Twins beat the Cubs.
The Minnesota State Fair new food list is out – the Blue Barn has a great new food option. Picture below. LIST: https://fluence-media.co/44EnvVR
A State Senator checking in from Legislative Leaders Foundation Emerging Leaders conference in Virginia said they are renaming the conference in honor of Speaker Melissa Hortman. She was an alumnus of the program.
Live Nation and U.S. Bank Stadium are teasing an announcement for “one of the biggest shows in Minnesota history” tomorrow. BMTN: http://fluence-media.co/3TZmnXE
Nominations are open for the “Coolest Thing Made in Minnesota” contest this year. DETAILS: https://fluence-media.co/3AMjdQJ
How often do Minnesota governors seek a third term? Not frequently, records show. WCCO: http://fluence-media.co/4eFooC4
The White House is investigating an attempt to impersonate Sec. Marco Rubio with AI and contact U.S. officials. AP: http://fluence-media.co/46yIcoy
Blois
TIPS: bloisolson@gmail.com
On Sunday Take, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer discussed the passage and local impact of the “Big Bill”. LISTEN: http://fluence-media.co/44i2ph1
Sponsorships available – to reach over 25,000 readers per day on Fluence’s tip sheet and website www.TheDailyAgenda.com – email BloisOlson@gmail.com
LEGALFEES: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Minnesota taxpayers are on the hook for $430,000 in legal costs to outside lawyers who helped Gov. Tim Walz prepare for a U.S. House Oversight Committee hearing where he sparred with Republicans over immigration…The state tapped global law firm K&L Gates to prepare Walz for the June 12 congressional hearing, where he was questioned about whether Minnesota complies with federal immigration laws. On the day of the hearing, Minnesota’s budget agency sent a letter to a state legislative commission asking it to approve a $430,000 transfer from a general fund account to the governor’s office to pay for the legal services.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3TqTG5X
BUDGET: Via MinnPost, a breakdown of how Pres. Donald Trump’s budget bill will affect Minnesota and who will or won’t benefit. VERBATIM: “Minnesotans who pay a lot in state income taxes and property taxes will benefit because the bill raised the cap on state and local tax (SALT) deductions from $10,000 to $40,000. [However], unlike most of the other tax breaks, which are permanent, this one will expire in five years. … The approximately 90,000 Minnesotans who purchase their health care through MNsure and are helped by Biden’s expansion of Affordable Care Act subsidies would lose that help as the Trump budget bill ends those subsidies, effective at the end of this year.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3GC3gjt
MORE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Chambers of commerce and trade organizations in Minnesota and across the country were not shy about their love for the sprawling tax bill that President Donald Trump signed into law last week. [But] individual companies were much quieter, even though many belong to and even help lead the groups speaking out for it. Controversy about the measure’s funding — including deep cuts to Medicaid and an increase of $3.3 trillion to the federal debt in the next decade — likely made some companies cautious of turning off customers and clients. … [However], one of the few companies in the state and nation to publicly and independently back the bill was 3M.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4lEBUbb
MORE: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “Millions of dollars for Minnesota schools are up in the air after the U.S. Department of Education missed a July 1 deadline to release the money…The federal agency said on their website, there will be changes to how the $6 billion in taxpayer dollars are allocated…Congress already approved the funding, but federal officials are withholding it pending review…$7.2 million in federal funding is frozen for St. Paul public schools, making them one of at least 45 districts waiting for answers… The Minnesota Department of Education estimates that $74 million is at risk for districts across the state.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3IkFr04
HOSPITALS: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “Rural hospitals across the country have had tough times, and the administration’s Medicaid cuts are unlikely to help. However, there’s some hope with a new $50 billion rural hospital relief fund. Mark Jones, the Executive Director at Minnesota Rural Health Association, says it’s too early to know the full impact the fund will have. … Concerns remain about how the money will be used, who will get it and whether it will drive lasting change.” READ/WATCH: http://fluence-media.co/4eH8ZRB
