HOT AND HOPEFUL
Another hot one.
US wins. Twins win.
The U.S. and Iran have resumed peace talks through mediators after exchanging fire last weekend. AXIOS: https://fluence-media.co/4eThUA1 Rinse and repeat.
Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan will be on Sunday Take at 9 AM Sunday.
I’ll try to stop by some parades this weekend to observe Gubernatorial candidates.
Steve Simpson signs off from WCCO Radiotoday. He’s as class of an act as anyone I’ve met in media, and in his 11 years here covered some major stories. Most notably the pandemic, where he solo manned the newsroom. A newsman as good as I’ve ever met.
Fireworks are back in St. Paul for the 4th.
Happy National I Forgot Day.
Have a happy 250 — morning take and other newsletters will return Monday.
No matter your politics wear the colors…it’s a sign of unity.
Blois - tips: bloisolson@gmail.com
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.
Sunday Take featured a breakdown of 5 key things to watch before the Aug. 11 primaries in Minnesota. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4gca1bg
SPEAKING: Do you have a summer or fall conference that your audience wants to hear about the insights of the election? “Signals vs. Noise” of the election. is scheduling now. EMAIL bloisolson@gmail.com
DEEPER: Check out a Fluence Forum podcast. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/FluenceForums
Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com ? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription
As we celebrate 250, Minnesota is only 168 years young…a very smart story from KARE 11’s Chris Hrapsky, VERBATIM: “To fully understand what was going on in the Minnesota area by 1776, you have to go back about 12,000 years….As the Ice Age waned and glaciers retreated, historians believe the first humans — Paleo-Indians — inhabited the area… After France lost the French and Indian War, the land west of the Mississippi River — including present-day Minneapolis — was given to Spain. Land east of the river, including present-day St. Paul, was claimed by England, the victor of the war. CONVERY: “West of the Mississippi remained part of Spain at the end of the American Revolution,” said Bill Convery, director of research at the Minnesota Historical Society… Over the next 30 years, in what historians largely describe as deceptive treaty negotiations, millions more acres in east-central Minnesota were ceded to pay off fur-trading debts. The treaties preserved Ojibwe hunting, fishing and wild rice harvesting rights, protections that have since been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court…By 1851, eastern Dakota bands were pressured to cede all of southern Minnesota except reservation land along the Minnesota River…By 1855, the Ojibwe had ceded much of northern Minnesota as well…In just half a century, roughly 50 million acres of Native land became part of the United States, culminating in Minnesota’s admission as the 32nd state on May 11, 1858.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4eS3j7R
SOCIAL MEDIA: via Fox 9, VERBATIM: “The law would have required apps and sites like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to display a warning label pop-up for users, starting now. However, tech companies filed a lawsuit challenging the law, claiming it forces them to endorse a government message and violates their First Amendment rights…The attorney general’s office agreed to delay enforcement unless the judge rules against the social media companies. The judge has not yet made a decision, so the warning labels are not currently being enforced…Parents and suicide prevention advocates spent months urging lawmakers to pass the warning label requirement, pointing to concerns about cyberbullying, online extortion and mental health struggles among young people.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4y114I4
PARDON: via FOX 9, VERBATIM: “The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released a statement condemning Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and other state leaders after they pardoned Tou Lue Vang, a man from Laos who had been convicted in 2006 of first-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a 10-year-old girl. Vang was set to be removed from the United States before the pardon was announced. On June 10, 2026, the Minnesota Clemency Review Commission voted to grant Vang a pardon. DHS says this decision could now prevent his removal from the country.” DHS: “These are the criminal illegal aliens [Walz] and his Minnesota sanctuary politicians are protecting. … Vang lost his legal status following his conviction.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3SAYSqI
