An alpaca farmer from North Mankato won $184K on “Wheel of Fortune.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4d8o53l
From Isle Royale in Lake Superior, an update this morning on the wolf and moose populations. AP: https://fluence-media.co/4vYMIqU
This year’s MplsStPaul Readers’ Poll has 160 categories. Too many? Not enough? SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4mU0lU4
A new forecast predicts a “super El Niño” this summer, which could impact winter here. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cQwEyH
Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription
WAYMO IS READY FOR MINNESOTA: With 13x fewer injury-causing collisions compared to humans, Waymo is already making roads safer in major U.S. cities where we operate — from multi-lane expressways to dense city streets, including the demands of winter weather. We are ready to bring these safety benefits to Minnesota, and look forward to working with the state legislature to pass a law that allows us to provide rides in the state. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/waymo (SPONSORED: Waymo)
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/4ugc4yM
On Sunday Take, DFL Sen. Ann Rest discussed tax bill dynamics and GOP Rep. Mary Franson spoke about the bonding bill. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4ty6qrz
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Follow the 2026 Minnesota elections up close with the Fluence Election Tracker.
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MONDAY NEWS FEED
TODAY: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “Results of a state investigation into what leaders are calling widespread wage theft by two Twin Cities construction companies are expected on Monday afternoon. Minnesota leaders have already recovered some money but will announce how much during a news conference at 1 p.m.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3P1kTgO
SENATE: Minnesota GOP Chair Alex Plechash talked this morning on WCCO-Radio about recent allegations of domestic abuse against Royce White and why he believes White should drop out of the race for U.S. Senate. PLECHASH: “The no-contact order involving Royce White’s former wife and his son raises questions that frankly just cannot be ignored. Republicans believe in personal responsibility, respect for the rule of law, and protecting women and children.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4ucmsHx
VOTING: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “Rep. Mike Freiberg, DFL-Golden Valley, told CCX News on ‘Newsmakers’ that several proposed federal changes could affect how Minnesotans vote. Those potential changes include new requirements for proof of citizenship and restrictions on mail-in voting.” QUOTE: “We have safe and secure elections already in Minnesota,” said Freiberg. “Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon does a great job of making sure our laws are enforced and that as many people as possible are able to vote legally. You know it’s no coincidence that we have the highest voter turn out in the country.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4e6zX74
MINING: Via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “Several dozen people gathered at Lake Como in St. Paul, Minnesota, Sunday, hoping to have their voices heard as they protested the lifting of the mining ban near one of the state’s last true wilderness escapes. Despite hours of pleas from Minnesota lawmakers, the U.S. Senate recently voted to open up 225,000 acres of land to copper sulfide mining near the Boundary Waters. Sunday’s event was put on by The Singing Resistance, a grassroots organization that uses song as a form of nonviolent protest.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4wc7jbp
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)
PERSONNEL
TARGET: Via KARE-TV, VERBATIM: “An ultimatum for 150 remote workers at Target: Move to the Twin Cities or move on. The Minneapolis-based retailer says those who accept the move will get relocation assistance, and those who don’t will get severance. This impacts two teams within merchandising and isn’t a company-wide mandate. A Target spokesperson said increased in-person collaboration will help sharpen focus and accelerate work.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cMVsav
MEDIA: Via Insight News, VERBATIM: “When Rep. Aisha Gomez (DFL-Mpls) told the House Ways and Means Committee on Monday that the three AMPERS stations in her community are ;amazing community institutions that do all kinds of things for all kinds of people,’ the second half of that sentence was doing quiet work. KBEM, KFAI and KMOJ are licensed in Minneapolis. Their transmitters, though, reach across Hennepin and Ramsey counties and well beyond . . . A combined $3.5 million federal cut across the AMPERS network — more than 40 percent of the operating budget at some stations — is not a Minneapolis story. It is a metro story that happens to be anchored in Minneapolis. The bill moving through the House, HF4591, would put $165,000 toward shared services for AMPERS member stations and lower the minimum full-time staffing requirement from two FTEs to 1.5.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3OpB1IU
BPPD: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “More women are answering the call to serve in Brooklyn Park. The city’s police department is reporting a rise in female officers. But leaders say they’re still not where they want to be on their recruitment target.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4d9mbzu
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)
IMMIGRATION IN MN
