MONDAY MOOD
X Takes during the Super Bowl have jumped the shark.
Minnesota takes an assist for Sam Darnold as Seattle wins the Super Bowl.
I’ll leave all the half time show and commercial takes to everyone else – lord knows their no shortage.
Timberwolves lose.
Minnesota native Lindsey Vonn is in stable condition after breaking her leg during yesterday’s Olympic ski run.. AP: https://fluence-media.co/4tfOxhA
St. Paul is considering a passenger rail line to Kansas City. PIPRESS: https://fluence-media.co/4rB8YUx
DEED news conference today on the paid leave roll out – biggest question is the number of filings versus the projections.
Sunday Take featured Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff Lunde and HCMC co-CEO J. Kevin Crosston discussing how the state can help stabilize the healthcare sector. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4qnLZeM
It’s National Pizza Day. The list will be out later today at TheDailyAgenda.com
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CATCH UP
WHIPPLE: via Fox 9, VERBATIM: “On Friday, Judge Nancy Brasel issued an order allowing attorneys involved in a lawsuit over detainment at the Whipple Building access to the detention facilities at the federal building…The inspection was ordered to take place by Monday at 5 p.m. In a subsequent filing, attorneys for the plaintiffs said they agreed to an inspection Monday morning at 8:30 a.m. but said there was a disagreement with government officials over whether they’d be allowed to bring cell phones or recording devices to document what they saw. The attorneys say the government is also telling them they can’t speak with detainees at the facility…The attorneys are asking a judge to allow them to speak with detainees, bring in their cell phones or other recording equipment, and take photos and record video inside the Whipple.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3MxNR6G
WITT: via KARE 11, VERBATIM: “Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt is breaking her silence about Operation Metro Surge. Witt announced Friday she has met with Border Czar Tom Homan four times since he took over the operation last week, and she has emerged as a key voice in the tense discussions between federal immigration authorities and local law enforcement.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4bI6teD
LINDELL: Republican candidate for Minnesota governor Mike Lindell traveled to Florida this weekend for a fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago — “one of my favorite places,” he said in an announcement video, adding that “all the stuff going on in Minneapolis and my home state is terrible.” Lindell ally Rick Weible shared photos from the fundraiser, describing it as “sold out.” TWEETS: https://fluence-media.co/3MrPItP https://fluence-media.co/4cfPi43
KLOBUCHAR: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “Allies say [Amy] Klobuchar’s experience as the former Hennepin County Attorney will help her tackle the sprawling fraud crisis in Minnesota’s social services programs if elected governor. … Republicans have shifted their criticism to Klobuchar since she announced her run for governor. Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, a leading GOP candidate for governor, has said Klobuchar ‘did nothing’ [on fraud]. … [But] former U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Andy Luger [said] Klobuchar was instrumental in securing more personnel for his office. … Luger said he believes Klobuchar is uniquely equipped to address the state’s fraud problem.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3O1ZUK0
DEMUTH: Speaker Lisa Demuth discussed her gubernatorial campaign and the upcoming legislative session with WCCO-TV. VERBATIM: “The Republican Party endorsing convention is in May, and Demuth has said that if she doesn’t win the endorsement, she will drop out. … As House speaker, Demuth will be front and center for the next three months during the upcoming legislative session. That will also put her front and center in the debate over the federal and state handling of Operation Metro Surge. Demuth, who is asking for the president’s endorsement, says she supports the administration’s policies, including the current drawdown.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4akt12q
OMAR: via AP News, VERBATIM: “The chairman of the House Oversight Committee on Friday requested records related to firms partially owned by the husband of Minnesota Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar, taking the extraordinary step of scrutinizing the spouse of a sitting House member. Rep. James Comer, a Kentucky Republican, released a letter to Timothy Mynett, a former Democratic political consultant who is married to Omar, requesting records related to a pair of companies that had a substantial jump in value.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tnZiP5
A new level of insight and information….
