CITY CASTTwin Cities
City Cast Twin Cities

City Cast Twin Cities

 💼 A wave of layoffs

October 31, 2025 · Special thanks to Anna Weggel and Sean McPherson for editing our newsletters this week!

Happy Halloween, Twin Cities! It’s your coven member, Tiffany. “Bugonia” premieres in theaters today, starring Emma Stone, who gets kidnapped by a pair of cousins (played by Jesse Plemons and Aidan Delbis), convinced she’s an alien. I got to see an advanced screening available only to bald people and those willing to go there (I mercifully was exempt). Check out these bald beauties!

What the Cities Are Talking About

The corner of a brick building with the WCCO Radio sign in red letters.
The WCCO Radio sign in downtown Minneapolis. (Raymond Boyd / Getty Images)

It’s hard out there: even more companies announce layoffs

Target isn’t the only company making headlines with job cuts. On the show today, we talk about how this moment has echoes of the 2008 recession. The money from COVID-19 stimulus checks has dried up, and people don’t have the cushioning to pivot jobs or resign like they could a few years ago. [🎧 City Cast Twin Cities]

  • Wider cuts: Companies that recently issued layoffs include Cargill’s HQ in Wayzata and WCCO-TV (as part of overall cuts to Paramount after its merger with Skydance). A hundred state health care workers could be cut as well due to the government shutdown. [AgWeek, Bring Me The News, Star Tribune]
  • Economic uncertainty: Carson Hartzog at the Strib talked to economists who say Minnesota’s economy right now is really a reflection of the nation. With a frozen job market, businesses are deciding to “make a move.” Throw AI into the mix, and you’ll see companies scale back on hiring for entry and mid-level positions. [Star Tribune]
  • Rising unemployment: A state jobs report reflecting numbers from July showed that Minnesota's jobless rate is the highest it’s been in four years. The slowdown is pretty similar to the national job market, and the DEED commissioner cited U.S.-wide trends like mass federal layoffs and the funding cuts coming out of the White House. [MPR]

Have you recently been affected by layoffs? If so, my heart goes out to you. Reply to this email and share your story.

Also Worth Your Time

Book ‘n bones: Boneshaker Books opens in LynLake today, a perfectly fitting time. They’re filling the space left behind by THC eatery Hi Flora! It’s a pretty quick turnaround considering they announced the relocation a week ago – and it’s hard to move books! [Boneshaker Books]

Remember when everyone was a drunk zombie? Yesterday, we highlighted Laura Yuen’s great piece about what happened to the Zombie Pub Crawl. Well, one of the founding zombies, Chuck Terhark, shared his memories with us, including a giant zombie inflatable and a World Brain Eating Contest. If you’re looking to have ghoulish fun tonight, check out our Halloween events list. [🎧 City Cast Twin Cities]

Lower gun violence in St. Paul: Our capital city has had two gun-related homicides so far this year, compared to at least 50 in Minneapolis – which experienced five fatal shootings in the span of 24 hours in April. So what’s the difference between the Twin Cities? SPPD Commander Nikkole Peterson credits investigations by their non-fatal shootings unit. [MN Women’s Press]

A graduating class wearing red cap and gowns celebrating graduation in a sports stadium.
Coon Rapids High School seniors graduate at 3M Arena at Mariucci. (Michael Siluk / Getty Images)

Sorry, seniors: High school grads will need to throw their caps elsewhere. The University of Minnesota will no longer host graduation commencements for high schools on campus. TL;DR it’s really stressful to hold 20+ events in just two weeks. My commencement for both high school and college was at Mariucci. 😢 [Star Tribune]

Are you an undecided voter? If you’re still deciding how you’re going to vote in the St. Paul and Minneapolis elections, let us point you to some great resources. Sahan Journal has a fun quiz to help you decide. The Star Tribune has comprehensive guides on the Minneapolis mayoral candidates and the Park Board and Board of Estimation and Taxation. MPR has a St. Paul mayoral candidates guide.

Banning boozy hemp: Attorney General Keith Ellison is joining 39 other attorneys general asking Congress to ban intoxicating hemp products. Ellison clarified that he’s not looking to shut down our existing, legal market, but stopping out-of-state illegal products from coming in. But one business owner is concerned that changing the legal definition of hemp would wipe out legal sellers. [Star Tribune]

What to Do

Friday, October 31

Saturday, November 1

Sunday, November 2

More Twin Cities Events

Twin Cities Job Board

Twin Cities Job Board

As a follow-up to yesterday’s newsletter about Minneapolis taking ninth in a top 50 rattiest cities list – listener Jenn shared this tip for getting rid of rodents. Thanks, Jenn! 🐭

“[I recommend] keeping all food items in containers – thick plastic or glass. I’ve seen them eat through outer and inner packing of multipack ramen to get to it. And [make sure to] keep up with traps. Also, rats are super destructive, I would rather have roaches.”

Hoping you have a pest-free Halloween!

— Tiffany

Free · Daily

More from City Cast Twin Cities

Read latest