Twins lose. Lynx game 3 tomorrow.
Always a must read…SportsTake is out today.
Ice Castles will return to the Minnesota State Fairgrounds for the second year in a row. WCCO: https://fluence-media.co/3KhH8wh
The White House is pledging $20 billion to Argentina to help stabilize its economy as its Trump-allied president enters the final month of his reelection campaign. BLOOMBERG: http://fluence-media.co/3Kj35eq
Seventy-five percent of adults have streamed a recently released movie in the past year instead of watching it in a theater. Still, a majority of Americans, 65%, have gone to see a movie at the theater at least once. AP: https://fluence-media.co/42E6kmY
On National Situational Awareness Day, morning take is sharing that it is National Lobster Day!
Blois - tips: bloisolson@gmail.com
After 40+ years in the legislature, Sen. Ann Rest is retiring at the end of her current term. On Sunday Take, an exit interview reflecting on her time in office and the shifts she’s seen over the years. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4gvKcki
AUDIENCE: Sponsorships are available to reach over 30,000 readers per day on Fluence’s tip sheets and website, TheDailyAgenda.com – email BloisOlson@gmail.com.
FATEH: via news release from the Fateh for Mayor Campaign, VERBATIM: “This week, the campaign office of Omar Fateh for Mayor was vandalized with an Islamophobic message that said, “Somali Muslim — This warning is no joke.” The campaign filed a police report on Wednesday, September 24th. The Senator has received a steady stream of hate, racial, and Islamophobic slurs, and violent threats to the campaign email, his senate email, and across social media.”
AUTISM FRAUD: via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “Federal prosecutors have charged 28-year-old Asha Farhan Hassan for her alleged role in a $14 million fraud scheme involving a publicly funded program meant to provide services to people with autism. … Prosecutors allege from 2019 through 2024, Hassan formed and registered Smart Therapy LLC, and later enrolled the business as a provider agency with the state program. She then hired ‘behavioral technicians’ and claimed they were providing one-on-one therapy to autistic children. But prosecutors say these people were teenage relatives with no formal training or certifications in treating autism. … Hassan is accused of submitting millions of dollars worth of fake Medicaid reimbursements through Smart Therapy. These reimbursement claims often had forged signatures and approvals. … Hassan is also accused of using Smart Therapy in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/42cIRJv
HSS FRAUD: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “A provider with the Housing Stabilization Services (HSS) program has sued the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS), claiming the state agency was unjustified in suspending their payments. … The provider, Home Care Staffing, filed the first lawsuits of this kind [in] Ramsey County District Court [and] U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota. … CEO Twyla Martin [is] asking the courts for a temporary injunction that would require DHS to resume payments while officials continue their investigation into an alleged ‘credible allegation of fraud.’ … She said the payment suspension forced Home Care Staffing to lay off staff and suspend HSS-related services for more than 500 clients.” READ/WATCH: http://fluence-media.co/46nVMe9
SENATE RACE: via an SEIU press release, VERBATIM: “Today, the SEIU Minnesota State Council and their 70,000 members who work in the state’s public schools, hospitals, higher education, nursing homes, schools, personal residences, and in the Twin Cities’ largest public and private buildings endorsed Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan for U.S. Senate.
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UMN: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “An attempt to create a new statewide nonprofit health system with the University of Minnesota and two other health systems has ended, casting more uncertainty around the future of the state’s primary medical teaching hospital. People close to the negotiations who were not authorized to speak on the record cited an impasse over the proposed structure as the reason Duluth’s Essentia Health exited the talks. The end of talks involving Essentia leaves the U with limited time to forge a new agreement with its current partner, Fairview Health Services, [which] is set to expire at the end of 2026. … Essentia Health said in a statement it still wants to work with the U to help ensure the future of Minnesota’s health care workforce.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4gG9493
(DISCLOSURE: Essentia Health is a client and sponsor of Fluence)
GUN RANGE: via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “The University of Minnesota will no longer lease its Rosemount gun range to outside groups, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which has had a contract with the university to lease the range since 2022. The range, which has operated for over 40 years, will continue to be used by University of Minnesota public safety officers, according to a statement from the U. The webpage for renting the university’s firearms range was active at the beginning of August, but has since been taken down.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/46DMp8S
