The Sunday Take

Over this past week there has been quite a stir with the GOP slipping in a provision banning THC and hemp federally over the next year amid the government shutdown ending. Blois chats with Glenn McElfresh, Co-Founder and COO of Plift, a THC infused soda brand about his business, the effect this ban will have on the $200 million hemp industry, what the ban means for the future of this industry and...

Election season is behind us and we now look ahead to what is next for Saint Paul, Minneapolis and Minnesota as a whole! This week Blois Olson sits down with the new Saint Paul Mayor - elect Koahly Her, who defeated Mayor Melvin Carter and now looks ahead to what the future holds for Saint Paul, she goes more in depth on who she is, how she ran for mayor, her relationship with former Speaker Emeri...

Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth is announcing she will be running for Governor in 2026. Breaking down the rise of socialist candidates in American elections. The Minneapolis mayoral race is this Tuesday and the results could dramatically shift the path of the city in the future. Blois shares some key scenarios to stay aware of as voters head to the polls. Kyrstin Schuette of the Schoolboard In...

It has been a very heavy week when it comes to people making their voices heard in Minnesota, specifically Minneapolis - we had Kristi Noem, United States Secretary of Homeland Security speak on ICE and immigration policy in the Twin Cities! So we thought having someone for Sunday Take would be perfect so Blois chats with Montana Hirsch, member of MIRAC - Minnesota Immigration Rights Action Commit...

There has been plenty of ups and downs in Minneapolis, more so leaning towards the downs - so Blois sits down with a property owner Jim Rubin, who was featured in the ‘Precarious State’ documentary as well as Eric Roper, columnist with the Minnesota Star Tribune who put out a piece this week talking about the flip side that is not talked about enough with this city - the good side - he joins to ta...

We are about 13 months out from a huge election on all levels here in Minnesota and there are a lot of factors at play with the economy, the population here in Minnesota, many headwinds and tailwinds at play and we get into some of the ups and downs of the economy, immigration, population and much more with State Demographer Susan Brower as we break down all of the numbers and factors of the curre...

This week Blois sits down with Myles Shaver, he is Associate Dean of Faculty and Research at the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management and we discuss the current state of the headquarters economy in Minnesota!

This past week Blois Olson and Mary Lahammer moderated the mayoral debate and discussion between Dewayne Davis, current Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Omar Fateh, Jazz Hampton and Brenda Short covering the current state of Minneapolis when it comes to crime, safety, and the future of Minneapolis and the ongoing struggle with homeless encampments!

This past week Senator Ann Rest, after 40 plus years in the legislature she will be retiring from the legislature and she joins us for a lengthy conversation to recap and reflect on her time in office, tax policy and the shift from policymakers to activists serving in office.

We are in troubling, volatile times and Blois shares his thoughts on that with the tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk this past week, the ripple effect it has in politics as well as the effect it could have on whether we truly do get another campaign from Governor Tim Walz in Minnesota - then Blois sits down with Senator Judy Seeberger (D) and Representative Danny Nadeau (R) on how to move forwa...

It has been almost two weeks since the tragic shooting at Annunciation Catholic school in Minneapolis and so many questions left to be answered going forward as to how we can find common ground and make significant changes no matter which side of the aisle to better the safety of our schools and our children - this week Blois sits down with Representative Jeff Witte (R) who is also a former police...

Minnesota Gubernatorial Candidates Kendall Qualls and Representative Kristin Robbins live from the State Fair. The two are running as Republicans and are hoping to be elected as governor in the 2026 election. They explain why they decided to run and what they would do put into office.

Hear from kids who got away, a father who ran in alongside first responders, and Minnesota's top political leaders as we grapple with something all-too familiar: a school shooting. Get the latest on the perpetrator, and insight into what -- if anything -- may finally change.

The Sunday Take from The Minnesota State Fair! Republican State Rep. Keith Allen and DFL Sen. Doran Clark grew up together and are friends but have different political ideologies. and represent vastly different districts in the state. They talk about how they work together and find the commonality in each other as political divisions become a growing issue in Minnesota as well as across the countr...

The city of St. Paul is seeing its share of struggles. There are new voices who hope to address these concerns and say they want to make improvements to the community. City Council Member-Elect Molly Coleman joins the show and talks about her recent win in a special election and her vision for the future. Blois also interviews mayoral candidate Rep. Kaoly Her who is challenging Mayor Melvin Carter...

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are meeting today in Alaska to talk about the possibility of peace in Russia's war against Ukraine. One analyst says the word 'no' is Trump's most powerful weapon ... But will he use it? Also, CBS' Major Garrett has tips on what to watch for in the meeting.

Here are the facts, darn facts and opinions about President Donald Trump ordering the National Guard into Washington D.C., a move some believe underscores his totalitarian tendencies and others believe is a much-needed security measure for a key place in America.

This past week Blois Olson took on his annual visit to Farm Fest where the important issues of Agriculture, Trade and even Higher Education were taken on first talking Ag with Congresswoman Rep. Angie Craig and Brad Finstad. We then talk trade with Luke Lindberg, USDA Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agriculture, Randy Spronk, Immediate Past Chair of the U.S. Meat Export Federation, Chad Will...

One of the constant revolving doors in Minnesota right now that does not seem to have a lot of clarity is the current situation with cannabis in the state of Minnesota - Blois sits down with Interim Office of Cannabis Management Director Eric Taubel at a forum earlier this week discussing where we sit, what is working or not working - or to use the metaphor “blooming and not blooming”, what is the...

A couple big stories from this past week in Minnesota politics were the announcement of Senator Eric Pratt seeking sitting Congresswoman Angie Craig’s seat and also the addition of security for Minnesota lawmakers following the horrific murder of Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, as well as the attempted murder of Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette - plus late Saturday ne...

It was a busy week as usual in Minnesota politics and nationally, including the verdict on Senator Nicole Mitchell who was found guilty on both counts and what that looks like from the state’s outlook and we are now left once again in a tie! Then Blois chats with Scott Jensen, who this week announced he would be running it back in a rematch with Governor Tim Walz - what has driven him back to this...

This past Friday, for the first time in history, the NYSE bell was rung here in Minnesota at the Medtronic headquarters. We had the chance to hear from Corie Barry, CEO of Best Buy as well as Geoff Martha, CEO with Medtronic! So today we place the focus on Minnesota’s businesses and give ourselves a chance to refresh and a chance to move forward in this current economic environment and really look...

There is still a ton to unpack with the “Big Beautiful Bill”, Blois lays out just a few pieces of this bill of which we do know with plenty still to come as it overall is a 900 page bill - Representative Tom Emmer joins Blois to discuss some of the specifics of the bill such as the effect it has on Medicaid and the short term effects on the deficit going forward as Tom has been in the center of th...

In the aftermath of Saturday’s funeral for the former Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and Mark Hortman, we reflect on the path forward as we heal but also remember the contributions of Melissa to this state and the groundwork she laid. Then we chatted with Sen. Scott Dibble on the 10 year anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling for legalization of Same-Sex Marriage, the current culture of how memb...

As we in Minnesota are still reeling from the events of last weekend we look ahead to what is next for the Minnesota legislature. Today, Blois chats with Representative Dave Baker and Minnesota state auditor Julie Blaha about the path ahead, things to look ahead to with the special session behind us, some of the humanity that people do not see between the many colleagues around him and more! and w...