Twins lose. Lynx in Chicago. Summer League Timberwolves doing well.
The Wild announced their summer block party schedule. DETAILS: http://fluence-media.co/3TD33iT
Discontent is growing among “MAGA” Republicans over the White House’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case. NBC: https://fluence-media.co/44Kg1R7
A Gallup poll finds that 79% of Americans say immigration is good for the country — a record high. Meanwhile, support for decreasing immigration levels has dropped 25% compared to one year ago. POLL: http://fluence-media.co/3TCLpfi
Excerpted from the Minnesota Business Partnerships NYSE bell ringing last week, Best Buy CEO Corie Barry and Medtronic CEO Geoff Martha discussed the Minnesota Headquarters’ Economy on Sunday Take. LISTEN: http://fluence-media.co/469gEpE
Blois
TIPS: bloisolson@gmail.com
Today’s morning take with Vineeta Sawkar on WCCO Radio. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/46EtjRA
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TODAY: via KVRR, VERBATIM: “The burglary trial of Sen. Nicole Mitchell, which was rescheduled after the shooting of Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses, begins Monday in Detroit Lakes. Mitchell, who represents Woodbury, faces first-degree burglary [charges]. … Her trial will begin at 8:30 a.m. with jury selection, [and] opening statements could begin as soon as Monday afternoon. The trial is expected to last about a week. Mitchell was originally scheduled to go to trial in January, but it was pushed back so she could finish the legislative session.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4eJNmAa
MORE: Via FOX 9, Paul Applebaum, a defense attorney who is not connected to the case, said in an interview that Sen. Nicole Mitchell “absolutely has to testify” to win her case, and he expects her to do so during her trial. QUOTE: “Frankly, jurors want to hear from the defendant. … She has no chance if she just decides to assert a ‘reasonable doubt’ defense. She’s got to tell her story.” WATCH: http://fluence-media.co/44Mbvld
34B: via Office of the Governor, VERBATIM: “Governor Tim Walz today issued a writ of special election to fill the vacancy left by the death of Speaker Melissa Hortman. A special election [for] House District 34B in Anoka and Hennepin Counties will be held on Tuesday, September 16, 2025. If necessary, a special primary election for nomination of candidates will be held on Tuesday, August 12, 2025. Affidavits of candidacy and nominating petitions may be filed [before] 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 22, 2025.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3TAdJir
SD6: via Brainerd Dispatch, VERBATIM: “Denise Slipy announced [last week] she will again be running as a DFL candidate in the 2026 general election for the Minnesota Senate District 6 seat. Slipy was the DFL candidate in the April 29 special election to fill a Senate District 6 seat that was vacant after the resignation of Justin Eichorn. … Slipy lost the special election to Keri Heintzeman by a vote of 12,751 to 8,376. Senate District 6 includes areas within Cass, Crow Wing and Itasca counties.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4kFpijt
SOCIALMEDIA: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “Beginning next summer, Minnesotans scrolling social media sites will get a pop up warning…Before they can proceed to photos, articles or posts, they’ll have to click through the warning, acknowledging the site could pose a hazard to their mental health…While social media companies say they’ll seek changes or try to block enforcement, supporters say the pop ups could encourage people, especially kids, to think twice about how much time they spend on the sites. STEPHENSON: “I think the evidence is very clear that social media use is linked with depression, anxiety, loneliness, self harm, suicidal ideation, eating disorders, all sorts of terrible mental health conditions,” Rep. Zack Stephenson said. “So I believe you’ll see a message telling you that prolonged use of social media can lead to those outcomes.”… NetChoice, a group that represents social media companies, said it will ask lawmakers to roll back the law over the next year. And if that fails, they could take the state to court. TASKE: “It does, I think, force the companies to essentially denigrate themselves in ways that they would otherwise choose not to,” said Paul Taske, co-director of the group’s litigation center. “We’ve had courts across the country say that you can’t compel private actors to act as the mouthpiece for the state to promulgate the state's preferred message.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lVTibS
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 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. MORE: https://fluence-media.co/Comcast2025-1 (SPONSORED: Comcast)
FUNDRAISING: via MPR, VERBATIM: “Days after Rep. Angie Craig announced the $2.4 million she’s brought in the campaign through fundraising and transfers as of July 1, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan announced her haul for the past three months. Her campaign said a report due [this] week will show more than $900,000 raised during that span. No word from either yet on cash on hand. … Minnesota’s biggest congressional fundraiser appears to be Republican Rep. Tom Emmer. While we don’t have all of the reports yet, it’s unlikely any other federal candidate will top the $6.5 million his campaign said he raised from April to June. … It’s expected that leaders [like Emmer] will raise a lot of money to spread around to candidates in tougher districts. All of the federal campaign reports are due July 15.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4nNikLY
