TODAY’S REALITY
Twins lose. Knicks win. Lynx tonight.
Sports Take later today.
An early signal of Trump’s Midwest challenge? – His endorsed candidate for Governor in Iowa lost the Republican primary.
The Senate has eliminated ballroom funding, and the House passed a War Powers Resolution against the Iran War – there’s signs of shift in the mood of Republicans in DC related to President Trump’s agenda. The Midwest may be the place where the economy drives voters away from Republicans this fall.
People named Ryan will try to set a record for the most people with the same name on a rollercoaster at the Mall of America. BMTN: https://fluence-media.co/4vrB2eW
This weekend is Twin Cities Pride….Gallup finds that the share of Americans who think gay relationships are “morally acceptable” has dropped to 62% after peaking at 71% in 2022. Support is at 81% among Democrats, down 4 points; 64% among Independents, down 8 points; and 35% among Republicans, down 21 points. POLL: https://fluence-media.co/3RMx9mp
Today is National Cheese Day…tomorrow a Donut List.
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SMARTER: Long Term Care – Is Minnesota Ready? Care Providers Minnesota and LeadingAge Minnesota hosted providers, Senator Grant Hauschild (03, DFL), Representative Natalie Zeleznikar (03B, GOP), and Representative Nathan Nelson (11B, GOP) for a conversation about the future of careing for our seniors. This coming week the conversation moves to St. Cloud. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4ue3YXA
Sunday Take recapped the GOP state convention with candidates Kendall Qualls, Adam Schwarze and Mike Lindell in Duluth. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/432x94b
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STATE OF THE DFL SEN. RACE
First in morning take, via poll memo the Craig for Senate campaign, VERBATIM: “Polling among likely voters in Minnesota shows both Congresswoman Angie Craig and Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan with strong leads in a hypothetical matchup against Republican Michele Tafoya. However, fraud is the top concern among general election voters and one negative message linking Flanagan to it evaporates her lead over Tafoya, putting Minnesota’s Senate seat at risk… A negative message linking Flanagan to fraud is incredibly damaging, and
moves the U.S Senate race into a toss-up. Flanagan’s 7-point lead vanishes and she becomes tied with Tafoya (47% Flanagan / 47% Tafoya / 6%. Undecided) after voters hear a single message about her role. Fraud messaging..is a particularly large liability among Independents, who shift from supporting Flanagan by 7 points to supporting to favoring Tafoya by 3 (44% Flanagan / 47% Tafoya / 9% undecided). MEMO: https://fluence-media.co/4vxeERG
MORE: via “State of the Race” memo from the Craig campaign, VERBATIM: “As voters have learned more about the candidates, Craig has taken the lead in the Democratic Senate primary. 43% of primary voters would vote for Angie Craig today, compared to 42% who would vote for Peggy Flanagan. Another 13% of voters remain undecided.” MEMO: https://fluence-media.co/4uSeT9X
NAVIGATING AI
AI: Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and her Senate campaign staff have accused the North Star Dawn PAC of using an AI-generated deepfake of Flanagan in a TV ad supporting DFL rival Rep. Angie Craig. The Flanagan campaign said the ad is “possibly illegal” under a 2023 state law banning AI deepfakes in election materials. The Office of the Sec. of State says political deepfakes are illegal if they are shared “within 90 days of an election” — the general election is 152 days away, but the DFL primary is 68 days away. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/4x8g7iI LAW: https://fluence-media.co/4o7cxRK
MORE: The North Star Dawn TV ad featuring a realistic animation of Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan is available to watch online. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4x3HElD
RESPONSE: via Rep. Angie Craig’s campaign, STATEMENT: “The Congresswoman has been consistent that she does not support the use of A.I. in political ads. She has also co-sponsored legislation that would prohibit deepfakes. The Lt. Governor’s complaints are meant to distract from the fact she accepted millions of corporate dollars as chair of the DLGA.”
