called ‘Save Our Signs.’ It is asking the public to take photos of existing content at national parks and upload it. The group is using those images to build a public archive before any materials may be altered. So far, it has more than 800 submissions.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3UvBs3A
MORE: Via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “Molly Blake, a social sciences librarian at UMN, is one of the co-founders of the project. She described the national park system as ‘the nation’s largest outdoor history classroom.’” QUOTE: “One thing that I think is especially important is that this information is very deliberately accessible to everyone, and it’s taxpayer funded,” Blake said in an interview with the Reformer. “That made me feel very strongly that this should be preserved somewhere so that people can see it.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3H6984M
TODAY: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Steven Frane Bailey will be sentenced Monday for driving drunk into the patio of the Park Tavern last September, killing two people and injuring 12 others. According to court documents, Bailey, 57, drove from the parking lot into the patio of the St. Louis Park restaurant, hitting several tables filled with people before his car hit a boulder on the other side of the patio.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4m9xv0g
SATURDAY: Via Instagram, minnesota50501 will hold an event titled “Rage Against the Regime” in the old Sears parking lot in St. Paul. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4l4WfpE
EMMER: Via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer, a Republican who represents Minnesota’s 6th District, singled out Somali Minnesotans in a Fox News segment, prompting a response from Somali advocates. ‘These Somali gangs are incredibly dangerous,’ Emmer said. ‘And yet no one in the Minnesota media is reporting that that’s what’s going on. We’ve got Somali gangs that are causing these problems. Good news is I visited with our FBI last week and they’re taking action. But it’s been a long time coming.’ Emmer, who is the current House majority whip, was being interviewed about the Minneapolis mayoral race on the Fox News show ‘The Bottom Line.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40EwO6Y
AMPHITHEATER: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “The opening of a North Minneapolis riverfront amphitheater is coming sooner than you might expect, given how long it took to get a deal done. State of play: A groundbreaking is scheduled for Sept. 20, which would create a timeline for the first show on Memorial Day weekend 2027, 22 months from now. What they're saying: First Avenue owner Dayna Frank told Axios last week her team would have to begin booking concerts for the summer of 2027 ‘tomorrow’ because that's the lead time on musical acts.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4o5pP0Z
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)
LIST: Minneapolis ranks third on CoworkingCafe’s list of large U.S. cities to start a career. VERBATIM: “Minneapolis holds steady with gains in education and employer-based health insurance reflecting a balanced mix of affordability, economic stability and upward mobility. Specifically, the city’s tech sector is experiencing significant growth with a projected 20% increase in tech roles by 2025.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/459KYhQ
BEACHES: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “The beach at East Medicine Lake Park in Plymouth is among those currently closed because of water quality issues. According to officials, that beach is often impacted by waste from geese and other waterfowl, especially after heavy rainfall.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4m8yZrI
MORE: Via Hennepin County, a map of beaches showing which ones are closed. MAP: https://fluence-media.co/3H6QHNh
DATA BREACH: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “Hackers gained access to personal data on the majority of the 1.4 million customers of Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America, the company confirmed Saturday. Minneapolis-based Allianz Life, a subsidiary of Munich, Germany-based Allianz SE, said the data breach happened on July 16 when a ‘malicious threat actor’ gained access to a third-party, cloud-based system used by the company.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4laR33G
RETAIL: The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reports sporting goods retail Scheels plans to open its second Twin Cities store in Blaine. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fgslxs
AMERIPRISE: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “Ameriprise Financial Services Inc. (AMP) on Thursday reported second-quarter earnings of $1.06 billion. The Minneapolis-based company said it had net income of $10.73 per share. Earnings, adjusted for non-recurring gains, came to $9.11 per share. The results topped Wall Street expectations.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3H3ehuq
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)
ROCHESTER: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “A proposed public sports complex in Rochester is getting renewed scrutiny this week after its estimated cost nearly doubled. The city council meets Monday to review details of the plan and discuss whether it should be significantly scaled back, if not scrapped altogether. And that’s got some city leaders asking if the entire project needs to be rethought. Rochester Parks & Recreation first discussed building an indoor-outdoor sports complex that could serve both local residents and host youth baseball, softball and soccer tournaments about a decade ago.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46x63VS
