Wolves lose. Wild at Buffalo tonight.
SportsTake comes out today to prep for your weekend. SIGNUP: https://fluence-media.co/SportsTakeSignUp
Light snow and cold air will hit Minnesota over the holiday. Sub-zero wind chills Friday. BMTN: https://fluence-media.co/4fNcIgg
Over 50,000 travelers are expected to pass through MSP Airport over the holiday. WCCO: https://fluence-media.co/3AXUfOY
Chris Cilliza on Gov. Tim Walz as the pick of VP Kamala Harris. READ: https://fluence-media.co/3ZpaQV5
An Emerson College poll of Democratic voters finds Kamala Harris is by far the preferred 2028 presidential nominee at 37% support. California Gov. Gavin Newsom is next at 7%, while Gov. Tim Walz is at 1%. POLL: https://fluence-media.co/3B3UojR
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The new season of the Fresh15 is here, first interviews are Reps.-elect Wayne Johnson (R) and Kari Rerauer (DFL). HERE: https://fluence-media.co/Fresh152024
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MONDAY: We’ll be back on Monday with a significant announcement about Fluence Media and our content. Have a great Thanksgiving.
CONFLICTS: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “The case of a former manager at the Minnesota Department of Public Safety who left her state job for a position with a government contractor is spurring new calls for reform at the State Capitol. Sandi Stroud quit her job as Minnesota’s 911 Program Manager earlier this year. … Just days after leaving her role in state government, Stroud was named the new Director of Public Safety for 1Spatial, a software company receiving taxpayer money to develop Minnesota’s ‘Next Gen 911’ system. As recently as last year, Stroud represented the state in contracts with her future employer. … State Rep. Kristin Robbins (R-Maple Grove) says [this] highlights the need for a ‘culture change’ in state government.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4fQlbQ0
MNLEGVOTES: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Legislative leaders announced this week who will chair committees in the next session, appointments that will shape the tenor of debate in the Minnesota House. … In a typical year, bills could pass out of committee on a partisan vote. But the two caucus leaders, Rep. Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park and Rep. Lisa Demuth, R-Cold Spring, say committees will consist of 14 representatives, seven from each party. And next year’s rules will require eight votes for a bill to pass out of committee — not just a majority of the representatives present. … Bipartisan support will be required for bills to advance, setting up fewer partisan floor battles.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3ZnKEdG
WALZ: via Minnesota Reformer, VERBATIM: “Gov. Tim Walz on Tuesday presented Minnesota’s Thanksgiving turkey…and many local reporters were eager to ask the governor a variety of questions after being iced out for months while he was campaigning with Vice President Kamala Harris. … The Reformer compiled Walz’s answers to various questions in the past few days, including his reflections on his time campaigning with Harris; comments on a judge’s recent decision to delay a lottery for cannabis licenses; and how he’s thinking about coming back to Minnesota with a divided Legislature.”
On having regrets as a running mate, WALZ: “No regrets. I regret few things in life, other than [the fact] I didn’t get a dog sooner. … I’m proud to have been part of that. I think we put a message out that 75 million Americans liked, but not quite enough. … I was just glad to be out there [and] glad to tell Minnesota’s story.”
On delays in the state’s cannabis lottery due to lawsuits accusing the OCM of misconduct, WALZ: “We followed…the way the law was written by the Legislature. I feel very confident that we were able to do that. … They’re doing exactly what they were supposed to be doing. [OCM] indicated that there were folks that had incomplete, or inaccurate or, in some cases, blatantly misleading in their application.”
On the DFL losing seats in the state House, WALZ: “I see a very close and divided country…[but] we held the Senate, so that’s an affirmation of the policies we have. … I’m proud that the people of Minnesota chose us here again when they had an opportunity at the top of the ticket, but we’re going to have some opportunities to continue to move in the positive direction we’ve gone.”
