City Cast Twin Cities logo
March 19, 2026

How Secure Are Our Elections? Plus, Fake St. Paul Band (Fake) Dies

City Cast Twin Cities

How Secure Are Our Elections? Plus, Fake St. Paul Band (Fake) Dies

00:00:00
View all City Cast Twin Cities episodes

Earlier this week, a Facebook page for the St. Paul-based bluegrass band The Gillyweeds announced all six members had died in a plane crash. Turns out, The Gillyweeds were an invention of local designer Todd Pitman as part of an elaborate treasure hunt. Was it ethical to make people mourn for a made-up band? Plus, President Trump wants to require Americans to provide citizenship documentation before they vote. How could this impact Minnesota’s critical midterms? Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon joins the show to talk about keeping elections “free and fair.”

Learn more about the topics discussed in today's episode:

Learn more about the sponsors of this March 19th episode:

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts

Berlin

Xcel Energy

Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastTwinCities on Instagram, or email us at 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.

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Hey Twin Cities

Stay connected to City Cast Twin Cities and get ready to join the local conversation.

Can't subscribe? Turn off your ad blocker and try again.

Latest Episodes

See all
August 3

Twin Cities Rookie Mistakes and Top 5 Vintage Stores

Today, we revisit two of the Twin Cities' most beloved pastimes: secondhand shopping and learning things the hard way. Producer and vinta...

City Cast Twin Cities podcast episode art
July 31

Mayor Her Harassment Allegations, Musk Sues MN for AI Porn, and a New Mpls Video Store

St. Paul Mayor Kaohly Her is under investigation after being accused of sexual harassment by police chief Axel Henry, and it's not the fi...

City Cast Twin Cities podcast episode art
July 30

The 12-Year Fight for an Urban Farm. Plus, Free Music at the State Fair

What would you spend more than a decade fighting for? After much debate, stalling, and protests, the East Phillips Neighborhood Institute...

City Cast Twin Cities podcast episode art
July 29

Who Gets a Permit To Pollute? Plus, 10 Years of Frogtown Radio and Adrian Younge's Favorite TC Records

An iron foundry in St. Paul and a shingle factory in Minneapolis are both under scrutiny for polluting their once-redlined neighborhoods....

City Cast Twin Cities podcast episode art
July 28

George Floyd Square Fist Travels to WI, Party in Rondo, Burned-Down Wells Fargo Transformed

The iconic fist sculpture that usually stands in George Floyd Square is now in Madison, Wisconsin. It’s a symbol of solidarity between Mi...

City Cast Twin Cities podcast episode art
July 27

The Ugly Truth About Encampment Sweeps, West 7th Hipsterification, and Claddagh Coffee at 15

A St. Paul coffee shop turns 15, and we sit down with Mary Hogan-Bard, the original owner of Claddagh Coffee, to talk about what it takes...

City Cast Twin Cities podcast episode art
July 24

BWCA Wildfires Update, Bauhaus Returns, and Racoon Wars

The Boundary Waters wilderness is closed through July 29, and it’s serious over there. Though many people have been safely evacuated, out...

City Cast Twin Cities podcast episode art
July 23

How An Adult Store Raised $1 Million in Mutual Aid

A South Minneapolis sex store used their virality and social media reach to fundraise hundreds of thousands of dollars in mutual aid duri...

City Cast Twin Cities podcast episode art
July 22

Are We Safe From Explosive Diarrhea? Plus, Japanese-Peruvian Cuisine

It was a deadly weekend, as gun violence injured 14 people and took the life of one. Is this a summer cluster, or an outlier? Also, if yo...

City Cast Twin Cities podcast episode art
July 21

What Makes Mpls One of the 'Fittest' Cities? Plus, Discover Lake Street Food on Foot

Minneapolis was just ranked the third fittest city in the U.S. by the American College of Sports Medicine – what do you think pushed us n...

City Cast Twin Cities podcast episode art