TEETH: From UCare via Facebook, VERBATIM: “UCare's Mobile Dental Clinic is a one-of-a-kind #dentist office traveling everywhere in #MN to deliver care to our members. Next week, the UM Dental School-run clinic is at Salem Evangelical Lutheran Church/ North Minneapolis.” SEE: http://bit.ly/2RMJV3a FULLSCHEDULE: http://bit.ly/2KNBNMA (SPONSORED: UCare)
SIGNUP: Now signing up for Fluence tip sheets is easy and can be found at one site, www.fluence-newsletters.com - VISIT: http://bit.ly/2019FluenceTipSheets
HEALTH: From Lydia Saad via Gallup, VERBATIM: “According to reports of their own health, seven in 10 U.S. adults are in good physical and mental health, including 20% rating both aspects ‘excellent,’ 26% rating both ‘good,’ and 25% rating one aspect good and the other excellent. Another 22% of Americans give mixed reports about their health, rating one aspect excellent or good and the other aspect ‘only fair’ or ‘poor.’ The remaining 7% rate both their physical and mental health in the more negative terms . . . Nearly nine in 10 adults in households earning $100,000 or more rate both their physical and mental health positively (87%); however, this drops to 77% among those in middle-income households and 54% among those earning less than $40,000.” READ: http://bit.ly/35gkSJX
ENROLLMENT: From Shelby Livingston via Modern Healthcare, VERBATIM: “With less than a week to go before open enrollment for 2020 health insurance exchange coverage ends in most states, signups trail last year's totals by about 6%, the federal government said Wednesday. Roughly 3.9 million people enrolled in an Affordable Care Act exchange plan in the first six weeks of open enrollment, which ends on Dec. 15 for the states that use the federally operated HealthCare.gov. Plan selections have dropped about 250,000 over the same time in 2018. Signups, while lower than last year's, are decreasing at a slower rate than in the year before, when sign-ups in the sixth week of open enrollment were down almost 12%.” READ: http://bit.ly/2EdIrHc
MINNESOTA: As of Tuesday, MNsure 88,254 health plan sign-ups and renewals. SEE: http://bit.ly/2qK0wcQ
HOUSLEY: Another Beers with Blois, Sen. Karin Housley talks about liquor laws, elder care reform, the decision not to run for the U.S. Senate, and hockey over a beer and a local seltzer from Lift Bridge Brewery in Stillwater. LISTEN: http://bit.ly/323bneK (SPONSORED: MN Corn Growers and North Central Carpenters Union)
CD8: From Brady Slater via Duluth News Tribune, VERBATIM: “The 2020 campaign in Minnesota’s 8th Congressional District may have begun in earnest this week, when Rep. Pete Stauber seemed to undercut his Democratic opponent by announcing he’d penned insulin cost-reduction language onto Democratic legislation that would lower prescription drug costs. The legislative maneuver addresses one of the core platform issues for leading Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party contender Quinn Nystrom, a lifelong diabetes advocate from Baxter, Minn. ‘It's clear that all he cares about is trying to score political points and help his corporate donors,’ Nystrom told the News Tribune. Stauber's office denied the claim, saying, ‘Congressman Stauber introduced this amendment because it was the right thing to do.’” READ: http://bit.ly/2RJ5yBC
$6.7BILLION: From Chad Terhune via Reuters, VERBATIM: “A U.S. government watchdog is raising fresh concerns that health insurers are exaggerating how sick Medicare patients are, receiving billions of dollars in improper payments as a result. Health insurers selling Medicare Advantage plans to seniors and the disabled received an estimated $6.7 billion in 2017 after adding diagnoses to patients’ files that were not supported by their medical records, according to a report released on Thursday by the U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Inspector General’s Office. Inspectors found that Medicare Advantage insurers had added diagnoses for diabetes, heart disease and other conditions in 99.3% of chart reviews of patient information, even though they did not appear in records from doctors, hospitals or other medical providers. Insurers deleted incorrect diagnoses less than 1% of the time, they found.” READ: https://reut.rs/35gzsRt
