HUMP DAY
It’s warming up, and yesterday a friend said two months until golf courses usually open.
Pitchers and catchers report tomorrow for the Twins.
Duluth’s curling duo won silver medals after losing 6-5 to Sweden. MPR: https://fluence-media.co/3OasFUT
An officer involved shooting overnight in Duluth. FOX9: https://fluence-media.co/3O81QRg
Because there are no other issues in the country…House Republicans are calling for investigations into Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl half-time show, claiming it had “illegal” sexual content. AXIOS: https://fluence-media.co/45YQLYK
The bipartisan National Governors Association canceled its annual meeting with the president because he only invited Republicans. AP: https://fluence-media.co/4arLQ48
A grand jury has declined criminal charges against six Democrats who urged the military to reject illegal orders. CBS: https://fluence-media.co/4qvb9rR
Hope you don’t need to get in or out of El Paso…I once had to but it snowed. FAA grounded the entire airport.
Happy National Peppermint Patty Day – York or Pearsons?
Blois - tips: bloisolson@gmail.com
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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/
FIRST
HD21A: via news release this morning, VERBATIM: “Southwest Minnesota’s State Representative Joe Schomacker (R-Luverne) announced today that he does not intend to seek re-election. Schomacker cited the need to focus on his Main Street businesses for not seeking a ninth term…Schomacker was first elected in 2010 with 54% of the vote. His last election in 2024 garnered the support of 84% of district voters….In the legislature, Schomacker became known as “the nursing home guy”. He carried dozens of pieces of legislation over his tenure to assure better rates for caregivers of seniors. “Long-term care is a top employer in our district, and my top priority” Schomacker was always pleased to point out.”
POLL: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “About two-thirds of Minnesotans view U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement negatively and believe the tactics of federal agents have gone too far, according to the NBC News Decision Desk/KARE 11/Minnesota Star Tribune Poll powered by SurveyMonkey… An overwhelming majority of Minnesotans want local police to cooperate with immigration authorities to deport people in some or all cases… ICE’s approval is lowest in Minneapolis and St. Paul, a hotbed of DFL support, but 69% of suburban residents also disapprove of how ICE is handling its job.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3OjPmpA
WHIPPLE: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “Court filings have revealed new insights into conditions at the Whipple Federal Building amid a lawsuit alleging detainees are facing challenges accessing legal counsel…A federal judge granted The Advocates for Human Rights access to the building, where they were inside for about an hour and a half on a tour led by Department of Justice (DOJ) and ICE lawyers… “I observed phones that could not be used to contact legal service providers (“LSPs”), incorrectly listed phone numbers, and dirty conditions,” said a member of the group…They also noted they were given a “Detainee Handbook,” which they were told was provided to all inmates, stating that it “… contained limited information on rights to legal counsel and that information was only in English.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3ZP15PL
SHUTDOWN: via Axios, VERBATIM: “Senate Democrats are drawing a preemptive red line on ICE reforms, telling Axios any ‘sanctuary city’ crackdown is dead on arrival [as they] are in no mood to let Republicans turn a debate about ICE’s use of force into a conversation over the issue. … ‘There are certain red lines both sides won’t negotiate on, but there are some things they will negotiate on — and that’s where I think the potential deal space is,’ Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) told reporters. Thune moved Tuesday evening to set up a Thursday vote on the House-passed DHS bill.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/45UrO0I
AGENTS: via AP, VERBATIM: “At least two dozen U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement employees and contractors have been charged with crimes since 2020, and their documented wrongdoing includes patterns of physical and sexual abuse, corruption and other abuses of authority, a review by The Associated Press found…While most of the cases happened before Congress voted last year to give ICE $75 billion to hire more agents and detain more people, experts say these kinds of crimes could accelerate given the sheer volume of new employees and their empowerment to use aggressive tactics to arrest and deport people.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cmJCFA
