COOL AIR COMING
Spain beat Argentina 1-0 to win the World Cup.
Two major shootings over the weekend in Minneapolis.
The Boundary Waters closure is extended to Friday, and enhanced burning restrictions begin today. DNT: https://fluence-media.co/4fuFV0J
Duluth on Saturday, Brainerd on Sunday skies were mostly clear and the air wasn’t tough to breathe.
Last night the moonrise and sunset on Gull Lake at Madden’s. In town to address the Minnesota Regional Ralroads today.
Anthony Edwards said the Timberwolves are not one of LeBron James’ top three choices for his next team. FOX: https://fluence-media.co/4pvWlKO
3M Open this week at the TPC Twin Cities, The Open winner Ryan Fox scheduled to be here.
The Stanley Cup will be in Eden Prairie Thursday at 10AM hosted by Jackson Blake.
At least four U.S. troops were killed in the Iran War this weekend. NBC: https://fluence-media.co/4yx3kqR
Peace to the family of long-time prep writer David La Vaque. STRIB: https://fluence-media.co/3TKCKuj
Sunday Take featured DFLers Matt Little, Sen. Matt Klein and Rep. Kaela Berg for the CD2 DFL primary debate. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4yssTcu
Happy National Lollipop Day!
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CD2 TONE
TAKE: The CD2 primary is a contrast to the DFL Senate primary, but some of the issues are the same. Health care is the top issue this election season, and Medicare for All is the position that DFLers are flocking to which illustrates the influence of Sen. Bernie Sanders influence on the party, especially among primary voters.
The debate illustrated three candidates attempting to define themselves through biography, experience, and progressive credentials rather than sharp ideological contrasts or attacking each other.
The one issue that is a “non-issue” is contributions from supporters of Israel via bundling. As with the Senate race, the suggestion that AIPAC is contributing directly to candidates is simply not accurate. As with “Medicare for All”, the litmus test on Israel illustrates one of the major shifts that can foreshadow conflict within the Democratic party in DC if they have the majority.
Fmr. Sen. Matt Little emphasizes his roots in the district and is trying to drive a populist message, arguing that Medicare for All remains the only meaningful healthcare reform. He dismissed proposals for a public option as a political distraction and framed universal healthcare as both a moral and economic imperative.
State Rep. Kaela Berg continues to position herself as the working-class candidate in the race, emphasizing the financial pressures facing Minnesota families. She centered on making healthcare and higher education more affordable while leaning in with strongest criticism of ICE and current federal immigration enforcement policies.
State Sen. Matt Klein focused on his record as both a physician and state senator, pointing to his work expanding healthcare access and advancing law enforcement reforms. On foreign policy, Klein advocated for a two-state solution in Israel, presenting himself more moderate on the issue that is becoming a major division with the DFL.
Candidates found common ground on several issues and each expressed concern about the influence of money in politics, voiced support for campaign finance reforms—including expanded public financing. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4yssTcu
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THE FEED
KLOBUCHAR: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Amy Klobuchar is doing what few Democrats seem to be doing in 2026: asking the business community for its support. After years of friction between Democrats and business groups over taxes, mandates and other regulations, Klobuchar is pitching a vision of DFL governance centered on economic growth. The senator argues Minnesota must attract more investment to reverse sluggish economic and population trends. … She has ruled out raising more taxes [and] enacting a moratorium on data centers. … If elected governor, Klobuchar will almost certainly see her economic positions tested by her party’s left flank.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4px4GOi
MN GOP: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “Speaker Lisa Demuth and former sports broadcaster Michele Tafoya each put an arm around the other and smiled wide last week as [they] posed for photos and rallied volunteers. … The pair lost their party’s endorsing contests, [but] they’re vying to buck the recent historical precedent and move on to the general election. … Demuth says Republicans need candidates who can appeal to voters in both August and November, which requires reaching beyond the base.” DEMUTH: “When people look at who’s a good candidate that can actually win and turn this state around, maybe people are looking at me for that, and probably some of the same people are looking at Michele Tafoya for that too.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fq2y6a
TRUMP: Republican Mike Lindell spoke to FOX 9 yesterday about his endorsement by Pres. Donald Trump in the gubernatorial primary. LINDELL: “I have talked to him since then, since the endorsement, and thanked him. That’s all I did. I said, ‘Thank you so much for believing in me, and for that I’m going to get the job done and help Minnesota become affordable again.’” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4wo6USw
LINDELL: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Mike Lindell has spent years battling the Internal Revenue Service over a $6 million debt and had his personal MyPillow company wages garnished, according to a Star Tribune review of the Republican candidate’s sworn depositions. … While Lindell has been transparent about many of his financial troubles in recent years, there has been little scrutiny of the tax liabilities from his flop investment. … Lindell downplayed the debt and said the deduction was perfectly legal. He said he’s now engaged in productive negotiations with the IRS.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/45brYjf
