Wild win in OT. Timberwolves host the Lakers Friday. Vikings play Monday.
Gopher QB Max Brosmer at The Freehouse tonight from 5-7PM – he’s bringing a “special guest”.
Sports Take comes out tomorrow. It’s a must read.
MnDOT’s annual “Name a Snowplow” contest is now accepting submissions. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3bhQmVf (Bah Humbug)
Rover analytics say the top name for both cats and dogs in the Twin Cities this year was “Luna.” LIST: https://fluence-media.co/3D9Vmff
MinnPost has a report on how social media affects news, politics and voters under 30. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4g7SZbk
Syrians in Minnesota are celebrating the fall of the Assad regime in their home country. SAHAN: https://fluence-media.co/3VyOMVR
Morning Consult finds that Republicans are split on who they would support in a 2028 presidential primary — Donald Trump Jr. and JD Vance are tied at 30% each, with Ron DeSantis in a distant third at 9%. POLL: https://fluence-media.co/49AMcEv
It’s National Stretching Day.
Blois
tips/feedback bloisolson@gmail.com
From Sunday Take, U of MN President Rebecca Cunningham shared legislative priorities. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3BkGFFq
BUDGET: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “Three words — waste, fraud and abuse — are burrowing deep into the Capitol lexicon ahead of a 2025 legislative session where [state] lawmakers will be searching through the proverbial couch cushions. … Most of Minnesota’s budget — about 70 percent — goes to schools and major social service programs. But within those categories and across the rest of the budget, lawmakers will be looking for places to pull back. … Republicans also bring up audits that identified hundreds of millions of dollars worth of fraud, [saying] accountability inside agencies is far too weak. … But [there’s] a challenge when it comes to combating fraud as a money-saving tool: Many times, fraudulent spending only surfaces after the money goes out. … [However], the legislative auditor has said state agencies don’t approach their work with an oversight and regulatory mindset.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49zhmMM
RESPONSES: Speaking to reporters, House DFL Leader Melissa Hortman and GOP Sen. Eric Pratt expressed partisan disagreement on the state’s approach to dealing with fraud, and whether it’s an effective way to balance the budget. READ: https://fluence-media.co/49zhmMM
HORTMAN: “It's an absurdity to say that people aren't held responsible when they rip off the government. When they rip off the government, we try to find them, we try to prosecute them, and I think whenever possible, we should put them in prison. And we do — and that isn’t really a budget solution.”
PRATT: “We need to focus first and foremost on waste, fraud and abuse. The governor and his commissioners have failed to take seriously the recommendations of the Office of Legislative Auditor.”
REVENUE: via an MMB press release, VERBATIM: “Net general fund revenues totaled $2.059 billion in November, $80 million (3.8 percent) less than forecast. Individual income tax, corporate franchise tax, and other revenues were all lower than expected, while general sales tax revenues were higher than forecast. For fiscal year 2025, year-to-date receipts are now $12.170 billion. … The fiscal year-to-date variance is the same dollar amount as the monthly variance, $80 million below the forecast, which is 0.7 percent of fiscal year-to-date forecast revenues.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3ZLvcYX
AUDIT: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s Department of Human Services overpaid medical assistance providers like nursing homes more than $40 million through its Medicaid program and did not attempt to recover the debts, according to a report released Tuesday by the nonpartisan Office of the Legislative Auditor. … The debt figure is a conservative estimate, according to the OLA. … In a written response to the audit, Department of Human Services Commissioner Jodi Harpstead said her agency agreed with most of the audit’s findings but disputed the OLA’s conclusion that they didn’t handle outstanding debts in accordance with state law. She also noted the difficulties in recovering money from nursing homes that have closed down.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fbrrQY
MORE: The full DHS audit report from the Office of the Legislative Auditor is available to read online. REPORT: https://fluence-media.co/41L5Dc7
RESPONSE: via a GOP Sen. Paul Utke statement, UTKE: “This is just another example in a long string of failures by state agencies to do their job with the highest diligence and integrity. … With a deficit looming, this is exactly the kind of waste Minnesotans expect us to stay on top of. Taxpayers should not pay higher taxes because DHS failed to comply with basic accounting practices. … There needs to be real accountability and leadership to see any change, but sadly, I don’t think the Governor has it in him.”