DRAWDOWN: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday predicted the surge in federal immigration agents in the state is nearing its conclusion. At an event Tuesday to highlight business hardships, Walz said that recent discussions with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and top border official Tom Homan led him to believe a bigger drawdown could be just days away. … Walz said he hopes Homan makes an announcement by week’s end. He said Minnesota is gearing up to move into the ‘recovery’ phase.” WALZ: “We are talking days — not weeks and months — of this occupation [remaining].” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4a9pchX
MORE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey met on Monday with White House border official Tom Homan for the second time, and they discussed a drawdown of federal agents in the coming weeks. Frey described it as a positive meeting and said he’s ‘more and more hopeful’ that the end of Operation Metro Surge is coming soon. Frey asked that federal officials set a definitive end date to the operation.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4clM92I
IMPACT: via Forum News Service, VERBATIM: “Matt Varilek, commissioner of [DEED], emphasized that although it appears a drawdown of agents is on the horizon, the economic impacts from the surge could be lasting. … Varilek said it’s hard to put a number to the total statewide impact, but said Minneapolis has already estimated losses of around $100 million. He noted that impacts are reaching beyond the Twin Cities. … ‘We will have a budget forecast that comes out at the end of February,’ [Gov. Tim] Walz said, noting he’s ‘a little bit scared’ that could be outdated.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kvEvFg
RELIEF: via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “Some restaurateurs believe it will take months for the local economy to recover after the immigration crackdown ends. … World Street Kitchen and Milkjam Creamery co-owner Saed Wadi is advocating for emergency funding to help businesses pay rent and other pressing expenses. … In the coming days, [DEED] is expected to unveil a relief package focused on supporting businesses, according to [Gov. Tim] Walz. … Some proposals may require the involvement of the Legislature.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kzJN2C
MORE: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “A Minneapolis City Council member is proposing to allocate $5 million to support local businesses, but some argue the city lacks the funds. … Minneapolis City Council Member Jason Chavez [will] bring forth a resolution next week that would reallocate $5 million from the city’s Downtown Assets Fund for local business grants. … Council Member Linea Palmisano said she’s concerned about the need among businesses, but expressed worry about the city’s financial capacity.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4kplqnW
(DISCLOSURE: Hospitality Minnesota is a client of Fluence Advisory)
A new level of insight and information….
The MNSider Brief: State of the Governor’s race – READ: https://fluence-media.co/4r3ACtF
DC DRIVE
HEARING: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Republican state Sen. Mark Koran of North Branch told U.S. senators that ‘Minnesota is ground zero for the fraud epidemic’ at a Tuesday afternoon hearing in Washington, D.C. Koran [testified] at the latest congressional subcommittee hearing focused on social services wrongdoing in Minnesota. … The hearing [ended] with a Democratic lawmaker imploring his Republican colleagues to work together to tamp down wrongdoing in social services. … But Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin laid the blame squarely on Democrats, saying fraud in Minnesota offers lessons for tackling the issue in other states.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3MB7w5J
US ATTY: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “During a Senate Judiciary Committee meeting, Minnesota U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar voiced concerns about the loss of prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Leaning on her background as a prosecutor, Klobuchar said the wave of departures was a ‘huge problem.’” KLOBUCHAR: “We have now lost the 14 assistant US attorneys that were taking on these fraud cases. This is incredible talent to investigate fraud that left.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3MB7w5J
MORE: DFL Sen. Ron Latz, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, released a statement in response to the numerous resignations from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Minnesota in recent weeks. LATZ: “For years, this office has been the gold standard for quality and professionalism. … When people who have dedicated their lives to justice and who have sworn solemn oaths to uphold the Constitution can no longer faithfully fulfill their responsibility, then all Minnesotans are at risk.”
