Loons win. Timberwolves lose.
LA beats Toronto in am 18-inning game 3 of the World Series.
Wild host Winnipeg tonight.
A Quinnipiac poll finds that 64% of NFL fans, and 56% of Americans overall, support moving the Super Bowl to the Presidents Day holiday weekend. POLL: http://fluence-media.co/3Lud2WO
Google Trends data shows the top 5 Halloween costumes in the Twin Cities this year are all characters from animated films. SEE: http://fluence-media.co/4hvsopW
Amazon plans to lay off 30,000 employees starting this week — nearly 10% of its corporate workforce. REUTERS: http://fluence-media.co/43wvkNm
Minneapolis teachers authorize a strike. FOX9: https://fluence-media.co/434s3F0
The financial and enrollment status of Minneapolis Public schools is one of the most under covered stories in our state.
Thoughts are with Target employees today that receive notice on their jobs.
Democratic attorneys general will sue the Trump Administration today for not using emergency funds to pay SNAP benefits. POLITICO: http://fluence-media.co/4hvvKJy
Today is National Chocolate Day.
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ONE WEEK: Election Day 2025 is one week from today. Minneapolis, St. Paul and several other Minnesota cities will elect new mayors, city council members and more.
DEBATE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and three leading challengers met in a debate Monday. … Candidates state Sen. Omar Fateh, the Rev. DeWayne Davis and Jazz Hampton took the stage with Frey. … Throughout the debate, the candidates were mild-mannered and mostly cordial for the one-hour conversation. Frey and Fateh traded the most direct critiques during the debate, but they rarely spoke over one another. … Fateh said he would support setting a citywide minimum wage at $20. Hampton, Frey and Davis said they would need to factor in the economy and have more conversations before changing the minimum wage. … When asked, most mayoral candidates did not support removing buses off of Nicollet Mall in order to revitalize downtown Minneapolis, agreeing that the area needs to be more walkable and support businesses that encourage people to visit the area.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/47ycve3
TODAY: Sen. Omar Fateh is scheduled to be on WCCO Radio this morning at 8:20 with Vineeta Sawkar. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3qbzt8G
MORE: via All of Minneapolis, from last week on Almanac, Sen. Omar Fateh wants Minneapolis police to arrest federal agents. TWEET: https://fluence-media.co/47cwaRL
MORE: via social channels, candidate Jazz Hampton shares an internal poll claiming he is near 49 percent. X: https://fluence-media.co/4oEzL0G
SECURITY: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “A State Patrol leader announced Monday that the agency plans to assign an investigator to exclusively handle threats against elected officials after incidents more than doubled between 2024 and 2025. State Patrol Lt. Colonel Jeremy Geiger told the Advisory Committee on Capitol Security that 50 threats against lawmakers, executive officers and state offices have been fielded this year. That’s up from 19 in 2024. … Geiger said a cohort of 20 new state troopers have also been hired to boost security at the Capitol complex and will begin training next month. … The panel is likely to develop guidelines to hand to lawmakers late this year or early next. An external firm auditing the Capitol complex for security liabilities said it is on track to issue its findings later this year.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4omDzUw
MORE: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “The Advisory Committee on Capitol Security also learned more about the consulting firm hired to study Capitol complex security. … One lawmaker was concerned that the contract with the consulting firm only calls for studying four of 14 buildings that make up the Capitol complex. … NASH: ‘There are other buildings on the campus that obviously the public interacts with,’ said Rep. Jim Nash, R-Waconia. … ‘I’m wondering why have those buildings been excluded from…a comprehensive security assessment, because without those buildings, in my estimation it is not comprehensive.’” READ/WATCH: http://fluence-media.co/47cLMVx
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GOVRACE: via news release this morning from Rep. Kristin Robbins for Governor, VERBATIM: “Republican candidate for Governor Kristin Robbins, Chair of the Minnesota House Fraud Prevention Committee, announced the launch of a new billboard campaign to raise awareness of Governor Tim Walz’s catastrophic failures on fraud. The billboard is located in Inver Grove Heights off I-494 and U.S. Hwy 52.”