MITCHELL: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “Disagreement over the Senate membership of a Democratic lawmaker arrested for burglary earlier this year bubbled up again Tuesday as legislative leaders prepare for the 2025 session. … Republican leaders urged Democrats to remove state Sen. Nicole Mitchell from the chamber and start the session with an even 33-33 split. … Hearings and a possible trial in Mitchell’s case could coincide with the early days of the legislative session. A settlement conference is scheduled for Dec. 31. … An attorney representing Mitchell said he didn’t have new information about the case or Mitchell’s position on remaining in office. … A motion hearing in Mitchell’s case is scheduled for Jan. 14, the day lawmakers are set to kick off the legislative session. … [Ken] Martin, the head of the Minnesota DFL Party, said he stands by his call for Mitchell to step down.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ixqDJ2
MORE: Speaking during Tuesday’s panel, Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy and Assistant Senate Minority Leader Jordan Rasmusson made contrasting arguments regarding the status of Sen. Nicole Mitchell in the upcoming session. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ixqDJ2
MURPHY: “Sen. Mitchell has been accused and not convicted, and she is going to trial. And the Legislature has never adjudicated ahead of a trial the status of a member, because we are stripping the rights of representation by the voters.”
RASMUSSON: “There’s clear, public, bipartisan conversation…[on] her inability to represent her constituents without attending caucus meetings and being on committees. I think it’s something we need to address early on in session, and I think could set the tenor for some really good bipartisan work going ahead.”
MPLS: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “As of mid-day Tuesday, Minneapolis City Council members had proposed a record 78 amendments to the 2025 city budget. The previous record of 45 was set last year, according to Linea Palmisano, who formerly served as the Council’s Budget Committee chair. By the interview at lunchtime on Tuesday, council members had already spent about 15 hours in budget mark-up meetings. Palmisano said there was still a long way to go. … The Mayor’s office said he was not ready to comment on whether he planned to veto the budget as it stood on Tuesday. … One of the main items being considered was a cut to the budget for the Minneapolis Police Department, but that was rejected.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3OW2nTf
ST PAUL: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “With a contentious budget vote looming, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter told the city council that if they’re looking to save property owners from unpopular tax increases next year, they can start by canceling a planned $2 million renovation of council offices. … Carter and City Council President Mitra Jalali largely agreed earlier this week as to how to lower the tax levy and slash millions in spending from the mayor’s initial 2025 budget proposal. That still leaves the mayor to attempt to convince the majority of the council to relent on another $2.64 million in proposed budget reductions. … Not all seven council members are expected to be present for the council’s final budget and tax levy vote on Wednesday…raising the possibility that the six members could stalemate.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3OOWJSZ
SWLRT: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “The Southwest light rail extension, now dubbed the Green Line extension, [is delayed again]. … When the Metropolitan Council first broke ground on the Hennepin County-planned project in 2018, the agency planned to open the line in 2023. Amid problems with building a tunnel in the Kenilworth corridor, the project’s opening day was delayed to 2027, with a final cost of $2.86 billion. … Despite the challenges, much of the line from Belt Line Boulevard in St. Louis Park west to SouthWest Station is mostly complete. … So why won’t Metro Transit, the agency that runs the region’s transit system under the Met Council, at least open the St. Louis Park to Eden Prairie segment to the riding public? It’s because there is no place along the line to maintain the trains.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3BdWv4S
HOUSING: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “Minneapolis city officials announced Tuesday that the city is investing in 11 affordable rental housing projects. … The Minneapolis City Council approved the awards on Dec. 5. The Native American Community Clinic on Franklin Avenue is one of those 11 projects. Roughly $1.15 million will support the new construction of 83 rental units in a mixed-use project with an expanded clinic on-site. … Over 25 applications were sent to the city requesting funding from the AHTF. The city made decisions based on underwriting standards, financial feasibility, location, project readiness, design guidelines and more.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3OMAFIP
ABUSE: via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “The Hennepin County Attorney's Office officially opened its new Domestic Abuse Service Center (DASC) on Tuesday with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting. … The center's new location will be on floor A-14 in the Hennepin County Government Center. On Tuesday morning, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty led a ribbon-cutting ceremony. … The number of people needing the center's services has grown exponentially. In 2023, DASC reported having more than 20,000 contacts with people seeking help.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gamidi
