COOLER TUESDAY
Twins lose. Lynx win.
Research released last week by Fluence Advisory client the Minnesota Business Partnership is featured in today’s North Star Insider by Ali Kaplan. A should read for anyone watching Minnesota’s mood. STRIB: https://fluence-media.co/45f6ylm
Average gas prices in the Twin Cities climbed to $3.93/gal, while the statewide average is $3.87/gal. FOX9: https://fluence-media.co/4ffcTDq
We won the gold, but Donald Trump announced new 50% tariffs on certain Canadian products, including hockey equipment. CBS: https://fluence-media.co/4yucWm6
Nordstrom stepped up with a new suit for a groom to be after the Helix fire in St. Louis Park. KSTP: https://fluence-media.co/4fKAEmS
Two of the U.S. troops killed this weekend have been identified: a 25-year-old man and a 19-year-old woman. NBC: https://fluence-media.co/4yx3kqR
The NRCC outraised the DCCC in June, but the DCCC won Q2 overall. Meanwhile, 25 GOP incumbents — including Brad Finstad — were outraised by Democratic challengers. AXIOS: https://fluence-media.co/3Rk24Xu
It’s National Junk Food Day.
Blois - tips: bloisolson@gmail.com
Sunday Take featured DFLers Matt Little, Sen. Matt Klein and Rep. Kaela Berg for the CD2 DFL primary debate. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4yssTcu
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COMING SOON…
An early look at the Minnesota Military Museum which will open in September on Highway 10 near Camp Ripley. The families will no doubt stop on the way to the Brainerd Lakes area.
PUBLIC SAFETY
The neighborhood gun violence in the Twin Cities the past few days thrusts public safety back to the forefront of the news cycle – but it has been on the minds of Minnesotans as an election issue. The reality it’s been a sleeper issue in polling and conversations this cycle. The conversation seems to have moved to making public safety a budget priority to solve the problem rather than the polarizing conversations of 2020 and 2021.
It’s also a place where the loudest voices, aren’t aligned with most of the public. From last week’s drone debate to this weekend’s shootings – it’s not building confidence that the city is safer, or that the state has a plan to make it safer.
It also flies in the face of Minnesota’s greatest asset -our quality of life. In fact, fewer than 50 percent of Minnesotans are satisfied with public safety as part of the quality of life in the state.
Recent research shows that Minnesotans are harder on our metro area safety than the rest of the country. That’s likely because the feeling of safety had the harshest adjustment here compared to a Chicago, New York or Los Angeles – much less Milwaukee, St. Louis or Detroit since 2019.
The issue of crime in the Twin Cities, and Minnesotans reactions to it can be summarized by the very sharp shift in urban safety concerns, amplified by visuals starting in 2019 and rising through the pandemic and in the years that followed.
MinnPost tracked it from 2022-2024 as it rose and fell, but it may be emerging as an issue again in 2026.
Recent polling by the Minnesota Chamber put it in the top 5 “the biggest” issues facing Minnesota. A similar question tested in June in another poll has public safety as a top 3 issue and a top budget priority for Minnesota – ahead of education.
Public safety is a basic expectation of our government, and it’s a feeling issue – not a cost issue. Meaning the public is ok in general if money is spent on public safety.
Add to the polls, the shiny object of the Governor Tim Walz’s pardon of Tou Lue Vang – which the Governor thinks is about ICE and “safety” but everyday Minnesotans interpret as being “soft on crime”.
Trump is unpopular, health care is the top issue, but Democrats have headwinds on fraud in Minnesota and public safety could be a sleeper issue Republicans can try to get traction on.
VIOLENCE: Via WCCO-TV, three shootings in three days have left over a dozen injured and at least four dead in Minneapolis and St. Paul. VERBATIM: “Two mass shootings in Minneapolis over the weekend have residents, business owners and community advocates calling for solutions as concerns about public safety have grown across the city. … [Meanwhile], three people are dead and a police investigation is underway after a shooting in the Highland Park neighborhood of St. Paul.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4vKwFvk https://fluence-media.co/4yupZUC
MORE: via KARE 11, VERBATIM: “Violence prevention groups such as T.O.U.C.H. Outreach immediately went to work Monday morning. … At the same time, the city of Minneapolis has made very real progress on gun violence prevention over the past few years. For example, shots fired calls across the city are down 23 percent in 2026 compared to the latest three-year average.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4yyeQlE
SPONSOR: Sponsorships are available to reach over 30,000 readers per day on Fluence’s tip sheets and website, TheDailyAgenda.com — email bloisolson@gmail.com.