DETAINERS: via WCCO Radio, VERBATIM: “The Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Corrections is [alleging] a significant lack of action by the federal government. Commissioner Paul Schell said [federal] claims about not getting local cooperation are not true, at least at the state level. … Schnell says they have worked with immigration enforcement officials to get them a list of undocumented inmates, totaling around 380.” SCHNELL: “Roughly 110 of these ‘worst of the worst’ are in Department of Corrections custody. And we’ve notified ICE about those people being in our custody, and yet there is not a detainer lodged against them.” READ/LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4anP2xt
ARRESTS: via Reuters, VERBATIM: “Agents have [arrested] thousands of local activists for violating Title 18, Section 111 of the U.S. Code, a catch-all charge for anyone who ‘forcibly assaults, resists, opposes, impedes, intimidates, or interferes’ with a federal officer conducting official duties. … A Reuters review of federal court records found that the Trump Administration has prosecuted at least 655 people under that charge across the U.S. since a series of city-focused immigration crackdowns began last summer. That’s more than double the prosecutions during the same period in 2024-2025.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aurK9m
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)
MORE
VOTER DATA: via Rep. Brad Finstad advisory, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Members of Congress, Brad Finstad (MN-01), Pete Stauber (MN-08), and Michelle Fischbach (MN-07), sent a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi affirming support for the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) efforts to obtain Minnesota voter rolls after Governor Tim Walz and Secretary of State Steve Simon have refused to comply with the DOJ’s data request.” LETTER: https://fluence-media.co/4rNKFDc
CD2: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “DFL state Rep. Kaela Berg has been helping patrol Burnsville. … Former Lakeville Mayor Matt Little and state Sen. Matt Klein, also Democrats, have been leading protests against [ICE]. … Eric Pratt, a state senator from Prior Lake and one of two Republicans in the race, has been talking to business owners and residents about their experiences. … The crowded field of candidates running for Minnesota’s open Second District — one of the few remaining congressional swing seats in the country — is grappling with how to respond to Operation Metro Surge.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rcybVH
SAFETY: via Rep. Angie Craig advisory, VERBATIM: “U.S. Representatives Angie Craig [and others] introduced bipartisan legislation to expand access to lethal means safety supplies, like lockboxes and safes, for parents of children at risk of overdose or suicide. Their bipartisan Kid PROOF Act would allow health care providers to purchase such supplies and distribute them to parents of children at risk of overdose or suicide.”
USDA: via Rep. Brad Finstad advisory, VERBATIM: “Congressman Brad Finstad (MN-01) and Congressman Adam Gray (CA-13) introduced H.R. 7426, the USDA Express Loan Act, legislation which would expand the EZGuarantee Loan Program through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), expediting approval times for certain guaranteed loans – ensuring farmers, ranchers, and rural communities receive timely access to credit.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cm359o
STATE STUFF
HOFFMAN: via KARE 11, VERBATIM: “Minnesota State Senator John Hoffman is expressing gratitude as he prepares to return to a new legislative session on Feb. 17, eight months after Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, were shot in their home.” QUOTE: “The support my family and I have received over these past months has been extraordinary. From neighbors and friends to colleagues, advocates, faith leaders, and constituents across Minnesota, the kindness, prayers, and encouragement we were shown carried us through one of the most difficult chapters of our lives. That generosity of spirit is what brings me back to this work with renewed purpose.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rHNoOc
(DISCLOSURE: Fluence is providing media support for the Hoffman family)
UTILITIES: via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “Federal agents across Minnesota are reportedly disguising themselves as construction or utility workers [to] conduct surveillance. … This has prompted the Citizens Utility Board of Minnesota to share guidance in multiple languages to help customers ensure the identity of workers with local utilities. … [The] new guidance for identifying utility workers follows reports of agents in high-visibility vests and white hard hats, among other ruses.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Zqksyi
TAXES: The MN Center for Fiscal Excellence is seeking funding for a major income tax study comparing Minnesota to the nation. VERBATIM: “This study is not a comparison of statutes and marginal tax rates. It reconstructs how the average Minnesota tax filer at different income levels actually experiences the tax system. … Specifically, by comparing payable tax year 2023 results with the findings from our previous study based on tax year 2018, the study will examine how the [2023] state income tax changes changed the tax burdens and effective tax rates paid by five different Minnesota filer types at ten different income levels.” SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3Zu7P5i
WILD ABOUT READING: Join more than 800 Minnesota classrooms and 30,000 students participating in the “Wild About Reading” program, a partnership with Flint Hills Resources which encourages students to read more using Minnesota Wild-branded posters, reading logs, and bookmarks. Teachers set weekly reading goals and give certificates to students who complete the four-week program. Fun program incentives include: classroom visits from the Wild’s mascot, Nordy, and the team dog, Paulie; a pair of tickets to a Wild home game, player-signed pucks and photos; and a pizza party for a classroom. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/49AHNSE (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources)
AROUND MN
HENN CTY: via KARE 11, VERBATIM: “Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty is criticizing federal immigration agents for arresting a man on Tuesday inside the Hennepin County Government Center… In a statement, Moriarty said Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested a man facing First-Degree Drug Possession charges for having more than 50 pounds of meth...It’s the third known arrest made inside the county building within a week. … Moriarty says courts should not be used as locations for federal immigration enforcement and that the arrests could discourage victims and witnesses from coming forward. … Witnesses described the arrest as chaotic.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4bOglDI
TAKE: This is where the disconnect exists between Moriarity and other far left elected officials and mainstream Minnesotans. If someone who is not in the country legally, is facing charges for 50 pounds of meth, it would seem to be an efficient public safety decision to deport them. Moriarty’s judgement about where her constituents views are compared to her alternate reality of criminal justice could be as discrediting to DFLers as ICE’s actions against innocent citizens. The reality is that as horrific as some ICE actions have been, Moriarty isn’t trusted to actually hold criminals to account something that would be at the core of the expectations of her job.
