Lynx win. Vikings win and even Twins won.
It’s Ryder Cup week. Vikings also trying to dominate Europe, they play in Dublin next week and London the following week.
A Chaska man won the 2025 Federal Duck Stamp Contest – his seventh first place finish. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/47Orm5P
Minnesota made USA Today’s Oktoberfest list as well – New Ulm’s is among the ten best in the country. LIST: https://fluence-media.co/3ImImG2
After 40+ years in the legislature, Sen. Ann Rest is retiring at the end of her current term. On Sunday Take, an exit interview reflecting on her time in office and the shifts she’s seen over the years. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4gvKcki
Rep. Tom Emmer was on Powers that Be podcast on crypto and the dynamics of a deal. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4mqqNCQ
Sen. Karin Housley attended the Charlie Kirk memorial yesterday in Arizona. Tonight, Turning Point USA will bring its "The American Comeback Tour" to Northrop Hall on Monday at 6:30 p.m.
Congrats to Tom Hauser for 25 years of At Issue.
Happy first day of Fall or National States and Capitals Day!
Blois - tips: bloisolson@gmail.com
Last week, Sunday Take featured DFL Sen. Judy Seeberger and GOP Rep. Danny Nadeau discussing how they want to move forward with a special session as purple district legislators. LISTEN: http://fluence-media.co/4gxlhNy
AUDIENCE: Sponsorships are available to reach over 30,000 readers per day on Fluence’s tip sheets and website, TheDailyAgenda.com – email BloisOlson@gmail.com.
POLL: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “Tim Walz announced earlier this week he will seek an unprecedented third four-year term as governor, but he faces some headwinds as he embarks on his campaign, including his lowest net approval rating recorded in our poll. Walz enjoyed net positive approval ratings in each of 18 previous KSTP/SurveyUSA polls, including a plus-19 mark three months ago, but that cushion has now vanished. Our latest survey of registered voters found respondents were evenly split at 47% on whether they approve or disapprove of Walz’s job as governor.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4gDyx38
MORE: The poll asked about potential matchups with Dr. Scott Jensen, Sen. Kristin Robbins, Phillip Parrish, and Kendall Qualls. In each hypothetical race, Walz was favored. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3VpaZFs
TAKE: After anticipation about the decision, Gov. Tim Walz and his campaign went full force into the race last week. Multiple national TV appearances, a staged rally on a Friday night and social media posts that might make you think it was May of 2026 rather than 13 months plus before election day. The Friday night poll from KSTP-Survey USA sets the tone: Walz approval and disapproval tied at 47. The race won’t be decided in 2025, so we’ll hold back over analysis until after the November 2025 elections are over at least. For readers here, and partisans, including Walz World – pace yourselves it’s a marathon not a sprint.
SENATE: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty (R) revealed on WCCO Radio Friday he's been approached by national Republican Party leaders about running for outgoing Senator Tina Smith's seat in 2026. However, Pawlenty tells WCCO's Chad Hartman his traditional brand of politics doesn't resonate like it used to, and he's not interested. He also points to a major shift in conservative politics.” PAWLENTY: "So, I just don't think getting through the modern day Republican Party, as somebody who's more of a traditional, you know, Reagan Republican, would be realistic for me." LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4mM6iRr
MORE: via news release from Flanagan for Senate VERBATIM: “With recent endorsements from State Representatives Fue Lee (Minneapolis) and Steve Elkins (Bloomington), the Flanagan Campaign announced today that Peggy Flanagan has earned endorsements from the majority of DFLers serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives - an unprecedented feat - in her race for U.S. Senate. In total, Flanagan has announced endorsements from 34 House members, as well as 6 State Senators.”
ST PAUL: Via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “St. Paul’s problems are stark—a struggling downtown, high taxes, anemic housing construction—but none of the mayoral candidates could muster an endorsement from the St. Paul Area Chamber PAC. The organization released a statement Friday stating ‘no candidate rose above the others as the transformative leader Saint Paul urgently needs.’ Mayor Melvin Carter is seeking a third term in the Nov. 4 election, and he’s never won the endorsement of the St. Paul Area Chamber PAC.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mqQ9Ao
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TRANSIT: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “Exactly six months into the operation of the east metro’s first rapid bus service known as the Gold Line, ridership is struggling to meet even Metro Transit’s most conservative projections…The agency’s most recent data from July shows average weekday rides climbed above 1,400 for the first time since the Gold Line opened in March, but that number is still far short of the 5,900 daily rides estimated in the first year of service.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4nGuyoH
MORE: via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “…Buses will be replacing the Blue Line train for two weeks, as well as a section of the Green Line in Minneapolis…According to Metro Transit, the replacement buses will be used starting Monday, Sept. 22, through Saturday, Oct. 4, due to what is being called "necessary maintenance."