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THE FEED
SENATE RACE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders believes discontent with the political establishment [will] propel progressives into positions of power across the country — including Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan. … [Sanders] returned to Minneapolis on Monday to campaign for Flanagan. … Some of the heaviest hitters in the Minnesota DFL’s progressive wing — including Sen. Tina Smith, Rep. Ilhan Omar and Attorney General Keith Ellison — came out to support Flanagan on Monday. FLANAGAN: ‘We got here, in part, because too many Democrats have been weak,’ Flanagan said to cheers from the crowd.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4wXgDzp
GOV RACE: Footage of Pres. Donald Trump hosting a fundraiser for Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Lindell in Bedminster, New Jersey this past weekend was shared on social media. In one clip, Trump can be heard saying Lindell has “been my friend for a long time.” In another clip, Trump reiterated that Lindell has his “complete and total endorsement” in the GOP primary, adding that he has “no idea who the opponents are, but I know they’re not supposed to be very good.” TRUMP: “I guess they’re Republicans. People say, ‘Please, sir, don’t criticize Republicans.’ What I’m doing is saying [Lindell] is a great Republican and a great person.” CLIPS: https://fluence-media.co/4wR49ce https://fluence-media.co/3RJRARi
ESSENTIA HEALTH SUPPORTS FREE CLINIC IN VIRGINIA, SERVING INCREASED NUMBER OF UNINSURED MINNESOTANS: Every Thursday night, physicians and care team members from Essentia Health-Virginia volunteer at the Project Care Free Clinic, providing treatment, screenings, and preventive care to patients who are uninsured or may be struggling to afford health care premiums. Essentia also provides lab and X-ray services at no cost to the clinic or its patients. Essentia is proud to support the clinic, ensuring everyone in the community can get the care they need. READ MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4yt7Qqu (SPONSORED: Essentia Health)
MN GOP: The Minnesota GOP posted a social media video promoting all five of the party’s endorsed candidates in major statewide races ahead of the August primary, saying they will “lead our state forward” because “Minnesota deserves leaders who take their oath seriously.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4fpXXkm
SOCIAL: As of this morning the GOP video had less than 1,000 views on X, and the MN Republican Party Instagram hasn’t posted since July 24th, 2025. The last post features Reps. Elliot Engen and Walter Hudson promoting “Pints and Politics”. There is no sign of a TikTok account for the Minnesota GOP. In 2026 campaigns must have an owned content strategy. Critiques of party’s are common, but it seems like the Minnesota GOP is missing the basics in an era where social media could make up some of the financial disadvantage they have.
TAKE: The reality is the most surprising primary outcome would be victories by Kendall Qualls and Adam Schwarze.
