MONDAY MOOD
Extra energy required on Summer Monday’s.
Twins lose. World Cup starts this week.
A rainy and stormy week ahead.
The Timberwolves unveiled their new uniforms for next season. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4fs6Pb2
The FIFA World Cup kicks off this week. Team USA’s first match is Friday at 8:00 p.m. SCHEDULE: https://fluence-media.co/3RR5Pn7
Niche ranked Woodbury Math & Science Academy as the state’s top public high school. LIST: https://fluence-media.co/4ogD6nJ
State of the Nation ranked Minnesota 1st in the U.S. for overall quality of life. On the same list, Iowa is 3rd, South Dakota is 7th, Wisconsin is 8th and North Dakota is 9th. LIST: https://fluence-media.co/4vu2ed6
Sunday Take featured a recap of post-convention dynamics and CD1 DFL candidate Jake Johnson discussing his campaign priorities. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4easFO8
Happy National Best Friends Day.Blois - tips: bloisolson@gmail.com
SPONSOR: Sponsorships are available to reach over 30,000 readers per day on Fluence’s tip sheets and website, TheDailyAgenda.com – email BloisOlson@gmail.com.
SPEAKING Lobbyist and trade associations that are killing time waiting today, let me know if you want me to speak to your summer and fall events about the “Signals vs. Noise” of the election. bloisolson@gmail.com
DEEPER: Check out a Fluence Forum podcast. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/FluenceForums
SMARTER: Long Term Care – Is Minnesota Ready? Care Providers Minnesota and LeadingAge Minnesota hosted providers, Senator Grant Hauschild (03, DFL), Representative Natalie Zeleznikar (03B, GOP), and Representative Nathan Nelson (11B, GOP) for a conversation about the future of careing for our seniors. This coming week the conversation moves to St. Cloud. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4ue3YXA
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CAMPAIGN CASH
SENATE RACE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “[Lt. Gov. Peggy] Flanagan may have the party’s backing and post-convention momentum heading into the August primary, but [Rep. Angie] Craig has a significant financial advantage in the tight race. … [However], Flanagan also benefited from outside groups backing her Senate run in the lead-up to the endorsement convention. She was boosted by Clear Voice Minnesota, a PAC that’s spent more than $271,000 on ads. … A PAC aligned with the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association also committed $2 million in advertising for Flanagan. … Craig has the backing of the Civic Progress Fund, which committed more than $2.4 million to the race; the Center Forward Committee, which has pledged more than $1.2 million; and Minnesotans for Progress, which is supporting her with more than $672,000.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4e7zbVx
MORE: There will be a major surge in ad spending this week in the DFL Senate Race including spending from the DLGA, Minnesotans for Progress and North Star Dawn.
JUDGES: via MPR, VERBATIM: “There are only three judicial seats among the 122 on the ballot where more than one candidate will be listed. Notably, the two state Supreme Court justices on this year’s ballot – Associate Justices Sarah Hennesy and Paul Thissen – had no one file against them. Same goes for the five Court of Appeals judges who must get voters’ OK for new terms. … Minnesota has so far bucked the trend of expensive and partisan judicial elections.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4xeUuNK
GOP: via WCCO Radio, VERBATIM: “Former president of the Minnesota Senate and longtime GOP delegate Dave Osmek says he’s leaving the Republican Party [due to] last weekend’s state convention. … Osmek was a state senator for ten years and served as the Senate President for a year. He also was the 2022 GOP state convention chair.” OSMEK: “It’s time for [conventions] to go. It’s a relic — and I think, by the way, Democrats have the same problem. The system is now being corrupted by small pockets of individuals with very loud voices and threatening behaviors.” READ/LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4fxsDSM
DFL: Via Briana Rose Lee, operations director for Rep. Ilhan Omar’s reelection campaign, a sign of division at the DFL’s annual Humphrey-Mondale fundraising dinner over the weekend. QUOTE: “I keep thinking about the Mondale dinner last night, and I need to say something. [Lt. Gov.] Peggy Flanagan is our ENDORSED candidate. It was absolutely shameful that all three electeds who spoke did not mention her by name. ‘Elect a democratic woman to Senate’ was insulting. I’m still mad.” TWEET: https://fluence-media.co/4ebibxU
Sign-up for our premium subscription MNSider to continue to build a media growing outlet in Minnesota.
Here are the two MNSiders from the weekend, with insight from the conventions.
