One week out.
Loons, Wolves and Wild all play tonight.
How has hockey safety changed one year after a Minnesota native’s death on the ice? MPR: https://fluence-media.co/4fiISQ2
A JournoResearch analysis of HomeAdvisor data finds that Minnesota has the 8th highest home renovation costs in the nation and the highest in the Midwest.
Ballot boxes in Oregon and Washington were set on fire, damaging hundreds of ballots in what authorities believe are connected incidents. ABC: https://fluence-media.co/3NHvGbB
Americans’ perceptions of crime in the U.S. have improved, with the percentage saying national crime has increased over the past year falling by 13 points, to 64%. Similarly, the 56% of U.S. adults who now say the problem of crime in the U.S. is “extremely” or “very” serious is down seven percentage points. GALLUP: https://fluence-media.co/4eWzwK2
The Washington Post lost over 200,000 subscribers after owner Jeff Bezos vetoed a Kamala Harris endorsement. NPR: https://fluence-media.co/4hl5Urr
The Cooperative Election Study for 2024 surveyed almost 50,000 likely voters and found Kamala Harris leading Donald Trump by 4 points (51% to 47%). POLL: https://fluence-media.co/48x4TIU
Snow on Thursday? Wonder if we could have a blizzard.
Happy National Oatmeal Day!
Blois
From Sunday Take, the US Senate debate between Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Royce White. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3YotkDr
Sign-up for Sports Take a weekly preview of the week ahead published on Thursdays. HERE: https://fluence-media.co/SportsTakeSignUp
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If you’re looking for a speaker or election analysis for your summer or fall event, please reach out. bloisolson@gmail.com
POLL: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump continue to be locked in a tight race in Minnesota, with few undecided voters left to boost either candidate. A new MinnPost-Embold Research poll showed Harris with a slight edge over Trump, 48%-45% in the state, a result that was virtually unchanged from Harris’ 49%-45% lead last month in a similar poll. … Only 2% of the poll’s respondents said they were undecided, down from 3% last month. … 19% of respondents said they have already voted — overwhelmingly for [Harris]. Of those early Minnesota voters, 70% said they cast their ballot for Harris, while only 27% said they voted for Trump.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4e9n1JQ
FUNDRAISING: via a House DFL press release, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota House DFL will file its strongest fundraising report ever, breaking the records set one month ago. The campaign will report more than $9,280,000 raised in 2024 and more than $11,300,000 total raised for the cycle. The Minnesota House DFL has set a new record for year-to-date raised and cycle-to-date raised. The Minnesota House DFL has raised more than $3,680,000 since the September report. As it enters the final days of the 2024 campaign, the House DFL reports more than $3,452,000 cash-on-hand.”
MORE: via a House GOP press release, VERBATIM: “The House Republican Campaign Committee (HRCC) will report record-breaking fundraising totals for the Pre-General Fundraising Report set to be released this week. House Republicans will report nearly $2.7 million raised — about $800,000 more than the previous Pre-General report record set in 2018, and already the largest full-cycle fundraising total in organization history. The HRCC will also report a record cash-on-hand total of more than $1 million, as well as all-time-record levels of spending and independent expenditures.”