CITIZENSHIP: During an interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Rep. Ilhan Omar was asked how she feels about President-elect Donald Trump’s stated goal to end the practice of giving citizenship to all people born in the U.S., which is a constitutional right. OMAR: “It’s a cornerstone to who we are as Americans. … He’s talking about deporting people with their children who were born in the United States. That is nearly 50% of everyone that is undocumented. … Are they going to pull people over that look like they might be an immigrant? Are they going to snatch people from their workplaces?” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/49wfUui
BRINGING SAFETY TO ‘THE NEXT LEVEL’: As part of Enbridge’s work on the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Reservation in northern Minnesota, Enbridge has brought in family-owned and Indigenous-owned Northern Lights Family Outfitters to fully outfit project workers right on the job site with personal protective equipment (PPE) from its 48-foot mobile trailer. “Enbridge really brings safety to the next level,” says Patti, a project liaison for Enbridge and the Fond du Lac Band. “It’s really helpful to have a mobile unit, especially for this kind of work.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3OQYmjn (SPONSORED: Enbridge)
RURAL BIZ: via a CRPD press release, VERBATIM: “A new report from the Center for Rural Policy and Development — ‘Succession Simplified: Barriers and Opportunities for Business Transitions in Rural Minnesota’ — sheds light on the challenges and opportunities surrounding business succession planning in rural Minnesota, as an aging generation of business owners prepares to retire. With over 52,000 businesses in the state projected to change hands or dissolve in the next decade, the stakes are high for local economies. … 53% of Minnesota business owners are over age 55. … These businesses represent roughly 600,000 employees, $124 billion in revenue, and $24 billion in payroll, [but] only 19% of business owners have a written succession or exit plan.” REPORT: https://fluence-media.co/3BpYhzR
RURAL ENERGY: via a Sen. Tina Smith press release, VERBATIM: “Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith and Amy Klobuchar (both D-MN) announced nearly 130 new clean energy projects across rural Minnesota. The $15.6 million investment will save farms and rural small businesses nearly $18.4 million on their energy bills per year while simultaneously reducing harmful carbon emissions. … The funding is specifically set aside for agricultural producers and rural small businesses to install renewable clean energy systems, or to make their operations more energy efficient. Example projects include installing energy efficient grain dryers, LED lighting and heat mats for livestock, solar panels, or energy efficient heating and cooling systems.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gMmb7R
TOURISM: via KARE 11, VERBATIM: “Minnesota tourism is back and better than ever, according to new data released by the state's tourism agency on Tuesday. Explore Minnesota unveiled its findings for 2023, showing visitor spending at a record $14.1 billion — an increase of $1 billion over 2022 — and surpassing 2019 pre-pandemic spending by 7.8%. The findings showed the North Star State hosted 80.2 million visitors in total in 2023, which the agency said is a 4.6% increase from the year prior [with] a total economic impact of $24.2 billion and 180,473 jobs. … The agency said metro-area hotel metrics are still behind national metrics, making the case for ‘continued efforts’ to maintain momentum.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/41sEIS1
MAYO: via Rochester Post Bulletin, VERBATIM: “As the result of a labor complaint, Mayo Clinic in Rochester must provide physical, email and intranet notices to certain staff members informing them of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act. … The NLRB's regional office in Minneapolis ‘found merit to the allegation that Mayo Clinic unlawfully threatened employees that they would lose benefits, including the ability to transfer between units, if they chose to be represented by a union.’ … [This] stems from an email that Mayo Clinic leaders sent to nurses on April 2 — the same day that the Post Bulletin first reported on the Med City Nursing Alliance, a group that aims to independently unionize the nurses.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Zy09OO
UMN: via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “For years, the University of Minnesota Athletic Department allowed coaches to interfere with athletes’ medical treatment, and retaliated against medical and training staff who raised concerns about their lack of independence, according to allegations made by the university’s former director of athletic medicine in a 2018 letter. Moira Novak…repeatedly brought her concerns to athletic department administrators. … After Novak spent months escalating her concerns, she learned that her employment contract would not be renewed, [saying] ‘I believe my dismissal was motivated by my advocacy.’ … Jake Ricker, a spokesman for the University of Minnesota, said in a statement to the Reformer that the university has investigated all of the claims and that some are ‘demonstrably false.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3VwJf1W
