CHILLY SATURDAY
From Rustica…a cold gray Saturday with playoff games. It’s a metaphor for the Star Tribune’s Ryan Faircloth story about the fissure between Walz and Lt. Gov Peggy Flanagan…see below.
Meanwhile, Gov. Tim Walz is in Spain to deliver a keynote address at the Global Progressive Mobilization.
The tee time was too cold to commit.
Yesterday was the rebirth of the TwinWest legislative breakfast thanks to the 100+ guests that came to hear a live discussion with legislative leaders. We’ll offer highlights as part of tomorrow’s Sunday Take on the discussion between Sens. Mark Johnson and Nick Frentz and Reps. Jaimie Long and Harry Niska.
In addition to the Twin West breakfast a back-and-forth to Duluth yesterday for a Long Term Care Imperative roundtable with Sen. Grant Hauschild, and Reps. Nathan Nelson and Natalie Zeleznikar. A lively discussion of issues that Minnesota will have to face for the future. It will be posted later this week.
It’s National Lineman Appreciation day… a nod during storm season.
Stay warm and cheer loud.
Blois - tips: bloisolson@gmail.com
Sunday Take featured DFL Sen. Mary Kunesh and GOP Rep. Ben Bakeberg discussing education issues and what fixes are being considered this session. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/4cEc99g
SPONSORS: Sponsorships are available to reach over 30,000 readers per day on Fluence’s tip sheets and website, TheDailyAgenda.com – email BloisOlson@gmail.com.
Want to manage your subscription to TheDailyAgenda.com ? HERE: https://fluence-media.co/managesubscription
WAYMO IS READY FOR MINNESOTA: With 13x fewer injury-causing collisions compared to humans, Waymo is already making roads safer in major U.S. cities where we operate — from multi-lane expressways to dense city streets, including the demands of winter weather. We are ready to bring these safety benefits to Minnesota, and look forward to working with the state legislature to pass a law that allows us to provide rides in the state. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/waymo (SPONSORED: Waymo)
FRIGID FEELINGS
The sense of the cycle is that Republicans are in reactive mode, and Democrats are charged to amplify anger and outrage. My golden rule in critical communication moments is that the side that is reacting rather than making the opposition react isn’t winning. When pressure mounts to respond, slowing down to speed up can help ignore the noise and drive your own message.
In Minnesota, DFLers are still in reactive mode on fraud – and Republicans are less reactive on guns but will definitely have to respond to the economy and the Trump war. It’s only April, but the next four weeks will be last major chance for Gov. Tim Walz shape a very mixed legacy.
That brings us to the Ryan Faircloth piece in the Star Tribune. I heard the story was coming and anticipated the strategy of Walz but more so Flanagan on how to deal with the political separation. The kids are saying the right things about mom and dad, but the passive approach of the parents has all the neighbors talking. Like so many Walz things, reading between the lines required, but not difficult.
VERBATIM: “When Tim Walz announced Jan. 5 that he was dropping out of the governor’s race, his second-in-command, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, was not in the room….Flanagan also wasn’t present at a meeting earlier that morning where Walz shared the news with staff and members of his Cabinet. In fact, Walz did not speak with Flanagan about his decision before going public, according to multiple people close to the governor’s office… People close to Flanagan said that Walz and his team have sidelined the lieutenant governor, excluding her from some briefings and not replacing departed staff. Some pointed to additional flare-ups, saying Walz’s team was upset that Flanagan gave them little notice before she announced her run for U.S. Senate in February 2025…Those in Walz’s circle say Flanagan is the one who has pulled back as she campaigns for the Senate against fellow Democrat Angie Craig.” READ:
TAKE: When conflict is avoided, we know it eventually blows up. The bubble wrapped Walz-Flanagan media strategy is one of the core reasons that they have lost approval points. It’s the latest illustration with Walz at the top avoiding critique and conflict.
As evidenced by not inviting Senate GOP Leader Mark Johnson to the legislative leader meeting this week, and countless other examples over seven years – Walz is bad at relationships with anyone who ever he feels crosses him. Behind the scenes the First Lady Gwen Walz seems to cast out against critics of her husband from her office in the Governor’s office suite.