MORE: Spokespeople for Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison told the New York Times that their main motivation for pardoning Tou Lue Vang was a letter of support from the victim, who was 10 when Vang was 18. LETTER: “What happened to me was wrong, but I have had many years to think about this. I have made peace with it. I forgive him.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4v6UrRO
RESPONSE: via Rep. Tom Emmer on X, EMMER: “Tim Walz is protecting an illegal alien child rapist and making it more difficult to deport this monster. I’m angry and disgusted at yet another action by our feckless governor that puts violent illegal aliens ahead of innocent Americans.” TWEET: https://fluence-media.co/4y0ydno
ICE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Federal agents abruptly abandoned plans to detain a sex offender about to be released from a Minnesota prison. … ICE filed a detainer request nearly four years ago to take custody of Celso Manuel Cortez when he was released from [state] custody after serving a sentence for sexually assaulting a young girl. But ICE told state corrections officials June 2, nine days before Cortez was scheduled to be released, that they were withdrawing the detainer. … A Homeland Security spokesperson said ICE withdrew the detainer because Cortez has cancer. … It’s unclear who will pay for Cortez’s medical treatment.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vSSKsk
CONVICTIONS: via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s Conviction Review Unit is shutting down after losing federal funding, the state’s attorney general announced. … The Conviction Review Unit applied for another renewal in 2025, but Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison says the Trump Administration’s Department of Justice denied it. … Over the nearly five years it operated, the unit overturned three wrongful convictions.” ELLISON: “I remain proud of the vital work the Unit performed. … No one is made safer when the wrong person has been convicted of a crime.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3SX2oeZ
AMID RURAL HEALTH CHALLENGES, ESSENTIA HEALTH INVESTS IN NEW IRON RANGE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT: Essentia Health is investing in a $13 million project to remodel and expand its emergency department in Virginia, MN. With support from the Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation Board and philanthropic partners, the project will improve emergency care and mental health resources through new technology, safety and security measures, and a behavioral health suite. READ MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4o79h9j (SPONSORED: Essentia Health)
GOV RACE: via InForum, VERBATIM: “Sen. Amy Klobuchar on Wednesday announced her plan, if elected governor, to expand Minnesota’s rural economy by supporting the workforce and resources that keep rural living affordable. ‘The biggest challenge facing our rural communities right now is uncertainty,’ Klobuchar said during her Wednesday, July 1, press conference at Nelson Farms in rural Moorhead. … Priorities [include] lowering the cost of farming by expanding farm equipment sales tax exemptions, creating fertilizer price stability and reducing energy costs [plus] cutting through ‘red tape’ to speed up applications and permits.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vL4Q70
SENATE RACE: Rep. Angie Craig is expanding her attacks on Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan regarding donations accepted by the Democratic Lt. Governors Association, which Flanagan used to chair. A new press release from Craig highlights a New Jersey Globe article showing that the DLGA accepted donations this year from donors who also gave to AIPAC. Flanagan is no longer part of DLGA leadership, but the organization is still supporting her Senate bid. Craig has been endorsed by AIPAC in previous elections. CRAIG: “[Flanagan] looks to impose a litmus test she herself has failed. … But that’s the difference in this race: honesty vs hypocrisy. Minnesotans deserve honesty from their next U.S. Senator, not misleading attacks.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4eEOirf
MORE: Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan announced she is hosting another event with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith next week. FLANAGAN: “Crypto bros and AIPAC want to buy this election. But in Minnesota, organized people beat organized money. Join me, [Sanders] and [Smith] on Zoom to talk about how together, we’re going to organize our way to victory.” TWEET: https://fluence-media.co/44Fykai
Over 25,000 visits so far, and now a refresh of the Fluence Election Tracker.
