SWEATY TUESDAY
Storms last night overnight “Up North”. Trees down and damage. Hope everyone is safe. Heat and storm warnings continue today.
Twins win.
USA Soccer tomorrow night, but yesterday upsets in the World Cup.
Yesterday’s heat advisory is still going until 9:00 p.m. tonight. STRIB: https://fluence-media.co/3QTLL38
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the president can fire officials at independent agencies without cause — unless they’re with the Federal Reserve. AXIOS: https://fluence-media.co/4oY5ETs
It’s National Meteor Watch Day…what else could possibly happen.
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Today’s expected Supreme Court ruling or rulings will drive the news and the noise – but what are the signals?
Watching the shootout last night between the Netherlands and Morocco came flashbacks to my time as a soccer goalkeeper. The number of soccer goalkeeper’s I’ve met in public affairs and government always strikes me that there’s a mentality it takes to face the shot, face-to-face and one-one-one. The pressure, the eyes of the game on that moment.
It’s a mentality of being willing to take on the moment, and some parallels of last night’s Citizen of the Year dinner for Northern Star Scouting. It seemed fitting that Bill George introduced honoree Christophe Beck and a reminder that we all have some leadership responsibility daily. We don’t have to proclaim it – just lead, if people follow then keep going.
The song in my head before walk up songs were a thing in the late 80’s soccer shootouts was Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again”. The lyrics still fit some days, as much as they did for a young goalie.
As fmr. Rep. Pat Garofalo wrote last week, there’s a “quiet fury” palatable in Minnesota as residents have aren’t willing to follow of President Trump and Governor Walz.
It’s a moment and an election about the future, and the battery of issues is complex as I told one national journalist yesterday covering Minnesota. That frustrated tension is like the humidity of this week – thick and you can feel it when you breath in our civic and business community.
So here we go again, an eye on the horizon and hoping leaders don’t proclaim their status but rather start walking and see if people follow. The signals are found in watching and doing not proclaiming and being louder. So who will Minnesotan’s follow?
Gov. Tim Walz will visit a food shelf to launch of the Office of Public Service (OPS) and announce the office’s eight inaugural Service to Success grantees.
Over 25,000 visits so far, and now a refresh of the Fluence Election Tracker.
VISIT: https://fluence-media.co/electiontracker
STORIES: via MPR, VERBATIM: “From different colored lunch tickets to growing up in subsidized housing or in a mobile home park, Minnesota candidates aren’t shy about sharing adversity they’ve weathered. CRAIG: “When you talk about the middle class and working class in this country, I’ve lived it,” says Angie Craig, one of the Democratic U.S. Senate candidates…Peggy Flanagan, another Democratic Senate candidate, describes how her mother “skipped meals so I could eat…Republican governor candidate Kendall Qualls talks about going “from poverty to prosperity” and calls his life a “case study” about resilience…The hopefuls for several top offices are using speeches, ads and other opportunities to share their struggles from earlier chapters of their lives. It’s a way for them to draw an affinity with an electorate grappling with financial stress.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QRlcvE
BALLOTS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that states can count ballots that arrive after Election Day. The ruling does not change Minnesota’s mail-in ballot deadline, however. State law says mailed absentee ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day. If they are dropped off in person, they must be received by 5 p.m. on Election Day.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3SEISnu
MORE: Sec. Steve Simon spoke to WCCO Radio about the U.S. Supreme Court’s new ruling on mail-in ballots and how Minnesota’s elections will operate this year. READ/LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/44EaHio
TODAY: via Unidos MN news advisory at 10:30AM, VERBATIM: “Community leaders, immigrant families, and advocates will gather Tuesday at Mercado Central to respond to the Supreme Court’s decision on birthright citizenship and reaffirm that citizenship guaranteed by the Constitution is a cornerstone of American democracy.”