POLL: Via National Council for Behavioral Health, VERBATIM: “New polling released today by the National Council for Behavioral Health shows strong bipartisan agreement among registered voters in New Hampshire that the federal government is not doing enough to address mental health (84% of Democrats and 72% of Republicans) and addiction (77% of Democrats and 53% of Republicans) in America.” INGOGLIA: “The message is clear: candidates who want to win New Hampshire need to tell voters they have a plan to address the mental health and addiction crisis, one of the most important health issues facing the nation,” said Chuck Ingoglia, president and CEO of the National Council for Behavioral Health. “The Unite for Mental Health: New Hampshire Town Hall will provide an important opportunity for presidential candidates to engage with New Hampshire families, mental health professionals and local policymakers to discuss the issues and share solutions voters – and the nation – are eager to support.” READ: http://bit.ly/2teAS0Z
AZAR/VERMA: From Yasmeen Abutaleb, Josh Dawsey, Paige Winfield Cunningham, and Amy Goldstein via The Washington Post, VERBATIM: “Bitter infighting among President Trump’s top health officials — as well as his own shifting demands on signature policies — have undermined key planks of the president’s health-care agenda as he girds for a tough reelection campaign, according to current and former administration officials. Though polls show the issue is critically important to voters, Trump has failed to deliver on his most important health-care promises . . . In recent days, the conflicts between Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma have spilled into view with damaging leaks about Verma’s use of contractors to boost her profile at a cost of nearly $3 million to taxpayers and an attempt to recoup $47,000 from the government for jewelry and clothing stolen on a work trip, first reported by Politico. She, in turn, assigned top staffers to probe the leaks and concluded they came from the HHS general counsel’s office. A person close to Azar denied he had anything to do with the leaks.” READ: https://wapo.st/35spyw4
MORE: From Dan Diamond, Adam Cancryn, and Rachana Pradhan via Politico, VERBATIM: “The clash has riveted Washington and forced White House officials to intervene on several occasions — most recently on Wednesday evening, when Azar and Verma were summoned to a meeting mediated by Vice President Mike Pence and Mick Mulvaney, Trump's acting chief of staff. The message sent to both Azar and Verma, according to three people with knowledge: Find a way to get along.” READ: https://politi.co/38wt9ex
LAWSUIT: From Susan-Elizabeth Littlefield via WCCO-TV, VERBATIM: “A rural Minnesota woman says a pharmacist refused to fill her prescription for the morning-after pill. Andrea Anderson and her partner have been together for ten years, “We have a phenomenal child together and that’s how I want to leave it’ . . . Anderson’s doctor wrote a prescription for Ella but she says the pharmacist at Thrifty White, the only pharmacy in McGregor, refused to fill it. ‘He said, ‘I don’t feel comfortable, that goes against what I believe,’ and all a sudden it clicked and I said what,’ Anderson explained. Anderson says the pharmacist said another pharmacist may help her out, but with a snowstorm coming, it wasn’t certain. She said the CVS in Aitkin brushed her off as well. Ultimately Walgreen’s gave her the drug.” WATCH: https://cbsloc.al/2RKHK04
USMCA: From Susan Morse via Healthcare Finance, VERBATIM: “The trade deal announced yesterday between the United States, Mexico and Canada takes away pharmaceutical companies' 10-year exclusivity for biologics. In addition, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) undos three additional years of patent protection when drug companies submit paperwork about a new use of a drug.
