RAINY WEDNESDAY
Twins win. Lynx at Connecticut tonight.
The Timberwolves have reportedly “thrown the kitchen sink at LeBron James,” hoping he’ll come to Minnesota. BMTN: https://fluence-media.co/3R7wmwe
The Twin Cities Marathon will be held later in October starting next year to give the event a “better shot at ideal weather.” MPR: https://fluence-media.co/4vLVB6s
The U.S. launched new strikes on Iran following more Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz. AP: https://fluence-media.co/4eQRcJt
Happy National Freezer Pop Day!
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ELECTIONSECURITY: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM:” By this point in a typical election year, federal intelligence officials would have briefed Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon and other election officials on emerging threats to the November election…Simon would have joined federal agencies in rehearsing responses to worst-case scenarios, from foreign cyberattacks and bomb threats to severe weather on Election Day…Instead, with four months until voters head to the polls, Simon said those briefings and trainings never happened. Now, some of the worst-case scenarios election officials are preparing for involve the Trump administration. SIMON: “The federal government itself is now the potential obstacle — or even the instigator,” Simon said. “That’s what’s different this time.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4yfkIjW
VOTER ROLLS: via ProPublica’s Andy Mannix, VERBATIM: “The Department of Justice is threatening to prosecute election officials across the country for failing to remove noncitizens from their voter rolls, an escalation of the Trump Administration’s attempts to prosecute election fraud, according to letters obtained by ProPublica. … Maine and Minnesota are among the states that confirmed receiving the letter.” TWEETS: https://fluence-media.co/4wA1ELC
EARLY VOTES: via MPR, VERBATIM: “The first look at absentee voting ahead of Minnesota’s primary shows plenty of interest, but so far only a small number of completed ballots. … 287,664 [ballots] were applied for through the first week of early voting, which opened on June 26. Through last Thursday, only about 2,500 ballots were submitted for eventual counting. Most of those were people who went to a polling place to fill out their ballot. More than half of the submitted absentee ballots are in Hennepin County.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ePerUn
GANGS: via Fox 9, VERBATIM:” A spike in violence over the July 4 weekend has Ramsey County’s sheriff urging the community and law enforcement to address growing Somali gang activity across the metro… Sheriff Bob Fletcher said the first step is calling out the problem and working to get a handle on it…According to the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, the recent effort is not about targeting the Somali community, but about helping save young Somali boys who are choosing a gang life that is becoming increasingly dangerous… Over the July 4 weekend, several shootings and a homicide were linked to Somali gangs…On Wilson Street in Minneapolis, a Willmar soccer coach was killed in what authorities say was Somali gang violence. Officials say the problem did not start there, and the violence has been escalating…Fletcher described a gathering at Juice Time in Arden Hills where about 300 Somali kids were present, including some involved in gangs.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/44OI0zp
MORE: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “For us, at CAIR-MN, it’s why prevention, intervention, and family engagement and sustained investment in youth must be central to any sort of long-term solution.”..Adding the messaging could have been handled better: “To say that there’s a Somali gang problem that requires [raising] the stakes and squash this before it … becomes a, you know, a larger issue. I think [that sort] of framing is, is particularly dangerous.”..He’s not alone; Minneapolis City Council Vice President Jamal Osman says he was “dismayed and deeply disappointed” about Sheriff Fletcher’s comments. You can read the full statement below.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fnYVPk
AD SPENDING: Via MPR, details on political advertising during the U.S. vs. Belgium game in the World Cup. VERBATIM: “FOX 9 was able to charge a premium for ad time given the heavy expected viewership. … Senate candidate Angie Craig, a DFLer, plunked down $32,500 for a single 30-second spot. … Craig will get three spots for $36,000 later this week during games in which the U.S. team is not a participant. Her primary rival, DFL Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, has purchased her first ad time, but none of the spots were due to run before, during or just after the U.S.-Belgium game. North Star Dawn PAC, which is backing Craig’s run, bought a pregame ad and paid $6,000 for that slot.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ePerUn
NEW AD: Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan has launched her first TV ad in the Senate race, titled “Lead the Fight.” Flanagan contrasts herself with Rep. Angie Craig in the ad, saying she will support the interests of working people. FLANAGAN: “Craig voted with Donald Trump more than any other Minnesota Democrat. … This is about who’s on your side. And I’m with you.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3R7sRpA
GOV RACE: Republican Kendall Qualls’ gubernatorial campaign issued a statement calling on Speaker Lisa Demuth and Mike Lindell to publicize their proposals on taxes and participate in “a statewide TV debate.” STATEMENT: “We have no idea where Kendall’s opponents stand on some of the most important issues and concerns of Minnesota voters. … Kendall has been clear that he will cut personal income taxes, business taxes, property taxes, and state fees. … What will Lisa Demuth and Mike Lindell do to permanently lower the burden on families?”
