ONE WEEK IN JANUARY
Rest in Peace Nicole Renee Good.
When I warned of pacing ourselves in 2026, even this wasn’t imaginable.
Minneapolis Public Schools are closed the rest of the week. The Mayor warned of it, and the surge proved deadly.
Unfortunately, in Minnesota, we know how to mourn, we know how to process and hopefully we know how to keep the peace – even when the rage is real. That said, find your peace and quiet, because it can be overwhelming.
In critical moments of crisis, the best practice is to focus on facts and trust. In January 2026 we can’t agree on facts, and we don’t trust anyone from the “other side” of the politically polarized universe.
It makes what we see with our eyes, and what our brains process our own truth – and our impatient selves can’t wait or don’t give time to find context. That is the deterioration of dialog, or trust – and that’s why there should be concern about the entire democracy in our 250th anniversary.
The collapse of confidence in the republic is warranted; the reality is Minnesota continues to be the epicenter. The challenge to our leaders – all of them – who will be the better man or woman and sit down to find a different way – and a different tone. My offer is below.
We should not keep having historical days in Minnesota.
Sports Take later today will have polling data on Minnesota’s sports owners.
May we have a peaceful Thursday.
Blois - tips: bloisolson@gmail.com
The Fluence Forum - The State of Energy is Jan. 21.
DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek discussed the state’s new paid leave program on Sunday Take. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3NuT7Ig
Health Care will remain a top issue into 2026, the State of Health Care Fluence Forum panels from last week are now available in podcast form. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/FluenceForumPodcast
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SPLIT SCREEN
America’s Split Screen is Minnesota. The “Mood of Minnesota” is aggressively passive about finding a different tone, a better tenor, a fresh approach.
Members of Congress, legislators, Governor’s and staff read this daily. This request starts with you – your responsibility lives in the election certificates you hold.
lf you can’t call your own summit, I’m happy to host. We’ll close the doors and hash it out. This isn’t working and if you think it is – step aside.
This isn’t sustainable for our emotions, our economy but most of all for our future – and our children. It’s time to try something different – because clearly you’re not succeeding with the current strategy.
The country turns 250 this year, at this point lets hop we make it to 255.
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THE DAY
OVERNIGHT: Via Star Tribune, thousands of Minnesotans attended vigils last night remembering Renee Good and condemning ICE. Events were held in Minneapolis, Rochester, Duluth and more. At one vigil, speakers compared Good’s death to George Floyd, and DFL Rep. Aisha Gomez said, “We’re not going to stop fighting this administration.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/49qrzeJ “
THISAM: via news advisory, VERBATIM: “An emergency nonviolent protest at 7:30 a.m. (Jan. 8) beginning at the Fort Snelling Park & Ride South Lot to demand that ICE be held accountable and leave Minnesota… A coalition of faith and community leaders called for the emergency demonstration.”
NOON: via news advisory from ISAIAH, at 12 noon VERBATIM: “clergy and faith leaders across faiths and backgrounds will gather to call for the immediate removal of ICE in Minnesota. They will also call for accountability for the ICE agent…”
1PM: via news advisory from Nekima Levy Armstrong, at 1 PM VERBATIM: “community leaders and civil rights advocates will hold an Emergency Press Conference in response to the killing of Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of a 6-year-old child, who was shot and killed by an ICE agent during a federal enforcement operation in south Minneapolis.”
GOV: Gov. Tim Walz is keeping his schedule open and fluid to monitor the situation.
