lunch take | Trade War Drives MN Distillery to Canada + Pro Volleyball Comes to Town
11.14.25
The percentage of people who say religion is an important part of their daily life dropped 17 points from 2015 to 2025 – that’s the biggest 10-year drop Gallup has tracked in any country since 2007. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/49MHzcz
How did a relic from the Edmund Fitzgerald shipwreck get caught up in a police misconduct case? READ: https://fluence-media.co/3LKT8Hg
7.2% walk to work in Minneapolis, 4.5% in St. Paul. Is Minneapolis more walkable? AXIOS: https://fluence-media.co/4qVYGix
Last weekend’s Sunday Take had St. Paul Mayor-elect Rep. Kaohly Her sharing how her rise has been “accidental”, what her father’s words have meant, and how she and the late Speaker Melissa Hortman didn’t start on the right foot. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4hMn3uA
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.
TRADE WAR
MOVE: Via GlobalData, VERBATIM: “US-based Phillips Distilling is shifting the majority of production of three brands to Canada due to the ongoing trade spat between the two countries. The privately owned company will manufacture its Sour Puss, Kamora Coffee and Phillips Butter Ripple liqueurs at Station 22 Distillery in Montreal, Quebec. The brands have been produced at its facility in Princeton, Minnesota.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4i0eOLu
MORE: Via Montreal Gazette, VERBATIM: “Andy England, the CEO of Phillips Distilling Company, said production of the sweet and sour liqueur began at Montreal’s Station 22 distillery on Wednesday, as his company looks to remove the uncertainty it faces when doing business between the two countries and regain access to liquor stores in Quebec and Ontario.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4r5GxPm
AROUND MINNESOTA
DATA CENTER: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “The developer of a controversial proposed data center in the northeast Minnesota city of Hermantown is hitting the pause button and is planning to hold an open house to address community concerns, while city officials decide whether an additional environmental review is warranted. The project was scheduled to go before Hermantown’s Planning and Zoning Commission on Nov. 18. But Mortenson, the development company working to build the massive project on behalf of an unnamed Fortune 50 company, has removed its request for a special permit from the commission. It’s also no longer on the City Council’s agenda for its Dec. 1 meeting.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3XtY4CZ
MINING: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “The City of Emily held a city council meeting last night where they discussed a potential manganese mine that could be put in about a mile-and-a-half north of downtown Emily. The manganese was first discovered in the area over 70 years ago, and there have been many attempts to extract the ore since then. But residents of the town are extremely hesitant to allow North Star Manganese, the company proposing the mine, to do any drilling in the area.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/49l0cEu
HOUSING: Via Realtor.com, VERBATIM: “Minnesota stands out as a bright spot in the Midwest’s housing landscape. According to the Realtor.com State-by-State Housing Report Card, the state earned a solid B-, signaling above-average performance on both affordability and new construction.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hXXnv8
MORE: From the report:
SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4oFTMEH
HEALTHCARE: Via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “A multistate health system is pausing changes to compensation but continuing to ask Duluth physicians to sign a heavily amended contract that includes a noncompete clause barring them from seeking work elsewhere. Aspirus St. Luke’s push for physicians to sign the amended contract comes even as Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is investigating the noncompete clause, which were banned in Minnesota for contracts after 2023.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qYRuC3
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)
CHECKING IN ON BUSINESS…
VOLLEYBALL: Via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “Professional women’s volleyball is coming to Minnesota. League One Volleyball Pro (LOVB), one of three pro leagues in the United States, announced Friday it will expand to Minnesota for the 2027 season.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3JTR9jt
ELECTROSENSORS: Via Stock Titan, VERBATIM: “[Minnetonka-based] Electro-Sensors (NASDAQ: ELSE) reported third quarter 2025 results for the period ended September 30, 2025. Record quarterly revenue of $2,748,000 represented an increase from $2,512,000 a year earlier. Gross margin rose to 53.1%, up 270 basis points versus Q3 2024. Net income was $208,000 and diluted EPS was $0.06 for the quarter. Cash and investments totaled approximately $10.6 million. The company cited stronger industrial automation distribution and higher OEM sales as drivers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ijZqdr
STARBUCKS: Via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “At least two Starbucks locations in the Twin Cities are participating in a nationwide strike with no set end date, in response to ongoing labor negotiations with the company. Unionized baristas went on strike Thursday, the company’s Red Cup Day, at 3704 Silver Lake Road NE in St. Anthony. It’s one of 65 stores across the U.S. that are ‘protesting Starbucks’ historic union busting and failure to finalize a fair union contract,’ according to Starbucks Workers United.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4i2y7nx