2028: via Axios, VERBATIM: “Democrats are descending on the early presidential states, with different levels of ambiguity and ambition. … Some of this summer's '28 travel is under the cover of capturing the majority in '26. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), who ran for president in 2020, [visited] New Hampshire this weekend to campaign for Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.) in his Senate race. … The Democratic National Committee hasn't finalized which states it wants to hold early primaries and caucuses in the 2028 election. But there's a strong push to restore Iowa and New Hampshire to their traditional gatekeeper roles.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3GzXNty
WALZ: via The Argus Leader, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has a message for South Dakota Democrats: Don't give up hope…He also has a few wisecracks to sling at the state's supermajority party…QUOTE: "You can't hope you're going to win," Walz told the dinner attendees. "You can't hope that [Donald] Trump goes away. You can't hope that you do this. You have to work for it…The Democratic Party, in general, is in "a hell of a pickle," Walz said. Compared with his successful 2006 upset for a Minnesota U.S. House seat, when Walz was a "teacher with no money," today's Democrats have a harder time winning elections without necessary funding. QUOTE: "You can't get elected if you're a teacher or a small business owner or a nurse or retired if you don't have infrastructure to make it happen," Walz said…Walz also spoke to a messaging problem the party is facing, with some Democratic areas in the Midwest having shifted Republican over time.”
MORE: “Kristi Noem, former South Dakota governor, now-secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, whom Walz worked alongside while both served in the U.S. House of Representatives, was his first target. Walz joked it would be "really tough" to make the trip to South Dakota, because he "had to decide what [he] was going to wear." WALZ: "When you're coming and you're in South Dakota, do you dress as a fireman? Do you dress as a cowboy?" Walz said, referencing Noem's donning of firefighting gear at a U.S. Coast Guard training facility and similar field attire...Walz also cracked that he didn't bring his dog, Scout, "for obvious reasons." Noem had written in a 2024 memoir a controversial account in which she shot and killed a 14-month-old hunting dog that disrupted a pheasant hunt more than 20 years ago. She also put down a goat that she stated smelled "wretched."…The comments were petty, Walz concluded. But he refused to apologize, saying, "Some people just bring out the petty in me." READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lV1gC0
TEXAS: via Office of the Governor, VERBATIM: “Governor Tim Walz today announced a Minnesota Task Force 1 (MN TF1) K-9 unit is traveling to assist in search and recovery efforts following deadly flooding in central Texas. MN TF1 is one of the state’s two urban search and rescue teams. … MN TF1 is equipped for 24-hour operations and can work in any disaster area, including those with little or no infrastructure. At least 120 people are confirmed dead and more than 170 are missing.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4nI1gad
CONGRESS: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “The fortunes of Rep. Tom Emmer, R-6th District, are rising. As House Majority Whip whose duties focus on rounding up votes for GOP legislation, Emmer was challenged last week to win support for President Donald Trump’s ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill Act.’ … ‘Thank you to Tom Emmer and family!’ Trump gushed on Truth Social [after passage]. Emmer is set to have another victory as the U.S. House considers his crypto legislation [this] week, which has been dubbed ‘Crypto Week’ because votes are planned on three industry backed bills. … Rep. Angie Craig, D-2nd District, is also a sponsor of the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act of 2025.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3TzANxJ
EDUCATION: via WCCO Radio, VERBATIM: “Minnesota's children face stark education challenges according to a new report. The 2025 Kids Count Data Book shows 69% of fourth graders in the state aren't reading proficiently, and 66% of eighth graders aren't hitting basic benchmarks for math. Education Minnesota President Monica Byron says an ongoing teacher shortage isn't helping. … She adds an estimated $74 million in [federal] K-12 funding is in limbo right now, potentially impacting vital programs for the upcoming school year. … [However], Minnesota is still one of the better stories. According to the report, the states facing the biggest challenges are largely in the South and Southwest.” READ/LISTEN: http://fluence-media.co/4kBwRY6
PUBLIC SAFETY: via MPR, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Department of Public Safety is planning to write an after-action report stemming from the June 14 shootings of two state lawmakers and their spouses. … Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher [said] more can be done to streamline the chain of command to ensure that other lawmakers get notified of potential threats earlier and law enforcement can fan out to guard them.” FLETCHER: “There is all sorts of technology available now to ping people's phones, just like a tornado alert, to let them know there is a danger and they should call or read a text. So, we just need to get better.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4nNikLY
