Wild play St. Louis tonight.
What would a true “blow up” of the Twins look like? TWINSDAILY: https://fluence-media.co/43dnjN9
Sports Take out this afternoon….
Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a plan for ending their two-year war. NBC: http://fluence-media.co/4h5FoCE
Here’s what to do if your flight is delayed or canceled during the government shutdown. AP: http://fluence-media.co/473wPnf
AI investments account for 40% of U.S. GDP growth and 80% of U.S. stock market growth so far this year. FT: https://fluence-media.co/4gYQSb0
A Pew Research poll finds that 66% of Americans, including 42% of Republicans, say the president has “improperly used his office” to punish people for speech he does not like. POLL: http://fluence-media.co/47f4CLn
Americans’ confidence in the mass media has edged down to a new low, with just 28% expressing a “great deal” or “fair amount” of trust in newspapers, television and radio to report the news fully, accurately and fairly. This is down from 31% last year and 40% five years ago. GALLUP: https://fluence-media.co/46Jrbb6
Today is Pro-Life Cupcake Day…I didn’t know cupcakes had a position on abortion. It’s also National Moldy Cheese Day. Just eat what you want.
I’ll be at the MN Business Partnership dinner tonight – see you there.
Blois - tips: bloisolson@gmail.com
Today’s morning take on WCCO Radio with Vineeta Sawkar. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4o434JY
Fluence Advisory is getting ready to host its next Fluence Forum – The State of Health Care. Email bolson@fluence-advisory.com for more information and sponsorship information.
Fluence Advisory is hiring an executive administrator. POST: https://fluence-media.co/4oqit7J
What are the headwinds and tailwinds of the regional economy? - Sunday Take featured UMN’s Myles Shaver discussing the current state of the headquarters economy in Minnesota. LISTEN: http://fluence-media.co/3IPKVR8
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.
SPECIAL SESSION: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “Gov. Tim Walz appeared Wednesday to walk back prior commitments to call a special legislative session on gun restrictions with or without a deal among legislative leaders. The second-term DFLer said he needs to reach an agreement with leaders to avoid ‘a waste of money and a waste of time’ calling back lawmakers in the narrowly split Legislature. Responding to ramped-up pressure on him by groups seeking new gun restrictions, Walz said a session wouldn’t be worthwhile if the House and Senate won’t commit to [compromises].” WALZ: “I’m going to continue to push them. I’m going to continue to ask. … [But] I need to get an agreement on this.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4gYvB10
RESPONSE: In a statement Wednesday, Speaker Lisa Demuth reiterated that she is still open to the governor calling a special session without a deal in place. DEMUTH: “I’ve told the governor all along that if he calls a special session, Republicans will show up. What we will not do is agree to pass a gun bill that hasn’t been written and so far has no level of detail we can even discuss.”
MORE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Gov. Tim Walz said Wednesday he will start holding town halls with community members about a possible assault weapons ban as a legislative agreement on gun policy changes continues to elude him. … Walz signaled he plans to maintain pressure on GOP lawmakers and keep the topic in the public eye with town halls. The governor’s office is talking with the House and Senate DFL caucuses about holding the town halls in the coming weeks.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4gZAwyO
SD52: via MPR, VERBATIM: “On the heels of a retirement announcement by DFL state Sen. Jim Carlson, an area state House member says she’ll try to move chambers. Rep. Liz Reyer announced her campaign for the Dakota County-area seat. Reyer, of Eagan, has been in the House for three terms. In the House, she has focused on health care issues and served on the committee that decides on infrastructure spending. She’s the third House member to announce a 2026 state Senate campaign. The others are DFL state Rep. Mike Freiberg and GOP state Rep. Tom Dippel.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3KIOOb6
SD25: via Rochester Post Bulletin, VERBATIM: “DFL Sen. Liz Boldon said she will seek a second four-year term in the Minnesota Senate to represent a large portion of Rochester. A Mayo Clinic nurse, Boldon served a single term as a state representative before making a successful bid for an open Senate seat. … Long a Republican seat, Boldon’s victory in 2022 to represent District 25 was another sign of Rochester’s swing from a battleground to largely DFL-controlled territory. Boldon won the seat by a 20-point margin. So far, a GOP challenger has yet to emerge. … Boldon will host a campaign re-launch event from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 21.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3L0EZ8s
SD41: State Sen. Judy Seeberger announced she’s running for relection yesterday. That sets up a rematch against Rep. Tom Dippel.
