Twins win in New York, good sign for the Pohlad ownership decision.
Sports Take out later today.
State Fair starts one week from today.
The “weird lights in the sky” seen over Minnesota this week were confirmed to be a rocket launched from French Guiana. BMTN: http://fluence-media.co/3UoXDsj
A Boston Fed analysis says spending growth is flattening and debt is rising for low- and middle-income Americans, but not for high-income earners. AXIOS: http://fluence-media.co/41D3ttX
Happy National Relaxation Day.
Blois - tips: bloisolson@gmail.com
Today’s morning take with Vineeta Sawkaar on WCCO Radio. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4fBQuP9
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SD54: Rep. Ben Bakeberg is announcing for SD54 later this morning. This is the seat vacated by Sen. Eric Pratt who is running for Congress.
STILLWATER: via a Senate GOP press release, VERBATIM: “In May, it was announced that the Minnesota Correctional Facility (MCF) in Stillwater would be closed by June 2029 through a phased process. The closure was a last-minute addition to the Judiciary and Public Safety Conference Committee Report and occurred without any meaningful opportunity for input by most legislators, MCF-Stillwater staff, or the public. … [Now], Republican members of the Senate Judiciary Committee have sent a letter to Judiciary Chairs in both the House and the Senate, asking for a public hearing on the closure. … The letter [is] signed by Senators Warren Limmer, Michael Kreun, Karin Housley, Jeff Howe, and Torrey Westrom, [all GOP].” LETTER: http://fluence-media.co/45zNZIA
MORE: via WCCO Radio, VERBATIM: “The Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Corrections is defending the plan to close the Stillwater Prison, even as Senate Republicans call for a public hearing on the matter. … [DOC] Commissioner Paul Schnell says the idea of closing the facility is not new.” SCHNELL: “The Office of the Legislative Auditor in 2020 recommended that the legislature begin to look at what to do with these facilities, and begin to think about planning for replacement. … [But] should public legislative hearings be called, the DOC is fully prepared to participate.” READ/LISTEN: http://fluence-media.co/4myNHJj
MORE: via MPR, VERBATIM: “Prison reform advocates say they’re concerned that in the closing of Stillwater prison, inmates could lose important belongings, including legal documents, because the storage allotted is too limited…The Minnesota correctional facility is experiencing a phased closure and inmates are already being transferred…Inmates have to pare down their belongings to fit in two bins before they’re transferred — which could include educational and legal materials.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41Bb6RE
MORE: via Fox 9, VERBATIM: “Citing issues ranging from "difficult" budget choices to costly six-figure settlements, the agency said it will reduce the size of its K-9 program from 13 to two teams on Nov. 5…The remaining teams will be used exclusively for drug detection. (Current teams are used for both drug detection and apprehension.)…The agency cited myriad factors in its decision, including budget choices and a $350,000 settlement over a dog bite.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3JlnjDL
TAKE: It is becoming more clear that the closing the Stillwater prison was not well-planned and is creating multiple other issues. The larger budget cuts to the Corrections budget suggest that in a budget that increased overall did focus on cutting a department that DFLers have wanted to minimize as the policy positions for early release and minimizing incarceration become more
MPD: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “A packed room of activists and residents questioned the pace of Minneapolis police use of force training during an outreach event Tuesday, where a commander laid out the city’s progress towards implementing state-mandated reforms. The gathering in downtown Minneapolis was led by Cmdr. Yolanda Wilks, who oversees the department’s implementation unit responsible for enacting the reforms. … Wilks said [this training] takes multiple days for each officer. The department is tentatively set to complete the use-of-force training by October, Wilks said. North Minneapolis resident Angela Williams said she’s frustrated by a process that strikes her as moving too slowly.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/41GNknc
OVERTIME: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “The Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) confirmed on Wednesday that at least [six] of its officers are under investigation for potential misuse of overtime. … An MPD spokesperson [said] ‘Currently, there are six cases being investigated for allegations of OT policy violations.’ 2024 payroll data obtained by 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS showed one police lieutenant made nearly $500,000 last year. … Mayor Jacob Frey said the city will stop paying officers double time in 2026.” READ/WATCH: http://fluence-media.co/4mCNzYx
