MONDAY FEED
First it was Iowa, now New Hampshire – the states that were the first to decide the Democrats’ presidential nominee have been moved later on the calendar. NBC NEWS: https://fluence-media.co/4bUl2ep
Americans say they’re spending less on state lotteries, casinos… even office pools – gambling is less popular than it was a decade ago. GALLUP: https://fluence-media.co/4xKHJKb
Blois
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Today’s WCCO Radio morning take at 6:20 with Vineeta Sawkar. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/45t7VNF
Sunday Take featured a recap of the Minnesota primary, a look at Wisconsin’s primary with political analyst Bill McCoshen and a talk with MN Chamber CEO Doug Loon about Minnesota’s economy. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3SER8Ei
CLOUDS ROLLING IN
TONIGHT: There’s a slight risk for severe storms in western Minnesota tonight – the area of concern stretches from Fergus Falls south. From the National Weather Service via Facebook, MAP: https://fluence-media.co/4znfSl8
TREND: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Persistent Drought is keeping severe weather at bay across Minnesota. A multi-year dry spell fueled by extreme summer heat has drastically reduced the number of tornadoes and large hail storms throughout the state. Former WCCO Radio Host and Meteorologist Paul Douglas says that these weather patterns lack the moisture needed to generate major storm activity.” DOUGLAS: “Typical year we get 30 to 40 tornadoes,” Douglas explains. “We’re below that number, and droughts sort of breed droughts. Once you’re in a dry pattern, it can be really hard to reverse that.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4gB2XEH
GROUP HOMES: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “In 2024, at a ceremony in the Liberian capital of Monrovia, an emcee praised the business acumen of Sekou Dukuly, the newly installed director of the West African nation’s government-owned port system. Dukuly had been ‘delivering multimillion-dollar profit increases everywhere he worked,’ the emcee said. Dukuly didn’t make his money in international shipping, however. He cashed in on Minnesota’s booming group home industry. Minnesota companies linked to Dukuly collected at least $36 million in taxpayer funds over the past 10 years, according to Minnesota Open Checkbook, a state website that provides transparency in government spending.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4idKdMI
GIRLS’ SPORTS: Via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “A Texas nonprofit called Female Athletes United filed a lawsuit last year about a trans girl who played girls softball for Champlin Park High School in 2024 and 2025. But that is the only case in Minnesota federal or state court that alleged a trans athlete’s participation in girls sports harmed someone born female. Ever. Yes, the Trump administration sued Minnesota in March claiming that letting students play sports based on their gender identity violates Title IX, the law that bans sex discrimination in federally funded education programs. But that 45-page filing contained just one example of a trans athlete subject to complaints, the aforementioned Champlin Park softball player.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hEpW2Q
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)
MINNESOTA HOSPITALITY
LIST: The New York Times picked 41 Mexican restaurants it says are the greatest in the U.S. Oro by Nixta in Minneapolis is one of them. QUOTE: “The ambitious but unpretentious restaurant is one of the reasons Northeast Minneapolis is among the country’s most alluring neighborhoods for dining.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3TW77ON
LIST: The Hallmark Channel picked Bemidji as one of 25 finalists in its “Merriest Christmas Town” competition. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4wxXmny
MORE: Via Lakeland PBS, reaction from Visit Bemidji Executive Director Josh Peterson, QUOTE: “I’m at a loss for words, I truly am, because there are some amazing Christmas cities across Minnesota, but also across the United States.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3RYx6EG
STATE FAIR: Via Minnesota Monthly, VERBATIM: “There are plenty of traditions at the Minnesota State Fair, but few have been around as long as the Hamline Church Dining Hall. It all started in 1897, when women from Hamline Methodist Episcopal Church’s Ladies Aid Society sold sandwiches and cold drinks to raise money for the church. Nearly 130 years later, the dining hall is still serving fairgoers on Dan Patch Avenue—and remains one of the fair’s last church dining halls.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gCg4W8
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)
ORANGE CONES
MAPLE GROVE: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “Drivers and pedestrians navigating Maple Grove’s commercial district should prepare for delays over the coming months as work gets underway on a $2.8 million infrastructure upgrade at the busy intersection of Hemlock Lane and Elm Creek Boulevard.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4gxG5G9