CD8: State Sen. Grant Hauschild announced he’s not running for Congress.
NOTE: The DFL Senate seems to have an early edge on candidate recruitment for 2026, however intraparty battles may prove more contentious than previous cycles.
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RUMRIVER: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “Anoka County is suing the Minnesota Department of Transportation to block $6.2 million of transportation grant money from going toward a pedestrian bridge over the Rum River Dam in Anoka…The bridge, championed by DFL House Leader Rep. Zack Stephenson, would be just the first piece of a larger installation that would eventually include a lock for boats and a whitewater surfing area. The estimated cost for the entire project is $55 million… Anoka County Attorney Brad Johnson claims Stephenson misused the legislative process to divert more than half of the county’s share of that tax revenue to the City of Anoka for a “pet project” rather than to address infrastructure projects that benefit the county at large. READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/470UJjh
FRAUD: via Center for Fiscal Excellence, VERBATIM: “In his recent executive order, ‘Empowering State Agencies to Continue Combatting Fraud,’ the Governor acknowledged that new programs often prioritized access over ensuring appropriate safeguards were also in place. But that problem has a long history in the state, [per] a 2003 OLA Program Evaluation Report. … The type of integrity lapses chronicled in OLA audit and program evaluation reports suggest something deeper — an internal neglect of basic compliance and internal control actions. … If program integrity is ultimately carried out through people, then the design and management of the workforce is not peripheral to fraud prevention but central to it. That’s the takeaway message from Malcolm Sparrow, Professor of the Practice of Public Management at Harvard.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3IQ9nBW
DISABILITIES: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “Providers operating under the Minnesota Department of Human Services-administered Integrated Community Supports (ICS) program…say a change in state law this year meant, in part, to crack down on fraud may threaten the entire program. … ‘We are teetering on the edge of collapse, and nobody seems to be focusing on the real issue,’ said Josh Berg, director of Minnesota services and strategic growth for nonprofit Accessible Space, Inc. … As of the latest update from DHS this week, 11 providers have had their ICS payments paused. Berg said he and other providers alerted DHS to the lack of available affordable housing and have been asking for guidance on how to navigate it in a way that complies with laws and program regulations for at least four years prior.” READ/WATCH: http://fluence-media.co/3WuA02o
COUNTIES: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “A unanimous Minnesota Supreme Court ruling Wednesday highlighted the state’s ongoing dilemma over the lack of available bed space for criminal defendants found to be mentally ill and unfit to stand trial. The opinion determined that counties are responsible for the legal fees of defendants who file petitions to force the state to place them in a treatment facility. The justices recognized this will place a financial burden on counties across Minnesota. … The Supreme Court opinion highlighted the Legislature’s role in this problem and likely responsibility to solve it.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3KZQYmG
ADDICTION: via St. Cloud Live, VERBATIM: “The Central Minnesota Mental Health Center is shutting down its withdrawal management program due to low enrollment, according to a news release. In 2024, the program had an average capacity of eight people a day and lost more than $980,000 for the organization. … The closure comes soon after officials in Ramsey County announced it would close its Detoxification Center in St. Paul on Jan. 1, 2026. That program served about 10 people a day, well under its capacity of 50. … The withdrawal management closure will result in elimination of about 25 of Central Minnesota Mental Health Center’s 231 employees.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/46Plabq
DESPITE THE CHALLENGES OF RURAL HEALTH CARE, ESSENTIA IS RECOGNIZED FOR PROVIDING TOP CLINICAL CARE: According to the latest report from Minnesota Community Measurement, a statewide resource on health care quality, costs and equity, Essentia ranked as a high performer with 19 of 20 clinical quality metrics scoring above statewide averages. According to Dr. Maria Beaver, chief quality and patient safety officer at Essentia: “This is a testament to the amazing care provided by all our clinical care teams and all our colleagues who support them.” LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4dCxy1D (SPONSORED: Essentia Health)
