The wealthy use social media differently. MORNING CONSULT: https://fluence-media.co/42JAcPg
An Edina auction house is hosting an auction of Johnny Cash memorabilia. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/43Tv8Jk
Cargill says Americans will eat 73 million pounds of chocolate over the Easter holiday season. SEE: https://fluence-media.co/3RPHUB2
China has suspended exports of minerals and magnets. NYTIMES: https://fluence-media.co/42dDFFy
GOP Rep. Dave Baker and DFL Sen. Nick Frentz were on Sunday Take to discuss the final stretch of the legislative session. LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/3ElxhTu
Blois
tips/feedback bloisolson@gmail.com
All Fluence Media tip sheets are now available to read and share online at our website, The Daily Agenda:
RESPONSIBLEGAMING: Legal sports betting platforms offer responsible game tools that offshore and illegal sports betting don’t offer. In fact, age verification is not required with most offshore providers. Learn more about why legalized sports betting is more responsible. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/4kgJoS4 (SPONSORED: Sports Betting Alliance)
MPLS MAYOR: Via KSTP-TV, VERBATIM: “City Council Member Emily Koski announced on Monday morning she is dropping out of the race for Minneapolis mayor. In a news release, Koski said her decision ‘comes after deep reflection on the challenges of running an authentic, community-focused campaign within Minneapolis’ current political climate.’ ‘But I’ve come to a hard truth: under the current political climate, I can’t be my authentic self and be a candidate in this race the way it demands,’ she said in a statement.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/42eUhgh
MORE: From the Koski campaign via Facebook, the announcement. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/42x4rrx
SENATE: Via news release from the Melisa López Franzen campaign, VERBATIM: “In just the first three weeks of her campaign, Melisa López Franzen has raised over a quarter of a million dollars from nearly 500 grassroots donors spanning 28 counties across Minnesota, demonstrating momentum in the race for the United States Senate. The three-week total of more than $260,000 highlights the energy behind López Franzen’s campaign and the broad appeal of her vision and leadership for Minnesota.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3G8qFZi
TARIFFS: Via Rochester Post Bulletin, VERBATIM: “Beth (Fynbo) Benike planned to shoot Busy Baby social media marketing videos this week. Then, escalating tariffs on China — which drove up the import costs for a three-month supply of manufactured products from $31,000 to near $200,000 — put her in front of some other cameras: the lenses of CNN, the BBC and New York Times. It's not how Benike, who was recently named Minnesota's small business owner of the year, had hoped to become the face of U.S. small business owners.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3G8o15T
MORE: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “In its 52-year history, the Twin Cities Auto Show has not seen many times like these. Tariffs on imported autos and car parts are changing the dynamic for sellers and buyers, sometimes in customers’ favor. . . This year’s car show comes at an unusually volatile time for the automobile industry. President Donald Trump’s 25 percent tariff on imported cars and car parts wasn’t part of last week’s partial 90-day tariff pause. Rachna Shah, a professor at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Business, has researched manufacturing and efficiency. Shah says it’s theoretically possible prices will fall as consumers anticipate the U.S. making more cars and delay their buying.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Rk8KkJ
MORE: Via WCCO-Radio, VERBATIM: “Shoppers are stocking up on items coming from China in light of increasing tariffs between the U.S. and one of its biggest trading partners. China accounts for 11% of U.S. trade, trailing only Mexico and Canada. At the Sun Foods Super Market on University Avenue in St. Paul, Minnesota, shoppers say they're concerned about the tariffs and what it could mean to their own budgets as they shop for Asian foods.” QUOTE: "I mean, it's sad. It's already, you know, hard enough out here for families to make ends meet and feed our families," one shopper told WCCO. "And to add to the tariffs, that's not making it easy for people." LISTEN: https://fluence-media.co/42r2D36