PHILLIPS: Rep. Dean Phillips, the CD3 Democrat who is not seeking reelection following a failed presidential bid, spoke to Chad Hartman on WCCO Radio about his thoughts on what Vice Pres. Kamala Harris is doing right and wrong in her campaign. QUOTE: “I do believe she’s a person of principle and competency, and will make good decisions based on the best interests of the country. But I’m not going to lie and tell you that I think she’s run a good campaign. I think the people surrounding her have done a very poor job of introducing her, her platform, her principles, what she would do differently than President [Joe] Biden. … The campaign has done a very poor job of articulating what she stands for, instead wasting a lot of money and time on condemnation of Donald Trump.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3Ur8qm0
40B: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “A candidate running for a Roseville-area Minnesota House seat is facing questions from his opponent about whether he lives in the district he hopes to represent. Republican candidate for House District 40B Paul Wikstrom claims his [DFL] opponent Curtis Johnson does not live at the Roseville address he listed on candidate paperwork and still resides at his home in nearby Little Canada. … [Johnson] says he got an apartment in District 40B this spring. … Johnson and Wickstrom are vying for a seat held by outgoing DFL Rep. Jaime Becker-Finn of Roseville. … Johnson’s house in Little Canada is not listed for sale, though he has told other news outlets he and his wife intend to sell.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3C3Iw1q
SD10: via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “Education Minnesota, the state’s teachers union, on Monday sent a letter to Sen. Nathan Wesenberg, R-Little Falls, demanding that he take down a recent Facebook post about a teacher in his district who Wesenberg alleges wants to teach boys ‘how to give each other blow jobs.’ … Attorney Debra Corhouse, on behalf of Education Minnesota, wrote that Wesenberg’s post, published alongside a photo of [Milaca science teacher John Shipman], ‘is clearly libelous.’ … The post was up as of early Monday afternoon, but Wesenberg deleted his post after the Reformer published its story about the letter. … By accusing Shipman of being a ‘predator’ and implying he is a pedophile, Wesenberg has exposed himself to potential libel litigation.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40o5zhB
CD6: via St. Cloud Live, VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s Congressional District 6 has long been represented by a Republican. Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Minn., has been in office for five terms in the House and is currently seeking his sixth. After losing to Emmer in 2022, DFL candidate Jeanne Hendricks plans to challenge the notion that Minnesota's 6th District is deeply red in a rematch with the incumbent. … Hendricks, a nurse anesthetist, decided to run for office both in 2022 and 2024 after being unhappy with [Donald] Trump’s presidency, she said. When asked about his rematch with Hendricks, Emmer was not worried about Hendricks or the DFL flipping the district and making it blue.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YspwkP
FACT CHECK: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “Republican Joe Teirab makes his experience as a criminal prosecutor the centerpiece of his campaign in Minnesota’s 2nd Congressional District. The campaign of Democratic incumbent Angie Craig challenges that in a new ad attacking Teirab as soft on crime, specifically on drug offenders and child abusers. … The Craig campaign says Teirab was involved in reaching plea deals with people accused of child abuse, [but] the ad doesn’t cite any examples. The Craig campaign did send some examples via e-mail, but asked that we not publish them. Because this ad includes so much misleading, out-of-context and missing information, it gets an ‘F.’” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3AtooVU
PUERTO RICO: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Minnesota’s only lawmaker of Puerto Rican descent slammed former President Donald Trump’s campaign over racist remarks made at a Madison Square Garden rally Sunday night. Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe referred to Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory, as a ‘floating island of garbage,’ during his set. … State DFL Rep. María Isa Pérez-Vega said in an interview Monday the comedian’s comments weren’t shocking but should serve as ‘a wake-up call’ for Puerto Ricans [and] Latinos.” QUOTE: “The only way to stop [this] is by getting out to vote and voting against the maltreatment of Puerto Ricans, of humanity, of everyone. … The response from their campaign is that that wasn’t directly from Trump or JD Vance. Those things are monitored and scripted and approved.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40oaq29
From yesterday’s Walz Watch:
LIVESTREAM: via Mediaite, VERBATIM: “Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz reacted live on Twitch to comic Tony Hinchcliffe speaking at the Donald Trump rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday and were not amused. Watching a clip during their livestream on Twitch, the two Democrats took offense and expressed outrage at Hinchcliffe describing Puerto Rico as a ‘floating island of garbage’ during his appearance.” WALZ: “Who is that jackwad? … People in Puerto Rico are citizens. They pay taxes. They serve in the military at almost a higher rate than anybody else. … There are hundreds of thousands of Puerto Ricans [in] battleground states that need to send them a message.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YCq60x WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4foxXUT
MORE WALZ: Sign up for Walz Watch, our new tip sheet, and get all the latest national news about the governor’s VP campaign HERE: https://fluence-media.co/walzwatch
3RD PRECINCT: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “On Monday morning, contract workers began snipping razor wire and removing it from fencing that was propped atop concrete barriers along the perimeter of Minneapolis’ former Third Precinct police station, which was set ablaze during the uprising over George Floyd’s police killing. … While the city debated its future [for four years], some conservatives jumped at the chance to use the charred building as a backdrop to hold news conferences and news reports in which they blasted the city and its leaders.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3NIR9kz
