City Cast Twin Cities

A lot of folks are wondering right now what it’s like to be in the Twin Cities, where a massive and aggressive deportation operation is taking place. Today, in -20° weather, local activists organized a general strike. The idea was to protest ICE presence with no work, no school, and no shopping. Over 600 businesses closed their doors, and thousands of protesters gathered in downtown Minneapolis. O...

Today, across the Twin Cities, businesses are closed, workers are staying home, and people are marching in the street for a “Day of Truth and Freedom” protesting ICE. We talk to union historian Amy Livingston at the University of Minnesota about why unions aren’t calling it a “strike” and the power of past movements like this one. We’re also joined by Anne Meyer at the state Department of Transpor...

Last week, activists interrupted a worship service at the Cities Church in St. Paul to protest pastor David Easterwood, who serves as the acting director of ICE's St. Paul field office. Amid charges being filed against protestors by the DOJ and complicated reactions from the community, Reverend Dr. DeWayne Davis joins host Sean McPherson and journalist Winter Keefer to discuss the moral and legal...

The White House and other federal agencies are “doing it for the ‘Gram,” and it has real-life consequences. Contributor and host of Never Post, Hans Buetow, talks about how the Trump administration is turning ICE arrests into content in order to further their immigration agenda. Minneapolis and St. Paul are temporarily changing their towing policies to accommodate cars abandoned due to ICE detenti...

Every neighborhood in the Twin Cities has folks who are coordinating with each other to track the location of ICE vehicles and make sure people are at the scene to observe and document when ICE agents detain people. Minnesota Reformer's Madison McVan joins host Sean McPherson and producer Tiffany Bui to talk about her experience riding along on patrol with some of these community members, less tha...

A week after an ICE agent shot and killed Renee Macklin Good, a federal officer shot a man in the leg in north Minneapolis. The man suffered non-life-threatening injuries, but the city is once again reeling from the display of force. City Cast producer Adam Sage reports back from the aftermath, where law enforcement set off chemical irritants and flash bangs against protesters. Plus, contributor a...

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is on Monday, Jan. 19, and it's more than a day off work. Multidisciplinary artist Namir Fearce is directing this year's Black, Bold, and Brilliant Youth Talent Show, taking place from 3 p.m. - 7 p.m. on Jan. 19 at the Capri Theater, and he joined host Sean McPherson to chat about the show and how his organization partners with and serves Black families in the community....

Minnesota and the Twin Cities are suing the federal government to stop Operation Metro Surge, as another 1,000 agents are expected to be deployed in the state. In more trash news, MinnPost reporter Trevor Mitchell talks about the trash-burning machine you may have seen (or smelled) near North Loop. Local officials have been working on plans to shut down the HERC, but it’s not soon enough for activ...

The immigration enforcement surge in the Twin Cities is showing no signs of slowing down, with around 1,000 more federal agents coming our way. The Trump administration is freezing funding for SNAP again, the Minnesota Attorney General and Hennepin County Attorney's Offices are conducting their own investigation into the killing of Renee Macklin Good after the FBI shut out local investigators, and...

Following the killing of Renee Nicole Macklin Good in South Minneapolis, the Border Patrol operation at Roosevelt High School, and increased federal immigration enforcement activities around the Twin Cities, we all have a lot of lingering questions about what's going on here. Host Sean McPherson is joined by celebrated journalist and contributor Winter Keefer and producer Tiffany Bui to talk throu...

Gov. Tim Walz described the state as being “at war” against the federal government. Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey called for ICE to “get the f*ck out.” But legally, can the state make federal agents do just that? Spoiler alert: not really. But Emmanuel Mauleón, an associate professor of law at the University of Minnesota, and Alicia Granse of ACLU-MN explain that lawmakers and investigators can mak...

Late Wednesday morning, a federal immigration agent shot and killed a woman in the Central neighborhood of South Minneapolis. The scene afterward became a swarm of protestors and federal agents. Producer Adam Sage, just off the scene, walks host Sean McPherson and contributor Tane Danger through what witnesses saw and the community response. Plus, NA expert Kirstie Kimball gives advice on doing Dr...