IMMIGRATION COURT: Via Sahan Journal, VERBATIM: “Nationally, asylum grant rates have decreased dramatically since the beginning of Trump’s second term. Only 7% of asylum requests were granted in February 2026 nationwide, according to the New York Times, while the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) puts the number closer to 5%. In Minnesota, attorneys say actions taken at Fort Snelling mirror those trends.” QUOTE: “We had two cases here in our office that I think in any other administration would have been easily granted as asylum claims,” [immigration attorney Brian Aust] said. “These were very classic political opinion, people who had been members of perceived opposition groups within their countries of origin, and had endured a fair degree of persecution.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48V7ptI
GRANDMAS RIDE ATVs TOO! Check out Donna’s story - a powerful reminder that ATV riding is about more than trails...it’s about people, community, and connection. Donna’s message reflects what so many riders across Minnesota believe: responsible riding, strong local economies, and protecting access for future generations all go hand in hand. Check out Donna’s story: https://fluence-media.co/4tDeK9r Thank you, Donna, for sharing your story and helping put a face to what “I Ride” truly means. (SPONSORED: ATV Minnesota)
DATA CENTERS
THE PROCESS: Via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “Locally, the debate looks a lot like clashes over other big real estate developments, with pro-business groups touting generational economic development opportunities on one side and residents concerned about noise, traffic, water use, air pollution and secretive dealmaking on the other. Opponents say the larger scale of those potential impacts warrants special scrutiny, however. ‘There’s a total lack of meaningful process when it comes to these ‘hyperscale’ data centers…it’s a real glaring mismatch,’ Sen. Jen McEwen, DFL-Duluth, said in an interview, using the industry term for centralized data centers that can cover hundreds of acres and consume more power than a medium-sized city. The computing hubs Google is planning near Rochester and in Hermantown, near McEwen’s district, would fit that description if they’re fully built out.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mTRuBz
MONTICELLO: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Elected leaders in Monticello could decide Monday night whether to adopt controversial new rules for data centers. Faced with at least two proposals to build data centers in the small community about 40 miles northwest of Minneapolis, Monticello staff and city officials decided to craft an ordinance to govern where and how they could be built. But some residents don’t think the ordinance is strict enough, and are frustrated that city leaders are considering allowing a data center to be built near their neighborhoods.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QwgK4Z
HABITAT RESTORATION: Flint Hills Resources has earned Tandem Global WHC Gold Certification for habitat restoration at its Cottage Grove fuel terminal. The certification comes after two years of work in partnership with Friends of the Mississippi River to implement a restoration and monitoring plan to re-establish the 6.5-acre site’s natural prairie and savannah. Flint Hills has held gold certification for its work done with community partners over the past 25 years to restore more than 200 acres of the Pine Bend Bluffs, a critical natural area along the Mississippi River that is adjacent to Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery. This makes two Flint Hills gold certified sites in Minnesota and the first two gold-certified sites ever in the Twin Cities. LEARN MORE: Environmental Stewardship (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery)
COMMERCE
AMBASSADORS: Via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “On an absolutely beautiful April morning, Willie White and Luis Villanueva stepped out of the stuffy lobby of Minneapolis’ Lake Street Safety Center and started to walk their beats . . . It was an uneventful morning, but it’s not always. White and Villanueva are Community Service Ambassadors – contractors with the city to provide a welcoming presence in the neighborhood while responding to safety events that might not be taken on by a police officer. Overdoses are among the most common concerns – Villanueva used Narcan on someone just a few weeks ago. Now, three years after the City Council allocated the funding, the ambassador program is expanding into Uptown, where officials hope it can provide a piece of the puzzle to bring foot traffic and business back to the corridor.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cUevQB
DAYTON’S: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “A judge’s recent ruling approving the potential foreclosure of the Dayton’s Project sets up a thorny question: What’s going to happen to one of the biggest — and emptiest — buildings in downtown Minneapolis? Why it matters: If some creative developer can’t figure it out, there’s a risk that one of the city’s largest properties, in the heart of Nicollet Mall, could remain hollow and fall into neglect.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sUgZ7v
BEER: Via KTTC-TV, VERBATIM: “The last tab on a well-loved business is coming soon. When Karst Brewing opened in Fountain in 2017, the only employees were co-owners Sandra Seha and her husband Eric. Sandra said she and her husband were in their 50s when they started the brewery. After nine years, three expansions and new life changes, the business partners decided to close down.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4mWwRVA
WHAT’S NEXT?