DAM: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “The state has yet to make good on a promise to help fix the Rapidan Dam, which partially failed one year ago this summer. Days after the failure, Gov. Tim Walz told taxpayers in Blue Earth County that they would not shoulder the burden of the disaster alone. … Preliminary cost estimates for the project range from $60 to $75 million. … The governor returned to the dam in January to pledge $10 million for the recovery of the dam in this year’s bonding bill. … But 5 INVESTIGATES found two words missing in the state budget after the legislative session wrapped up: Rapidan Dam. The money never made it in. … Walz [described] this as an annual project and said, ‘We’ll be back at it.’” READ/WATCH: http://fluence-media.co/46yK3K2
FRAUD: via Forum News Service, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee held a hearing on Tuesday, July 8, where representatives grilled Department of Human Services leadership on Medicaid fraud and how the agency oversees it. DHS currently oversees $18.5 billion in Medicaid dollars, [of which] there is a 2.2% rate of improper payments, DHS Inspector General James Clark said Monday. He said the improper payment rate does not equal cases of prosecuted fraud, which he said is roughly 100 annually. Clark said Tuesday that part of the discussion with Medicaid fraud oversight in the DHS Inspector General’s Office and the Attorney General’s Office is a lack of resources. Clark said his office has roughly 400 employees but only about 40 overseeing the 988 open investigations of Medicaid mispayment.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/406DpXv
MORE: via House Session Daily, VERBATIM: “Ensuring Medicaid benefits go to the people who are eligible — and investigating fraud — was part of Tuesday’s House Fraud Prevention and State Agency Oversight Committee meeting. Lawmakers [discussed] some steps taken this year to prevent misuse of state funds. There is also acknowledgment that more can be done moving forward. … Shireen Gandhi, temporary commissioner at the Department of Human Services, [said] ‘We know that fraud hurts the people who need these services. … While we are working to implement the strong program integrity measures that this Legislature passed, we are also struggling with the significant federal changes that are possible in Minnesota.’” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4kzisfb
OIG: Via WCCO-TV, temporary DHS commissioner Shireen Gandhi was asked at yesterday’s House fraud committee hearing if she would support the creation of a state Office of the Inspector General in the future despite previously expressing concerns about the idea. Gandhi said she would like DHS to maintain its own internal inspector general, regardless of whether or not an OIG is formed. GANDHI: “It's important that we maintain that, and we maintain our federal obligations. … There may be a way to also have that work together with a statewide OIG, but the details matter, and we need people that understand them more than I do.” READ/WATCH: http://fluence-media.co/3Ihre48
MORE: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “The Senate passed a bill [this year] calling for a state inspector general’s office to oversee fraud prevention across state government, but it stalled in the House, where it faced Democratic opposition. ROBBINS: ‘Absolutely, that was a big miss,’ said Rep. [Kristin] Robbins when asked if she was disappointed in that bill not passing. ‘That really matters because at the legislature, there’s separation of powers over the executive branch, so we only have so much jurisdiction.’” READ/WATCH: http://fluence-media.co/40aZ8xA
SECURITY: via FOX 9, VERBATIM: “A letter sent by Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher to prominent law enforcement officials calls for a legislative audit into what he calls ‘delayed communication’ during the June 14 attacks on Minnesota lawmakers. The letter says that the legislative audit should determine which agencies are responsible for notifying legislators if they are ‘potential victims of a violent criminal stalking them,’ and which agencies should notify law enforcement if a legislator is in potential danger in their jurisdiction. The letter cited several agencies that could be responsible for timely notifications, including the Minnesota State Patrol Capitol Security Division and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.” READ/WATCH: http://fluence-media.co/3IgrYGF
The Blue Barn Sweet Squeakers are on the State Fair new food list…
REGENTS: via MPR, VERBATIM: “As soon as this week, Gov. Tim Walz will name four members of the Board of Regents for the University of Minnesota. Those appointees will hold down one-third of the seats on the 12 member board. The job of selecting regents usually falls to the Legislature, but there was no joint convention this year to elect regents. That means four member terms expired on June 30 with no successor lined up. Walz had opened up applications in June for the posts, and at last week’s deadline there were 23 people who [applied]. … Some big names are among the applicants, including a former ambassador to Norway, a former regent, a nationally prominent professor, an official who has previously led the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities board and others.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3IlYG9v