On running for a third term in 2026, WALZ: “I’m just glad to be back right now, so we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”
See the full article for more details. READ: https://fluence-media.co/3B1Ul8k
NURSING HOMES: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “Two Minnesota nursing home providers are suing the state's Department of Labor and Industry over a new holiday pay rule. The proposed rule would require nursing homes to pay workers time-and-a-half for work on 11 state holidays. The rule was approved by the state’s Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board earlier this month and is slated to take effect on Jan. 1. In a lawsuit filed in federal court Tuesday, two senior care providers — LeadingAge Minnesota and Care Providers of Minnesota — requested an injunction to stop the rule from taking effect. They argue the new rule would violate federal labor laws by intervening in the collective bargaining process, and in already established employment contracts.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fHebEM
MORE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “There’s broad agreement that the nursing home staffing crisis is real, especially in rural Minnesota. A report earlier this month by the Center for Rural Policy and Development showed Minnesota has lost 33% of its nursing home beds since 2005. The decline was already underway because of the rise of senior care alternatives such as at-home services and assisted-living facilities, but it worsened after a COVID-19 pandemic that burned out nursing home workers, the report found…The decline is expected to create severe problems for Minnesota over the next two decades, when the massive baby boomer generation moves beyond its 70s and into its 80s and needs higher-level nursing care. The rural policy report projected Minnesota will need staffing to cover more than 37,000 nursing home beds for seniors by 2045, an increase from 27,000 beds right now.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4i4LAej
(DISCLOSURE: The Long Term Care Imperative is a client of Fluence Advisory)
54A: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “Claiming the potential for missing absentee ballots has ‘obscured’ election results, Minnesota Republicans say they will file a lawsuit to contest a southwest metro state House race recount where the DFL incumbent [Rep. Brad Tabke] won reelection by just 15 votes. … If they prevail and go on to win the race, Republicans will secure a majority in the chamber. … Last week, county elections manager Julie Hanson ‘identified a discrepancy in the count of ballots, in which 21 more absentee records than ballots were counted in the City of Shakopee.’ … The Scott County canvassing board certified the results of the recount on Monday, but according to officials they are only charged with auditing and verifying the ballots they have in their possession.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Oq7XNs
MORE: via a House GOP Leader Lisa Demuth statement, DEMUTH: “The recount may be over, but the investigation into the 21 missing ballots in District 54A is still ongoing. Even after Friday's recount, enough ballots remain missing to potentially sway the outcome of the election. House Republicans are taking action to ensure that every legal vote counts and that the election is decided by the people of District 54A without interference.”
TARIFFS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Many Minnesota business leaders worry that President-elect Donald Trump’s call for new tariffs on goods from China, Mexico and Canada will spark a trade dispute that ultimately hits consumers’ pocketbooks, disrupts supply chains and hurts the state economy. Canada, Mexico and China combined make up 55% of Minnesota’s fast-growing $7 billion export market. … There will be an ‘inflationary impact, supply-chain disruptions, and ultimately, it could create retaliation against U.S. products, which would hurt our export markets to those same countries,’ said Doug Loon, chief executive of the 6,300-member Minnesota Chamber of Commerce.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4g2vMa0
MORE: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “Gov. Tim Walz and his agriculture advisers weighed in on possible tariffs coming from the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump, who said this week he’d impose 25% import tariffs on goods from Canada, China and Mexico. ‘It’s important that we both have domestic and international partnerships,’ Walz said. ‘We’ll watch those moves closely.’ … ‘Our main partners are always Mexico and Canada,’ Minnesota Department of Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen said about the state’s turkey production. ‘Seventy four percent of our exports go to Mexico.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Zab0yw
PRICES: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “Tariffs are a tax on imports [that] is typically passed off to consumers, University of St. Thomas Finance Professor Dave Vang explained. ‘I do see some national security rationales here…but as an economist, in the short term, it’s usually best not to have tariffs.’ Vang expects the president-elect’s proposed tariffs would be ‘a win-lose kind of situation’ for Americans. … ‘The losers, for the most part, are going to be consumers,’ he said, citing an expected rise in prices on a multitude of products.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/41bmvIJ
MORE: via WCCO Radio, VERBATIM: “[Donald Trump’s] tariffs could affect a number of goods, but there's one in particular the U.S. depends on getting from Canada: crude oil. … Patrick De Haan, an oil and gasoline analyst, [said] a 25% tariff on Canadian oil would have huge impacts to gas prices in the Great Lakes, Midwest and Rockies, which are major markets where refiners process Canadian oil. … He says the total impact to gas prices in these areas could be 25-75 cents per gallon, dependent on the season and refining factors.” READ/LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3CNeuiP
HEGSETH: via States Newsroom, VERBATIM: “[Minnesota native] Pete Hegseth, president-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Defense, has close ties to an Idaho-based Christian nationalist church that aims to turn America into a theocracy. … In an appearance last year on the Christ Church-connected streaming show ‘Crosspolitic,’ Hegseth talked about how building up fundamentalist Christian education systems is important in what he sees as a ‘spiritual battle’ with the secular world. He sees Christian students as foot soldiers in that war and refers to Christian schools as ‘boot camp.’” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4eRDiDH
