Lynx win. Loons win.
The Twins trading away players, seemingly given up on the season. Trade deadline is today.
Gov. Tim Walz has endorsed Mayor Jacob Frey.
It’s also DQ Treat Day – to those who celebrate.
The Minnesota team assisting Texas flood recovery is home after a 16-day mission. MPR: https://fluence-media.co/40Ic5iy
Xcel Energy says power should be fully restored to Twin Cities customers tonight. BMTN: http://fluence-media.co/4fl33OK
The nation’s GDP grew 3% in Q2, beating expectations and reversing the decline in Q1. Consumer spending is up 1.4%, but exports are down 1.8%. CNBC: http://fluence-media.co/3HbLx2v
The Federal Reserve is keeping interest rates unchanged, but two board members dissented for the first time in three decades. HILL: https://fluence-media.co/4fcosJD
Kamala Harris says she will not run for California governor in 2026, leaving 2028 open. AP: http://fluence-media.co/45eqgNQ
It’s the last day of July, the State Fair starts in 3 weeks.
Happy National Avocado Day – guacamole is better than avocado toast.
Blois - tips: bloisolson@gmail.com
Today’s morning take on WCCO Radio with Vineeta Sawkar. LISTEN:https://fluence-media.co/4lGBWQh
Sunday Take focused on Capitol security concerns and state Sen. Eric Pratt discussing his run for U.S. Rep. Angie Craig’s seat. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4mk2GWV
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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.
2026: Buzz is growing that one of the seats where there could be a DFL endorsement showdown is Senate District 46, where Sen. Ron Latz has already announced he’s running for re-election. However, multiple sources have said that St. Louis Park City Councilmember Lynette Dumalag, the former campaign manager for Rep. Larry Kraft is challenging to Latz. Latz, who has been critical of the far left in his caucus, especially on issues related to Israel-Palestine would illustrate a strong example of how far the DFL has shifted. Within the last 10 years Latz was considered one of the more liberal members of the Senate DFL.
DSA: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “If the DFL’s endorsement of Omar Fateh for Minneapolis mayor was an earthquake, Democrats across the state are bracing for the aftershocks…More moderate party members are now concerned that the Minneapolis’ DFL’s endorsement of the Democratic Socialist-backed Fateh over incumbent Jacob Frey earlier this month could be a drag on the party’s ability to win races outside of the Twin Cities… A Fateh win in Minneapolis this November could turn off potential DFL voters outside of the Twin Cities core in next year’s gubernatorial race and beyond, said David Sturrock, a professor of political science at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall… The DSA has also had some success outside of the metro in Duluth. Two members of the Duluth City Council, one St. Louis County Commissioner and state Sen. Jen McEwen are all backed by the Twin Ports DSA.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/44WXZwq
IMMIGRATION: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Star Tribune has become President Donald Trump’s latest foe. … A White House press release [criticized] several stories in the Star Tribune about the deportation of immigrants – as well as a months-old column about the cost to Americans of deporting low-paid workers. … The press release attacking the Star Tribune, released late Tuesday, said the newspaper’s coverage of Trump immigration policies was ‘taking their (sic) cues from serial illegal immigrant defender Tim Walz.’ … The Star Tribune provided a brief statement, which said: ‘We stand by our reporting and don’t have any additional comment.’” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3HdJ1sB
MNLEG: via WCCO Radio, VERBATIM: “The special elections for the late state Sen. Bruce Anderson's (R-Buffalo) seat, and for the vacant seat of state Sen. Nicole Mitchell (D-Woodbury) will take place Nov. 4 with the balance of power at stake. … WCCO Radio political analyst Blois Olson says the race for Mitchell's is one to keep an eye on. Infighting in that district, typically left-leaning, could open a door for the Republicans. OLSON: ‘You could have two reps running against each other, which is really interesting — could get expensive, could create an opportunity where Republicans can use their candidate the whole time while Democrats are fighting with each other. It's also a little bit of an activist versus a more policy-based legislator on the DFL side, and that's a preview of next year.’ … For Anderson's seat, don't expect much drama with it being a heavily Republican part of the state.” READ/LISTEN: http://fluence-media.co/40GBt8y
GOVTTECH: Yesterday, sponsored by Comcast, moderated by Margaret Anderson Kelliher a deep discussion on the tech in government with the IT leaders from Bloomington, Ramsey County and the City of Burnsville. Major issues that governments are dealing with in tech include:
Presence and use of AI, for instance if you use Zoom for a meeting and it automatically generates a transcript, that becomes public data and information, and it may not be accurate.
Phishing attempts on government for signatures and financial information are becoming more sophisticated.
The use of location-based services for services including first responders that dispatch the closest vehicle to resolve municipal issues, or route inspectors efficiently.
The attack on St. Paul, and the conversation yesterday remind us how the public sector has the same challenges and opportunities on tech, that requires investment and forward thinking.