Here is an image the Robbins billboard:
MORE: via MPR, VERBATIM: “Third-party candidates are jumping into the race for Minnesota governor, citing concerns with the state’s two major political parties and raising the specter that votes could get peeled off in a close race. Steve Patterson, previously of the Grassroots Legalize Cannabis Party, is running under the new banner Moderate Majority of Minnesota. The party says it supports cannabis, the right to bear arms and access reproductive health care. It is also seeking harsher penalties for those who perpetrate sex offenses and the end to Minnesota’s income tax. … Calvin Larson Jr. [is] running as a United New Independence Party candidate. … While he supported the move to use surplus funding to provide universal school meals, he disagreed with spending the full surplus.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3LvBffn
SENATE RACE: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “The Republicans and Democrats running for retiring Sen. Tina Smith’s seat all have one thing in common — their campaigns are raising more money from out-of-state contributors than from voters in Minnesota. Former NBA player Royce White has raised the smallest amount [from] Minnesotans [at] $3,212. … His campaign, meanwhile, had raised more than $610,000 as of Sept. 30. Fellow Republican Adam Schwarze, a former Navy seal, has raised considerably more money from Minnesota donors, $68,557. But that amount was also dwarfed by the total Schwarze’s campaign has taken in, which is about $480,000. … [Angie] Craig raised $738,387 from in-state itemized individual donations and nearly $4.7 million overall.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4o8nL7L
FOOD FUNDS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Minnesota is sending $4 million in emergency funding to food shelves as officials brace for federal food assistance benefits to run out because of the government shutdown. DFL Gov. Tim Walz and state officials stressed Monday that the allocation is a stopgap that will only help temporarily. … Walz criticized the USDA for refusing to reimburse the state, and for not using its own contingency funds to fill the food assistance gap. … Democrats and Republicans in Congress have been deadlocked over whether to extend expiring health care subsidies, [but] Walz said Senate Democrats should hold out for ‘as long as it takes’ to secure the extension.” WALZ: “This is one you can’t lose. You have to push back on it, or we lose all of the gains that we’ve made as a country.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/47axu7I
MORE: via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “The funds will come from the Department of Human Services’ emergency services account and the Family First Prevention Services Act. The state will distribute the money through Minnesota’s existing food shelf network. Each food shelf and tribal nation will receive a base amount of $5,000, and additional funding based on local need. More than 440,000 Minnesotans rely on SNAP, according to state data. Of those, 38% are children and 18% are seniors. … Commissioner Tikki Brown, who heads the Department of Children, Youth and Families, said the state’s goal is to get the funds to food shelves by Nov. 4. That’s the same time the next round of grocery benefits would typically go out.” READ/WATCH: http://fluence-media.co/3L90wMq
RAINY DAY?: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “[Gov. Tim] Walz said he would not soon tap into a ‘rainy-day fund,’ which reportedly sat at $3.6 billion in the spring before brutal negotiations over a two-year state budget. The governor, who did not say what is left in the rainy-day fund now, said that he would rather go back to the Minnesota Legislature first before tapping into the fund. The Legislature, though, does not convene until February. Walz has the power to call the Legislature back into a special session…but the governor said that his failure to get lawmaker consensus for a special session on an assault weapons ban makes him leery about that option.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4oePbcq
DESPITE THE CHALLENGES OF RURAL HEALTH CARE, ESSENTIA IS RECOGNIZED FOR PROVIDING TOP CLINICAL CARE: According to the latest report from Minnesota Community Measurement, a statewide resource on health care quality, costs and equity, Essentia ranked as a high performer with 19 of 20 clinical quality metrics scoring above statewide averages. According to Dr. Maria Beaver, chief quality and patient safety officer at Essentia: “This is a testament to the amazing care provided by all our clinical care teams and all our colleagues who support them.” LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4dCxy1D (SPONSORED: Essentia Health)
FOOD BANKS: via FOX 9, VERBATIM: “Food shelves in Minnesota are gearing up for a surge in demand as SNAP benefits are set to end on Saturday. The Open Door in Eagan is preparing to support an additional 500 families weekly, said Jason Viana, executive director. … The total monthly cost of [Minnesota SNAP] is over $70 million, highlighting the insufficiency of the $4 million emergency fund.” VIANA: “I urge our elected representatives, especially at the federal level, to come together, be adults, and do your job. These impacts are real.” READ/WATCH: http://fluence-media.co/4oJ75nx
BUCKET TRUCK: via Xcel Energy, VERBATIM: “On a crisp autumn morning in Waconia, Minnesota, Laketown Elementary buzzed with excitement as fifth grader Grant Scotting kept his eyes trained on the parking lot. A birthday surprise for Scotting was in the works — and soon it rolled up: a shiny Xcel Energy bucket truck. Scotting, who has special needs and is nonverbal, is known for his love of Xcel Energy. His enthusiasm for the local energy company ranges from reporting outages on his family’s iPad to eagerly opening each monthly bill.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4oq7uei (SPONSORED: Xcel Energy)
