BEFORE THE HEAT
US Soccer loses, but will still advance. A deep run is doubtful.
Ina Yoon leads the KMPG PGA Championship at Hazeltine.
Naz Reid is gone, change is in the air. ICYMI, here’s yesterday’s Sports Take. READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QAp1Fr
Pride weekend in the Twin Cities including the parade on Sunday morning.
The search for survivors after two major earthquakes in Venezuela. CNN: https://fluence-media.co/4oQ3N33
PWC finds that 47% of U.S. families expect to spend more on back-to-school shopping than they did last year, averaging $922 per household. SURVEY: https://fluence-media.co/44A1szG
Happy National Chocolate Pudding Day.
Sunday Take at 9AM on WCCO…tune-in.
Next week gets hot, enjoy the weekend.
Blois - tips: bloisolson@gmail.com
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LISTEN: Sunday Take covered the status of third parties in Minnesota with Chip Tangen, Libertarian candidate for secretary of state, and Jay Reeves, Forward Independence candidate for state auditor. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4uICwRf
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From Bemidji on a Friday morning, where later today there will be a roundtable discussion for the Long Term Care Imperative with three legislators and three candidates for legislature. Not a debate, not a forum but a discussion about one of the biggest issues facing Minnesota.
Sure there are ads, and mail and some debates but building knowledge for the next legislature is critical on complex issues. Since seniors now outnumber E-12 students, Minnesota needs a plan and today’s roundtable is the third in a series through October.
You can listen to the episodes from Duluth and Could Spring here: https://fluence-media.co/IsThereAPlanPodcast
Over the next several weeks I’ll travel the state starting with watching 4th of July Parades with major candidates for Governor to measure the mood of Minnesota outside the bubble of news releases and social media.
The sunset in Bemidji was spectacular and in the 30 years I’ve passed through this town there’s been a re-energized downtown with local restaurants, a Starbucks, a Dunkin’ and some good local pizza. Last night’s dinner was a smashburger from Bar 209, recommended.
These discussions about big issues is important since the shift in the legislature becoming more caucus first in mindset. From legislative candidates to those who want to be Governor – having a vision, and plan to address the challenges of Minnesota should be the norm on education, health care, energy and the economy are critical.
TODAY: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “Starting Friday, the first ballots can be cast in Minnesota’s 2026 elections as early voting begins ahead of the Aug. 11 primary. Voters will pick party nominees for offices including U.S. Senate and governor for the November general election. … Primaries are also taking place in Minnesota’s eight Congressional districts and in a handful of its 201 state House and Senate districts.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gFRuUH
AD SPENDING: Via MPR, the DFL Senate primary between Rep. Angie Craig and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan has already seen $7.4 million in ad spending from outside organizations. VERBATIM: “Craig [has] had about $3.7 million in supportive communications on her behalf through last week. Most of it is from a pair of groups: the Center Forward Committee and the North Star Dawn PAC. Another $2.6 million has been spent by those groups or others critical of Flanagan [including] a new burst by a group called Unite to Win. … For outside spenders who want Flanagan to win the nomination, they’ve spent about $1 million through last week, mostly critical of Craig. The pro-Flanagan/anti-Craig push is led by the Democratic Lieutenant Governors Association.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ewp9ij
CD6: via St. Cloud Live, VERBATIM: “Three Republicans are competing for Minnesota’s 6th Congressional District nomination ahead of the Aug. 11 primary. Incumbent U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer, who has represented the district since 2016, is seeking reelection against challengers Chris Corey and Mike Foley.” FOLEY: “I decided to run because Congress has become disconnected from the people it’s supposed to serve. After trying to raise a serious concern and being ignored by my own congressman, I realized how broken the system is. I’m frustrated with career politicians who refuse to hold public, in‑person town halls, avoid hard decisions, fuel division and put party politics ahead of the people.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vhpuL7
EMMER: via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “House Majority Whip Tom Emmer [said] Somali immigrants who don’t assimilate ‘should go the hell back to where they came from’ — remarks that drew sharp criticism, including from fellow Minnesota U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar. … Emmer’s remarks were made at a Faith and Freedom Coalition town hall on Capitol Hill. … He also said he was ‘done being careful’ about being labeled a racist or an Islamophobe.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4oTx3WK
