City Cast Twin Cities

For many people, Thanksgiving is a time to relax and enjoy time with folks you love. But for many others, it can cause financial stress, anxiety over hosting, and fear that your relatives are going to say something that makes you feel unwelcome. Today on City Cast Twin Cities, Host Sean McPherson is joined by Dr. Katie Loth of the University of Minnesota Medical School and Contributor Tane Danger to talk about how to have constructive dialogue with your family and create an inclusive environment at the dinner table. Later, Producer Tiffany Bui joins the conversation to share where you can get a Thanksgiving meal if you don't want to cook it, and resources for folks who are worried they won't be able to afford the holiday this year. The team also takes a moment to honor the life and legacy of legendary Twin Cities musician Jellybean Johnson, who passed away over the weekend. Special thanks to Jazz88 for allowing us to air a snippet of Sean's interview with Jellybean back in 2022. 

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Host Sean McPherson is definitely taking breaks during the Turkey Trot on Thursday, and that’s totally fine. Contributor PaviElle French tells us other ways you can pre and post-game your Thanksgiving meal. Plus, another radio legend, Mary Lucia, sits down with Sean to talk about her new memoir, “What Doesn’t Kill Me Makes Me Weirder and Harder to Relate To.” After living through a traumatic stalking experience, she created new holiday traditions, designed her book cover, and leaned on herself. Plus, Mary tells Sean why her pugs are just old men in dog form. 

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Get Mary Lucia’s ⁠new book⁠  tomorrow, Nov. 25

Plan your week with our ⁠events calendar ⁠

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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Waymo started testing its autonomous cars on the streets of Minneapolis yesterday, and could be offering autonomous taxi services in 2026. Would you ride in one? Host Sean McPherson is joined by Contributor Hans Buetow and Producer Tiffany Bui to unpack Waymo's Minneapolis rollout. The team also gets into recent drama between the University of Minnesota Physicians and the Board of Regents, this week's Twin Cities Wins, and some listener submissions to the mailbag.

Learn more about the stories and organizations discussed in this episode

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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Federal raids in Minnesota are causing chaos and confusion in the streets. Protestors confronted federal agents at a St. Paul manufacturing plant on Tuesday, and we still don’t know who was detained. Amy Lange and Madeline Lohman from The Advocates for Human Rights help us digest this news. Plus, they explain why judges are dismissing immigrants’ cases, only to be captured by ICE agents waiting right outside the door. It’s Give To The Max Day, and there are hundreds of great orgs who need your support. We’ll name a few of our favorites. 

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Learn more about the sponsor of this episode: Xcel Energy

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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Unionized food service workers at MSP have been in negotiations with their employer for over 11 months since their contract expired last December. With the busiest travel time of the year coming up next week, the UNITE HERE Local 17 union set a deadline of Monday for their employer HMSHost to meet their demands, or else they will go on strike. Host Sean McPherson is joined by MPR Newsroom Coordinator and Mr. Twin Cities Leather 2026 Denzel Belin, as well as local podcast producer Julie Censullo to dig in on what these workers are seeking to get out of their contract. The team also shares some tips for getting ready for impending winter weather, and Julie shares about two new narrative podcast projects she has been working on in the Twin Cities.

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

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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It’s peak movie season, so City Cast decides the best theaters in the Twin Cities. Criteria include popcorn and comfy seats, bonus points for a good urinal. Plus, a group of neighbors dreamed of an urban farm in East Phillips. But they’re $5.7 million short – what happens next? And journalist Amy Nelson joins the show and tells us where techies should visit when they come to the Twin Cities. 

Read more about what we talked about on the show:

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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We've had multiple documentaries come out regarding the challenges Minneapolis faces and what the path forward should look like for our cities. Coming out of this month's elections where Twin Cities residents voted for new leaders and what the path forward should look like, we thought it was a good time to take a look at the documentaries "A Precarious State," "The Fall of Minneapolis," and "Paradox: Echoes of Reform & the Minneapolis Police" to see what they have to say about our cities and what misinformation they might be spreading. Host Sean McPherson is joined by Producer Tiffany Bui and Contributor Winter Keefer to interrogate these films. Before that, Sean chats with Producer Adam Sage to let you know all of the can't miss events happening in the Twin Cities this week.

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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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The federal government is reopened, but in exchange, the weed drink industry might go under. Drew Hurst, CEO of Bauhaus Brew Labs, says re-criminalizing the hemp-derived THC is an existential threat to breweries like his. Plus, St. Paul is banning assault-style weapons even though Minnesota law won’t let them. Contributor Winter Keefer breaks that down for us. Finally, Roseanne Pereira of Heavy Table is absolutely smitten with Uptown cafe Moona Moono. Find out why.

Read more about the stories from today’s show:

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.

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

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Minnesota's new state-sponsored parental leave program goes into effect on Jan 1, 2026, and some parents who already took parental leave for their 2025 babies will have the opportunity to take another round of leave in 2026. Host Sean McPherson is joined by Minnesota Reformer Reporter Michelle Griffith and Racket Co-Founder Em Cassel to break down everything you need to know about parental leave in Minnesota, as well as to chat about Minnesota's 'Golden Era' of film in the 90s, and whether or not we might see a resurgence of cinema shot in our state. After those stories, Executive Producer Anna Weggel hops on the mic to share some listener submissions from the #mailbag and to talk about some exciting upcoming Christmas tree lighting ceremonies brought to you by our sponsors at Xcel Energy. 

Read more about the stories discussed in today's episode: 

Learn more about the  sponsors of this November 13th episode:

Xcel Energy - Subscribe to learn about upcoming programs and volunteer opportunities.

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.

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

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

The longest federal government shutdown might be coming to an end. Between SNAP benefits and Thanksgiving travel, we talk about what that might mean for Minnesota. Plus, John O’Sullivan of One Minute Tours tells us about what Big Beef doesn’t want you to know. Finally, contributor and MPR Newsroom Coordinator Denzel Belin reviews “Primary Trust” at Guthrie Theater. Find out why it got a rare Denzel standing ovation. 

Read more about the stories we talked about:

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.

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

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