National League wins the All-Star Game.
St. Paul has been selected as the official host city for the 2028 Transplant Games. DETAILS: http://fluence-media.co/46ibDvb
The Pentagon is removing half of the National Guard troops deployed to Los Angeles. NBC: https://fluence-media.co/40nRIqS
Inflation has been rising for several months. Economists say tariffs are the likely culprit. AP: http://fluence-media.co/3TEPpvR
A Pew Research survey finds that China’s reputation is improving while opinions on the U.S. are souring in 25 major countries. Notably, 38% of Americans now say that China is the world’s top economy. POLL: http://fluence-media.co/4lwxuUp
One Minnesota pottery company is featured by the Today Show. TODAY: https://fluence-media.co/44wHOFO
Blois
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Today’s morning take with Vineeta Sawkar on WCCO Radio. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/46EtjRA
Excerpted from the Minnesota Business Partnerships NYSE bell ringing last week, Best Buy CEO Corie Barry and Medtronic CEO Geoff Martha discussed the Minnesota Headquarters’ Economy on Sunday Take. LISTEN: http://fluence-media.co/469gEpE
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MPLS: This coming weekend is the Minneapolis DFL convention, and so far the mayor’s race is quiet. So quiet that, Sen. Omar Fateh released a video acknowledging that he hasn’t been campaigning very much. Citing a full-time job, a child on the way says his campaign will ramp up.
The convention will give a glimpse of how strong the DSA’s influence on the DFL has become. Fateh’s campaign has lacked visibility at events like Pride and other community events, while Frey’s campaign seems in full swing. Other candidates could have an impact, but its unlikely they will have name ID and financial resources to break through.
Last week’s idea from the City Council of an city income tax may change the race for council in critical wards, specifically in Ward 7 between Councilmember Katie Cashman and challenger Elizabeth Shaffer.
Taking the high-road this week, Jacob Frey pushed back against attacks on Fateh’s faith and politics.
Councilmember Jason Chavez’s obsession with attacking Frey further illustrates the difference between the factions of the party. The challenge is in January 2024 at a rally, he appeared with a cut-out of Frey with a “Hitler mustache”.
Another way to watch the tone of the race is the grudge match between All of Mpls and Mpls for Many despite being social media spat it gives a real sense of the choice for the electorate. The big question will be, what direction will Minneapolis voters take.
CD2: via news release from Klein for Congress, VERBATIM: “Klein for Congress announced a strong second quarter fundraising total of $214,274.66, with $189,959.82 cash on hand.
FRAUD: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “Dozens of autism treatment centers registered in Minnesota are now under investigation by the state amid a new crackdown to root out fraud, 5 INVESTIGATES has learned. … Shireen Gandhi, the temporary commissioner of DHS, [said] they’ve already visited 270 locations since November. The new crackdown has led state officials to open 85 investigations into autism providers — roughly 20% of all providers in the state. DHS says that an ‘open investigation’ is not necessarily an indication of fraud, but allows the state to determine if credible evidence exists.” GANDHI: “There was such a high need for autism services in Minnesota when the state began offering it that it’s an unlicensed service, so there aren’t the same structures in place that there are for other programs. We have to catch up and provide the oversight needed.” READ/WATCH: http://fluence-media.co/453XCzU
BOELTER: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s top federal prosecutor says investigators have found no evidence that Vance Boelter had any help when he allegedly killed former DFL Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman. … A judge Tuesday unsealed a federal search warrant that includes new details about the case — including a letter that Boelter wrote to the FBI. … A judge also unsealed an indictment against Boelter. A grand jury formally indicted Boelter on six counts of murder, stalking, and firearms charges. … The grand jury also issued a notice of special findings, which is the first step in a long process the Justice Department uses to determine if the death penalty is appropriate, [but] that decision is months away.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/46MLRiH
