Timberwolves lose to Portland. Wild Play tomorrow. Vikings in Nashville Sunday.
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Eater placed Minneapolis Chef Yia Vang's Vinai on its list of the best new restaurants in the country. LIST: https://fluence-media.co/4evlBtr
Minnesota's average gas prices dropped to $2.95 per gallon, which is cheaper than the U.S. average. WCCO: https://fluence-media.co/3CmZiZJ
Is the Minneapolis consent decree dead? STRIB: https://fluence-media.co/40KoVxv
How will Trump shake up the press briefings? AXIOS: https://fluence-media.co/3Csa2Gb
Today is World Kindness Day – well timed.
Blois
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HOUSE: Here are some numbers and stats about the make-up of the new Minnesota House of Representatives.
GOP – 14
DFL – 8
Rural – 12
Urban – 2
Suburban – 8
Male - 16
Female – 6
More
6 new members races were decided by 5% or less. Lowest being 1.1%
7 new members races were decided by 30% or more. Highest being 84%
4 new members are first responders
7 new members are small business owners.
4 new members work in the healthcare industry.
DFL:
10 members have served in minority, having been elected prior to 2018
49 have never served in minority, having been elected from 2018-2023
GOP:
18 members have served in majority previously, having been elected prior to 2018
35 have never served in majority, having been elected between 2018-2022
Next week we’ll launch Fresh 15, where we interview all 22 new members. If you’re a new member, look for an email today to sign-up for your interview.
CABINET: President-elect Donald Trump has selected Fox News host and Minnesota native Pete Hegseth to be his Secretary of Defense. Hegseth was born and raised in Forest Lake, MN and served in the Minnesota Army National Guard. Via Reuters, VERBATIM: “Hegseth [has] expressed disdain for the so-called ‘woke’ policies of Pentagon leaders, including its top military officer. Hegseth, if confirmed by the U.S. Senate, could make good on Trump's campaign promises to rid the U.S. military of generals who he accuses of pursuing progressive policies on diversity. … It could also set up a collision course between Hegseth and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force General C.Q. Brown, [who] Hegseth accused of ‘pursuing the radical positions of left-wing politicians.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YO9W3a
MORE: via CNN, VERBATIM: “[Hegseth] acted as an informal adviser to Trump for a number of years while he was in and out of office. … CNN reported in 2019 that Hegseth, while working at Fox News, privately encouraged Trump to pardon some United States servicemen accused of war crimes. Trump went on to pardon two service members and restore the rank of Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher, who had been demoted. The controversial move went against the advice of then-Defense Secretary Mark Esper and other senior military leaders who had told Trump that a presidential pardon could potentially damage the integrity of the military judicial system.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Z35U8b
MORE: via a Donald Trump statement, TRUMP: “Pete has spent his entire life as a Warrior for the Troops, and for the Country. Pete is tough, smart and a true believer in America First. With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice - Our Military will be Great Again, and America will Never Back Down. … Nobody fights harder for the Troops, and Pete will be a courageous and patriotic champion of our ‘Peace through Strength’ policy.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fqcBHc
MORE: President-elect Donald Trump has also selected South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem to lead the Department of Homeland Security. Via KELO, READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YKDui6
BOMB THREATS: via Office of the Sec. of State, VERBATIM: “The Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State has been notified that election offices in over half of the counties in Minnesota have received e-mailed bomb threats since November 8. … Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon has issued the following statement.” SIMON: “Threats of violence against election workers, aimed at disrupting our democracy, are absolutely unacceptable. … Over the next few weeks, counties will be canvassing the election, certifying election results, and conducting post-election reviews. Our office is coordinating with local, state, and federal partners to respond and ensure that our election officials can complete this important work and that those responsible for these threats are held accountable.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Z2kP2z
CD2: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “Democratic Rep. Angie Craig, who won a landslide election in a bad year for her party, said the results that kept her in Congress for another term are ‘still kind of stunning.’ … She [said] her gains were the result of taking positions at odds with her party. That sometimes caused friction with loyal DFLers, [but] Craig is frustrated the Democratic Party may not come to grips with what she says are major missteps and continue to ignore real concerns on issues like immigration and the economy.” CRAIG: “As long as hamburger prices were $8 a pound, I knew I had to focus on the economy. … I really believe that voters want someone who has a moderate, centrist voting record.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40LjkqO
CD3: Representative-elect Kelly Morrison was interviewed on MSNBC’s “Inside with Jen Psaki” to discuss her thoughts on abortion, among other issues. Morrison will be the first and only pro-choice OB-GYN in Congress. MORRISON: “I ran for office for the first time in the wake of [Donald] Trump’s 2016 election because I was so concerned, as an OB-GYN, about the implications for reproductive healthcare across the country — and I do think that it, obviously, still matters. … One in three American women now live under a ban or a severe restriction, so abortion rights matter a lot.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4fID1nw
SPLIT TICKETS: via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “Supporting candidates from different parties for different offices is no longer common in U.S. elections. But in close contests that can be decided by just a few dozen votes, every partisan defection counts. … Individual ballots aren’t made public, [but] differences between the winning margins in various contests give a good sense of voters’ willingness to cross party lines for the right candidate. … The DFL margin across all [state] House races was just one half of one percent, meaning Minnesota’s Republican legislative candidates ran well ahead of [Donald] Trump. Those defects were enough to tie the House. … If we exclude the one-sided races, we can map where in the state voters were most likely to split their presidential and legislative votes.”
