Vikings acquire Carson Wentz as a back-up QB. NFL kicks off this week.
Lynx win. Napheesa Collier was back in the line-up and score 32.
Twins lost to the White Sox. 8-0.
It’s State Patrol Day at the State Fair, featuring equipment demonstrations and trooper interviews. DETAILS: http://fluence-media.co/3V4lE8t
How did the Minnesota State Fair end up at its current location? WCCO: https://fluence-media.co/4n0dTfz
DFL Rep. Angie Craig brought cookies to the GOP’s State Fair booth as a “peace offering,”. SEE: http://fluence-media.co/4fQwHvv
Sunday Take was live at the State Fair as GOP Rep. Keith Allen and DFL Sen. Doron Clark discussed their lifelong friendship and how to bridge political divisions. LISTEN: http://fluence-media.co/3HuzoGl
Happy National Banana Split Day.
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SD41: Rep. Tom Dippel is announcing this morning he’ll run in SD41. It’s a rematch of the 2022 races between he and Sen. Judy Seeberger. Seeberger won by 321 votes.
SD58: Mark Legvold is the announced DFL candidate in Senate District 58. Senator Bill Lieske (R) is the incumbent in the district that includes Northfield.
THIS WEEK: The Democratic National Committee will hold a number of meetings in Minneapolis today, tomorrow and Wednesday after beginning their retreat yesterday with a welcome reception at the State Fair hosted by DNC Chair Ken Martin.
DNC: via AP News, VERBATIM: “Ken Martin is in the fight of his life…The low-profile political operative from Minnesota, just six months on the job as chairman of the Democratic National Committee, is charged with leading his party's formal resistance to President Donald Trump and fixing the Democratic brand. MARTIN: “I think the greatest divide right now in our party, frankly, is not ideological,” Martin told The Associated Press. “The greatest divide is those people who are standing up and fighting and those who are sitting on the sidelines…”..And yet, as hundreds of Democratic officials gather in Martin’s Minneapolis hometown on Monday for the first official DNC meeting since he became chair, there is evidence that Martin's fight may extend well beyond the current occupant of the Oval Office…Big Democratic donors are unhappy with the direction of their own party and not writing checks…At least a couple of DNC members privately considered bringing a vote of no confidence against Martin this week in part because of the committee’s underwhelming fundraising, [but] the no confidence vote will not move forward because Martin’s critics couldn’t get sufficient support. … At least three presidential prospects will be featured [DNC] speakers: Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4mTVOj3
DFL: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota DFL’s historic revocation of a Minneapolis mayoral race endorsement [last] week threatens to deepen the schism between the party’s more moderate establishment and an emboldened progressive wing. … The clash comes a year before elections in which Democrats will be fighting to retain their hold on statewide offices. … Labor unions and progressive political organizations gathered Friday at City Hall to denounce the state party’s decision. They said the convention’s outcome illustrated the will of the people. … Speaking at his own news conference Friday morning, [Jacob] Frey questioned the convention process. Asked whether the fallout would do lasting damage to the party brand, Frey said he’s not a pundit: ‘What I can say is that people need to believe that a process is fair.’” READ: http://fluence-media.co/47JdEkr
MORE: Attorney General Keith Ellison told Star Tribune’s Sydney Kashiwagi that he is not planning to make or comment on any endorsements for the Minneapolis mayoral race. ELLISON: “I'm not gonna comment because there are two sides of this thing, and I haven't studied enough, and I wasn't at the convention, and I haven't read the report.” TWEETS: http://fluence-media.co/3HCTi1V
MPLS: The Minneapolis DFL Coordinated Campaign provided an update on how the state party revoking its endorsement in the mayoral race will impact its campaign operations. VERBATIM: “The state party's bid to set aside Senator Omar Fateh's endorsement by convention delegates has temporarily paused new mailings of DFL slate information, and may cause some confusion as mailers introducing the original DFL slate move through bulk mail delivery. The Coordinated Campaign is now working on updated designs for sample ballots highlighting our City Council, Park Board, and Board of Estimate and Taxation candidates in local precincts, and we are looking forward to driving up turnout in this year's election.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/45TKgpf
WALZ2: via New York Times, VERBATIM: “For Hope Walz, the night of the 2024 presidential election can be summed up in two selfies…Around 8 p.m., she photographed herself beaming into a mirror in a Washington hotel room, wearing a blue hoodie in support of the Democratic ticket that included her father, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota, as its vice-presidential nominee. Later that evening, she took a close-up of her face, a mixture of tears and mascara streaming down her cheeks…Afterward, she walked around Washington with campaign staff and began to process that the wildest three months of her life had ended in heartbreak. QUOTE: “It is a new reality,” Ms. Walz, now 24, said in an interview earlier this month. “I kind of accepted that I was never going to be the same, and I don’t want to be.”…Now, Ms. Walz is readjusting to life after an especially intense spurt in the public eye. Rather than retreat, though, she is entering the political fray more than ever before. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4n3SKkJ
NOTE: It has been morning take’s policy not to include social media or comments from children of public officials or candidates. It’s clear through our own observations, and now with a New York Times profile that Hope Walz is seeking media coverage and attention. While she doesn’t warrant the coverage of her father, or elected officials she is a reflection of her family’s political strategy and future.