TAKE: It’s the AI Election. A new and unknown era of AI and politics. We are in an era where words and framing on an issue like AI by the loudest voices to cast fear or suggest that something is worse than it might be. A new era of misleading political ads, fear about the tech infrastructure we need to support the future, and an energy and resource shouting match that misses a policy discussion about the future economy.
The ad above is a good case study – the Flanagan campaign calls it a “Deep Fake”, which makes it seem more sinister than the content of the ad. Minnesota has a law against “Deep Fakes” and AI, but is animation AI? Caricatures and manipulated images have been in political ads for decades. For this case it is hard to differentiate. That said, it raises questions and should spark a discussion about what is AI? What is a “Deep Fake?”. Voters and media will try to figure it out, meanwhile it is likely that the courts will be involved soon.
Thoughtful discussions seem impossible in this environment – and in the heat of a very contested campaign. That said, overdramatizing the situation may lead to a “boy cries wolf” environment about AI in political ads, so if there was a truly troubling “Deep Fake”, it may not be taken as serious in future situations.
For instance, using someone’s voice with face dialog in an ad to mislead would seem to be more of a “Deep Fake” than just animation. To think about this at the scale of a US Senate race is one thing – but the more dangerous space is a legislative race or a local municipal election where discovering it or getting the ad stopped would be daunting.
Some of the reporting from the Flanagan news release, frames this as “Flanagan Campaign Says” which is fair, but we owe some education, explanation of the Minnesota law, and hopefully some legal guidance of what is a “Deep Fake” and what is just the historical manipulation of your opponent in a negative ad. It’s also a good moment to remind us – just because someone says it doesn’t make it true.
The issues of AI, from data centers and energy infrastructure is in the noisy era of overamplified activists, but we have to find our way to an common understanding that the future is coming fast, and messaging the issues with fear, will only slow our progress which only postpones the inevitable.
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Here are the two MNSiders from the weekend, with insight from the conventions.
SAT: https://fluence-media.co/49se3rS
SUN: https://fluence-media.co/4u5nHIc
ELECTION FEED
PRIMARIES: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “Last weekend’s tumultuous DFL and GOP state party conventions have prompted some Democrats and Republicans to again consider scrapping the way Minnesota chooses political candidates. … Only eight other states [endorse] candidates at state party conventions. … There is talk of abolishing endorsing conventions and moving up the date of Minnesota’s primary election, now scheduled for Aug. 11, to an earlier date, perhaps in June. Making those changes would need the approval of the state parties and the Legislature. But pressure for that change is building. … ‘[Party] endorsements do not produce the most electable candidates,’ said Blois Olson, a political analyst. … [But] attempts to eliminate the endorsement process would result in ‘blowback’ from certain organizations that field delegates, including unions and hardline ideological groups.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ufgMMQ
ENDORSEMENT: Via WCCO-TV, a look at how much a party endorsement impacts election results. VERBATIM: “The party endorsement’s success rate, specifically for electing Minnesota’s governor, hasn’t gone well. It started in the 1980s when Democrat Rudy Purpich won the gubernatorial race without the endorsement. Republican Arne Carlson would do the same years later. Jesse Ventura, the pro wrestler turned Independent, needed no help from either party to be elected governor. And the two most recent DFL governors, Mark Dayton and Tim Walz, both won over voters in the primary and November despite missing their party’s endorsement.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4dQnofK
CHILDCARE: Activists with ISAIAH announced they are launching a statewide advocacy campaign for universal childcare in Minnesota. The campaign, “Childcare for All MN,” supports free or low-cost childcare for all families with children up to the age of 5, among other demands. A kickoff event will be held in Minneapolis on June 13, with the first of multiple virtual info sessions beginning today at 12:00 noon. WEBSITE: https://fluence-media.co/3Q1dnD1
47B: DFL Rep. Ethan Cha will face a contested race for reelection in House District 47B after Woodbury City Council member Kim Wilson collected enough signatures to file a run as an Independent. Wilson, a self-described conservative, said in a Facebook post that she is running as an Independent because she is an “independent thinker” who will not be “whipped” by party leaders. WILSON: “Being an independent conservative means I can vote my conservative values without having to be subjected to party beliefs. … I am an independent thinker, not afraid to stand alone on an issue, and I am certainly not going to be called into some office and be ‘whipped’ into a vote for the sake of the party.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fIOve3
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)
SD65: via MPR, VERBATIM: “The attention to the GOP convention pause in the name of Derek Chauvin isn’t abating. … The person who pushed for the Chauvin recognition identified himself as ‘Rocco’ from Senate District 65. Campaign filings yesterday included a ‘Rocco (No Last Name)’ as a Republican state Senate candidate in the same district. The St. Paul district is heavily DFL, so there is little chance Rocco will win, but it does push this into the lap of the GOP state Senate caucus.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4xnENnI
FILINGS: Forum News Service has a list of every candidate who filed to run for a statewide office, along with notable candidates who did not file before the deadline. EXCERPT: “Rep. Peggy Bennett, R-Albert Lea, who was running for governor, did not file for the office after little traction over the GOP convention weekend. She also did not file for her House seat, 23A. Patrick Knight, another GOP candidate, and independent candidate Brad Kohler also did not file.” LIST: https://fluence-media.co/4uPBEeJ
Follow the 2026 Minnesota elections up close with the Fluence Election Tracker.