VISIT: https://fluence-media.co/electiontracker
MEDICAID: via KARE 11, VERBATIM: “About a dozen [Medicaid] providers testified at the state capitol Wednesday before the Senate Human Services committee, arguing that the state’s revalidation process has caught legitimate groups in the crosshairs of the fraud crisis and may be putting vital services at risk for people with disabilities. … Susan Rosette, the executive director of Cardinal Comfort Care Cooperative in Two Harbors, [said] the state’s stricter pre-payment review of Medicaid dollars has reduced their operations by 70 percent. … She called on lawmakers to establish a task force and increase engagement with providers to better protect the good providers that aren’t suspected of being involved in fraud.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/44CJMUe
MORE: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Department of Human Services was given about five months to review nearly 5,500 social service providers, [but] most other states were given two years to complete a similar task, [said] temporary DHS Commissioner John Connolly. … Connolly says DHS continues hearing appeals from providers who are updating paperwork and site visits to get their enrollment reinstated.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4vAE9lk
IT UPGRADES: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “One of the new laws that kicked in July 1 aims to stop fraud by improving state computer software used at the local level to provide tax-funded assistance. … MNIT will receive nearly $11.5 million as it helps lead this effort. Under the law, the state department has a deadline of March 1, 2027, to ‘develop a preliminary multiyear modernization plan.’ But when [KSTP] pressed for when counties can expect significant changes, MNIT wouldn’t commit. … A county human service manager [said to] expect sweeping changes to take years.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4avpX4C
DACA: via Sahan Journal, VERBATIM: “Recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program [are] experiencing unusual delays in renewal applications processing; what would’ve taken a month or two before is now taking five or six months. … There are 4,050 DACA beneficiaries in Minnesota. … USCIS reported 2.3 months processing time for DACA and work authorization renewals, but local attorneys say wait times are stretching much longer. ‘Their normal recommendation is to apply four to five months before expiration, and clearly that’s not soon enough,’ Sheila Stuhlman, an immigration attorney and founder of Stuhlman Law, said.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4eHOUfG
EPA: via Duluth News Tribune, VERBATIM: “Two former employees of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s laboratory on Lake Superior’s North Shore sued the federal agency, alleging it violated their First Amendment rights when it fired them last year for signing a letter critical of the Trump Administration. … Attorneys from Democracy Forward and James & Hoffman, who are representing the plaintiffs, said the firings were illegal and everyone, including federal employees, has the right to express opinions about the government. … The EPA declined to comment.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4eYVRI9
A deep dive into the CD1 race between Rep. Brad Finstad and Jake Johnson for MNSider subscribers. HERE: https://fluence-media.co/49OqNJu
THE FEED
FED JUDGE: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “A new chief federal judge has been named for the District of Minnesota. Eric C. Tostrud began serving in the role on Wednesday after former Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz stepped down Tuesday following four years of service. … Tostrud was nominated to the federal bench by President Donald Trump in February 2018 and was confirmed by the Senate later that year.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4vONGpe
MPD: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “A report from the national ACLU has found that police officers in cities formerly under federal consent decrees, including Minneapolis, have continued to use excessive force against residents since the federal government withdrew from the agreements. The report looked at departments in seven cities across the country. … The ACLU report found that Minneapolis largely cooperated with its data request, but that many of the reports only contained a brief public narrative, which made it difficult to tell whether the force used by the officers was excessive.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QVViH9
TRANSIT PD: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “Metro Transit’s former police chief went out on patrol without his body camera, radio or firearm, described female co-workers as women he’d like to bed, and retaliated against women who raised concerns about his behavior, leaving an employee feeling like a ‘daily target’ of monitoring and criticism, according to a report by a law firm hired by the Metropolitan Council to investigate his conduct. … The allegations have been made public in a heavily-redacted report [obtained] through a request made under the state Data Practices Act.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4wlSJ02
FED CHARGES: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “Fourteen defendants accused of conspiring to impede U.S. immigration officers pleaded not guilty during their arraignment Wednesday at the federal courthouse in Minneapolis. All are charged with conspiracy to impede or injure a federal officer, while others are individually charged with stalking, threats, destruction of government property and assaulting a federal officer.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4vDLkZZ
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)
METRO
HENN CTY: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump Administration from cutting off federal funds to Hennepin County and several other local governments. … The ruling bars the administration from withholding federal grants from communities that do not comply with new mandates regarding Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and gender identity. The decision is a major financial relief for Hennepin County, which has $274 million in federal funding tied up in its 2026 budget.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4vetiMZ
