MY OH MY….
One week from today - The State of Health Care – a Fluence Forum with legislators, experts and the a big view on a disrupted market. REGISTER: https://fluence-media.co/StateofHealthCare
Good to see familiar faces at the Taher holiday gathering last night, and the food is always amazing. Fed cuts aren’t going to help unless prices go down, and that’s going to be challenging. Bundle up or check flights the weekend will be cold. Wild host Dallas tonight.
MyPillow’s Mike Lindell will hold an event on his own streaming channel. Today at 10AM. One GOP source says there will be a new Senate candidate for Republicans announcing soon. Content keeps coming.
270 to Win this AM puts the Governor’s race Minnesota at “Lean D” suggesting that the bad press for Walz is giving a different view. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4q2VhNx
Diane’s Place in Minneapolis has one of the NYT’s 14 favorite desserts in the nation. LIST: https://fluence-media.co/4oS5Fqq
The Federal Reserve cut interest rates for a third time this year, but fewer cuts are expected next year due to inflation concerns. CNBC: https://fluence-media.co/4pvIovl
The U.S. military seized a Venezuelan oil tanker for allegedly shipping oil to Iran. HILL: https://fluence-media.co/4rKMCAR
ICYMI: Fluence Brief for MNSider subscribers – a deep dive on the GOP Field for Governor. Subscribing is supporting. HERE: https://fluence-media.co/4pogmSB
Happy National Stretching Day.
Blois - tips: bloisolson@gmail.com
This week’s Sunday Take covered civility, immigration, and Republican Ron Schutz’s campaign for attorney general. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4iEm5B2
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The latest insight from Fluence Advisory on the loss of institutional knowledge from the Minnesota Legislature. READ:https://fluence-advisory.com/insights/
PULLING A THREAD COUNT…
GOV RACE: MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell previously told reporters that he will make an announcement today on a possible run for governor as a Republican. Lindell has already formed a campaign committee that will allow him to raise money for the race, and he said earlier this year that he was “99% sure” he will run. He would be the 12th Republican seeking the office next year.
MORE: Republican Senate candidate Royce White says MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell has his “full support” if he runs for governor. Via social media, WHITE: “His story is one of perseverance, determination and success. … Thank you Mike and let’s defeat these fraud riddled Democrats. Make Minnesota Great Again!” TWEET: https://fluence-media.co/4aairwM
WALZ: via the Seatle Times, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who lost the 2024 race along with Democratic Presidential nominee Kamala Harris, headlined Ferguson’s big annual fundraiser, which drew more than a thousand people Tuesday to the Seattle Convention Center…Both governors vowed to defend immigrant and refugee communities in their states, including Somalis who have been targeted with slurs and threats of deportation from President Donald Trump…Walz said Minnesota is “incredibly proud” to have more immigrants and refugees per capita than any other state. “And right now, our neighbors are being demonized. Our neighbors are being terrorized. Our neighbors are being picked up off the streets,” he said… Walz said he won’t back down, and that in Minnesota, “instead of demonizing our Somali community, we’re going to do more to welcome more in.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3MtkClg
SD20: via KTTC, VERBATIM: “Republican Rep. Steve Jacob of Altura shared on social media Wednesday he intends to run for the MN Senate District 20 seat in 2026. This follows Republican Sen. Steve Drazkowki’s announcement he will not seek reelection. This senate district includes Wabasha and Goodhue counties and parts of Olmsted, Winona, and Dakota counties.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4oH8zOt
NISSWA: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Less than a year after Jennifer Carnahan took over as mayor of Nisswa, this tourist city in northern Minnesota is embroiled in controversy, with at least one council member calling for her resignation. … She did not attend a special meeting called Wednesday to discuss her conduct. … Nisswa’s four council members [had] called the special meeting after Carnahan recently claimed online that she was physically assaulted. … The resident denied assaulting Carnahan, and prosecutors twice declined to press charges. … Council Member Jesse Zahn called for Carnahan’s immediate resignation. … Carnahan [said] she will not resign.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rKWzyd
TAKE: Sigh.