ABORTION: via Forum News Service, VERBATIM: “A lawsuit brought by several pregnancy centers and individual mothers against Minnesota’s abortion laws received its first hearing on Friday, July 11, at the U.S. Courthouse in downtown Minneapolis. The plaintiffs, which include the Women’s Life Care Center and the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates, argued that Minnesota’s abortion laws take away parental rights and violate the 14th Amendment during ‘involuntary’ and ‘unwanted’ abortions. Defendants, including Attorney General Keith Ellison, Gov. Tim Walz and Planned Parenthood, argued the state does not mandate a course of action by private citizens considering abortion.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3U7i0tM
STRIKE: via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “Nearly 300 nurses and health care workers at six Duluth-area Essentia Health facilities began [striking] Tuesday. On Thursday, they were joined by Advanced Practice Providers (APP). … The union now has picket lines in Duluth and Superior, as well as in Virginia, Minn., where Rep. Angie Craig joined the APP picket on Thursday. … Dr. Krista Skorupa, Essentia’s East Market president, said in a statement on Friday [that] ‘Essentia has a legal right — and an obligation to our patients — to ensure the legal review process plays out and that this proposed unit is fully vetted. A strike will not speed up that legal review process.’” READ: http://fluence-media.co/46DZ79c
(DISCLOSURE: Essentia Health is a client and sponsor of Fluence)
TARIFFS: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “With his ‘big, beautiful’ budget now law, President Donald Trump turned his attention again to another priority – tariffs. Trump threatened a new 50% tariff on imported copper [among other things], a move decried by environmentalists who oppose efforts to establish new copper and nickel mines on the Iron Range. ‘Broad tariffs on copper, including those from key allies, artificially inflate demand and falsely justify expanding domestic copper mining that would irreparably damage America’s favorite wilderness – the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness,’ said Ingrid Lyons, executive director of Save the Boundary Waters, in a statement.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3IolBB7
EPA: via Duluth News Tribune, VERBATIM: “The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency placed several of its Duluth laboratory employees on leave for signing a letter criticizing the Trump Administration’s politicization of the agency, a move the union and Democratic politicians said violates federal workers’ free speech. … The EPA said it placed 139 employees on paid leave to investigate their use of official titles when signing the letter.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/40gIkFq
3RD PARTY: via a Green Party MN press release, VERBATIM: “Building on enthusiasm generated during last year’s presidential campaign with Minnesotan Butch Ware as the Green Party’s vice-presidential candidate, this Spring the Green Party of Minnestoa [sic] Coordinating Committee formally recognized a new Muslim American caucus as part of the state party. … The Muslim-American caucus will work to amplify Muslim voices in green politics by advocating for civil rights, combating Islamophobia, and increasing Muslim political participation.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3U7esaW
70 YEARS OF STRONG JOBS AND ECONOMIC IMPACT: The Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery is Minnesota’s largest and most active work site, driving economic impact for local communities. The refinery is busy with plumbers and pipefitters, carpenters and electricians, engineers and environmental scientists, software and IT specialists — there are more than 1,000 full-time employees and, at times, more than 3,000 contractors working on-site on any given day. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/3ZQQsMp (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources)
MPD: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “The highest-paid Minneapolis police employee earned about a half-million dollars last year, with nearly half of that total from overtime pay. The city’s Police Department posted a record amount of overtime in 2024: $28 million, or $12 million more than planned. … Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the Internal Affairs Division is investigating at least three officers’ overtime after an audit he ordered of 2024 spending found some officers violated department policy. Asked in an interview whether some officers worked an implausible amount of overtime, O’Hara paused for a long time and said, ‘I don’t know what I’m allowed to say, so I don’t get myself in trouble with the city attorney.’” READ: http://fluence-media.co/44Le2Ma
RAMSEY CTY: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “Ramsey County and Falcon Heights will not pursue purchase of the approximately 141-acre Les Bolstad Golf Course, city and county officials informed the University of Minnesota ahead of the school’s Friday deadline. The University of Minnesota announced its intent to sell the public facility in June, citing financial and infrastructure needs. … [Falcon Heights] will still play a role in the property’s future as officials work with future buyers on zoning regulations and city code.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4eJ9Wc2