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SENATE RACE: Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren rallied with Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan in Minneapolis this weekend in a show of support to Flanagan’s campaign for Senate. Flanagan posted on social media that over 1,500 people attended the Democratic duo’s rally in Minneapolis. Warren also visited the Minnesota State Fair with Flanagan to speak at the DFL booth and sample the fair’s cuisine. TWEETS: http://fluence-media.co/4fVmJZG http://fluence-media.co/4lOIyvp
SD47/SD29: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “A special primary election on Tuesday will determine the [DFL] nominee for the state Senate seat left vacant by the resignation of Sen. Nicole Mitchell. … Vying for the DFL nod in Senate District 47 are two sitting state representatives: Rep. Ethan Cha, DFL-Woodbury, and Amanda Hemmingsen-Jaeger, DFL-Woodbury. Hemmingsen-Jaeger won the District 47 DFL endorsement. … [Meanwhile], Republican Sen. Bruce Anderson of Buffalo died unexpectedly in July, leaving a vacancy in the District 29 seat. On Tuesday, primary voters will pick one of three candidates for the GOP nomination: Rachel Davis, Michael Holmstrom Jr. and Bradley Kurtz.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/45xYeOJ
11A: via Duluth News Tribune, VERBATIM: “Cloquet City Councilor Chris Swanson says national politics is becoming increasingly polarizing, and he hopes to offer a more amicable, solution-oriented alternative in his bid for the Minnesota House of Representatives. … Swanson is positioning himself as a middle-of-the-road Democrat as he seeks the [DFL] nomination for Minnesota House District 11A. The district is currently represented by Jeff Dotseth, R-Kettle River. … If elected to the House, Swanson said he would focus on economic development, access to child care and better housing opportunities.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3HP1eNy
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)
NATL GUARD: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “The nation’s capital continued to be roiled by President Donald Trump’s escalating takeover of the city and its police force, and the flood of federal forces that are now patrolling and making arrests across the city. Restaurants and shops are complaining about a sharp drop off in customers and many city workers are taking leave or staying at home. … Trump has said the takeover of Washington is just the beginning of an assault on cities. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said his city is ready if that happens.” FREY: “Our chief of police and I are [in] lockstep. … Doing something like that in Minneapolis, it would be just a blatantly illegal usurpation of local control were this to happen here. Of course, we would take immediate action to get injunctive relief.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3HrPmB5
FED FUNDS: via City of St. Paul, VERBATIM: “Mayor Melvin Carter announced that Saint Paul joined a federal lawsuit led by the City of Fresno, Calif., seeking to stop the enforcement of unlawful executive orders that risk the loss of substantial grant funding for the City. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, among other agencies, have threatened to withhold, rescind, or cut grant funding from communities to force compliance with a presidential agenda. … This lawsuit also challenges attempts by political appointees to exercise discretion over who receives grant funding.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3VnxSc5
IMMIGRATION: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a new, threatening letter to blue state governors [last] week, including Gov. Tim Walz, warning them to quickly end their ‘sanctuary policies’ regarding immigrants. … In his [response] letter to Bondi, Walz pushed back.” WALZ: “Minnesota is still not a sanctuary state. … Minnesota does not prevent federal officials from doing their work. But the federal government cannot shift the blame for its own failings onto state or local law enforcement.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3HrPmB5
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)
RELIGION: via AP News, VERBATIM: “Religious colleges that require students to sign a statement of faith cannot be excluded from a popular Minnesota program that lets high school students take college courses for credit, a federal judge has ruled, tossing a state law that she called an unconstitutional violation of religious freedom. The ruling late Friday from U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel was a victory for two conservative Christian colleges in the state: Crown College in St. Bonifacius and the University of Northwestern in Roseville. … The [state] Department of Education had tried to ban the faith statement requirement since 2019. It succeeded in 2023.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4fY1WF2