Organizations such as AARP and the Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing are commending the work done to pass what's being called NAFTA 2.0. The House and Senate are expected to vote on the deal in the coming weeks. The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America said the deal puts politics over patients and does nothing to help patients afford their medicines.” READ: http://bit.ly/2YGdlBw
FOODSAFETY: From Annie Gasparro via The Wall Street Journal, VERBATIM: “E. coli illnesses linked to romaine lettuce show how U.S. regulators continue to struggle with identifying which farms spark an outbreak and stopping it from spreading . . . Officials have improved their ability to track ingredients and pathogens in the U.S. food chain. That has enabled them to link illnesses in different locales, boosting the number of multistate investigations. But determining the root cause of an outbreak remains difficult. Regulators never pinpointed all the sources of a smaller romaine outbreak earlier this year or two last year.” READ: https://on.wsj.com/34bkrPL
DRUGPRICES: From Selena Simmons-Duffin via National Public Radio, VERBATIM: “Practically everyone is frustrated by high prescription drug prices. Voters have made clear they want Congress to do something about them. The House of Representatives is voting Thursday on a bill that tries to deliver on that. It's highly unlikely to get through the Senate, and the White House has announced that President Trump would veto it if it came to his desk. But the bill, H.R. 3, titled the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, does have several components that are reflected in other proposals in Congress, including a bipartisan bill in the Senate that might have better prospects.” LISTEN: https://n.pr/2PgjYHO
VAPING: From Jessie Hellmann via The Hill, VERBATIM: “A bill aimed at curbing youth vaping rates by banning flavored e-cigarettes will not get a vote in the House until next year, one of the measure’s co-sponsors said. Rep. Donna Shalala (D-Fla.), who co-sponsors the bill with Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone Jr. (D-N.J.), told The Hill on Wednesday that she has a ‘promise’ from House leadership for a vote on the floor ‘early’ next year. Shalala had previously said the bill would get a vote by the end of the year. But Congress has a limited number of working days left this month, and it’s racing to avoid a government shutdown.” READ: http://bit.ly/2EnRhm5
IHS: From Christopher Weaver via The Wall Street Journal, VERBATIM: “President Trump’s nominee to lead the Indian Health Service breezed through a Senate confirmation hearing Wednesday, facing few tough questions from the handful of lawmakers who were present. Rear Adm. Michael Weahkee, a career IHS official who has served as the agency’s acting director since June 2017, has in recent weeks gained the support of many Native American tribes. That made him a shoo-in for senators taking signals from their constituents.” READ: https://on.wsj.com/2PIz9Z6
FLU: In an update released today, the Minnesota Department of Health reports 28 flu-related hospitalizations last week, down from 48 the week before. There have been three deaths. SEE: http://bit.ly/35eVwff
THIRSTY: From Jason Howland via Mayo Clinic News Network, VERBATIM: “Staying hydrated during exercise is important. And a valuable term to remember is ‘drink to thirst.’” FILMALTER: "You can become dehydrated if you take in too little. And you can actually cause problems, such as exercise-induced low sodium or hyponatremia, if you take in too much," says Dr. Sara Filmalter, a Mayo Clinic family physician. "So the general rule of thumb at this point among physicians is to drink to thirst." WATCH: https://mayocl.in/2PE7LLT
GREATERMN: From Farmfest, the second Fluence Forum includes 9 commissioners from multiple state agencies discussing the intersection between agriculture and issues related to Greater Minnesota. The discussion will be broadcast at 6PM on Wednesday on WCCO Radio. This Fluence Forum is sponsored by Minnesota’s Corn Growers. LISTEN: http://bit.ly/FluenceForum2 (SPONSORED: MN Corn Growers)
DEC20: From Gravie via PRNewswire, VERBATIM: “Eligible producers from participating Land O'Lakes co-ops and direct Land O'Lakes Dairy members in Minnesota and Kansas have less than two weeks to enroll in the Land O'Lakes Cooperative Farmer Member Health Plan. For coverage beginning January 1, 2020, the deadline to enroll in the plan is December 20 at 5p.m. CT. For those unfamiliar with the Land O'Lakes Cooperative Farmer Member Health Plan, in 2017, Land O'Lakes partnered with Gravie, a Minneapolis-based benefits marketplace, to design a health plan exclusively for producers in Minnesota. Due to the program's success, Land O'Lakes and Gravie expanded the plan to Kansas for the 2020 benefits year.” READ: https://prn.to/2rF2trx
