We're still figuring out what types of conversations y'all wanna hear on RacketCast, and our first experiment with a newsier, shorter installment was a certified hit. So here's another bonus ep along those lines: our chat with veteran state Sen. John Marty (DFL-Roseville) about whether Minnesota should ban billboards. Marty's eye-catching new bill …

Discover what came about following Richard Derby Senior moving nearby where Colonel Alexander Leslie was currently positioned. Figure out if Colonel Leslie and other 64th Regiment of Foot Officers decided upon another efficient strategy behind getting the crowd to disperse. Learn what Captain John Felt of Salem overheard while following Colonel Les…

In this first episode I had a great chat with our new City Administrator, Matt Staehling. You get a chance to learn more about Matt, and what drew him to this role after nearly 30 years in St. Cloud. We talk about his first weeks on the job and his first takes as a new Duluthian. We also dive into that all-important topic: the difference between th…

Twin Cities burger freaks: This is the episode for you. The proprietors of two elite food trucks—Angry Line Cook (Jesse Hedman and Mona Negasi) and Burger Daddies (Nikki and Brian Podgorski)—dropped by our studio for a long conversation about cheeseburgers, building your business from scratch, and life in the trenches of the food industry. (FYI: Wh…

Get introduced to British Officer Alexander Leslie including his family upbringing. Discover what type of ship HMS Lively was including her role within the greater British Fleet Network. Find out if any written letters regarding correspondence between General Gage & Colonel Leslie exist entailing plans about a raid on Salem. Receive an accurate bre…

Explore differences between taverns and inns. Get an understanding behind why British Officer Spies in Captain William Brown & Ensign Henry DeBerniere had to be careful when frequenting Inns/Taverns. Agree if Engineers in uniform were considered to be the most common mapmakers. Understand why Sunday was so important including what was and wasn’t to…

Determine firsthand if British Soldiers had served as permanent fixtures in the American Colonies before 7 Years War ended. Go behind the scenes and learn how previous conflicts paved the way for French & Indian War. Learn how British Officers & Soldiers eventually came to view both Colonial Militia Forces & Indians. Discover how many Indian People…

What's going on up there in Duluth? Plenty of stuff worth trying out ahead of your demise, that's for sure. Duluth News Tribune reporter Jay Gabler chronicled the exact number in his new book, 100 Things to Do In Duluth Before You Die. Jay, who you might remember from his time at 89.3 the Current, hopped on the pod to discuss the Zenith City's must…

Get introduced to Ebenezer Richardson. Understand what unravels on Thursday February 22, 1770, involving Ebenezer Richardson including the event that follows less than two weeks later. Learn why Parliament passed the 1773 Tea Act including actions engaged by Bostonian’s come December 16 of that year. Discover how Parliament responded in the afterma…

Find out when English Colonists first settled in present day Salem including the original settlement’s name. Get to know Englishmen Roger Conant & John Endecott including their job roles. Learn about the Puritan’s as well as their religious beliefs. Discover what Salem refers to including the working relationship between Roger Conant & John Endecot…

On this latest episode of Attracted to Duluth, Caroline and Hailey are joined by journalist and friend of the pod, Jay Gabler. Tune in to hear all about his new book, 100 Things to Do in Duluth Before You Die, as well as his personal history with writing. This episode is packed with cool Duluth stuff, you'll certainly find something to add to your …

Late Tuesday, Gov. Tim Walz surprised around 40,000 state workers by announcing a mandatory 50% return-to-office policy for employees who live within 75 miles of their main work location. “This policy change supports the economic vitality of office districts like downtown St. Paul, bringing foot traffic back to businesses and public spaces,” the go…

Agree if it’s fair to say that conflict amongst people of two or more parties has been a permanent fixture since ancient civilization times. Go behind the scenes and discover how conflict onto itself proved inevitable after 7 Years War ended in 1763. Understand how emerging victoriously in time of war can either unite or divide an imperial nation’s…

In the early '00s Aaron Gleeman's U of M journalism professors suspected he was chronically hungover. In reality, the young blogger was chronically exhausted from writing about baseball literally all night long. That set Gleeman on a path that includes Aaron's Baseball Blog (cute!), NBC Sports, Baseball Prospectus, and, since 2019, the Athletic, wh…

Go behind the scenes and learn how French Civil Engineer Augustin Jean Fresnel invented Fresnel Lenses. Determine exactly just how many lighthouses remain active along the Great Lakes including total number which still retain their Fresnel Lenses. Learn about various achievements which U.S. Lighthouse Board made during its nearly 60 Years in existe…

Learn how an insurance company come year 1957 went about investing in more than just natural resources. Discover which insurance company sought to invest money into having a ship who could navigate safely through the nearly completed Saint Lawrence Seaway. Determine if this ship which was officially completed in 1958 became the first laker built to…

Figure out how many lighthouses Lake Superior has total including Michigan’s Upper Peninsula’s rise to economic stardom following admittance into Union after 1837. Learn everything there is possible about the Apostle Islands including a European Historian who was responsible for giving them their official title. Discover if there are any lighthouse…