TOMORROW: Via Minnetonka-based NOG, VERBATIM: “Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. (NYSE: NOG) announced today that it plans to issue its first quarter 2026 financial and operating results on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, after the market closes.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cwsRq3
TOMORROW: Via Ecolab, VERBATIM: “Ecolab will host a live webcast to discuss its first quarter 2026 results. A news release containing first quarter results is expected to be issued before market open on April 28, 2026.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4uACR9X
TOMORROW: Via Polaris, VERBATIM: “Polaris Inc. (NYSE: PII) announced today that it will release its first quarter 2026 financial results on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, and will hold a conference call and webcast at 9:00 AM central time on the same day to discuss the results.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sJyh88
WEDNESDAY: Via Eden Prairie-based C.H. Robinson, VERBATIM: “C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. (Nasdaq: CHRW), announced today that it will issue its first quarter 2026 results after the market closes on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. The company will hold a conference call at 5:30 pm Eastern Time on the same day to discuss the quarterly results and answer live questions from the investment community.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4meQgR8
THURSDAY: Via Xcel Energy, VERBATIM: “On Thursday, April 30, 2026, Xcel Energy (NASDAQ: XEL) will host a conference call to review first quarter 2026 financial results.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4c1PfqO
FRIDAY: Via Maple Plain-based Protolabs, VERBATIM: “Protolabs (NYSE: PRLB) announced today that it will issue its financial results for the first quarter of 2026 before the opening of the market on Friday, May 1, 2026.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cgSRWh
FRIDAY: Via Minneapolis-based Piper, VERBATIM: “Piper Sandler Companies (NYSE: PIPR), a leading investment bank, will release its first quarter 2026 financial results prior to the opening of the market on Friday, May 1, 2026.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48ihTTM
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
JUNE: Via Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, VERBATIM: “Mayor Jacob Frey joined representatives from Paisley Park, the Minneapolis Downtown Council and the city’s arts office April 16 at the Prince mural at 101 N. 9th St. to announce a free community sing-along as part of the 2026 Prince Celebration Block Party on June 6. The event is part of a larger five-day Prince Celebration running June 3-7, billed as a ‘10th Anniversary Celebration of Life’ marking a decade since Prince’s death in April 2016. He would have turned 68 this June.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4t34K8L
JUNE: Via My North News, VERBATIM: “The People’s Museum for Prince opens June 7, Prince’s birthday, at Roberts’ Gallery, 2400 Plymouth Ave. N. It is a grassroots counter museum, not affiliated with the Prince estate. Gallery owner Peyton Scott Russell, who serves on the museum advisory board, painted the gold First Avenue star for Prince following his death, 10 years ago, on April 21.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ucpH1Q
BDAYS: SOS leader Julie Strother, public affairs veteran Joe Weber, Minneapolis lobbyist Loren Olson, 2nd Harvest’s Zach Rodvold
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