LAWENFORCEMENT: From Jon Collins via Minnesota Public Radio, VERBATIM: “Law enforcement leaders from across the state gathered in Bloomington Wednesday to talk about how best to respond to people threatening to kill themselves. Some police departments around the country have shifted how they respond to suicide calls, said Andy Skoogman, executive director of the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association . . . A recent survey by the association of more than 300 chiefs in the state found that fewer than 20 percent of Minnesota police departments referred calls about people threatening suicide to mental health professionals. Another 25 percent of departments had officers leave if they couldn’t make contact with the person having a mental health crisis. ‘We’re simply trying to get an understanding of what’s happening in Minnesota,’ Skoogman said. ‘Who is doing what? And what we can do to do better in terms of finding a solution that doesn’t put officers in jeopardy but also helps save a life?’” READ: http://bit.ly/2qPGrC4
CCC: From Edina-based Colon Cancer Coalition via GlobeNewswire, VERBATIM: “The Colon Cancer Coalition’s Board of Directors and staff are excited to welcome Holly Anderson as executive director. Anderson succeeds Acting Executive Director Chris Evans, who remains Chief Financial Officer. Anderson will oversee the day-to-day operations as well as lead the organization into the next phase of strategic growth and expand patient support efforts.” READ: https://yhoo.it/2YHzi37
DOCJOBS: From Jeff Lagasse via Healthcare Finance, VERBATIM: “There's some good news for physicians who are looking for work: The labor market this year has shown a 5% increase in job opportunities as compared to last year, based on data compiled by professional medical network Doximity. Among specialists, family and internal medicine physicians were in the greatest demand. It's the third consecutive year that physician demand has increased, and while this is certainly good news for working clinicians, it's also something of a concern as patient demand increases and the physician shortage worsens. The physician shortage is expected to hit more than 120,000 by 2032, according to the Association of Medical Colleges.” READ: http://bit.ly/2EdEBhg
URGENTCARE: From Bruce Japsen via Forbes, VERBATIM: “The number of urgent care centers in the U.S. has surpassed 9,200 as hospital systems and well-capitalized companies like UnitedHealth Group’s Optum unit open urgent care centers across the country. The number of U.S. urgent care centers rose 6% to 9,272 in the U.S. as of June of this year compared to 8,774 in 2018, according to the latest tally by the Urgent Care Association, which released a new report on the industry’s rapid growth. Unlike the early proliferation of urgent care centers that were largely opened by physicians, doctor practices and medical groups, the new wave is driven by well-capitalized health systems and investor-owned companies like UnitedHealth Group’s Optum health services unit and big hospital corporations, the report indicates.” READ: http://bit.ly/2qMUKaz
MENTALHEALTH: From Mediaplanet via PRWeb, VERBATIM: “Mediaplanet recently announced the launch of the most recent edition of the ‘Mental Health’ campaign. This campaign will educate readers on the importance of destigmatizing mental health and ensuring that those affected get the help they need. Now is a critical time to continue discussions surrounding these subjects, as 1 in 5 adults in the United States has a mental illness and the rate of suicide is on the rise. This campaign will empower readers to take control of their mental health and encourage them to help their loved ones do the same . . . The print component of ‘Mental Health’ is distributed within today’s edition of USA Today in Chicago, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York and Washington DC/Baltimore markets, with a circulation of approximately 200,000 copies and an estimated readership of 600,000.” READ: http://bit.ly/2sjQQGA
MANKATO: From Nystrom & Associates via PRNewswire, VERBATIM: “NYSTROM & ASSOCIATES LTD, one of the Nation's largest behavioral health and substance use disorder providers is now welcoming clients to its new clinic in Mankato at 201 N Broad Street, Suite 200, Mankato, MN 56001. The new outpatient clinic will offer the Mankato Community and surrounding areas psychiatry, therapy, substance use disorder treatment, dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), Adult Rehabilitative Mental Health Services (ARMHS), and Children's Therapeutic Services and Supports (CTSS).” READ: https://prn.to/2qLYQ2F