BEMIDJI: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “Construction on Highway 197 in Bemidji continues as crews will spend the next several weeks pouring concrete in preparation for the start of Stage 1D.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4xJg4JE
MINNEAPOLIS: Via KMSP-TV, VERBATIM: “Minneapolis city leaders are debating the future of parks and recreation as a $3.1 million budget gap stirs concern about layoffs and service cuts. What we know: The Park and Recreation Board says Mayor Jacob Frey’s proposed 2027 budget does not meet their full funding request, falling short by $3.1 million. Board members warn that without the additional money, they may have to lay off 26 employees, reduce hours or staffing at recreation centers and cut back on park maintenance citywide.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4g23nUv
COMMUNITY CELEBRATIONS: Flint Hills Resources is celebrating summer with thousands of Minnesotans at local festivals and parades. Look for Flint Hills employees – along with their families and friends – as they show their hometown pride at many local celebrations, including Rosemount Leprechaun Days, Hastings Rivertown Days, Inver Grove Heights Days and Saint Paul’s Lowertown Sounds. For decades, Flint Hills Resources has supported programs, organizations and events that improve our quality of life in our communities. LEARN MORE: Community Partnerships (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery)
COMMERCE
NATIVE BIZ: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “In 2025, the Minnesota Indian Gaming Association found that all tribal casinos in the state combined would rank as the second-largest tourism attraction. Only the Mall of America draws more people. Despite that financial muscle, Native American small business entrepreneurs still struggle to get the resources they need to start and grow in the traditional finance system. In the United States, people typically fund business startups using accumulated family wealth, home equity or securing a loan with a good job and credit score.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3TWbLfH
NORTH DAKOTA: Via Duluth-based Cirrus, VERBATIM: “Cirrus (Cirrus Aircraft Ltd.) today celebrated the opening of its expanded manufacturing facility in Grand Forks, North Dakota, marking a significant milestone in the company’s continued investment in manufacturing excellence, safety and quality as well as long-term growth. The multi-million-dollar expansion provides the additional production capacity needed to optimize manufacturing flow, increase efficiency, and support demand across the Cirrus product portfolio.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/45s2L4t
RIVERFRONT: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “Lonely’s Bar is a new staple on the Mississippi riverfront this summer, but one step inside transports you to the past. Crystalline chandeliers sparkle from above, billiard balls clack under the glow of a Tiffany lamp, and former patrons of the storied Pracna on Main building smile from golden-framed photographs. If you missed the bar’s quiet opening in June, you might have wandered in and guessed that Lonely’s has been dazzling since the Jazz Age.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gzZXZg
FAST FOOD: Wisconsin-based Culvers plans to add 59 locations this year, including two in Minnesota. Via Men’s Journal, READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hEmXY1
WHAT’S NEXT?
TONIGHT: A vigil to honor the victims of domestic violence at a daycare in Hopkins last week. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4xFMxAx
TOMORROW: A grand opening for the University of Minnesota’s new biomanufacturing facility on the St. Paul campus. VERBATIM: “In its expansive new space, Minnesota Biomanufacturing Services (formerly the Biotechnology Resource Center) is five times larger and quadruples its capacity. By harnessing natural processes like microbial and fungal fermentation, the center helps academic researchers and businesses develop a variety of products to address pressing public needs, from environmental cleanup to next-generation farming.”
SATURDAY: Via Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, VERBATIM: “A local festival is set to showcase the Lind-Bohanon neighborhood in North Minneapolis. The Taste of Lyndale brings food, music, and community together on Saturday, Aug. 22, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. along Lyndale Avenue North between 44th and 46th streets.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4id08e7
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
PIZZA: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “As food writers, we’re in the business of decadence, satisfaction, even a little hedonism—but few foods exude the pure joy that pizza does, its many iterations of crust, sauce, and cheese all somehow perfect in their simplicity. As we ate our way through the metro’s pizzerias (and restaurants serving especially good pies), we found that joy in many forms.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4zo6s8M
BDAYS: advocate Susie Emmert, fmr. Sen. Norm Coleman
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