SAT: https://fluence-media.co/49se3rS
SUN: https://fluence-media.co/4u5nHIc
COURTS
BOELTER: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “A DOJ spokesperson said that the death penalty is completely off the table in the case against Vance Boelter, the suspect charged in the murder of former Minnesota Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, regardless of whether he pleads guilty to all state and federal charges. … The death penalty decision had previously been in the hands of former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. After her resignation, that decision fell to Todd Blanche, who took over as acting Attorney General. The DOJ spokesperson says leadership is in agreement that the death penalty is not applicable.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4vwzBMe
(DISCLOSURE: Fluence is assisting the Hoffman family with media support)
AGENT: via WCCO Radio, VERBATIM: “Governor Tim Walz (DFL) says the process of returning an ICE agent arrested in Texas in connection with the shooting of a Venezuelan man in north Minneapolis this winter is underway. Walz says he made a formal request to Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) [last] week to have Christian Castro sent back to the Twin Cities to face assault charges in Hennepin County District Court.” WALZ: “We do this all the time, it doesn’t get in the news. This one is a little more high-profile. Our expectation is they will follow through — there’d be no reason not to.” READ/LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3RWJjJs
PRISON: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “Appleton’s private prison posted job openings for warden and security positions [last] week as the federal government continues to eye the facility for immigration detention. Although prison owner CoreCivic hasn’t finalized a contract with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the company was named by the agency [last week] in a post seeking a contractor to hold detainees.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QnHNzE
BWCAW: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “The U.S. Forest Service told lawmakers at a Senate hearing [that] it doesn’t have a plan to complete a further review of a proposed copper-nickel mine in the watershed of the Boundary Waters. … Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz said the agency hasn’t determined its next steps for approval of the proposed Twin Metals mine. … Responding to questioning from Sen. Tina Smith, Schultz said the Forest Service will review an environmental impact statement completed by the Biden Administration in 2022. … But Schultz said there is no plan to evaluate the environmental impact of a sulfide-producing mine in the Boundary Waters watershed or a timeline of the review of the work that has been done.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4uq1uEN
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)
MN FEED
511: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Drivers accessed the Minnesota Department of Transportation’s 511 traveler information website nearly 12 million times last year to check out everything from traffic speeds to road construction. … But the site can be quite cluttered. Such features as electric vehicle charging stations, open rest areas and road restrictions for truckers can be hard to find. All that is about to change. In its first refresh in five years, MnDOT is piloting a new-look 511 that could go live by fall.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ui4R0v
WILDFIRES: via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “Just as firefighters are nearing full containment of the Birch Bay Fire near Ely, two more wildfires were detected on Saturday in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in northern Minnesota. The U.S. Forest Service says there is a new fire near the east end of Lac La Croix, about 22 miles east of Crane Lake, and another fire east of Look Lake, which is about 11 miles east of Crane Lake.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43STQYN
PFAS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “A long-awaited plan to manage a massive underground plume of PFAS chemicals in the eastern Twin Cities area has been released, but it’s unclear how the state might fund the hundreds of millions in recommended work, or when a plan would be finalized. … AECOM estimated the system would cost between $227 and $404 million to build. Annual operations and maintenance could tally between $12.3 million and $82.8 million.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4oh8kLA
DNR: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “Beginning June 9, the DNR is launching the first phase of its electronic licensing system with the fishing and hunting license module. The new system will offer outdoor aficionados the ability to purchase their licenses through a mobile app, online, or in-person from a license agent. It will also provide customers three options to keep it on them at all times, with a paper copy, PDF or stored in the app.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4oeWCAX
Follow the 2026 Minnesota elections up close with the Fluence Election Tracker.