BERG: Later today, the Bernie Sanders aligned Our Revolution will endorse Kaela Berg in the CD2 DFL primary.
KLEIN: via release from the Klein for Congress campaign, “Minnesota Professional Fire Fighters (MPFF), the union representing more than 2,000 professional firefighters, paramedics, and emergency dispatchers across the state, endorsed Dr. Matt Klein for Congress in Minnesota’s Second District.”
NOTE: Fundraising reports in this race will be a strong look at how well positioned candidates are for the primary.
NUCLEAR: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s next governor could play a pivotal role in deciding whether the state ends its 32-year ban on new nuclear power plants, a proposal that has drawn renewed attention amid rising energy demand. … The debate has become a top energy issue in the governor’s race, with all three leading Republican candidates saying they support repealing the moratorium. … [Amy] Klobuchar’s spokesperson said she is supportive of the study the Legislature approved this year and ‘is open to a change to the moratorium.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Rm2dcQ
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Over 25,000 visits so far, and now a refresh of the Fluence Election Tracker.
VISIT: https://fluence-media.co/electiontracker
THE FEED
NATL GUARD: via AP News, VERBATIM: “National Guard deployment to Washington, D.C. has ballooned, [but] a contingent from Minnesota sent for the 250th is set to depart early. … Minnesota is set to withdraw its Guard members Saturday, earlier than the planned July 23 return. In a statement, Air Force Maj. Nathan Wallin, deputy state public affairs officer for the Minnesota National Guard, attributed that to ‘the successful conclusion of festivities.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4viHsg6
H-2A: via Rep. Michelle Fischbach advisory, VERBATIM: “Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach [is] an original cosponsor of the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act. This legislation modernizes the H-2A agricultural worker program, delivering labor flexibility and financial predictability to agricultural producers. … The [bill] includes several reforms specifically designed to alleviate the agriculture workforce constraints, [including] extending the length of H-2A temporary worker definitions to 350 days.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3R2MP4P
HOMELESS: via Office of the Atty. General, VERBATIM: “The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is attempting [to] cap funding for permanent housing projects. … Attorney General Keith Ellison and a multistate coalition argued in a lawsuit filed today in federal court [that] HUD’s actions violate the Administrative Procedure Act for, among other things, failing to proceed with notice-and-comment rulemaking and being arbitrary and capricious. They ask the court to declare that the challenged conditions are illegal and block HUD from implementing them.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4pszWOB
A deep dive into the CD1 race between Rep. Brad Finstad and Jake Johnson for MNSider subscribers. HERE: https://fluence-media.co/49OqNJu
ISSUES
DRUG FEES: via MPR, VERBATIM: “After a federal judge blocked an anti-price gouging drug law, Minnesota has to pay up. Minnesota’s budget agency is seeking permission from top lawmakers to pay more than $600,000 in legal fees to the Association for Accessible Medicine. The group represents drug manufacturers and sued over a 2023 state law meant to prevent dramatic price increases for generic drugs. … As part of a connected settlement, the Attorney General’s Office agreed to pay the group’s legal costs — and now must cut the check by mid-November to avoid interest.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ePerUn
FRAUD: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Department of Commerce fined a company and its owner for repeatedly misleading up to 1,000 Minnesotans about health insurance coverage. The department said it fined Seguro Medico and its owner, Arthur Walsh, $150,000 after Minnesotans complained they believed they were buying comprehensive health insurance. Investigators found Walsh and Seguro Medico repeatedly violated Minnesota insurance laws.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4ybqAun
WIND: via North Star Policy Action, VERBATIM: “At the end of April, the federal government effectively halted the development of more than 250 onshore wind energy projects across the United States by failing to complete routine national security reviews. … Four of these stalled projects will directly impact Minnesota. [We estimate] pausing these projects puts 1,200 construction jobs at risk. … Taken together, these four projects account for $1.6 billion in total investments that could be lost.” REPORT: https://fluence-media.co/4f7T9QM
BEER TAX: via Axios Twin Cities, VERBATIM: “Summer cocktails cost a little more in Minnesota than most other states. Alcohol taxes vary dramatically from state to state, meaning the same can of beer, glass of wine or fancy cocktail can cost significantly more depending on where you order it. Minnesota has the 11th highest taxes on beer, 17th highest on wine and 19th highest tax on spirits.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/44O3D2P
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)
METRO