FARM AID: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “There was a strong twofer of homegrown talent on the lineup for Saturday’s 12-hour marathon at Huntington Bank Stadium. Homeboy Bob Dylan — who first inspired Farm Aid by shouting out American farmers at 1985’s Live Aid mega concert — delivered a short but meaningful performance on only three days’ notice. And Duluth pickers Trampled by Turtles earned a warm reception earlier in the day. Minnesota politicians played a sizable role. Sen. Amy Klobuchar introduced Farm Aid’s youngest musician board member, Margo Price, with a timely and well-received nod to her recent ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ TV appearance. Then Gov. Tim Walz welcomed the day’s great-grandpa-aged grand poobah, Willie Nelson, to the stage by praising him for being ‘a man who truly embodies the American spirit.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3KfIHe4
SPECIAL SESSION: House Speaker Lisa Demuth and Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy talked about the prospect of a special session to address gun violence in a joint interview with NPR Sunday morning. MURPHY: “We don't agree necessarily on this issue, but I do believe that it is possible for us to find a path forward. As we negotiated probably one of the hardest budgets that I ever have back in June, that was a hard-fought compromise, and we all gave things up. But we got our job done because we all agreed that we shouldn't fail Minnesota.” DEMUTH: “In the House, right now, we are tied 67-67. And what that has done this year is it has required that we work together in a bipartisan fashion. And what that meant is we have co-chairs in every single one of our committees. So Democrats and Republicans have already proven this year that through deliberative legislative action, we can get things done. They're not fast conversations. They're not do this and hope it works but really, really deliberative.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/420a3Lp
ANNUNCIATION: Via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “A more than 40-year tradition continued Sunday at Annunciation Church, less than a month since the tragic shooting that claimed the lives of 10-year-old Harper Moyski and 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel. For decades, Annunciation has hosted SeptemberFest: a weekend of fun, games, food and music, which serves as the church and school's annual fundraiser. This year, the event continued on with renewed meaning.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3Vv72z3
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)
MANGIONE: Via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “Luigi Mangione's lawyers urged a judge on Saturday to bar federal prosecutors from seeking the death penalty in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, arguing that authorities prejudiced his case by turning his arrest into a ‘Marvel movie’ spectacle and by publicly declaring their desire to see him executed. Fresh from a legal victory that eliminated terrorism charges in Mangione's state murder case, his lawyers are now fighting to have his federal case dismissed, seizing on U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi's declaration prior to his April indictment that capital punishment is warranted for a ‘premeditated, cold-blooded assassination that shocked America.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4pEdIZC
UNITEDHEALTH: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Adding medical conditions to a Medicare Advantage patient’s records can pull in higher federal payments to insurers while draining money from the taxpayer-supported insurance program. The system is supposed to compensate insurers for covering patients with more complex health conditions. Yet for more than a decade, alleged diagnostic ‘upcoding’ in Medicare Advantage has led to tens of billions of dollars in suspected overpayments to health insurers at the expense of taxpayers, according to numerous government reports and academic studies. From the start, Eden Prairie-based UnitedHealth Group and its industry-leading health insurance arm, UnitedHealthcare, has been at the center of the controversy.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46uCWk5
THREATS: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “A Maple Grove man is in custody, charged with making threats of violence as retaliation for the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. A criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County details threatening emails 64-year-old John Allan Sandeen sent to the music director at a church in Maple Grove and others.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4n8faS8
MINNEAPOLIS: Via Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, VERBATIM: “At Minneapolis City Hall, residents and community advocates delivered more than 2,000 petition signatures urging Mayor Jacob Frey to end the Minneapolis Zencity contract. The three year, 500,000 dollar agreement approved in October 2023 tasks the Israeli founded firm with digital surveys on MPD and public safety. Organizers, including Jewish Voice for Peace Twin Cities, U.S. Palestinian Community Network, MIRAC, and the Twin Cities Coalition for Justice, cite ties to Israeli military intelligence and past social media monitoring of Black communities after police killings.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4pQNUJV
RETAIL: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “Retail is, and likely always will be, cyclical. The landscape is mercurial, and nearly all businesses rise or fall based on where the minds—and pocketbooks—of consumers are at when it comes to the variables that impact the marketplace. So where are things at today? With U.S. businesses and consumers bracing for the impacts of tariffs and the expected higher costs on imported goods, we took this moment to check in with the local retail set to get their take.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/426ILmF
EDINA: Via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “The Galleria is bringing in a parade of new stores. On the heels of Boll & Branch and Minnesota heritage brand Faribault Mill opening at the Edina mall, seven more brands will open or expand their presence.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4pGkrSP
MOVE: Matt Kumer starts as the news director at KARE 11 today.
BELLS: Congrats to political movers Jason George and Elizabeth Emerson on their wedding this past weekend.
SUMMER SAVINGS: via Xcel Energy, VERBATIM: “Home cooling can account for about half of your summertime electric bill. Here are five simple, effective ways to boost energy efficiency in your home and save money.
