Riverland Community College in Austin was under lockdown this morning. The lockdown has since been lifted. UPDATES: https://fluence-media.co/4nmtXcd
Only three industries are rated positively by a majority of Americans. GALLUP: https://fluence-media.co/4mCqXqV
Our warm September appears to be delaying this year’s fall colors. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/48v9s8s
What are the must-have toys this year? TARGET’S LIST: https://fluence-media.co/3IzASzw
Today’s WCCO Radio morning take at 6:20 with Tom Hauser in for Vineeta Sawkar. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4gEfUMm
After 40+ years in the legislature, Sen. Ann Rest is retiring at the end of her current term. On Sunday Take, an exit interview reflecting on her time in office and the shifts she’s seen over the years. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4gvKcki
Blois
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Fluence Advisory hosted a cannabis forum on the “State of Cannabis in Minnesota including an interview with Executive Director of the Office of Cannabis Management Eric Taubel.
TAYLOR SWIFT: Via Variety, VERBATIM: “Swifties were beginning to lose faith that Target, Taylor Swift‘s longtime retail partner, would get its own exclusive vinyl edition of ‘The Life of a Showgirl,’ as earlier rumored, with only nine days to go until the album’s Oct. 3 release date. But that stone is not going unturned after all. The singer announced Wednesday that Target will indeed carry a chain-exclusive LP variant — but that, unlike previous Swift/Target releases, this one will be a limited edition, with only one pressing before it goes out of print.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gMmQay
BOYCOTT: Via Investopedia, VERBATIM: “Target‘s January decision to end its DEI programs has triggered one of the most sustained corporate boycotts in recent memory, one that’s only broadened over time. Earlier this month, both the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the Chicago Teachers Union joined the boycott, which was spearheaded earlier this year by Black clergy and has garnered support from civil rights organizations, including Al Sharpton’s National Action Network and the National Newspaper Publishers Association, which represents the Black Press of America. The company has been hit hard, reporting comparable sales declines for two consecutive quarters (3.8% and 1.9% in the first and second quarters of this year, respectively).” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gGjg1v
H.B. FULLER: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “H. B. Fuller Co. (FUL) on Wednesday reported profit of $67.2 million in its fiscal third quarter. On a per-share basis, the St Paul, Minnesota-based company said it had profit of $1.22 . . . The adhesives company posted revenue of $892 million in the period, which beat Street forecasts.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46o7VQi
MORE: Via finimize, VERBATIM: “Despite modest sales, investors were encouraged by H.B. Fuller’s focus on margins and efficiency. With consensus sitting at ‘hold,’ analysts’ 12-month price target is still around 17% above the latest close, suggesting investors value steady execution. The stock is trading at about 13 times next year’s earnings, keeping it in line with similar companies.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46I9wzn
OMNIBUS: Via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “Gov. Tim Walz and state Attorney General Keith Ellison have petitioned the Minnesota Supreme Court to decide a case that could transform how the Minnesota Legislature writes and passes legislation. In its essence, the case poses the question: When is the process behind passing legislation so atrocious it is actually illegal? Last week, Walz and Ellison appealed a ruling by a Ramsey County judge who found that the state’s ban on binary triggers on guns violates a clause in the Minnesota Constitution, written in 1858, that ‘No law shall embrace more than one subject, which shall be expressed in its title.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gGTydi
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)
MYPILLOW: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “MyPillow has listed its Chaska corporate headquarters for sale as Mike Lindell’s embattled company consolidates operations in Shakopee. ‘Then we’re all in one place, Lindell said Wednesday. ‘We have our outlet store there, we have our shipping headquarters there and our procurement headquarters there. So now we would just be adding our executives down there … and our call center.’ In 2021, MyPillow paid $4.15 million for the Chaska office, which spans 46,000 square feet at 1550 Audubon Road. The property is now for sale for $3.2 million, with Newmark marketing it.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4neEOVo