MORE: The Star Tribune also reported this weekend that Republican Mike Lindell is not currently registered to vote in Minnesota. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4wjGdic
FIRES
ASSISTANCE: via Office of the Governor, VERBATIM: “Governor Tim Walz today announced the authorization of emergency assistance for areas of Crow Wing and Lake Counties that suffered damage caused by wildfires in May, and for areas of Stevens and Grant Counties that suffered damage caused by severe storms in June. … Funding and public assistance will aid in rebuilding public infrastructure damaged by the fires and storms in these areas. The total assistance will be determined once all damage assessments are complete.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vIoOhQ
BUSINESSES: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Business and civic leaders in northern Minnesota are trying to get the word out: Yes, the fires are bad, but many of us are fire-free — and open for business. … The entire North Shore of Lake Superior, for example, from Two Harbors through Grand Marais, has remained well away from any conflagration. Canoe camping is still open in parts of the Superior National Forest outside the federally designated wilderness, and Ely itself, while the base for firefighting operations, is not under any evacuation order. … St. Louis County Sheriff Gordon Ramsay [said] ‘Northern Minnesota is still open. While these fires are serious, they’re burning in remote areas around the BWCA.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hnrD4h
BOATS: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “Resort owners and outfitters in Ely played a critical role this past week by using their motorized towboats to help evacuate canoeists from the lakes in and around the BWCA. … The boats are usually motorized aluminum fishing boats equipped with a rack that holds the canoes and gear above, and because they have motors, they’re not allowed in many parts of the BWCA [without] special permission from the Forest Service.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fHmQcK
A deep dive into the CD1 race between Rep. Brad Finstad and Jake Johnson for MNSider subscribers. HERE: https://fluence-media.co/49OqNJu
DC + MN
FRANKING: Via MinnPost, an analysis of how often Minnesota lawmakers are “franking,” or sending taxpayer-funded messages to the public. VERBATIM: “These outreaches to constituents are on the rise among members of Minnesota’s delegation in this election year. Last year, the eight members of the delegation received approval for 264 ‘unsolicited mass communications.’ Meanwhile, in the first quarter of this year, there were 162 franked communications, worth a total of nearly $200,000. … Rep. Michelle Fischbach, R-7th District, released more franked communications of any member of the state’s congressional delegation. She produced 55 last year and spent about $51,000 to send another 50 in the first quarter of this year.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3R3M381
FED AGENTS: via New York Times, VERBATIM: “For well over a decade, the federal government has been telling local police departments to release the names of officers involved in shootings, saying that doing so increases transparency. … But the Department of Homeland Security is not taking that advice. It has declined to release the names of officers involved in high-profile killings. … The secrecy applies even when it comes to sharing information with other law enforcement agencies, [including] officials in St. Paul. … [DHS] said identifying officers would expose them and their families to serious danger.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fchiXH
MORE: via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office is now on the front line of holding federal immigration agents potentially criminally liable for their actions. … Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriary said [because] ICE agents have killed men in Houston, Texas and Biddeford, Maine, Texas district attorneys have already reached out to Moriarty.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4wcrxRB
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)
MORE
HOUSING: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “For decades, Twin Cities suburbs largely grew in one of two ways: neighborhoods of single-family homes or, less often, large apartment complexes along busy roads. Increasingly, city leaders are asking whether there’s something in between. … The idea is simple: allow duplexes, townhomes and fourplexes in neighborhoods where they have long been prohibited. … Supporters say it’s one way to help address Minnesota’s housing shortage. Critics worry the changes could alter the character of established neighborhoods without making homes significantly more affordable.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4w5KCoC
MORE: via Rochester Post Bulletin, VERBATIM: “At least 1,600 units of housing are in some stage of development in and near downtown Rochester, and the momentum doesn’t appear to be slowing. … The added apartments are being built as a growing number of people are seeking housing options and are willing to pay what are often higher rents downtown. The downtown population has grown from roughly 3,000 in 2010 to an estimated 4,400 in 2025.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4yutASz
MOVE: Sunrise Banks announced that Ethan McClelland will be its new vice president of government relations and regulatory affairs, replacing Rick Beeson at the end of 2026.