ST PAUL: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “Efforts to get a question on St. Paul’s November ballot surrounding maintenance rights for residential tenants have fallen about 300 voter signatures short, though organizers still have about two-and-a-half weeks to make up the difference. On Wednesday, the St. Paul City Council is scheduled to adopt a report from Ramsey County Elections finding that the ballot petition to add a tenant ‘Right to Repair’ ordinance to the city’s legislative code lacks sufficient valid signatures. … [But] the initiative has until July 25 to submit additional signatures and reach the goal.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3SO9q5U
MPLS: via WCCO Radio, VERBATIM: “Northside Minneapolis residents are planning to speak out at a city council committee meeting Wednesday against the testing of a proposed ‘Drones as First Responders’ program over their neighborhood. The program would allow the Minneapolis Police Department to launch a drone immediately after a 911 call to survey the scene before first responders arrive. Activist Marvina Haynes says this isn’t the solution [and] it’s an issue of trust and privacy.” READ/LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4wzwx2L
RAMSEY CTY: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “The Ramsey County board unanimously approved a salary increase for county manager Ling Becker on Tuesday. The decision, effective Aug. 1, increases Becker’s salary from $267,500 to $283,550. It includes the 3.5% wage increase that county staff received in 2026 for standard cost of living plus 3% for performance pay.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vTGVT1
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
ELK RIVER: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “The Elk River City Council voted [to] reject changes to a city ordinance that would have allowed a new data center. … The project would be smaller than hyperscale data centers proposed in other Minnesota communities, [but] many Elk River residents have expressed strong opposition. Elk River has two existing data centers that don’t conform to the city’s current zoning rules, which don’t allow data centers in any zoning district.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vmDSl4
ST CLOUD: via St. Cloud Live, VERBATIM: “A 244-unit apartment development near County Road 74 is set to move forward after the St. Cloud City Council approved a mixed-use project [this week]. City officials say it will help meet a pressing need for housing. … The project includes five apartment buildings with market-rate units on roughly 17 acres, along with land reserved for future commercial development. The council approved the project in a 6-member vote.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4yeOwNy
SHERBURNE CTY: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “[Sherburne] County leaders are vying to be among the first in the country to potentially house a nuclear reactor at a shuttering coal plant, specifically Sherco in Becker. … But before any substantial planning takes place, officials say the state needs to repeal its 32-year ban on new nuclear power projects. Legislators made progress toward that goal this session by approving $500,000 to study the possibility of building new nuclear plants in Minnesota.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4b0Ujwj
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: Gov. Tim Walz has no public events.
TODAY: Sec. Steve Simon will visit an elections office in Washington County to watch local elections officials conduct a public accuracy test of voting equipment ahead of the primary.
TODAY: The Somali American Partnership will hold a press conference in Minneapolis at 9:30 a.m. advocating for “unity, dignity, and the protection of all children” following the “public targeting and politicization of Somali students” online, per a press release.
TODAY: Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan will hold a press conference at 10:00 a.m. calling on Rep. Angie Craig to “answer for the unprecedented level of outside spending for her campaign,” per a release.
TODAY: The Office of the Legislative Auditor will release an evaluation report on Minnesota voter registration at 12:00 noon, followed by a presentation to the Legislative Audit Commission at 1:00 p.m.
TODAY: U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar and state Rep. Emma Greenman will host a session on “protecting the right to vote in CD5” at 4:00 p.m.
TODAY: DFL Sen. Steve Cwodzinski will participate in a public reading of the Declaration of Independence in the Minnesota Capitol at 5:00 p.m.
TOMORROW: Representatives from Xcel Energy, Google and the Pine Island City Council will host a public information session on data centers with the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce at 8:00 a.m.
(DISCLOSURE: Xcel Energy is a Fluence sponsor)
TOMORROW: Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and more will attend the grand opening of Opportunity Crossing in Minneapolis at 10:00 a.m.
TOMORROW: U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar and Hilltop Mayor Terry Wiggin will host a CD5 town hall in Columbia Heights at 6:00 p.m.
FRIDAY: via Families Over Billionaires, VERBATIM: “At 12:00 pm, Families Over Billionaires and state partners will bring the Who Pays? Bus Tour to Mankato. The event will lift up local stories on the impacts of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) one year after its passage.”
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.
JULY 13: DFL Sen. Aric Putnam will hold a town hall in St. Cloud at 6:00 p.m.
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