MNLEG: Via Axios, VERBATIM: “A prominent Senate Democrat's legislation directing state funding to a former legal client has sparked calls to strengthen the Legislature's conflict-of-interest rules. Why it matters: Minnesota's state government has some of the weakest ethics and public disclosure laws in the country, experts say. State of play: Minnesota has a part-time ‘Citizen Legislature’ by design. That means most legislators maintain outside jobs and financial interests that could, in theory, present a conflict with the work they do under the dome.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3RLTX2e
WNBA: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “Paige Bueckers of UConn is the likely first choice in Monday’s WNBA draft. Bueckers played high school basketball at Hopkins, but it’s unlikely she’ll play for the Minnesota Lynx, who announced Sunday that they traded their first-round pick this year — No. 11 overall — to the Chicago Sky. In return, Minnesota will get Chicago’s first-round pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft — giving the Lynx two first-round picks next year. For this year — the trade leaves the Lynx with three draft selections: two in the second round — No. 15 and No. 24 overall — as well as one in the third round, No. 37.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Et4oEU
ECONOMY: Via Bloomberg, VERBATIM: “Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis President Neel Kashkari signaled confidence that markets will remain orderly as investors sort through President Donald Trump’s shifting trade policies and said the central bank must stay focused on keeping inflation expectations anchored. Speaking after a week that brought a sharp surge in 10-year Treasury yields, Kashkari said US trade and fiscal policy will determine where that number goes. ‘At the Fed, our job is to keep inflation under control so that rate isn’t even higher,’ he said Sunday on CBS’s Face the Nation.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/43SgdyR
MORE: Via CBS News, the interview. WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3RhehbF
STEEL: Via Mesabi Tribune, VERBATIM: “President Donald Trump said he doesn’t care for the idea of Nippon Steel Corp. buying United States Steel Corp.” QUOTE: “U.S. Steel is a big name in this country,” Trump said Thursday in answer to a media question during a meeting of his cabinet in the White House. “Babe Ruth is a big name. We have a lot of big names, but not too many. U.S. Steel is one of the great names in the history of our country. Normally, I wouldn’t mind so much. I wouldn’t be thrilled with it, but for a foreign country—and we love Japan—but for a foreign country to buy that cherished U.S. Steel brand it’s hard for me to do.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4cxqtPq
FASTENAL: Via Reuters, VERBATIM: “[Winona-based] Fastenal reported first-quarter revenue and profit in-line with Wall Street's estimates on Friday, as higher-value contracts for its fasteners and other industrial supplies helped it offset weaker demand from manufacturing and construction sectors. The company said more customers — factories, warehouses and construction sites among others — crossed the threshold of $10,000 per month in purchases; its lower-spending customers also showed modest improvement.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lwzJHC
PRODUCING THE FUELS THAT HELP KEEP MINNESOTA MOVING: Flint Hills Resources, one of the Midwest’s leading producers of transportation fuels is hiring! With openings in IT, accounting, engineering, operations, procurement and asset management, Flint Hills Resources’ goal is to match talented individuals with their passions and interests to truly shine. APPLY TODAY: Flint Hills jobs (SPONSORED: Flint Hills Resources)
UOFM: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “There’s been increased attention in recent years to the parcels of land used to create and fund the University of Minnesota. The U.S. government gave the land to the state in the mid-1800s after taking it from tribal nations through treaties often signed under the threat of violence. The United States paid just pennies an acre for the land, but over the last 175 years it has generated more than $900 million for the university’s endowment. ‘It’s hard to see the university thrive like that off of land that was actually stolen,’ said Robert Larsen, president of the Lower Sioux Indian Community and chair of the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council, a legislative body representing ten of the eleven tribal nations in Minnesota.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YvLT9A
FRESH15: The latest season of Fresh15 includes interviews with new Minnesota House members. So far, five new members have shared their goals, background and fun facts before they take office in a historic session this January.
