GOOD MORNING
There’s a hesitant sense that calm is returning to life in MSP, but there is still reported activity across Minnesota from ICE. Meanwhile the “unfluencers” create social content for clicks and chaos. Time to start showing that everyday life is still happening for most of Minnesota, along with covering the federal presence.
Olympic opening ceremony tonight, and Super Bowl should provide a distraction – if not drink like you’re on the 16th hole in Phoenix.
For me its Colgate v. Cornell weekend.
There are more romantic places but OpenTable lists Baldamar in Roseville as one of America’s top 100 romantic restaurants. LIST: https://fluence-media.co/3ZTaO7q
The federal government’s “TrumpRx” discount drug site is now live. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4abNzKx
Polling from The Argument finds that since the 2024 election, Donald Trump has lost the most support with voters who get their news from TikTok and Facebook. Meanwhile, he lost the least support with voters who get their news from X/Twitter and cable TV. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3ZYlbXv
Sunday Take will explore the dire financial situation of HCMC – tune in at 9AM on WCCO Radio.
In the meantime, Monday is National Pizza Day – but today is National Lame Duck day….who is celebrating?
Have a great weekend.
Blois - tips: bloisolson@gmail.com
Follow the 2026 Minnesota elections up close with the Fluence Election Tracker. www.FluenceElectionTracker.com
Sunday Take analyzed this week’s caucuses and what’s changed in the Legislature with retiring GOP Rep. Paul Torkelson. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4qd7D5h
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The latest insight from Fluence Advisory on the loss of institutional knowledge from the Minnesota Legislature. READ: https://fluence-advisory.com/insights/
LEADING THE DAY
INVESTIGATIONS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and FBI are set to announce a joint investigation into the killing of Alex Pretti, according to two people with direct knowledge of the agreement. … Whether or not the state will also be given access to the federal investigative materials into the killing of Renee Good remains unclear.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qvBbLO
MSP: via MAC advisory, VERBATIM: “Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport [currently] supports a total economic impact of $21.3 billion in output annually. A newly released analysis by InterVISTAS Consulting Inc. shows that MSP supports more than 93,000 total jobs and contributes $3.3 billion in local, state and federal government revenues. The study, commissioned by the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) — owner and operator of MSP — looked at MSP’s daily operations, capital investments and associated spending by visitors who traveled through the airport.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kqecQU
FRAUD: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “[Last year], Gov. Tim Walz announced Tim O’Malley, a judge at the time, as the first-ever director of program integrity, saying the position would ‘strengthen fraud prevention.’ … 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS asked the Governor’s Office about what’s taken place since their Dec. 12 announcement, and when we could hear the first update. [We] have yet to hear back. … O’Malley [also] declined our interview request. … On Dec. 31, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension [said] O’Malley was about to start, was under their agency, and would be working alongside the consulting firm WayPoint. … [This week], the BCA wrote that O’Malley ‘is an employee of WayPoint and any information related to his work would need to be directed to them.’” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3NRIfon
FRAUDTOO: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “A hospice provider in Dayton is the target of formal complaints alleging the company was billing Medicare for some end-of-life care that was not actually provided to patients. The allegations of fraud at the for-profit company Favoured Hospice come from multiple former employees and were submitted to state and federal authorities. … Family members of former Favoured Hospice patients echo the concerns detailed in the complaints.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4a0epGN
GOV RACE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “GOP state Rep. Kristin Robbins says she will remain in the crowded Republican field for governor despite coming in sixth in the GOP’s straw poll after Tuesday caucuses. … Robbins blamed her straw poll results on delegates upset with her for not agreeing to obey by the party’s endorsement.” ROBBINS: “I’m not dropping out. … Candidates who say they’re not going to abide by the endorsement do not do well in these straw polls because the people who are doing the endorsing convention, the delegates, want you to abide by the endorsement. … [But] clearly, I need to build my name ID, so I’ll be spending some money on that.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ayFTU1
ICYMI: This week’s MNSIDER Brief covered the Minnesota governor’s race in detail. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3ZlpjRd
We’re not going to highlight a Capitol structure demolition because it’s the attention that they do it for.
A new level of insight and information….
