Twins finish the season this weekend by hosting Cleveland. There’s always next year.
Vikings host Cincinnati on Sunday. Back up QB Bowl. Lynx play Sunday.
No Rowing the Boat this weekend.
Lynx forward Alanna Smith and the Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson have both been named WNBA Defensive Players of the Year.
Farm Aid, featuring Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Dave Matthews, Kenny Chesney, and more, is tomorrow at Huntington Bank Stadium. Anyone have a suite ticket for sale?
Along with his 70-year-old grandfather, an 11-year-old from Perham has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. READ: https://fluence-media.co/46FFTQd
Sunday Take at 9 on WCCO Radio….tune-in.
Expect KSTP-Survey USA poll numbers in the Governor’s race tonight.
Fall arrives on Monday.
Blois - tips: bloisolson@gmail.com
Sunday Take featured DFL Sen. Judy Seeberger and GOP Rep. Danny Nadeau discussing how they want to move forward with a special session as purple district legislators. LISTEN: http://fluence-media.co/4gxlhNy
AUDIENCE: Sponsorships are available to reach over 30,000 readers per day on Fluence’s tip sheets and website, TheDailyAgenda.com – email BloisOlson@gmail.com.
2026: via the Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “The lack of political turnover is driving debate about whether voters will reward or reject Democrats, what’s driving the trend — and whether it’s ultimately a healthy thing for Minnesota. MAYEQUADE: “I have to wonder if there’s a sense of, whether it’s the head of a city, the head of a state, of feeling like this is an incredible time of upheaval,” said state Sen. Erin Maye Quade, a DFLer from Apple Valley, citing the Trump administration deploying the National Guard to cities as an example.
“There’s always a learning curve with a new administration with any level of government,” she said. “It might feel dangerous to be having someone learn this job at this kind of point in time.”…Arne Carlson, a former Minnesota Republican governor who beat a Democrat aiming for a third consecutive term in 1990, lamented the old age of so many national figures. CARLSON: “People want a new face,” Carlson said. “They want new ideas and they want youth.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3I43VLu
NOTE: One veteran DFL legislator on the morning that Gov. Tim Walz announced his re-election campaign. “There is a difference between campaigning to govern and Governing to campaign.”
TONIGHT: Governor Tim Walz will attend an event in Minneapolis to launch his reelection campaign.
NEXT FRIDAY…via Citizens League, VERBATIM: “Citizens League is proud to host a 2025 Minneapolis Mayoral Candidate debate on Friday, September 26. This debate is presented in partnership with the Minneapolis Regional Chamber and the Minneapolis Downtown Council, and will be co-moderated by Mary Lahammer, Political Reporter & Anchor, Twin Cities PBS; and Blois Olson, Sunday Take Host, WCCO Radio and CEO, Fluence Media.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/46JrEd6
FRAUD: Via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “Eight people have been charged with wire fraud for collectively billing Medicaid about $8 million for services they allegedly did not provide in what a federal prosecutor called a massive ‘fraud scheme’ related to the state’s defunct housing stabilization program. This is only the first wave of charges, said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson at a press conference Thursday. Minnesota became the first state in 2020 to leverage Medicaid dollars to help older adults and people with disabilities find and maintain housing, but the program is ‘riddled with fraud,’ Thompson said. Program costs have ballooned suspiciously since its inception, and ‘most of it is fraud, as far as I can tell,’ Thompson said.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Kuuv0P
HSS: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “As state officials, lawmakers, and prosecutors work to address alleged pervasive fraud and determine whether there will be a future for the state’s Housing Stabilization Services program (HSS), administered by the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), people in need of those services hang in the balance. Aaron is one of those people. He asked that 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS leave his last name out of this story due to his complicated past. We met him at a Minneapolis park on Wednesday. These days, Aaron is committed to sobriety and has served his time, but his record makes it tough to get a job or a place to live. Aaron said he had been working with an HSS service provider for several months and had hopes that after years of couch-hopping and living in his car, he would finally have a home. Then last week, the provider informed him they could no longer help.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4nagHXQ
SCHOOLS: Via KTTC-TV, VERBATIM: “Four area school districts took extra security measures Thursday morning: Byron, Hayfield, Kasson-Mantorville and Triton. Early into the school day on Thursday, four schools were advised by law enforcement to enact a soft lockdown as authorities investigated a ‘concerning’ video that was posted on Facebook.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4nBQD7P
