The NBA draft begins tonight – the Wolves’ new owners have some decisions to make. AXIOS: https://fluence-media.co/4et2lys
Majorities of adults in five Western European NATO countries say the alliance is weak or unreliable – they largely blame U.S. politics. MORNING CONSULT: https://fluence-media.co/448zNqx
Saturday’s powerful winds knocked a train off the tracks in Cass County. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/46aFhlI
Today’s WCCO Radio morning take at 6:20 with Vineeta Sawkar. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4kb7Pix
On Sunday Take, Blois chats with Representative Dave Baker and Minnesota state auditor Julie Blaha about the path ahead, things to look ahead to with the special session behind us, some of the humanity that people do not see between the many colleagues around him and where we go from here as we try to move forward. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3G4owyc
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:
STUDY: Via news release from Minneapolis-based Allianz Life, VERBATIM: “More Americans say that they are too nervous to invest right now and are worried about their retirement savings more than they have in the last six years as extreme market volatility ripples through the economy, according to the 2025 Q2 Quarterly Market Perceptions Study from Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America (Allianz Life). Nearly half (48%) of all Americans say they are too nervous to invest right now. This is up from 41% in Q1 and higher than any other time since Allianz first asked this question in 2019. At the same time, market volatility is also leading to increased worry about long-term financial security for goals like retirement.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/44z7SzS
DRIVERS: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty is announcing a new effort to target dangerous driving. The initiative comes during the time of year when Minnesota typically sees a spike in traffic fatalities. According to the Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety, sunny conditions and dry roads in the summer make motorists more inclined to drive at unsafe speeds. While there are generally more crashes during the winter, they tend to be less severe because ice and snow make drivers more cautious.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/40lx7mR
TARGET: Via Bloomberg, VERBATIM: “Target Corp. is testing the delivery of products directly to customers’ homes from factories, said people familiar with the matter, an effort by the big-box retailer to launch a service similar to the Chinese e-commerce platforms Temu and Shein. The company is seeking to broaden its range of low-cost offerings through the initiative, said the people, who asked not to be named because the test hasn’t been announced. Products would primarily include apparel, household goods and other non-food items, according to the people, who added the effort is in the early stages.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lhuuKU
MORE: Via Reuters, VERBATIM: “Competitors such as Temu, which is owned by PDD Holdings, and fast-fashion giant Shein had earlier benefited from the service of drop-shipping items directly to customers on the back of the 'de minimis' exemption. 'De minimis', a legal term referring to matters of little importance, describes the U.S. waiver of standard customs procedures and tariffs on imported items worth less than $800 shipped to individuals. The Trump administration, however, ended duty-free access for low-value shipments from China and Hong Kong to the U.S. on May 2.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lh7L2d
GEN MILLS: Via The Wall Street Journal, VERBATIM: “General Mills said organic sales could fall again in the current fiscal year as consumers continue to spend less on snacks, despite efforts to return to growth. The maker of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Bisquick pancake mix on Wednesday said its top priority in fiscal 2026 is to restore volume-driven organic sales growth. ‘To do that, we’ll invest further in consumer value, product news, innovation and brand building,’ Chief Executive Jeff Harmening said. These investments will include launching Blue Buffalo into the quickly growing U.S. fresh-pet-food space later this calendar year, the Minneapolis company said. However, it warned that these investments, coupled with higher costs from tariffs, should outpace cost-saving efforts.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3GcN1cq
MORE: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “General Mills Inc. (GIS) on Wednesday reported fiscal fourth-quarter net income of $294 million. On a per-share basis, the Minneapolis-based company said it had profit of 53 cents. Earnings, adjusted for restructuring costs and non-recurring costs, were 74 cents per share. The results beat Wall Street expectations . . . The maker of Cheerios cereal, Yoplait yogurt and other packaged foods posted revenue of $4.56 billion in the period, falling short of Street forecasts.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kYazRm
INFLATION: Via Reuters, VERBATIM: “Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank President Neel Kashkari on Tuesday said that while recent inflation readings suggest disinflation is underway, the central bank is taking its time to get more clarity on whether tariffs will change that, and by how much.” QUOTE: "The Federal Reserve has basically been in wait and see mode, saying we need to get more clarity on how this is all playing out in the economy before we are confident on what tariffs are going to do to inflation," Kashkari told the La Crosse, Wisconsin Area Chamber of Commerce. "We've been taking our time to try to get a sense of what's really going on before we make any dramatic changes in our policy outlook." READ: https://fluence-media.co/44yXVm8
UOFM REGENTS: Via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “It’s the Minnesota Legislature’s duty to select the board, which currently is a mix of active and retired professionals with varied legal, business and advocacy backgrounds. But during the 2025 legislative session, and its one-day special session, lawmakers never got around to it. As a result, Gov. Tim Walz will now select four interim regents. Republican lawmakers see this as a major blunder. ‘Electing Regents was a topic I brought up during negotiations with the governor and other House and Senate leaders,’ Speaker Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, said in a statement to MinnPost. ‘It’s very disappointing to me that we couldn’t come together on that issue in the end.’ DFL legislative leaders say there was not enough time amid overlong budget negotiations.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4enyqYn
VAPES: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “Any vape pen or e-cigarette sold in Minneapolis could soon cost at least $25 under new pricing requirements city leaders are considering. Why it matters: The proposed ordinance is meant to curb vaping among teens and young adults. One in seven Minnesota high schoolers had vaped within the previous 30 days, according to one 2023 survey — and roughly half of those users reported vaping frequently.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/440dwLq