BONDI: via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “A St. Paul man is facing charges for allegedly putting a hit out on U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi. … Tyler Maxon Avalos, 30, is accused of making a TikTok post offering a $45,000 reward for Bondi ‘dead or alive’ but ‘preferably dead,’ along with an image of Bondi showing a ‘sniper-scope red dot’ on her forehead. The post was reported on Oct. 9 to the FBI. … Avalos was charged on Oct. 16 in Minnesota District Court.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/47KmSwr
THREATS: via Sahan Journal, VERBATIM: “State Sen. Omar Fateh says he has received a constant stream of threats and abuse since announcing his candidacy for mayor of Minneapolis last December. But the one message that sticks in his mind came earlier this month. Following U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar’s announcement on Oct. 12 that she was endorsing him, Fateh said his campaign received a message that read, ‘two bullets to the head, done.’ … The vitriol aimed at Fateh highlights Islamophobic abuse endured by Muslim candidates for elected office. Several candidates for local office say they’ve experienced similar treatment, and they are concerned it will discourage younger people from running for office.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4np7aM0
GANGS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “St. Paul police say the dynamic remains the same: Rival groups of young people taunt or otherwise offend one another, leading to violent retaliation in the streets. But their structure is far removed from the days when gang activity was easier to spot, and members telegraphed their allegiance. … Today, much of the city’s modern gang culture lacks organization or hierarchy, instead consisting of loosely formed, nameless cliques whose beefs over Snapchat and TikTok often end in bloodshed. … While gangs still exist, in St. Paul it’s become more common for young people to join unnamed ‘groups’ that are unpredictable and often without hierarchy and sometimes without loyalty — making them inherently more dangerous.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3LuaMyO
REGISTER: via AgriGrowth, VERBATIM: “Economic data from the first quarter of 2025 showed that Minnesota’s GDP decreased by 2.42% from the previous year, driven by mounting challenges in the agriculture industry. Minnesota’s agriculture and food sector has been a cornerstone of the state’s economic growth, often mitigating or cushioning recessions. To strengthen our agriculture and food economy, change is required. Minnesota AgriGrowth’s fall summit will continue the hard questions being asked at kitchen tables and board rooms: ‘How do we build a robust agriculture and food economy in Minnesota by 2040?’” AGENDA: https://fluence-media.co/3L2utxu (SPONSORED: AgriGrowth)
LICENSES: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “If you’ve dreamed of going to the department of motor vehicles and walking away with a new license in hand, get used to holding on to your papers and clipped ID for a few weeks. Dakota County has announced it will pull out of a pilot program at the license center in Lakeville that offers same-day issuance of standard Minnesota driver’s licenses. The last day in Lakeville will be Oct. 31. The program will continue at the license service center in Moorhead. … The Department of Public Safety’s Driver and Vehicle Services reported that more than 74,000 IDs were issued at the Lakeville and Moorhead centers, but almost 40 percent of cardholders eventually replaced them with a traditional card or allowed the ID to expire.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4qwl81m
FOOD BIZ: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Half of the cheap-and-tasty paradigm that makes junk food so appealing is collapsing [as] many of those guilty-pleasure treats aren’t so cheap anymore. More than any impact weight-loss drugs like Ozempic are having on big food companies, ‘America’s best ‘diet’ may seem to be inflation,’ [said] Piper Sandler food industry analyst Michael Lavery. … Food executives have made it clear those higher prices are hurting their companies’ financial health. And that could have implications for Minnesota’s economy, home to food giants like General Mills.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4oDJeFz
REAL ESTATE: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “More homes changed hands in Minnesota in September compared to the same time last year as lower mortgage rates motivated more buyers. Listings rose 4.9 percent across the state while pending sales increased 5.9 percent, according to data from the industry trade group, Minnesota Realtors. In the Twin Cities metro, listings were up 5.2 percent and pending sales rose 7.9 percent. The average interest rate on a 30-year mortgage fell by about half a percent between June and September. … Still, the recent data shows homes may not be flying off the market as quickly as last year. In the Twin Cities, homes spent 44 days on the market on average, 12.8 percent more time than in September 2024.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3L2GzXI
BROADBAND: Comcast is rewriting the broadband playbook in the Twin Cities. From neighborhood networks to next-gen tech, we’re delivering community-first internet connectivity with no contracts, no surprises. The new Xfinity package means unlimited data, blazing-fast, reliable speeds and a 5-year price guarantee, plus free mobile for a year. It’s not the old Comcast — it’s a bold new era of connection. Let’s power the future, together. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/Comcast2025-1 (SPONSORED: Comcast)
HIGHER ED: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “As the cost of college continues to rise, some universities are working to create more affordable alternatives. The ‘College-in-3 Exchange’ program is part of that. It’s designed to eliminate 25% of the costs. In January, Concordia University in St. Paul will become one of the first in the Twin Cities to be accredited in the program. St. Mary’s University of Minnesota is also planning to offer the program beginning in the spring. … The ‘College-in-3’ degree at Concordia is only 90 credits instead of 120, [achieved] by eliminating electives.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/47nU4bO