BLUE LINE: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “The Lake Street/Midtown Blue Line light rail station’s [reviews] are less than glowing. [Locals] describe regular drug use, a consistent smell of urine and rarely operating escalators. … Construction on a complete renovation of the troubled station was expected to begin in 2025. Metro Transit planners now anticipate a 2027 start after approving $5.8 million to design the rebuild. … Construction is now expected to run through 2028.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4al8zP6
ROCHESTER: via Rochester Post Bulletin, VERBATIM: “A group of faith leaders emerged from a meeting with representatives of GOP Rep. Brad Finstad on Tuesday [saying] operations by federal border agents continue to create ‘widespread fear’ in their communities. They also urged Congress to withhold funding from the Department of Homeland Security. … With about 100 supporters arrayed behind him, the Rev. Andrew Greenhaw, pastor of Congregational Church United Church of Christ in Rochester, expressed frustration that their continued concerns about ICE operations enforcement had fallen on deaf ears inside Finstad’s office.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4rGzLyG
MANKATO: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Mankato’s City Council moved forward on an emergency ordinance that would force officers from out-of-town law enforcement agencies to unmask, identify who they work for and wear body cameras while operating in the city. The council also approved a motion to redirect $30,000 to local food shelves, with the aim of helping Mankato residents who are afraid of leaving their homes to work or shop for groceries. The unmasking ordinance will likely have a public hearing next month.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3MB7w5J
NEXT
TODAY: via news advisory from ISAIAH: VERBATIM: “ In the wake of a recent sprinkler system failure that temporarily closed Lakeside Early Learning Center’s doors, the center is inviting state and local lawmakers to a roundtable discussion highlighting the financial precarity of our childcare system. Providers, teachers, and parents will emphasize how most childcare programs operate on razor-thin margins and are one unplanned disaster away from closing — leaving communities without this essential care. The conversation will focus on possible solutions, including the urgent need to fund childcare as a public good.”
TOMORROW: Several Minnesota officials are expected to testify at a Senate homeland security committee hearing on Thursday, including U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer, Attorney General Keith Ellison, state Rep. Harry Niska and Corrections Commissioner Paul Schnell. The hearing, which will focus on local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, is at 8:00 a.m. central.
TOMORROW: The IRRR Board will meet on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. in Eveleth.
TOMORROW: DFL Sen. Judy Seeberger will host an in-person town hall in Lake Elmo at 5:30 p.m.
SATURDAY: DFL Sen. Ann Rest will hold the first of three “Saturday Listening Sessions” with constituents in New Hope. The event is at 11:00 a.m.
TUESDAY: The Minnesota Legislature’s 2026 session will begin on Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 12:00 noon.
TUESDAY: The MN Chamber of Commerce will outline its policy priorities for the 2026 legislative session on Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 4:00 p.m. Numerous state leaders and gubernatorial candidates will attend.
BDAYS: photo journalist Ben Garvin, creative guy Jake Nyberg, fmr. Carver County Commissioner Randy Maluchnik
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.
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IN MEMORIAM: morning take is dedicated in memory of Melissa Hortman.