MORE: via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson shared an update on the investigation [against] Vance Boelter on Tuesday. … Thompson says he's confident that Boelter acted alone in ‘an act of political extremism’ against Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota, but his motivations are still unclear. He says Boelter ‘spent months investigating his targets’ and ‘appears to have conducted surveillance at at least some of the houses.’” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4nSdwEX
LETTER: Via Patch News, photos of the hand-written letter that Vance Boelter wrote to the FBI are now publicly available. The writings allege that Boelter is part of a conspiracy, but officials have characterized the letter as delusional. READ: http://fluence-media.co/46IGDnZ
HOFFMANS: via Hope Hoffman, daughter of shooting survivor Sen. John Hoffman, STATEMENT: “I feel relief today in knowing that the perpetrator of these heinous acts will be charged to the fullest extent of the law. Though I was not shot physically, I will now forever coexist with the PTSD of watching my parents be nearly shot dead in front of me and seeing my life flash before my eyes with a gun in my face. … Terrible things are happening. Let’s all try to have some decency.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4eSwc3w
CRYPTO: Rep. Tom Emmer (R-6th) spoke to Punchbowl News about “Crypto Week” in the U.S. House and why he wants to change national cryptocurrency regulations. VERBATIM: “Emmer said that crypto could enhance the existing financial system, [but] Emmer doesn’t have too much love for the current framework. … We asked Emmer to weigh in on the Trump family’s crypto investments. Specifically, is it harmful to the crypto industry to have the president’s family fortune increasingly entrenched with it?” EMMER: “Trump’s family was incredibly successful before Donald Trump was president. … [Crypto] is not a Republican or Democratic issue. This is an American issue.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/46KaHjb
SECURITY: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “Amid calls to improve safety and security surrounding the Capitol and those who work there, first reported by 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS, the advisory committee tasked with providing such advice and recommendations has no publicly scheduled meetings weeks after the targeted shooting deaths of a state lawmaker and her husband, and the shooting of another state lawmaker and his wife… Online meeting records show the Advisory Committee on Capitol Area Security, chaired by Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan, last met in April…A committee member’s spokesperson confirms that it was the only meeting this year, even though it “shall meet at least quarterly,” according to Minnesota law… We also asked the Lt. Governor’s office when the next meeting is supposed to happen, but have not received an answer. LIMMER: In a separate statement, Republican Sen. Warren Limmer said, “As the Chair, it’s the responsibility of the Lieutenant Governor to call meetings. Members are always ready and willing to meet.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4m1ZHlP
MITCHELL: via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “Testimony is underway as of Tuesday in the trial [for] Sen. Nicole Mitchell. … Opening statements wrapped shortly before 10 a.m. and the first witness soon followed. Mitchell's stepmother testified on Tuesday morning, [saying] she felt ‘extremely violated’ when her home was broken into. … The 911 dispatcher who took the call from Mitchell's stepmother also testified Tuesday. … Bodycam video shown at Mitchell's trial on Tuesday offers the first actual look at the night she is alleged to have burglarized her stepmother's Detroit Lakes home. … [Her lawyer] said Mitchell doesn't deny entering the home without consent, but that the only thing that matters in this case is her intent.” READ/WATCH: http://fluence-media.co/4nNRG5s
MORE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “[Stepmother] Carol Mitchell, 75, struggled to answer questions by prosecutors and defense attorneys because of her Alzheimer’s disease, forgetting key dates and family members’ names. Her testimony during the second day of Nicole Mitchell’s burglary trial hit at the central question in the case: Did the first-term DFL senator break into her stepmother’s home to commit a crime, or was she checking on a loved one struggling with cognitive decline?” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4lvM3r2
TAKE: If Sen. Nicole Mitchell runs again, the TV ads will be epic.
STREAM: Fox 9 is streaming the trial on their website and streaming channel.