Rep. Kari Rehrauer
Rep. Wayne Johnson
Rep. Julie Greene
Rep. Keith Allen
Rep. Peter Johnson
Follow on your favorite podcast platform, or at www.TheDailyAgenda.com/Podcasts. (SPONSORED: Minnesota Telecom Alliance)
JOB MARKET: Via The Wall Street Journal, VERBATIM: “The closer John Welsh came to earning his graphic-design degree, the worse the job market seemed. By the time he was ready to graduate in 2022, he was seriously considering ditching his chosen field and taking up his dad’s offer to work for the family metal-fabrication business. ‘It feels so impersonal just sending off your résumé to whatever job you see,’ said Welsh, who is 25 and has worked for three years as a purchaser at his dad’s company in Plymouth, Minn. ‘Versus going back to a place where I grew up working and was already familiar with everyone.’ Welsh now plans to eventually take over Seelye Craftsmen alongside his older brother, who also surprised their dad, Tom, by going to work for the family firm. A young generation is taking a bigger interest in joining the family business, spurred by a cooling labor market that is making it more difficult to land entry-level jobs, economists and business analysts say.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4lutGmP
HIGHER ED: Via Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, VERBATIM: “College enrollments declined across the country over the last decade. Following a peak in 2010, the decline was largely driven by slowing population growth and high tuition costs. Enrollments took another hit during the COVID-19 recession recovery as job openings soared and wages rose, potentially reducing interest in a college degree. Some of those circumstances have since changed. Enrollments first began to tick up in 2023 amid moderating wage growth and a decline in job openings. By the fall 2024 semester, enrollment totals rebounded across much of the nation, according to newly released data from the National Student Clearinghouse. In the Ninth District, all states experienced a substantial increase in students. Some states even surpassed pre-pandemic levels for the first time.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4juPzRd
BEER: Via CCX Media, VERBATIM: “A successful Maple Grove brewery and taproom is making changes to its business model. OMNI Brewing Co. is seeking state approval to switch from a small brewer to a brewpub. The distinction will allow OMNI to expand its food menu. It would also let the business serve wine, which it makes at its facility in Rosemount. The founders expect to see other taprooms follow suit as the brewing business continues to evolve.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/44nOOFa
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)
SURVEY: Via Star Tribune, VERBATIM: “A Minnesota state agency is currently surveying LGBTQ residents to learn more about the experiences and challenges facing the community. It has been 30 years since Minnesota undertook a similarly ambitious effort. The survey is the first major initiative of the Council on LGBTQIA2S+ Minnesotans, which was formed in 2023 and operational as of last May.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4j9hwOT
ROBBINSDALE: Via KMSP-TV, VERBATIM: “Wuollet Bakery is closing its Robbinsdale location on April 13. According to a press release from the bakery, the building at 4139 West Broadway has been sold.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4icY4PX
DOGS: The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal reports a franchise of dog daycare and boarding facility Hounds Town USA is planned for Burnsville. READ: https://fluence-media.co/3XUSomj
WEDNESDAY: Via Minneapolis-based U.S. Bancorp, VERBATIM: “U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB) will release its first quarter 2025 earnings results before the market opens on Wednesday, April 16, 2025. At 8 a.m. CT, President and Chief Executive Officer Gunjan Kedia and Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer John Stern will host a conference call to review the financial results.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/41ZpbsY
SATURDAY: Via Minnesota Spokesman Recorder, VERBATIM: “Minneapolis residents are invited to roll up their sleeves and pitch in during the 31st Annual Minneapolis Earth Day Cleanup on Saturday, April 19, 2025, from 9:30 a.m. to noon. More than 40 park sites across the city will host volunteers working to beautify green spaces and protect the local environment.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3YyK7oj
NEXT MONTH: Via Maple Plain-based Protolabs, VERBATIM: “Protolabs (NYSE: PRLB) announced today that it will issue its financial results for the first quarter of 2025 before the opening of the market on Friday, May 2, 2025. Protolabs will host a conference call to discuss the results at 8:30 a.m. EDT on the same day.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3Gkf2OQ
