More than one in four skilled knowledge workers are freelancers. SURVEY: https://fluence-media.co/4kdgdyz
Today’s WCCO Radio morning take at 6:20 with Vineeta Sawkar. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4jPGlPx
On Saturday we launched our first premium publication. The Fluence Brief, they will be released 3-4 times a month and dive deeper into the business, economic and political dynamics of the Midwest. First one is gratis, but then we’ll have a fee. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cQw43r
KSTP’s Tom Hauser was on Sunday Take to discuss how Minnesota politics and media have changed since morning take began 15 years ago. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4jvVJRy
Blois
tips/feedback bloisolson@gmail.com
All Fluence Media tip sheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:
RESPONSIBLEGAMING: Legal sports betting platforms offer responsible game tools that offshore and illegal sports betting don’t offer. In fact, age verification is not required with most offshore providers. Learn more about why legalized sports betting is more responsible. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4kgJoS4 (SPONSORED: Sports Betting Alliance)
TODAY: Keep an eye on the sky today. From the National Weather Service, VERBATIM: “Numerous severe thunderstorms are likely this afternoon and early evening. There is a Moderate Risk of severe thunderstorms (level 4 of 5) across much of the area. Very large hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes are likely. A few strong tornadoes are possible.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4joW7Bf
MORE: Via Xcel, VERBATIM: “Xcel Energy is preparing for severe weather predicted this afternoon for central and southern Minnesota, including the Twin Cities metro, with crews ready to safely restore any power outages as quickly as possible.” RESOURCES: https://fluence-media.co/4m577pg
THIS WEEK: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “A power-sharing agreement in the tied Minnesota House and a narrow Democratic edge in the Senate will be put to the test this week as the Legislature searches for a budget agreement in the homestretch of the session. Final negotiations are starting to play out even as the respective House and Senate budget bills come up for floor votes this week and early next week. The final plan is likely to approach $66 billion for the next two years, smaller than the budget in place now but also accounting for a possible falloff in federal funding for some programs. There are already signs that things could get choppy in the House, split 67 to 67 between Democrats and Republicans.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3EI8vx6
FRAUD: From right-leaning Alpha News via X, this morning’s meeting of the House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Policy committee. Attorney General Keith Ellison was asked to talk about his agency’s work to stop fraud Minnesota including its guidance to charitable organizations. ELLISON: “Since 2019, Charities has resolved over 50 investigations through formal civil tools including litigation or assurances of discontinuance which is a settlement of a prior case to a lawsuit.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3YnhLxo
IMMIGRATION: Via Sahan Journal, VERBATIM: “The downturn in business since the election of Donald Trump has left [Mercado Central vendor Mirian Aguilar] with days where she doesn’t make a sale at her streetwear stall. But there are signs of hope for the city’s oldest Latino-themed public market. Rumors of immigration crackdowns have slowed traffic, but it still fills at lunchtime with students, families and workers looking for aguas frescas, fresh conchas from the panaderia, tacos and tamales. And city officials are trying to help the vendors, who own the market in a co-op model, stay afloat.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3RCdja8
MORE: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Thousands of Ukrainians who’ve settled temporarily in Minnesota fear that they may soon have to return home, even as Russia’s assault on their country continues. That’s because the Trump administration has stopped renewing work permits for people who came to the United States under a Biden-era humanitarian program. The concern is especially high at Kramarczuk’s deli and restaurant in northeast Minneapolis, a cornerstone of the city’s Ukrainian community known for its stuffed cabbage, pierogies, sausage and other eastern European delicacies.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4lPZH98
100 DAYS: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “As President Donald Trump nears the milestone of his first 100 days in office, MPR News talked to voters around the state to see how they are faring economically under the Trump administration and how they rate the president’s job performance so far. Economic pain and worry were common themes in their remarks. But Minnesotans’ tolerance of their economic discomfort varied dramatically, often tied to whether or not they support Trump.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42TZYPH