MAYOR: Rep. Tom Emmer weighed in on the race for Minneapolis mayor this week, telling conservative outlet The Daily Caller that he thinks DFL-endorsed candidate Omar Fateh is a “radical communist.” Emmer expressed particular concern about Fateh saying he wants to shield Minneapolis and its immigrant population from “a hostile federal government” if he’s elected. EMMER: “Fateh seems more concerned with protecting these [immigrant] criminals than helping Minnesotans. … What’s happened to the city under failed DFL leadership is sad, and now the people of Minneapolis must choose whether they want to dive even deeper into pro-illegal alien, communist chaos or finally restore common sense.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/41AZIFm
DESPITE THE CHALLENGES OF RURAL HEALTH CARE, ESSENTIA IS RECOGNIZED FOR PROVIDING TOP CLINICAL CARE: According to the latest report from Minnesota Community Measurement, a statewide resource on health care quality, costs and equity, Essentia ranked as a high performer with 19 of 20 clinical quality metrics scoring above statewide averages. According to Dr. Maria Beaver, chief quality and patient safety officer at Essentia: “This is a testament to the amazing care provided by all our clinical care teams and all our colleagues who support them.” LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4dCxy1D (SPONSORED: Essentia Health)
REGENTS: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “Republicans are crying foul over the four [U of M] Regents appointed by Gov. Tim Walz. … ‘It’s incredibly unusual that the governor would disregard the work of the legislature and the [Regent Candidate Advisory Council],’ said GOP Rep. Marion Rarick, Higher Education Committee co-chair. … Rarick is also concerned because all four appointees have donated to Democrats over the years, and three of them have donated to various campaigns of Walz.” RARICK: “There were many candidates that put in thousands of hours of work to go through the whole process, and he just threw it out and started over. … I am very concerned. It looks like a ‘pay to play.’” READ/WATCH: http://fluence-media.co/46Wtc47
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On Monday, Fluence Advisory hosted a cannabis forum on the “State of Cannabis in Minnesota including an interview with Executive Director of the Office of Cannabis Management Eric Taubel.
REGION: via news release from Greater MSP, VERBATIM:” The GREATER MSP Partnership unveiled the 2025 MSP Regional Indicators Dashboard, offering the latest analysis of the Minneapolis–St. Paul region’s economic performance compared to peer metros across the country. The Dashboard shows that the region is strong in many areas, and making encouraging progress on key measures of economic inclusion, but has begun to lag peer regions across the country in growth and innovation in recent years. FROSCH: “The data tells us that without stronger growth and innovation in our economy, we will not be able to sustain or expand our prosperity in the years ahead,” said Peter Frosch, President and CEO of the GREATER MSP Partnership.” DASHBOARD: https://fluence-media.co/3Jic0w2
QUESTION: There are many questions about why the region and the state’s growth has slowed, the biggest one must be directed at state leaders and city councils. Which policies are deterring investment in Minnesota compared to our peer regions?
MPLS: via Axios Twin Cities, VERBATIM: “Mayor Jacob Frey is asking Minneapolis to tighten its belt. The mayor proposed Wednesday to increase the city's property tax levy by 7.8% next year — Minneapolis' largest levy hike since 2010, if enacted, though the increase could've been higher without $23 million in cuts the mayor has suggested. He contends the budget proposal shields taxpayers from a flood of rising costs without employee layoffs or deep cuts to core services like road repairs or police. … By eliminating two dozen vacant positions and making other money-saving accounting moves, city officials were able to reduce next year's levy increase. Minneapolis would also save $3.6 million by eliminating ‘double-time’ overtime pay for police officers. … The mayor now has to sell the $2 billion budget proposal to the City Council — which is controlled by Frey critics — during an election year.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/45ut1KT
MORE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Mayor Jacob Frey’s [budget] would raise the total dollar amount levied by $39 million. … If Frey’s budget passed untouched, the owner of a median Minneapolis home valued at $333,000 would pay $2,272 in city property taxes in 2026, an increase of $240. … Some City Council members expressed concerns about some of the cuts and spending shifts proposed by Frey, who says the city should invest in ‘proven programs’ rather than ‘launching new ones.’ … One such shift is a proposal by Frey to move funds from an emergency housing voucher program the City Council approved last year to the Stable Homes Stable Schools housing assistance program. … Council Member Jason Chavez called that ‘unacceptable.’” READ: http://fluence-media.co/47s4Yii
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)
