Twins have loss six in a row. Where does sports fit in a weekend of tragedy? That’s today in Sports Take.
A Minnetonka man was biking through Iran last week when bombs started dropping. AP: https://fluence-media.co/4n8kc1t
The latest ranking of the world’s best universities by U.S. News has the University of Minnesota Twin Cities tied at 72nd with the University of Wisconsin Madison. LIST: https://fluence-media.co/449b9Vo
The Business Roundtable’s CEO Economic Outlook hits a 5-year low. AXIOS: https://fluence-media.co/3SZ8h8w
Here’s what’s open and closed in Minnesota today for Juneteenth. LIST: https://fluence-media.co/3HNKIgi
Blois
TIPS: bloisolson@gmail.com
Today’s morning take on the days ahead with Vineeta Sawkar on WCCO Radio. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4e5mhXK
Sunday Take was dedicated to the legacy of House DFL Leader Melissa Hortman following her tragic death. Rep. Jeff Witte and former Rep. John Lesch discussed her life, her career, and how her killing could change Minnesota politics forever. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4kL12x4
Sponsorships available – to reach over 25,000 readers per day on Fluence’s tip sheet and website www.TheDailyAgenda.com – email BloisOlson@gmail.com
UMN: via a U of M press release, VERBATIM: “The University of Minnesota Board of Regents convened to consider and act on the University’s fiscal year 2026 capital and operating budgets. … The balanced operating budget anticipates approximately $5.1 billion in revenue for the coming year to cover approximately $5.1 billion in expenses. It addresses key priorities shared by the Board and President. … The approved operating budget includes tuition increases and University-wide scope reductions, while balancing forward-thinking strategic investments. … The Board of Regents is scheduled to meet next on July 9-10.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lioIc5
MORE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “U President Rebecca Cunningham ardently defended the university’s budget, denouncing some faculty members’ claims that the U spends too much on administrative costs. … The [budget] includes a 7% cut to academic programs and raises tuition by 6.5% for undergraduate, in-state students attending the Twin Cities campus. That makes it the biggest hike in 14 years for the flagship campus.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ndfwaM
MORE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Minnesota State officials approved Wednesday the heftiest tuition increase in nearly two decades, with increases ranging from 4% to 8% across the 33 schools in the state’s largest higher education system. The 8-5 vote came after the Board of Trustees outlined ‘tremendous uncertainty’ facing higher education in Minnesota.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kFXNH8
LAYOFFS: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “More Minnesotans have been handed layoff notices compared to this time last year. So far this year, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has received 33 worker adjustment and retraining notification (WARN) letters from companies closing or having mass layoffs — that’s eight more than all of last year.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/443tTWc
DATA CENTERS: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “State lawmakers extended a lucrative tax break that helps lure data centers to Minnesota in a compromise bill passed during a special session. … But they also added new regulations on the booming data center industry aimed at protecting the environment, including the state’s water supply and climate goals, as well as electricity customers. … The largest ‘hyperscale’ data centers can consume millions of gallons of water a year, and use as much electricity as the entire city of Minneapolis. Some environmental and citizen groups who pushed for tougher rules on data centers don’t think the bill goes far enough.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4n7PQw7
PROSECUTION: via AP News, VERBATIM: “[Vance Boelter] could face something that is a rarity for Minnesota but could become more common under the Trump Administration: the death penalty. Minnesota abolished capital punishment in 1911…[but] federal authorities essentially grabbed the lead from the state prosecutor, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, who happens to oppose the death penalty. Boelter had been scheduled to make his first court appearance on state charges Monday, but instead marshals took him from the county jail to the U.S. courthouse in St. Paul, where he appeared on the more serious federal charges.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3TjrQIR
An image from the candlelight vigil last night at the State Capitol
VIGIL: via KARE 11, VERBATIM: “Hundreds gathered at the Minnesota State Capitol to honor the lives of House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, with a candlelight vigil on Wednesday, just days after they were killed in a shooting.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4lgCRX7