MENTAL HEALTH: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “Mental health care services are available in more than 80% of Minnesota’s public school districts. That figure represents progress over the past 20 years, though persistent gaps remain. … These gaps include a lack of personal understanding of the immigrant and refugee experience. … While most student mental health support is provided by a combination of school staff and school-based mental health practitioners employed by outside agencies, other nonprofit programs also spend time in the state’s schools, offering unique types of care [for] students from immigrant and refugee communities.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/46oN7Is
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)
TEXAS: via Axios, VERBATIM: “The FBI is investigating Wednesday morning’s shooting at a Dallas Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility as ‘targeted violence’ potentially driven by ideology. … The shooting killed one immigration detainee and critically injured two others. … Officials said no members of law enforcement were hurt. … The suspected shooter died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. … Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson urged patience and restraint at Wednesday’s conference to allow law enforcement to conduct their active investigation.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/48E3NwK
RESPONSE: via a Rep. Tom Emmer post, EMMER: “When Democrats like Tim Walz and Ilhan Omar call ICE officers the ‘modern-day gestapo’ and spread lies about their enforcement operations, they fuel hate that leads to violence against these officers. It is beyond irresponsible, it’s dangerous.” TWEET: http://fluence-media.co/4nRtChu
ICE: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “A lawsuit filed this week asks for the release of Omar Jamal, a Somali community advocate and Ramsey County sheriff civilian officer who was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement last month. Jamal was picked up by ICE agents on Aug. 29 in Minneapolis and remains at the Freeborn County jail in Albert Lea. … Attorneys for Jamal, of Minneapolis, filed a petition in U.S. District Court of Minnesota asking a judge to immediately review the legality of Jamal’s detention. A temporary restraining order seeks to stop ICE from sending him to another country without full due process.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3KiiifO
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)
HENN ATTY: via FOX 9, VERBATIM: “Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty joined FOX 9 [to] discuss her office’s decision to not charge felonies that come from non-public-safety traffic stops. She also responded to criticism from law enforcement in Hennepin County and Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer’s comments about her [Tuesday]. … MORIARTY: ‘I think in many ways I’ve become some kind of lightning rod. Some people will just point at anything we do, even if it’s already been done successfully.’ … She pointed to Ramsey County, which enacted a similar traffic stop policy in 2021, but Ramsey County Attorney John Choi did not face similar criticism.” READ/WATCH: http://fluence-media.co/47VRsUB
UNDERCOVER: via Indivisible, VERBATIM: “[In January], journalists pushed POST to release licensing and employment data on the thousands of officers whom the agency has issued a license to over the years. … The MPPOA later notified POST that 257 officers included in the data were labeled as working in an undercover capacity, and should not have been identified. … However, all but three of the 257, according to a review by Invisible Institute, had information available online linking their given name with being a police officer in Minnesota before the release of the POST data. … Most of those officers had already been identified publicly through their own social media posts, through their employers, or in publicly-accessible court records.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4gCfjLa
NONVIOLENCE: via KARE 11, VERBATIM: “Community leaders and some Minnesota state lawmakers came together in a public forum Tuesday evening to discuss strategies to prevent violence and promote peace. The event, hosted by the nonpartisan organization Twin Cities Nonviolent, aimed to spark dialogue between policymakers and local organizations. … On stage, state Senators Erin Murphy, Zaynab Mohamed, Heather Gustafson and former Senator Patricia Torres Ray answered questions regarding violence prevention. … Though the speakers are all members of the DFL, [organizers] said members of the GOP were unable to attend due to scheduling conflicts and have stated they are looking forward to continued discussions.” READ/WATCH: http://fluence-media.co/3IHesfJ
JUDGE: via Office of the Governor, VERBATIM: “Today, the Commission on Judicial Selection announced the extension of the application period for the upcoming vacancy in Minnesota’s First Judicial District. The new application deadline is 4:00 pm on October 6, 2025. The commission expects to hold interviews in late October. … The original vacancy announcement [was] issued on September 2, 2025” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4nGheki
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.