WORKFORCE: Via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s job market outperformed the national economy in August, but people on the margins of the state’s workforce and the organizations that support them say they are feeling signs of slowdown as employers become more cautious and selective about hiring. [Johntay Neal], who recently served 32 months in prison for a weapons offense, finally got the break he needed last month when he was hired by Better Futures Minnesota, a Minneapolis nonprofit that offers training and jobs to recently incarcerated men.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3VwsYtF
HERMANTOWN: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “After speculation around a plot of land has swirled for months, the City of Hermantown has now provided more information on a large data center being proposed in the southwest corner of the city. A footprint for the 1.8 million square foot facility was laid out in a 400-page environmental review document shared by the city last week.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4809GEv
AUSTIN: Via MPCA, VERBATIM: “The city of Austin paid $14,156 for exceeding wastewater permit limits 16 times over an eight-month period in 2024, according to a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) investigation. The city of Austin’s wastewater treatment plant discharged ammonia and fecal coliform over permitted limits into the Cedar River.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4nfqlsg
ROBBINSDALE: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “Citing declining enrollment, a committee envisioning the future of Robbinsdale Area Schools sees school closures on the horizon. The Reimagine Rdale: Vision 2030 team is recommending that the district’s two high schools, Cooper and Armstrong, be condensed into a single district high school. Likewise, it recommends the district close and combine some of its elementary and middle schools . . . The recommendations come after the district grappled with a $21 million deficit and laid off about 200 employees.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46F9eJs
RENTERS: Via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “Landlords in Minnesota can evict tenants over lease violations, like using drugs or committing other crimes. But if a landlord accepts a rent payment after finding out about a lease violation, they can’t evict the tenant over that specific breach of the lease. In other words, by accepting a rent payment despite knowing about a lease violation, the landlord waives their right to evict. This protection did not apply to renters who received public subsidies, including Section 8 housing vouchers, until Wednesday.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4nf7hdG
DULUTH: Via Duluth News Tribune, VERBATIM: “After decades of little population change, the number of people living in Duluth appears to be increasing. But it’s straining the city’s housing market. In 2024, an estimated 87,990 people lived in Duluth, according to the latest estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey released earlier this month. That’s up 1.5% from the Census Bureau’s most recent official count of 86,697 in 2020.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4pDOQ3U
HABITAT: The Pine Bend Bluffs along the Mississippi River in Dakota County is a key migration corridor for millions of songbirds and 40% of North America’s waterfowl and shorebirds. This area also provides habitat to the rare, rusty patched bumble bee that was discovered in the Pine Bend Bluffs in 2019 and 2020. Collaboration among Friends of the Mississippi River, Great River Greening and Flint Hills Resources volunteers help to restore this natural area to pre-settlement conditions. The Pine Bend Bluffs has earned Wildlife Habitat Council Conservation Certification since 2001. The site recently earned gold certification, making the Pine Bend Bluffs currently the only gold certified site in Minnesota and the first ever in the metro area. WATCH: Flint Hills Resources: Certified Gold by the Wildlife Habitat Council (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery)
PROTOLABS: Via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “Since 2021, Protolabs’ sales have stagnated. From a record high, its stock has slid more than 80%. In May, the digital manufacturer named Suresh Krishna as its new president and CEO. He replaced Rob Bodor, who took over the Maple Plain–based company as it tumbled from its peak. In this year’s second quarter, Protolabs exceeded expectations. It reported in late July a 7.5% year-over-year revenue increase, at $135.1 million—a second-quarter record. On Wednesday, its stock notched a 52-week high, trading at nearly $60.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46oLoCV
LIST: Via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “The latest U.S. News rankings of the country’s best national universities and liberal arts colleges feature more than a dozen in Minnesota. The 2026 U.S. News Best Colleges list highlights the same 15 Minnesota schools that have been on it for years. But many of them didn’t score as well as they have in the past.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46phQoA