ICYMI… morning take shared more reaction from Minnesotans about the first 100 days. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3YHCEnd
HIGHER ED: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Through a flurry of executive orders and letters, President Donald Trump has laid siege to higher education across the U.S. in the first few months of his second term, attacking longstanding practices and funding sources. In Minnesota, the chaotic roll-out of changes and cuts — and then reversals in decisions — has left college leaders scrambling. Many of Trump’s initiatives remain tied up in courts. While efforts to undermine Ivy League schools like Columbia University and Harvard University have drawn the most attention, the strain is affecting schools big and small across Minnesota, officials said, with the University of Minnesota’s Twin Cities campus remaining at the center of the firestorm.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4jRq3pk
TARGET: Via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “President Donald Trump's inaugural committee raised a record $239 million for his January inauguration, which included a sizable donation from Minneapolis-based Target, according to new filings from the Federal Election Commission. The filings show that Target gave $1 million to the inaugural committee, joining a host of major corporations to make big donations, a list that includes McDonald's, Delta Air Lines, Pfizer, and Visa. It's the first time in at least a decade that Target has donated to an inaugural committee, according to a CNBC report, which suggests that donations from the retail sector, including the National Retail Federation, may have come into the committee with hopes of influencing the president's stance on tariffs.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Grxp4C
TV ADS: Via news release from Minneapolis-based Marketing Architects, VERBATIM: “Underoutfit, a fast-growing brand in women’s intimates, is launching its first national linear television campaign this week in partnership with All-Inclusive TV agency Marketing Architects.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/44JFRWV
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)
UOFM: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “University of Minnesota officials are facing accusations they mishandled claims of plagiarism against a prominent professor who delivered millions of dollars in grant money to the university. Rachel Hardeman, known nationally for studying the effects of structural racism on mothers and children of color, had been accused internally of copying a protégé’s work and passing it off as her own. In documents and interviews, MPR News found the university chose not to discipline Hardeman despite reports from three colleagues that she copied the work of researcher Brigette Davis and used it in a federal grant application.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cNZ7EK
DATA CENTERS: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “Minnesota's boom in data centers is part of a trend that has big tech companies targeting the Midwest for its cool air and abundant water. Why it matters: Data centers power the AI boom — but there's growing concern about their soaring energy and water demands. State of play: Columbus and Chicago remain the region's primary data center markets. But companies are increasingly eyeing the Twin Cities, Pittsburgh, Des Moines and parts of Indiana, where land is cheaper and energy is more available, says Andy Cvengros of real estate firm JLL.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42FPVNW
PFAS: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “3M is still on track to stop making PFAS by the end of the year. But it’s probably going to take longer to stop using or selling the toxic ‘forever chemicals’ completely. The Maplewood-based manufacturer disclosed last week a number of key inputs from outside suppliers — including batteries, circuit boards and gaskets — might still contain PFAS next year.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42OPaCf
BEMIDJI: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “Last week, Northern Township issued a notice of intent to incorporate to become a city. The Bemidji City Council responded to that notice by approving a resolution preparing the council to file a petition for annexation if Northern Township continues their path of incorporation. Bemidji mayor Jorge Prince says the announcement from Northern Township was certainly surprising to the Bemidji City Council.” PRINCE: “I would have thought that there might have been a referendum of citizens of Northern Township prior to something like that happening, but that wasn’t the case.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4izZ9Be
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)
MADE IN USA: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “I live a mile from the Nordic Ware factory in St. Louis Park. I know, it’s in the U.S.A. But earlier this month, a man in New York sued the company for putting ‘Made in the USA’ labels on its baking sheets, loaf pans and anything it makes from aluminum. The Federal Trade Commission says three conditions must be met for a ‘Made in the USA’ label. One is ‘all or virtually all ingredients or components of the product are made and sourced in the United States.’ The trouble for Nordic Ware — and many other makers of metal goods — is the U.S. doesn’t possess raw aluminum.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3GoKdJ9