1. Ceiling fans cool you, not the room.
2. When away, adjust your thermostat.
3. Hot air belongs outside.
4. Cook smarter to stay cooler.
5. Let nature dry your clothes — plus, your chores can wait until evening.”
(SPONSORED: Xcel Energy)
WAR POWERS: via a Rep. Ilhan Omar press release, VERBATIM: “Today, Rep. Ilhan Omar (MN-05) introduced a War Powers Resolution to terminate unauthorized U.S military hostilities against Venezuela and transnational criminal organizations that the Trump Administration has unilaterally designated as foreign terrorist organizations. The resolution follows the administration’s repeated strikes on vessels in the southern Caribbean carried out without congressional authorization or clear legal justification.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3IBDcG3
SPECIAL ED: via a Rep. Angie Craig press release, VERBATIM: “U.S. Representatives Angie Craig and Lucy McBath (GA-06) recently introduced their Preparing and Retaining All (PARA) Educators Act to help schools recruit, train and retain paraeducators. The bill would establish a grant program to fund pipeline and credentialing programs, high-quality professional development and higher wages for paraprofessionals and special education teachers.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/46Bn0wF
HAZING: via a Sen. Amy Klobuchar press release, VERBATIM: “U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) introduced a resolution to recognize this week, September 22–26, 2025, as ‘National Hazing Awareness Week.’ The resolution recognizes the hundreds of students who have died or suffered severe, life-altering injuries as a result of collegiate hazing and promotes efforts to prevent hazing.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3KkBucH
MEDIA: via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “PBS North is cancelling its long-running program ‘Almanac North,’ which comes after federal funding for public television was slashed by the Trump Administration. … The station [cited] ‘shifts in available funding and a need to focus resources where PBS North can provide the greatest community impact.’ … Almanac North has been a fixture on PBS North since 1992. … The last live broadcast of Almanac North is set to take place on Oct. 2.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3Kj01Ps
MPLS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “The elections this year for seats on the Minneapolis City Council will decide who runs the city‘s legislative branch: candidates aligned with Mayor Jacob Frey or the more progressive wing that currently holds the majority. The current math on the council has at times created a nine-member bloc capable of overriding Frey’s vetoes. … All 13 council seats are on the Nov. 4 ballot, but not every race will be competitive. Here are the five Minneapolis City Council races to watch: [Wards 5, 7, 8, 10 and 11].” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3Vzfygp
ST PAUL: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “St. Paul police overtime spending was down about half a million dollars in the first half of the year compared to the same period last year, the assistant chief told the city council Wednesday. … Though the police department has an authorized strength of 619 officers, they haven’t been able to keep their ranks fully staffed. There are 562 officers on the payroll, with 539 available to work, according to the police department. Most of the $1.4 million in police overtime spending from the general fund for the first six months of this year has been to cover staff shortages — $579,000. … Another $113,417 in overtime this year has been for investigating homicides and major crimes, which is down from $151,041 last year as gun violence has fallen.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/429cDij
BURNSVILLE: via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “A worker was killed in a collision with a boom truck in the MnDOT construction zone on Interstate 35W in Burnsville on Wednesday morning. The Minnesota State Patrol has confirmed it was called around 9 a.m. to the construction on southbound I-35W and Hwy. 13 in Burnsville. ‘Preliminary investigation indicates a contractor was on foot when he was struck and killed by a construction vehicle with a boom attachment,’ the state patrol said. ‘There were no other vehicles involved.’” READ: http://fluence-media.co/46EclkX
RESPONSE: via a GOP Rep. Jon Koznick statement, KOZNICK: “As Chair of the Transportation Committee, we offer our deepest sympathy for the loss of this highway construction laborer to the worker’s family, co-workers, and to those involved. This sad accident is a reminder of the difficult and dangerous work our construction professionals do every day to maintain our roads to keep Minnesota drivers safe and get us to where we need to go. This tragedy is a reminder to always use caution and keep safety top of mind when driving, especially through construction zones. Road construction is a noble profession, and laborers deserve every courtesy in their work environments.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4707evF
40 YEARS OF PARTNERSHIP: Flint Hills Resources and Ducks Unlimited (DU) are celebrating 40 years of partnership, a longevity landmark that makes Flint Hills one of DU's longest-standing corporate partners. Working together over the past four decades, Flint Hills and DU have contributed to conserving more than 250,000 acres of wildlife habitat and natural areas in Minnesota and over 900,000 acres across North America. LEARN MORE: Flint Hills Resources and Ducks Unlimited Celebrate 40 Years of Partnership (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery)
AITKIN CTY: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “Seventy-three DWI test results in Aitkin County are being looked at closely by authorities now after a local attorney raised concerns about an alcohol testing device. … The device in question is housed at the Aitkin County Sheriff’s Office but is used by several law enforcement agencies in the area after traffic stops. … Sheriff [Dan] Guida said they will establish an audit to ensure future calibration is accurate. The BCA recently notified law enforcement from local, county and state agencies about the situation involving tests performed with the device during the timeframe of May 25, 2024, to May 4, 2025.” READ/WATCH: http://fluence-media.co/3IF4Xxy
