lunch take | UnitedHealth Boosts Lobbying, MN Startup's AI-Powered Underwater Camera
9.5.25
The New York Times this morning reported on a previously secret 2019 failed Navy Seals operation targeting North Korea. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4p9Z7Vi
Tariffs and policy uncertainty may have caused a few dips here and there, but consumer demand is, overall, “surprisingly resilient.” MORNING CONSULT: https://fluence-media.co/4m0ECaK
Where’s the Twin Cities’ wealthiest ZIP code? Minneapolis. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4823OKI
Iowa’s Surf Ballroom expands its celebration of music history this weekend. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4lZClMY
At 9AM on Sunday Take, Sen. Steve Cwodzinksi and Rep. Jeff Witte will discuss school safety, gun policy and how their experience repectively as a teacher and a police officer shapes their legislative approach. Tune-in on WCCO Radio.
Last weekend’s Sunday Take featured Republicans Kendall Qualls and Rep. Kristin Robbins discussing their campaigns for governor at the State Fair. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4mIGp5F
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.
UNITEDHEALTH: Via barchart, VERBATIM: “UnitedHealth Group (UNH) has long been among the most reliable brands in healthcare, with overwhelming market leadership in insurance, pharmacy benefits, and health services. But 2025 has sprung one challenge after the next, from paralyzing cyberattacks to mounting political and regulatory inquiries, that has stressed investor confidence. This week's latest news came when Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ron Wyden called on the company to address repayment requests on billions of dollars in loans advanced to providers after last year's Change Healthcare cyberattack.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3V4Qpdh
LOBBYING: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Eden Prairie-based UnitedHealth Group, under fire for its Medicare billing practices, is on pace to spend a record amount of money to lobby the federal government in 2025. The nation’s largest health insurer is muscling up as it faces a Department of Justice investigation into those practices. The company is also working to beat back congressional efforts to reduce spending in the Medicare Advantage program, which generates billions for the company.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4pePapU
DULUTH: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “Facing a $7 million budget deficit, Duluth residents are been bracing for a sharp rise in property taxes. However, Mayor Roger Reinert’s proposal to the City Council on Thursday night offered a smaller increase than many expected. Reinert pitched what he called an ‘inflation-only tax levy,’ aimed at keeping property tax increases aligned with inflation.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3I9BxY2
PHONES: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “Teachers at Armstrong High School had a big concern before this school year started: what to do about cell phones? ‘Our staff survey, this past spring, we asked our staff what we need to improve on,’ said Principal Erick Norby. ‘Number one was phones’ . . . In an effort to reduce classroom distractions, every student at Armstrong was issued a radio frequency identification (RFID) pouch. These pouches temporarily block a signal or notification from reaching a cell phone.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/467RvKg
UNDERWATER: Via Minne Inno, VERBATIM: “Working out of an electrician’s garage in Little Canada, three startup co-founders are aiming to sell an underwater version of the sort of digital camera that watches hunting trails — giving conservationists and anglers a new view beneath the water. Seeweed Underwater Game Camera was a semifinalist at the MN Cup awards this year, partly for creating an aquatic solution to one of the biggest challenges for automatic digital video cameras: Knowing when to switch on.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3V2K2qP
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)
MINNEAPOLIS: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “A suspected armed carjacker fleeing Minneapolis police Thursday morning crashed into another vehicle, killing two women and injuring a small child, according to law enforcement. The big picture: The fatal crash on the North Side is the latest in a 10-day stretch of tragedy — including six homicides — that has rocked the city.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3I5ICJg
ROCHESTER: Via KAAL-TV, VERBATIM: “Rochester police responded Friday morning to a new threatening call to Holy Spirit PreK-Grade 5. Police determined there was no credible threat by about 9:25 a.m. The call came one day after a concerning phone call prompted Rochester Catholic Schools to dismiss all grade levels early.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3JUj1U9
GUNS: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “The mother of Vivian St. Clair, a third grader who survived last week’s shooting at Annunciation Church and School in Minneapolis, shared her thoughts Thursday at a news conference. [Malia Kimbrell] is also a nurse and clinical care supervisor at HCMC’s newborn intensive care unit. She called on legislators to enact gun reform, specifically to ban semi-automatic rifles and high-capacity magazines.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4nBuerx
2023: Via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “Why didn’t Democrats ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines when they controlled the Legislature? In 2023, Democratic lawmakers had bills to ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines as well as new requirements that guns be stored safely and reported lost or stolen in a timely manner. Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville, introduced an assault weapons ban in 2023 but DFL leaders didn’t forward the legislation for a hearing. He said Democrats for a long time have been scared to talk about gun control and are worried about their reelection prospects if they take a stand on stricter gun measures.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gtATlf
TOMORROW: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “Held annually, the Lake Street Taco Tour is a tradition that spotlights those businesses, bringing neighbors together to enjoy authentic tacos and celebrate all of the ways that Latino immigrants and business owners make our community great—and the time to show up and show out has come again . . . This year’s taco tour also takes on a different meaning amid changes to federal immigration policy under the Trump administration. With the rising threat of arrest or deportation, which has affected numerous cities across the country, many immigrant community members have grown fearful for their safety and have stayed home more as a result, negatively impacting many local businesses that relied on those customers’ support.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41H6Znk