TIMELINE: Via Star Tribune, an updated timeline on what Vance Boelter was reportedly doing between the shootings of Sen. Jim Hoffman and Rep. Melissa Hortman Saturday. VERBATIM: “Boelter, 57, had a Garmin GPS system giving him directions to Maple Grove and the home of another state lawmaker, Rep. Kristin Bahner. … Surveillance cameras from the Maple Grove home show him knocking at the door, [but] Bahner and her family were out of town. … His GPS then took him from Maple Grove to the home of Sen. Ann Rest in New Hope. … A New Hope police officer came upon him near Rest’s home. The officer was performing a wellness check on the politician. … Seeing no signs of distress, the officer waited for more law enforcement vehicles to arrive then circled back to where the SUV had been parked. Boelter was gone.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3SYCch6
MORE: MPR News has a complete timeline of events before, during and after the shootings, updated with the latest information from law enforcement officials. READ: https://fluence-media.co/4e8fqwZ
BAHNER: Rep. Kristin Bahner (D-Maple Grove) issued a statement confirming that shooting suspect Vance Boelter stopped at her home Saturday. QUOTE: “The past several days have been surrounded by so much grief and fear. This senseless violence came to my door as well, placing me and my family in harm’s way. … Divine intervention led my family to change our plans, keeping us safe.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40aF2Dm
MURPHY: Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy spoke to MPR News about the recent shootings of state lawmakers and how Minnesota can move forward. QUOTE: “I haven’t experienced anything like this in our politics in Minnesota. … It’s a dangerous politics. We’ve seen it expressed here in the most heinous way. And we can’t stay here — we have to, with intention, go someplace else. … A line has been crossed.” READ/LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4n72yes
BREAK-IN: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “A person broke into House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman’s home days after she and her husband, Mark, were assassinated there, Brooklyn Park police said on Wednesday. The break-in happened overnight. … Authorities say the suspect pried off [a] plywood board on the back side of the house facing Edinburgh Golf Course, broke a window, and went inside. Police say the house ‘appeared to have been searched,’ but family members had removed items of value prior to the burglary. The family went back to the home on Wednesday and didn’t believe anything was missing.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/463MjZw
PAWLENTY: via KARE 11, VERBATIM: “As conspiracy theories continue to circulate online about Gov. Tim Walz’s connection to the man accused of shooting two state lawmakers and their spouses, former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty is speaking out to set the record straight…In the days following the deadly attacks, misinformation spread rapidly across social media — fueled in part by political commentary, including remarks from President Donald Trump. At the center of the claims is Vance Boelter, the alleged shooter, and his previous appointment to a Minnesota workforce advisory board.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kOc4l2
IRAN: via USA Today, VERBATIM: “Lawmakers in the House and Senate are divided on how and whether to act on President Donald Trump's suggestion that he may authorize a U.S. strike on Iran amid missile attacks between Iran and Israel. Congress is the only branch of government that has the power to declare war, according to the U.S. Constitution — but presidents have stretched their own powers to engage in foreign conflicts in recent decades. … Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Kentucky, and Ro Khanna, D-California, introduced a resolution to block U.S. involvement in the conflict without Congressional approval. … Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, introduced a similar measure in the Senate. … The chambers will be forced to vote on them as soon as next week.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4e9GA6k
MORE: Rep. Betty McCollum announced she is co-sponsoring the bipartisan war powers resolution in Congress, and Rep. Ilhan Omar is also supporting it. Sen. Tina Smith is co-sponsoring the “No War Against Iran Act” in the Senate. McCOLLUM: “I am deeply concerned by President Trump’s escalatory rhetoric. The United States is not at war with Iran. Any offensive military action taken by the U.S. must receive a vote in Congress.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3G1P03h
MINING: via Duluth News Tribune, VERBATIM: “Nippon Steel's purchase of U.S. Steel includes $14 billion in investment in the company, including $800 million in its Iron Range taconite mining and processing operations, though details remain scarce. … U.S. Steel employs some 1,800 workers at its Minntac and Keetac iron ore mines and pellet plants in Mountain Iron and Keewatin. The company also owns a 15% stake in Hibbing Taconite. U.S. Steel did not directly answer questions from the News Tribune asking if the $800 million figure was accurate and how the money would be spent in Minnesota.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4e7APpQ