OCM: via Office of the Governor, VERBATIM: “Governor Tim Walz today announced that Eric Taubel will serve as executive director of the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM). Taubel has been in the role in an interim capacity since January after serving as the office’s first general counsel.” WALZ: “Taubel’s stewardship of the Office of Cannabis Management over the past eight months has ensured that the priorities that drove cannabis legalization in Minnesota are reflected in Minnesota’s emerging market.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4fwJeDW
MANUFACTURING: via a Sen. Amy Klobuchar press release, VERBATIM: “U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Joni Ernst (R-IA), and Pete Ricketts (R-NE) introduced the Biomanufacturing and Jobs Act to create jobs and create new markets for our farmers by strengthening the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) BioPreferred program, a program designed to promote the use of domestic biobased products.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3HdW3GN
IMMIGRATION: via Office of the Atty. General, VERBATIM: “The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California granted Minnesota and a multistate coalition a preliminary injunction in response to their July 1 lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s illegal sharing of Medicaid data [with] the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). … The preliminary injunction blocks DHS from using Medicaid data obtained from plaintiff states for immigration enforcement purposes, and blocks HHS from sharing Medicaid data obtained from coalition states with DHS for immigration enforcement purposes.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3UZUsY9
WORKFORCE: via Office of the Governor, VERBATIM: “Governor Tim Walz and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) today announced $12 million for workforce development for Minnesotans. The State Drive for 5 program provides competitive grants to provide workforce training and job placement in five high growth industries: caring professions, education, manufacturing, technology and the trades. … An informational webinar for this grant round will take place on August 22.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4mcBcmf
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.”
Ceiling fans cool you, not the room: Ceiling fans don’t actually lower the temperature, but they make you feel cooler. Set your fan to spin counterclockwise in the summer to create a wind-chill effect.
When away, adjust your thermostat: During the summer months, you can save up to 3% on your energy bill for every degree you raise your thermostat.
Hot air belongs outside: Air leaks around windows and doors can let hot air in and cool air out. Sealing these gaps with weatherstripping or caulk is a low-cost DIY project that can make a big difference in your cooling efficiency.
Cook smarter to stay cooler: Using your oven or stove during the hottest parts of the day can heat up your home and make your AC work harder. Instead, try grilling outdoors, using a microwave or preparing no-cook meals.
Let nature dry your clothes—plus, your chores can wait until evening: Air drying your clothes or adding tennis balls to your dryer can help clothes dry faster and save energy. Running your dishwasher, laundry machines or other large appliances during cooler evening hours can reduce strain on the grid and helps keep your home cooler during the day.
(SPONSORED: Xcel Energy)
BLUE LINE: via KARE 11, VERBATIM: “The Blue Line extension of the Light Rail is getting closer to becoming a reality as [an] environmental review has been approved by the Federal Transit Administration. This clears the way for the Metropolitan Council to put together the final design and start construction. … It has been in the planning stages for a decade, and officials hope to get it up and running by 2030.” READ/WATCH: http://fluence-media.co/3UYCXYb
ST PAUL: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “The owner of St. Paul Brewing is suing the city of St. Paul and its housing authority for pushing to rezone parts of the Hamm’s brewery site for new housing development, a move he says will eliminate parking vital to the continued success of his businesses. Rob Clapp, a developer who owns St. Paul Brewing, a distillery and a fabrication shop at the Hamm’s site, is hoping to block a city plan to rezone parcels of land that are currently industrial into neighborhood zones to accommodate proposed affordable housing. … Clapp’s lawsuit comes ahead of an Aug. 20 St. Paul City Council vote to approve a plan that would rezone five parcels.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/45Qd436
DULUTH: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “Kathy Cargill, who generated an intense backlash in Duluth when she bought up over a dozen properties in the city’s beloved Park Point neighborhood over the past few years — and subsequently bulldozed many of the homes that stood on them — is now selling about half of the properties she purchased. … Each is listed for about $100,000 more than what she paid for the properties. … She paid well over market value for several of the properties [and] subsequently razed many of the homes, raising the ire of many locals, including Mayor Roger Reinert.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/415ngSI