https://fluence-media.co/electiontracker
STATE STUFF
THERAPY: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “It’s no secret that the Minneapolis City Council and Mayor Jacob Frey have a rocky relationship. … To try to bring peace to City Hall, the city last fall hired a consultant for up to $1.4 million for a range of services designed to help the council, mayor and his cabinet work better together. The services include leadership development, strategic planning and executive coaching. The city’s three-year contract with Darcy Luoma Coaching & Consulting, LLC, a Wisconsin company, began in October. … They resumed [a retreat] last week, with sessions Thursday and Friday that included 10 of the 13 council members along with Frey and his cabinet of three.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vDrRII
MPD: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “In late April, Minneapolis city attorneys received a document alleging that a high-ranking veteran officer within the Minneapolis Police Department had been punished by his superiors for providing damaging information to a law firm investigating the conduct of Police Chief Brian O’Hara. … The document [is] a draft 32-page lawsuit never filed in court but obtained by the Minnesota Star Tribune. … City officials denied that they have engaged in whistleblower retaliation against any employee and pushed back on the veracity of the document.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4xkw9X8
MPS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s third-largest school district has faced steep deficits and enrollment challenges for years, but Minneapolis leaders have averted the unpopular move of closing any schools — until now. School board members are bracing to take that controversial step this fall even amid fierce opposition. … The school board is due to sign off on a new $1 billion budget for 2026-27 requiring it to erase a $39.7 million shortfall. … On Tuesday, it is expected to take the next step in a so-called ‘transformation process’ [by] directing Superintendent Lisa Sayles-Adams to recommend restructuring options this fall tied to enrollment-boosting measures.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3PK8tuk
GRAND OLD DAY: Flint Hills Resources is thrilled to be this year’s sponsor of the Grand Old Day parade. Flint Hills employees, families and friends will be showing their Saint Paul pride as they hand out giveaways alongside one of the Pine Bend refinery’s fire trucks. New this year, Flint Hills Resources engineers will demonstrate how science is really fun (and tasty) at the Future Innovators Zone. Kids can learn how to make their very own ice cream at home. Be sure to stop by on June 7! LEARN MORE: Grand Old Day (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery)
ACROSS MN
WASH CTY: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “Three men have filed to be the next sheriff of Washington County, prompting a primary election in August. The candidates on the Aug. 11 ballot are: Jeremy Bolen, who’s worked for the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office for 22 years, and lives in Cottage Grove; Henry Mathia, who’s worked for the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office for 14 years, and lives in Woodbury; and Stillwater Police Chief Brian Mueller, of Lake Elmo, who has 28 years of law enforcement experience, and previously worked for the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4xaEQDf
COLUMBIA HGTS: via FOX 9, VERBATIM: “The Columbia Heights City Council is poised to cancel contracts for all 12 Flock cameras used by the city’s police department and remove the devices at its meeting on Monday. … A primary concern from residents was the potential for camera data to be shared with outside agencies, particularly in relation to Operation Metro Surge. Council members say they are trying to balance public safety needs with privacy, civil liberties, and community trust.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4et7OXp
GRANT: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “The Grant City Council has hired Lacey Smieja to be the city’s new administrator, clerk and treasurer. The council voted unanimously [to] hire Smieja, who previously served as city clerk/treasurer in Motley, Minn. … Smieja’s first full day on the job is June 15, but she has been training with current interim city administrator Kristina Handt since May 21. Handt, a longtime area city administrator, had been in the position since November.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3RSW0oF
PROUD TO CHAMPION ATHLETES EVERYWHERE: Minnesota’s 24,000 family corn farmers may come from different fields than the athletes participating in the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games, which are set for June 20-26 in Minnesota. But they share the same values, including dedication, hard work, and perseverance. This summer, Minnesota Corn salutes the talented athletes participating in the games. We’ll be cheering them on from our fields as they shine in yours. (SPONSORED: Minnesota Corn)
DAYBOOK
TODAY: Governor Tim Walz will meet with H.E. Dr. Petra Schneebauer, Ambassador of the Republic of Austria to the United States.
TODAY: Attorney General Keith Ellison is hosting a community forum on the proposed acquisition of North Memorial Health by Sanford Health. The event is in Robbinsdale on Monday, June 8 at 6:00 p.m.
WEDNESDAY: Sen. Tina Smith and Rep. Ilhan Omar, both DFL, will co-host a “tele-town hall” on Wednesday, June 10 at 6:00 p.m.
SATURDAY: ISAIAH will host a kickoff event for its “Childcare for All MN” campaign in Minneapolis on Saturday, June 13 at 12:00 noon.
We won’t ask for “membership” to list your BDAY, and we won’t have pledge drive but you can support the Fluence work by paying for premium content.
BDAYS: advocate Jenna Grove, nonprofit leader Annie Stanoch, radio pro Shannon Knoepke, health care leader Jennifer DeCubellis
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.
SPONSORS: Sponsorships are available to reach over 30,000 readers per day on Fluence’s tip sheets and website, TheDailyAgenda.com – email BloisOlson@gmail.com.
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IN MEMORIAM: morning take is dedicated in memory of Melissa Hortman.