NEXT MONTH: From Bloomington-based SkyWater via Business Wire, VERBATIM: “SkyWater Technology (NASDAQ: SKYT), the trusted technology realization partner, today announced that it will report its fiscal first quarter 2025 financial results following the close of the market on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. The same afternoon, management will host a webcast to discuss its business and financial results.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ihbR8a
WOLVES: Via Brownfield, VERBATIM: “A U.S. House bill that would remove the gray wolf from the Endangered Species List and prevent judges from putting the animal back on the list has made a step forward. The Pet and Livestock Protection Act, also known as HR 845, would restore authority back to state lawmakers and state wildlife officials to control the gray wolf population.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/3RdzdAl
MORE: Via news release from Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-Wisconsin) TIFFANY: “The damage to pets, livestock, and wildlife from an unmanaged wolf population can no longer be ignored. The gray wolf has exceeded federal and state recovery goals, with over 1,000 wolves now thriving in Wisconsin. It’s time to take the next step, delist them, and let the people closest to the gray wolf manage their population levels." READ: https://fluence-media.co/4277A2e
MORE: Via Defenders of Wildlife, VERBATIM: “This bill does not really protect pets and livestock; instead, it harms wolves and ignores both science and the courts which have repeatedly affirmed that wolves need federal protections to have a chance at recovery in the Lower 48,” said Ellen Richmond, senior attorney at Defenders of Wildlife. “We denounce this bill in the strongest terms possible and are dismayed that our elected officials are playing political football with one of the country’s most beloved animals.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/44iR5RZ
READING: Via Timberwolves & Lynx, VERBATIM: “The Minnesota Timberwolves, Lynx and Xcel Energy celebrated National Reading Month with the culmination of a Read to Achieve celebration at Blooming Prairie Elementary School. The Read to Achieve program, powered by Xcel Energy, encourages the advancement of literacy, fostering a love of reading among youth and challenges students (K-5th grade) throughout the state to read 500 minutes over the course of four months throughout the school year. This season 14,600 participating students throughout Minnesota read more than 3.7 million minutes with Blooming Prairie Elementary School being the most engaged school.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4jN1WZd
FOOTBALL: Via MPR, VERBATIM: “On a recent day during recess in Cambridge, 8-year-old Elena Easley was playing football with her friend. Like many young girls across the nation, she developed a passion for the sport while watching Travis Kelce — also known as singer Taylor Swift’s boyfriend — play for the Kansas City Chiefs. A boy came up to her, and told her something she is used to hearing: ‘girls can’t play football’ . . . Elena had seen her mom, who fosters dogs, go viral for videos on TikTok before, so she asked if they could make a video about her experience. Easley told her not to get her hopes up because she wasn’t sure it would reach that far, but Elena had faith. To the song ‘To Build a Home’ by The Cinematic Orchestra, the mom and daughter explained what happened and asked to see examples of women in sports. Soon, the video garnered over 3 million views.” READ/WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/42749Zo
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INSURANCE: Via The Minneapolis Egotist, VERBATIM: “Independent agency Solve is breaking its first work this week for leading insurance company, The Hartford. The campaign is part of an overall brand refresh that spans positioning, tagline and identity, including a bold, contemporary look for its iconic stag logo that honors the company’s rich history while demonstrating its modern, visionary spirit.” WATCH: https://fluence-media.co/3EoMjYF
FORUM: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
NE MPLS: Via MplsStPaul, VERBATIM: “Open since November, Minari is our new world of rich burgundy paint and high soaring arches, of gold accents and small golden lights, of servers pushing carts and rushing with large trays—taken at a glance, it feels like if terrifically sexy, wine-loving 1920s art deco vampires all took a cruise together. Minari! And then there’s me, in the midst of it all, holding a gimbap roll over my head.” READ: https://fluence-media.co/4ctNPFr
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