NEW AD: Rep. Angie Craig has a new ad for her Senate campaign titled “Minnesota Nice.” The ad features testimonials from eight local officials across Minnesota arguing that Craig will stand up to the Trump Administration and pharmaceutical companies. Officials appearing in the ad include Minneapolis City Councilor LaTrisha Vetaw, state Rep. Ethan Cha, state Sen. Judy Seeberger, Moorhead Mayor Shelly Carlson and more. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4vKxbtg
TURNOUT: via Forum News Service, VERBATIM: “Absentee voting is almost a month underway for the Aug. 11 Minnesota primary, and early numbers show promising turnout. … Absentee ballot [requests] have already surpassed recent primaries at roughly 300,262. … Those numbers already top the 2024 primary at 286,263 total absentees, and the 2022 primary at 275,851 absentees. … On the first day of early voting, the Hennepin County Government Center saw 44 early in-person voters and has since averaged roughly 20 voters a day. Comparatively, in 2024, the first day of early voting drew 18 people.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4puYneb
STATE STUFF
MNLEG: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Could a legislative special session be on the horizon? … Minnesota’s Executive Council extended the state’s peacetime emergency for wildfire response another 30 days to Aug. 11, [but] under state rules, any extension beyond that would require approval from the Legislature. Some lawmakers are starting to ask if they could be called back next month if assistance is still needed after the emergency expires. … A wildfire extension could theoretically be handled in a quick, one-day special session, but in a contentious election year, it’s easy to imagine other political fights hitching a ride.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3RozZ0Y
WILDFIRES: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “State and federal authorities on Monday offered a mixed bag of hope and grim reality in the battle against wildfires. … Rain, more firefighters and a temporary reprieve from skies clogged with heavy smoke have helped, [but] officials continue to caution against complacency and warn this fire season will slog on into the fall. … The U.S. Forest Service estimates 63,000 acres burning now in northeastern Minnesota with another 8,400 across the border in Canada. Nearly 800 firefighters are battling blazes, close to double the number from last week.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3TMsZMb
FEED FRAUD: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “The government objected when a defendant in one of the Feeding Our Future fraud cases requested a new court-appointed attorney last year. … Prosecutors argued he should have been able to afford private counsel. But the court still granted [Abdirahman] Ahmed a new set of free attorneys. … 5 INVESTIGATES found Ahmed is far from the only high-profile defendant who has made similar claims. A review of federal fraud cases since the start of the Feeding Our Future investigation identified at least 34 people who told the court they could not afford to hire an attorney.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4ffcrFe
SPEEDCAMS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Drivers speeding through highway construction zones in Burnsville and Braham, Minn., will be recorded on camera as part of a pilot the Minnesota Department of Transportation will launch in the coming weeks. Drivers caught going 10 mph or more over the posted speed limit won’t get a ticket, but they will get a sternly worded letter in the mail encouraging them to change their risky behavior. … The pilot gives MnDOT a chance to try technology it has never used and be ready to use it should the Legislature ever change Minnesota law to allow it.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vDzvC8
A deep dive into the CD1 race between Rep. Brad Finstad and Jake Johnson for MNSider subscribers. HERE: https://fluence-media.co/49OqNJu
ECONOMY
TOURISM: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Much of the local economy in the Minnesota Arrowhead is driven by tourism revolving around the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and general outdoor recreation. And as officials suggest that a fight with wildfires might go on for months, local businesses worry about a devastating lost summer season. … The three largest counties of the Arrowhead region — Cook, Lake and St. Louis — rely more heavily on outdoor recreation as an economic driver than the average Minnesota county. … The three counties have a combined economic output of $973 million just from outdoor recreation activity alone, [and] the industry supports over 4,200 jobs.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4bTt0UN
CANADA: Via MPR News, a look at how declining Canadian tourism is impacting northern Minnesota. VERBATIM: “In every county with a rural point of entry, jobs in the retail sector and the leisure and hospitality sector were down last year, according to [DEED]. … It’s impossible to determine how much of the decline in tourism-dependent jobs is tied to fewer international travelers, said Anthony Schaffhauser, the department’s regional analyst for northwest Minnesota. But, he added, ‘I think it’s fair to say that it didn’t help.’ … The number of personal vehicle passengers driving into Minnesota from Canada in March, April and May was higher than last year, but still below what they were in 2024.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fuRhSk
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)
SANCTUARY: via WCCO Radio, VERBATIM: “A federal judge has dismissed multiple lawsuits against Minnesota over so-called ‘sanctuary policies.’ … Judge Eric Tostrud has rejected the administration’s claims that local ordinances in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Hennepin County unconstitutionally block federal immigration enforcement. … The Justice Department must now decide whether to appeal.” READ/LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4yD155A