The MNSider Brief: State of the Governor’s race – READ: https://fluence-media.co/4r3ACtF
FED PRESENCE
DEPARTURE: via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “The top lawyer for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Minnesota has departed. Jim Stolley, ICE’s chief counsel in the state, retired after 31 years in public service. … Immigration authorities face intensifying scrutiny from federal judges over repeated failures to comply with court orders. At the same time, the federal immigration system is buckling under an immense caseload, with prosecutors resigning — or being pushed out — amid mounting internal pressure.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qpCzPU
HOMAN: via KSTP, VERBATIM: “After 10 days on the job here, [Tom] Homan says he’s on track to end the [ICE] surge based on certain conditions. ‘I’d like to do it in the next couple weeks,’ he said in an interview. … We showed Homan several videos of altercations between protesters and ICE or Border Patrol agents, including a U.S. citizen being pulled from her car. … Homan said several agents are under investigation and no longer part of the operation in Minnesota, but didn’t offer any details. He also said he pushed for the plan announced by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to put body cameras on all agents in Minnesota.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3OtQQO4
GOOD-US ATTY: via New York Times, VERBATIM: “Hours after an immigration agent fatally shot Renee Good inside her S.U.V. on a Minneapolis street last month, a senior federal prosecutor in Minnesota sought a warrant to search the vehicle for evidence. … But later that week, as F.B.I. agents equipped with a signed warrant prepared to document blood spatter and bullet holes in Ms. Good’s S.U.V., they received orders to stop. … The orders [were] from senior officials, including Kash Patel, the F.B.I. director, several of whom worried that pursuing a civil rights investigation [would] contradict President Donald Trump’s claims [about] Ms. Good.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3O0jBSt
INVESTIGATION: Via Star Tribune, an update on plans for a state-federal joint investigation, as seen in Friday’s morning take. VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension issued a news release Friday saying the BCA is actively pursuing a ‘path forward’ for a joint investigation with the FBI and Department of Justice into the shooting death of Alex Pretti, but ‘those plans have not been finalized.’ … The BCA and FBI were preparing to announce a joint investigation into Pretti’s death, but it is unclear on the timing or certainty of that partnership. … Whether a joint investigation is being pursued into the shooting death of Renee Good [is] not known.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qpCzPU
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)
FUNDS + FRAUD
MEDICAID: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “A preliminary analysis of Minnesota’s Medicaid payouts found that direct policy violations may have cost the state more than $52 million in less than four years, but the findings come with big caveats. The $52 million figure does not imply that fraud occurred, but points to claims where policy wasn’t followed for some reason, including providers filing claims improperly, said Minnesota Medicaid Director John Connolly. The report also said Minnesota could save upwards of $1.7 billion if it closes gaps in its Medicaid policies. … The new analysis of Medicaid payouts was done by Optum.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4kpGPxh
MORE: via DHS advisory, VERBATIM: “Work to update Minnesota’s Medicaid claims processing systems using advanced analytics has cleared its first hurdle. The state expects to have a complete pre-payment review process in place by the end of the year. … This is the first set of reports from Optum after just 90 days. Over the next 9 months, the state will continue to refine work on the pre-payment system.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ajrjhN
EDUCATION: via Office of the Atty. General, VERBATIM: “Attorney General Keith Ellison secured an agreement with the Trump Administration to prevent it from withholding federal funding from state and local education agencies that refuse to abandon [initiatives] related to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. … Ellison secured this agreement as part of a coalition with 18 other attorneys general. The agreement protects roughly $530 million in education funding for Minnesota.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ajwvlP
CHILDCARE: via AP News, VERBATIM: “A federal judge ruled Friday that President Donald Trump’s administration must keep funds flowing to child care subsidies and other social service programs in five Democratic-controlled states — at least for now. U.S. District Judge Vernon Broderick in New York [has] granted the states’ request for a preliminary injunction and a stay against the administration to bar it from withholding the money while a lawsuit works its way through the courts. The states affected include California, Colorado, Illinois, Minnesota and New York.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4qkDX6b
GRANTS: via DEED advisory, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) today announced the latest Request for Proposals (RFP) round for Child Care Economic Development Grants. … A total of $1.425 million will be available. … Qualified parties may request up to $300,000.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/46B5d9u
ACROSS MN