NONPROFIT: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Move Minneapolis, a commuter resources nonprofit, will close at the end of this year after an audit found a ‘high risk’ it had misused federal money, prompting a freeze on its grant payments. The Metropolitan Council’s auditors found Move Minneapolis’ funding was deeply intermingled with its embattled parent organization, the Minneapolis Regional Chamber. They said they couldn’t tell whether federal funding awarded to promote transportation was part of the more than $200,000 former Chamber CEO Jonathan Weinhagen admitted taking. … It was not immediately clear how the nonprofit’s closure affects the Met Council’s investigation and any subsequent action.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3XQa1TT
DHS: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “Gov. Tim Walz [has] repeatedly returned to the fact that the Department of Human Services, or DHS, hired an independent auditor to investigate payments in 14 Medicaid programs [suspected of fraud]. … But the governor omitted an important detail. … Optum State Government Solutions [will] only review payments made directly by DHS. Optum does not review payments made by health insurers, who are contracted by Minnesota Medicaid. … 90% of the state’s approximately 1.2 million Medicaid recipients access services billed directly to these health insurers, [and] managed care organizations pay 80% of direct care costs. … Put another way, the audit touted by Walz reviews roughly 20% of these 14 programs’ direct care costs — costs that are ultimately paid by taxpayers.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4q1BLkk
MORE: Speaking to MinnPost, two members of the House fraud prevention committee — GOP Rep. Kristin Robbins and DFL Rep. Steve Elkins — said they were surprised and disappointed by the limited scope of the DHS audit.
ROBBINS: “The vast majority of payments are done through managed care organizations, and so I would guess that the vast majority of the fraud is on the managed care side.”
ELKINS: “I read the contract, and it was such generic boilerplate that I couldn’t tell what services would be provided and did not know that it only covered fee-for-service claims.”
TIPLINE: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “5 EYEWITNESS NEWS filed a public records request for copies of tips and complaints made to the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) Program Integrity Oversight hotline. … We wanted to know more about what DHS was hearing from tipsters over the last five years. … [But] in the records provided to 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS, we noticed there was a problem with the tipline at one point in January of 2022. A person was able to notify DHS through other means that they tried ‘multiple times,’ but were unable to leave a voicemail on the phone tipline.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4q0MifJ
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DFL DRAMA
Last week when Attorney Chris Madel launched his campaign, as per standard DFL Chair Richard Carlbom put out a statement critical of his candidacy. Over a week later, what we didn’t anticipate that pushback on the Carlbom statement would come from DFLers. The irony was that on Monday in Marshall some Republicans suggested that the Republicans would be coming after Madel’s roster of former clients.
Attorney Mark Haase’s Facebook post seems to be the most pointed. Haase, a fmr. candidate for Hennepin County Attorney candidate. VERBATIM: “The DFL needs to figure out what we stand for. If it doesn’t include access to criminal defense and due process for eveyone, then count me out. If Richard Carlbom or his loved one is accused of a crime, you can be sure as shit he’s going to want someone like Madel in his corner. We can’t choose who gets that. This should be taken down immediately and an apology made to all those who work tirelessly to protect people’s rights. Let’s find a better way to win this.” Haase was until recently a top staffer for the Cannabis Expungement Board.
TAKE: After years of stability under Chair Ken Martin, DFLers are worried and Chair Richard Carlbom has a very challenging job, that is not being made easier by the divide in the party. Unexpected party drama like this will only add to angst for DFLers going into 2026.
NEXTWK: The MNSider Brief will be a deep dive into the dynamics DFL race for Senate.
