SUN + SOCCER
A police officer shot overnight in St. Peter. Details are limited.
Today is Juneteenth a state and federal holiday. Great to see friends at the Canada Day event last night at Fulton. Congrats to Canada on their first World Cup win.
US plays Australia today at 2PM. Lynx at Golden State tonight.
Twins win. Wyndham Clark leads the US Open.
We’ll learn who is leaving the Star Tribune on Monday.
The U.S. Special Olympics begin in Minneapolis this weekend. SCHEDULE: https://fluence-media.co/4xComnz
A few Minnesotans were in the crowd when Barack Obama gave a shout-out to “people in the Twin Cities” during the opening of his presidential library. WCCO: https://fluence-media.co/4xBYAzR
JD Vance’s trip to Switzerland was postponed this morning but he has a warning for Israeli officials who are not happy about the U.S.-Iran deal: don’t criticize “the only powerful ally that [they] have anywhere left in the entire world.” AXIOS: https://fluence-media.co/4xCpyHz
Marist finds that Donald Trump’s approval on the economy is 33% — lower than Joe Biden’s lowest rating from the same pollster. Trump’s overall approval is 36%. POLL: https://fluence-media.co/4oCXyzf
Much to say about the polls and fundraising, MNSider for premium briefs will be out this weekend.
Tune-in to Sunday Take at 9AM on WCCO Radio
Have a great Father’s Day weekend.Blois - tips: bloisolson@gmail.com
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LISTEN: Sunday Take featured DFL Reps. Kelly Moller and Mike Howard remembering the life and legacy of Melissa Hortman one year after her passing. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4gfrsri
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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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Another week of plenty of content, from new charges against protestors, fundraising reports and two polls. As much as I’ve suggested that the new flag is not a winning issue alone, the idea that half of the state doesn’t like the new flag suggests that the mood of Minnesota is surly.
Tonight, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and Rep. Angie Craig will meet on the Almanac couch. It should be a pointed conversation after months of barbs back and forth.
The real question is – Will it be a debate or a discussion? Flanagan is avoiding more debates – including those not on public media. We’re still proposing a debate later in the cycle, and hope the Flanagan campaign will have a change of heart.
If someone wants to be a US Senator, tough questions shouldn’t be avoided. That said bubble wrap is plentiful this time of year.
Tonight’s debate should reflect the issues that the US Senate addresses, and the mood of Minnesota.
The surly mood of Minnesota is different feeling than anger, or the quiet contentedness that we’re used to. The idea that I shared yesterday on radio resonated with your comments and emails. I suggested that the flag change is a visible example of things “that were done to us” during the trifecta a feeling that lingers even among moderate DFLers across Minnesota. It’s anxiousness that lingers about the state of our economy, schools and quality of life. While they remain strong enough, they are not thriving in Minnesota tradition.
Next week a trip north to Bemidji will offer another focus group of cafés and watering holes. What are you watching in this election that’s different? bloisolson@gmail.com
POLL POSITIONS
APPROVAL: KSTP’s latest poll asked Minnesota voters if they approve of Pres. Donald Trump, Gov. Tim Walz, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, the war in Iran and more. Results are summarized below. DATA: https://fluence-media.co/4enONV2
TRUMP: 36% approve, 60% disapprove, 4% unsure
WALZ: 43% approve, 51% disapprove, 5% unsure
KLOBUCHAR: 48% approve, 38% disapprove, 14% unsure
IRAN WAR: 30% approve, 65% disapprove, 6% unsure
A demographic breakdown shows that Walz is more popular among liberals (84%) than Trump is among conservatives (75%), but both groups are split nearly evenly between people who “strongly approve” and people who “somewhat approve.”
COMPARISON: The Star Tribune/KARE 11 poll from earlier this week found Pres. Donald Trump’s approval rating was 41%, 5 points higher than KSTP, while Gov. Tim Walz’s approval was 39%, 4 points lower than KSTP. Both polls have a margin of error of around 3 points. One possible explanation for the discrepancy is methodology.