“Across virtually all of Minnesota, Republican House candidates received more support than Trump. … Those differences were greatest — 5 points or more — in two regions: the rural western part of the state, which is reliably conservative, and the suburban Twin Cities battlegrounds, which effectively determined the control of the House.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48QaF8I
SPORTSBETS: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “Despite some drama, most of the people who worked on [legal sports betting] last session say they think the deal is still intact. And while there will be time to lobby over the details, any proposals that break from the basic ingredients in the May deal — including that the state’s casino tribes have exclusive control of the new betting — will be harder to sell. The wild card is the Minnesota House…[but] Senate Commerce Committee Chair Matt Klein, DFL-Mendota Heights, said Monday he thinks the deal he helped negotiate in May is still the basis for a long-time-coming agreement.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3UQe9lL
(DISCLOSURE: Sports Betting Alliance is a client of Fluence)
ELLISON: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison said he’ll sue if President-elect Donald Trump and a Republican-controlled Congress try to circumvent Minnesota law. … During Trump’s first term, Ellison signed onto several lawsuits pushing back on Republican policy changes in Washington. … Ellison said he’s now worried Trump will target immigrants and people of color when the president-elect takes office in January. Ellison also wants to safeguard Minnesota’s laws related to abortion and gender care. … Ellison said he hopes Trump and Congressional Republicans would avoid writing policies that override state laws since some Republicans have argued in the past that abortion policy should be up to the states.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hKpH3A
LATINOS: via KARE 11, VERBATIM: “After long nights of phone-banking and door-knocking, Communities Organizing Latine Power and Action (COPAL) says it's not only tired, but many of their workers and members are scared. Claudia Lainez, the Worker Center Director, says COPAL is prepping resources to help folks understand their rights, amid threats from President-elect Donald Trump of ‘mass deportation.’ … Lainez also says she was surprised to learn the Latino vote has shifted. According to the Associated Press, Hispanic voters were more open to Trump than they were in 2020. Roughly half of Latino men voted for [Kamala] Harris, down from about 6 in 10 who went for [Joe] Biden.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4hWzfsC
MORE: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “Tomas Useche, [Vice President for St. Olaf's College Republicans], says his departure from Venezuela at age 7 seemed to come out of nowhere. It was 2010 and his father, who owned a money exchange business, suddenly found himself in disfavor with the Venezuelan government. They left in a matter of days. … This turning point in Useche’s life was essential to his decision to vote for President-elect Donald Trump this year. … Useche likes that Trump wants to crack down on illegal immigration; he hopes Trump also makes the process for legal immigration more efficient.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3O2FPQi
PRISONS: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “Whether it’s a [greeting card], legal mail from what appears to be defense attorneys or even Department of Corrections staff manipulating postal systems, smuggling drugs into Minnesota’s prisons is an ever-evolving racket. … Earlier this month, the Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC) announced it was taking the dramatic step of hiring a private, Maryland-based company to process mail for its incarcerated population. … A 5 INVESTIGATES analysis of corrections data shows the DOC issued 811 violations for illegal drugs just this year – nearly double the 410 violations from 2022. Over the past five years, 20 people across Minnesota have been convicted of introducing contraband into the state’s prisons, according to court data.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3UPxRhp
STUDENTS: via KARE 11, VERBATIM: “Bad behavior in classrooms is a nationwide problem that has only worsened since the pandemic. … Angel Thomas from St. Paul Public Schools [is] a supervisor with the Office of School Support. She talks with teachers about their day-to-day with students at SPPS and says there is a lot more pressure on both students and educators post-pandemic, with mental illness at an all time high. … SPPS is one of 37 districts in the state that utilize the Minnesota Department of Education's ‘Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports’ systems. … Thomas said PBIS is working.” THOMAS: “We know that recognizing positive behaviors is one of the best ways to actually change or to continue that behavior and to decrease the unexpected behaviors.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3UKrkok
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)
MPLS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said Tuesday that his department would partner with the Minneapolis NAACP to provide conflict resolution services in disputes between neighbors, as the department looks to quell outrage over a neighborhood dispute that ended violently. Not long after O’Hara and the local NAACP president talked about planning around their joint effort, activists once again filled a Minneapolis City Council committee meeting with calls for the chief’s resignation. … Details of the mediation program are still being worked out, but leaders said they hope to launch it in December.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Ct6V0D
