9% of U.S. adults identify as something other than heterosexual. It was 3.5% in 2012. GALLUP: https://fluence-media.co/4aCaKOu
It’s Presidents’ Day – what’s open and what’s closed. BMTN: https://fluence-media.co/4kGFgez
Minnesota ranks second on WalletHub’s list of the best states for families. READ: https://fluence-media.co/469jxpE
Follow the 2026 Minnesota election’s up close with the Fluence ElectionTracker. FluenceElectionTracker.com
Today’s WCCO Radio morning take at 6:20 with Vineeta Sawkar. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4kzNLIg
Sunday Take featured Rep. Michelle Fischbach and Fluence sponsor Minnesota Corn’s Richard Syverson discussing E15, Congress and Homeland Security. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4ayBI9H
Blois
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IN THE NATIONAL CONVERSATION
BWCAW: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “Ted Roosevelt IV doesn’t like to put words in a dead man’s mouth. But he’s pretty sure that President Theodore Roosevelt, his great-grandfather, would have been ‘appalled’ by an effort by House Republicans to allow mining near an expanse of wilderness in Minnesota. So he and several relatives recently wrote to Republican senators, urging them against allowing mining upstream from the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, a vast preserve of glacial lakes and boreal forests crisscrossed by canoe routes and hiking trails.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aSUGZT
FRAUD: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Eight months ago, Minnesota social services officials abruptly stopped paying millions of dollars to an overnight health care provider and an autism care center . . . The state routinely blacklists known fraudsters. But the experience of the two operations reflect a tougher approach by the Department of Human Services (DHS) as it tries to root out fraud. Now, state investigators are taking greater measures to stifle suspected bad actors, cutting off funding indefinitely based only on suspicion of fraud and, in many cases, absent an open law enforcement investigation.”
“In the past year, the DHS withheld payments from providers more frequently than it did in any of the previous four years.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ak9twz
FEDS SHOOTINGS: Via BCA, VERBATIM: “The FBI formally notified the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) on Feb. 13 that it will not provide the BCA with access to any information or evidence that it has collected in the Jan. 24 shooting death of Alex Pretti. The BCA reiterated the request to receive information, access to evidence, and cooperation in the Jan. 7 shooting death of Renee Good and the Jan. 14 shooting of Julio Sosa-Celis. It remains unclear if there will be any cooperation or sharing of information related to those two shootings. While this lack of cooperation is concerning and unprecedented, the BCA is committed to thorough, independent and transparent investigations of these incidents, even if hampered by a lack of access to key information and evidence.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4axZAu2
THIS MORNING: Via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “Some Democratic Minnesota lawmakers gathered at the State Capitol on Presidents Day to urge their Republican colleagues to stand against what they call President Trump’s ‘abuse of power.’ DFL Party members were joined by some Minnesotans who ‘have been harmed’ by the actions of federal immigration officers during Operation Metro Surge, including some Republican constituents.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4651SQ4
MNLEG: With the 2026 legislative session set to begin tomorrow, from MPR, a look at how recent events could turn into legislation and politics at hand. VERBATIM: “The Legislature is narrowly split with Democrats holding 101 seats and Republicans 100, which means bipartisan backing is needed to get anything to the governor’s desk. All 201 seats are on the ballot next fall, which means that election pressures could find their way to Capitol conversations.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3OlYBFS
MORE: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “As the Minnesota legislative session approaches, Sen. Ann Rest (DFL–New Hope) emphasizes the importance of setting aside campaign politics and focusing on effective public policy, saying lawmakers must ‘keep your rhetoric out of the chamber.’” REST: “Leave your campaigns and people who are in the campaign season, leave them outside the door and think more about what good public policy is.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4axQT2S
MORE: Via WDIO-TV, VERBATIM: “State Senator Jen McEwen, Representative Liish Kozlowski, and Representative Pete Johnson gathered with Duluth residents at an in-person town hall to discuss legislative priorities and community concerns. Sen. McEwen welcomed attendees, sharing that this was the first in-person town hall since she took office in 2021 due to the pandemic.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4cvxVwf
PROTESTERS’ HOMES: Via The New York Times, VERBATIM: “Among nearly 100 sworn statements filed in federal court on Friday are more than a dozen accounts like Mr. Woo’s, in which federal agents deployed to Minnesota singled out protesters, finding the addresses of their homes and showing up there. It is not entirely clear how the agents determined the monitors’ home addresses; some assumed the agents had used their vehicles’ license plates. But whatever the case, the sworn statements describe a remarkable projection of police power.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Ojb11q
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)
BUSINESS HEADLINES
3M: Via 3M, VERBATIM: “3M today announced the appointment of Meagan Linn as Senior Vice President, Government Affairs. In this role, Linn will oversee the company’s engagement with the executive branch, policymakers, regulatory agencies, and industry associations, globally to advance public policy dialogue. She will also be responsible for developing business growth through government contracts.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rfq22J
FAIRMONT: Via KEYC-TV, VERBATIM: “Martin County Economic Development says around 80 employees are expected to be affected by the closure of 3M’s manufacturing plant in Fairmont. The Fairmont Area Chamber of Commerce says that as the company prepares to close the facility in early 2027, it has been working to put the employees affected in contact with resources that can help if they want to stay in the community.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4rn6jhH
SKYWATER: Via Bloomington-based SkyWater, VERBATIM: “SkyWater Technology (NASDAQ: SKYT), the largest exclusively U.S.-based pure-play semiconductor foundry, today announced the appointment of Christine Dunbar as senior vice president of sales and solutions engineering, reporting directly to President and COO John Sakamoto.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rowOmW