OLMSTED CTY: via Rochester Post Bulletin, VERBATIM: “U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar stopped by a farm southwest of Eyota on Wednesday to hear concerns from the Pagel family, who operate a dairy, soybean and oat farm in Olmsted County. … Klobuchar [was] in the middle of a 13-county rural economy tour to talk about agriculture and rural issues that affect Minnesotans. … [Klobuchar] expressed concern for the ‘headwinds’ farmers face. One, she noted, was having enough workers to help farms operate. Klobuchar said she hoped the Trump Administration would work to fix the visa issue that has hurt the farm labor market.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4mubJUJ
STEARNS CTY: via St. Cloud Live, VERBATIM: “Stearns County’s flexible work policy is still a source of lengthy debate among county commissioners as they remain split on whether changes are needed. Approximately 66% of county staff have a hybrid schedule, according to Mike Williams, county administrator. … Commissioners Jeff Bertram and Joe Perske [both] raised concerns about how working from home has affected productivity, customer service and human connection during their Tuesday, Sept. 23, meeting. … Bertram [wanted] the board to take action soon. … Commissioners [also] approved the preliminary budget and its 5.2% tax levy increase. The budget can be adjusted if desired, but the commissioners can no longer increase the levy, according to Williams. The county tax rate will decrease by 0.25%.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3KmbP3q
From yesterday’s Fluence newsletters:
SPECIAL SESSION: via Axios Twin Cities, VERBATIM: “[Gov. Tim] Walz, the only one with the power to reconvene the Legislature, [said] talks are ongoing and he remains ‘open to a deal’ that involves votes on both gun measures and other proposals related to school safety and mental health support. … Speaker Lisa Demuth (R-Cold Spring) said Walz, who still hasn’t released his own promised package of specific gun reform policies, ‘has given no language or detail of what he wants voted on aside from vague bans.’” DEMUTH: “If he is serious about wanting a vote, he should be honest about what he’s actually looking for a vote on instead of playing politics to further his campaign.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mHQwac
IMMIGRATION: via Sahan Journal, VERBATIM: “Local immigration attorneys and citizenship teachers are preparing immigrants in reaction to a flurry of changes to the naturalization process that could make it more challenging to obtain U.S. citizenship. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced policy changes in the last few months instructing officers administering the naturalization interview to test applicants on more questions. The agency also gave its officers more leeway to optionally request that applicants show additional evidence of ‘good moral character.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42cfAyC
AG ECONOMY: via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “The Ranking Member of the U.S. House Agriculture Committee is concerned about the ag economy. ‘Well, there’s no doubt farmers are hurting. Input costs are up, prices are down.’ Minnesota Congresswoman Angie Craig says with a large crop on the horizon, market access is critical.” CRAIG: “Business is absolutely gone, it’s moved from the United States to Brazil, especially in China. So look, the administration caused this problem with their trade wars and their economic policies, and it’s incumbent upon them to step up and fix the problems.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3IEr0V0
TODAY: via a Senate DFL advisory, VERBATIM: “Beginning at 9:00 a.m…members of the Senate Select Subcommittee on Federal Impacts on Minnesotans and Economic Stability will tour a food bank in Rochester as part of their research into food insecurity in Minnesota, and the interaction of federal policy with local effects. Following the tour, members will meet with local leaders on the issue of food insecurity and nutrition. The conversation will inform the select committee’s hearing on the same topic on Wednesday, October 1 in St. Paul.”
TODAY: Governor Tim Walz will meet with University of Minnesota President Rebecca Cunningham, legislative leaders, and interview candidates for a vacancy in the Fifth Judicial District. Later in the afternoon, he will attend the 60th anniversary event for Lifecore Biomedical and the Statewide Lighthouse Project Clergy gathering.
TODAY: The state Senate’s Judiciary and Public Safety committee will meet at 10:30 a.m. to provide an update on the closure of Minnesota Correctional Facility - Stillwater. DETAILS: http://fluence-media.co/46g6XFE
TODAY: via We Make MN, VERBATIM: “Union members, retirees, and community advocates will speak out Thursday to say they are ‘sick and tired’ of the greed from healthcare companies that seem to put profits before people. The event will happen outside the Mayo Clinic - St Mary’s Campus to highlight their recent decision to close six rural Minnesota health facilities.” The event is at 12:00 noon.
TOMORROW: via Citizens League, VERBATIM: “Citizens League is proud to host a 2025 Minneapolis Mayoral Candidate debate on Friday, September 26. This debate is presented in partnership with the Minneapolis Regional Chamber and the Minneapolis Downtown Council, and will be co-moderated by Mary Lahammer, Political Reporter & Anchor, Twin Cities PBS; and Blois Olson, Sunday Take Host, WCCO Radio and CEO, Fluence Media.”
TOMORROW: via a Tom Emmer advisory, VERBATIM: “Congressman Tom Emmer will attend and give brief remarks at the groundbreaking ceremony of Niron Magnetics’ new manufacturing facility in Sartell, Minnesota. Congressman Emmer will be available to speak with members of the media following the ceremony.” The event is at 1:00 p.m.
BDAYS: attorney Bill Griffith, Compass Capital Mgmt’s Mark Vitelli
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