METRO
DAKOTA CTY: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Dakota County traffic engineers know there is a problem with a heavily traveled and crash-prone roundabout in Lakeville [that] has seen nearly 300 crashes in the past two years. … Three new proposals are now being considered. One calls for leveling out the center median to allow drivers to better see what’s around the bend. … A second possibility would incorporate all of Option 1 plus a bypass lane. … The final option would return the intersection to how it was before the roundabout was put in. A traffic signal would govern drivers’ movements.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3TeaMqI
ST PAUL: via Sahan Journal, VERBATIM: “West Side residents are taking the first step toward renaming César Chávez Street, following allegations of sexual abuse by the longtime community leader. At the first of three listening sessions [last week], residents brainstormed ideas. … The West Side Community Organization will collect responses from the listening sessions, and allow neighborhood residents to vote on a name that they will forward to the mayor’s office.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4xci90L
SLP: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “Residents of the Helix Apartments are still unable to fully access their apartments after a massive fire tore through their building on Friday. According to the city of St. Louis Park, fire crews are still observing the apartment to ensure Friday’s fire does not rekindle. At this time, the extent of damage to the building is still being calculated, but the city says 90 units on the west side of the building have been destroyed.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4ppYRly
HABITAT RESTORATION: Flint Hills Resources has earned Tandem Global WHC Gold Certification for habitat restoration at its Cottage Grove fuel terminal. The certification comes after two years of work in partnership with Friends of the Mississippi River to implement a restoration and monitoring plan to re-establish the 6.5-acre site’s natural prairie and savannah. Flint Hills has held gold certification for its work done with community partners over the past 25 years to restore more than 200 acres of the Pine Bend Bluffs, a critical natural area along the Mississippi River that is adjacent to Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery. This makes two Flint Hills gold-certified sites in Minnesota and the first two gold-certified sites ever in the Twin Cities. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/3VASKg4 (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources)
STATEWIDE
ROCHESTER: via Rochester Post Bulletin, VERBATIM: “A paused North Broadway Avenue development is up for Rochester City Council review to see if it can pick up where it left off. … While the zoning board denied the request, the developer is appealing the decision to the City Council, with the request expected to be considered Monday following a public hearing.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4prTQci
ST CLOUD: via St. Cloud Live, VERBATIM: “The St. Cloud City Council, on Monday, July 20, will hold a public hearing on potentially expanding the Economic Development Authority’s (EDA) Housing Redevelopment Authority’s (HRA) power. Within its 2026-2029 Strategic Plan, the EDA determined it is necessary to expand the HRA powers to include supporting any type of housing or housing components.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4f8WxMu
LUVERNE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “A crowd of more than 200 people gathered Saturday to celebrate this southwestern Minnesota city’s newest resident: a 65-foot-tall nutcracker statue that may be the world’s largest. … The opening of the not-so-miniature toy soldier Saturday was the culmination of years of effort to draw tourism to Luverne. … The project was funded via donations and grants, but the pandemic sent costs soaring, and construction issues led to delays. The statue ultimately cost $600,000.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fqk7mU
DAYBOOK
TODAY: Gov. Tim Walz has no public events.
TTODAY: DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek will meet with Duluth business owners to “highlight the challenges and opportunities small businesses are facing,” per a release. The event is at 11:30 a.m.
TODAY: Protect Minnesota will host a roundtable on gun violence prevention in Maple Grove at 12:00 noon.
TODAY: Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar and Attorney General Keith Ellison will hold a rally in Minneapolis on Monday, July 20 at 5:00 p.m.
TOMORROW: Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan will host an “anti-corruption town hall” with the organization End Citizens United at 11:00 a.m.
WEDNESDAY: The MN Chamber of Commerce will host its 2026 Women in Business conference at Target Field on Wednesday, July 22.
FRIDAY: Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal will host a rally in St. Paul on Friday, July 24 at 7:00 p.m.
SATURDAY: via MIRAC advisory, VERBATIM: “Starting at 10:00 a.m. at George Floyd Square, the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) will lead ‘Roll 4 Justice 2,’ a protest on bikes, skateboards, rollerblades, and more to demand ‘No More ICE + Police Terror.’”
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BDAYS: schools advocate Kim Lewis, attorney Jim Yarosh, music scribe Chris Riemenschneider
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IN MEMORIAM: morning take is dedicated in memory of Melissa Hortman.