MPD: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey could face trial next year to explain why the city’s police department continues to fall short of its charter-mandated staffing requirements, according to a court order. … Thursday’s order stems from a petition filed by the Upper Midwest Law Center asking the courts to enforce a 2022 Minnesota Supreme Court ruling that found Minneapolis to be deficient in meeting its hiring goal. … Frey must meet the 731-officer threshold by Jan. 4 or face a trial in April to show why he shouldn’t be held in contempt of court.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4ePgarD
ABORTION: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Democrats are making it clear they want abortion rights to remain a central issue in the 2026 election. … Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy said abortion restrictions have created real financial burdens for women forced to travel out of state for care. With affordability expected to be a defining issue in this year’s campaigns, Murphy told reporters [that] reproductive rights and economic concerns go hand in hand. Murphy also tied the issue to Operation Metro Surge, arguing that the immigration crackdown has fueled broader fears among some Minnesotans that long-established personal freedoms could be rolled back.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4eKiIae
Over 25,000 visits so far, and now a refresh of the Fluence Election Tracker.
VISIT: https://fluence-media.co/electiontracker
STATE GOV.
AG OFFICE: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “The Office of the Minnesota Attorney General confirmed to 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that it is letting 17 employees go as part of a ‘general restructuring of the office.’ Of those 17 employees, three are attorneys. The office says that the decision was made based on ‘numerous factors, including rising costs.’” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4ewvGcZ
MORE: via Axios Twin Cities, VERBATIM: “The cuts amount to about 4% of the 443 people who worked there. … ‘That restructuring will not impact ongoing litigation,’ spokesperson Brian Evans wrote in a statement. Evans also said the cuts won’t affect the AG’s new Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4oQUP5y
MEETING: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “The governor’s newly formed Truth Council held its inaugural meeting, giving the administration a new venue to gather testimony and construct a public account of the immigration crackdown in the state. The council has no subpoena authority or formal investigative powers, but information gathered in the process could be looked at in potential future investigations. … Their preliminary report is due by Oct. 31.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4eKiIae WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4413hFM
A deep dive into the CD1 race between Rep. Brad Finstad and Jake Johnson for MNSider subscribers. HERE: https://fluence-media.co/49OqNJu
DC DRIP
IMMIGRANTS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “The U.S. Supreme Court backed the Trump Administration’s efforts to end Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, for Haitian and Syrian immigrants on Thursday over objections that the countries remain unstable and too dangerous for immigrants to return to. The ramifications could impact thousands of immigrants living in Minnesota under TPS. … The government doesn’t disaggregate TPS holders by nationality, [but] Minnesota is home to about 4,000 Haitians and 1,500 Syrians.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4euccFP
FRAUD: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s Medicaid director faced questions from Congress on Thursday as federal lawmakers examine fraud in the state’s Medicaid program. John Connolly with the Minnesota Department of Human Services testified [as] lawmakers questioned Connolly about how fraud got so bad in Minnesota and what the state is doing now to get fraud under control and prevent it from happening again.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4ai629h
SNAP: The Dept. of Agriculture released its latest analysis of payment error rates for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program this week, and Minnesota’s error rate for SNAP payments was worse than average in Fiscal Year 2025. Minnesota’s overall rate of errors was 12.58% — 9.86% overpayments and 2.72% underpayments. Meanwhile, the U.S. as a whole had an average error rate of 10.62% — 9.28% overpayments and 1.33% underpayments. DATA: https://fluence-media.co/4f1HILs
RESPONSE: via GOP Rep. Tom Emmer statement, EMMER: “Minnesota has one of the highest SNAP overpayment rates in the country. Under [Tim] Walz’s so-called leadership, our overpayment rate increased by more than 50% in just one fiscal year. This is unacceptable, and if it continues, hardworking Minnesotans are going to pay the price for the Walz Administration’s total inability to manage and safeguard taxpayer dollars.”