The MNSider Brief: State of the Governor’s race – READ: https://fluence-media.co/4r3ACtF
FED FEED
US ATTY: via Politico, VERBATIM: “The top federal prosecutor in Minnesota says his short-staffed office has been abandoning ‘pressing and important priorities’ to manage the flood of immigration cases stemming from Operation Metro Surge. … U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen [said] his office is buckling under the crushing weight of hundreds of emergency lawsuits filed by immigrants arrested and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in recent weeks. He said 427 had been filed in January alone, and that the pace is expected to continue into February.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qe1QfH
MORE: via CBS News, VERBATIM: “Departures have left the already-diminished office with as few as 17 assistant U.S. attorneys, according to sources inside the office — down from 70 during the Biden Administration. … The office’s ranks were depleted even before Operation Metro Surge. By the time Daniel Rosen was sworn in as U.S. attorney in October 2025, the number of prosecutors had already dropped to less than 40.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4cepbdP
DOJ: via Reuters, VERBATIM: “The U.S. Justice Department unit responsible for prosecuting potential wrongdoing by law enforcement, including during the crackdown on illegal immigration in Minneapolis, has lost two-thirds of its prosecutors and is under orders to scale back its investigations of excessive force. … The number of trial attorneys in the unit [has] dropped from roughly 40 before [Donald] Trump took office a year ago to no more than 13.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aeh3HM
DETAINERS: via FOX 9, VERBATIM: “Questions are being raised about the accuracy of deportable criminal numbers in Minnesota as federal and local figures don’t match up. Homeland Security officials have stated that there are more than 1,360 immigration detainers on individuals in Minnesota jails and prisons. However, local investigations [suggest] a total of around 300 non-citizens in custody with ICE detainers.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4azQ76A
ARRESTS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Federal immigration officers detained two people inside the Hennepin County Government Center on Thursday after their court hearing on charges of criminal sexual conduct, drawing the ire of the Hennepin County Public Defender’s Office and the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. … The detainments were aided by Hennepin County sheriff’s deputies. … Mike Berger, the chief public defender in Hennepin County, [said] the detainments were unconstitutional. He was incensed that federal agents and state law enforcement did not allow [detainees] to speak with their attorneys.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rEacP8
RESPONSE: via Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty statement, MORIARTY: “ICE arrested two individuals charged with criminal sexual conduct before we had an opportunity to hold them accountable for their alleged offenses. ICE is harming crime victims by denying them a court process. … These actions make it more difficult, and in some cases impossible, to get victims and witnesses to come to court to testify.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cdNJnj
COURT ORDERS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Despite two court orders to return Emilio Pena Jimenez to Minnesota from a detention center in Texas, the government sent the undocumented immigrant to Juárez, Mexico. Now, Pena Jimenez’s attorney is asking a federal judge in Minnesota to hold the government in contempt of court. … Government attorneys argue that Pena Jimenez agreed to voluntarily leave the country…[but] Pena Jimenez’s attorney [said] any documents his client signed were signed under ‘duress.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3O9QE6t
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)
STATE STUFF
PFAS: via WCCO Radio, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency has launched a first of its kind ‘forever chemicals’ tracking system. The new database tracks chemicals coming from consumer product manufacturers to prevent contamination before it reaches waste streams. MPCA Assistant Commissioner Kirk Koudelka says it’s designed to help both businesses and the public. … He says they estimate that about 5,000 to 10,000 manufacturers will use the reporting system that’s set to be fully functional by July 1.” READ/LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4rTZyE3
PRIVACY: via Office of the Atty. General, VERBATIM: “Today, Attorney General Keith Ellison is sharing an update with Minnesota businesses and consumers about the status of the Minnesota Consumer Data Privacy Act. … Until January 31, 2026, the Attorney General was required to provide notice of any believed violation 30 days in advance of bringing a lawsuit. … The Attorney General no longer is required to provide notice, [so] the Office strongly encourages businesses within the scope of the MCDPA to review their practices to ensure compliance with the law.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3NRC9Ev
OTHER NEWS
FISHING: via Rep. Chris Swezsinski advisory, VERBATIM: “Rep. Chris Swedzinski, R-Ghent, has a way for anglers to have more success fishing regardless of whether the Minnesota DNR trims the walleye limit. The DNR has proposed reducing the statewide daily and possession limit for walleye from six to four fish. … Whether the walleye limit is six or four, [Swedzinski wants] Minnesota licensing stamps that allow people to fish with two lines for all fish instead of the current one-line-per-person regulation. He authored H.F. 624 last year to make this happen and plans to continue pursuing this change in the 2026 session.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tf3T5X