MORE: via independent journalist Josh Martin, VERBATIM: “A new City Council candidate is up on ActBlue. Emilio Rodriguez, an organizer with COPAL, is running for the Ward 3 seat, and is the first declared challenger to incumbent Michael Rainville.” TWEET: https://fluence-media.co/4foo9uK
LABOR: via a joint press release, VERBATIM: “Today, business leaders and advocates gathered at the Public Service Center in downtown Minneapolis to voice their strong opposition to the proposed Minneapolis Labor Standards Board (MLSB), which is advancing through the City Council. … The press conference brought together local entrepreneurs, developers, and business leaders from numerous industries. … 23 BIPOC business owners and 59 additional business owners standing in solidarity sent a letter today to the Minneapolis City Council, urging them to reconsider the MLSB proposal. Speakers at today’s press conference expressed frustration over the lack of transparency, public engagement, and the absence of meaningful feedback opportunities for business owners.” LETTER: https://fluence-media.co/3UQ7jwB
HENN CTY: via WCCO Radio, VERBATIM: “The Hennepin County Attorney’s office is addressing the dismissal of charges against a wrongfully convicted man after serving nearly 16 years in prison. Edgar Barrientos-Quintana…was originally facing a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole for a 2008 murder until the state’s Conviction Review Unit found major flaws in his case. Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty says a new division was created by her office to make sure these types of mistakes don't happen in the future.” MORIARTY: “With the leadership of this new division, our office hired a national expert in eyewitness identification to conduct a series of trainings for our staff to help ensure this never happens again.” READ/LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4fucP0g
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)
FLUORIDE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Expected to play a key public health role in the incoming Trump administration, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has staked out a major policy shift: Discouraging the use of fluoride in drinking water. For more than half a century, drinking water systems in the United States have added the chemical to reduce tooth decay and lower rates of expensive and potentially painful cavities. … Minnesota requires it for nearly all utilities. The Centers for Disease Control has hailed the practice as one of the most important public health developments of the last century.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YI7mM5
PUC: via Office of the Governor, VERBATIM: “Governor Tim Walz today announced that the application process is now open for a vacancy on the Public Utilities Commission (PUC). The vacancy will arise on January 6, 2025. The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission regulates the electricity, natural gas, and telephone services industries in Minnesota – ensuring safe, reliable, and effective utility services. The PUC is a five-member body with legislative and quasi-judicial functions. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3CAZ3Kn
SCHOOLS: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “The governing boards of St. Paul Conservatory of Music and St. Joseph’s School of Music have announced they have merged into a new school. The merger was effective Oct. 1 and the new name will be made public in coming months. The school operates out of the restored and historic Richards Gordon School at 1619 Dayton Ave. in St. Paul where St. Joseph’s School of Music has been since early 2022. … The merged school enrolled 650 students this fall and had 90 faculty members.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YJGfjO
ECONOMICDEVELOPMENT: From Grand Rapids, a conversation about opportunities and challenges to economic growth in Greater Minnesota with Tuleah Palmer, CEO of the Blandin Foundation, Roy Smith of the IRRRB and Steve Loney from Kiesler Wellness Center. From workforce to energy costs, a thoughtful conversation on how leaders are working together to push the region’s economy forward. Mainstreet Minnesota is presented by Compeer Financial. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/MainstreetMN2
BEMIDJI: via Bemidji Pioneer, VERBATIM: “Nearly one hundred veterans, family members and friends gathered at the Bemidji Veterans Memorial on Monday for the unveiling of a new monument that has been two years in the making. Vietnam veteran Gary Guggenberger, chairman of the memorial committee, welcomed the Veterans Day crowd before a VFW and American Legion color guard launched the ceremony. Guggenberger thanked the many donors and local businesses that donated time, equipment and materials to design, create and install the black granite monument.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40H3e1h
BRAINERD: via Brainerd Dispatch, VERBATIM: “While election season may have ended, there are still plenty of opportunities in Brainerd for concerned citizens to get involved in their local government. Brainerd’s various city committees and commissions have several vacancies, giving residents and business owners the chance to serve their communities. … The mayor and council president called for applicants during the City Council’s last meeting…to fill seats on bodies that deal with planning and zoning, economic development, transportation, the city charter and the library.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40KXC6u