STRONGLY WORDED
ICE: via Office of the Governor, VERBATIM: “Governor Tim Walz today sent a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem urging her to review and respond to multiple arrests of United States citizens by federal agents during U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Minneapolis. … Governor Walz called on Secretary Noem to immediately review these arrests, place any federal agents who acted unlawfully on administrative leave, clarify the legal standard under which citizen observers may document the overly aggressive enforcement tactics being deployed by ICE, ensure ICE agents in Minnesota receive guidance on respecting the civil rights of U.S. citizens and residents, and reassess the broader ‘surge’ enforcement strategy.” LETTER: https://fluence-media.co/4pPxm4B
MORE: via KARE 11, VERBATIM: “Since Dec. 1, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested more than 400 people in the Twin Cities. … In all, 50 people were arrested across the Twin Cities region on Wednesday.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3KQ44Dv
TUITION: via Sahan Journal, VERBATIM: “A federal judge heard arguments in Minneapolis on Wednesday over whether to dismiss a Trump Administration lawsuit challenging Minnesota’s policies granting in-state tuition to some undocumented immigrants. The case, brought by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, alleges that Minnesota has been providing in-state tuition to undocumented Minnesota residents while failing to provide this same benefit to nonresident citizens. … The state argues that Minnesota’s method for determining who can receive in-state tuition and financial aid does not hinge on residence, and thus the statute in question does not apply.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Mtq7Ao
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)
EMMER: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “U.S. House Majority Whip Tom Emmer once responded forcefully to constituents who asked him how to stop Somalis from moving into St. Cloud. As long as they moved into the community legally, Emmer said, ‘you don’t get to slam the gate behind you and tell nobody else that they’re welcome.’ A decade later, Emmer [is] a chief defender of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on Minnesota’s Somali community. … Years ago, Emmer made a considerable effort to make inroads in his district’s Somali community. … He and former Democratic U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison, now Minnesota’s attorney general, formed the Congressional Somalia Caucus in 2015.” ELLISON: “And now he won’t denounce the president calling the Somali community, his community, garbage? That’s sad, and I’m deeply disappointed.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/492paaW
OMAR: The president’s “border czar” Tom Homan told Newsmax he plans to investigate Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar’s immigration status. Omar was born in Somalia and became a U.S. citizen in 2000, but Pres. Donald Trump has called for Omar to be denaturalized and deported as recently as this week. HOMAN: “[We’re] pulling the records now, pulling the files, and we’re looking at it. … I’m running that down this week, matter of fact. We’ll see.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4qmGNZ9
MORE: Rep. Ilhan Omar is running social media ads asking for campaign donations to help her pay for more security. EXCERPT: “I get a lot of hate from the far-right and conspiracy theorists of all kinds…but the thing is, security is expensive. … A lot of people assume that as a member of Congress, it is provided to me for free — it’s not. So, I am coming to you today to humbly ask for your help in providing for the safety and peace of mind of my campaign.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3XO3pFu
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)
DC
HEALTHCARE: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “Minnesotans are dealing with a lot of unknowns. They have until Dec. 15 to apply for health insurance for 2026 on the public market that would begin in January. However, they likely won’t know exactly how much it will cost until after Congress [votes on] health insurance subsidies. … [Today], the U.S. Senate is expected to vote on two health insurance bills: a Democratic plan to extend the current ‘enhanced’ health insurance subsidies and a Republican plan to create health savings accounts for Americans with qualifying incomes to pay for out-of-pocket expenses. ‘Republicans can’t kick this problem down the road to January,’ Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota, said at a news conference.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/48KmzkG
DEFENSE: via The Hill, VERBATIM: “The House on Wednesday easily passed the annual defense policy bill, sending the mammoth, $900 billion measure to the Senate ahead of the year-end deadline. The measure, known as the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), passed the lower chamber by a vote of 312-112. Ninety-four Democrats and 18 Republicans opposed the bill. … [The bill] would increase pay for service members, provide some military aid to Ukraine, restrict U.S. investment in China and fully repeal sanctions on Syria. … It also contained a provision to withhold a portion of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s travel budget until he turns over unedited footage of U.S. military strikes against alleged drug boats.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48LCCyv
MORE: Minnesota’s congressional delegation had an even split on the defense bill, with all four Democrats voting “no” and all four Republicans voting “yes.” The overall House Democratic caucus was split 115-94 on the bill, meaning Minnesota’s Democrats voted in the minority. CLERK: https://fluence-media.co/48NXRjg