ST PAUL: Via Sahan Journal, VERBATIM: “A St. Paul program is accepting applications from descendants of families that were displaced from the Rondo neighborhood and West Side Flats, and who are trying to buy a home. The West Side Community Organization, a St. Paul nonprofit that serves residents of the long-established Mexican community near downtown St. Paul, is hosting two free informational sessions about the program on Tuesday, June 24, and Thursday, June 26.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3HZdCKD
BROOKLYN CENTER: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “Play is powerful. You can see that in action as kids of all ages run around on Brooklyn Center playgrounds. ‘It’s really important to have a safe and reliable resource, and so we want to continue to invest in those places so the current generation that is using them can enjoy them, and future generations as well,’ said Kory Andersen Wagner, the city’s public works planner. Andersen Wagner said one of the priorities this season was parks, especially after the city passed its Capital Improvement Program. The CIP’s goals were established by the Brooklyn Center City Council. He said those goals are informed by community members’ requests.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/440Zg59
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)
BOELTER: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Vance Boelter worked briefly at the University of Minnesota until the day before he allegedly stalked and killed former DFL House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark inside their Brooklyn Park home on June 14. Boelter, 57, is also accused of shooting and seriously wounding DFL State Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette about 90 minutes earlier at their home in Champlin. Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension special agent Charles Busch, one of the many investigators assigned to track Boelter during the 43-hour manhunt on June 14 and 15, writes in a search warrant application that Boelter had been employed by the University of Minnesota and had his pay automatically deposited to New Market Bank.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43ZC9rz
EAGAN PD: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “The Eagan Police Department has become the first in Minnesota to deploy a new device to bring car chases to a rapid - and safe - conclusion. It's called the ‘Grappler’, a net that deploys from a squad car that snares the rear tire of a fleeting vehicle. Sgt. Rich Evans says he believes the device could have prevented or at least shortened many previous pursuits.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4nk22K2
TRANSIT: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “As the possibility of light rail construction through Robbinsdale, Crystal and Brooklyn Park gets closer, a coalition is hard at work to prevent displacement and promote prosperity along the Blue Line Extension corridor. Money from the state will help achieve that goal. The state legislature awarded $10 million to the Anti-Displacement Community Prosperity Program Board (ACPP) to help with infrastructure surrounding the Blue Line Extension.” QUOTE: “For us, it’s not about the train, but what happens to the people when you announce that a train is getting built? What happens to the businesses,” said Ricardo Perez, chair of the ACPP Board. “And the question we’re trying to answer is, how can we help people and businesses to not only survive possible construction, but to thrive after that thing gets built?” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3HYw4D0
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)
BROOKLYN PARK: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “A proposed new ordinance in Brooklyn Park could limit where predatory sex offenders can live. The Brooklyn Park City Council approved a first reading of the policy on Monday. If approved on a second reading, it would make it illegal for a Level 3 predatory sex offender to live within 500 feet of a park or a playground. It would also prohibit predatory offenders from living within 1,000 feet of a school, place of worship or another predatory offender.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4kQhvQy
DULUTH: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “The Duluth City Council passed a resolution Monday aimed at modernizing housing code to increase housing supply for all income levels. The resolution passed unanimously and was co-sponsored by Councilors Arik Forsman, Tara Swenson, Azrin Awal and Lynn Marie Nephew. For many years, the housing crisis has plagued Duluth. In a Northern News Now special report called, NIMBY versus YIMBY, we explored the growing fight between residents who oppose new housing in their neighborhoods, and others who say they want the city to do everything it can to build more housing. One of the barriers to new housing is Duluth’s housing code, which has many zoning regulations.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4k5cBxS
JUCY LUCY: Via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “Matt’s Bar, at 35th and Cedar in Minneapolis, had a problem. A problem few businesses experience—other than during supply chain disruptions or special events. It had no capacity for more customers. Matt’s is basically full, open to close . . . The answer eventually became clear: a food truck. Usually a solution for nascent restaurateurs building up to a brick and mortar or proving a concept, a food truck would allow Matt’s to grow while maintaining the specialness and exclusivity of the dine-in experience.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lr3cln
SUNDAY: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “Professional women’s sports continued its surge in Minnesota this year. From the Lynx dominating the WNBA again to the Frost presiding over the PWHL, winning the Walter Cup trophy two years in a row, the Twin Cities have seen no shortage of women’s athletic dominance. On Sunday, June 29, local sports fans will get yet another display: Women’s Elite Rugby (WER) will host its inaugural national championship game, the Legacy Cup, at TCO Stadium in Eagan.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4egXLTD
WINNEBAGO: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “Winnebago Industries Inc. (WGO) on Wednesday reported fiscal third-quarter profit of $17.6 million. The Eden Prairie, Minnesota-based company said it had net income of 62 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for one-time gains and costs, were 81 cents per share. The results topped Wall Street expectations . . . The recreational vehicle maker posted revenue of $775.1 million in the period, missing Street forecasts.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/443VfwQ
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
GRAND MARAIS: Via Minnesota Monthly, VERBATIM: “Voted ‘America’s Best Small Lake Town’ by Travel + Leisure in 2023, this northern haven draws over 1.2 million visitors annually, offering an appealing dichotomy of experiences between four state parks, the glistening Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, and a quirky, thriving arts community.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/44vyj9D
BDAYS: CFANS’ Tim Loesch, professor Rand Park, outdoorsman Billy Dinkel, operative Sarah Kruger, marketer Chris Iles
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