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)
CYBERATTACK: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “The city of St. Paul is still dealing with the effects of a cyberattack. … St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry said in a statement Wednesday that the cyberattack forced the city to proactively shut down its internal network. He said it’s affected the city’s phones, Wi-Fi and internal operating systems. While emergency services — including 911 — are still fully operational, St. Paul police said other services like data requests and evidence returns may be delayed. Henry said the police department has already implemented workarounds for most public-facing systems ‘to ensure the public doesn’t suffer during this recovery period.’” READ: http://fluence-media.co/45tcYhF
MORE: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “St. Paul police and firefighters are still responding to 911 calls during a cyberattack in the city, but they don’t have all the technology they’re accustomed to. In emergencies, officers get initial incident information [via] police radios, which hasn’t changed. But because the city took a precautionary ‘complete network shut down’ of its Wi-Fi and Internet-based systems, officers can’t use the laptops stationed in their squad cars. Follow-up information about an incident that, in normal circumstances, would be relayed via those laptops now needs to be dispatched to officers.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4766fLM
SERVICES: Pioneer Press has a list of which St. Paul city services are available and unavailable as of Wednesday night following the recent cyberattack. LIST: http://fluence-media.co/46ufKnU
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)
DEMOCRATS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar on Wednesday shrugged off a Democratic dust-up that spilled out into public view on the Senate floor this week, calling it ‘democracy in action.’ On Tuesday, Klobuchar [had] clashed with New Jersey Democratic colleague Sen. Cory Booker after he blocked the approval of a package of public safety bills. … Klobuchar [said] Booker’s concern wasn’t on the substance of the bipartisan bill, but rather on ‘a separate funding issue.’ ‘I look forward to working with my Republican cosponsors and Senator Booker on a resolution to this issue,’ Klobuchar said in an interview.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4fl4vRc
US ATTORNEY: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “It’s been a waiting game for Daniel Rosen, President Donald Trump’s choice to be the new U.S. attorney in Minnesota. … The White House hoped to install a slate of more than 30 U.S. attorneys Trump nominated early in the year, including Rosen, before the U.S. Senate disbands for its August break. But while Rosen’s nomination was approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, none of the slate of candidates have received a confirmation vote in the full U.S. Senate. Democrats are stalling confirmations of Trump nominees by insisting on procedural votes on each nominee, including non-controversial ones like Rosen, whose candidacy was supported by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., a member of the Judiciary Committee.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4mln0qT
MAYOR: State Sen. Omar Fateh was interviewed on MSNBC’s “PoliticsNation” this week to discuss his campaign for Minneapolis mayor, city police reforms, and how he feels about comparisons to New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani as a fellow progressive Muslim. FATEH: “Minneapolis is a city that has been through a lot…and throughout that entire time, our current mayor has failed to meet the moment.” WATCH: http://fluence-media.co/45uh35e
STOCK BAN: via The Hill, VERBATIM: “President Donald Trump [criticized] one his closest allies in Congress, Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), over voting in committee on a bill that would ban stock trading by lawmakers, presidents and vice presidents, arguing that Hawley teamed up with Democrats. … The bill would ban congressional lawmakers and their spouses from trading stocks as well as presidents and vice presidents, but the latter would only apply to future administrations. Still, Trump, in a social media post, went off on Hawley, claiming that he was being used by Democrats to target the president. He also questioned Hawley being the lone Republican on the panel to vote with Democrats 8-7 to advance the bill out of committee.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4o90Rh3
RESPONSE: via a Rep. Angie Craig post, CRAIG: “By lobbying against a stock trading ban, President [Donald] Trump is showing us once again where his priorities lie: in advancing his own self-interests and making the top 1% even richer. Minnesotans deserve to feel confident their elected officials are putting people over profit. It’s time to ban stock trading – in the Halls of Congress and the White House.” TWEET: http://fluence-media.co/3IUeG2T
CONGRESS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Members of the U.S. House will now have access to more funding for personal security in the wake of the Minnesota shootings. … U.S. House members will be able to put $20,000 toward residential security as part of a House's program that's now part of a permanent fund. That's a $10,000 increase from what members previously could access. … Additionally, members will now be able to spend $5,000 a month on personal security, up from just $150 a month. However, this personal security fund has a time limit. … Members will have to reappropriate this pot of money once it expires at the end of fiscal year 2025.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4fyZmVP
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)
SETTLEMENT: via Office of the Atty. General, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced today that his Office reached a settlement in his case against Investment Property Group, UT, Inc., (IPG), who has agreed to provide more than $5 million in relief to Minnesota tenants. In his October 19, 2023 lawsuit, Attorney General Ellison alleged that IPG illegally charged thousands of tenants at numerous Minnesota apartment complexes exorbitant utility fees. … Over 4,000 Minnesota households were illegally charged for utilities by IPG and will be eligible for restitution.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/476Da2L