SYNAGOGUE: via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “The largest synagogue in Minnesota has once again been vandalized with spray paint bearing antisemitic messages. On Wednesday, photos show a threatening message of ‘watch out Zionists’ painted in red on the outside wall of Temple Israel in south Minneapolis, as well as a reference to the Oct. 7 attack led by Hamas exactly two years ago in Israel. … In a news conference late Wednesday afternoon, Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the vandalism was ‘clearly a hate crime.’ … The synagogue is attended by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who [said] ‘Hiding behind hate to spread fear against any religion or group of people is cowardly and unacceptable in our city.’ … Sen. Omar Fateh, who represents southwest Minneapolis, also denounced the vandalism.” READ/WATCH: http://fluence-media.co/3J06uhP
ISRAEL: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “When U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum was growing up, the violent ‘troubles’ in Northern Ireland divided families with Irish heritage like hers. … That concern over conflict resolution and human rights led her to become an early and vocal critic of Israel on Capitol Hill, including its treatment of juvenile detainees and blockade of humanitarian aid in its conflict with Palestinians in the region. … When she began criticizing Israel 25 years ago, McCollum was among a minority of lawmakers from her party. But no more, as McCollum’s fellow Democrats have recently moved toward the Minnesota lawmaker on the [issue].” READ: http://fluence-media.co/3WyeVnC
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)
SHUTDOWN: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “As U.S. House majority whip, it’s Rep. Tom Emmer’s job to count votes and persuade – or even strongarm – recalcitrant Republicans to support GOP initiatives in a closely divided chamber. But now there are no votes to count. Emmer joined a GOP House leadership press conference Wednesday to continue to blame Democrats for a federal government shutdown that is in its eighth day. … Emmer is among a small group of House Republicans who are still in Washington, D.C., because House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has canceled all House votes for a second week. … Rep. Angie Craig, D-2nd District, [was] one of 10 House Democrats, many of them moderates, who wrote to Speaker Johnson on Wednesday asking him to reconvene the U.S. House to vote on legislation that would pay the military, even if there is no end to the shutdown.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4mY3dhc
ENERGY: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Minnesota officials and energy industry professionals are warning that the Trump Administration’s recent funding cuts to state transmission line projects will likely result in ratepayers picking up the tab. … Industry representatives said the canceled grants [are] making it difficult for developers and utilities to follow through on approved projects, many of which are under construction. … Minnesota’s transmission projects, which are part of a larger initiative to add transmission lines across seven Midwestern states, will have to be built anyway. … Sen. Nick Frentz, a Democrat representing Mankato, [said] ‘Who do you think’s gonna pay for it? The ratepayers in those utility districts.’” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4obqUn9
WILDFIRE: via Bring Me The News, VERBATIM: “Authorities have confirmed the breakout of a wildfire at a state park in northeastern Minnesota. The fire, initially estimated at 30 acres in size, has been confirmed on the east side of George Crosby Manitou State Park on Minnesota’s North Shore. … Minnesota DNR and Superior National Forest firefighters and ‘multiple aircraft’ are responding to the outbreak, which has been named the Crosby Fire.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/48TNvQw
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)
HEALTHCARE: via a Rep. Kelly Morrison press release, VERBATIM: “Today, U.S. Representative Kelly Morrison (MN-03), a doctor for more than 20 years, joined the U.S. House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee to highlight how President [Donald] Trump and his Republican majority have created a health care crisis.” MORRISON: “The Republican policies of gutting Medicaid and now threatening to not extend the ACA premium tax credits…will cause tens of millions of Americans to lose their health insurance. Such a drastic increase in uninsured Americans will have dire consequences for clinics and hospitals already struggling to stay above water.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4q0C1Rt
VACCINES: via Office of the Governor, VERBATIM: “Governor Tim Walz and First Lady Gwen Walz today received their COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations, underscoring that Minnesotans will continue to have the freedom to access life-saving vaccines.” WALZ: “In Minnesota, we are guided by science and we believe in medical expertise. In Minnesota, your health decisions are between you and your doctor, not politicians in Washington.”