GUN CTRL: via FOX 9, VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s lawsuit against gun manufacturer Glock can proceed following a district judge’s ruling [last] week which denied the company’s attempts to dismiss the civil case. … The lawsuit says the gun-maker’s pistols are easily modified into full automatic machine guns with an inexpensive modification known as a ‘switch’ or ‘auto sear.’ … The lawsuit claims Glock violated several Minnesota laws, including consumer fraud, false advertising, negligence, deceptive trade practices and product liability laws.” READ/WATCH: http://fluence-media.co/461JasN
ABORTION: via Office of the Atty. General, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has joined a multistate coalition of attorneys general and a governor in petitioning the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to remove burdensome restrictions on mifepristone, a highly safe drug that is one of two drugs used in medication abortions. … The coalition urges the agency to eliminate unnecessary restrictions on this safe medication that make it much harder for patients to access medication abortions, particularly in rural and medically underserved areas.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4oSp6k6
PHONES: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “Many students returning to Minnesota classrooms this year will find new restrictions in place on cellphone use. A number of schools implemented policies on cellphones last year, but this year is the first that districts are mandated to have one. … White Bear Lake Schools rolled out their cellphone policy for the 2024-25 school year, which requires that students put their phones in cellphone sleeves at the front of the classroom at the start of class. … Russ Reetz, White Bear Lake High School principal, [said] it was a ‘really successful year,’ with fewer fights and social media-related conflicts among students during the school day. … ‘Our attendance went up, our grades,’ Reetz said.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4lKQZb1
UMN: University of Minnesota Pres. Rebecca Cunningham spoke to the Star Tribune about her first year in the role and what challenges she has faced as a leader in higher education. CUNNINGHAM: “It’s a time where there’s a lot of change in higher education and certainly my administration has had the opportunity to lead during that. [With] a lot of the challenges to higher ed right now, the University of Minnesota is the solution.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4oQwufR
LGBTQ: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “A larger share of adults in Minnesota identify as transgender than in any other state, according to new research from the University of California, Los Angeles. About 1.2% of Minnesota’s adult population identifies as transgender, compared to the national average of just over 0.8%. … Kat Rohn, executive director of OutFront Minnesota, an LGBTQ+ advocacy organization, [said] ‘It’s a real sign that Minnesota is a place where people feel comfortable being themselves.’ … Rohn thinks Minnesota’s relatively affordable cost of living has also played a factor.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3UGb33h
COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS TO CELEBRATE: Flint Hills Resources and its employees are proud of the company they keep, including many community partners that help make Minnesota a better place to live and learn. Not only is the Pine Bend refinery celebrating 70 years, many of the company’s long-time partnerships have milestones in 2025 — 25 years of the Flint Hills Family Festival in partnership with the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, 25 years with Friends of the Mississippi River to restore critical habitat, 30 years with the Minnesota Zoo, and 40 years with Ducks Unlimited. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3ZfDkjY (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources)
MANKATO: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “The largest campus in the Minnesota State University system has received a gift of 160 acres of farmland from an alumna. … The gift, valued at more than $1.6 million, will support the agriculture and nursing programs at Minnesota State University, Mankato, a statement from the school said. … Sixty acres of the gift will be used by the school’s agricultural department for projects related to soil health, sustainable agricultural practice and agricultural drainage improvement. … Proceeds from the sale of the other 100 acres will be used for an eventual endowment for nursing scholarships.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3JuPkcg
