City Cast Twin Cities
🤔 Hennepin County’s next top lawyer?
July 17, 2026 · — Tiffany
Good morning, Twin Cities! Tiffany here. Do you want to design the next state park license plate? Starting Sept. 15, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is accepting submissions inspired by the agates of the North Shore. Maybe this Instagram page will spark something in you.
Today’s Must-Know
ISO: Hennepin County’s Next Top Lawyer
The primaries are in August, and the Hennepin County Attorney race may have flown under your radar. In today’s episode, we talk about the big candidates. While many share similar policy stances, candidates fall somewhere along the spectrum of reform v.s. law-and-order traditionalists. Notably, current attorney Mary Moriarty has not publicly backed any of her potential replacements. [🎧 City Cast Twin Cities]
- What matters most to you? Some key topics in the race include how the office should pursue ICE prosecutions, felony charges stemming from pretextual stops, and charging minors as adults for severe crimes.
- Scrutiny: The winner will inherit an office that has garnered controversy under Moriarty’s leadership. At the beginning of her term, Moriarty charged two teens involved in the murder of Zaria McKeever as minors. Rather than face jail time, the teens would’ve been sent to juvenile detention for 18 to 24 months. Instead, Governor Walz passed the case to Attorney General Ellison and the juveniles were charged as adults. Moriarty also faced backlash for charging Minnesota state trooper Ryan Londregan with second-degree unintentional murder for shooting Ricky Cobb during a traffic stop. [FOX 9 / Star Tribune]
- Quiz time: If you’re still struggling over your pick, try out Sahan Journal’s bobblehead-filled quiz. You’ll get a breakdown of what candidate aligns most with you by percentage. [Sahan Journal]
What the Cities Are Talking About
“We need to get to the truth”: In January, a photo of a shirtless Hmong man being arrested by ICE in the dead of winter drew public outcry. Now, Ramsey County is suing the Department of Homeland over their refusal to cooperate with the local investigation. ICE wrongly arrested ChongLy “Scott” Thao while in search of a different suspect; Thao is a U.S. citizen with no criminal record. [MPR News]
A ‘W’ for downtown: How many rebrands can the Warehouse District get? The Minneapolis Renaissance Coalition is a volunteer-run nonprofit trying to turn Second, First and Hennepin Avenues into an entertainment district. Founder Erin Fitzgerald hopes to head off her dire prediction that every downtown building is headed for foreclosure. If you’re in the area, you’ll see 30 new pole banners with a big ‘W’ on them. [Star Tribune]
New normal? Current air quality conditions have been “well-above hazardous,” Seth Spencer of the University of Minnesota's Climate Adaptation Partnership tells City Cast Twin Cities. On today’s show, Spencer talks about building your own air purifier and keeping a “preparedness bucket.” [🎧 City Cast Twin Cities]
Get a hobby: How do you make friends here? Maybe join a juggling club. Racket’s Clare O’Connor has a fun profile on Minnesota Neverthriving, which has become an anchor for the local juggling community. While Neverthriving has some real veterans (clown college grads!), they’ve welcomed newbies with mid-juggle toss open arms. They practice at Matthews Park on Mondays and Saturdays. [Racket]
Can I bribe you… to take our audience survey? If you give us your honest answers, you’ll be eligible to win a $250 Visa gift card and some City Cast swag. Take it here, please and thank you!
What to Do
Friday, July 17 (Note: outdoor events may be canceled or rescheduled due to AQI)
- ⚓️ Minnesota Yacht Club Festival | Harriet Island Regional Park (through July 19)
- 🆓 Minnehaha Falls Art Fair | Minnehaha Regional Park (through July 19)
- 🚲 Twilight Relays | Thomas Beach, Bde Maka Ska
- 🎤 Chastity Brown | The Hook and Ladder
- 😂 The Oldest Profession LIVE | Phoenix Theater
- 🎭 Last Seen: A Long Time Ago | Mixed Blood Theatre
- 🪩 Miss Jackson If You're Nasty: Janet Jackson Dance Night | First Avenue
Saturday, July 18
- 🕯️Community Grief Ritual with the Twin Cities Grief Collective | Lakewood Cemetery
- 🆓 Rondo Days | MLK Center
- 🪕 Summer Block Party & Bluegrass | Bad Weather Brewing Company
- 🆓 Free Social Dancing on the Lake | Pimento on the Lake
- 🌳 Quietchild | Grand Oak Opry
- 🎭 Private Lives (Opening Night) | Guthrie Theater
- 🪩 Worldwide Discotheque | Black Hart of Saint Paul
- 📖 Hamline Midway Library Grand Opening Celebration | Hamline Miday Library
Sunday, July 19
- 🆓 Thai Sunday Market | Wat Promwachirayan
- 🆓 Sister Cities Day | Nicollet Island Pavilion
- 🏖️ Mondo Queer Beach Party | Lake Nokomis 50th Street Beach
- 🏃 MojoKickball | Kenwood Park
- 🥏 Minnesota Wind Chill vs. Madison Radicals | Sea Foam Stadium
- 🏉 Twin Cities Gemini vs. Denver Onyx | TCO Stadium
- 🎷 Memphis Soul: Carla Thomas | The Parkway Theater
Twin Cities Job Board
- Audience Development Manager at City Cast Twin Cities | $70k – $90k per year
- Brand Design Lead at City Cast | $95k – $110k per year
- Library Marketing and Communications Specialist at City of Saint Paul | $74k – $103k per year
- Program Manager, Urban Debate League at Augsburg University | $55k – $60k per year
- Philanthropic Advisor, Tiers 1-2 at The Minneapolis Foundation | $107k – $134k per year
Your Friday Floof is Stormie. Her owner Juliette M. says, “She’s huge and still does biscuits on me every night. Plus she hogs my king size pillow, she has 3/4 of it.” Juliette, we need a banana for scale!
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