VITAMINS: via Rep. Brad Finstad advisory, VERBATIM: “Today, Congressman Brad Finstad (MN-01) and Congresswoman Ashley Hinson (IA-02) led 14 Members of Congress in sending a letter to President Donald Trump and his administration urging immediate action to strengthen domestic production of vitamins and other critical nutrients and review vulnerabilities in the current supply chain. Cosigners of the letter include Reps…Michelle Fischbach…and Pete Stauber.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48xDx76
LOCALS
MPS: via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “The U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Minneapolis Public Schools [this week], alleging a provision in the district’s union contract shielding teachers of color from seniority-based layoffs is discriminatory and violates the Civil Rights Act. … The policy at issue requires the district to skip over teachers from ‘underrepresented populations’ during seniority-based layoffs or involuntary reassignments. … The teachers union pushed for the protections because teachers of color tend to be younger, and traditional ‘last-in, first-out’ layoffs work against the district’s goal of recruiting and retaining a more diverse teaching force.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/44m3sfu
SPPD: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “The St. Paul City Council is asking the state to investigate the actions of St. Paul police during an immigration enforcement operation last month. The council is also requesting an audit of city spending on the police response. … The council passed a resolution Wednesday calling for the audit and to have the Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training investigate officers’ use of force during the incident. The council also agreed to hold a public hearing in January on whether to strengthen the city’s separation ordinance.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48RAsO1
PROPERTY TAX: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “Homeowners in Minneapolis are facing significant property tax increases as Hennepin County and the city prepare to finalize their tax levies. This week, both Hennepin County and Minneapolis will lock in their tax levies — the Minneapolis City Council did so Tuesday, approving an 8% increase. … Hennepin County commissioners are looking at a 7.79% levy increase; final adoption is set for Thursday.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/495CZFu
TRANSIT: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “A new Metro Transit bus route will connect Washington and Dakota county riders to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport and Mall of America while restoring service to the Newport Transit Station. … Service for the new Route 345 began [this week] with the goal of providing ‘faster and more reliable service to the southeast metro,’ according to Metro Transit. … The new route is said to reduce commute time between Woodbury and the Mall of America by close to 30 minutes, according to Metro Transit.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48zRnG8
BUSINESS EXCELLENCE: Flint Hills Resources was just awarded the 2025 Large Business of the Year award from the Dakota County Regional Chamber of Commerce at their annual Business Excellence Awards celebration. The award celebrates the outstanding achievements of businesses that exemplify the thriving and growing spirit of Dakota County. The businesses honored make an impact and contribute to the continued success of our community. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/46lTpIs (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources)
KIESTER: via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “Residents of a small, rural town in southern Minnesota are bracing for the loss of their local grocery store at the end of the month. The Board of Directors of the community-owned Kiester Market announced Monday that the store will close Dec. 31. … Approximately 500 people reside in Kiester, which is roughly two miles from the Iowa border in Faribault County.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48I8JiI
LAND: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is auctioning off [188] acres of land in rural Minnesota, with proceeds set to benefit schools across the state through the Permanent School Fund. … During the 2024-2025 school year, the fund distributed nearly $58 million to schools across Minnesota. … The minimum amount that would be generated if all four parcels [are] sold would be $300,000.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3Kt7ThT
NEXT…
TODAY: Gov. Tim Walz has no public events today.
TODAY: via MN House, VERBATIM: “From 6:00 – 7:00 pm, Representative Kristi Pursell (DFL-Northfield) and DFL members of the House Health Committee will host a listening session focused on rural healthcare affordability in Winona.”
TOMORROW: via Minneapolis Fed, VERBATIM: “Twice a year, regional economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis survey construction firms to gauge the sector’s performance and overall outlook. Join Regional Outreach Director Erick Garcia Luna to discuss these and other results from the fall survey of construction firms across the Ninth District.” The virtual event is at 9:00 a.m.
MONDAY: via MN Senate, VERBATIM: “On Monday, December 15, Senator Liz Boldon (DFL-Rochester) will host a Renter Roundtable event to hear from constituents about their experiences, concerns, and perspectives as renters. The event [is] from 5:30-7:00 p.m.”
BDAYS: Gov Walz deputy press guy Hans Torgerson, lobbyist David Prestwood, advocate Laura Brod Hameed, conservative commentor Mitch Berg, lobbyist Christian Franzen, Tunheim’s Pat Milan
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IN MEMORIAM: morning take from now to the future is in memory of Melissa Hortman her accessibility, leadership and commitment to public service.
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