That doesn’t leave Flanagan off the hook as she runs for US Senate. She’s avoided questions about fraud and how the “Walz-Flanagan” administration handled it. However, dthe biggest question in the past year is: How many times has she been in the office? Security card swaps would tell the story.
While the divide means they now longer travel together – which was once criticized as a risk to the state - as Walz is in Spain this weekend, a fair question is, if something happened to Walz, would Flanagan be read-in enough to govern?
It’s only April, more questions should be asked – and answered.
Here’s the Star Tribune story: https://fluence-media.co/4u18EzT
MISSING MEDIA?
On the drive to Duluth yesterday a billboard that flashed by for the Star Tribune rhetorically asked “Is something missing from your news?”, then suggested that people check out the Star Tribune. That’s a big question that may deserve its own premium post also including MPR.
Instead, as people fret the dying rural media and disinvestment in local media – there’s signs of optimism away from the big banners.
From the Senate vote on mining near the BWCA this week, to a request to me from KAAL about the impeachment vote in St. Paul – there is coverage in local TV that doesn’t get done in the MSP market. However, as for years, there is a literacy or depth issue from the often first job reporters in these markets. That should be a wakeup call to management and the news directors in these markets.
Media competition for the story is good, but grudges aren’t. The race between Rep. Brad Finstad and DFL challenger Jake Johnson will deserve an eye on balance and measured headlines – as to not use them for political ads and fodder.
The opportunity to coach and guide young reporters to not over amplify the protest voices at the expense of reality is critical. That was the case of the House Rules impeachment vote this week – close observers knew it wasn’t going anywhere – but it generated headlines. In the case of KAAL there was a sense that it could lead to something, which was the goal of advocates from the Freedom Caucus.
If the race between Finstad and Johnson is close, which it could be – the media will have a critical role in covering it, but not with clickbait with thoughtfulness and due diligence.
What’s missing? Deeper editing and more scrutiny before posting click-bait.
Follow the 2026 Minnesota elections up close with the Fluence Election Tracker.
https://fluence-media.co/electiontrackerCASH CONTRAST
While the headline of the week was Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s fundraising haul, while still with an advantage a look at party-affiliated groups shows that fundraising in the race for control of the Minnesota legislature is much closer.
COMPARING CASH
Here’s the chart on Q1 gubernatorial fundraising from the Fluence Election tracker.
https://fluence-media.co/electiontracker
HABITAT RESTORATION: Flint Hills Resources has earned Tandem Global WHC Gold Certification for habitat restoration at its Cottage Grove fuel terminal. The certification comes after two years of work in partnership with Friends of the Mississippi River to implement a restoration and monitoring plan to re-establish the 6.5-acre site’s natural prairie and savannah. Flint Hills has held gold certification for its work done with community partners over the past 25 years to restore more than 200 acres of the Pine Bend Bluffs, a critical natural area along the Mississippi River that is adjacent to Flint Hills Resources Pine Bend refinery. This makes two Flint Hills gold certified sites in Minnesota and the first two gold-certified sites ever in the Twin Cities. LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/3VASKg4 (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources)
OMAR ACCOUNTING ERROR?
OMARWEALTH?: via WSJ, VERBATIM: “Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, facing potential investigations pushed by President Trump and House Republicans, said she isn’t as wealthy as documents she previously submitted to Congress suggest because there were major accounting errors in her filing…An Omar disclosure filed last year showed she and her husband held assets of between $6 million and $30 million, a massive rise in wealth from her previous annual filing. ..An amended filing viewed by The Wall Street Journal shows the couple’s assets to be just $18,004 to $95,000. The forms don’t require exact values, only broad ranges.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4sHUB0O
HUH: The disparity of the filing can’t be accepted as an “accounting” error. A venture capitalist without assets suggests he’s not actually a venture capitalist. It also suggests that his previous role as a well-compensated political consultant didn’t provide any wealth. There are more questions after this story than before. Omar owes her constituents full transparency – especially as a critic of the wealthy.