BWCAW: via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “Environmentalists are sounding the alarm on the potential harm of a precious metals mine that could be built on the doorstep of Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Meanwhile, those who support the project say it will bring hundreds of jobs. … Last month, congressional Republicans moved closer to lifting a 20-year ban on mining near Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, pushing a resolution to end the moratorium through the House. The resolution could be called to the Senate floor as soon as this week.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4akt7Hk
HENN CTY: via KARE 11, VERBATIM: “Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt is breaking her silence about Operation Metro Surge. Witt announced Friday she has met with Border Czar Tom Homan four times since he took over the operation. … Tensions between the two sides have simmered since the operation began in December, but Sheriff Witt is determined to find a compromise.” WITT: “There seems to be this overwhelming thought that somebody is going to win [it] all and go home — that’s not going to happen. There has to be a give and take, there has to be room for some kind of negotiations.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4a3T1jY
BURNSVILLE: via Pioneer Press, VERBATIM: “While some Minnesota cities are turning over their new Local Affordable Housing Aid to their counties, one south metro city is working to keep its funds — and its residents — at home. The city of Burnsville is using $1.5 million in LAHA funding to develop affordable housing programs that are specifically catered to the community’s needs, said Travis Bistodeau, deputy community development director for the city. … The first of the city’s four programs is already up and running, and the other three are expected to launch later this year.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4aDWJkk
DULUTH: via MinnPost, VERBATIM: “Duluth’s elected leaders have been divided on many things, but Council member Wendy Durrwachter feels some sense of unity forming over the need for policy responses to [ICE] activity. … Durrwachter and one colleague, Council member David Clanaugh, proposed a resolution calling for Gov. Tim Walz to institute a temporary eviction moratorium. … Four of their colleagues put forth a resolution barring any city resource – be it money, personnel, facilities or property – from being used to assist or facilitate enforcement of federal civil immigration laws.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/45RKCOa
MILLE LACS: via MPR News, VERBATIM: “Mille Lacs County Commissioners passed a resolution last week that could reignite a longstanding dispute over the boundaries of the Mille Lacs Reservation. County commissioners passed a resolution that asked the federal government to withdraw a legal opinion that confirms the boundaries of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe’s reservation. … [There’s] no word on when the federal government might respond to the county’s request.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4tkziEh
WILD ABOUT READING: Join more than 800 Minnesota classrooms and 30,000 students 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, Paulie; 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/49AHNSE (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources)
OVERSIGHT
COUNSEL: via AP News, VERBATIM: “Attorneys for the federal government have until Thursday to reach an agreement with human rights lawyers who are seeking to ensure the right to counsel for people detained at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Minnesota, a judge said. … Advocates said people held at the facility on the edge of Minneapolis who face possible deportation are denied adequate access to lawyers. … U.S. District Judge Nancy Brasel told Justice Department attorneys [their] argument is ‘a tough sell,’ noting there was far more evidence in the case record to back up the plaintiffs’ claims than the government’s assurances.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ajRzZH
OVERSIGHT: Via Bring Me The News, DFL Rep. Kelly Morrison made another oversight visit to the Whipple Federal Building last week, this time unannounced. Fellow DFL Reps. Angie Craig and Betty McCollum accompanied her, but they were denied entry despite a recent judicial order allowing unannounced visits. VERBATIM: “Speaking to the media after the visit, Rep. Morrison – who is a physician – shared major concerns about the conditions facing those being held in the facility, as well as raising alarm over the lack of clear procedures to prevent an outbreak of measles. … It’s not clear why Craig and McCollum were denied entry.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3NW4rOd
MORE: Rep. Betty McCollum released a statement questioning why the Whipple Federal Building denied entry to her and Rep. Angie Craig last week. STATEMENT: “As Members of Congress, it is not only our right, but our responsibility to ensure our constituents held in ICE detention facilities are being treated with the dignity and humanity they deserve. Still, we were denied entry. … This will not be the last time we show up to conduct our oversight duties.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4quvs8X
AHEAD
TODAY: DEED Commissioner Matt Varilek will host a virtual media availability to “provide updates about Paid Leave’s progress and answer questions from members of the press,” per a release. The event is at 11:00 a.m.
TOMORROW: The Capitol Commons, a new community hub in St. Paul, will host a public open house at 3:00 p.m.
THURSDAY: The Senate subcommittee on federal impacts will hold a hearing at 10:00 a.m. with an unannounced agenda.
THURSDAY: DFL Sen. Judy Seeberger will host an in-person town hall in Lake Elmo at 5:30 p.m.
NEXT WEEK: The Minnesota Legislature’s 2026 session will begin on Tuesday, Feb. 17 at 12:00 noon.
BDAYS: Sen. Jeremy Miller, fmr. Rep. Gene Pelowski, fmr. Rep. Tama Theis, fmr. city manager Tom Harmening, writer Kate Bradley, DFL operative Sam Fettig
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.