PERMITTING REFORM FOR RESPONSIBLE INDUSTRIES: Jobs for Minnesotans is committed to advancing responsible industrial projects through a predictable, timely and transparent permitting process. Broad permitting reform for all responsible industries is essential to strengthening Minnesota’s communities and advancing our state’s clean energy future. (SPONSORED: Jobs for Minnesotans)
POLICE: via Office of the Governor, VERBATIM: “Governor Tim Walz today announced $4.5 million in grants for 46 law enforcement agencies in Minnesota to support officer training and recruitment. … The agencies receiving this funding will sponsor 94 candidates with two- and four-year degrees who want to make a career transition into law enforcement. All candidates will attend an intensive, comprehensive training program at Alexandria Technical & Community College or Hennepin Technical College. … $50,000 is available for each candidate. The funding covers their salary and cost of education.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gkoH4S
SETTLEMENT: via Office of the Atty. General, VERBATIM: “Today, Attorney General Keith Ellison announced that a court has found that tobacco manufacturers have not been paying what they owe Minnesota under the historic 1998 tobacco industry settlement. The Attorney General’s Office calculates the combined underpayments from tobacco manufacturers Philip Morris and RJ Reynolds to be roughly $58.2 million, plus interest. … This week, a court [has] ordered tobacco manufacturers to make full payments in the future and held that the parties must meet and confer on the appropriate amount of damages, interest, civil penalties, and attorney fees owed to Minnesota based on the manufacturers’ underpayment.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Da0oIF
LUGER: KARE 11 held an exit interview with U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota Andrew Luger, who will resign on Jan. 20 to make way for a successor appointed by President-elect Donald Trump. Luger said one of his main goals during his term was restoring trust in public safety. READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3OW0cPz
JUDGES: via Office of the Governor, VERBATIM: “Governor Tim Walz today announced the appointment of Mariam Mokri and Jennifer Olson as District Court Judges in Minnesota’s Fourth Judicial District. These seats will be chambered in Minneapolis in Hennepin County. … Mokri will replace the Honorable Peter A. Cahill. … Olson will replace the Honorable Susan M. Robiner.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3OQkDxG
FERTILIZER: via an MDA advisory, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) Commissioner Thom Petersen today announced the launch of the Green Fertilizer Grant Program. … The [grant] will support agricultural and rural electric cooperatives registered as 308A or 308B with the state of Minnesota so they can invest in green fertilizer manufacturing. The MDA will begin accepting applications on December 18 and may award between $250,000 and $6,665,000 for business-ready and shovel-ready projects. … Green fertilizers have significant climate and sustainability benefits compared to fossil-fuel derived nitrogen-based fertilizers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3BqOwBp
FRESH15: The latest season of Fresh15 includes interviews with new Minnesota House members. So far five new members have shared their goals, background and fun facts before they take office in a historic session in January. Follow on your favorite podcast platform, or at www.TheDailyAgenda.com/Podcasts. (SPONSORED: Minnesota Telecom Alliance)
DATACENTERS: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “The explosion of data centers is driven by a rise in cloud computing, smart devices, streaming services and artificial intelligence. The average U.S. household now has 21 devices connected to the Internet — from smart phones and watches to thermostats and doorbell cameras. There’s a growing need for more physical space to process, store and deliver vast amounts of data…Data centers have gotten a lot more efficient since the early days of the Internet, said Matt Grimley, a researcher at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs. But then came hyperscale data centers, like the one proposed in Farmington, he said… Some environmental groups worry data centers will make it harder to meet the energy demand without extending the use of fossil fuels that contribute to climate change. In some states, data center owners have turned to nuclear plants to supply electricity.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3D6Hfr5
EAGAN: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Developer Ryan Cos. finalized its purchase of the 179-acre Thomson Reuters headquarters in Eagan, advancing plans to transform the former corporate campus into an industrial hub and housing. … The property will be for warehouse and logistics use, with outdoor storage for trucks, trailers and vans, according to city documents, which refer to the development as ‘Project Nova.’ Peter Fitzgerald, vice president of real estate development for Ryan, said he could not disclose the name of the anchor tenant associated with Project Nova. He also declined to say how much the site cost.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3VxH0LL
ST CLOUD: via St. Cloud Live, VERBATIM: “Students from more than 600 families [in the St. Cloud area] are experiencing homelessness right now, according to an ISD 742 school official. That number could go as high as 1,000 families by February as winter gets colder, said Cocoa Bynum, Transitional Education Services coordinator. … Bynum began the 2024-25 academic year helping 300 families. As of Dec. 6, she and other Transitional Education Services staff are working with more than 600 families. She estimates that number could grow to around 1,000 by February.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3ZNHAI3