PRODUCTIVE FARMS, STEWARDSHIP GO HAND IN HAND: via Minnesota Corn, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Corn farmers are demonstrating that productive agriculture and environmental stewardship go hand in hand. Through widespread adoption of practices such as reduced tillage, cover crops, crop rotations, and targeted nutrient management, farmers have improved soil health, reduced erosion, cut greenhouse gas emissions, and protected water quality across millions of acres in Minnesota. That’s all while implementing advances in seed genetics, fertility management, and precision technology that have improved on-farm productivity.” LEARN MORE: https://fluence-media.co/4stHjG5 (SPONSORED: Minnesota Corn)
If you' don’t read sports take you should - a couple playoff nuggets from Howard Sinker this past week. Full edition here: https://fluence-media.co/4mFHgVF
ON THE ICE: The series is pretty much a toss-up, with a slight lean to Dallas. The Stars have been to the last three conference finals; Minnesota has lost their last eight first-round series. (Tap here for current odds) The Athletic’s detailed preview goes deep on how the acquisition of star defenseman Quinn Hughes made the Wild better even if their winning percentage didn’t change after he was acquired in December. VERBATIM: “The Wild’s early-season record was floated primarily by their goaltenders. In 12 pre-Hughes appearances, Jesper Wallstedt put up a .937 save percentage, saved nearly 13 goals more than expected, shut out four opponents and went 9-1-1. Filip Gustavsson, in 20 appearances, was solidly above average, as well. Those two helped wallpaper over intensely mediocre offensive numbers at five-on-five. . . .Wild general manager Bill Guerin recognized that, so he swung a blockbuster trade for an ultra-high-end player. Simple enough. And in the months since, Hughes has been as advertised: An offensive engine on the back end, capable of connecting effectively with Minnesota’s elite forwards and mitigating a lack of down-roster game-breakers.” MORE: https://fluence-media.co/wild0416
WOLVES MUST FLIP SWITCH: Via Britt Robson at MinnPost. The Wolves-Denver series starts Saturday and Minnesota is a huge underdog. (Tap here for current odds.) The Nuggets will enter the playoffs on a 12-game winning streak while the Wolves sputtered their way through much of the season. VERBATIM: “The Wolves forfeited the right to be dubbed plucky by overestimating their commitment to a championship mentality, specifically by reneging on their promises to build teamwork and momentum game-by-game over the course of the season. ‘I’ve said it all year. We know this team — who we can be and who we have been,’ said head coach Chris Finch after practice on Tuesday, referencing the Wolves previous two years making the conference finals and its tendency to lock in and play the league’s best teams on equal terms this season. ‘It’s about whether we can maintain that. We don’t ever really want to be a flip-a-switch team but we do have a switch to flip and we have to flip it now. And when we do that, everybody becomes the best version of themselves and brings out that continuity and connection that we need.’ “
FOR PLANNING PURPOSES….
TUESDAY: Clean Energy Economy Minnesota (CEEM) will host a “Clean Energy Business Day at the Capitol” to connect energy business leaders and lawmakers. A rotunda program advocating for energy independence will begin at 1:30 p.m.
WEDNESDAY: Attorney General Keith Ellison is hosting a town hall in Minneapolis with the attorneys general of Illinois and Oregon on Wednesday, April 22. The group will be discussing their “work to uphold the rule of law and protect democracy,” per Ellison. The event is at 6:00 p.m. DETAILS: https://fluence-media.co/4tyqMRj
APRIL 28: Gov. Tim Walz will deliver his final State of the State address before a joint session of the Minnesota Legislature on Tuesday, April 28 at 7:00 p.m.
We won’t ask for “membership” to list your BDAY, and we won’t have pledge drive but you can support the Fluence work by paying for premium content.
BDAYS: SAT: Rep. Jim Joy, repoter John Lauritsen, lobbyist Todd Hill. SUN: Sen. Omar Fateh, operative Linden Zakula, wine family leader Page Cowles, restaurant designer Jim Smart, teacher Lisa Johnson
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.
SPONSORS: Sponsorships are available to reach over 30,000 readers per day on Fluence’s tip sheets and website, TheDailyAgenda.com – email BloisOlson@gmail.com.
Send us your tips at BloisOlson@gmail.com
IN MEMORIAM: morning take is dedicated in memory of Melissa Hortman.