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)
STEARNS CTY: via St. Cloud Live, VERBATIM: “Stearns County commissioners [have] approved an interim use permit (IUP) for an indoor cannabis microbusiness in Cold Spring. Commissioners OK'd the permit in a 3-1 vote. The permit would expire in 2045. Commissioner Jeff Bertram said 20 years is a long time [and] voted against the permit. … The county planning commission said the 20-year period was reasonable, commissioner Joe Perske countered. … Perske added that the endeavor requires substantial investment upfront, so it is fair to give the applicants a chance to establish their business.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4md3SLP
ROCHESTER: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Federal tariffs and higher-than-expected contract costs for renewable energy sources have local utilities officials in a bind: Do they push the added expenses onto residents, or do they push back the city’s much touted sustainability goal? Rochester Public Utilities plans to gauge community interest in moving back its timeline to have 100% net renewable energy by 2030. … To accomplish that, residents would have to eat a 6% electric rate increase next year, and likely weather similar increases through the end of this decade. Or residents can have an average of a 4% rate increase for the next few years, and Rochester likely won’t get to hit its renewable energy goals until 2040.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4mIDb1D
From yesterday’s Fluence newsletters:
VOTERS: via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “Northern News Now spent the day outside polling places, chatting with voters about the key issues that drove them to the polls. Among them: housing. ‘Affordable housing, we need it badly,’ said voter Lisa Hendrickson. … [She] calls Duluth home, but her daughters no longer do. She says lack of affordable housing is to blame. ‘I have daughters that have moved out of Duluth because of this, so it’s tough, it’s really tough here,’ said Hendrickson. ‘Wages just don’t keep up with the cost of living.’ Fellow voter Mary Anne Harala says Duluth needs leaders they can trust.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3V5sBFX
GUN CTRL: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Judicial Branch data shows that more [Extreme Risk Protection Order] petitions were filed throughout the state in the first seven months of this year than all of 2024. Also, of the 284 petitions filed through Aug. 1, just 14, or 5%, were rejected by a state court judge. Gun control is a centerstage issue following the assassination of DFL House leader Melissa Hortman. … Gov. Tim Walz is open to metal detectors at the Capitol. Meanwhile, the state Supreme Court has cast doubt on the legitimacy of a state statute banning certain guns without serial numbers. And a report released this month found that Minnesota gun deaths climbed in 2024 from the year prior. Amid this scrutiny, ERPO has quietly gained steam as a tool to prevent further tragedies.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/414kfC8
TODAY: Gov. Tim Walz doesn’t have any public events. He appears to be on vacation this week.
TODAY: via a DEED advisory, VERBATIM: “Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Commissioner Matt Varilek and Labor Market Information Director Angelina Nguyen will be available from 10:00-10:30 a.m. to answer questions from the press regarding the latest employment data.”
TODAY: Via St. Cloud Times, Rep. Tom Emmer and Federal Transit Administration head Marc Molinaro will tour the New Flyer facility in St. Cloud today as part of a tour promoting the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” The event is not open to the public. DETAILS: http://fluence-media.co/45hUbWL
AUG 21: via MNJRC, VERBATIM: “In light of Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty’s recent announcement that she will not seek a second term, the Minnesota Justice Research Center (MNJRC) is partnering with the Minneapolis NAACP to host a town hall with Moriarty and her office to discuss the future of justice in Hennepin County. Community members are invited to the University of Minnesota Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center (UROC) on Thursday, August 21, 2025 from 6-8 p.m.”
AUG 22: via Flanagan for Senate, VERBATIM: “Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan announced U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) will head to Minnesota to support Flanagan’s campaign for U.S. Senate. The two will hold a rally in Minneapolis on August 22nd to share their plans on how to change the status quo in Washington.”
AUG 24-27: The Democratic National Committee will hold a number of meetings in Minneapolis from Sunday, Aug. 24 to Wednesday, Aug. 27, beginning with a welcome reception at the State Fair hosted by DNC Chair Ken Martin at 6:00 p.m. SCHEDULE: http://fluence-media.co/3HcuwFv
AUG 26: 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
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IN MEMORIAM: morning take from now to the future is in memory of Melissa Hortman her accessibility, leadership and commitment to public service.
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