ROCHESTER: via Rochester Post Bulletin, VERBATIM: “A recommended $663.85 million spending plan for 2026 will be reviewed by the Rochester City Council on Monday. It’s down nearly $56 million when compared to the $719.8 million in the city’s 2025 budget. … The recommendation is part of the proposed 2026–2027 Operating Budget, which anticipates reductions in capital improvement spending each year. However, the costs of providing day-to-day city services are climbing, according to the budget projections. Since many services rely on tax dollars, the 2026 recommendation comes with a projected 5.9% increase to the city’s property tax levy.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4fOPQxQ
WINONA: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “In a city where art and industry have long worked side by side, a new kind of workshop is taking shape: a 22,000-square-foot makerspace aimed at becoming an incubator for budding entrepreneurs and weekend woodworkers. The Winona Creators Collective, a nonprofit founded earlier this year, is in the final stages of securing a lease for the former Technigraph manufacturing facility on the city’s west side. Once the space opens in late 2025, the group plans to offer a membership model allowing for 24/7 access to dedicated areas for activities like woodworking, pottery and glassmaking.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/45AotEh
From Friday’s Fluence newsletters:
GOV RACE: via WCCO Radio, VERBATIM: “Speculation is ramping up as to what Minnesota Governor Tim Walz will do after he told the WCCO Morning News on Thursday that he'll announce a decision on running for a third term after Labor Day. Second District Congresswoman Angie Craig (DFL), on with Vineeta Sawkar on the Morning News at the State Fair Friday, said she knows one name that won't be in the mix for governor: hers.” CRAIG: "There's gonna be a big old field of Democrats running for governor. If the governor decides not to seek reelection, which I've said from the start, I hope he does run for re-election, we're gonna have a lot of great Democrats in that race. I will be in the U.S. Senate race." READ/LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4lCawdx
MORE: Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan also told WCCO Radio she would not run for governor if Gov. Tim Walz decides against a third term. LISTEN: http://fluence-media.co/477eO9j
INTL STUDENTS: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “Colleges and universities across the country are seeing steep declines in the numbers of international students enrolling for the fall term, as the Trump Administration tightens restrictions on student visas and has imposed bans on citizens of certain countries traveling to the U.S. Nationwide, colleges and universities are projected to see an estimated 35 percent decrease in new international student enrollment. … But little Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato is bucking that trend and is welcoming its largest incoming class of international students ever.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/47FNjDU
AG ECONOMY: via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “The DFL majority leader of the Minnesota Senate says she’s aware of challenges facing farmers in the state. Erin Murphy tells Brownfield agriculture is a critical part of Minnesota’s economy.” MURPHY: “I think farmers are concerned about their access to markets, especially when we see things happening with SNAP and USAID. I think they are worried about tariffs, I’m hearing of that from individual farmers. And the uncertainty of where the markets will be and what their prices will be is a concern.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/45wHbfZ
TODAY: Gov. Tim Walz has no events on his public schedule today.
TOMORROW: Primaries for the upcoming special elections in Senate Districts 29 and 47 will be held on Tuesday, Aug. 26. The winners of these primaries will be on special election ballots Nov. 4.
SEPT 3-4: The Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture is hosting two virtual sessions to gather public input and ideas for the 2026 legislative session. The first is Wednesday, Sept. 3 at 12:00 noon. The second is Thursday, Sept. 4 at 5:00 p.m. DETAILS: https://fluence-media.co/46W26Kr
SEPT 4: St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter will give his annual city budget address on Thursday, Sept. 4 at 10:00 a.m. This address was previously scheduled for Aug. 14 before being postponed due to a citywide cyberattack. Carter will also deliver his library budget address at 1:00 p.m. the same day.
BDAYS: business leader Ingrid Christensen, Comcast’s Anna Boroff
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