ST PAUL: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “New citywide minimum wage increases took effect in St. Paul Wednesday. The scheduled wage rate increases apply to small and ‘micro’ businesses, including all private employers. … Small businesses of six to 100 workers must pay at least $16.37 per hour. And micro businesses of five employees or less must pay at least $14.25 per hour. The youth rate in St. Paul — for those age 14 to 17 in their first 90 days of employment — rose to $13.95 on Wednesday.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QXQtwO
STRIKE: via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “More than 130 unionized doctors at Allina Health’s Mercy and Unity hospitals are threatening to strike after negotiations over the past two years failed to produce an agreement with the health system. … The doctors voted by a 90% margin to authorize a strike, but have not yet determined when or for how long. They would need to provide the health system with 10 days’ notice before walking off the job at the hospitals located in Coon Rapids and Fridley.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/44bLqvV
HABITAT RESTORATION: Flint Hills Resources has earned Tandem Global WHC Gold Certification for habitat restoration at its Cottage Grove fuel terminal. The certification comes after two years of work in partnership with Friends of the Mississippi River to implement a restoration and monitoring plan to re-establish the 6.5-acre site’s natural prairie and savannah. Flint Hills has held gold certification for its work done with community partners over the past 25 years to restore more than 200 acres of the Pine Bend Bluffs, a critical natural area along the Mississippi River that is adjacent to Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery. This makes two Flint Hills gold-certified sites in Minnesota and the first two gold-certified sites ever in the Twin Cities. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/3VASKg4 (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources)
ACROSS MN
OLMSTED CTY: Via Rochester Post Bulletin, the Olmsted County DFL is accused of violating regulations during a recent parade in Rochester. VERBATIM: “Republican candidates and supporters noted that while the Olmsted County GOP followed the rule set by parade officials to limit the number of walkers to 25 people within the unit, the DFL unit from Olmsted County had roughly double or triple the number of walkers, giving parade spectators a skewed view of the strength of the parties. … A review of television video coverage of the parade showed more than 60 people in the DFL group, [but] whether that limit was communicated by the DFL’s parade organizers to the party’s candidates and supporters is unclear.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3QBJZDX
ST LOUIS CTY: via Duluth News Tribune, VERBATIM: “The St. Louis County Regional Landfill in Virginia received its first dumping of municipal solid waste from Duluth-based Resource Renew on Wednesday. The shift to a new disposal site recently became essential as the Moccasin Mike Landfill in Superior — which has served as the dump site for Duluth’s waste since 2006 — reaches capacity. … As a result of the transition to the new disposal site and the accompanying rise in transportation expenses, local customers can expect a minor increase in their garbage collection fees.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3SX3GGR
ROCHESTER: via Rochester Post Bulletin, VERBATIM: “A new contractor for Rochester Public Transit operations will be considered Monday. The Rochester City Council will be asked to approve a five-year contract with Via Transit Twin Cities LLC, replacing the current operator, TransDev. Valued at roughly $77.8 million, the contract will provide drivers and management for city-owned buses, including the future Link Bus Rapid Transit service.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/448J54R
PROUD TO CHAMPION ATHLETES EVERYWHERE: Minnesota’s 24,000 family corn farmers may come from different fields than the athletes participating in the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games, which are set for June 20-26 in Minnesota. But they share the same values, including dedication, hard work, and perseverance. This summer, Minnesota Corn salutes the talented athletes participating in the games. We’ll be cheering them on from our fields as they shine in yours. (SPONSORED: Minnesota Corn)
DAYBOOK
TODAY: DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek and Bemidji Mayor Jorge Prince will hold a roundtable with Bemidji small business leaders at 10:00 a.m.
JULY 7: Sen. Bobby Joe Champion, Rep. Esther Agbaje and Rep. Fue Lee, all DFL, will host a joint town hall meeting for Senate District 59 constituents in Minneapolis at 5:30 p.m.
JULY 7: Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan is hosting a Zoom event with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith on Tuesday, July 7 at 7:00 p.m.
JULY 8: The Office of the Legislative Auditor will release an evaluation report on Minnesota voter registration at 12:00 noon, followed by a presentation to the Legislative Audit Commission at 1:00 p.m.
JULY 13: Attorney General Keith Ellison will host a community listening session on Monday, July 13 to discuss the proposed acquisition of Allina Health by Sutter Health. The event is in St. Paul at 6:00 p.m.
We won’t ask for “membership” to list your BDAY, and we won’t have pledge drive but you can support the Fluence work by paying for premium content.
BDAYS: Rep. Duane Quam, lobbyist Joyce Peppin, retired reporter Bill Wareham. In the coming days, Chamber Chair Brooke Lee, Rep. Jon Koznick, developer Pete Deanovic, U of MN’s Sarah Youngerman
SPEAKER: If you’re looking for a speaker about the “Signal vs. Noise” dynamic of today’s politics and the 2026 election. EMAIL: BloisOlson@gmail.com.
SPONSORS: Sponsorships are available to reach over 30,000 readers per day on Fluence’s tip sheets and website, TheDailyAgenda.com – email BloisOlson@gmail.com.
Send us your tips at BloisOlson@gmail.com
IN MEMORIAM: morning take is dedicated in memory of Melissa Hortman.