City Cast Twin Cities

Since the City of St. Paul closed the homeless encampment at Pig's Eye Park, hundreds of residents have moved into another encampment near Shepard Road and Randolph Avenue. The Randolph encampment exists on what used to be a junk yard, and MinnPost reporters Maddie Robinson and Shay Scanlan recently found high levels of lead in the ground that could be poisoning the residents there. They join today's episode of the podcast to talk about it. We also speak with DJ Caiked Up and musician Diane Miller about a super fun queer dance party they're hosting tonight at Icehouse. And it's Friday, so we want to celebrate some wins from the week! Racket Co-founder and City Cast contributor Em Cassel helps round up some of the good news stories from this week. 

Learn more about the topics discussed in today's episode:

Dangerous levels of lead and other toxins taint soil at St. Paul homeless encampment (MinnPost)

Spring Lake Park Mayor election results in tie, winner to be chosen by lottery (FOX 9)

Mussels regaining a foothold in the upper Mississippi River after decades of decline (MinnPost) 

Union Depot is ready for the holidays with a donated tree (and an earlier start for the European Christmas Market) (Pioneer Press) 

Nicollet reopening through Kmart parking lot (Lyndale Neighborhood Association)

Bob Dylan meets the Pope (Star Tribune)

Tomboy Takeover presented by Caiked Up (Icehouse)

Learn more about the sponsors of this November 6th episode:

Enjoy Illinois

Twin Cities Con - Use code "FREEKIDSTCC" for free kid tickets

Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastTwinCities on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube, or email us at [email protected]. You can also call or text us at 612-217-0637.

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It’s blue most of the way down, as Democrats have regained control of the Legislature. What will they do with the power? Who will replace Amy Klobuchar as U.S. Senator? Will Republicans reconsider their messaging and strategy? Veteran political reporter Mary Lahammer from Twin Cities PBS joins us to prognosticate on what the results tell us about voter priorities. Take a swig each time we say “trifecta” in this episode. 

Learn more about the topics discussed in today's episode:

Mary Lahammer on X

Learn more about the sponsors of this November 5th episode:

Enjoy Illinois

Twin Cities Con - Use code "FREEKIDSTCC" for free kid tickets

Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastTwinCities on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube, or email us at [email protected]. You can also call or text us at 612-217-0637.

For more Twin Cities news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter.

Consider joining our membership program and becoming a City Cast Twin Cities Neighbor!

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Minnesota woke up to a new political reality, and we were up at 5 a.m. to break it all down, including Amy Klobuchar's historic governor's win, Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan’s win for a U.S. Senate seat, the DFL's path to another trifecta, and tight local races from Hennepin County to Ramsey County.

Learn more about the topics discussed in today's episode:

Minnesota general election results 2026 (Star Tribune)

Sahan Journal banned from Minnesota GOP election watch party (Sahan Journal)

If you enjoyed today's interview with the Chief Executive Officer at the Minneapolis Regional Chamber, Mike Logan, learn more here.

Learn more about the sponsors of this November 4th episode:

Enjoy Illinois

Twin Cities Con - Use code "FREEKIDSTCC" for free kid tickets

Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastTwinCities on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube, or email us at [email protected]. You can also call or text us at 612-217-0637.

For more Twin Cities news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter.

Consider joining our membership program and becoming a City Cast Twin Cities Neighbor!

Looking to advertise on City Cast Twin Cities? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

After a five hour school board meeting filled with protesters, the St. Paul School Board decided not to eliminate about 16 English language teaching positions in the middle of the school year. The district is short on funding as after Operation Metro Surge, they have less English language learners enrolled than projected. Sahan Journal education reporter Becky Dernbach joins today's episode to break down how St. Paul is closing the funding gap instead. Later, Dr. Amber Alton (⁠@docamberalton⁠) talks about the local races they're watching most closely today and how to stay engaged after Election Day. Minnesota's independent food critic Kirstie Kimball of ⁠beyond beurre blanc⁠ also lets us know where to find her favorite soups in the Twin Cities now that it's officially soup season. 