SOLWAY: via Bemidji Pioneer, VERBATIM: “Solway Solar, a proposed 100,000 solar panel generation facility by Otter Tail Power Company, is projected to power 9,000 homes once complete. … Otter Tail Power advanced their plans of building Solway Solar in Lammers Township outside of Solway by contacting the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission to determine if the costs associated with Solway Solar and Abercrombie Solar — a second, larger solar facility in North Dakota — are eligible for cost recovery. … Depending on the timing of project approvals, Solway Solar is expected to be fully operational sometime in 2026.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3ZteXyw
WILD ABOUT READING: More than 500 Minnesota classrooms and 15,000 students are participating in the “Wild About Reading” program, a partnership with Flint Hills Resources which encourages students to read more using Minnesota Wild-branded posters, reading logs and bookmarks. Teachers set weekly reading goals and give certificates to students who complete the four-week program. Fun program incentives include classroom visits from the Wild’s mascot, Nordy, and the team dog, Rookie; a pair of tickets to a Wild home game, player-signed pucks and photos; and a pizza party for a classroom. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/3O2nzH0 (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources)
From yesterday’s Fluence newsletters:
DULUTH: via Northern News Now, VERBATIM: “After much controversy, the Duluth City Council has approved an out-of-state firm for their next tourism marketer. On Monday, the council approved Arizona-based Madden Media as the city’s new tourism firm for the next two years after an 8-1 vote. Duluth City Council President Roz Randorf voted yes, but said she felt her hands were tied on the matter.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3BnKNEI
SCSU: via St. Cloud Live, VERBATIM: “Mikhail Blinnikov put down roots in St. Cloud 25 years ago. He and his wife raised their two sons here, and he spent more than two decades educating St. Cloud State University geography students and conducting research. However, since SCSU cut the geography program in June, he is unsure how much longer he will be able to stay. … Some of his colleagues have found jobs in the private sector or moved out of the area to find work, he said. But the end result could be a mass exodus of institutional knowledge, which would negatively affect the university and the community, Blinnikov said.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49zwqdg
HEALTHCARE: via U.S. News & World Report, VERBATIM: “The majority of U.S. adults say it is the government’s responsibility to ensure all Americans have health care coverage, according to a new survey from Gallup that comes on the heels of the killing of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO that sparked an ongoing manhunt for the suspected shooter and a larger conversation about the difficulties of dealing with the health care system in the U.S. The survey, which was conducted in November before the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last week, found that the percentage of Americans who believe it is the responsibility of the federal government to make sure all Americans have health care coverage increased from 59% last year to 62%.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4f90ZHH
MORE TAKES: Every day, we’re sharing significant political, business and other news in your inbox and on our new website, The Daily Agenda. If you love morning take, sign up for the other Fluence tip sheets and share our web content with your friends. SIGNUP: https://fluence-media.co/4eZwLa7
TODAY: via an OCM advisory, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management will announce its next steps to launch Minnesota’s cannabis industry following a Ramsey County District Court judge’s decision to stay the cannabis license preapproval lottery originally scheduled for Nov. 26. … OCM will hold a virtual press conference Wednesday where Interim Director Charlene Briner will offer remarks and answer questions from the press.” The event is at 10:00 a.m.
TODAY: Governor Tim Walz will meet with Medtronic leadership. In the evening he will attend the Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation and St. Paul Regional Labor Federation holiday parties.
TODAY: AFSCME Local 66 workers with the City of Duluth will hold a press conference at 11:00 a.m. to discuss their recent vote to authorize a strike.
TODAY: via advisory from Unidos Minnesota, VERBATIM: “On Wednesday, December 11, at 3:00 PM, residents of Saint Paul will gather at Saint Paul City Hall to demand funding for services that relieve rising costs associated with climate change. The press conference, organized by Unidos MN, will take place immediately before the 3:30 PM City Council hearing and will feature testimony from workers, parents, and renters who are feeling the weight of rising costs and worsening climate impacts.”
THURS-FRI: The University of Minnesota Board of Regents will meet at 8:30 a.m. Thursday and 8:00 a.m. Friday.
BDAYS: lobbyist David Prestwood, nonprofit Laura Hameed, conservative host Mitch Berg
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TIPS: How do we get the best news and most buzzed about stories? Send us your tips at BloisOlson@gmail.com
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