ABORTION: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “Republicans in Congress are trying to repeal the only federal law designed to protect abortion providers from violence. … Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, introduced a repeal of the FACE Act, a federal law approved by Congress more than 30 years ago with strong bipartisan support after a Florida OB-GYN was fatally shot. … Rep. Pete Stauber, R-8th District, is also an original co-sponsor of the legislation. … [Sen. Tina] Smith, a former Planned Parenthood official, said the FACE Act has acted as a deterrent to those who would do harm to doctors and clinics that provide abortions.” SMITH: “It’s unspeakable to me that these leaders, whose job is to…bring us together and stand up for people, would use this moment to just…fuel the fear and the hatred that is causing this political violence.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3SYooTG
DNC: via Politico, VERBATIM: “Four-and-a-half months after the Democratic National Committee chair pledged to focus on fighting Donald Trump, Ken Martin’s short tenure leading the organization has been engulfed by bitter infighting. Even longtime party insiders are getting impatient…Interviews with a dozen DNC members revealed deep frustration with Martin and concern about his ability to unify and lead a party trying to recover from massive electoral losses in 2024… Many DNC members and outside Democrats, including Martin’s supporters, said they wished the party would just move on from recent internal turmoil and focus instead on mounting an effective fight against Trump.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/461rsG7
MORE: via NYT, VERBATIM: “Fund-raising from major donors — some of whom Mr. Martin has still not spoken with — has slowed sharply. At the same time, he has expanded the party’s financial commitments to every state, and even to far-flung territories like Guam… Six people briefed on the party’s fund-raising, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss its finances frankly, said big donors — who are an essential part of the party’s funding — had been very slow to give to the party this year as Mr. Martin solicits contributions.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3HMZGmY
MOVE: via an MPHA press release, VERBATIM: “Today, the Minneapolis City Council approved Mayor Jacob Frey’s appointment of former Councilmember Kevin Reich as the Chair of the Minneapolis Public Housing Authority’s Board of Commissioners.
MOVE: via Minn State press releases, VERBATIM: “The Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities has named David Jones to serve as interim president of Southwest Minnesota State University.
CELEBRATING 70 YEARS: The Pine Bend refinery in Rosemount is a landmark like no other – the tall columns, bright lights and steam during cold winter days can be seen from miles away. Generations of workers have helped operate, maintain and transform the refinery, making it one of the nation’s most innovative and efficient energy facilities of its kind. This year, Flint Hills Resources celebrates 70 years of dedicated employees at the Pine Bend refinery who have produced the fuels that help move us forward. LEARN MORE: About the Pine Bend refinery (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources)
LGBTQ: via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “In a landmark decision on Wednesday, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a Tennessee law restricting [gender-affirming] medical treatments — like puberty blockers and hormone therapy — for transgender minors. … With this latest news, LGBTQ+ advocates say they expect to see more people traveling to Minnesota, and even moving to Minnesota, to seek gender-affirming care. … Andi Otto, executive director of Twin Cities Pride, [said] there's fear Minnesota could see similar restrictions, [but] Minnesota's 2023 trans refuge bill gives him reassurance.” The Supreme Court decision does not affect any Minnesota state laws. READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4lcIZ2r
MORE: via ABC News, VERBATIM: “The federal government said on Tuesday it is ending the national suicide hotline's specialized support for LGBTQ+ youth next month. … Data shows more than 1.2 million LGBTQ+ people contacted 988 between July 2022 -- the beginning of the new three-digit number for the national suicide hotline -- and February 2025.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4lb3M6D