VOTING: via States Newsroom, VERBATIM: “A federal judge on Thursday blocked major portions of President Donald Trump’s executive order restricting voting by mail, finding he had exceeded his constitutional authority. The decision halts, at least until a nearly certain appeal is heard, efforts by the U.S. Postal Service to require states to submit the names of likely mail voters before it delivers ballots. It also stops the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from compiling lists of voting-age citizens in each state. … The decision came in a lawsuit brought by Democratic state attorneys general, [including Minnesota’s].” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4uW3C7y
RESPONSE: via Sec. Steve Simon statement, SIMON: “The fundamentals of our elections have remained unchanged. Minnesotans can still vote by mail or early in-person starting 46 days before an election. Minnesotans can still register to vote online or in-person on Election Day, if necessary. … We are grateful that the courts continue to uphold Minnesota’s Constitutional Right to establish these laws.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4akEEaC
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)
ECONOMY
DATA CENTERS: via FOX 9, VERBATIM: “The Minneapolis City Council has approved a pause, or moratorium, on data center development throughout city limits until a study on their impact can be completed. Some council members expressed concern over development affecting impoverished communities disproportionately, while others argued it had the potential to stifle investment in areas where it is needed as property values decrease. … Council members will have until Nov. 21, 2026, to decide whether to extend the moratorium or vote on separate ordinances governing data center developments.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4ewvF8L
MORE: via KARE 11, VERBATIM: “Eagan Capital has filed a lawsuit against the City of Eagan, challenging a temporary ban on certain data center development, according to a legal complaint. … The dispute centers on a one-year moratorium approved by the City Council on Feb. 17. … According to the complaint, the state has not authorized cities to regulate electricity consumption, making the ordinance ‘ultra vires,’ or beyond the city’s legal power.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3SyeiMg
MORE: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “Hundreds of people crammed into an open house hosted by Google [in] Hermantown, where the tech giant attempted to assuage community concerns and answer questions about the proposed large-scale data center it’s seeking to build. … Google billed the event as an informal chance for people to speak directly with and ask questions of project leaders, [but] resentment over what many view as a lack of transparency still lingered among several attendees of the open house.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4g7p4Ty
HELIUM: via Mesabi Tribune, VERBATIM: “Pulsar Helium Inc., the international helium developer seeking to develop a commercial helium operation from its findings near Babbitt, says it will tout the project at an upcoming tech conference. Cliff Cain, Pulsar Helium president, will detail the potential of its Topaz Project in northeastern Minnesota at the June 25-27 Quantum Tech World Conference in Boston. … Pulsar Helium says it now plans to move forward into a planning phase focused on the next stage of project development. That includes the drilling of two to four production-ready wells.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ahWB9R
FARM GRANTS: via Sen. Tina Smith advisory, VERBATIM: “Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) reintroduced the Farming Opportunities Training and Outreach Program Reauthorization Act, a bill that helps new farmers and producers successfully grow. … This bill offers grants to organizations and non-profits that provide programs to support new farmers. One program is called Land Link, and it connects retiring farmers with new farmers, ensuring generational knowledge is passed down. The bill also supports business training, mentoring, [and more].” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QCzvUQ
MORE: via MDA release, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is helping more people get into farming through a new round of our Down Payment Assistance Grant program. The grant program offers eligible farmers up to $20,000 to help buy their first farm. There is $1.64 million available for the program this year. … Applications for this round of funding are open July 6 to August 31.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4oLbIys
MOVE: via MPCC release, VERBATIM: “Paul Cerkvenik, president and CEO of the Minnesota Private College Council and the Minnesota Private College Fund, will retire in December 2027. … Cerkvenik has led the two organizations since 2009. … A search for Cerkvenik’s successor will launch later this year.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4euLFbt
METRO
MPD: via City of Minneapolis, VERBATIM: “The Minneapolis City Council Committee of the Whole advanced a legislative directive seeking accountability and transparency from Mayor [Jacob] Frey, the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) and the Office of Community Safety (OCS) on their plans for a stable public safety system following the resignation of MPD Chief [Brian] O’Hara last month. … The City Council will take a final vote on the legislative directives on Thursday, June 25, 2026. If approved, the Frey administration is expected to present a public response by August 10, 2026.” DIRECTIVE: https://fluence-media.co/4oQsNqT