CHILDCARE: via a Rep. Ilhan Omar press release, VERBATIM: “Today, Representative Ilhan Omar (MN-05) re-introduced the Federal Worker Childcare Protection Act, legislation to ensure that federal employees who are furloughed or required to work without pay during the ongoing lapse in federal funding are eligible to be reimbursed for childcare expenses incurred during the shutdown. … Under the legislation, any federal employee impacted by the lapse in funding beginning on or about October 1, 2025, and who continues to pay for childcare, would be eligible for reimbursement.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4mRXfhP
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)
ANOKA CTY: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Anoka County had a plan for more than $6 million in transportation funds: Improved trails in Columbia Heights, an underpass at a dangerous crossing in St. Francis and park upgrades in Andover and Coon Rapids. Instead, the money is going toward the construction of a pedestrian bridge over the Rum River in the city of Anoka, as part of a project county officials call a ‘dubious boondoggle’ of a plan to bring whitewater surfing to the river there. Now, Anoka County is suing the state, accusing state Rep. Zack Stephenson, newly elected House DFL leader from Coon Rapids, of ‘misusing the legislative process to finance his own pet project’ in his district.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/46Y4mz1
ST PAUL: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “The Union Gospel Mission Twin Cities will host a 24-hour live conversation on homelessness, addiction and mental health later this week. … Pam Stegora Axberg, the organization’s CEO, will participate in 40 conversations from 2 p.m. Thursday to 2 p.m. Friday. … Participants will include Ramsey County Attorney John Choi, Ramsey County Commissioner Rena Moran and Melvin Carter, the mayor of St. Paul. Officials from the Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health, the Minnesota Wild and Nourish MN, a food bank in St. Paul, are also scheduled to participate.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4h3aZF8
STEARNS CTY: via St. Cloud Live, VERBATIM: “Onlookers filled the four rows of chairs and pressed against the walls 15 minutes before the start of the Stearns County commissioners meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 7, at Cold Spring’s town hall. The commissioners, who normally meet at 9 a.m. in St. Cloud, moved their meeting to the evening in Cold Spring to connect with more residents. … The commissioners approved an award of $165,000 in Statewide Affordable Housing aid to Avivo for a low-barrier shelter in St. Cloud, helping fill a $500,000 funding gap.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/4nGU3GL
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)
ROCHESTER: via Rochester Post Bulletin, VERBATIM: “Although the students of Rochester Public Schools didn’t make as much progress in reading as hoped in 2024-25, the district’s school board has reiterated its confidence in Superintendent Kent Pekel. On Tuesday, Oct. 7, Board Chairwoman Cathy Nathan gave a brief overview of the district’s goal for last year compared with what it actually achieved. … The outcomes goal for 2024-25 was that at least one third of the schools in the district would make ‘statistically significant gains in the number of students who score ‘proficient’ in reading in at least one grade level.’ … Nathan went on to say that there were seven schools that met that criteria, rather than the eight that had been the goal.” READ: http://fluence-media.co/46GXmYC
NORTHFIELD: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “The Northfield Public School District is seeing success after changing its reading curriculum for student learning. … [Currently], half of the students in Minnesota are not meeting or exceeding grade-level reading standards. In 2022, the Northfield Public School District shifted its approach to teaching reading, moving away from using picture cues to solve the problem. … According to the district, since implementing the phonics-based approach, 63% of third graders have scored at or above reading level, compared to the state average of 46%.” READ/WATCH: http://fluence-media.co/48mXQV8
ROBBINSDALE: via KARE 11, VERBATIM: “The Robbinsdale Public School District [board] voted to accept the resignation of director Kim Holmes. … ‘I can no longer subject my family or myself to the traumatic environment of serving as a 281 board member,’ Holmes wrote in a lengthy social media post. … Robbinsdale Public Schools have been plagued by dysfunction on the board for years, with directors filing complaints against each other and engaging in persistent infighting. Holmes’ resignation follows that of director Sharon Brooks, who quit in February. An outside investigation in 2024 concluded the board was so dysfunctional that members weren’t fulfilling their duties.” READ/WATCH: http://fluence-media.co/4n6LKDm