ENTHUSIASM: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Democrats appear to hold the enthusiasm advantage [in our poll]. Among those who identified as DFLers or leaned Democratic, 68% said they were ‘very enthusiastic’ about the election, compared with 51% of conservatives or Republican-leaning voters who said the same. … [Meanwhile], Republicans face a significant name-recognition problem. The best-known Republican angling to get on the ballot this fall is MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell. … Beyond Lindell, GOP candidates — particularly those endorsed by the party — are still largely unknown. A majority of voters, 51%, said they don’t recognize the name Kendall Qualls.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3SleazA
QUALLS: Endorsed Republican candidate Kendall Qualls issued a statement in response to the latest KSTP poll showing him in third place for the GOP gubernatorial primary, as seen in yesterday’s morning take. QUOTE: “The more voters learn about me, the more they like and support me. That’s been proven time and time again in the 16 straw polls that I’ve dominated against my primary opponents, winning the Republican endorsement in Duluth and the momentum that we’ve gotten in the last few weeks.”
ISSUES: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “More than three-quarters of voters said they are very or somewhat concerned about the use of artificial intelligence, [and] 63% said they would oppose a data center being built in their community. … Two-thirds of Minnesotans said undocumented immigrants should be allowed to remain in the U.S. and eventually become citizens if they meet certain requirements. … A majority of voters support banning military-style rifles with detachable magazines, such as the AR-15, while 44% oppose such a ban.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3SleazA
A deep dive into the CD1 race between Rep. Brad Finstad and Jake Johnson for MNSider subscribers. HERE: https://fluence-media.co/49OqNJu
CAMPAIGN CASH
PACS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Restore Sanity PAC, which is backing Republican gubernatorial candidate Lisa Demuth, has raised $1.2 million since last year. … Renew Minnesota, a business-backed conservative PAC, enters the election season with roughly $1.2 million cash on hand. The Advance Minnesota Independent Expenditure Committee, which seems to be focused on legislative races, is also sitting on $1.8 million. … On the Democratic side, Alliance for a Better Minnesota [has] more than $500,000 in the bank. We All Do Better PAC [has] raised more than $900,000. … The DGA Victory Fund is sitting on more than $7 million. … The DAGA People’s Lawyer Project MN has raised nearly $1 million to support spending in the attorney general’s race.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3SleazA
MORE: Here’s the case that Restore Sanity PAC is making to fundraise for Speaker Lisa Demuth. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4eyCQMv
GOP GOV: via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “The [Mike] Lindell and [Kendall] Qualls campaigns for governor are strapped for cash even as early voting for the Aug. 11 primary begins later this month. … Lindell had about $12,000 in cash as of the end of May, [while] Qualls’ campaign had about $34,000 in cash. … Lindell’s campaign has spent almost all the money it’s raised since it launched in December. The campaign’s largest expenses include copies of Lindell’s own memoir [and] a February fundraising event [in] Mar-A-Lago. Lindell’s campaign spent over $155,000 to rent the facility and for food and beverage.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aczBZL
CD1: The Cook Political Report shifted its rating for Minnesota’s 1st Congressional District one step to the left, from “solid Republican” to “likely Republican.” The nonpartisan organization explained that DFLer Jake Johnson has “managed to keep pace with” GOP Rep. Brad Finstad’s fundraising, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s bid for governor may be “providing some coattails.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gtSdZ1
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
ISRAEL: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “Frustrations between the U.S. and Israeli governments spilled into the open this week [due to] the war in Iran, [but] attitudes toward Israel have been steadily shifting even before then. It’s particularly apparent among Democrats, including in Minnesota. … At last month’s Minnesota DFL convention in Rochester, three state auditor candidates were asked: ‘Would you use your seat on the State Board of Investment to push other State Board of Investment members to divest from countries committing war crimes and crimes against humanity?’ Auditor candidates Dan Wolgamott, Adam Jennings and Zack Filipovich all agreed with the calls to divest, though none of them mentioned Israel by name.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4eTdcDm
IMMIGRATION: via KARE 11, VERBATIM: “Human Rights Watch released a report [discussing] Operation Metro Surge and new recommendations for the federal government. The nonprofit stated that the federal government ‘manufactured a crisis’ and that all levels of government need to take up immigration reforms. … Nonprofit leaders presented the full report in a press conference Thursday morning.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4vnarjN REPORT: https://fluence-media.co/4ozBENk
RESPONSE: via GOP Chair Alex Plechash statement, PLECHASH: “The crisis was manufactured by Tim Walz, Amy Klobuchar, and Keith Ellison. … Where were these activists when fraudsters drained programs meant for vulnerable children and adults with autism? Where were they when violent criminals hurt innocent people?”