Learn more about the topics discussed in today's episode:

⁠St. Paul approves early retirement plan to avoid cutting 16 English-language teachers midyear⁠ (Sahan Journal) 

⁠St. Paul school board delays English language teacher cuts after raucous meeting⁠ (Sahan Journal)

⁠St. Paul schools could cut 16 English language teachers midyear⁠ (Sahan Journal) 

⁠My Go-To Order at Cafe Yoto⁠ (beyond beurre blanc)

Learn more about the sponsors of this November 3rd episode:

⁠Enjoy Illinois⁠

⁠Twin Cities Con⁠ - Use code "FREEKIDSTCC" for free kid tickets

Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastTwinCities on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠, or ⁠YouTube⁠, or email us at ⁠[email protected]⁠. You can also call or text us at 612-217-0637.

For more Twin Cities news, make sure to ⁠sign up⁠ for our morning newsletter.

Consider joining our membership program and ⁠becoming a City Cast Twin Cities Neighbor⁠!

Looking to advertise on City Cast Twin Cities? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at⁠ citycast.fm/advertise⁠.

Last month, a Cornell University student testified she’d been sexually assaulted by several frat brothers. Minnesota Daily journalist Kyra Deters reports that students at the University of Minnesota took to the streets in solidarity. Will this case change how colleges address rape culture? Plus, writer Taylor Dahlin helps us brace for impact before Election Day, and Lonely’s Bar in St. Anthony Main shows the enduring appeal of cheap beer, lowbrow food, and a good atmosphere. 

Learn more about the topics discussed in today's episode:

Campus rally calls for accountability and change for sexual assault survivors (The Minnesota Daily)

Lonely’s Bar Feels Like It’s Been Around Forever. In a Way, It Kind of Has.  (Racket) 

Taylor Dahlin

If you enjoyed today's interview with the CEO/President of Galena County Tourism, Terry Mattson, learn more here.

Learn more about the sponsors of this November 2nd episode:

Enjoy Illinois

Twin Cities Con - Use code "FREEKIDSTCC" for free kid tickets

Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastTwinCities on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube, or email us at [email protected]. You can also call or text us at 612-217-0637.

For more Twin Cities news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter.

Consider joining our membership program and becoming a City Cast Twin Cities Neighbor!

Looking to advertise on City Cast Twin Cities? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

Independent journalist Molly Priesmeyer recently dug into the Star Tribune's use of the term "Somali gangs" in its reporting, and found that the use of the term skyrocketed after Republican Congressman Tom Emmer made it one of his main talking points. Today, Molly joins the podcast to talk about the real-world consequences that can be caused by framing a story the wrong way, and how media outlets and government officials can do better. Also, we're at the end of the month, so it's time for our November Guide! Tune in for our team's recommendations on all the best things to do around the Twin Cities this month.

Learn more about the topics discussed in today's episode:

⁠How the Star Tribune Turned Republican “Somali Gangs” Rhetoric Into an Election-Year Crime Narrative⁠ (By Design) 

⁠Your Guide to November 2026 in the Twin Cities⁠ (City Cast Twin Cities)

⁠Man jumps on moving school bus, credited for saving kids⁠ (ABC News) 

⁠John Legend stops into St. Paul brewery to meet with community leaders⁠ (Bring Me The News)

⁠Northside Achievement Zone⁠

⁠Freeamerica⁠

⁠Unidos MN⁠

⁠Unidos MN and Urban Growler's instagram post⁠

Learn more about the sponsors of this October 30th episode:

⁠Explore Minnesota⁠

⁠Minneapolis Institute of Art⁠

Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastTwinCities on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠, or ⁠YouTube⁠, or email us at ⁠[email protected]⁠. You can also call or text us at 612-217-0637.

For more Twin Cities news, make sure to ⁠sign up⁠ for our morning newsletter.

Consider joining our membership program and ⁠becoming a City Cast Twin Cities Neighbor⁠!

Looking to advertise on City Cast Twin Cities? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at⁠ citycast.fm/advertise⁠.

St. Paul, you’ll be voting on a new ordinance that would let renters make their own repairs. We’ll explain why the city is fighting this policy in court. Reporter Brian Martucci explains how election officials are bracing for federal interference, and why that’s extraordinary. Plus, Inkwell Booksellers Co. hosted a midnight release party for the new “A Court of Thorns and Roses.” In the digital age, owner Elizabeth Foster shows how bookstores are bringing people together in analog ways.