PROGRESSIVES: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s U.S. Senate primary has become one of the clearest tests of whether the [Democratic] Party’s leftward momentum can translate beyond deep-blue urban districts. Three recent victories by democratic socialists in New York City strengthened the argument among progressives [for] Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan. … Neither Flanagan nor [Rep. Angie] Craig is running as a democratic socialist. But their August primary has become a proxy for the larger fight over where Democrats go next...” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4eURHB3
DFLSEN: Yesterday on WCCO Radio with Jason DeRusha, DERUSHA: “Are you a socialist? FLANAGAN: “I’m a DFLer.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4vypLdf
DEMUTH: via MPR, VERBATIM: “Republican gubernatorial candidate Lisa Demuth says she’ll bypass debates ahead of the August Republican primary. … Demuth told reporters she’d focus on a primary win, followed by a debate with the DFL-nominated candidate. … [Kendall] Qualls, a former healthcare executive, and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell have called for additional face-offs between Republican hopefuls ahead of the primary.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vC2yXA
TAKE: Wanting to be a leader, and avoiding tough conversations or debates is strategy that bets on playing it safe. Speaker Demuth, like Lt. Gov. Flanagan and others can use the experience and tough questions. If you want to be Governor, or a US Senator – a debate shouldn’t be something you avoid when the issues our state and country face require a clear and confident vision of “Why we should elect you?”
KLOBUCHAR: Sen. Amy Klobuchar on KTTC-TV about her campaign for governor. VERBATIM: “When asked what sets her apart from other Democratic candidates, she said it is her record of working across the aisle. ‘I am number one, for several congresses, for bipartisan bills,’ Klobuchar said. … KTTC asked what would happen to her current Senate seat in the event she wins. Klobuchar said for now, she is focused on her gubernatorial campaign.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4gNJrFv
A deep dive into the CD1 race between Rep. Brad Finstad and Jake Johnson for MNSider subscribers. HERE: https://fluence-media.co/49OqNJu
THE FEED
CD1: via KTTC-TV, VERBATIM: “A small business owner has officially joined the Democratic Primary for the First Congressional District race in a rather unique way. Alex Eaton says he will be walking the district, literally, from the South Dakota border to the Mississippi River, with the journey expected to begin this week. He is planning a 277-mile trek across the southern border, stopping to talk with voters along the way. … He is running against DFL-endorsed Jake Johnson ahead of the August 11 primary.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4bgurMG
MNLEG: via MN House advisory, VERBATIM: “Today, Representatives Matt Norris (DFL - Blaine) and Ginny Klevorn (DFL - Plymouth) were appointed to the Legislative Inspector General Advisory Commission by House DFL Leader Zack Stephenson. There, they will [be] ensuring the efficacy of the new Office of the Inspector General.”
BLUE LINE: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “Blue Line riders can expect significant delays this summer as buses replace train cars during a total revamp of the light rail route. … Through Aug. 19, 60-foot buses will run along the entirety of the Blue Line as crews replace sections of track and update equipment throughout the line. The rail closure will also affect Green Line stops between West Bank and Target Field.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4eVJJrz
AMID RURAL HEALTH CHALLENGES, ESSENTIA HEALTH INVESTS IN NEW IRON RANGE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT: Essentia Health is investing in a $13 million project to remodel and expand its emergency department in Virginia, MN. With support from the Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation Board and philanthropic partners, the project will improve emergency care and mental health resources through new technology, safety and security measures, and a behavioral health suite. READ MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4o79h9j (SPONSORED: Essentia Health)
DHS: Via MinnPost, an update on the Dept. of Human Services’ disenrollment of 3,400 Medicaid providers. VERBATIM: “There are 2,600 providers who have appealed, according to DHS, with 2,100 of these healthcare outfits having had their ability to bill reinstated. … DHS has 60 days to review each appeal, [but] the agency has revalidated just 200 of the 2,600 appellant providers [and] probably has no shot to get to every appeal in time. ‘They are not known for doing anything timely,’ said state Sen. Jim Abeler, R-Anoka.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4xV0awR
SNAP: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “The battle between Minnesota and the Trump Administration over food assistance data has intensified after the Justice Department sued to compel the state to hand over its records, including beneficiary information. The lawsuit asks a federal court to force the Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families to turn over five years’ worth of data tied to [SNAP]. … The Justice Department also filed lawsuits against Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Michigan over similar refusals.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QMKueo
MEDICAID: via Office of the Atty. General, VERBATIM: “Attorney General Keith Ellison today joined a coalition of 24 attorneys general and two governors in suing the Trump Administration over [the] new Medicaid work requirements included in the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill.’ … Congress created exemptions from Medicaid’s work requirements to ensure that people with serious illnesses and disabilities do not lose coverage, [but] CMS surprised states with the interim final rule [that] makes it harder for medically vulnerable individuals to be excused from the work requirements.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3SSGFEZ
MOVE: Abby Loesch and Erika Nelson are the interim co-CEO’s of the Minnesota Business Partnership a Fluence Advisory client.