From yesterday’s Fluence newsletters:
PROPERTY TAX: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “Local governments are leaning on their tax levies as they set their 2026 budgets and dozens of school districts are counting on voters to approve higher taxes for building construction or to supplement classroom funding. With a few weeks before truth-in-taxation notices must be mailed out, local leaders are bracing their residents for tax bumps. They point to federal spending cuts, rising health insurance costs and inflation as driving the increases.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4odjpMp
SHUTDOWN: via Wall Street Journal, VERBATIM: “Just a week into the U.S. government shutdown, businesses nationwide are starting to feel the pain. … Vinco, a telecommunications and electrical subcontractor, learned just over a month ago that it was part of the winning bid for a Minneapolis-St. Paul Air Force Reserve building upgrade. But the shutdown has held up the paperwork needed to process the contract, which would employ six to eight skilled electricians at Vinco for about nine months. Steve Anderson, president of the Forest Lake, Minn., company, said he will put the electricians on other jobs, even if doing so means overstaffing some projects. That will hurt profit margins at the 300-person company, which receives about 5% of its sales from the federal government.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4pZJHU3
DRIVERLESS: via Axios Twin Cities, VERBATIM: “Waymo is making moves in Minnesota. The California-based company would need a change in state law to launch its driverless robotaxis here, since current statute requires that a person is on board and able to take over driving if necessary. Waymo recently hired four lobbyists from a local firm, state disclosures show, signaling that it’s gearing up to push for a green light to test — and eventually launch — its autonomous vehicles in Minnesota.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4q5SJ20
TODAY: Governor Tim Walz will meet with ISAIAH Black church members, leaders of the School Superintendents Association, and attend the Minnesota Business Partnership annual meeting.
TODAY: via news advisory from the Senate DFL, VERBATIM: “…members of the Senate Select Subcommittee on Federal Impacts on Minnesotans and Economic Stability will hold a roundtable discussion in Northfield to hear from Minnesotans about the increased cost of healthcare and insurance, and its effect on the cost of living and access to care.”
TODAY: via an MN House advisory, VERBATIM: “The House Capital Investment Committee will begin their second regional tour of the fall, visiting communities in Northeast Minnesota. This bipartisan tour will consist of sites of proposed investment in state infrastructure which will be considered for inclusion in a 2026 Capital Investment Bill. The week’s tour will bring the committee to the communities of Vadnais Heights, North Branch, Pine City, Moose Lake, Carlton, Proctor, Duluth, Silver Bay, Grand Marais, Ely, Virginia, Eveleth, Chisholm, Hibbing, and Floodwood.” SCHEDULE: http://fluence-media.co/432s0t4
TODAY: via Faith in MN, VERBATIM: “Members of Senator Tina Smith’s staff, members of Representative Ilhan Omar’s staff, childcare providers, and minority-owned small business leaders will meet for a roundtable discussion on the impending skyrocketing costs of healthcare and its impact.” The event is at 10:00 a.m.
TODAY: via an MBP advisory, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Business Partnership has curated a museum-like exhibit for HQElevate 2025’s ‘A Night at the Museum,’ where artifacts and from over 50 Minnesota businesses tell the remarkable stories behind the state’s economic success.” The event is at 4:15 p.m.
OCT 15: via a CTUL advisory, VERBATIM: “Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en la Lucha (CTUL) and North Star Policy Action (NSPA) will host a press conference at Minneapolis City Hall to release a new report outlining how the City can partner with community organizations to eliminate abuse in the non-unionized construction industry, [including] issues such as wage theft, misclassification, and assault.” The event is at 10:00 a.m.
BDAYS: fmr. Rep. Donald Raleigh, TGT’s Allison Eger, attorney Henry Helgen
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