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)
ECONOMIC INDICATORS
LIVE MUSIC: Via Twin Cities Business, a look at the economics of live music venues in the Twin Cities and beyond. VERBATIM: “Rising costs and changing audience behaviors have dealt the last blow to some venues while paring the already-thin margins of others down to translucence. Most independent venues aren’t making money. The National Independent Venue Association (NIVA) released this news last year, in what it called the first national economic research study of the independent live-performance sector. (Independent venues are basically those clubs, theaters, and arenas locally operated without major corporate ownership.) NIVA found that 64% of independent venues, promoters, and festivals nationwide were not profitable in 2024.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kE0NEA
GOLD/SILVER: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “In the six years Mike Korstad has worked buying and selling precious metals at Minnesota Gold and Silver exchange in St. Louis Park, he says it’s never been this busy. Some days, there are long lines of people outside the shop’s door, waiting for him to open up . . . He says that while gold dominates the news, silver is actually outperforming its precious metal counterpart, so many people are trying to cash in by selling whatever silver items they have.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46QQeIE
PATENTS: Via University of Minnesota, VERBATIM: “The University of Minnesota ranked 34th in the Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted Utility Patents for 2025. Released by the National Academy of Inventors (NAI), the ranking highlights the incredible technological and economic contributions made by faculty and researchers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3MsN1Z6
HAWAII: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “There’s a new flight option coming to MSP Airport for those hoping to get to a warm, sandy beach on the Pacific. Delta Airlines said nearly three years ago the plan was to launch nonstop flight options from MSP to Maui, ultimately canceling those plans following the deadly wildfires that devastated Lahaina and the entire northwestern coast. Now, it’s back. They’ll begin offering those nonstop flights beginning in December.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4rEfhaB
(DISCLOSURE: Delta is a Fluence sponsor)
SCHOOL BUSES: Via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “Across Minnesota, the number of electric school buses shuttling kids to class is on track to rise sharply in 2026 as districts tapping into federal and state incentives see orders fulfilled . . . Minnesota had 19 electric school buses on the road in February, according to the World Resources Institute, which tracks adoption through its Electric School Buses Initiative. Those buses carry about 700 students.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tDjxbD
WILD ABOUT READING: Join more than 800 Minnesota classrooms and 30,000 students participating in the “Wild About Reading” program, a partnership with Flint Hills Resources which encourages students to read more using Minnesota Wild-branded posters, reading logs, and bookmarks. Teachers set weekly reading goals and give certificates to students who complete the four-week program. Fun program incentives include classroom visits from the Wild’s mascot, Nordy – and the team dog, Paulie; a pair of tickets to a Wild home game, player signed pucks and photos; and a pizza party for a classroom. LEARN MORE: Wild About Reading (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery)
AROUND THE STATE
MMIR: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Hundreds of people gathered Saturday at the Minneapolis American Indian Center to bring attention to the high numbers of Indigenous people who have gone missing or been murdered. The crowd observed a moment of silence at the start of the day’s program. A minute or so passed before Nicole Matthews, longtime leader of the Minnesota Indian Women’s Sexual Assault Coalition, asked for people to call out the names of their loved ones who have been murdered, or gone missing.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tEBsi7
PARK CENTER HS: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “As part of the district’s Building a Better Future initiative approved by voters several years ago, Park Center will receive $43 million in upgrades. The renovation will include a new media center with a so-called ‘learning staircase,’ a brighter cafeteria, a school store stocked with Park Center Pirate merchandise and a new wing dedicated to career and technical education.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4azS01Q
CLC: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “Central Lakes College held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday for its Brainerd campus renovation project. The Student Services and Academic Support renovation project renewed and renovated over 45,000 gross square feet of space. The effort was something initially brainstormed during former President Larry Lundblad’s time at the school.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4rm4L7G
WHAT’S NEXT?
TODAY: Via Fergus Falls-based Otter Tail, VERBATIM: “Otter Tail Corporation (Nasdaq: OTTR) will issue a news release announcing 2025 financial results after the stock market closes on Monday, February 16, 2026 and will host a live conference call and webcast on Tuesday, February 17, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. CT to discuss the corporation’s financial and operating performance.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qELhuu
TOMORROW: Via City of Minneapolis, VERBATIM: “WHO: Council Member Jason Chavez (Ward 9), several council co-authors, community leaders, and small business owners impacted by the federal occupation. WHAT: Participants will highlight the impacts of Operation Metro Surge on small businesses and the need for the City to lead in quickly investing in recovery efforts. The first vote on the proposed $5 million SBRF will be taken at the City Council’s Committee of the Whole meeting, which takes place after the press conference.”
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
KITES: Via Detroit Lakes Tribune, VERBATIM: “Before hundreds of people flooded the gleaming ice of Little Detroit Lake on Sunday morning, Barbara Meyer of Maple Grove stood at the end of a roughly 400-foot line, anchoring a bright pink kite she had sewn herself. Nearby, Alex Meyer sorted materials from the trunk of their vehicle, preparing to send another of Barbara’s creations into the air. The free event, hosted annually by Project 412 as part of Polar Fest, brought eight professional kite flyers to the ice to launch massive, colorful designs into the winter sky.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qDRwxI
BDAYS: Farm Bureau leader Karin Schaefer, journalist David Phelps, civic leader Susan Hentges Carter, independent journalist Ivory Hecker
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.
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