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City Cast Twin Cities

🚨 What we know about yesterday's federal raid

November 26, 2025

Good morning, Twin Cities! It’s Adam today. I saw a TikTok from Second Harvest Heartland about how hunters can donate their venison to food shelves during hunting season. I hadn't heard about this before, and apparently neither have a lot of Minnesotans – our annual donation numbers are far lower than Wisconsin, Michigan, and Iowa. If you hunt or know a hunter, check out the MN DNR website to see how you can help!

What the Cities Are Talking About

Protestors and police stand on the street of a neighborhood in St. Paul.
Protestors surrounded a house in St. Paul's Payne-Phalen neighborhood after federal agents arrived yesterday morning. (Becca Esche / Bluesky)

What We Know About Yesterday's Federal Raid

Just before 9 a.m., federal agents wearing HSI markings and face coverings arrived at a single family home on the east side of St. Paul. Protestors quickly gathered, and St. Paul police arrived on scene as well. Here's what we know so far:

  • Was anyone detained? At least two protestors were taken into custody, and KARE11 reporter Danny Spewak said he saw one person from inside the targeted house being detained and led away by federal agents, though that has not yet been confirmed. [KARE11]
  • Protestors and law enforcement clash: A large crowd of protestors gathered at the scene and were met with chemical irritants from SPPD officers, as well as less-lethal projectiles. MPR photojournalist Kerem Yücel was taken away by an ambulance after being exposed to tear gas and hit with a projectile. Officers were seen walking backwards down the street as protesters followed, chanting "pigs go home," just before tear gas was deployed near the corner of Payne Ave. and Geranium Ave. [MPR / Star Tribune]
  • Elected officials react: Protestors met St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter with many questions when he arrived on the scene.
    • Carter said he also has questions, but "won't be able to provide answers from this parking lot." He also added that "there's no mayor in America that can control the way ICE operates.” [Star Tribune]
    • Gov. Tim Walz tweeted that his office "received no heads up from federal authorities on this operation," and that "while we are always willing to work together on public safety, that is clearly not what this chaotic situation was about."

Also Worth Your Time

Strike averted at MSP: If you're flying out to visit family today, you'll still be able to grab a bite to eat at the airport as food service workers from Unite Here Local 17 reached an agreement with their employer HMSHost. The union had previously threatened to strike this week if there was no contract, strategically timing the strike with the busiest travel days of the year. [Star Tribune]

Where to do Small Business Saturday: More than supporting small businesses, Small Business Saturday is an opportunity to get one-of-a-kind items and experiences all around the Twin Cities. Dive into Producer Tiffany Bui's excellent guide for where you can find seasonal goodies, llamas, and bonfires. [City Cast Twin Cities]

Fact Check – Terror Funding: In response to an article published by the conservative-leaning City Journal, which alleged that “the largest funder of Al-Shabaab is the Minnesota taxpayer,” reporter Kayseh Magan investigates the validity of this claim. Magan points out that Minnesota has poured monumental resources into finding and prosecuting fraud cases in the wake of COVID, and none of those cases charged anyone with terrorism financing. [Minnesota Reformer]

A plate with four filets of smoked salmon and an assortment of grapes, cheese, olives, berries, and herbs.
City Cast Twin Cities Host Sean McPherson has sent smoked fish to his friends and family for the last 10 years, and he thinks you should too. (Photo courtesy of Northern Waters Smokehaus)

Your national local shopping guide: You still haven't figured out holiday gifts for your friends and family yet? No worries, we've got you covered. On today's episode of the City Cast Twin Cities podcast, we teamed up with local experts in all 13 City Cast cities to bring you a curated list of gift recommendations from small businesses around the country. Host Sean McPherson shouts out Northern Waters Smokehaus as a great option to ship some delicious smoked salmon to loved ones anywhere in the country. [City Cast Twin Cities]

Pine needles spill the tea: Researchers at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency are using pine needles to study how PFAS, sometimes called "forever chemicals," are proliferating through the air. The naturally sticky surface of the needles has been shown to capture PFAS, and scientists hope they can learn more about how the chemicals travel by measuring their presence on pine needles over time. [MPR]

Top 5 Sides: In case you missed yesterday's podcast episode, our team shared their self-proclaimed expert opinions on the top five Thanksgiving sides. Do you agree? Do you have beef with stuffing as the number one pick? Let me know by replying to this email! [City Cast Twin Cities]

What to Do

Wednesday, November 26

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A screenshot of a crossword puzzle.

Do you know your Thanksgiving facts? What about unrelated facts that happen to have Thanksgiving-related answers? Test your knowledge on this week's crossword.

Also - quick reminder that we will not have new newsletter or podcast episodes tomorrow or Friday. We'll see you back here in the inbox and in your podcast feed bright and early Monday morning. Have a great holiday, Twin Cities!

— Adam Sage

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