Voters elected Mary Moriarty as Hennepin County's top prosecutor in 2022, which, given the sweeping sociopolitical changes since, feels like 1,000 years ago. Just over two full years into the job, how has Moriarty's progressive vision of restorative justice unfolded while Minneapolis remains under a national microscope? We asked the first openly LG…

Get introduced to Michigan’s oldest city dating back to 1668 including the roles played by both Saint Mary’s River & Rapids. Discover how the Soo Locks came into play including their presence in both Canada and United States. Learn just how significant of a role French Missionaries Claude Dablon & Jacques Marquette played in establishing Michigan’s…

Discover exactly how many historic lighthouse structures including range lights are still used today in Lake Michigan within Wisconsin’s Door County. Uncover exact number of both confirmed and unconfirmed shipwrecks listed for Door County, Wisconsin. Receive an in-depth report about 285 Foot Long Wooden Ship SS Australasia including her unfortunate…

Determine what exactly makes Lake Michigan so different from Lakes Ontario, Erie, Huron, & Superior. Discover where Michigan derived from per the Ojibwe People. Understand why Jean Nicolet was an important figure during 1630’s including the various Indian Tribes that Western European Explorers came upon. Learn if shipping increased heavily along La…

Discover how more than one weather pattern system impacted the Great Lakes Region per U.S. Upper Midwest & Southwest Ontario Canada between late October into early November 1913. Find out what hurdles faced the U.S. Weather Bureau involving storm forecasting in 1913. Get an in depth analysis behind when the storm first struck Lake Huron including f…

A terrestrial radio DJ... on a podcast?! Believe it: We've got Dave Ryan, the 101.3 KDWB morning show host since 1993, on the pod to talk pranks, legacy, the evolving nature of Top 40 radio, and the ill-fated Booty Cruises. (Our conversation cold-opens with him dealing with a Colorado exterminator—how can you cut tape that good?) Be sure read Rache…

Discover how Lake Huron’s name came about. Figure out what narrow body of water drains Lake Superior starting at the end of Whitefish Bay into Lake Huron. Learn what towns, cities, & villages call Lake Huron home per Michigan & Ontario, Canada. Go behind the scenes and determine if Michigan got admitted into the Union around same time Fort Gratiot …

Discover the number of actual islands which exist on Lake Erie including how far back they date. Learn the differences involving Lake Erie’s Western & Eastern Ends regarding rocklike formations. Go behind the scenes and learn everything there is to know about Glacial Grooves at Kelley’s Island, Ohio. Determine if in fact French Explorers were the f…

Learn exactly how many U.S States are surrounded by Lake Erie’s Waters’. Discover which U.S. City is the largest on Lake Erie. Determine if Lake Erie was carved out by glacier ice along with discovering its maximum depth level. Determine if Erie became the last Great Lake to be explored by Europeans. Get introduced to Thomas Talbot. Learn which Lak…

Find out just how many lighthouses are on Lake Ontario including where the majority of them can be found. Discover what the Huron/Wyandot Indian Tribe refer Ontario as name wise. Learn exactly what the name Sodus refers to from an Indian standpoint. Explore firsthand what became of Sodus Bay after War of 1812 ended including something grand taking …

We've got a double-header for ya, folks. In the leadoff spot: Keith and Jay discuss Poised to Pop, Racket's annual predictions for the year's most exciting new local music acts. (It is very different from Picked to Click, thank you very much!) Hear Keith's scouting reports, then dive into some of the best rock, jazz, techno, rap, etc. sounds curren…

Learn what river happens to be Lake Ontario’s primary water source. Find out which Canadian Cities comprise Lake Ontario’s Northern & Southern Shorelines. Discover what International River connects Great Lakes to the North Atlantic Ocean. Understand what a tributary represents along with discovering connection between Genesee River and Lake Ontario…

Agree if ships and their crewmen have been navigating Earth’s Waters as far back as Early Ancient Civilization Times. Determine what was implemented into place if a port wasn’t nearby. Learn about an archaeological project involving lighthouse construction during Ptolemy II’s Reign from 280-247 BC which had never been previously achieved. Discover …

In the late 1880s, what winter sport craze swept through Duluth? In this episode of Attracted to Duluth, we embrace the cold and make the best of it! Without winter we wouldn’t have had goofy woolen uniforms, ice carnivals, or the opportunity to get frisky on a sled. Put on your snowshoes and pack your bags for St. Moritz, because this episode is t…

Learn what specific act of kindness Lafayette performed just before he officially departed the United States. Discover if France still operated under a monarchy government by time Lafayette himself returned home. Determine if Lafayette returned back onto the political scene not long after returning to France. Understand what Lafayette’s Grand Tour …

Did you know the Star Tribune recently launched its very first episodic, narratively driven podcast series, Ghost of a Chance? Over six episodes, reporter Eric Roper and producer Melissa Townsend explore the lives Harry and Clementine Robinson, a Black Minneapolis family who owned Roper's south Minneapolis home in the early 20th century. "The Robin…