MEDICAID: via Office of the Governor, VERBATIM: “Governor Tim Walz today visited a hospital in Maplewood to discuss the anticipated impacts that President [Donald] Trump’s Medicaid cuts will have on health care for Minnesotans, particularly in Greater Minnesota. Wednesday marks the 60th anniversary of the signing of Medicaid and Medicare into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. Governor Walz proclaimed July 30, 2025 as Medicaid and Medicare Day in the State of Minnesota. State budget officials estimate that over 140,000 Minnesotans will lose health insurance.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/474vFJO
OLMSTED CTY: via Rochester Post Bulletin, VERBATIM: “Olmsted County plans to double its tax related to annual vehicle registrations, starting in 2026. Faced with a Friday deadline to seek state approval, county commissioners voted 6-1 during a retreat Wednesday to increase the local wheelage tax from $10 to $20, the maximum allowed. … Commissioner Bob Hopkins cast the sole vote opposing the move, voicing a preference for a $5 increase beyond the minimum $10 tax currently collected. ‘I would prefer a gradual increase,’ he said. … The increase to $20 would align the county with several surrounding counties already collecting $20 a year from registered vehicle owners.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/44Vf4Xp
MANKATO: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “With about 45,000 residents, Mankato has about 21,442 workers commuting into town each day, in part because of a lack of local housing, a report by Maxfield Research and Consulting has found. The report says Mankato needs to double the pace of building to deal with its severe housing shortage. The price of homes in Mankato has more than doubled in less than a decade, and renters face a market with virtually no vacancies and costs that leave nearly half of them paying more than they can afford. The shortage is a consequence of Mankato’s success, as it and other regional hubs in Minnesota have grown.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/46SXpkL
EAGAN: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “Some Eagan residents are hungry for answers after they were told about elevated lead levels in their area — months after they occurred last winter. Air monitoring data showed elevated lead levels [from] January to March. … Residents, however, were not informed until July. … [Josh] Retka, along with dozens of his neighbors, attended the in-person meeting for what they thought would be a formal Q&A session with officials from the Minnesota Department of Health, Dakota County and the MPCA. Instead, they found an open house-style meeting with information booths that were less than helpful, Retka said. ‘They couldn’t answer almost any of our questions,’ he said, adding that the officials manning the booths seemed unprepared.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4l6P2Fx
STILLWATER: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “The Stillwater Area Public School District is rolling out another strategy to combat budget cuts, but some parents are concerned about how it may affect their children. Schools across the board in the district will be adding multi-grade classrooms. … Rutherford Elementary School [emailed] parents saying they’re creating two classes with a mix of fourth and fifth graders. The principal said in the email they’re navigating growing financial challenges, and this could help reduce class sizes. Some parents explained that their children are already behind because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and this won’t help.” READ/WATCH: http://fluence-media.co/4lTBRc4
CAMP RIPLEY: via Forum News Service, VERBATIM: “Taking shape and nearing the halfway point of completion, the Minnesota Military and Veterans Museum welcomed stakeholders to view its progress outside of Camp Ripley in central Minnesota. On Wednesday, July 23, the museum gave three tours to around 50 key supporters and members of the media. … The facility and surrounding grounds are set for completion and grand opening in the summer of 2026.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/44WyHyr
From yesterday’s Fluence newsletters:
SD47: Public school teacher and former Air Force commander Dwight Dorau announced he’s running as a Republican in the special election for the Minnesota Senate seat recently vacated by DFL Sen. Nicole Mitchell. Dorau said in a statement that his priorities are clean water, strong schools, fiscal responsibility and bipartisanship. WEBSITE: http://fluence-media.co/46vreHN
SPECIAL ELECTIONS: Via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “Three lawmaker deaths, a felony burglary conviction and a residency challenge are among the reasons this year Minnesota will at least tie its record for special elections needed to fill seats in the state Legislature. While the six special elections – three earlier this year and three upcoming – are for seats that did not or are not expected to change party hands, the state hasn’t seen this many special elections needed in the Legislature since 1994, according to data from the Legislative Reference Library.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3U5g19y
CD1: via AgWeek, VERBATIM: “The Democratic candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in Minnesota’s 1st District made a stop this month at a farm group’s meeting in southern Minnesota. Jake Johnson, who is running for the seat currently held by Brad Finstad, made an appearance at the Goodhue County Farmers Union meeting.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lUbAdZ
TODAY: Rep. Sandra Feist (D-39B) will be visiting Rep. Bernie Perryman (R-14A) on a “Minnesota Legislative Exchange” trip in St. Cloud sponsored by Citizens League. The pair will be “spending the day together, visiting with civic and community leaders, touring local businesses and community organizations, and building camaraderie,” per a release. Interviews are available at 5:30 p.m.
TODAY: Gov. Tim Walz has no events today.
FRI-SAT: Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan announced that the next stops on her “Kitchen Table Conversations Tour” will be in southwest Minnesota. On Friday, Flanagan will visit Willmar at 1:15 p.m., Montevideo at 3:30 p.m. and Madison at 5:15 p.m. On Saturday, she’ll visit Marshall at 9:45 a.m.
SATURDAY: MN 50501 will host the protest event “Rage Against the Regime” in St. Paul on Saturday, described in a release as “a gathering of protestors and activists to safely let out their rage at the current administration. Old electronics and other objects will be smashed in a controlled area. There will also be music, food, and a satirical puppet show.” The event is at 11:00 a.m.
BDAYS: civic leader Scott Peterson, attorney Matthew Mankey, attorney Joe Lally, higher ed leader Susan Heegaard, Bader’s Brenda Hvambsal, state paid leave engagement director Corinne Horowitz
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