ANNUNCIATION: Via KMSP-TV, VERBATIM: “Lydia Kaiser, 12, has been healing at home for over a week after being released from the hospital following the Aug. 27 Annunciation school shooting. Lydia was one of the 21 victims injured in the Annunciation school shooting, and underwent surgery to have a piece of her skull removed to let her brain swell and heal. An update on her GoFundMe shared some small moments of normalcy for Lydia as she heals at home after being released from the hospital.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3KasTcv
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HOUSING: via Fox 9, VERBATIM: “Owners of newly built Lennar homes with leaky windows are protesting over having to sign non-disclosure agreements in order to have the windows replaced. The dispute reveals the legal hoops new homebuyers may need to navigate even when protected by warranties and state law… Owners of newly built Lennar homes with leaky windows are protesting over having to sign non-disclosure agreements in order to have the windows replaced. The dispute reveals the legal hoops new homebuyers may need to navigate even when protected by warranties and state law.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4nc7sGR
TARIFFS: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “A tomato clock from Canada, K-pop albums from South Korea and Premier League soccer merchandise shipped through China all share something in common: Their Minnesota buyers are unexpectedly paying hundreds of dollars in tariffs. On Aug. 29, President Donald Trump altered his tariffs policy by removing an import exemption on orders under $800. The elimination of the “de minimis” threshold on international shipments had been a shield for most consumers and small businesses . . . From UPS drivers asking for payments at doorsteps to FedEx emailing invoices ahead of delivery, Twin Cities shoppers and the stores that serve them are bracing for a financial pinch ahead of the busy holiday retail season.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46ar3B4
NATIONAL GUARD: Via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey says the city is ready with legal and emergency response plans in the event that President Donald Trump tries to deploy the National Guard in the city. ‘You have to be prepared,’ Frey told MinnPost in an interview, calling Trump’s recent military interventions in U.S. cities a dangerous ‘game.’ St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter is also steeling for the possibility of a federal incursion. ‘Sending National Guard troops to occupy American cities oversteps federal authority, undermines local control and turns our military into a political prop,’ Carter said in a statement.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gECGUA
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)
VA: Via news release from Rep. Kelly Morrison, VERBATIM: “Today, following reports that every VA medical center in America is facing severe staffing shortages, and news that the VA will reduce staffing levels by nearly 30,000 employees by September 30, U.S. Representative Kelly Morrison (MN-03) led the entire Minnesota Democratic Congressional Delegation in demanding answers in a letter to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins with concerns that these severe staffing shortages could mean that Minnesota’s veterans will lose quality and timely access care and services.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mrKlGW LETTER: https://fluence-media.co/4mrsEXT
ORGAN DONATION: Via CNN, VERBATIM: “As part of its efforts to strengthen the country’s organ transplant system, the US Department of Health and Human Services says it is moving to decertify a major organ procurement organization – essentially shutting it down and removing it from the nation’s network of organ donation groups. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. called the move a ‘clear warning’ to other groups that also work to coordinate organ donations. HHS officials are moving to close the Life Alliance Organ Recovery Agency, a division of the University of Miami Health System, after an investigation uncovered unsafe practices, staffing shortages and paperwork errors, Kennedy said Thursday.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4naF1ZN
MORE: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “5 EYEWITNESS NEWS asked LifeSource, the OPO serving Minnesota and the Dakotas, for a reaction to these announcements. ‘For LifeSource, I have no concerns and actually I have the highest and utmost of pride in the work that we do to save lives,’ said LifeSource CEO Kelly White. White said she supports reforms that increase patient care and the integrity of the nationwide network.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gz8MRu
SUMMER SAVINGS: via Xcel Energy, VERBATIM: “Home cooling can account for about half of your summertime electric bill. Here are five simple, effective ways to boost energy efficiency in your home and save money.