MONTEVIDEO: via West Central Tribune, VERBATIM: “A six-year-long dream came to be Monday in Montevideo. … A large crowd of veterans and community residents joined to dedicate the Montevideo Veterans Memorial on Veterans Day. ‘There’s no way we can thank everybody who came together as a team to make this dream come true,’ Everett Bain, of the Montevideo American Legion Post 59, told those who gathered for the late afternoon dedication. … Local contractors did all of the work, donating much of their time and labor. Bain said there’s really no knowing how many thousands of dollars of donated time were provided.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fNq5g9
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT: Flint Hills Resources makes fuels and other products people need and use every day — products that help keep Minnesota moving. The company does this while prioritizing safety and environmental stewardship and contributing meaningfully to the community. That’s Stewardship with a Purpose. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/3ALNT4U (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources)
From yesterday’s Fluence newsletters:
SAFETY: via a DLI press release, VERBATIM: “Minnesota's estimated workplace injury and illness rate decreased from 2022 to 2023. According to the annual Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, the state had an estimated 2.9 OSHA-recordable, nonfatal, workplace injuries and illnesses per 100 full-time-equivalent (FTE) workers in 2023; the estimated rate for 2022 was 3.8 cases per 100 FTE workers. The survey estimated Minnesota had 65,100 workers with OSHA-recordable, nonfatal, workplace injuries and illnesses in 2023, compared to 85,400 estimated cases for 2022. There were 5,200 illnesses in 2023 and, of these, 3,000 were respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19 cases. In 2022, there were 19,100 illnesses.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3UMKb23
AUDIT: Via Office of the Legislative Auditor, a performance audit of the Minnesota State Academies for the Deaf and the Blind. VERBATIM: “The Minnesota State Academies generally did not comply with the significant finance-related legal requirements we tested and generally did not have adequate internal controls. We identified a number of instances of noncompliance and internal control weaknesses.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4evzoA6 REPORT: https://fluence-media.co/3YM1j93
NURSING HOMES: via Center for Rural Policy and Development, VERBATIM: “The Center for Rural Policy and Development has released a new report, ‘The Declining Capacity of Nursing Facility Care in Rural Minnesota,’ shedding light on the urgent crisis facing nursing homes in rural communities. As the demand for long-term care grows among Minnesota’s aging population, the availability of nursing home beds in rural areas has significantly decreased, creating a critical gap in care for rural seniors.
The report reveals a steep decline in licensed nursing facility beds in rural counties, with some areas experiencing reductions of up to 100% since 2005.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fAjDJg REPORT: https://fluence-media.co/48KWLo6
MED DEBT: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter announced Tuesday that $40 million worth of medical debt has been wiped away for 32,000 people. Carter says the goal is to help 43,000 St. Paul residents who are struggling to pay for expenses to become medical debt-free within the year. These people are either considered to be low-income or have very high bills.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4eqHeuQ
SHARE AND SIGNUP: Every day, we’re sharing significant political, business and other news in additional newsletters. If you love morning take, sign up for the other Fluence tip sheets HERE: fluence-newsletters.com
TODAY: Gov. Tim Walz will meet with State Auditor Julie Blaha at 9:30 a.m.
TODAY: via an AARP advisory, VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s Secure Choice Retirement Program is a new state-sponsored plan designed to help small businesses offer employees an easy way to save for their future, set to launch after January 2025. … Join AARP Minnesota and the Minneapolis Regional Chamber for an insightful conversation on Secure Choice. This is a great opportunity to get your questions answered and to learn how Secure Choice can benefit your business.” The online event is at 12:00 noon. REGISTER: https://fluence-media.co/3O3aVas (SPONSORED: AARP Minnesota)
NEXT WEEK: via an MN Chamber advisory, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce will release its annual Business Benchmarks report at the 2024 Economic Summit. … The Summit will also feature a keynote speech from the newly elected President of the University of Minnesota, Dr. Rebecca Cunningham, where she will discuss her initial time in office and the U’s contributions to Minnesota’s economy.” The event is at 9:00 a.m. in Minneapolis.
BDAYS: sports guy Judd Zulgad, public affairs pro Steve Ververka, communication veteran John Schadl, fmr Rep. Keith Franke
SHARE: Signing up for Fluence tip sheets is easy. Please share with your friends, colleagues and family. HERE: http://bit.ly/2019FluenceTipSheets
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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