MORE: via DNR advisory, VERBATIM: “Starting Monday, Feb. 9, the daily and possession limit for yellow perch on Mille Lacs Lake will be reduced from 10 to five. This regulation will be in place through Nov. 30, 2026. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is adjusting the limit to help maintain a healthy perch population for the future.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46lKYN0
WILD ABOUT READING: Join more than 800 Minnesota classrooms and 30,000 students participating in the “Wild About Reading” program, a partnership with Flint Hills Resources which encourages students to read more using Minnesota Wild-branded posters, reading logs, and bookmarks. Teachers set weekly reading goals and give certificates to students who complete the four-week program. Fun program incentives include: classroom visits from the Wild’s mascot, Nordy, and the team dog, Paulie; a pair of tickets to a Wild home game, player-signed pucks and photos; and a pizza party for a classroom. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/49AHNSE (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources)
LOCAL
MPLS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “The Minneapolis City Council voted Thursday, Feb. 5, to allocate $1 million to help residents pay rent as part of an effort to help immigrants who have lost income amid the federal immigration crackdown. … The $1 million will come from the city’s cash balance. … Council Member Linea Palmisano said she’s ‘very concerned’ about the city’s finances and the strain the immigration crackdown is putting on on Minneapolis. … Council members voted 9-4 to pass the rent assistance plan.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aluuWB
FARMINGTON: via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “The mayor of Farmington has resigned following a heated discussion around a proposed data center during a City Council meeting this week. Mayor Joshua Hoyt announced Thursday that he’s stepping down [to] ‘focus on my mental health’ [after] Hoyt and multiple residents traded expletives. … Hoyt’s formal resignation will be considered during the Farmington City Council’s next meeting on Feb. 17. The council will meet again in early March to discuss next steps for filling the vacant seat and determining future leadership roles. Council Member Nick Lien will serve as acting mayor.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4a3Wzmo
INVER GROVE HGTS: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “Plans for the new [Minnesota Hockey] Hall of Fame passed through the Inver Grove Heights planning commission Wednesday night, clearing the way for the City Council to consider the concept’s land use request later this month. … The council is now set to hear the proposed land use change at its Feb. 23 meeting. The developer will still need to seek approval for other parts of the full project, including preliminary and final plat approval and zoning.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49YpFU4
ISLE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “The police department in the small city of Isle, on Mille Lacs Lake, is the latest Minnesota law enforcement agency to sign a partnership agreement with ICE. Police Chief Mark Reichel said ICE approached the city last month and asked to sign up for a task force model partnership. The Department of Homeland Security says the deal is a ‘force multiplier’ for agencies to help ‘enforce limited immigration authority with ICE oversight during their routine police duties.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/45PknaW
WHAT’S NEXT
TODAY: The I-94 West Corridor Coalition is hosting a breakfast event in Albertville to “hear legislators’ perspectives and learn about the coalition’s priorities for the 2026 Legislative Session,” per a release. The event is at 7:30 a.m.
TODAY: Via Unidos MN, “Business owners will outline how ongoing ICE operations are disrupting daily commerce, deterring customers and workers, and placing long-term strain on small business capital and community investment. Speakers will also address federal efforts to rebrand enforcement as ‘prioritized’ or ‘targeted,’ noting that changes in language have not brought relief on the ground.”
TODAY: Governor Tim Walz will meet with Greater MSP’s Sustainable Aviation Fuel Hub leadership.
TOMORROW: House Majority Whip Tom Emmer and Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso will be on Fox News at 8:00 p.m. for an interview with Lara Trump.
THURSDAY: The Senate subcommittee on federal impacts will hold a hearing at 10:00 a.m. with an unannounced agenda.
THURSDAY: DFL Sen. Judy Seeberger will host an in-person town hall in Lake Elmo at 5:30 p.m.
FEB 17: The Minnesota Legislature’s 2026 session will begin on Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 12:00 noon.
BDAYS: Minneapolis leader Karin Birkeland, WCCO Radio Christopher Tubbs, golfer Christopher Tubbs, PR veteran Katie Tinucci. SAT: dairy leader Lucas Sjostrom, comms pro Jennifer Beers, House staffer DJ Danielson, grasstops pro Dennis Egan SUN: Chamber leader Lori Higgins, operative James Haggar, designer Derek Brigham, print guy Bill Gleason, comms pro Rick Fuentes
SPEAKER: If you’re looking for a speaker about the “Signal vs. Noise” dynamic of today’s politics and the 2026 election. EMAIL: BloisOlson@gmail.com.
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IN MEMORIAM: morning take is dedicated in memory of Melissa Hortman.