1. Ceiling fans cool you, not the room.
2. When away, adjust your thermostat.
3. Hot air belongs outside.
4. Cook smarter to stay cooler.
5. Let nature dry your clothes — plus, your chores can wait until evening.”
(SPONSORED: Xcel Energy)
MEDIA: Via UPI, VERBATIM: “Journalists covering the Pentagon will have to pledge to access only authorized information or lose their press credentials, the Department of War announced Friday. The new policy enables Pentagon officials to revoke the credentials for any press staff that they might deem a security threat, according to The Washington Post . . . The new rules for media drew a rebuke from National Press Club President Mike Balsamo.” BALSAMO: "This is a direct assault on independent journalism at the very place where independent scrutiny matters the most: the U.S. military." READ: https://fluence-media.co/4mr7jOw
GRAND FORKS: Via NPR, VERBATIM: “Grand Forks, North Dakota, lost a treasure last week when Marilyn Hagerty died at the age of 99. Until last year, she wrote a column at the Grand Forks Herald about North Dakota life. “She went after the news, whether it was a card party or a banquet or a - some sort of feature story that she had found. She was really good at finding interesting people and writing about them.” Mike Jacobs is the former editor and publisher of the Grand Forks Herald. He says Hagerty herself was kind of a local celebrity. And for a brief moment in 2012, she became a national sensation for her review of the local Olive Garden.” LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/47TS4dm
WATER PARK: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “Mall of America and Bloomington officials are nearing a financing agreement that would pave the way for a $338 million water park nearly eight years in the making. Why it matters: MOA officials believe the massive indoor water park would help maintain the mall's status as a major destination. But that effort was sidetracked for years due to COVID, ballooning construction costs and heightened interest rates that made borrowing almost impossible. This appears to be a breakthrough.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4gTexK9
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 Pine Bend refinery)
EV: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “The Robbinsdale City Council is moving ahead with plans for new electric vehicle charging requirements. The council approved the first reading of the city code amendments at its Sept. 16 meeting. If the council approves the second reading, developers building new housing or retail projects with more than 50 parking spots will be required to provide electric vehicle charging stations.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3IoawR2
STORM DAMAGE: Via Lakeland PBS, VERBATIM: “Beltrami County has announced it is coordinating with the Small Business Administration (SBA) and Minnesota Homeland Security and Emergency Management to conduct a damage survey to determine eligibility for the SBA loan program for residential and business properties affected by the June 21 severe storms.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4nHiinN
TODAY: At 2PM, Fox 9 will host a discussion about the future of downtown St. Paul including: B Kyle, St. Paul Chamber of Commerce, Chris Hilger, CEO of Securian Financial Group, Chris Sherman, Sherman Associates President
Joe Spencer, Downtown Alliance President, Matt Majka, Minnesota Wild CEO, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, St. Paul City Council President Rebecca Noecker, Richard Dobransky, Morrissey Hospitality President, Sen. Sandra Pappas, Tom Whaley, St. Paul Saints Executive VP. You can stream it on Fox Local or Fox9.com
TODAY: Governor Tim Walz will meet with Allina Health leadership.
TODAY: Via Isaiah MN, VERBATIM: “St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, Rep. Kaohly Vang Her and Council President Noecker will be joined by community members at an event Monday morning on the public sidewalk near St. Paul’s early voting center to highlight the start of early voting and their support for City Question #1 on St. Paul.
St. Paul Union, Faith, and Community Groups announced earlier this month the “Vote Yes for a Fairer St. Paul” campaign in support of the Administrative Citations ballot initiative that will be part of the November election. In late 2024, following a public hearing and debate, the St. Paul Charter Commission voted overwhelmingly to give the City Council the authority to enforce local ordinances with Administrative Citations, otherwise known as civil penalties. The City Council later approved the amendment by a unanimous 7-0 vote, with support from Mayor Melvin Carter.”
TODAY: Via Minnesota Department of Commerce, VERBATIM: “An urgent informational panel discussion, ‘Residential Tax Credits: Get them before they're gone!’ Panelists from state government, utilities and consumer advocacy groups will detail the imminent expiration of significant federal clean energy tax credits due to recent Congressional action and the implications for all Minnesotans. This is a critical opportunity for Minnesotans to learn how to claim thousands of dollars for home improvements, electric vehicles and solar panels before it's too late.”
TODAY: via news advisory from SEIU, VERBATIM: “ St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, Rep. Kaohly Vang Her and Council President Noecker will be joined by community members at an event Monday morning on the public sidewalk near St. Paul’s early voting center to highlight the start of early voting and their support for City Question #1 on St. Paul.”
THISWK: via House media advisory, VERBATIM: “On Tuesday, September 23, the House Capital Investment Committee will begin their first regional tour of the fall, starting with communities in Northwest Minnesota. This bipartisan tour will visit sites of proposed investment in state infrastructure, which will be considered for inclusion in a 2026 Capital Investment Bill.”
FRIDAY…via Citizens League, VERBATIM: “Citizens League is proud to host a 2025 Minneapolis Mayoral Candidate debate on Friday, September 26. This debate is presented in partnership with the Minneapolis Regional Chamber and the Minneapolis Downtown Council, and will be co-moderated by Mary Lahammer, Political Reporter & Anchor, Twin Cities PBS; and Blois Olson, Sunday Take Host, WCCO Radio and CEO, Fluence Media.”
BDAYS: media pro Carla Beaurline, Rep. Wayne Jennings, fmr. Rochester Mayor Kim Norton
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