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EDUCATION: via the Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Changes to the Department of Education staff could worsen financial uncertainty that arose after the withholding of federal funds earlier this month left districts and educators unsure of how to manage recently approved school budgets. … The Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, responsible for enforcing anti-discrimination laws in the nation’s schools, was particularly hard-hit by cuts, with hundreds of staff laid off and seven regional offices closed. Among those shuttered was the Chicago regional office, which oversaw complaints out of Minnesota and the Upper Midwest. Minnesota will now be served by the Denver office, according to the Department of Education.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4eXunT0
GUN CTRL: via Office of the Atty. General, VERBATIM: “Attorney General Keith Ellison today announced that, following his June 9 lawsuit alongside a coalition of 16 attorneys general, the Trump Administration has committed to carving out Minnesota from its [plan] to distribute thousands of machine-gun conversion devices. … The [ATF] used to classify Forced Reset Triggers (FRTs), which dramatically increase the rate of fire of some semi-automatic firearms, as machine guns. However, under directive from Trump Administration leadership, the ATF recently signed a settlement in which it agreed to both stop enforcing federal law against FRTs and redistribute thousands of FRTs that the ATF had previously seized. … [Now], the ATF has expressly confirmed to a judge that it will not return FRTs into Minnesota or the other plaintiff states.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4lZvELr
POT: via MPR, VERBATIM: “One week from [yesterday] is the next lottery by the Office of Cannabis Management regarding licenses [for] cannabis retailers. … Meanwhile, OCM recently posted updates to its guide for local governments, which will do some of the ground-level oversight of cannabis operations and be allowed to enact some zoning rules. The law that made marijuana legal in Minnesota spells out the minimum number of licensed businesses that can be in each area, based on population. But local governments can go beyond the minimum. And one other feature: If there are municipal or county cannabis stores, those can’t be factored into the local cap.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/44Jowfe
SMALL BIZ: via Office of the Governor, VERBATIM: “Governor Tim Walz today announced $33 million for 225 new and developing small businesses. The Governor was joined by small business owners representing manufacturing, health care, hospitality, and clean technology. … This funding is part of the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). This is the second of three rounds of funding totaling $97 million.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3GKuAw1
REGENTS: Via Axios’ Torey Van Oot, Gov. Tim Walz told reporters yesterday that he is expecting to spend the next few weeks interviewing applicants for the University of Minnesota Board of Regents, with the goal of naming them “by the start of the academic year in August or post-Labor Day.” TWEET: http://fluence-media.co/3GEizZ4
FARMERS: via a Rep. Angie Craig press release, VERBATIM: “Today, U.S. Representative Angie Craig introduced bipartisan legislation to expand access to mental health resources for Minnesota’s rural communities and connect farmers and producers with medical professionals and mental health resources. Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-IA) is co-leading the legislation. … Craig’s bipartisan Farmers First Act would reauthorize the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN) and ensure rural communities have access to certified community behavioral health clinics, critical access hospitals and rural health centers.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4eVjEZ6
PORK: via a Rep. Brad Finstad press release, VERBATIM: “Today, Congressman Brad Finstad (MN-01), member of the House Agriculture Committee, led six Members of Congress in a letter to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Risk Management Agency (RMA) requesting that RMA undertake a comprehensive review of current risk management tools and report to Congress on additional regulatory or legislative actions that may be taken to promote resilience and strengthen the industry’s ability to combat economic hardships due to market and production-related stresses. Congressman Finstad was joined by Reps. [including] Michelle Fischbach (MN-07).” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3Iw1Kjs
VETERANS: via a Rep. Tom Emmer press release, VERBATIM: “Today, Congressman Tom Emmer introduced the Veterans Burial Accountability Act. This nonpartisan legislation is designed to eliminate needless delays in veteran burials and ensure families can grieve on their own time. … Under current policy at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), it can take up to eight weeks to certify a veteran’s death when a veteran passes away from natural causes. These delays force families to delay burials and prolong their grief.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4nLjNlP
MOVE: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “Dr. Emily Chapman has been named as the new president and CEO of Children’s Minnesota. … Her appointment follows the retirement of Dr. Marc Gorelick earlier this year.