FEED FRAUD: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “A man portrayed by prosecutors as a ringleader in the Feeding Our Future meal fraud scheme has pleaded guilty to his role in the attempt to bribe a juror. … Abdiaziz Shafii Farah, of Savage, pleaded guilty to bribery of a juror Wednesday in a Minneapolis federal courtroom as part of an agreement that stipulated a recommended sentence ranging from eight to 10 years in prison and a minimum $30,000 fine. Farah is one of five people charged in the bribe scheme that came at the close of his federal trial.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3TvSaiM
OAKDALE: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “Officials in Oakdale are accepting applications for the vacant seat on the Oakdale City Council following the resignation of council member Susan Willenbring. Willenbring, who had served on the council since January 2019, resigned June 6. No reason was cited in her resignation letter. … The Oakdale City Council has declared a vacancy and will fill the vacancy by appointment until a special election is held; the appointee will serve the remainder of the current term. Willenbring’s term was slated to run until the end of 2027.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/40dfc1z
ROCHESTER: via Rochester Post Bulletin, VERBATIM: “The Rochester School Board on Tuesday approved a budget of more than $400 million for the 2025-26 year. The milestone follows a year that included a referendum for a large operating levy, the discontinuation of federal COVID-19 funding, as well as the decision to reorient the way the district finances its schools. … The district’s total revenue for 2025-26 is projected to be $410 million, and the expenditures are expected to be $445 million. The difference of $35 million has to do with several large projects the district is undertaking.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/464llRr
EAGAN: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “Roger New says he has tried to serve as the people’s police chief. Now, he’s set to retire in the fall and let new leadership take over the Eagan Police Department. … In 1994, New was sworn in as an officer in Eagan, and for 31 years he’s served with the city’s police department, spending the last seven of those years as chief of police.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/44lrR4Z
From yesterday’s Fluence newsletters:
POT: via an OCM press release, VERBATIM: “Today, the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) announced that it has issued the first cannabis business license in the state of Minnesota. The first licensee, Herb Quest, LLC, is a microbusiness located in Brook Park in Pine County, Minnesota, whose initial primary business activity will be outdoor cultivation of cannabis plants.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kT4o1c
FED FUNDS: via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “Congressional Republicans are working to extend President Donald Trump’s 2017 tax cuts by cutting spending on safety net programs, including Medicaid and SNAP. … If Congress follows through with its spending cuts, Minnesota could lose out on hundreds of millions of dollars annually, forcing cuts to programs that serve elderly, low-income and disabled Minnesotans. Minnesota, however, has slightly less at stake than other states. Around 32% of the state budget comes from federal dollars, mostly for Medicaid. The national average is 36%.” READ/MAP: https://fluence-media.co/3G0YZps
IMMIGRATION: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “As agricultural and canning operations are ramping up for the summer, they are trying to figure out the possible repercussions of stepped-up immigration enforcement. The workforce for these businesses has become tighter over the past few years, and many were worried that the threat of raids coupled with increased security at the Mexican border would further deplete summer help. ‘It’s kind of a freak-out time [for the agriculture supply line],’ said Fernando Quijano, economics educator with the University of Minnesota in Moorhead. … Just a week ago, DHS reportedly paused raids on rural areas, after pressure from those same groups. But on Monday, the Trump Administration reversed course.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43Peqdz
TODAY: Governor Tim Walz will speak at the fifth annual Juneteenth celebration at the Rondo Commemorative Plaza
TOMORROW: via Xcel Energy, VERBATIM: “Xcel Energy’s inaugural North Star Lineman’s Rodeo will offer a rare glimpse of what life is like as a lineworker. More than 60 Xcel Energy lineworkers from Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, South Dakota and Colorado [will] put their skills to the test in a series of simulated, life-like scenarios at [the] Hugo Training Center in Hugo, Minnesota. … Media will have a chance to speak with lineworkers and their families as well as company leadership.” The event is at 11:30 a.m.
JULY 12: Gov. Tim Walz will be the keynote speaker at the South Dakota Democratic Party’s annual McGovern Day dinner on July 12 in Sioux Falls, SD.
BDAYS: Kwik Trip’s Dave Ring
TIPS: How do we get the best news and most buzzed about stories? Send us your tips at BloisOlson@gmail.com
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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