DIVIDE > DECENCY
VICTIM: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “[Renee] Good, 37, was behind the wheel of a parked Honda Pilot near the corner of 34th Street and Portland Avenue South, when an ICE officer yelled at her, ‘Get out of the car. Get the f— out of the car.’ Moments later, as she appeared to be driving away, another ICE officer fired into the vehicle, not far from the front bumper. Good died soon after.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3NcH6qY
DECENCY?: Sen. Tina Smith was asked by reporters why she thinks the Trump Administration is “fixated” on Minnesota right now. SMITH: “Well, I wish I knew. I mean, I wish they would just leave us the f*** alone. … When do things stop being about politics and start being about actual human decency? … A woman died being shot in her car, and everything that they are doing is making it worse, not better.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4aLrynX
EMMER: On Fox News, Rep. Tom Emmer accused Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Gov. Tim Walz of “inciting violence” by opposing ICE operations in the Twin Cities. EMMER: “They are inciting violence with their words. They need to sit down and shut up. … I pray that every federal law enforcement officer on the ground in Minnesota right now remains safe.” CLIP: https://fluence-media.co/45BjCSH
MORE: via CBS News, VERBATIM: “President Donald Trump’s border czar Tom Homan accused members of Congress of inciting violence against ICE. … Homan watched a video of the deadly incident but declined to comment on what he saw. Homan responded: ‘I’m not going to make a judgment call on one video.’ … Instead, he claimed that members of Congress have called the incident ‘murder,’ which he said will only incite ‘more violence.’” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3L8a2zT
WALZ: via Fox News, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said Wednesday the state’s National Guard was prepared to deploy if necessary following the fatal shooting of a woman during a federal immigration enforcement operation, saying, “We’ve never been at war with our federal government.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4qCnuuK
TENSION: via Axios, VERBATIM: “Footage shows Democratic Rep. Angie Craig having a heated exchange with Republican Whip Tom Emmer, both of Minnesota, on the House floor. Craig has strongly denounced the ICE shooting in Minneapolis, while Emmer defended the officers…”. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3YucrYI
MORE: Craig told Emmer — who defended the ICE officers in the wake of the shooting — that Republicans’ political stunts in Minnesota got a woman killed, two sources briefed on the argument told Axios….Emmer responding by angrily telling Craig to “take a walk,” the sources said. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qCZ4kQ
NOEM: via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem characterized [Good’s] actions as an ‘act of domestic terrorism.’ … Mayor Jacob Frey said he’s seen the videos of the incident [and] called the federal agency’s narrative of the events ‘bulls**t.’ Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz added, ‘Don’t believe this propaganda machine.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qlStvp
MORE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem doubled down on her characterization of the fatal shooting of a woman by [ICE] as the result of an ‘act of domestic terrorism.’ … In Fort Snelling, Noem addressed reporters in the wake of the Jan. 7 shooting by first lamenting the loss of life while calling the incident ‘preventable’ by the shooting victim.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4pv3Lw2
OPERATIONS via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “The killing of a woman by an ICE agent in Minneapolis didn’t appear to put a halt to wider operations in the Twin Cities by the agency in the hours that followed. … Among the multiple reports over the course of Wednesday was an incident outside Roosevelt High School in south Minneapolis, where ICE agents reportedly arrested an individual after smashing a window to their pickup truck.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4swRTML
MORE: Here is one interaction at the TNC lot at the airport that shows a conversation between a driver and a border patrol agent. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4bm7zwa
READINESS: via Office of the Governor, VERBATIM: “The governor has directed the National Guard to conduct necessary preparation in the event they are needed to assist local and state authorities. The State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) has been activated to coordinate the state’s response. … The Minnesota State Patrol has mobilized 85 members of its Mobile Response Team to support law enforcement efforts in the Twin Cities. The National Guard remains on standby and prepared to deploy if needed.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YuEl6L
NEXT: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said Wednesday their agents are investigating jointly with the FBI. … Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said Wednesday morning that she, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Gov. Tim Walz ‘are pushing hard for a local investigation, which is the only way to ensure full transparency and review by our office.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Lw1X8d
POLICY: The Dept. of Homeland Security’s law enforcement officer (LEO) policy on deadly force reads as follows. QUOTE: “Deadly force shall not be used solely to prevent the escape of a fleeing subject. However, deadly force is authorized to prevent the escape of a fleeing subject where the LEO has a reasonable belief that the subject poses a significant threat of death or serious physical harm to the LEO or others and such force is necessary to prevent escape.” POLICY: https://fluence-media.co/49KBD3i
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)
DC DYSFUNCTION
SHUTDOWN: via Axios, VERBATIM: “Rank-and-file Democrats are starting to make serious noise about using the threat of a government shutdown to force substantive changes at ICE [after] an ICE officer shot and killed a 37-year-old woman. … [But] Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said earlier this week that a shutdown was not on the table. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), asked if the appropriations process should be used to constrain ICE, told Axios: ‘We’re focused right now on [ACA] tax credits.’ … Progressive lawmakers see the end-of-January funding cliff as a leverage point.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4pxfmL8
DFL RESPONSE: Minnesota’s DFL congressional delegation condemned the shooting and accused the Trump Administration of lying about the facts of the case. Sen. Amy Klobuchar said “I am deeply concerned that statements made by DHS do not appear to reflect video evidence and on-the-ground accounts,” while Rep. Angie Craig and others called for ICE to cease its current operations in the state. CRAIG: “[We] have warned of the dangers of the Trump Administration’s chaotic, reckless and unnecessary ICE operations in our cities. … Today, the president’s political stunt got a woman killed. … ICE must leave Minnesota.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/45COmCH
GOP RESPONSE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Some Republicans in Minnesota say Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey are wrongfully jumping to conclusions before an investigation, [but] others in the GOP are going a step further, describing the shooting as justified. … Rep. Michelle Fischbach, [said] the officer ‘acted in self-defense to save lives.’ … Rep. Pete Stauber [said] ‘when Twin Cities politicians spew hateful rhetoric about our law enforcement for months, it gives their constituencies permission to violently attack.’ … Rep. Brad Finstad [said] the shooting ‘is a somber reminder of the dangers ICE agents face while doing their jobs.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49qrzeJ
WHITE HOUSE: via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “President Donald Trump has responded to an ICE agent’s killing of a woman in south Minneapolis by blaming the victim, claiming without evidence that she was ‘a professional agitator.’ … As for [the agent], President Trump said ‘it’s hard to believe he is alive,’ sharing video obtained by KSTP that shows the incident from a distance away. … Other video since released shows the masked agent walking around on Portland Avenue after firing the shots.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aPcO7y
REAX
IReactions to the Minneapolis shooting poured in throughout the day from across the nation. Here are just a few of them.
