PLEASANT WEEKEND AHEAD
From this morning’s inbox: Cover band Hairball will play the State Fair Grandstand September 1st – they’re filling in for the canceled Rod Stewart show. Free with fair admission. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4x7O0jf
19% of Americans support taking over The Panama Canal and 17% support taking over Cuba – supporters for toppling Canada and Greenland are in the single digits percentage-wise. YOUGOV: https://fluence-media.co/4cN6eyj
Looking ahead to 2028, a new poll finds Secretary of State Marco Rubio ahead of Vice President J.D. Vance in a hypothetical White House race. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4zwrC4E
We’re heading into pumpkin spice season – so why is banana suddenly a big deal at coffee shops? AXIOS: https://fluence-media.co/4giTKj6
Blois
tips/feedback bloisolson@gmail.com
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Fluence Advisory has released its Insights memo on “The Next Legislature”. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aNNSMV
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Follow the 2026 Minnesota election’s up close with the Fluence ElectionTracker. FluenceElectionTracker.com
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
FRIDAY FEED
SOLD: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “Just one year after Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez officially took control of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx from longtime owner Glen Taylor, they’re selling their majority stake in the franchises. KSTP Sports has confirmed that businessman Marc Stad is becoming the controlling owner and largest shareholder in the teams. ESPN reports that Stad is buying the stakes at a $4.5 billion valuation — three times what Lore and A-Rod paid Taylor.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bX8O4I
MOVE: Via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “Minnesota United Chief Soccer Officer Khaled El-Ahmad is set to become the new sporting director for Austin FC, multiple sources told the Pioneer Press on Thursday. A fellow club in the Western Conference, Austin FC has had an open search for a new front office leader since parting ways with Rodolfo Borrell in May.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46dzhHL
IN-PERSON VOTING: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “A recent state Supreme Court ruling could make it harder for cities and counties to offer multiple in-person early voting sites this fall. The court ruled last week that Minneapolis must use party-balanced election judges at its early voting polling places, rejecting arguments from the city and Secretary of State’s office that nonpartisan local employees could administer the new system. The requirement could prove difficult for some local governments that had planned to offer early voting at multiple locations. Minneapolis warned in court that it would be ‘very difficult, and potentially not possible’ to find the necessary election judges, though city officials now say they expect to keep their planned locations open.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4wznluB
FLOOD AID: Via KTTC-TV, VERBATIM: “Minnesota federal lawmakers are urging the president to approve the state’s request for a major disaster declaration to help communities recover from July floodwaters. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith and Rep. Brad Finstad sent a letter to the White House Thursday, noting the damage experienced in Fillmore, Houston and Mower counties from July 2 through July 8.” READ: KTTC STORY | LETTER
RELATED: morning take with Governor Walz’s authorization for emergency assistance for six Minnesota counties. ICYMI: https://fluence-media.co/4qrTxPn
PLATE READERS: Via St. Cloud Live, VERBATIM: “A group named Communities Against Mass Surveillance formed to advocate for St. Cloud and Sartell to end their contracts with Flock and other license plate reader camera companies. Between Aug. 17-22, CAMS is hosting an educational event, a screening of a documentary about the issue, and a protest Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. — as part of a nationwide anti-Flock advocacy week. Jill Kelly, a CAMS member who also has been involved in organizing ‘No Kings’ rallies in Central Minnesota, said the cameras raise significant privacy concerns and were installed without sufficient community input.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4c1aNoD
RETIREMENT: Via KQDS-TV, VERBATIM: “Cloquet Chief of Police Derek Randall has announced his retirement. Randall tells FOX21 that after 30 years of law enforcement service and the last 7 as Cloquet Police Chief, his last day will be January 4, 2027.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cUFDiW
JAIL: Via West Central Tribune, VERBATIM: “Members of the Swift County Board of Commissioners are beginning discussions on the next budget with uncertainty about the tax implications of the sale of the former Prairie Correctional Facility to the federal government, and with a new focus on the county’s own jail. The commissioners unanimously approved a motion at their meeting Aug. 18 to seek proposals for a consulting firm to examine the feasibility of the county’s jail operations. The commissioners are seeking an objective look at the costs associated with operating a small jail, and what options the county has.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4wR7lEI
RELATED: morning take with news of how local property tax revenue will be impacted by the Appleton prison’s move from private to government-owned. ICYMI: https://fluence-media.co/4hMFsK2
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)
BASIC NEEDS
VETERANS: Via Stateline, VERBATIM: “The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development counted 32,495 veterans experiencing homelessness, 387, or 1.2%, fewer than the previous year. HUD counted 18,877 veterans in shelters, and 13,518 living unsheltered in places not meant for habitation. Twenty-five states recorded increases in veteran homelessness from 2024 to 2025, and 23 recorded decreases . . . In March, the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs had a statewide by-name registry that allows agencies and service providers to coordinate individual cases instead of making veterans navigate programs independently. The registry, at last update, showed 150 veterans experiencing homelessness, dropping 25% in a year and 41% in two years.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3SO55Qm
EV CHARGERS: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Gas in Minnesota and around the region is hovering around four dollars a gallon, which often puts a fill-up well north of $50. At the charging station on the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community south of the Twin Cities, entrepreneur Bob Blake said charging an electric vehicle runs about fifteen bucks. Blake, a member of Red Lake Nation, said the idea for a network of tribally owned EV stations came to him during a pipeline protest in North Dakota a decade ago.” QUOTE: “There was a helicopter coming down and there was all this sand in our faces,” Blake said of the protest. “And I thought to myself, there’s got to be a better way to do this.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cCs7QX