DTN: Via news release from Minneapolis-based DTN, VERBATIM: “DTN, a global leader in data, analytics, and technology solutions serving agriculture, energy, and weather-sensitive industries, today announced the launch of the Hurricane Threat Index. It is the first forecasting tool to expand risk assessment and communication beyond traditional wind speed to include wind damage, storm surge, extreme rainfall, flooding and tornadic activity. The multi-factor index enables companies and communities within the radius of impact to make more confident preparedness and response decisions up to seven days before landfall.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4m4UjiG
PERPICH: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “New Perpich Executive Director Allegra Smisek calls her new role a ‘dream job,’ citing the school’s culture of belonging and personalized, project-based learning . . . Smisek has served as Perpich’s interim executive director since November 2024.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4cRrIsE
GRANTS: Via DEED, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) today announced more than $2.7 million in grants to help drive economic development and community sustainability in four Minnesota communities with power plants that have ceased operations or are scheduled to cease operations.” READ/LIST: https://fluence-media.co/4lLVKm1
RESTAURANTS: MplsStPaul’s Stephanie March mourns closed restaurants and wonders what it would be like if they came back. VERBATIM: “When we suffer losses, we have a knee-jerk reaction to think back to glory days, lamenting the present situation that must have caused this pain. Is it nostalgia or the time-washed notion that since a place was formerly beloved, it’s a better bet to bring it back than to strike out with something new? It’s the business version of ‘Why did we ever break up?’ But it seems to me that bringing back the dead does not always work like we think it will. Did no one learn anything from Stephen King’s Pet Sematary?” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42LLm4Q
RETAIL: Via KEYC-TV, VERBATIM: “Walmart is planning to remodel 22 of its stores across Minnesota this year, the company announced Wednesday. The remodeling efforts are part of a larger goal of remodeling more than 650 stores across the country.” READ/LIST: https://fluence-media.co/3EGxTTX
TONIGHT: From Whalen Museum via Facebook, VERBATIM: “Join us for an engaging evening to discuss the future of the Minnesota Driftless Hiking Trail! The Minnesota Driftless Hiking Trail is an effort to establish a 100+ mile backpacking trail, through the Driftless Region of Minnesota, in the style of the National Scenic and Recreational Trail systems, supported by volunteers and operating as an independent organization.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4jM3L8w
TOMORROW: Via Sahan Journal, VERBATIM: “Join Sahan Journal for a live conversation as we discuss the evolving changes to immigration policies affecting international students in Minnesota.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3YiN7Fg
TOMORROW: From St. Paul-based Ecolab via Business Wire, VERBATIM: “Ecolab will host a live webcast to discuss its 2025 first quarter results. A news release containing first quarter results is expected to be issued before market open on April 29, 2025.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3DMkB83
TOMORROW: From Minnetonka-based NOG via Business Wire, VERBATIM: “Northern Oil and Gas, Inc. (NYSE: NOG) announced today that it plans to issue its first quarter 2025 financial and operating results on Tuesday, April 29, 2025, after the market closes.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4j2vFwZ
WEDNESDAY: Via Eden Prairie-based Tennant, VERBATIM: “Tennant Company (NYSE: TNC) today announced that the company will report its first quarter 2025 financial results after the market closes on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, with a conference call to follow at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time/9 a.m. Central Time on Thursday, May 1, 2025.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Gffjmd
WEDNESDAY: Via Minneapolis-based Deluxe, VERBATIM: “Deluxe (NYSE: DLX), a Trusted Payments and Data company, will report first quarter 2025 financial results on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, following market-close.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3RnfrCI
WEDNESDAY: Via Minneapolis-based Sleep Number, VERBATIM: “Sleep Number Corporation (Nasdaq: SNBR) will release its fiscal first quarter results through March 29, 2025, after market close on Wednesday, April 30, 2025.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4im1UpU