CELCUITY: From Plymouth-based Celcuity via ACCESSWIRE, VERBATIM: “Celcuity Inc. (CELC), a dynamic cellular analysis company developing diagnostic tests to identify new patient populations for targeted therapies, announced that it presented results from a study of its newly developed CELx PI3K Signaling Function Test at the 2019 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium on December 11, 2019. The CELx PI3K Test identifies HER2-negative breast cancer patients with hyperactive PI3K-involved signaling tumors that respond ex vivo to PI3K inhibitors. Currently, only breast cancer patients with PIK3CA-mutations are eligible to receive treatment with PI3K inhibitors. However, response rates of 20% or less to PIK3 drugs in recent Phase III clinical trials suggest the need to measure other biological factors, such as PIK3-involved signaling, when identifying patients eligible for PI3K inhibitors.” READ: https://yhoo.it/2YFHVvf
ADDICTION: From Lenny Bernstein via The Washington Post, VERBATIM: “The Food and Drug Administration has warned the manufacturer of a long-acting anti-addiction medication that its printed advertisement does not include one of the most serious risks of using the product: the increased chance of an opioid overdose. In a Dec. 2 letter to Alkermes that was posted to the FDA’s website Wednesday, the agency said a company ad for Vivitrol does not warn users that they are more vulnerable to a ‘potentially fatal’ overdose if they resume use of opioids after the medication wears off. ‘The print ad is false or misleading because it omits important risk information associated with the use of Vivitrol,’ the FDA wrote.” READ: https://wapo.st/2E8q6vc
HOME: From Marilynn Marchione via Associated Press, VERBATIM: “For the first time since the early 1900s, more Americans are dying at home rather than in hospitals, a trend that reflects more hospice care and progress toward the kind of end that most people say they want. Deaths in nursing homes also have declined, according to Wednesday’s report in the New England Journal of Medicine. ‘It’s a good thing. Death has become overly medicalized over the last century’ and this shows a turn away from that, said the lead author, Dr. Haider Warraich of the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System.” READ: http://bit.ly/2skM2Rj
6,000+: Over 6,000 people have downloaded the Fluence Forum, an hour-long deep dive a critical issue of our community. The topic of the first one was the Enbridge Line 3 Replacement. Joined by labor, business and Native community leaders we discussed the impact the $2.6 billion project will have on Minnesota. You can listen to the forum here. LISTEN: http://bit.ly/2PIjBUR
NEXT: If you’re interested in having the Fluence Forum host a topic, please contact Blois Olson at bloisolson@gmail.com
EMERGENCYCAMP: Via Minnesota Department of Health, VERBATIM: “There are many kinds of youth camps, but how many give you a chance to learn how to care for critically injured victims of a tornado? More than a hundred high school students from across Minnesota are headed to Camp Ripley Dec. 12-14 to get hands-on experience in that skill and others involved in responding to public health and medical emergencies.” READ: http://bit.ly/2PdPI00
If you like podcasts, listen to Beers with Blois...http://bit.ly/BWBLISTEN
TABKE: Episode #23 of Beers with Blois, from Badger Hill Brewing in Shakopee first-term Rep. Brad Tabke discusses politics in a swing district, surprises in his first term, and transportation. LISTEN: http://bit.ly/beerswBlois23 (SPONSORED: MN Corn Growers and North Central Carpenters Union)
COHEN: From Dual Citizen brewery Sen. Dick Cohen talks about major legislation he's helped pass and current dynamics within the Senate including his challenge from fmr. Rep. Erin Murphy. LISTEN: http://bit.ly/beerswblois22 (SPONSORED: MN Corn Growers and North Central Carpenters Union)
BEERS: Beers with Blois at Utepils with Rep. Jeremy Munson. Munson talks health care, starting a new caucus and his idea for a new bill for elections and open legislative seats. LISTEN: http://bit.ly/BeerswBlois21 (SPONSORED: MN Corn Growers and North Central Carpenters Union)
GAROFALO: State Representative Pat Garofalo talks about a bipartisan idea for legalizing marijuana, a new outline for structuring bonding, and of course, sports betting in Minnesota. LISTEN: http://bit.ly/BeersWBlois20
PRATT: State Sen. Eric Pratt while rumored to be considering a candidacy for Congress against Rep. Angie Craig, Pratt announces he’ll run for re-election to the State Senate. Over a Pacifico, he discusses his leadership on passing bi-partisan wage theft legislation and pushback he received from people in his own party. Pratt discusses how he has approached trying to find a solution on the emergency insulin issue with DFLers. LISTEN: http://bit.ly/BeerswBlois19 (SPONSORED: Minnesota Corn Growers and North Central Carpenters Union )
