City Cast Twin Cities

About 17 assistant U.S. attorneys remain in Minnesota following a wave of departures from the office at the start of the year. Joe Thompson, a former prosecutor in the Feeding Our Futures fraud case, resigned last month and has joined Don Lemon’s defense team as the Justice Department seeks to prosecute him. Contributor and celebrated local journalist Winter Keefer joins host Sean McPherson to break down the fallout and all the spicy legal drama. Later, the team chats with vocalist Liz Digitale Anderson to talk about her organizing with Singing Resistance and the role of song in revolutionary and anti-fascist movements.

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The guardrails that protect immigrants’ rights are being bowled over by the Trump administration. A federal court decision handed down last week means more people detained in Minnesota will be quickly shipped out to Texas for an indefinite period of time. We’ll talk about what that means for immigrants’ rights. We’re also pressing play on a 30-artist mixtape, which has raised more than $1,600 for community aid so far. Plus, Lush, the gay bar in northeast Minneapolis, is partnering with Absolut Vodka and gay bars around the country to support each other. 

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Ordway Center for the Performing Arts

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"Filter blockades" are popping up at intersections around the Twin Cities as residents are employing a new technique to slow down federal immigration enforcement. Host Sean McPheron is joined by Racket co-founder Em Cassel and producer Tiffany Bui to discuss the purpose, effectiveness, and outcomes of these blockades. The team also offers up recommendations on how to spend Valentine's Day in the Twin Cities if you're single, and unpacks new information on the Jan. 14 incident where an ICE agent shot a man in the leg in North Minneapolis.

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Cherise Ayers is the celebrated Principal of Saint Paul Central. Ayers joins host Sean McPherson to explain how she fights chaos with consistency and why she keeps an emergency pom-pom in the car so she can always celebrate one of her students. Later, MPR Newsroom coordinator and City Cast contributor Denzel Belin highlights events for this Valentine’s Day week, and we feature Crescent Moon and Andrew Broder for our Local Music Spotlight. 

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After Border czar Tom Homan announced that 700 immigration enforcement officers would leave Minnesota, reports emerged that county sheriffs were exploring ways to honor "ICE detainers" despite state law barring them from holding inmates beyond their release dates. It's legally complicated, and thankfully Ana Pottratz Acosta, a visiting law professor at the University of Minnesota and a lawyer specializing in immigration and human rights, was able to chat with host Sean McPherson on the podcast today to break it all down. Longtime local news producer, media consultant, and adjunct journalism professor Sam Choo and Producer Adam Sage also join the conversation to cover a new lawsuit being brought by multiple school districts against the DHS and to share some Twin Cities wins from the week.

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Tom Homan, the White House border czar, announced on Wednesday that 700 federal agents will be drawing back from Minnesota. But the president’s goal of mass deportation is still front and center. We’ll talk about how local law enforcement is collaborating with federal immigration and what Homan has to say to protesters in the streets. Director Siddeeqah Shabazz tells us about her stellar all-kid cast in “Home on The Mornin’ Train.” The play draws parallels between enslavement in 1839 Alabama and Jewish persecution in 1939 Germany. As ICE operations interrupt the day-to-day lives of schoolkids, Shabazz’s young actors are finding their voice in this timely play. 

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St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her took office just three days before Renee Macklin Good was killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross. Today she joins host Sean McPherson and contributor Tane Danger to reflect on what has worked, what hasn't worked, and how she plans to lead the city after a chaotic first month in charge.

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Operation Metro Surge faced another test in federal court this weekend, and while a judge declined to pause the operation for now, her words signaled just how devastating its impact has been across Minnesota. We break down what the ruling actually means, why Columbia Heights schools are under intense strain, and why Liam Conejo Ramos’ return home still matters when so many other children remain detained.

Plus, the Twin Cities’ arts community gets global backup, from protest rides and singing resistance to a surprise Bruce Springsteen appearance at First Avenue. And because the Super Bowl is coming, whether you care about football or not, we’ve got our favorite takeout picks from dill pickle fried chicken to Indian comfort food to help you get through Sunday.

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Food recommendations:

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Tish Jones is an award-winning, trailblazing poet and the executive director of TruArtSpeaks. The arts collective, which focuses on nurturing young artists through the medium of hip-hop and Spoken Word, is celebrating 20 years. Jones reflects on the highlights and discusses her poem “The Children Are Watching,” performed at a Timberwolves game earlier this month. Also, we’re making “enjoy the world you’re fighting for” our mantra. MPR newsroom coordinator and contributor Denzel Belin, who coined the phrase, highlights some events to help you do just that. 

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

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With border czar Tom Homan now heading up ICE operations in the Twin Cities, many folks are positioning him as a more moderate voice than the previous leadership – but is that true? Host Sean McPherson is joined by contributor PaviElle French to dig into Homan's background, what he's been saying now, and why protests of ICE's occupation seem noticeably "whiter" than protests following the murder of George Floyd. Later, local rapper Nur-D joins the conversation to open up about his harrowing experience being tackled, tear-gassed, and detained by ICE last weekend when he was walking away with his hands in the air. We also hear from librettist, playwright, and television writer Harrison David Rivers about his new work that is premiering with the Minnesota Opera tomorrow. 

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

Tom Homan Is Supposed to Fix Trump’s Minnesota Crisis. His Record Raises Serious Questions. (Mother Jones)

Tom Homan is coming to Minneapolis to lead ICE. Who is he? (Star Tribune)

Border czar Tom Homan argues US justified in removing 'public safety threat' Abrego Garcia to El Salvador (ABC News)

Video shows local rapper Nur-D being aggressively detained by federal agents (Bring Me The News)

Full Video of Nur-D's Detainment - viewer discretion advised (Status Coup)

My Name Is Florence (Minnesota Opera)

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