HOMELESS: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “After multiple homeless encampment shootings over the weekend, city leaders expressed the dire need for a solution to an ongoing challenge. Minneapolis City Councilmember Jason Chavez called homeless encampments a complicated issue, and said taking action will take time. … [Other] city leaders say the main issue is clear. ‘We need to be honest and call a spade a spade. This is not about lack of shelter, it’s about fentanyl,’ Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said. … ‘[Fentanyl] has to do, in part, with our homelessness issue, but it’s not just that,’ Chavez said. Chavez is pushing for another Avivo Village [home shelter], like the one that already exists in north Minneapolis. … He explained the solution is more housing and resources.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3UPK4CX
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 knows it needs to make changes to re-energize downtown — it just doesn’t know exactly how yet. Mayor Jacob Frey on Monday unveiled a list of strategies aimed at revitalizing downtown, but the city’s 18-page plan indicates that determining the future of hallmark corridors and neighborhoods like Nicollet Mall and the Warehouse District will likely take several years and millions of dollars. … The Minneapolis Foundation published a report late last year presenting a number of similar strategies to transform the city’s central business district. SEIU Local 26 followed with a vision for downtown Minneapolis centered on downtown service workers, released early this year. The Downtown Council and Meet Minneapolis will also soon release their own visions for the city’s future.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Unu8ri
MORE: via FOX 9, VERBATIM: “In what they’re calling a ‘downtown action plan,’ Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and a group of nearly two dozen industry leaders are proposing changes to the heart of the city that include turning Nicollet Mall to pedestrian-use only, streamlining the process for investing in vacant buildings, and doubling-down on the Warehouse District for sports and entertainment options – including a ‘social district’ that would allow open containers of alcohol.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4f7i7yn
MAYOR: During Mayor Jacob Frey’s press conference on his Downtown Action Plan, Axios’ Kyle Stokes asked Frey if he plans to run for a third term next year. Frey’s response: “I’m not making any announcement right now.” South Minneapolis minister DeWayne Davis — Frey’s first major challenger, should he seek reelection — has already announced a run for mayor in 2025. The UMN Minnesota Daily has published a Q&A with Davis discussing his history in public service and his life as a Black gay reverend. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hldbYj
ST PAUL: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “When St. Paul voters go to the polls, they’ll encounter two ballot questions that could have far-reaching impacts on their property taxes, childcare options and municipal elections. The first question asks voters whether to approve a 10-year property tax increase that would go up by $2 million annually to raise funds for municipal childcare subsidies. … The second question asks whether to move municipal elections from odd years to even years. … We asked the mayor and seven members of the St. Paul City Council how they planned to vote on the two ballot questions.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fjT3UA
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)
POLLS: via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “With just over a week to go until the presidential election, most polls say the race is a tie. But how accurate are the polls? The polls have missed badly before — most infamously in 2016 when almost every poll had Hillary Clinton beating former President Donald Trump. … In 2020, they got the winner right — but if you look carefully, they still underestimated the eventual Trump vote. … Could the polls still be underestimating [Trump’s] support? ‘I think there is a segment of the population that doesn't want to say out loud they are supporting President Trump,’ Republican analyst Amy Koch said. … Democratic analyst Abou Amara agrees to an extent. ‘I think it's going to happen. I don't think it's going to be as big as it was in 2020,’ Amara said.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4fhda6p
MNLEG: via WCCO Radio, VERBATIM: “WCCO Radio [is] taking a look at a pair of long-time Minnesota lawmakers who announced they were not seeking re-election this November and their outlook on what’s to come in St. Paul. DFL Rep. Frank Hornstein, first elected in 2002, announced in February that he would not run for re-election to the Minnesota House. … In July, Minnesota Republican Rep. Patrick Garofalo announced he was resigning from his District 58B seat. [He] was first elected to the Minnesota House in 2004.” READ/LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4fmrNVp
EARLY VOTE: via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “Early voting in Republican-leaning areas is up in Minnesota. Republicans historically have avoided voting early, instead waiting to cast their ballots on election day. … [But] on Monday morning, there were long lines at the Sherburne County Government Center in Elk River, with wait times of up to 45 minutes. … Amy Koch, Republican analyst, [said] it’s a measure of Republican voters’ enthusiasm. ‘The numbers I am seeing from Minnesota and across the country are showing a big turnout in early GOP voting, which I think is going to have an impact,’ said Koch.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3A7acC5