STUDENT: Via Sahan Journal, VERBATIM: “Nineteen-year-old Kevin Alfredo Murillo Lucero was in a car with seven others headed to a Twin Cities job site when they were pulled over on Aug. 5. Immigration agents were targeting another man in the car. They ended up arresting Lucero, an Augsburg University freshman with no criminal record, along with everyone else in the car. His godmother, Lidia Margarita Riera Alvarado, rushed to Fort Snelling Immigration Court as soon as she heard he had been detained.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3K66HQI
WINONA STATE: Via KTTC-TV, VERBATIM: “A college-living space says a lot about a student, and just a few weeks into the school year, Winona State University (WSU) dorm rooms are nearly packed to the brim. The University has seen an unexpected increase in new students . . . Reports show that the university experienced an 11.7% increase in its 2025 freshman class, along with more than 1,700 new undergrad students, causing a high demand in housing.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3JMcafA
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)
MEDIA: Via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “Starting next week, WCCO viewers will notice some major shakeups when it comes to the station’s anchor lineup. Beginning on Sept. 8, longtime news anchor Amelia Santaniello will no longer present the 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. news broadcasts alongside her husband and fellow news anchor, Frank Vascellero. She is now set to join Erin Hassanzadeh as the co-anchor to the station's 4 p.m. newscast.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/462I7rh
FED: Via CNN, VERBATIM: “Stephen Miran, the White House economist President Donald Trump nominated to the Federal Reserve’s top ranks, just got an earful about the importance of the central bank’s independence — just as the Trump administration actively defends removing Fed Governor Lisa Cook from her post . . . Last year, Miran co-authored a Manhattan Institute report that called the Fed’s independence an outdated “shibboleth,” and he called for shorter terms for Fed governors to give the president more power to hold sway over the agency. The paper also criticized the revolving door of leaders between the White House and the Fed. Some senators characterized Miran’s nomination as ironic.” SEN. TINA SMITH: “Given the nature of your current role and your expressed concern in mind for insulating the Fed board members from the day-to-day political process, I just don’t understand how your nomination doesn’t break the rule or the goal that you’ve set out yourself.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4m0Rz4m
SENATE: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Multiple candidates are on the hunt to fill the seat that DFL Sen. Tina Smith will leave at the end of her term. The race is hottest among Democrats, who have two prominent officeholders raking in money and trotting out backers as they seek their party’s nod. On the Republican side, several candidates said they’re prepared to buck tradition and move to a contested primary election if party delegates pass them over for the GOP endorsement.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3HXqOA4
BELTRAMI CTY: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “The Bemidji Fire Department can now act as an additional medical service provider for the Headwaters SWAT team after a memorandum of understanding was unanimously approved by the Beltrami County Board this week. Since being created in the mid-1990s, the Headwaters SWAT team has utilized Bemidji Ambulance for medical overwatch and its services, but other options have been discussed to accommodate a closer resource to provide on-site critical care.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4peKOPA
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)
PODCAST: Via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “From Oct. 13 to the 50th anniversary of the loss of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald on Nov. 10, the Duluth News Tribune will be releasing weekly podcast episodes on the famed shipwreck.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mOz84d
BEER: The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reports the Hudson City Planning Commission has approved Stillwater-based Lift Bridge Brewing Co.’s plan to build a brewery and taproom. READ: https://fluence-media.co/42hK5D3
SOLAR: Via news release from California-based Primergy, VERBATIM: “Primergy is pleased to announce that the Northern Crescent Solar + Storage project recently received unanimous approval from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (MPUC) for the project’s site permit. The approval marks a significant milestone for the project, which includes up to 150 MW of grid-interconnected solar generation and 50 MW of grid-charged battery energy storage capacity in Faribault County, Minnesota.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mLSOWh
MOVE: Via The Minneapolis Egotist, VERBATIM: “Agency Squid is proud to announce the addition of Sam Mueller as Account Director, marking a homecoming for the Minnesota native after having spent five years in the Boston advertising scene.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3JLXcpT
THIS MONTH: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Crop art is headed to the museum. The Minneapolis Institute of Art hosts ‘Cream of the Crop: A Minnesota Folk Art Showcase,’ Sept. 6-28, featuring 10 artworks by 11 artists that were on view at the Minnesota State Fair.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/480Qp5x
NEXT WEEKEND: Via Insight News, VERBATIM: “The historic Selby Avenue JazzFest, September 12-14, features nationally and locally known jazz artists, great food, a village market and a family fun zone, all along Selby Avenue.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lXeaPn
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
NO WIFI: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “Uptown's newest coffee shop is encouraging patrons to have more offline conversations — by intentionally ditching its WiFi. Driving the news: Thesis Coffee Collective, tentatively set to open next week on Hennepin Avenue, advertises itself as a ‘slow bar coffee experience:’ a shop that doesn't have outlets, internet or other tech staples.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46o6lO3
BDAYS: community relations pro Kirstin Sersland, business guy Jimmy Beltz, real estate leader Chris Sherman, fmr. GOP Chair Tony Sutton, communication veteran Megan Ryan, asphalt advocate Abbey Bryduck, pr pro Jenni Bowring, Star Tribune’s Jill Burcum. SAT: CNN’s McKenna Ewen, Greater MSPs Matt Lewis, SUN: soccer scribe Adam Belz, fmr. Mpls Mayor Betsy Hodges, Education advocate Brandon Rettke, Ed MN’s Chris Williams, DC Policy pro Meredith Raimondi, union pro Jennifer Munt
Send us your tips at BloisOlson@gmail.com
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