FED FUNDS: via Office of the Atty. General, VERBATIM: “Attorney General Keith Ellison announced that a coalition of 24 states won a key ruling [from a judge] declaring that the Trump Administration illegally misused its regulatory authority to unlawfully pull billions of dollars in federal funding. … District Judge Indira Talwani [said] U.S. Office of Management and Budget [rules] do not give federal agencies effectively unfettered authority to revoke grants nationwide just because the federal administration claims it is shifting its focus.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hojEE4
TV MERGER: via ABC News, VERBATIM: “A federal judge on Monday ordered Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery to halt their $81 billion merger for at least two weeks, allowing states that are challenging the deal more time to see their case through in court. Twelve states, [including Minnesota], sued to block Paramount’s pending buyout of Warner last week — alleging that such a combination would ‘extinguish competition’ in Hollywood and lead to fewer choices for consumers. … [The ruling] opens the door to a potential preliminary injunction that the states are also seeking to effectively block the deal.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4fePL7S
METRO
ST PAUL: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “The City of St. Paul is suspending the repair of hundreds of street lights hit by copper wire theft as the city weighs how to pay for the growing cost. In the last two years, the city has spent $2.5 million fixing damaged lights. City officials said hundreds of lights will remain dark while repairs are paused. Last year alone, the city spent $1.4 million on repairs after previously spending about $100,000 a year before the problem grew. … The Parks and Recreation Department plans to ask for more money in the 2027 budget, though officials said that is not guaranteed.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4wZkufn
BAYPORT: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “Bayport Mayor Michele Hanson, whose husband was sentenced to 90 days in jail after pleading guilty to a charge of hiding a corpse with the intent to conceal a crime, has announced her plans to run for re-election. … Hanson said she also would continue to work to represent the best interests of Bayport.” HANSON: “I’m not going to give up my job for something my husband did. I mean, that’s ridiculous to me. But if they don’t want me, they don’t want me. They can vote in November.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3TbxEHn
COMMUNITY CELEBRATIONS: Flint Hills Resources is celebrating summer with thousands of Minnesotans at local festivals and parades. Look for Flint Hills employees – along with their families and friends – as they show their hometown pride at many local celebrations, including Rosemount Leprechaun Days, Hastings Rivertown Days, Inver Grove Heights Days and Saint Paul’s Lowertown Sounds. For decades, Flint Hills Resources has supported programs, organizations and events that improve our quality of life in our communities. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4wOkChw (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources)
STATEWIDE
GRAND MARAIS: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “On a typical Sunday morning in Grand Marais, the line for World’s Best Donuts is out the door and around the corner. But over the weekend, that line all but disappeared. … Tourists stopped coming when the U.S. Forest Service closed the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Smoke from fire burning far west of the town has created hazardous air conditions. The closure comes at the peak summer season for World’s Best Donuts and many other businesses nearby.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/44Gfkso
BEMIDJI: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement say that seven men were detained during a recent targeted operation in Bemidji. It was the second raid in a month targeting construction sites in the city that is still recovering from a storm last summer that caused extensive damage to homes and millions of trees. … [The] men detained are in custody pending further immigration proceedings.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vzg9OB
DAYBOOK
TODAY: Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan will host an “anti-corruption town hall” with the organization End Citizens United at 11:00 a.m.
TOMORROW: Recipients of the 2026 JFK Profile in Courage Award will host a press conference discussing their letter to Minnesota’s congressional delegation “calling for increased congressional oversight of federal immigration enforcement,” per a release. The event is at 10:00 a.m.
TOMORROW: Allina Health will host a ribbon-cutting event for the opening of a surgical and critical care center at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis at 5:30 p.m.
TOMORROW: The MN Chamber of Commerce will host its 2026 Women in Business conference at Target Field on Wednesday, July 22.
FRIDAY: DFL Sen. Grant Hauschild, GOP Rep. Roger Skraba and the Ely Chamber of Commerce will host a forum covering “the economic impact of Northland wildfires on tourism and other industries,” per a release. The event is at 11:30 a.m.
FRIDAY: Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Washington Rep. Pramila Jayapal will host a rally in St. Paul on Friday, July 24 at 7:00 p.m.
SATURDAY: via MIRAC advisory, VERBATIM: “Starting at 10:00 a.m. at George Floyd Square, the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) will lead ‘Roll 4 Justice 2,’ a protest on bikes, skateboards, rollerblades, and more to demand ‘No More ICE + Police Terror.’”
BDAYS: housing leader Christopher LaTondresse, travel entrepreneur Andrea Mokros, Fargo – Moorhead chamber leader Shannon Full
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IN MEMORIAM: morning take is dedicated in memory of Melissa Hortman.