Mitch Hedberg conceived his jokes with a deliberate eye toward timelessness. The Minnesota-launched comedy great’s widow, Lynn Shawcroft, confirmed as much during a 2013 episode of WTF with Marc Maron. And for about 15 years, the timeless comedy of Hedberg—surreal one-liners, musings, and wordplay delivered in his unmistakable stoner drawl—attracte…

Determine if Marquis de Lafayette had the opportunity to visit with Andrew Jackson one on one following 1824 Presidential Election outcome. Learn which southern state became the first to have a city be named in Lafayette’s honor. Discover where Lafayette’s travels took him between March - April 1825 including noteworthy people he met along the way.…

Determine what major political event activity took place in the United States between October 26 - December 2, 1824. Get an idea regarding what questions America as a nation got presented with come year 1824. Learn what Lafayette had requested roughly a quarter of a century earlier. Go behind the scenes and get introduced to American Politics from …

Learn firsthand if any portrait paintings of Lafayette had been made prior to 1824. Determine if it’s fair to say that spending extra time in Washington D.C. allowed Lafayette more means for leisure purposes. Go behind the scenes and learn how far back Lafayette’s relations went with Native American People’s. Find out whom Lafayette met Indian Chie…

Discover who Lafayette met in person come April 29, 1781 just a couple of months prior to Yorktown Siege Campaign. Learn how many days it took Lafayette and his party to reach their end westward destination from Richmond, Virginia starting November 2. Find out who Lafayette himself got reconnected with after 35 Years come November 5, 1824. Go behin…

It's the first RacketCast episode of 2025! Before '24 ended, we reviewed the year in music, bozos, politics, and movies, though we didn't have time to bite off a biggie: food 'n' drink. So, for this ep, we recruited two great dining writer/reporters—James Norton (Heavy Table) and Justine Jones (formerly of Eater Twin Cities)—to hashbrown out the ye…

Learn where Lafayette returned to come October 18, 1824. Understand why two o’clock on the afternoon of October 18 was so important. Get an in depth analysis behind how old the town was prior to year 1781 including some unique facts. Discover if Lafayette was joined by another Continental Army Officer where objective before them involved trying to …

Go behind the scenes and learn what official measure took place prior to 1824,155 Years earlier come October 21, 1669. Discover what happened on Saturday October 16, 1824 involving Lafayette. Learn everything possible about Lafayette’s visit to a port city located right outside Washington D.C. including his meeting noteworthy people. Agree if it’s …

Discover which city in Maryland Lafayette and his party arrived into come morning of October 7, 1824. Learn if Lafayette had visited this Maryland city 40 years earlier when he last visited America. Determine if the city he visited had experienced an event 10 years earlier that was opposite of celebratory purposes. Understand significance behind Me…

Learn what Congress had enacted 4 Years prior to 1824 involving expansion and slavery. Determine if there was in fact an equal number of Free & Slave States by February 1819. Go behind the scenes and discover which political party was facing near collapse prior to 1824. Discover Marquis de Lafayette’s real official name including the year he was bo…

Learn exactly how old the United States was in 1824 including milestone that she was soon nearing. Determine if it’s fair to say that America by 1824 had bid farewell to many Revolutionary War Officers including Statesmen. Find out if any Revolutionary Leaders were still alive come 1824. Discover exactly how many states were in the Union by 1824. G…

Did you that co-owner/editor Keith Harris is the only regularly published movie critic in all of Minnesota? Sounds wild, but we believe it to be true! As such, movies are a big part of the equation over here, though we've never addressed them via the podcast medium. To remedy that, we enlisted a silver-screen freak you know and love: Racket super-c…

A special bonus episode of our biweekly RacketCast? Believe it. Happy Lizz Winstead Day! Minnesota comedy great Lizz Winstead is a legend of lefty media, having co-created Comedy Central's Daily Show as well as Air America Radio. Every holiday season, Winstead returns home for a show that recaps the year that was. And folks? Good god... what a year…

Learn exactly how Clyde Cross once again triumphed the Coast Guard shortly after rescuing Novadoc Crew. Discover what had taken place come Friday November 15 in Lorain, Ohio following aftermath between November 16-17. Determine what exact big find occurred come May 1972 off Little Sable Point. Understand importance behind Ludington, Michigan’s Lake…

This time on Attracted to Duluth, Hailey and Caroline are joined by Boubville representatives Annmarie Geniusz and Daniel Benoit. Located in Duluth's central hillside neighborhood, this immersive DIY holiday event flips everything you think you know about a Duluth Christmas event on its head! With art installations, music, and smoked turkey legs, t…

Go behind the scenes and learn how New Haven Socony, Thomas F. Cole, & Alfred H. Smith were all 48 Hours overdue into their respective port facilities along Lake Michigan’s Waters. Learn how each of these three vessels ultimately prevailed despite every curveball having been thrown at them relentlessly without Mother Nature letting up. Determine if…

What were the biggest, strangest, buzziest, most important, least important, and/or riffiest Minneapolis politics stories of 2024? Glad you asked! Because that's more or less what we posed to John Edwards, Taylor Dahlin, and Jason Garcia of Wedge Live!, a collection of folks who pay as close attention to such matters as anyone in town. They teed up…