1. Ceiling fans cool you, not the room.
2. When away, adjust your thermostat.
3. Hot air belongs outside.
4. Cook smarter to stay cooler.
5. Let nature dry your clothes — plus, your chores can wait until evening.”
(SPONSORED: Xcel Energy)
ROCHESTER: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “The U.S. Department of Education has rejected Rochester Public Schools’ appeal to reinstate a $1.9 million grant to train social workers, despite the district’s pledge not to consider race when selecting candidates. In a letter dated Sept. 12, the department repeated its position that the district’s program had run afoul of federal civil-rights law — and, more generally, issues of fairness — by prioritizing underrepresented groups in its selection process.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46KfrF1
MOSQUE FIRES: Via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “A Plymouth man has admitted to setting fire to two Twin Cities mosques and now faces more than six years in prison. Jackie Rahm Little, 38, pleaded guilty to counts of arson and damaging religious property, a hate crime, in federal court on Wednesday.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3VpMwzU
JOBS: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Bluestem, the parent company of one of Minnesota’s former retail greats, Fingerhut, is closing its Eden Prairie headquarters and laying off the remaining employees after slashing its workforce in February. The company — known legally as BLST Operating Company, LLC — notified state officials Wednesday that 103 employees across various departments will be laid off in mid-November.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Vrbpet
MEDIA: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “MPR News announced Wednesday that politics correspondent Clay Masters will be the new host of its afternoon news program All Things Considered. His first day will be Sept. 29. Masters will take over for Tom Crann, who departed the position this spring after more than 20 years to become a host at YourClassical MPR.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3VXAYnw
ST PAUL: Via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “Over the course of a 90-minute candidate forum at Johnson High School, the five prospects running for mayor of St. Paul discussed the city’s struggling downtown, rising property taxes, public safety and bicycle infrastructure. But few issues seemed to trigger as much emotion as the recent departure of Cub Foods from the Midway neighborhood and the uncertain fate of the long-vacant CVS at Snelling and University avenues.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4nGXxJ3
HEALTHCARE: Via MN Department of Commerce, VERBATIM: “State officials held a press conference yesterday to sound the alarm about dramatic increases in health insurance costs for Minnesotans, driven by recent federal policy changes and the pending expiration of enhanced federal subsidies. Minnesota Department of Commerce Commissioner Grace Arnold, MNsure’s Senior Director of Public Affairs Erika Helvick Anderson, and State Representative Robert Bierman, Co-Chair of the Health Finance and Policy Committee, shared an urgent message as the state heads into the 2026 open enrollment season: the rollback of enhanced federal subsidies and other harmful provisions in H.R. 1 are directly driving up the cost of insurance and threatening the stability in Minnesota's health care system.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gu4Mln
SMOKE: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “Researchers estimate more than 82,000 chronic deaths globally, with 33,000 of those in the U.S., attributed to polluted air from the 2023 Canadian wildfires, the worst season on record, in a study recently published in Nature. ‘We knew that the smoke travels thousands of miles, what I don’t think we really appreciated was actually the impact that it would have,’ said Michael Brauer, a faculty member at the University of British Columbia’s School of Population and Public Health and one of the researchers on the study.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gsbqsa
GOLDEN VALLEY: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “After years of back and forth, the City of Golden Valley is one step closer to building a new fire station to address critical public safety needs. However, the owners of the property on Lilac Drive North are not happy with the city because it may use eminent domain to secure the land. The family behind Feist Automotive, located right off Highway 100 and Duluth Street in Golden Valley, says they’ve been in business for decades.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Vlg15Q
From yesterday’s Fluence newsletters:
VP PICK: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “Former Vice President Kamala Harris says she would have picked Pete Buttigieg as her running mate last year but America wasn't ready for the pairing, according to an excerpt of her new book. Harris writes in an excerpt of ‘107 Days’ published Wednesday in The Atlantic that former President Joe Biden’s transportation secretary was her ‘first choice,’ adding that he ‘would have been an ideal partner — if I were a straight white man’ . . . She picked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate after his attack line against former President Donald Trump and his running mate, then-Ohio Sen. JD Vance — ‘These guys are just weird’ — spread widely. They ultimately lost.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mjif0F
JOBS: Via DEED, VERBATIM: “Minnesota employers added 5,900 jobs in August, strong growth that defied a nearly-flat employment picture on the national level, according to new data from the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). Minnesota’s growth equated to a 0.2% increase in jobs in August, compared to effectively flat employment for the United States as a whole. Minnesota also added nearly 1,100 workers to its labor force. The unemployment rate increased one-tenth of a percentage point to 3.6%, compared to 4.3% nationally, and the labor force participation rate is at 68.1% compared to 62.3% nationally.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3I88Cnw
AI: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Electronic health records, policies and procedures, and evidence-based practice guidelines are essential for high-quality care. Yet navigating multiple systems to find the right information can be time-consuming for nurses. To address this challenge, a multidisciplinary team led by Mayo Clinic's Department of Nursing developed Nurse Virtual Assistant — a first-of-its-kind tool created by Mayo Clinic nurses for nurses. Built entirely in-house, this generative artificial intelligence (AI) solution displays information in a single tab within Mayo Clinic's electronic health record system.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/42tb52E