John O’Sullivan of One Hour Detours is back on the show to talk to us about his interview with Hope Walz, the governor’s daughter and a social media force in her own right. She gave John a glimpse into when and why Walz decided to drop out of the race, and her own experiences with online harassment. Later in the show, Sean does some hard-hitting journalism on chicken wings; get a napkin ready beca...

Yesterday morning, Governor Tim Walz announced that he will no longer be running for a third term so he can spend the rest of his term addressing issues of fraud and serving Minnesotans to the best of his ability. Host Sean McPherson is joined by local host, performer, and business owner Tane Danger to break down what this means for the governor's race, statewide politics, and local politics this...

Nobody understands a city’s pulse quite like a City Cast host — and that makes them the best predictors for 2026’s biggest local stories. City Cast Twin Cities host Sean McPherson joins CEO David Plotz and the other 12 hosts from across the network to talk about the big changes coming to our cities, from political shifts to data centers. Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastTwinCities on ⁠Inst...

Happy New Year, Twin Cities! It may be cold outside, but there's still a ton to do around town. Host Sean McPherson is joined by jazz singer and contributor PaviElle French to break down the best ways to stay entertained and make the most of this month in the Twin Cities. PaviElle and Sean also reflect on a scene and an era of the Twin Cities they were both involved in: the late '90s to early 2000...

Since we've had multiple documentaries come out regarding the challenges Minneapolis faces and what the path forward should look like for our cities, we're revisiting a conversation we had earlier this year. 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 documenta...

According to crowdsourced data on the website Deflock.me, there are over 300 Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) cameras in the metro area. Most of these are made by a company called Flock Safety, and they allow law enforcement to use photos of license plates to track drivers every time they pass by one of these cameras. The legality of ALPRs continues to be fought over in our courts, so we're r...

If you're looking for something outside the box to do on December 25, Sean has spent 15 years curating a list of what’s open that day. Plus, James Norton of Heavy Table gives us the best present you could ask for: last-minute gift ideas. Yes, you can go out and buy them right now! And we close out 2025 with our Twin Cities Year in Review. Listeners told us where they ate the most and cast their vo...

Lizz Winstead is the co-creator of The Daily Show on Comedy Central, the founder of Abortion Access Front, and a comedian who got her start right here in the Twin Cities. Lizz will be holding her annual Year in Review comedy show at the Parkway Theater on December 27 and 31, and she joined host Sean McPherson to chat about how to find humor in really heavy news stories, how she weaves activism and...

Minnesota is home to a thriving pagan and witchy community, and the solstice is a great time to get involved. Dr. Chantel Rodriguez, public historian and host of Minnesota Unraveled, tells us about the largest publisher of New Age books, which calls our state home. Plus, Darius Gillard from MN Opera wants to convince you to watch opera. Check out MN Opera’s “My Name is Florence,” which tells the s...

Food critic Kirstie Kimball has been to 600 restaurants across Minnesota in the past two years, and she has distilled her findings into a comprehensive list of the top 50 Minnesotan restaurants on her Substack Beyond Beurre Blanc. Host Sean McPherson is joined by contributor and Racket Co-Founder Em Cassel to chat with Kirstie about her methodology for reviewing so many restaurants and to learn wh...

Minneapolis’s season of Love Is Blind might have been a flop, but how bad is the dating scene in the Twin Cities, actually? Contributor Denzel Belin and burlesque performer Keke Boudreaux join the show to discuss living single in Minnesota, as well as the best first date spots. Plus, executive producer Anna Weggel puts ChatGPT to the test to find the perfect gifts for Denzel and Sean.  Read more a...

The Twin Cities is home to one of the most vibrant African food scenes in the country, and today we’re digging into where to eat, from Ethiopian classics to West African stews and vegan favorites. Writer and critic Ali Elabbady joins us to share highlights from his new guide to the best African restaurants in the area, plus tips for first-timers and vegetarians. Contributor Sam Choo makes a passio...

We’re rockin’ around the Christmas tree with holiday tunes by Twin Cities musicians. Contributor, musician PaviElle French, and Racket’s co-owner Keith Harris help decide if these songs are up to Hallmark snuff. Plus, contributor Tane Danger shares weekly event highlights, like weed Christmas cookie baking and a half-scripted, half-improv holiday show.  Check out all the local holiday music played...