Via Minneapolis City Council, STATEMENT: “Anyone who kills someone in our city deserves to be arrested, investigated, and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. … We demand that ICE immediately leave our city so we can get rid of their chaos and violence that ended the life of one of our neighbors today. The City Council stands committed to working with our state partners in doing everything we can to protect our neighbors in this moment.”
Via MPPOA, STATEMENT: “The Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association stands firmly behind law enforcement officers, accountability under the law, and the safety of every Minnesota community. Irresponsible, reckless rhetoric from political leaders attacking law enforcement has real and dangerous consequences for officers on the street.”
Via joint release from Minneapolis’ state reps, all DFL, STATEMENT: “We are demanding that ICE leave our city and face accountability for their unlawful, violent, and oppressive actions. At this time, we are asking our community to stay safe, to not buy the propaganda from Homeland Security, and look out for one another. In the coming days, we will do everything we can to protect each other from this hostile federal government.”
Via GOP Sen. John Jasinski, STATEMENT: “My thoughts are with the family of the deceased and with law enforcement officers at all levels. … We need to tone down the anti-law enforcement comments. Gov. [Tim] Walz and Mayor [Jacob] Frey must stop fanning the flames and using inflammatory rhetoric. … Protest peacefully if you must, and give law enforcement the space to do their jobs.”
BUSINESS EXCELLENCE: Flint Hills Resources was just awarded the 2025 Large Business of the Year award from the Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce at their annual Business Excellence Awards celebration. The award celebrates the outstanding achievements of businesses that exemplify the thriving and growing spirit of Dakota County. The businesses honored make an impact and contribute to the continued success of our community. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/46lTpIs (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources)
MEANWHILE, FRAUD
HEARING: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “The first attempt by a congressional panel to investigate fraud allegations in Minnesota turned up few new revelations and was marked by partisanship. … State Reps. Kristin Robbins, Walter Hudson and Marion Rarick detailed their work to uncover fraud in Minnesota’s federally funded, state-run social welfare programs. … Rep. Robert Garcia of California, the top Democrat on the Oversight Committee, [questioned] Donald Trump’s pardoning of several individuals convicted of fraud. He asked the Minnesota GOP members if they agree with these pardons. Robbins said she hasn’t read about them. The others also demurred.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4swA94d
MORE: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “In remarks to the committee, [Marion] Rarick accused the Walz Administration of trying to silence agency employees who tried to expose problems. Conveying assertions of former Department of Human Services employees, Rarick said those ‘who suggest improvements — or heaven forbid, report fraud — then face significant retaliations.’ … House Majority Whip Tom Emmer joined in the questioning despite not being on the committee. He lit into Walz, other Democrats and Minnesota entities that he said were too lax in combatting real fraud threats.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4juOhXJ
SNAP: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “About 190,000 people in four Twin Cities metro counties – and perhaps another 250,000 in the rest of Minnesota – will lose their food stamp (SNAP) benefits before the end of the month unless a federal judge intervenes. … The Trump Administration [has] targeted the state in a growing list of federal investigations. But the state is fighting back in court, asking for an expedited hearing on a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture and an injunction. … Now, the future of the food stamp program in Minnesota is in the hands of a U.S. District judge. … Attorney General Keith Ellison [has] asked the court to hold a hearing on Friday, Jan. 9, and issue a decision no later than Jan. 15.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49AhnjY
AHEAD
TODAY: The Economic Club will host a luncheon with Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent in Golden Valley at 11:00 a.m.
TODAY: Immigrant Defense Network and related organizations will host “constitutional observer training” in Minneapolis at 5:00 p.m. Several elected officials will speak, including Sen. Zaynab Mohamed and St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her.
TOMORROW: via Xcel Energy, VERBATIM: “Xcel Energy CEO Bob Frenzel will join Neel Kashkari, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, to discuss how data centers and AI are changing the electric grid, what the future of nuclear energy looks like and other topics at the forefront of the energy industry. This fireside chat on the economic challenges and opportunities in the energy sector is part of the Minneapolis Fed’s ninth annual Regional Economic Conditions Conference.” The event is at 9:00 a.m.
JAN 14: Clean Elections MN will host a webinar with Sec. Steve Simon and Atty. General Keith Ellison discussing “what’s being done to keep our elections safe, fair and secure,” per a release. The event is at 7:00 p.m.
BDAYS: Rep. Bernie Perryman, fmr. Mayor Melvin Carter, fmr. Rep. David Bly, MNCUN’s Julia Miller
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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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