TRAFFICKING: Via news release from Minneapolis-based Our Rescue, VERBATIM: “Our Rescue, together with two non-profit partners Skull Games Solutions and We Fight Monsters, has announced the launch of a bold new U.S. based initiative, the Interstate Justice Coalition, a nimble multi-agency surge operation designed to support and enhance law enforcement efforts in disrupting trafficking networks and rescue survivors. This extraordinary effort accelerates the critical work of law enforcement and community partners by uniting three nonprofit organizations, each with proven operational capabilities and a shared mission to combat sex trafficking and child exploitation.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kYusH6
ITASCA CO: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “An Itasca County task force created to lower the number of fatal crashes on the roads is seeing extreme success just one year after its creation. The stretch of Highway 169 from Grand Rapids to Keewatin in Itasca County was considered one of the deadliest roads in the state. It recorded ten fatal wrecks from 2019 to 2024.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4lZ3KQ7
BEMIDJI: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “The City of Bemidji raised the Red Lake Nation flag on Friday in honor of Roger A. Jourdain Day. Local officials and family members gathered for the flag raising at Bemidji City Hall. Jourdain was Red Lake’s first tribal leader. He was elected tribal chairman in 1959 and served in that role until 1990.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4o8y4t1
TOMORROW: Via news release from St. Paul-based Ecolab, VERBATIM: “Ecolab will host a live webcast to discuss its 2025 second quarter results. A news release containing second quarter results is expected to be issued before market open on July 29, 2025.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/44nPjyE
WEDNESDAY: Via news release from Minneapolis-based Sleep Number, VERBATIM: “Sleep Number Corporation (Nasdaq: SNBR) will release its fiscal second quarter results through June 28, 2025, before market open on Wednesday, July 30, 2025.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3GXCh20
WEDNESDAY: Via news release from Eden Prairie-based C.H. Robinson, VERBATIM: “C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. (Nasdaq: CHRW), announced today that it will issue its second quarter 2025 results after the market closes on Wednesday, July 30, 2025.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4nKgzPJ
WEDNESDAY: Via news release from Minneapolis-based SPS, VERBATIM: “SPS Commerce, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPSC), a leader in retail supply chain cloud services, today announced that it will issue its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2025, after the market close on Wednesday, July 30, 2025.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3IAYHXb
THURSDAY: Via news release from Xcel, VERBATIM: “On Thursday, July 31, 2025, Xcel Energy (NASDAQ: XEL) will host a conference call to review second quarter 2025 financial results. The earnings report will be released prior to the market open on the same date.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kgBqXJ
THURSDAY: Via news release from Maple Plain-based Protolabs, VERBATIM: “Protolabs (NYSE: PRLB) announced today that it will issue its financial results for the second quarter of 2025 before the opening of the market on Thursday, July 31, 2025. Protolabs will host a conference call to discuss the results at 8:30 a.m. EDT on the same day.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/44TOPAu
THURSDAY: Via news release from New Brighton-based APi, VERBATIM: “APi Group Corporation (NYSE: APG) announced today that it intends to release its financial results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2025, before the market opens on Thursday, July 31, 2025.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lBiMeM
THURSDAY: Via news release from Minnetonka-based NOG, VERBATIM: “Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. (NYSE: NOG) announced today that it plans to issue its second quarter 2025 financial and operating results on Thursday, July 31, 2025, after the market closes.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40lz9n4
FRIDAY: Via news release from Minneapolis-based Piper Sandler, VERBATIM: “Piper Sandler Companies (NYSE: PIPR), a leading investment bank, will release its second quarter 2025 financial results prior to the opening of the market on Friday, August 1, 2025.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4o2aM8a
FRIDAY: Via news release from Sun Country, VERBATIM: “Sun Country Airlines (NASDAQ: SNCY) will hold its second quarter 2025 earnings call on Friday, August 1 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/45i3ztd
AWARD: AdAge awarded Small Agency of the Year Midwest gold to Minnesota’s Rise and Shine and Partners. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4kXzR1i
CARLSON: Via news release from Carlson, VERBATIM: “Carlson, Inc., a family-led private investment firm, announces the appointment of Scott C. Gage as its Non-Executive Chair of the Board, effective August 8, 2025.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lJgz0R
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
TOWN BALL: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Bluffton City Field buzzes on a warm June Sunday as the Bluffton Braves get ready to play ball against the Perham Pirates. Dozens of fans settle into lawn chairs, some seek shade in the covered bleachers behind home plate. No one’s looking at their phones . . . Variations of that scene have played out for more than a century in hundreds of cities and small towns across Minnesota — generations from teenagers to men sliding into middle age, showing up at the town park to play baseball. It’s a tradition like few other places in the country. The family and generational ties run especially deep in Bluffton, which first fielded a team in 1948.” LISTEN/PHOTOS: https://fluence-media.co/4lR2pec
BDAYS: WCCO Radio’s Jordana Green, Commissioner Kevin Paap
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