WOLVES: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “A string of mild winters and scarce deer may have taken their toll on northern Minnesota’s wolves. The wolf population in and around Voyageurs National Park dropped to roughly 100 this year, its lowest point in more than a decade. … Researchers estimated there were 45 wolves per 1,000 square kilometers in the woods around Voyageurs, down from 55 in 2024 and 65 in 2023. [But] the dip is part of the natural ebb and flow between predator and prey, said Tom Gable, project lead. The wolf population in the area is still healthy and will likely climb again as deer numbers rebound, he said.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3JpbYmD
MPLS: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “A massive backlog of police conduct complaints against Minneapolis officers has finally been cleared, the city announced Monday. It comes after 16 months of focused efforts by the city’s Office of Police Conduct Review (OPCR), which has now finished its investigative work on the 234 backlogged complaints that predate May 23, 2024. Despite OPCR’s work, some still have to go through a panel review and receive a final decision on discipline from Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara.” READ/WATCH: http://fluence-media.co/47bUMdn
ST PAUL: via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “A major emergency response effort is underway in St. Paul after a small fire led to a total power outage at the 504-unit Skyline Tower. … The incident early Sunday displaced 1,500 residents, who’ve all since been evacuated and placed in hotels or other temporary housing. ‘This was and continues to be a major operation,’ St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter said during a press conference Monday afternoon. … Carter said 500 residents have been placed across 10 hotels, and the rest have gone to live with relatives or made other temporary arrangements.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3LcojuU
40 YEARS OF PARTNERSHIP: Flint Hills Resources and Ducks Unlimited (DU) are celebrating 40 years of partnership, a longevity landmark that makes Flint Hills one of DU’s longest-standing corporate partners. Working together over the past four decades, Flint Hills and DU have contributed to conserving more than 250,000 acres of wildlife habitat and natural areas in Minnesota and over 900,000 acres across North America. LEARN MORE: Flint Hills Resources and Ducks Unlimited Celebrate 40 Years of Partnership (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources)
ROCHESTER: via Rochester Post Bulletin, VERBATIM: “Less than 25% of students in Rochester Public Schools were proficient in science according to the yearly test known as the Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment. Although the state released the MCA results for math and reading in August, it didn’t include the results for science at the time, citing the fact that this was the first year of MCA results following the implementation of new science standards. RPS Superintendent Kent Pekel said that because of that change, this year’s results can’t be compared with years past because they are different tests with a different set of standards.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3WXSLLT
DULUTH: via Duluth News Tribune, VERBATIM: “After more than 20 years of work, a massive revitalization of the city’s Harbor Highlands neighborhood has finally reached the finish line. Officials on Monday celebrated the completion of the sixth, and likely final, phase of the housing development. … Five newly constructed buildings have added 40 new affordable housing units, offering one to four bedrooms, with several set aside for people exiting homelessness and those with disabilities.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/43Dca8w
From yesterday’s Fluence newsletters:
43A: via Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, VERBATIM: “Lyna Nyamwaya, a longtime resident of New Hope, has announced her candidacy for the Minnesota State House of Representatives, District 43A, which serves the communities of New Hope and Crystal. A registered nurse, adjunct professor at St. Catherine University, and entrepreneur, Nyamwaya says she is running on the belief that ‘when leaders listen and work for the people, communities thrive.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/47cPKxn
GUN CTRL: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “State Sen. Zaynab Mohamed [is] the author of legislation, backed by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, to ban ‘semi-automatic military style assault weapons’ in the state. … Ten states and the District of Columbia have banned assault weapons. … Supporters of the policies point to the drop in mass shootings between 1994 and 2004, when the federal government banned assault weapons. When the ban was lifted, mass shooting fatalities escalated even as overall gun deaths continued to decline from a peak in the early 1990s. The evidence gets relatively murkier when it comes to state laws, but mostly because of the fact an assailant can just pick up an assault weapon from a neighboring state.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3La8HIn
BAILOUT: via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “One person described it as a bridge. Another person saw it as a Band-Aid. Whatever the metaphor, they agreed that Minnesota farmers need a bailout package to weather the ongoing U.S.-China trade war. A ‘bridge payment’ until markets open up would be a welcome, temporary step, said Dan Glessing, a dairy farmer who serves as president of the Minnesota Farm Bureau Federation. ‘It would be appreciated, but it’s not a solution,’ he said.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hqsG1m
TODAY: Sen. Doron Clark (D-Minneapolis) is hosting two town hall events in Senate District 60 this week. On Tuesday, Clark will be on the University of Minnesota campus at 5:30 p.m.
THURSDAY: The Minnesota Senate’s subcommittee on federal impacts will hold a hearing on Thursday at 10:00 a.m. to discuss how the government shutdown will affect statewide services and federal workers in Minnesota.
BDAYS: ag leader Carolyn Olson, Shoreview stalwart Sandy Martin
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