SPPS: via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “St. Paul Public Schools (SPPS) Board of Education has approved its budget for the upcoming school year, which includes ‘necessary reductions and staffing adjustments.’ … School board members approved the $814.5 million budget, taking into account the $14.35 million shortfall. … District leaders blame the budget gap on increased expenses, which have outpaced aid revenue from the state, and declining enrollment. … The district notes it was able to avoid larger cuts thanks to a referendum passed by voters last November.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fZoFT4
ST PAUL: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “The St. Paul City Council, unlike their 13 counterparts in Minneapolis, are not considered full-time municipal employees, [so] council members in the capital city earn $79,000 annually, while Minneapolis council members take home about $110,000. … St. Paul City Council Member Nelsie Yang urged the seven-member council to take steps toward ditching the part-time council structure, raising their salaries as elected officials by as much as 40%, and bringing their pay on par with that of Minneapolis and other peer cities.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QmiRsx
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)
AROUND MN
HCSO: via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “Public defenders [have] tallied 66 cases since April 2025 — about one per week — in which the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office has used protections for undercover officers to restrict body camera footage from being shared with the public. … The sheriff’s office has been using state protections for undercover officers liberally to shield the identities of deputies who work on a special multi-jurisdictional team known as the Violent Offender Task Force, even when they’re doing regular police work. … Deputies [are] conducting traffic stops in vests that say ‘sheriff’ in big letters, [but] if the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office says they’re undercover, judges have deferred to them.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4eLdWJN
MILROY: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Milroy Public School will close June 30 as part of a consolidation plan with a neighboring school district after years of shrinking enrollment numbers. Last year at Milroy, only 27 kids were enrolled from kindergarten through sixth grade, [with] two students each in the fourth, fifth and sixth grades. The district put everything that’s left at the school for sale, even the building. … Residents and parents shared bittersweet feelings: both nostalgia for their old elementary and concern that their town will lose its identity.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4xPXEIe
MPLS: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “The Minneapolis City Council voted 9-2 on Thursday with one abstaining to repeal the longstanding ban on adult bathhouses and businesses where people can have sex in the city. … The final step to repeal the ban is a signature from Mayor Jacob Frey, who previously told MPR News he supports the repeal. … Council members emphasized that the vote doesn’t mean that bathhouses will become legal and ready to open immediately. Instead, it is the beginning of a long and technical process that sets the city up for a pathway to consider permitting bathhouses and other sex venues in the future.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3SuwBSD
ST PAUL: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “A hallmark of St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman’s administration was the addition of [a] director of arts and culture who answered directly to the mayor. … The position did not carry over to Mayor Melvin Carter’s administration, or to that of Mayor Kaohly Her. During a policy committee meeting of the St. Paul City Council [this week], Council Member Anika Bowie introduced a proposal to re-establish the role in an expanded capacity, with its own office and staff.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4alWSbS
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)
WHAT’S NEXT
TODAY: Gov. Walz has no public events.
TODAY: Speaker Lisa Demuth and running mate Ryan Wilson will hold a press conference in St. Paul to promote early voting at 9:30 a.m. Later, they will travel to Rochester, Mankato and Duluth for campaign visits.
TODAY: DFL Rep. Angie Craig will host a roundtable in Minneapolis with “DFLers who are casting their first vote in a primary in support of Craig,” per a release. The event is at 3:30 p.m.
MONDAY: Sen. Jen McEwen and Reps. Pete Johnson and Liish Kozlowski, all DFL, are hosting a town hall in Duluth on Monday, June 29 to “inform constituents of legislative achievements from the 2026 session,” per a release. 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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BDAYS: lobbyist Vic Moore SAT: activist Nekima Levy Armstrong, Rep. Erica Schwartz. SUN: SPACC’s John Perlich, candidate for Governor Mike Lindell, attorney Jake Grassel
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IN MEMORIAM: morning take is dedicated in memory of Melissa Hortman.