Learn more about the topics discussed in today's episode:

⁠On Election Day, polling sites should be ‘islands of calm,’ says Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon⁠ (MinnPost)

⁠St. Paul voters to weigh in on ‘Right to Repair’ in November⁠ (Pioneer Press) 

⁠Inkwell Booksellers Company⁠

Learn more about the sponsors of this October 29th episode:

⁠Explore Minnesota⁠

⁠Minneapolis Institute of Art⁠

Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastTwinCities on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠, or ⁠YouTube⁠, or email us at ⁠[email protected]⁠. You can also call or text us at 612-217-0637.

For more Twin Cities news, make sure to ⁠sign up⁠ for our morning newsletter.

Consider joining our membership program and ⁠becoming a City Cast Twin Cities Neighbor⁠!

Looking to advertise on City Cast Twin Cities? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at⁠ citycast.fm/advertise⁠.

Incumbent school board member and board Treasurer Abdul Abdi and challenger Ben Lattimore are running against each other to represent Northeast and Southeast Minneapolis on the Minneapolis Public Schools Board. Today, they both join the podcast to discuss how they would govern if they win next week's election. Later, Minnesota-born comedian Chloe Radcliffe talks about her new comedy special from Comedy Central and how she convinced the company to put up billboards around the Twin Cities near the homes of men she used to have a crush on.

Learn more about the topics discussed in today's episode:

Abdul Abdi for School Board

Ben Lattimore for MPS

EYES DOWN HERE - Chloe Radcliffe - Full Special (Comedy Central)  

If you enjoyed today's interview with the Chief Executive Officer at the Minneapolis Regional Chamber, Mike Logan, learn more here.

Learn more about the sponsors of this October 28th episode:

Explore Minnesota

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastTwinCities on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube, or email us at [email protected]. You can also call or text us at 612-217-0637.

For more Twin Cities news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter.

Consider joining our membership program and becoming a City Cast Twin Cities Neighbor!

Looking to advertise on City Cast Twin Cities? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

Gary Hines, music director for Sounds of Blackness, has your new Election Day anthem. Major hospital mergers are shaking up healthcare in Minnesota. Wanda Malden and Dr. Matt Hoffman are with the Save MN Healthcare coalition, pushing for a legally binding contract to protect patients and workers. Plus, Kara Swisher is returning to Minneapolis for an Election Day podcast show. 

Learn more about the topics discussed in today's episode:

⁠Sounds of Blackness⁠

⁠Save MN Healthcare⁠

⁠PIVOT with Kara Swisher and Scott Galloway⁠ (Use code “CITYCAST” for 20% off)

Learn more about the sponsors of this October 27th episode:

⁠Explore Minnesota⁠

⁠Minneapolis Institute of Art⁠

Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastTwinCities on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠, or ⁠YouTube⁠, or email us at ⁠[email protected]⁠. You can also call or text us at 612-217-0637.

For more Twin Cities news, make sure to ⁠sign up⁠ for our morning newsletter.

Consider joining our membership program and ⁠becoming a City Cast Twin Cities Neighbor⁠!

Looking to advertise on City Cast Twin Cities? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at⁠ citycast.fm/advertise⁠.

Today we're revisiting two of our favorite recent interviews on the podcast. First, we hear from author Sasha Maria Suarez about her new book “An Ojibwe Home in the City,” which details how generations of Ojibwe women created a home for their community and tribal members in the Twin Cities. In the birthplace of the American Indian Movement, she writes how Ojibwe women quietly but powerfully refused to let their culture and knowledge disappear. Then, Rep. Spencer Igo from northern Minnesota joins the conversation to talk about a constitutional amendment on the ballot that would give more money to schools without taking any more money from taxpayers.

Become a City Cast Neighbor, and claim your exclusive Neighbor hat today (last chance!): membership.citycast.fm/twincities 

Learn more about the topics discussed in today's episode:

An Ojibwe Home in the City: White Earth Women and Community Organizing in Minneapolis (Birch Bark Books)

Constitutional Amendment | Voter Guide: 2026 General Election (Minnesota Reformer) 

If you enjoyed today's interview with the Executive Director at Explore Minnesota, Lauren Bennett McGinty, learn more here.

Learn more about the sponsors of this October 26th episode:

Explore Minnesota

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastTwinCities on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube, or email us at [email protected]. You can also call or text us at 612-217-0637.

For more Twin Cities news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter.

Consider joining our membership program and becoming a City Cast Twin Cities Neighbor!

Looking to advertise on City Cast Twin Cities? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.