WEDNESDAY: From Eden Prairie-based C.H. Robinson via Business Wire, VERBATIM: “C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. (Nasdaq: CHRW), announced today that it will issue its first quarter 2025 results after the market closes on Wednesday, April 30, 2025.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3XOS3Sd
THURSDAY: Via New Brighton-based APi, VERBATIM: “APi Group Corporation (NYSE: APG) announced today that it intends to release its financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2025, before the market opens on Thursday, May 1, 2025.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42EYIjq
FRIDAY: Via Maple Plain-based Protolabs, VERBATIM: “Protolabs (NYSE: PRLB) announced today that it will issue its financial results for the first quarter of 2025 before the opening of the market on Friday, May 2, 2025. Protolabs will host a conference call to discuss the results at 8:30 a.m. EDT on the same day.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Gkf2OQ
FRIDAY: Via news release from Minneapolis-based Piper Sandler, VERBATIM: “Piper Sandler Companies (NYSE: PIPR), a leading investment bank, will release its first quarter 2025 financial results prior to the opening of the market on Friday, May 2, 2025.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3RzZQjg
FRIDAY: Via news release from Minneapolis-based Sun Country, VERBATIM: “Sun Country Airlines (NASDAQ: SNCY) will hold its first quarter 2025 earnings call on Friday, May 2 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3EFDYQv
From Friday’s Fluence newsletters:
AG BILL: From MNHouseInfo via YouTube, VERBATIM: “By a vote of 130-3 Thursday, the House passed the $172 million budget bill for fiscal years 2026-27, sending HF2446 to the Senate.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4joFm97
MORE: Via KNSI-Radio, VERBATIM: “The legislation, co-authored by Agriculture Committee co-chairs Rep. Rick Hansen (DFL-South St. Paul) and Rep. Paul Anderson (R-Starbuck), allocates $172.3 million for 2026-27 to fund the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, the Board of Animal Health, the Agricultural Utilization Research Institute, and the Office of Broadband Development. The budget this year is $17 million more than the previous biennium. Hansen issued a statement saying the budget has more funding for Local Food Purchasing and Farm to School programs while addressing recent federal cuts to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YitrBs
MORE: From MDA Commissioner Thom Petersen via X, VERBATIM: “Thx to Chairs Hansen & Anderson, great to see the omnibus agriculture bill pass with a strong bipartisan vote. Strong bill for agriculture.” TWEET: https://fluence-media.co/4iCpiiR
CANNABIS: Via OCM, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) announced a new program to help Minnesota farmers enter and thrive in the cannabis industry. The $2 million CanGrow program includes grants to eligible organizations that will help farmers navigate the regulatory structure of the legal cannabis industry through CanGrow farmer training grants, and to nonprofit organizations that will fund loans to farmers who want to expand into the legal cannabis industry through CanGrow farmer loan grants.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3GBtDWe
HONOR FLIGHT: Via KTTC-TV, VERBATIM: “A nonprofit is expressing its admiration and recognition of veterans in southern Minnesota and northern Iowa. North Star Honor Flight is taking 82 veterans out of Rochester International Airport (RST) to Washington D.C. for a free daytrip as a way of thanking them for making the ultimate sacrifice.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4hVHqUP
PORCUPINES: Via KARE-TV, VERBATIM: “A mama porcupine and her baby are safely back home in the northwoods after getting lost in the suburbs. The Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Roseville told KARE 11 that a pregnant porcupine was nesting in a trailer when it was inadvertently transported to St. Paul. It made its way under a deck where neighbors looked after it for a few weeks.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3RwRXLp
Subscribe to other Fluence newsletters: https://fluence-media.co/TheDailyAgenda
TRAVEL: Via The Minneapolis Egotist, VERBATIM: “Get To Going is a new series about attainable travel experiences beyond the pool. An exploration of what you can do in just four days at various destinations, all through the lens of a Minnesota mom (@ThatMidwesternMom). But it’s also about how brands can be the studios and creators can be the stars in long-form episodic content that engages and entertains target audiences in more humanizing and meaningful ways.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4cMCIaM
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
WHEATIES: Via news release from General Mills, VERBATIM: “The Breakfast of Champions is teaming up with Marvel Studios’ ‘Thunderbolts’, in theaters May 2, to release an electrifying, limited-edition novelty cereal box.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3GIhCOP
BDAYS: KU student Lilyann Olson, organizer extraordinarie Annie Paruccini, retail entrepreneur Mich Berthiaume
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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