STORMS: via Office of the Governor, VERBATIM: “Governor Tim Walz today issued Executive Order 25-07, amending Executive Order 25-06, to authorize the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) to activate the State Soldiers Assistance Program (SSAP) Disaster Relief Program. This financial assistance will help veterans and their families recover from the recent severe storms impacting Beltrami County. … Executive Order 25-07 authorizes MDVA to provide direct financial relief to veterans and their families facing unexpected hardships due to natural disasters. Assistance may include help with housing, utilities, and other essential needs, as determined by MDVA.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3Tum86R
FLOODS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “The landscape and climate of Minnesota have mostly spared it from the kind of flash flooding that devastated Texas and took at least 100 lives this month. Still, flash floods have struck the state over the years, sometimes with deadly results. To protect the public, the state monitors a network of more than 200 gauges to detect rapidly rising waterways. Forty-seven of them automatically send flood alerts. … ‘The system we have…would be considered robust compared to other states, in terms of being able to monitor a variety of streams in a variety of settings,’ said Kenneth Blumenfeld, senior climatologist for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3Ikilqh
TSA: via Axios Twin Cities, VERBATIM: “Travelers flying out of MSP Airport can expect to keep their shoes on while going through security — no PreCheck required. The change, announced on Tuesday, marks the first time in close to two decades that general passengers can skip the footwear removal rule. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said at a news conference Tuesday afternoon that the new policy is taking effect at airports across the nation immediately. Metropolitan Airports Commission chair Rick King [said] the airport had been notified of the change.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3Gx4Cfo
VOTER FRAUD: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “A couple charged in a conspiracy to commit election fraud has pleaded guilty to filling out hundreds of voter applications with fictitious identities that were submitted to county election offices in Minnesota. … The couple was accused of creating hundreds of voter registration forms filled with fake names, addresses, dates of birth and Social Security numbers from 2021 through 2022. The couple turned in the applications to a foundation seeking to register voters in Minnesota, which paid for the forms. … The Minnesota Secretary of State’s Office [said] no fraudulent ballots were cast in the estimated 10 to 15 counties where the couple’s applications were submitted.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3GpH10b
STRIKE: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “About 300 nurses and other medical staff at six Duluth-area Essentia Health facilities went on strike Tuesday. The workers, represented by the Minnesota Nurses Association, are negotiating their first union contracts and say bargaining is going too slow. … Essentia Health said in a statement that first union contracts typically take 18 months to negotiate; the company has been negotiating with striking workers for less than a year.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/45V0nEI
(DISCLOSURE: Essentia Health is a client and sponsor of Fluence)
ADDRESSES: via Office of the Sec. of State, VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s address confidentiality services, Safe at Home, reached the milestone of 5,000 active participants for the first time since the service was created in 2007. … Through the service, Safe at Home staff provide a new address for participants, receive the participants’ mail, and forward their First-Class Mail to them. Staff also collaborate with third-party stakeholders, such as county offices, utility companies, banks, and schools, to provide education that helps them develop policy and procedures to better serve Safe at Home participants. … Safe at Home is open to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and those who otherwise fear for their safety.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3TvZs6f
PUBLIC MEDIA: The U.S. Senate is expected to vote in the coming days on cuts to funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private non-profit that stewards federal funds to media organizations like NPR and PBS. MPR News has responded by asking its supporters to call their senators and advocate for a vote against the cuts. Via an MPR email from Duchesne Drew, EXCERPT: “Please ask your Senators to vote against the rescissions bill that would kill public media funding for news, music, and emergency broadcast services that Minnesota Public Radio listeners rely on.” WEBSITE: http://fluence-media.co/40a4HfE