US BANK: Via U.S. Bank, VERBATIM: “U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB), parent company of U.S. Bank, announced today that Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Audit Executive Kandace Heck plans to retire from the company later this year and will be succeeded by Christopher Paulison.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4nKdQVn
ACQUISITION: Via news release from Detroit Lakes-based SJE, VERBATIM: “SJE, Inc., the global industry leader in control systems, today announced the acquisition of AMI Global from Cimbria Capital. With the combined capabilities, SJE expects to accelerate the delivery of advanced cloud connected opportunities and offer its customers a comprehensive platform of remote monitoring solutions. The AMI global acquisition represents SJE’s sixth since 2021 and first in 2025. AMI Global is a leading IIoT technology company providing end-to-end remote connectivity solutions for industrial equipment with a deep expertise in the broader pump application and water wastewater markets.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gGealT
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)
DROUGHT: The new Drought Monitor out this morning, reflecting data as of Tuesday, shows 21% of the state is now abnormally dry, up from 19% a week earlier. MAP: https://fluence-media.co/3PP2Kzy
SIRENS: Via KEYC-TV, VERBATIM: “Blue Earth County’s Emergency Management Director Eric Weller said this past Monday several outdoor warning sirens were unexpectedly activated. Normally, the sirens need to be activated by Blue Earth County officials. Weller says there was no emergency when these sirens went off . . . Weller says there was a glitch in the software that caused the sirens to go off.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/48jiCVJ
BAND: Via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “Save your Hootie and the Crowes jokes, because Darius Rucker‘s new band is way ahead of any attempt to shoehorn in an owl reference. Howl Owl Howl is the new supergroup from Hootie & the Blowfish frontman Darius Rucker, R.E.M.’s Mike Mills, and Black Crowes co-founder and former drummer, Steve Gorman, who is also the morning show host on KQRS in the Twin Cities.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48x9mgu
LONGFELLOW: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “I shouldn’t have been surprised that when Elia Read welcomed me to Shepherds Table, he did so with cheese: a soft-ripened Harbison from Vermont’s Jasper Hill Farm, wrapped in bark with a creamy, oozy middle; and a buttery, Tomme-style cheese from Shepherd’s Way Farms, his family’s farmstead down in Northfield, Minnesota. (Plus candied pecans, coffee, and thick slices of sourdough from neighboring Laune Bread.)” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3IfMFmz
TODAY: Via Isaiah MN, VERBATIM: “Ahead of the September 30 federal budget deadline, U.S. Senator Tina Smith will join roughly 100 Minnesota clergy from across faiths and places to urge Congress to pass a budget bill that protects healthcare for Minnesotans rather than prioritize tax breaks for the ultra wealthy.”
NEXT MONTH: Via Minnesota Monthly, VEBATIM: “The onset of fall kicks off a new season of arts and entertainment in Minnesota, and Twin Cities Film Fest (TCFF) is one of the first major events on the calendar. Now in its 16th year, TCFF celebrates storytelling, community, and cinematic excellence through a wide range of programming, including in-person and virtual film screenings, filmmaker Q&As, red carpet events, educational panels, and more.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46TknHL
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
IRELAND: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “As Minnesotans head to the Emerald Isle for the first NFL game ever in Dublin on Sunday, the streets should be flooded with Viking purple and Pittsburgh Steeler gold. Driving the news: Nick is also planning a Dublin trip for later this fall and Axios readers have flooded his inbox with recommendations.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4msjhat
PEACE: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “A Bemidji woman and member of the Red Lake Nation who helped found MMIW 218, a grassroots group dedicated to addressing the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women, has died. Simone Senogles, a member of the Migizi (Eagle) Clan who carried the names ‘Chinoodinikwé’ and ‘Miskomakwakwe,’ passed away on Saturday, September 20 at the age of 54.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3Izwmky
BDAYS: attorney Bill Griffith, Compass Capital Mgmt’s Mark Vitelli
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