SMITH: From Wild Minds Ales in South Minneapolis, Sen. Tina Smith talks about the culture of the U.S. Senate and who sits with who at lunch, how her marketing background changes the way she views traveling the state and meeting with people. She also shares early thoughts on her 2020 re-election campaign and what’s she’s learning about new currency on the Financial Services Committee. LISTEN: http://bit.ly/BeerswBlois16 (Sponsored by Minnesota Corn Growers and the North Central States Carpenters Union)
CARNAHAN: At the Republican Party booth, over a “Beer-garita”, from Tejas at the Minnesota State Fair, State GOP Chair Jennifer Carnahan talks about how President Trump’s campaign has invested unprecedented resources in Minnesota for a Presidential race. Carnahan also discusses the what’s at stake in the Minnesota Senate and how she grew into her role as a political outsider. LISTEN: http://bit.ly/BeerswBlois17 (Sponsored by Minnesota Corn Growers and the North Central States Carpenters Union)
MCCOLLUM: From Burning Brothers brewery in St. Paul, Rep. Betty McCollum brings us to our first gluten-free brewery and discusses the dynamics of being back in the majority and the Minnesota delegation. She shares her views on copper-nickel mining in Northern Minnesota, her role as the chair of an appropriations committee. LISTEN: http://bit.ly/BeerswBlois15 (Sponsored by Minnesota Corn Growers and the North Central States Carpenters Union)
CRAIG: Rep. Angie Craig drinks a local IPA with Blois and discusses what constituents are concerned about as she represents a district that President Donald Trump won in 2016, but Craig won in 2018. Talking about her plans for 2020, Craig shares how she’s approached meeting with lobbyists, what farmers have been telling her, and her work with Rep. Pete Stauber. LISTEN: http://bit.ly/beerswblois14
QUALLS: Republican challenger in Minnesota's Third Congressional District Kendall Qualls sits down at the Rock Elm Tavern in Plymouth for a cold one. Qualls discusses why he decided to run for Congress, issues he thinks he can make a difference on and where he thinks Rep. Dean Phillips hasn't delivered. LISTEN: http://bit.ly/BeerswBlois13 (Sponsored by Minnesota Corn Growers and the North Central States Carpenters Union)
CARTER: At the Allianz Field Beer Hall, Mayor Melvin Carter shares his priorities for St. Paul neighborhoods and residents. From major redevelopment opportunities on the riverfront, the Ford Plant and in Midway to what he’s learned during ride-alongs with police in the city. LISTEN: http://bit.ly/2Ytdprr
HAGEDORN: From Beers with Blois over some different Schell’s brewed beers at Crooked Pint in Fairbault, Rep. Jim Hagedorn joins Blois to discuss how Chinese trade has impacted the first district, his support of President Donald Trump, and what businesses and the agriculture community is concerned about as he travels the first district. LISTEN: http://bit.ly/BeerswBlois11 (Sponsored by Minnesota Corn Growers and the North Central States Carpenters Union)
DULUTH: In episode #10 of Beers with Blois, from Hoops Brewing in Canal Park, Duluth Mayor Emily Larson discusses how Duluth residents voted for higher taxes for infrastructure with over 70 percent of the vote, what the city is doing to address making housing more accessible, and why she’s taking the lead on pushing the EPA to study hydrogen fluoride after a refinery explosion in Superior, WI. LISTEN: http://bit.ly/BeerswBlois10 (Sponsored by Minnesota Corn Growers and the North Central States Carpenters Union)
BENSON: In episode #9 of Beers with Blois, from Invectis Brewery in Blaine, Beers with Blois catches up with State Sen. Michelle Benson on potential ways to split-up DHS and forthcoming prescription drug reform legislation. She shares the perspective on how physicians in the Senate influence legislation and what her plan is for re-election in 2020. LISTEN: http://bit.ly/BeerswBlois9
(Sponsored by Minnesota Corn Growers and the North Central States Carpenters Union)
CHEERS: Rep. Tom Emmer sits down with host Blois Olson and talks about his hobby of brewing beer and his beer tracking app, Rep. Ilhan Omar’s relationship with the Minnesota delegation and on Congress failure of doing its job since the 1990’s because of a lack of leadership. He also had a few things to say about hockey parents and what people are think about Trump in his district.” LISTEN: http://bit.ly/2WT4euR (Sponsored by Minnesota Corn Growers and the North Central States Carpenters Union)
iTunes: Beers with Blois is now on iTunes, SUBSCRIBE: https://apple.co/2Mi3q2o
WHITEHOUSE: via Beers with Blois, Rep. Dean Phillips VERBATIM: “That hour I spent in the White House Situation Room with the President was eye opening." In addition, Phillips shares insights on how they share thoughts this weekend in the Problem Solvers Caucus trip to the border, as well as his plans for 2020.” LISTEN: http://bit.ly/BeerswBlois8 (Sponsored by Minnesota Corn Growers and the North Central States Carpenters Union)