Yesterday’s The Daily podcast covered Hegseth’s path to being DOD nominee. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3VahYT1
MPLS: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Minneapolis City Council Member Jeremiah Ellison announced Tuesday he will not seek re-election next year to represent the Fifth Ward in north Minneapolis. … Elected to the council in 2017, Ellison [became] the most senior member of a majority coalition on the council that sits to the political left of Mayor Jacob Frey and often clashes with him. … Ellison is the son of Attorney General Keith Ellison and Minneapolis School Board Member Kim Ellison. All 13 City Council seats and the mayor will be on the ballot next year.” ELLISON: “The Northside has never lacked brilliant, caring, studious leaders ready to step up and perform this job. I feel it is time to take a step back and allow these leaders the honor and opportunity of getting to know their neighbors’ needs.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fIVaSl
MPS: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “Minneapolis school officials have been sounding the alarm for more than a year about a budget crisis brought on by decades of declining enrollment. Some have warned school closures may be needed to ‘right-size’ the district’s buildings with its reduced student body. In the past few weeks, district leaders conducted walk-through reviews of the district’s more than 70 buildings as part of a multistep process meant to address the district’s budget crisis. They [presented] some of their findings to board members Tuesday night.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3CPUKva
BRINGING SAFETY TO ‘THE NEXT LEVEL’: As part of Enbridge’s work on the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Reservation in northern Minnesota, Enbridge has brought in family-owned and Indigenous-owned Northern Lights Family Outfitters to fully outfit project workers right on the job site with personal protective equipment (PPE) from its 48-foot mobile trailer. “Enbridge really brings safety to the next level,” says Patti, a project liaison for Enbridge and the Fond du Lac Band. “It’s really helpful to have a mobile unit, especially for this kind of work.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3OQYmjn (SPONSORED: Enbridge)
APPEALS: via Office of the Governor, VERBATIM: “Governor Tim Walz today announced the designation of the Honorable Jennifer L. Frisch as chief judge of the Minnesota Court of Appeals. Judge Frisch will serve the remainder of Chief Judge Susan Segal’s term, which will expire on October 31, 2025. Governor Walz also announced the appointment of Rachel Bond to the Minnesota Court of Appeals. Bond will fill the vacancy that will occur upon the retirement of Chief Judge Segal. This seat is designated for a resident of the Fifth Congressional District.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/497z49I
SETTLEMENT: via Office of the Atty. General, VERBATIM: “Today, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced his office has filed a consent order to resolve an investigation into several online lenders operating under the control of a corporation called LDF Holdings LLC. The investigation concerned the online lenders’ practice of charging exorbitant interest on small loans in violation of Minnesota usury laws and misleading consumers concerning the loans’ validity and repayment obligations. … If approved, [the consent order] will require the cancellation of prior loans and stop future unlawful lending by [the] lenders.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4i94BMM
ROAD SAFETY: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Law enforcement from 300 agencies across Minnesota will be out in full force looking for impaired drivers as part of a campaign to encourage motorists to drive sober and keep the roads safe at a time when traffic fatalities are on the rise. The effort kicks off Wednesday and will continue on weekends through New Year’s Eve. Last year, nearly 27,000 motorists in Minnesota were arrested for driving while impaired by alcohol or other substances, and the numbers are not abating. ‘That is an incredible and unacceptable number,’ said Mike Hanson, director of the Department of Public Safety’s Office of Traffic Safety.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4fJcEOJ
PERMITTING REFORM FOR RESPONSIBLE INDUSTRIES: Jobs for Minnesotans is committed to advancing responsible industrial projects through a predictable, timely and transparent permitting process. Broad permitting reform for all responsible industries is essential to strengthening Minnesota’s communities and advancing our state’s clean energy future. (SPONSORED: Jobs for Minnesotans)
UMN: via KARE 11, VERBATIM: “The Washington Avenue Bridge on the University of Minnesota campus, which is used by 20,0000 pedestrians and 7,000 bicyclists every day, now has temporary chain link fencing across the entire span — a safety measure meant to prevent and reduce suicide. … A University spokesperson said the chain link fencing, which is a temporary rental, comes at an estimated cost of $75,000. The bridge itself is owned by Hennepin County. So figuring out funding — and approval — for a more permanent solution has been a challenge [that] advocates have run into. … The next step will be for Hennepin County to consider an enhancement to this current solution which could come at a cost of up to $1 million. The University estimates a more permanent solution would cost $8 or $9 million.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3V90Ug5
MEDICARE: via Office of the Atty. General, VERBATIM: “Attorney General Keith Ellison sent a letter to health insurer Humana, Inc. requesting that Humana correct alleged misinformation they reportedly shared with consumers about Medicare Advantage. The letter also asked Humana to provide information about the extent to which misinformation was shared with consumers and what steps were taken to correct this issue.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4125Bw1
MORE: Yesterday on WCCO Radio, Attorney General Keith Ellison with Tom Hauser on a number of topics. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3CPFVZp