https://fluence-media.co/electiontracker
STATE STUFF
IRAN: via CNN, VERBATIM: “The House passed a resolution on Wednesday to limit President Donald Trump’s war powers in Iran, a significant rebuke to Trump and his handling of the conflict. … The vote was 215 to 208 with Republican Reps. Thomas Massie, Brian Fitzpatrick, Tom Barrett and Warren Davidson crossing party lines to support the resolution. … The [resolution] must be approved by both chambers. … A House Democratic aide who has been involved in the effort to pass the war powers resolution told CNN they believe the resolution would be binding and it would be a legal matter to work that out.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/49GoGY3
MORE: DFL Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith both expressed support on social media for passing the House’s war powers resolution in the Senate. KLOBUCHAR: “Good — now let’s pass it in the Senate and get this done.” SMITH: “Now it’s our turn.”
RESPONSE: via Rep. Betty McCollum statement, McCOLLUM: “Democrats were finally joined by enough Republicans to assert Congress’s constitutional War Powers authority. … The President should work with the international community to negotiate a peaceful resolution to the Iran nuclear materials issue and open up the Strait of Hormuz. I call on the Senate to immediately take up and pass this resolution.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fqSAU0
PRIVACY: via Office of the Atty. General, VERBATIM: “Attorney General Keith Ellison yesterday joined a coalition of 18 Attorneys General and agencies to oppose the Securing and Establishing Consumer Uniform Rights and Enforcement over Data Act (SECURE Data Act), a proposed federal data privacy bill. … The coalition sent a letter to Congressional leaders calling on them to reject the SECURE Data Act, and respect privacy protections that Minnesota has already granted to their residents.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fkCX0e
AMTRAK: via WCCO Radio, VERBATIM: “The Borealis train service between Minnesota and Chicago recently celebrated its two-year anniversary to mostly positive reviews. … Ridership has exceeded expectations, says Chris Meyer, Chair of the Great River Rail Commission. ‘Ridership has been over 416,000 passengers in the first two years, and what the estimate was in the beginning was like 155,000 a year,’ Meyer said. … But Meyer says they also have a wish list going forward. ‘We would really love to get newer cars and/or higher capacity for the train,’ she said.” READ/LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4o9JFsg
GRAND OLD DAY: Flint Hills Resources is thrilled to be this year’s sponsor of the Grand Old Day parade. Flint Hills employees, families and friends will be showing their Saint Paul pride as they hand out giveaways alongside one of the Pine Bend refinery’s fire trucks. New this year, Flint Hills Resources engineers will demonstrate how science is really fun (and tasty) at the Future Innovators Zone. Kids can learn how to make their very own ice cream at home. Be sure to stop by on June 7! LEARN MORE: Grand Old Day (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery)
HEALTH CARE
HCMC: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “In May, a massive legislative bailout bought time for the region’s largest safety-net hospital, [HCMC]. But it didn’t fix the underlying causes of its troubles, high among them the skyrocketing cost of providing care to people who can’t afford it. … For HCMC, financial assistance has become an almost impossible burden. The cost to the hospital of what is called ‘charity care’ not only has risen to unsustainable levels in recent years, but has far outpaced what other hospitals in the state have spent. And as the number of uninsured Minnesotans rises, the hospital finds itself in an increasingly untenable position with no simple solution in sight.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4vtTfbT