DOC PAY: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “It pays quite well to be a doctor in Minnesota. Physicians in Rochester are paid more than doctors in any other metropolitan area in the U.S., according to a new report. And doctors in Minneapolis earn the eighth highest salaries. An annual compensation analysis by Doximity, a network of health care professionals, found that medical doctors in the Rochester metro area make on average $495,532 annually. Rochester maintains its top spot when salaries are adjusted for each city’s cost of living.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46bPvSI
40 YEARS OF PARTNERSHIP: Flint Hills Resources and Ducks Unlimited (DU) are celebrating 40 years of partnership, a longevity landmark that makes Flint Hills one of DU's longest-standing corporate partners. Working together over the past four decades, Flint Hills and DU have contributed to conserving more than 250,000 acres of wildlife habitat and natural areas in Minnesota and over 900,000 acres across North America. LEARN MORE: Flint Hills Resources and Ducks Unlimited Celebrate 40 Years of Partnership (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery)
GOLDEN VALLEY: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “After years of back and forth, the City of Golden Valley is one step closer to building a new fire station to address critical public safety needs. However, the owners of the property on Lilac Drive North are not happy with the city because it may use eminent domain to secure the land. The family behind Feist Automotive, located right off Highway 100 and Duluth Street in Golden Valley, says they’ve been in business for decades.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Vlg15Q
From yesterday’s Fluence newsletters:
VP PICK: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “Former Vice President Kamala Harris says she would have picked Pete Buttigieg as her running mate last year but America wasn't ready for the pairing, according to an excerpt of her new book. Harris writes in an excerpt of ‘107 Days’ published Wednesday in The Atlantic that former President Joe Biden’s transportation secretary was her ‘first choice,’ adding that he ‘would have been an ideal partner — if I were a straight white man’ . . . She picked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate after his attack line against former President Donald Trump and his running mate, then-Ohio Sen. JD Vance — ‘These guys are just weird’ — spread widely. They ultimately lost.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mjif0F
JOBS: Via DEED, VERBATIM: “Minnesota employers added 5,900 jobs in August, strong growth that defied a nearly-flat employment picture on the national level, according to new data from the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED). Minnesota’s growth equated to a 0.2% increase in jobs in August, compared to effectively flat employment for the United States as a whole. Minnesota also added nearly 1,100 workers to its labor force. The unemployment rate increased one-tenth of a percentage point to 3.6%, compared to 4.3% nationally, and the labor force participation rate is at 68.1% compared to 62.3% nationally.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3I88Cnw
AI: Via Mayo Clinic, VERBATIM: “Electronic health records, policies and procedures, and evidence-based practice guidelines are essential for high-quality care. Yet navigating multiple systems to find the right information can be time-consuming for nurses. To address this challenge, a multidisciplinary team led by Mayo Clinic's Department of Nursing developed Nurse Virtual Assistant — a first-of-its-kind tool created by Mayo Clinic nurses for nurses. Built entirely in-house, this generative artificial intelligence (AI) solution displays information in a single tab within Mayo Clinic's electronic health record system.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/42tb52E
DOC PAY: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “It pays quite well to be a doctor in Minnesota. Physicians in Rochester are paid more than doctors in any other metropolitan area in the U.S., according to a new report. And doctors in Minneapolis earn the eighth highest salaries. An annual compensation analysis by Doximity, a network of health care professionals, found that medical doctors in the Rochester metro area make on average $495,532 annually. Rochester maintains its top spot when salaries are adjusted for each city’s cost of living.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46bPvSI
TODAY: Governor Tim Walz will attend a reception with the Minnesota Consular Corps.
TODAY: At 10:00, law enforcement leaders from Hennepin County hold a news conference to respond to the Hennepin County Attorney’s decision not to prosecute felonies stemming from traffic stops. Per the release, attendees will include: Hennepin County Chiefs of Police Association President Scott Boerboom, Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt, Chief Erik Fadden, Chief Tim Hoyt, and members of the Hennepin County Chiefs of Police Association.
THIS MONTH: via MN Health Plans, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Council of Health Plans expects a final announcement soon from the state’s Department of Commerce about health insurance rates for Minnesota’s individual market and small businesses. Lucas Nesse, president and CEO of the Council, will be available to provide a statement and/or comments about the Commerce Department announcement. This announcement is due on or before October 1st.”
NOV 3: The MN Center for Fiscal Excellence is hosting its 99th annual meeting and policy forum at the St. Paul RiverCentre on the morning of Monday, Nov. 3. Per a release, the forum will “deliver an agency-focused perspective on the policy and budget challenges arising from recent federal actions. State agency leaders and subject-matter experts will explore the potential budgetary, programmatic, management and intergovernmental impacts and consequences — intended and unintended — and what they mean for governing in a time of uncertainty.”
BDAYS: communication pro Libbie Chapuran, Republican advisor Leslie Rosedahl. SAT: Attorney Cliff Greene. SUN: BBY’s Jeff Newhouse, attorney Stacey Edgell, sports leader Nadine Babu
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