ROAD TRIPS: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Escalating gas prices over the past week are prompting drivers to cut back in other areas. That’s according to AAA Minnesota‘s Brynna Knapp, who says it’s tough to keep a summer loving Minnesotan off the road.” QUOTE: “People still did travel, but that maybe they chose to go a couple days less than normal, or maybe they swapped out an event with eating at home,” Knapp explains. “So, they’re making little swaps and changes to help mitigate that increase in costs in fuel prices.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3UKBaJq
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)
GREATER MINNESOTA
DULUTH: Via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “The issue of what to do with the Lester Park golf course land went before city leaders again Thursday night. At the committee of the whole meeting, Duluth city councilors received a presentation of the land use study results. The study, done in coordination with a consultant, calls for the 270-acre former golf course to be split into two areas.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4xROeei
DECC: Via KQDS-TV, VERBATIM: “The Duluth Entertainment and Convention Center celebrated its 60th anniversary with a free behind-the-scenes tour. People got to experience the DECC in a way most haven’t before. Touring spaces like the mezzanine level of the Symphony Hall, which features a three-tiered chandelier. They also got to check out all ten venues the DECC has to offer while getting a history lesson along the way.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hLGxll
SURVEY: Via KEYC-TV, VERBATIM: “The city of North Mankato launched a survey online to hear from homeowners and businesses about what kind of energy programs they want to see from the city’s partnership with [Xcel] Energy, as part of its 2025 Climate Action Plan. The goal is to determine what programs, incentives or rebates community members would prefer from Xcel to help encourage practices that save energy or encourage adopting new technology like electrical heating or stoves, electric cars or renewable energy sources like solar.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4wE423m
(DISCLOSURE: Xcel is a Fluence sponsor)
TREES: Via KAXE-Radio, VERBATIM: “Several Northern Minnesota communities have received state-funded tree grants to combat emerald ash borer damage. Crookston, Duluth, Hill City, International Falls, Virginia, and Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe received community tree planting grants to remove damaged or dying trees and replace them with more resilient species. Thirty-three communities throughout the state received funds totaling nearly $5 million, according to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4xR3N67
FROM ONE GARAGE TO 1,000 FREE REPAIRS: Flint Hills Resources marked a milestone with its partners at Environmental Initiative this summer as Project CAR (Clean Air Repair) performed its 1,000th vehicle emissions system repair improving air quality across Minnesota. After starting with just one Twin Cities auto repair shop in 2017, Project CAR has grown into a 14-garage network that’s contributed to eliminating more than 55 tons of ozone-forming emissions and improved the environmental performance of 1,000 of the highest polluting cars on the road. LEARN MORE: Project Clean Air Repair (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery)
COMMERCE
MINNEAPOLIS: Via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “After temporarily closing in late July, Modern Times Cafe in Minneapolis will reopen on Wednesday, Aug. 26. The restaurant made national headlines this year after doing away with prices and renaming itself Post Modern Times. It has spent the vast majority of 2026 operating on a donation-based system that offers free meals to community members.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46dtimb
BRAINERD: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “Drag racing fans have gathered in the Brainerd Lakes Area for the 44th annual NHRA Brainerd Nationals. Over 50,000 fans have filled Brainerd International Raceway in previous years, and the event creates more traffic and economic opportunities for businesses in the area.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3U7pUqp
BAKERIES: The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reports Paris Baguette plans another six franchises in the Twin Cities. READ: https://fluence-media.co/46erdXe
NEW CIO: Via Mendota Heights-based Patterson, VERBATIM: “Patterson Companies today announced the appointment of Wasi Ahmed as chief information officer (CIO), effective August 17, 2026.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Uavs3n
WHAT’S NEXT?
THIS WEEKEND: The Fine Wine & Art Find in Waconia. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4cxvQ2a
THIS WEEKEND: Via KTTC-TV, VERBATIM: “This weekend kicks off ‘Gladiolus Days’ in St. Charles. The annual summertime celebration honors a man by the name of Carl Fischer and his passion for the Gladiolus flower.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4imlF48
TOMORROW: Via Fridley’s Forgotten Star Brewing, VERBATIM: “Brine and dine with us for the return of Forgotten Star‘s PickleFest — an outdoor market meets full-blown celebration of all things pickled! Whether you’re a fermentation fanatic or just pickle-curious, this is one dill of a good time.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46kiy5v
SUNDAY: Via Deeper Water Arts, VERBATIM: “Insomnia Salon Vol. 3: The Night Circus is a two-hour sunset-to-twilight pop-up experience on Raspberry Island, the iconic Mississippi island tucked just beneath downtown Saint Paul. Guests of all ages can expect a surreal, cabaret experience unfolding all across the island over two hours, as the sun sets and night descends. Let the Insomnia Salon of 45+ collaborating artists dazzle your senses!” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4g6icW4
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
NEXT WEEK: Via Minnesota Monthly, VERBATIM: “The 2026 Minnesota State Fair has another sprawling lineup of new foods, but tracking them down across 322 acres can be almost as daunting as deciding what to eat. So, we’ve turned this year’s new-food list into a walking tour, starting at the West End and winding through the heart of the Fairgrounds, the International Bazaar, and Food Building before heading north.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Sm6MEo
BDAYS: writer Jeremy Olson, traffic guy Jerry Peterson, Faegre’s Dave Johnson. SAT: the person who likes nice cars and good shoes in public affairs but doesn’t want their name in the newsletter, Hospitality MN’s Angie Whitcomb, MN Corn’s Adam Birr, writer Steve Dornfeld, fmr. Sen. Ember Junge. SUN: PA pro Todd Rapp
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