BUYOUTS: A list of journalists compiled by the Guild that took the buyout from the Star Tribune is here: Paul Klauda, wire editor , Kyndell Harkness – assistant managing editor/diversity and community, Katy Read – real estate reporter, Chad Roberts – multiplatfrorm editor, Janet Moore - metro reporter, Martha Buns – multiplatform editor, Michiela Thuman – multiplatform editor, Kelly Maynard -- multiplatform editor, Bill Hammond – multiplatform editor, Richard Chin – features, James Lileks – features, Jeff Strickler, multiplatform editor, Kent Youngblood – Lynx and Goophers women’s basketball, Ron Hagstrom – high school sports, Jerry Zgoda – sports general assignment, Kevin Bartels - sports team leader, Kevin Duchschere— metro team leader, Phil Miller – major league baseball, Tony Kennedy – outdoors, Jim Anderson – outdoors multiplatform editor, Matt Gillmer – video/audio producer, Jenni Pinkley – director of audio and video, Matt McKinney – metro reporter, Marci Schmitt, online editor
CELEBRATING 70 YEARS: The Pine Bend refinery in Rosemount is a landmark like no other – the tall columns, bright lights and steam during cold winter days can be seen from miles away. Generations of workers have helped operate, maintain and transform the refinery, making it one of the nation’s most innovative and efficient energy facilities of its kind. This year, Flint Hills Resources celebrates 70 years of dedicated employees at the Pine Bend refinery who have produced the fuels that help move us forward. LEARN MORE: About the Pine Bend refinery (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources)
KANDIYOHI CTY: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “The Fourth of July was subdued this year on the shores of Big Kandiyohi Lake near Willmar, after flooding caused by heavy June rains. This year, the annual boat parade was canceled, plans to barbecue on the beach were postponed, and some homeowners spent their holiday sandbagging against high water. … The high waters are part of heavy rain in Kandiyohi County that has led to more than $1.4 million in damage since mid-June, said Ace Bonnema, the county’s emergency management coordinator.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3GyD2OI
STEARNS CTY: via St. Cloud Live, VERBATIM: “Stearns County commissioners will review and consider changing county ordinances for agriculture-related business and the conditional and interim land use permitting process in a work session following their regular Tuesday, July 8, meeting. Tensions over the permitting process have been simmering at the county level for months.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3TptloT
STILLWATER: via an SEIU Healthcare press release, VERBATIM: “Healthcare workers at HealthPartners Stillwater Medical Group (SMG) who are members of SEIU Healthcare MN & IA will begin their 4-day Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike on July 8th following another round of unsuccessful bargaining today. The workers will picket in front of the facility starting at 7:00 a.m. Tuesday, and will hold a rally on the picket line with supporters at noon on the first day of the strike.”
DETROIT LAKES: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Old Glory is the only flag flying outside Detroit Lakes City Hall. You won’t see the Minnesota state flag — the retired one or the new one that a number of communities refuse to hoist on flagpoles. … Detroit Lakes is the latest city to oppose flying the new state flag in north-central Minnesota. … Pequot Lakes is still flying the retired state flag and doesn’t plan on raising the new one. … Crosslake is also supporting the old state flag. In May, the council unanimously voted not to fly the new one. The cities are in Becker and Crow Wing counties, which also don’t fly the new state flag.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4lp1di4
TODAY: Governor Tim Walz will chair a meeting of the Minnesota Board of Pardons.
TOMORROW: Protect Minnesota announced that a Minnesota Suicide Prevention Roundtable will be held in Rochester on Thursday at 12:00 noon. Officials with the John Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions will attend.
SATURDAY: Gov. Tim Walz will be the keynote speaker at the South Dakota Democratic Party’s annual McGovern Day dinner on July 12 in Sioux Falls, SD.
BDAYS: Compeer’s Perry Aasness, union advocate Bernie Hesse and happy heavenly birthday to Mike Kennedy
TIPS: How do we get the best news and most buzzed about stories? Send us your tips at BloisOlson@gmail.com
IN MEMORIAM: morning take from now to the future is in memory of Melissa Hortman her accessibility, leadership and commitment to public service.
Fluence Media curates, produces and distributes specialized media products to thought leadership audiences across the Midwest and about the region. Our publications cover, politics, public policy, health care, agriculture, business, real estate, sports and more. Visit www.fluence-media.com to learn more.
about morning take: Founded in 2010, morning take has grown to become the leading Minnesota morning newsletter on politics and news of the day. Published by Fluence Media since 2012 the mission is to "make you smarter" before breakfast.
Copyright © 2025 Fluence Media, All rights reserved.
Thanks for reading The Daily Agenda! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.