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)
DC + MN
TRAUMA: via Sen. Tina Smith advisory, VERBATIM: “Senators Tina Smith (D-MN) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) introduced the Improving Personal Risk Assessments to Prevent Suicide Act, a bill to help better understand the relationship between servicemembers and veterans’ experiences of military sexual trauma (MST) and suicide risk. The bill would require the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to publish a study. … The bill would also require the Departments to incorporate those findings into clinical assessments for identifying and treating patients at risk of suicide.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4wiKqSF'
WARNINGS: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Monsanto v. Durnell bars Minnesota and other states from labeling pesticides with health warnings different from the federal government’s. The case [involved] Monsanto’s Roundup. … States cannot impose warnings ‘in addition to or different from’ U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requirements, justices concluded.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gSyJgS
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)
EDUCATION
PHONE BANS: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “A number of Minnesota schools already have varying degrees of cellphone bans in place. How well are they working? … Dr. Jenny Hill of St. Cloud State University [said] her survey of school administrators found a number of encouraging trends. … School administrators reported fewer disciplinary problems and some increased academics. ‘It’s anecdotal evidence at the moment, we don’t have hard data on this. But teachers are not having to manage devices when they teach — they can just teach, and that leads to better instruction,’ she said.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4v6m79D
SCHOOL FUND: via Rochester Post Bulletin, VERBATIM: “This fall, voters across the state will decide whether to increase a little-known source of revenue for public schools. … Referred to as the Permanent School Fund, it’s a trust that was established in 1858 with proceeds from the sale of timber and minerals. The proposed amendment to the state’s constitution would increase the amount schools receive from the trust without having to resort to a tax increase.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4v0fsxL
HIGHER ED: via Duluth News Tribune, VERBATIM: “Following the award of a federal grant, faculty members at the University of Minnesota Duluth and Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College are undertaking a new partnership in an effort to expand biomedical research capabilities in the Northland. … The $3.4 million grant from the National Institute of Health will focus on building research infrastructure between and at the two schools, with the hopes of creating new opportunities for collaboration and student involvement.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aoEVJJ
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: via union-funded North Star Policy Institute advisory at 11AM today, VERBATIM: “North Star Policy Action will release Rising Health Care Spending in
Minnesota, a new report documenting steep increases in health care costs across
every form of coverage and the forces driving them.
TODAY: Governor Tim Walz will meet with the Ambassador of Vietnam, H.E. Nguyen Quoc Dzung, and visit a food shelf to highlight the launch of the Office of Public Service and announce the office’s eight inaugural Service to Success grantees.
SATURDAY: The U.S. will celebrate its 250th Independence Day.
JULY 13: Attorney General Keith Ellison will host a community listening session on Monday, July 13 to discuss the proposed acquisition of Allina Health by Sutter Health. The event is in St. Paul at 6:00 p.m.
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BDAYS: MPR’s Dana Ferguson, rock star Brian Leighton, fmr. Ramsey County Commissioner Victoria Reinhardt, attorney Scott Benson, business and education leader Scott Breimhorst
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IN MEMORIAM: morning take is dedicated in memory of Melissa Hortman.