SETTLEMENT: via Office of the Atty. General, VERBATIM: “Attorney General Keith Ellison today, as part of a bipartisan coalition of nine attorneys general, announced a $7 million settlement with LivCor [as part of] Ellison’s ongoing antitrust litigation against software company RealPage. The settlement resolves allegations that LivCor used RealPage’s revenue management system to align rental prices with competing landlords by illegally sharing and gathering confidential pricing information.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4eCgpWJ
MOVE: The Minnesota Soybean Growers Assoc. elected Brownton farmer Ryan Mackenthun as the organization’s new president. Mackenthun will replace Darin Johnson, who is returning to his role as director.
Follow the 2026 Minnesota elections up close with the Fluence Election Tracker.
https://fluence-media.co/electiontracker
METRO
ST PAUL: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “The St. Paul City Council approved a concept plan [for] improvements to the Merriam Park Recreation Center. … The additional funds will expand the skate park, which in 2003 was the first skate park built in the city. The council’s approval also unlocks $500,000 in grant funding secured last year from [DEED]. … The remainder of the 10-acre park’s improvements will be funded through approximately $2 million in city sales tax revenue.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ehYANP
DAKOTA CTY: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “Dakota County has released new PFAS data showing contamination in wells across the county and raising questions about drinking water safety. … Sampling found PFAS — known as ‘forever chemicals’ — in all 27 environmental wells and 94 of the 114 private drinking wells tested. … Dakota County Environmental Resources supervisor Valerie Neppl [said] as far as the safety of drinking water, [most] residents are in the clear. … [But] for private well owners, Neppl said [that] a granulated activated carbon filter can help reduce PFAS exposure.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4oy4NIM
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)
ACROSS MN
BRAINERD: via Brainerd Dispatch, VERBATIM: “Changes are proposed for the funding structure of the Brainerd Lakes Regional Airport. Brainerd City Council members approved the first reading of an ordinance [that] would see Crow Wing County levying a larger portion of the funds for the airport than the city and making up a bigger percentage of the Airport Commission. … The airport is jointly owned by Brainerd and Crow Wing County. Historically, both entities have levied roughly equal funds for the airport each year. That changed in 2024 [due to] council concerns about Brainerd residents being taxed twice for the service.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4xDwKmE
ROCHESTER: via Rep. Angie Craig advisory, VERBATIM: “Representative Angie Craig visited Mayo Clinic in Rochester to meet with Mayo Clinic’s leadership team and receive a briefing on their Bold. Forward. [Unbound.] strategy. … Craig had the opportunity to tour the Rochester campus transformation and discuss Mayo Clinic’s latest efforts across the enterprise to integrate cutting-edge technologies. … Craig and Mayo Clinic leaders also discussed the significant economic and workforce opportunities Bold. Forward. Unbound. in Rochester will create.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Qruaj4
SE MN: via Rep. Brad Finstad advisory, VERBATIM: “Congressman Brad Finstad (MN-01) hosted a roundtable discussion with U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota Daniel Rosen and members of the southern Minnesota law enforcement community. In attendance were Sheriffs from multiple counties, as well as Chiefs of Police, Assistant Chiefs of Police, and Captains from police departments across Minnesota’s First Congressional District. The discussion gave law enforcement officers the opportunity to highlight successes within their departments, as well as discuss the challenges they face.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vDgvF3
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 participate in the official Team Minnesota Send-Off Event for the Special Olympic Games and visit the Juneteenth Event in Rondo.
TOMORROW: Minnesota will host the 2026 USA Special Olympics starting on Saturday, June 20. The event is expected to attract tens of thousands of visitors next week.
MONDAY: via news advisory from Parents for Good, VERBATIM: “Parents, educators, students, and community members with Parents for Good will gather outside the June 22 Anoka-Hennepin School Board meeting to announce they have successfully collected 3,000 signatures in support of placing a school funding referendum on the November ballot. The grassroots petition drive was launched after the Anoka-Hennepin School Board failed to secure enough votes to place a referendum before voters directly.”
TUESDAY: Sen. Andrew Mathews and Rep. Shane Mekeland, both GOP, will host a town hall with representatives from Options, Inc. to discuss Medicaid provider revalidation and “the impacts state processing delays may have on services provided to vulnerable Minnesotans,” per a release. The event is in Big Lake at 6:00 p.m.
WEDNESDAY: Independent evaluators at ELEFA will host a public meeting to answer questions about the Minneapolis Police Department’s settlement agreement. The event is at 6:00 p.m.
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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IN MEMORIAM: morning take is dedicated in memory of Melissa Hortman.