NEU: The Lindstrom Bakery and Deputy House Minority Leader Anne Neu joins Blois to discuss Gov. Tim Walz role in the budget negotiations, Trump’s influence in the 2020 elections and how Minnesota DFLers are starting to look like DC Democrats on “radical” proposals. LISTEN: http://bit.ly/BeerswBlois5 (Sponsored by Minnesota Corn Growers and the North Central States Carpenters Union)
FREY: Using some blue language Mayor Jacob Frey introduces Blois to actual beer at La Doña, a cervezaria near where the Minnesota United Soccer stadium was going to be. Frey on his relationship with Chief Medaria Arradondo and how often they talk on the phone. LISTEN: http://bit.ly/BeerswBlois4 (Sponsored by Minnesota Corn Growers and the North Central States Carpenters Union)
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DHS: via WCCO, VERBATIM: “A leading Republican says she believes there is a culture of retaliation and fear at the scandal-plagued Minnesota Department of Human Services…Senator Michelle Benson voiced her concerns at the hearing on Tuesday morning…BENSON: “When you have six layers of management and nobody’s checking, that’s not because resources weren’t available, it’s because people didn’t know how to do their job,” Senator Benson said…Sen. Benson criticized Commissioner Jodi Harpstead for other issues too…Commissioner Jodi Harpstead had already made this presentation on her first ninety days as Commissioner to a Democratic-controlled House Committee, but the Senate is controlled by Republicans, and the grilling here before the Senate Committee was tougher…One of the issues that remains undecided here at the Capitol is whether or not to break up the Department of Human Services. The thinking being that if it were broken up into smaller departments it would be easier to monitor…Commissioner Harpstead says she is neutral on this, but she says she can see pros and cons to both sides.” READ/WATCH: https://cbsloc.al/2YJoh1q
MORE: via Fox 9, VERBATIM: “The state will lose out on $76 million in federal reimbursements over the next four years because of previously uncovered data reporting issues DHS is now trying to correct.” WATCH/READ: http://bit.ly/2Pwc5Na
NEXTWEEK: via news advisory, VERBATIM: “State Rep. John Huot (DFL-Rosemount) will host a series of meetings with regional Emergency Medical Services boards and EMS staff to engage in a public discussion about how the state can help with recruitment and retention of EMS workers, aiming for quicker response rates in emergency situations. NBC recently reported that 57 million Americans face an EMS shortage.” The first meeting is Tuesday the 17th.
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HABITAWARE: From Amanda Ostuni via Twin Cities Business, VERBATIM: “St. Louis Park-based HabitAware has been awarded a $224,795 grant from the National Science Foundation. The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant will be used to design and test a new sensor for HabitAware’s wearable device aimed at curbing obsessive behaviors like skin picking, hair pulling, and nail biting.” READ: http://bit.ly/2LH1GNp
MORE: From Maddy Kennedy via Minne Inno, VERBATIM: “HabitAware said in a statement that it will use the grant money to improve upon Keen. It will also work with sensor specialists and electronics manufacturers to conduct a study about new sensor technologies and their suitability for mass production.” READ: http://bit.ly/2LN6Is2
MEDMAR: From Minnesota Medical Solutions via PRNewswire, VERBATIM: “Minnesota Medical Solutions, one of two licensed medical cannabis companies in the state of Minnesota, today announced that the Company has launched a new line of distillate cannabis oil formulations. The new distillate products are free of any diluting agents or extra ingredients and have a full spectrum of cannabinoids and terpenes. Distillate cannabis oils are widely recognized as the most clean and pure type of cannabis extract with an excellent safety record and precise cannabinoid potency.” READ: https://prn.to/2E9V3z3
PACE: From Minneapolis-based Pace via PRWeb, VERBATIM: “Pace Analytical Services, LLC, the largest American-owned laboratory network providing environmental and life sciences analytical information and services, today announced that it has expanded its capacity and service offerings to quickly address concerns over the effects of PFAS. Reports from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), documentaries on the subject, and the recent release of the movie, Dark Waters, have elevated demand for testing and analysis of PFAS compounds.” READ: http://bit.ly/2seIrnI
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