POULTRY: via a Rep. Brad Finstad press release, VERBATIM: “Congressman Brad Finstad (MN-01), member of the House Committee on Agriculture and Chairman of the Subcommittee on Nutrition, Foreign Agriculture, and Horticulture, was joined by U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) in leading seven bicameral members of Congress in a letter to United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack regarding distribution and oversight of grants and loans following the recent bankruptcy filing of Pure Prairie Poultry. The Minnesota-based poultry processor received more than $45 million in USDA grants and loans intended to help meat and poultry processors start or expand processing capacity, [but] Pure Prairie Poultry filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/48rVWAp
DRAG: via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “It's not every day the Statue of Liberty and a Miss USA walk down to the Hennepin County Government Center. However, on Saturday, they were among the drag queens and kings who led community members down Hennepin Avenue to cast their early votes after hosting a drag show supporting Kamala Harris' presidential campaign. ‘Drag Out the Vote’ was a mobilization event hosted by drag queens…at The Saloon, a gay bar that frequently hosts drag performances, before attendees went to the Government Center to cast their votes for Harris and Tim Walz.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YE7ld4
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
RICHFIELD: via Sahan Journal, VERBATIM: “As Minneapolis Public Schools struggles with serious enrollment and budget challenges, a neighboring district is grappling with a very different problem. Richfield Public Schools has capped its open enrollment for the year, citing a larger number of students than anticipated and the difficulty of hiring additional staff after the school year has started. Nearly 40% of the students open-enrolling in Richfield schools enter the district’s Spanish dual-language immersion program. Most students open-enrolling from Richfield come from either Minneapolis or Bloomington.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4hlQJ18
BEMIDJI: via Bemidji Pioneer, VERBATIM: “As the Nov. 5 general election nears, candidate forums crop up to allow the public to make informed decisions once they hit the voting booth. While hosted by various groups…a student-led forum is relatively [unheard of]. Despite these odds, students in Bemidji High School’s AP Government classes saw the fruits of their labor [when] they hosted a school board candidate forum in the BHS media center. Coinciding with class curriculum on voting and elections, BHS teacher Jeff Aas has long sought real-world opportunities for his students to apply what they learn in the classroom.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4f0Qk2E
VIRGINIA: via Duluth News Tribune, VERBATIM: “Longtime residents of [Virginia, MN] can recall a train trestle from decades ago that went over part of Silver Lake, and pedestrians could cross (illegally) as a shortcut between downtown Virginia and a few of the town’s residential neighborhoods. In what city officials hope will be a matter of days, a new floating pier across Silver Lake will open to the public, with a reminiscent nod to the old railroad crossing, but with no danger of having to dodge a locomotive. ‘The contractor tells us they should be complete with it by month’s end, which is next week,’ said Brian Silber, the parks and recreation director in Virginia. … Silber admitted that opening the floating dock in the summer, rather than on the eve of what could be a long, cold northern Minnesota winter, would have been preferable. But the dock is designed for year-round use.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4flogH4
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:
MAYORS: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter have both made headlines this month for basically saying they would ignore city council override votes of their vetoes. That turned some heads and certainly angered some city council members, but both mayors insist they would have legal grounding for choosing not to implement policy as instructed by their city councils. Both cases are very different from each other. In St. Paul, Carter is looking at a ballot referendum involving taxes to support child care, while in Minneapolis, Frey was reacting to new carbon emissions fees.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3UrNcVd
UMN: via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “It might be homecoming in Gopher Nation, but another group on campus is focused on the war in Gaza. Protesters gathered to continue their call for the University of Minnesota to pull financial investments from companies that support Israel. But Saturday's demonstrations struck a calmer tone than earlier in the week. Eleven protesters were arrested after barricading themselves inside a campus building, leading to building lockdowns.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3Cd3JpB
DNA: via FOX 9, VERBATIM: “More than a month since the Hennepin County Crime Lab halted DNA testing, they believe they’re getting close to resuming, likely in the next two to three weeks. They’ve identified the likely source of a DNA contamination. And they staunchly defend the integrity of their work.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3YDFiL0
MORE TAKES: 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: Via the Harris-Walz Campaign, Gov. Tim Walz will visit Georgia for campaign rallies in Savannah and Columbus.
TODAY: via Office of the Sec. of State, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon will highlight the restoration of voting rights for those who have left prison behind one week before the November 5 Election. This is the first statewide general election since the passage of the Restore the Vote Act in 2023, which restored voting rights for at least 55,000 Minnesotans.”
TOMORROW: Gov. Tim Walz will reportedly visit North Carolina to campaign in Charlotte and Asheville.
THURSDAY: Gov. Tim Walz will reportedly hold campaign events in Harrisburg, PA; Erie, PA; and Detroit, MI.
SATURDAY: via Conservation MN, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, along with other partners of the Minnesotans For Our Great Outdoors coalition, will host hunting activities to highlight the important work of lottery proceeds and encourage hunters and anglers to vote Yes on the renewal [ballot question].” The event is at 10:00 a.m. in Farmington, MN.
BDAYS: U of MN’s Alice Davis Roberts, Apex Energy’s Anna Richey, lobbyist Patrick Murray
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