'The Cruelty of Nice Folks' in Minneapolis, Minnehaha Art Fair Tips, and Remembering Harry Singh

'The Cruelty of Nice Folks' in Minneapolis, Minnehaha Art Fair Tips, and Remembering Harry Singh

Harry Singh brought previously unheard of levels of spice to Minnesota when he opened his Caribbean restaurant in Minneapolis over 40 years ago, and he was a pillar in the community until passing away peacefully in his home last Friday. On today's episode, Sean and contributor Tane Danger reflect on their experiences with Harry and his food. They also interview Justin Ellis, author of "The Cruelty of Nice Folks", about Minneapolis' complicated history and how we tend to fall short of effecting real progressive change in the long run. Later, events manager Nichole Showalter joins the conversation to talk about the upcoming Minnehaha Falls Art Fair, which runs from July 17 through 19. Learn more about the topics discussed in today's episode: ⁠⁠Become a City Cast Twin Cities Neighbor⁠⁠ [https://account.citycast.fm/become-a-neighbor/twincities?utm_source=show_notes&utm_medium=pod&utm_campaign=pod_promo] Learn more about the sponsors of this July 9th episode: ⁠⁠The Cedar Cultural Center⁠⁠ [https://www.thecedar.org/] Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastTwinCities on ⁠Instagram⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/citycasttwincities/], or email us at ⁠twincities@citycast.fm⁠ [twincities@citycast.fm]. 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 [https://citycast.fm/advertise/].

Secret Companies Want More Data Centers. Plus, Yacht Club’s Sibling and Close Races

Minnesota may be a blue state, but our House and Senate races are looking purple-y. MinnPost reporter Matt Blake tells us how these nailbiter races might affect everything from gun reform to data centers. Speaking of, Eagan is getting sued by a data center owner over their moratorium. The case could set a precedent for other cities looking to regulate these sprawling developments, sometimes shrouded in secrecy. Finally, country music is on the rise; the Minnesota Country Club Festival, sibling to the popular Yacht Club, comes to Harriet Island this week. But the headliners show the definition of “country” is getting blurry. Learn more about the topics discussed in today's episode: ⁠⁠Become a City Cast Twin Cities Neighbor⁠⁠ [https://membership.citycast.fm/twincities] ⁠⁠Minnesota legislative battlegrounds⁠⁠ [https://www.minnpost.com/elections/2026/07/minnesota-legislative-races-2026-battlegrounds/] (MinnPost) ⁠⁠Data center company sues Eagan over development pause⁠⁠ [https://www.twincities.com/2026/07/06/data-center-company-sues-eagan-over-development-pause/] (Pioneer Press) ⁠⁠Making sense of Minnesota Yacht Club’s new ‘country’ offshoot festival⁠⁠ [https://www.startribune.com/making-sense-minnesota-country-club-offshoot-yacht-harriet-island-st-paul-red-clay-strays-treaty-oak/601862969] (Star Tribune) ⁠⁠Minnesota Country Club Festival⁠⁠ [https://www.minnesotacountryclubfest.com/] Learn more about the sponsors of this July 8th episode: ⁠⁠The Cedar Cultural Center⁠⁠ [https://www.thecedar.org/] Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastTwinCities on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/citycasttwincities/], or email us at ⁠⁠twincities@citycast.fm⁠⁠ [twincities@citycast.fm]. 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 [https://citycast.fm/advertise/].

Don't Sleep On Duluth's Art Scene. Plus, Gaelynn Lea On Her New Memoir

What makes Duluth punch so far above its weight in music and arts? Today we head north with Kristi Olson, publisher of the biweekly print zine On the Record, who maps out the Duluth arts scene and shares what's worth catching this summer. Then, Duluth fiddle artist and NPR Tiny Desk Contest winner Gaelynn Lea joins to talk about her debut memoir “It Wasn't Meant to Be Perfect” [https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/gaelynn-lea/it-wasnt-meant-to-be-perfect/9781643756431/], a candid look at music, disability, and life as a touring artist. Learn more about the topics discussed in today's episode: It Wasn't Meant to Be Perfect [https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/gaelynn-lea/it-wasnt-meant-to-be-perfect/9781643756431/] (Gaelynn Lea) On the Record Zine [https://www.ontherecordzine.com/] (Kristi Olson) Duluth Homegrown Music Festival [https://duluthhomegrown.org/] Magic Smelt Parade [https://visitduluth.com/event/run-smelt-run/] (Visit Duluth) Become a City Cast Twin Cities Neighbor [https://membership.citycast.fm/twincities] Learn more about the sponsors of this July 7th episode: The Cedar Cultural Center [https://www.thecedar.org/] Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastTwinCities on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/citycasttwincities/], or email us at twincities@citycast.fm [twincities@citycast.fm]. 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 [https://citycast.fm/advertise/].

St. Paul's Right to Repair Fight, Minneapolis Eyes Drones, and a $2 Burger You Need to Know About

A St. Paul ballot initiative wants to give renters the power to fix what their landlords won't, so we talked to Cole Hanson, political coordinator for the Safe Homes Saint Paul campaign, to break down how the right-to-repair measure would actually work, who's signing the petitions, and whether a $500 cap is enough to make a real difference. Then, Clint Combs of the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder joins to unpack why Minneapolis is considering a drone first-responder pilot program, why activists are raising alarms about the company behind it, the lack of cost transparency, and the fact that it's being tested exclusively on the Northside. Learn more about the topics discussed in today's episode: Cole Hanson: St. Paul, give renters the tools to fix what’s broken [https://www.twincities.com/2026/05/10/cole-hanson-st-paul-give-renters-the-tools-to-fix-whats-broken/] (Pioneer Press) Minneapolis Considers Drone Pilot Program for North Minneapolis, Activists Push Back [https://spokesman-recorder.com/2026/06/30/minneapolis-drone-pilot-program-north-minneapolis/] (Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder) Become a City Cast Twin Cities Neighbor [https://membership.citycast.fm/twincities] Learn more about the sponsors of this July 6th episode: BidFTA Online Auctions [https://www.bidfta.com/] Paddle & Portage [https://paddleandportage.com/] The Cedar Cultural Center [https://www.thecedar.org/] Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastTwinCities on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/citycasttwincities/], or email us at twincities@citycast.fm [twincities@citycast.fm]. 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 [https://citycast.fm/advertise/].

'Your City Could Be Better': Sean Hosts The Ultimate USA Trivia Battle. How Much Do You Know?

See if your Twin Cities knowledge serves you well! In the first-ever Your City Could Be Better trivia episode, City Cast CEO David Plotz goes head to head with journalist and historian Alexandra Petri to see who knows more about U.S. history, geography, and celebrities ahead of the country’s semiquincentennial. Sean McPherson, trivia wiz and City Cast Twin Cities host, leads four riveting rounds of questions covering everything from The Declaration of Independence to the hottest college rivalries, and all 13 City Cast cities make an appearance. See how you stack up! Mentioned on the show: * Trivia Mafia website [https://www.triviamafia.com/] and locations [https://www.triviamafia.com/locations?tags=trivia%20mafia%20classic,theme%20nights] * Alexandra Petri's US History: Important American Documents (I Made Up) [https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324006435] * Milwaukee's block of Frank Lloyd Wright - Atlas Obscura [https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/frank-lloyd-wrights-burnham-block] Is there something your city is doing that we should be talking about? Email David now!  [yourcitycouldbebetter@citycast.fm] We’re also on Instagram: @yourcitycouldbebetter [https://www.instagram.com/yourcitycouldbebetter] Looking to advertise on Your City Could Be Better? Check out our options [https://citycast.fm/advertise].