MPLS: via KARE 11, VERBATIM: “A major North Minneapolis amphitheater project is moving forward. A public hearing took place Tuesday on a plan that would transform the Upper Harbor into an entertainment destination. It was hosted by the Minneapolis City Council's Business, Housing and Zoning Committee. … A city committee will now make recommendations to the full council with a full vote expected next Thursday. If approved, project leaders hope to break ground later this year.” READ/WATCH: http://fluence-media.co/4nRPIRK
ST PAUL: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “Just outside downtown St. Paul, the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office will use $3 million in state funds to dedicate two deputies to patrol the 60-block area that stretches from East Frogtown and Capitol Heights down to the Minnesota History Center. … Additional staff in the next three years will work with the city’s recreation centers to host family nights, movies in the park and other community outreach. … In addition, the St. Paul Port Authority will soon offer new and existing businesses in the area $1 million in economic development grants. … The $4 million in total funding for the new ‘Capitol Area Public Safety and Vitality Initiative’ — which includes $1 million from the latest state bonding bill for business grants — represents one of the few high-dollar wins for St. Paul out of the most recent legislative session.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4lOJbWJ
MORE: The Star Tribune has a profile on the four candidates running in St. Paul’s special election for the Ward 4 City Council seat, which will be held Aug. 12 to replace former City Council Pres. Mitra Jalali following her resignation in January. The city DFL did not hold endorsing conventions for this seat. READ: http://fluence-media.co/3Ueuyzv
DULUTH: via WDIO-TV, VERBATIM: “Congressman Pete Stauber and Senator Amy Klobuchar [announced] that the Federal Prison Camp in Duluth will stay open. The decision comes after William Marshall, President Donald Trump’s newly appointed Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, visited the facility the week prior. Rep. Stauber was in attendance. … [The] closure had been announced in December 2024, due to aging infrastructure and staffing challenges. The facility employs 89 staff.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/44x5lXb
AUSTIN: via Austin Daily Herald, VERBATIM: “In a unanimous vote, the Austin Public Schools Board on Monday night voted in favor of a two-question special election this November for a referendum to support building upgrades in the district. Voters will head to the ballot box to answer the first question of the building referendum, which is not to exceed $54.7 million and that will be spread across eight buildings in the district. This money will go toward upgrades in each building that will include — among other things — safety, security and accessibility improvements. The second question authorizes $12 million for renovation of the 50-year-old Bud Higgins Pool at Ellis Middle School. … In total, the district is asking voters to approve a total of $66.7 million.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/40RduDq
LAYOFFS: via a DEED press release, VERBATIM: “The State Rapid Response Team (SRRT) received a [WARN] letter from S&R Quisberg, Inc.'s informing us of the permanent closure and layoff of approximately 235 employees from its facilities located at…Brainerd…Baxter…[and] Pequot Lakes. … Employees will experience permanent layoff beginning on September 25, 2025. … Miner’s Incorporated announced today that it has reached a tentative agreement to purchase S&R Quisberg Inc.’s Cub Foods and Supervalu grocery stores located in Brainerd, Baxter, and Pequot Lakes. … Miner’s will rebrand the stores as Super One Foods and offer all individuals impacted by the store closures an opportunity to interview for positions with Super One Foods in Brainerd and Pequot Lakes.” LETTER: http://fluence-media.co/3TJlQsX
TODAY: Governor Tim Walz will meet with advocates for the Washington Avenue Bridge suicide prevention legislation.
TOMORROW: via a joint press release, VERBATIM: “A local coalition including Indivisible Twin Cities, Racial Justice Network, Women's March Minnesota, Black Lives Matter Minnesota, MN AFL-CIO, and MN 50501, are leading the Good Trouble Lives On: Twin Cities Rally & March. Our Twin Cities mobilization is one of hundreds of events across the country honoring the legacy of John Lewis.” The event is at 6:00 p.m.
SATURDAY: The Minneapolis DFL will hold its city convention on Saturday, July 19 starting at 10:00 a.m. The convention will consider endorsements for mayor, park board, and Board of Estimate & Taxation. The event “will also hear speeches from DFL party dignitaries and candidates for CD5 and statewide offices,” per a release.
JULY 23: via MN Chamber, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Chamber’s upcoming Women in Business Minnesota Conference on Wednesday, July 23, will highlight the powerful role women play in expanding Minnesota’s economic footprint through international business.” The event is at 9:00 a.m. in Minneapolis.
JULY 24-26: via NCRA, VERBATIM: “The 2025 National Court Reporters Association (NCRA) Conference & Expo, taking place July 24-26, serves as the largest venue for businesses to showcase the latest in products and services [for stenography].” The event is at 9:00 a.m. each day in Minneapolis.
JULY 28: via AFP-MN, VERBATIM: “Sen. Jordan Rasmusson and representatives from Americans for Prosperity – Minnesota…will host a legislative forum in Fergus Falls to engage the community on key issues from the 2025 legislative session. … Topics will include housing affordability, government accountability, and responsible use of taxpayer dollars.” The event is at 5:00 p.m.
BDAYS: attorney John Cairns, WCCO Radio’s Dan Cook, fundraiser Trisha Hamm, Washington County Commissioner Michelle Clasen, my social studies teacher John Fisher, health care pro Lauren Gilchrist, Hennepin County Commissioner Marion Greene, attorney Rick Linsk
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IN MEMORIAM: morning take from now to the future is in memory of Melissa Hortman her accessibility, leadership and commitment to public service.
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