MPLS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “The Minneapolis City Council is looking into new ways to tax its wealthiest residents and businesses. The council voted 10-0 Thursday to research new sources of revenue, including taxing the city’s upper class, in ways that likely would require changes to state or federal laws. Seeking new income from the wealthiest is an idea gaining traction in a number of cities nationwide. Council members sought to frame the idea as a clapback to President Donald Trump’s tax-and-spending bill recently approved by Congress.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4nNFMZl
OLMSTED CTY: via Rochester Post Bulletin, VERBATIM: “Proposed construction contracts for Olmsted County’s planned exhibition center in Graham Park total nearly $39.7 million. County commissioners will be asked to approve the three contracts during their 6 p.m. meeting Tuesday in board chambers of the city-county Government Center. Construction of the planned 80,000-square-foot building is expected to start [after] July 27. … It is designed to seat 1,500 people in a roughly 125-foot by 250-foot performance arena.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4eNyMrf
DULUTH: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “There will be fewer colorful, ocean-going vessels known as ‘salties’ for tourists to gawk at along the Duluth Ship Canal in coming months. That’s because the CHS-owned grain terminal in Superior, Wis., the largest grain terminal in the Duluth-Superior port, is permanently closing at the end of August. Twenty-three employees will be laid off on Sept. 8. CHS Inc. said it expects to lay off two additional employees around the end of the year. … CHS did not give a reason for the closure beyond citing ‘shifts in how grain flows through our supply chain.’” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4lzpYrW
WATER: via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “A water tower issue has led to what city officials are calling a ‘temporary disruption in water service’ in Crystal, Golden Valley and New Hope. ‘The issue stems from a malfunctioning valve in the Golden Valley water tower that occurred overnight. Crews are currently on-site and are working to restore water and pressure to the three cities,’ New Hope officials said Sunday morning. … Around 11:30 a.m., the cities announced that water pressure was restored but the boil water advisory remained in effect pending the Minnesota Department of Health confirming water safety.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/40gHHM4
From Friday’s Fluence newsletters:
REGENTS: via Axios Twin Cities, VERBATIM: “Gov. Tim Walz gets to tap four new University of Minnesota Regents this summer, giving the DFL governor rare influence to shape the flagship university's 12-member governing board. … Some notable names in the mix include former Minnesota Hillel executive director Benjamin Kaplan, former Tim Pawlenty aide Dan Wolter, philanthropist and Democratic donor Ellen Luger, former U.S. ambassador to Norway Samuel Heins and former Comcast executive John Gibbs.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/44VOHjY
CANADA: via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “Six Republican members of Congress, four of them from Minnesota, have sent a letter to the Canadian ambassador complaining about the smoke from wildfires that have drifted south into the Midwest during the summer, prompting criticism from the Manitoba Premier.” QUOTE: ‘I have shaken the hands of American firefighters in northern Manitoba who are helping us out, and I would challenge these ambulance chasers in the U.S. Congress to go and do the same, and to hear how much the American firefighting heroes who are here love our province,’ Wab Kinew said on Thursday. He added: ‘This is what turns people off politics. When you've got a group of congresspeople trying to trivialize and make hay out of a wildfire season where we've lost lives in our province.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4eK4XYD
FARMERS: via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “Farmers are set to see a boost from the so-called ‘big, beautiful bill’ that Congress cleared and President Donald Trump signed into law last week. That tax and spending package includes $66.4 billion in new money for programs assisting farmers, strengthening the safety net if there is significant volatility in crop prices and revenues. There are also enhancements to crop insurance. While the legislation rolls back climate friendly tax incentives established in the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act for wind and solar development, it extends the clean energy fuel production credit until 2029 — though the value of that credit is reduced.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/46BS7cY
TODAY: Governor Tim Walz will meet with Delta leadership and receive a briefing from the Minnesota National Guard.
JULY 28: via AFP-MN, VERBATIM: “Sen. Jordan Rasmusson and representatives from Americans for Prosperity – Minnesota…will host a legislative forum in Fergus Falls to engage the community on key issues from the 2025 legislative session. … Topics will include housing affordability, government accountability, and responsible use of taxpayer dollars.” The event is at 5:00 p.m.
BDAYS: attorney Eric Swanson, communicator Tim Post
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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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