RURAL CARE: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “Rural health care facilities in Minnesota are grappling with the implications of the failure of state legislation last month that was meant to strengthen a critical discount drug program. … Multiple rural, critical access hospital leaders told MPR News that while imperfect, 340B has become a lifeline. These facilities serve a large percentage of patients on Medicaid and Medicare, which pay low reimbursements to hospitals, making it difficult for them to break even. The revenue earned under 340B allows them to keep the lights on.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43yDhl3
LEGISLATORS STEPPED UP FOR HCMC, BUT MORE SUPPORT IS NEEDED FOR RURAL HOSPITALS: Savings from the 340B drug program help local hospitals sustain access to cancer treatment, specialty services, and technology investments in rural communities. While drug companies continue to raise prices and rake in profits, rural hospitals will be forced to stretch limited resources even further if legislators don’t step up to strengthen the 340B program. READ MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4v5Qo8Q (SPONSORED: Essentia Health)
MEDICAID: via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “Minnesota state officials are feeling pressure from the federal government, working to revalidate thousands of Medicaid providers who operate in programs that are at high-risk for fraud. It’s led to the termination of services at thousands of locations. Some of those places tell WCCO they’ve done nothing wrong, and now their clients are suffering. … [Clients are] struggling to find housing as the state puts Medicaid providers under intense scrutiny, revalidating more than 5,000 locations to root out fraud.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4dYgzY3
BENEFITS: via KARE 11, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Supreme Court reversed a lower court’s ruling Wednesday, establishing a new precedent for how first responders can qualify for death benefits. … Before this ruling, the state required proof that the first responder faced ‘nonroutine’ stressful or strenuous physical activity within 24 hours of dying. In Wednesday’s ruling, the Minnesota Supreme Court established that emergency responses like domestic disputes or traffic stops can be considered ‘nonroutine,’ even if the officer frequently handles them.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4fIUeR5
PROUD TO CHAMPION ATHLETES EVERYWHERE: Minnesota’s 24,000 family corn farmers may come from different fields than the athletes participating in the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games, which are set for June 20-26 in Minnesota. But they share the same values, including dedication, hard work, and perseverance. This summer, Minnesota Corn salutes the talented athletes participating in the games. We’ll be cheering them on from our fields as they shine in yours. (SPONSORED: Minnesota Corn)
DAYBOOK
TODAY: Gov. Tim Walz has no public events.
TODAY: ISAIAH will host a virtual info session for their upcoming “Childcare for All MN” advocacy campaign at 12:00 noon.
TOMORROW: Via Minneapolis Fed, Regional Outreach Director Erick Garcia Luna will host a webinar discussing results from the spring survey of construction firms across the Ninth District. The event is at 9:00 a.m. DETAILS: https://fluence-media.co/4wFjTjv
TOMORROW: Advocates with the GFS Community Visioning Council will hold a press conference calling on the City of Minneapolis to stop construction at George Floyd Square until they have addressed “community concerns,” per a release. The event is at 1:00 p.m.
TOMORROW: Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear will speak at the DFL’s annual Humphrey-Mondale Dinner in Minneapolis on Friday, June 5. The event is at 6:00 p.m.
MONDAY: Attorney General Keith Ellison is hosting a community forum on the proposed acquisition of North Memorial Health by Sanford Health. The event is in Robbinsdale on Monday, June 8 at 6:00 p.m.
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BDAYS: lobbyist Kris Amundson, fmr. Sen. Kathy Saltzman, fmr. reporter Brian Lambert, PR and sports legend Dave Mona
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.