CHILDCARE: Via Mesabi Tribune, VERBATIM: “NorthRidge Community Credit Union recently became the first employer to join a groundbreaking initiative to address a shortage of childcare on the Range. The Enhanced Two-Tiered Partnership Model, developed by Rural Pathways of Duluth, and piloted through Iron Range Tykes Learning Center, is being promoted as “a first-of-its kind approach” in the region that treats child care as essential workforce infrastructure rather than an individual or family issue.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3XuA9mY
BUCKET TRUCK: Via Xcel, VERBATIM: “On a crisp autumn morning in Waconia, Minnesota, Laketown Elementary buzzed with excitement as fifth-grader Grant Scotting kept his eyes trained on the parking lot. A birthday surprise for Scotting was in the works — and soon it rolled up: a shiny Xcel Energy bucket truck. Scotting, who has special needs and is nonverbal, is known for his love of Xcel Energy. His enthusiasm for the local energy company ranges from reporting outages on his family’s iPad to eagerly opening each monthly bill.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4oq7uei (SPONSORED: Xcel Energy)
REAL ESTATE
ST PAUL: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “At the height of their run as one of Ramsey County’s largest landlords, the husband-and-wife duo behind Madison Equities, Jim Crockarell and Rosemary Kortgard, owned 1.6 million square feet of downtown St. Paul office space, plus a few apartment buildings and parking ramps. They valued their assets at more than $200 million, with holdings that included skyline-defining properties like the First National Bank Building, known far and wide by its large, neon-red ‘1st’ sign. Today, the couple’s real estate empire is in ruins. While COVID-19 emptied the nation’s office buildings, it sent a wrecking ball into Madison’s heavily mortgaged Jenga tower of a portfolio.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49lauVc
MINNEAPOLIS: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “A yearslong effort to create an urban farm and community center in south Minneapolis could soon come to a halt. A neighborhood group faces a Monday deadline to buy the property, known as the Roof Depot site, from the city — but they’re millions of dollars short. Organizers behind the project say they’ve been negotiating with the city for months to try to secure the site for less money than originally outlined. As of Thursday, the two sides said they had yet to reach a new agreement.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/47VwpQp
STORM DAMAGE: Via KAXE-Radio, VERBATIM: “Rural property owners impacted by the summer’s severe blowdown storm may have opportunities to share the costs of regrowing their woods. The Minnesota Forestry Association hosted the first of two webinars Monday, Nov. 10, to discuss state and federal programs available to woodland property owners impacted by the June 21 storm that wrought a 10-mile path of destruction around Bemidji.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/47Y8IXK
AROUND THE TWIN CITIES…
10 YEARS: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Saturday marks 10 years since the fatal shooting of Jamar Clark by Minneapolis police. Just 61 seconds after two police officers first encountered the 24-year-old Clark outside of a house party on the North Side, an officer shot Clark in the head. He died the next day. Clark was unarmed, and the officers were never charged. Even though it’s been 10 years since the shooting, Clark’s mother feels as though no time has passed at all.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3M2tvBO
BROOKLYN PARK: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “A judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Brooklyn Park Council Member Maria Tran against several of her colleagues. In the suit, Tran accused the mayor and four current or former council members of defamation, as well as allegedly violating the Minnesota Human Rights Act, open meeting law and Tran’s First Amendment rights. Tran filed the court case amid her belief that there was a conspiracy against her, including a plot to kill or harm her at city hall.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3XsjEYv
BUSINESS EXCELLENCE: Flint Hills Resources was just awarded the 2025 Large Business of the Year award from the Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce at their annual Business Excellence Awards celebration. The award celebrates the outstanding achievements of businesses that exemplify the thriving and growing spirit of Dakota County. The businesses honored make an impact and contribute to the continued success of our community. LEARN MORE: About the Pine Bend refinery. (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery)
ECONOMY
INTEREST RATES: Via Bloomberg, VERBATIM: “Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis President Neel Kashkari said he didn’t support the US central bank’s last interest-rate cut, though he’s still undecided on the best course of action for its December policy meeting. ‘The anecdotal evidence and the data we got just implied to me underlying resilience in economic activity, more than I had expected,’ Kashkari said Thursday in an interview with Bloomberg News. That, he said, argued for a pause to rate cuts at the Fed’s October meeting.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4r7Rhg7