TOXINS: via a Sen. Tina Smith press release, VERBATIM: “U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN), a member of the Senate Health and Education Committee, introduced the Get Toxic Substances Out of Schools Act to remove toxic substances from school buildings across the country. The legislation, unveiled on World Children’s Day, comes on the heels of a report from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) that found less than half of public schools in the state were tested for radon between 2018 and 2022. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer and occurs more frequently in Minnesota due to the state’s geology.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41oQQ6L
ECONOMICDEVELOPMENT: From Grand Rapids, a conversation about opportunities and challenges to economic growth in Greater Minnesota with Tuleah Palmer, CEO of the Blandin Foundation, Roy Smith of the IRRRB and Steve Loney from Kiesler Wellness Center. From workforce to energy costs, a thoughtful conversation on how leaders are working together to push the region’s economy forward. Mainstreet Minnesota is presented by Compeer Financial. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/MainstreetMN2
MANKATO: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “The Mankato City Council voted Monday to limit the number of recreational cannabis retailers to four, the minimum allowed under state law. The ordinance also establishes strict zoning regulations, including large buffer zones around schools, day care centers and parks. … Mankato’s ordinance sets a 1,000-foot buffer zone around schools and a 500-foot buffer around day cares, residential drug treatment facilities and some parks. These restrictions are stricter than those adopted by other cities, including Minneapolis and St. Paul.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/415tKlp
OSCEOLA: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “The Wisconsin and Minnesota Departments of Transportation are working on a plan for a new $40 million bridge over the St. Croix River at Osceola, Wis. The current Minnesota/Wisconsin 243 bridge was built in 1953 and needs to be replaced, according to transportation officials. Among the issues that need to be addressed: bridge conditions, stormwater drainage and pedestrian and bicycle connectivity, officials said.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4g446Sf
ORONO: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Outgoing Orono Mayor Dennis Walsh appointed a new council member Monday night, despite objections from colleagues who said the move would erode trust with residents. Claire Berrett, a longtime Orono resident criticized by some as being too supportive of Walsh, took the oath of office during a contentious City Council meeting in which officials and audience members at times shouted over each other.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/499a4ii
WILD ABOUT READING: More than 500 Minnesota classrooms and 15,000 students are participating in the “Wild About Reading” program, a partnership with Flint Hills Resources which encourages students to read more using Minnesota Wild-branded posters, reading logs and bookmarks. Teachers set weekly reading goals and give certificates to students who complete the four-week program. Fun program incentives include classroom visits from the Wild’s mascot, Nordy, and the team dog, Rookie; a pair of tickets to a Wild home game, player-signed pucks and photos; and a pizza party for a classroom. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/3O2nzH0 (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources)
From yesterday’s Fluence newsletters:
OMAR: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Rep. Ilhan Omar stuck close to the Democratic ticket through the turbulent election year, never calling on President Joe Biden to step aside but quickly getting behind Vice President Kamala Harris when he did. It was a show of unity from a progressive Democrat not always in tune with her party’s center, and it came amid signs that Harris and Gov. Tim Walz were shifting focus from progressive priorities. … Now, [Omar] is lamenting some of her party’s missed opportunities and missteps…[saying] they may have tried too hard to reach Republican-leaning voters by tapping surrogates like former Rep. Liz Cheney.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3OoB4kv
RATES: via Reuters, VERBATIM: “Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis President Neel Kashkari, typically on the hawkish end of the U.S. central bank's policy spectrum, said on Monday he is open to cutting interest rates again next month.” KASHKARI: “It's still a reasonable consideration. Right now, knowing what I know today, still considering a 25-basis-point cut in December — it's a reasonable debate for us to have.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4993HeY
VACCINES: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “Childhood immunization rates continue to decrease in Minnesota, going down from more than 90 percent of kindergartners fully vaccinated before school in 2019 to 87 percent this year. It may seem like a small shift, but since last year there have been multiple measles outbreaks in the Twin Cities and an all time high of pertussis, or whooping cough cases. Local pediatricians worry about the slide in vaccinations. They’re seeing skepticism rising among parents and politicians sowing doubts.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3V9Sm8M
MORE TAKES: Every day, we’re sharing significant political, business and other news in additional newsletters. If you love morning take, sign up for the other Fluence tip sheets HERE: fluence-newsletters.com
TOMORROW: It’s Thanksgiving Day — be sure to enjoy some Minnesota-raised turkey.
DEC 4: via an MMB advisory, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) Commissioner Erin Campbell, State Economist Dr. Anthony Becker, and State Budget Director Ahna Minge will present the State of Minnesota’s November 2024 Budget and Economic Forecast on Wednesday, Dec. 4.” The event is at 11:45 a.m.
BDAYS: Planned Parenthood’s Ruth Richardson, attorney Adam Gislason, PR pro Anna Long
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TIPS: How do we get the best news and most buzzed about stories? Send us your tips at BloisOlson@gmail.com
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