MORE: Via Bloomberg, the Kashkari interview. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4p4Ghy2
WATERWAYS
MINNESOTA RIVER: Via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “A dizzying array of state and nonprofit groups have spent decades cleaning up the river. The health of the river has also been the focus of conversations every June for the past 17 years at the Minnesota River Congress, including this year’s meeting in Mankato. These cleanup efforts could soon get a boost with state legislation to create a Minnesota River Commission, perhaps as early as next year’s legislative session.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43ulb3Z
CROW WING CTY: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “Crow Wing County receives a grant every year from the state of Minnesota to help combat aquatic invasive species (AIS) in the area, and they’re now asking for the community’s input on next year’s plan. The county was allocated about $470,000 from the state to help with the prevention of AIS in 2026.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3LBssZH
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)
WHERE TO EAT…
SUBURBS: Via Eater, VERBATIM: “The metro’s robust restaurant scene doesn’t end at the Minneapolis and St. Paul city limits. From multi-course tasting menus to epic burgers, some of the area’s best dining can, yes, be found in the suburbs. What do the restaurants included in this list have in common? Detail-driven, quality cuisine that makes them worth the drive and your dollars. Luckily, one stereotype about the suburbs does hold true: There’s usually plenty of parking.” LIST/MAP: https://fluence-media.co/4r1aq3c
DOWNTOWN MPLS: Via Minnesota Monthly, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Monthly doesn’t spend a ton of time reviewing and visiting hotel restaurants of the Sheraton variety. No disrespect—it’s just that we have a hard enough time convincing Minnesotans to go visit restaurants in higher-end hotels that are really trying to provide amazing service and food. But we checked out Esther’s Table in the newly remodeled Minneapolis Sheraton for two reasons: the chef and the story of Esther.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4oFAbED
WHERE TO SHOP…
DAYTON’S: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Dayton’s Holiday Market opened this week and it comes with a bit of nostalgia this year. The now annual holiday market will include more than one hundred vendors, and will give shoppers a chance to grab a bite to eat or a beverage while they’re browsing the expanded market.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4oLtEbu
WHAT’S NEXT?
TONIGHT: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Westbound Interstate 494 will be shut down Friday night between Highways 77 and 100. All ramps will also be closed while crews continue construction along the interstate and prepare the area for what MnDOT is calling winter configuration.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/47JTbfi
TOMORROW: Another annual holiday lights ceremony takes place in St. Paul’s Mears Park. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/47Vnrmd
TOMORROW: K-pop-style ensemble Katseye begins a world tour at The Armory. READ: https://fluence-media.co/3K4Eavj
THIS WEEKEND: Via Casket Arts, VERBATIM: “Join us for our autumn campus-wide event, ‘Open Casket’ at the Casket Arts Building, The Carriage House, and The Factory. This Open Studios weekend features 100+ local artists and makers, live music, food trucks, and custom cocktails in our annual Basement Speakeasy!” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3WW25Qw
THIS WEEKEND: Brick Cities, a Lego event, happens at the State Fairgrounds. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4nWayya
NEXT WEEK: Via Senate DFL Caucus, VERBATIM: “Senator Erin Maye Quade (DFL-Apple Valley) and Representative Mohamud Noor (DFL-Minneapolis) invite Minnesotans to join them in a discussion of human services needs in their communities at a Human Services Town Hall on Nov. 18. Hear updates from legislators, share successes and concerns, and learn how community members can support each other and get involved.”
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
COOKBOOK: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “A cookbook can be a story—or 12 stories, even. That’s the case with Back of House, a new project from local artists and photographers Diana Albrecht and Ryan Stopera. Twelve recipes from Minnesotan immigrant chefs (and one farmer), 12 accompanying essays, 12 plates laden with tongbaechu kimchi and steamed whole fish and sweet malawah (the Ethiopian crêpe), each a shining filament of Minnesota’s food culture.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hXCD6K
GIFT CARDS: Via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “Amid the deluge of gift guides and Black Friday sales, November and December tend to be a great time to buy gift cards. That’s not just because they make solid presents. It’s because lots of businesses offer discounts on gift cards, which usually take the form of a ‘free’ gift card for a small amount when you buy a gift card in a larger denomination.” LIST: https://fluence-media.co/47IDNjf
BDAYS: Star Tribune’s Kim Hyatt, popcorn magnate Angie Bastian, Axios’ Nick Halter. SAT: union leader and legislative candidate Robyn Gulley, SUN: Hospitals advocate Bob Hume, yoga instructor Trisha Folk, lobbyist Tony Kwilas
Send us your tips at BloisOlson@gmail.com
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