Skip to Content
Podcast

RacketCast, Ep. 25: How to Launch a Writer-Owned News/Arts/Culture Publication

Preferably in a way that doesn't directly compete with ours!

Racket’s staff, left to right: Em Cassel, Jay Boller, Keith Harris, Jessica Armbruster

|Pop! Studio

It's a Very Special Episode of RacketCast!

No guests this week. Instead, three of Racket's four co-owner/editors—Jay Boller, Em Cassel, and Keith Harris—will share the origin story of our local news, arts, and culture publication, which'll turn four this summer.

All it takes? Four laid-off schmucks with a combined $4,000, plenty of Covid-era unemployment insurance, a dash of good luck, thousands of supportive readers, and the dream of keeping an alt-weekly-style news org alive in the Twin Cities. We think it'll be an entertaining listen for local news junkies, and, selfishly, we hope it'll help juice sales in the final moments of our prize-packed Spring Member Drive.

But first! Here are the stories we gabbed about during What I Learned In Racket...

Subscribe to RacketCast wherever you get your podcasts—Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pocket Casts, etc. Wanna advertise on RacketCast? Email us at advertise@racketmn.com. Have a food/drink, event, or show recommendation? How about a civic hot take? Call 619-RACKTIP (619-722-5847) with your first name + city + 1-min.-maximum voicemail, and we might play it on our next episode. Special thanks to local band Van Stee for supplying our podcast music!

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Racket

Stop Me If You’ve Heard This One Before: Walz Says ICE Out Soon

Plus MN flags are selling out, Cloudland donates to MIRAC this month, and a fundraiser for a good cause in today's Flyover news roundup.

‘Fuck ICE,’ Says Your Concert Calendar: Feb. 10-16

Pretty much all the music you can catch in the Twin Cities this week.

February 10, 2026

Amy Klobuchar’s Record on Trump Is Shameful

As Minnesota's senior senator runs to replace Tim Walz as governor, her votes and positions on Trump, ICE, and labor should be disqualifying to progressive voters.

I Watched Eric Church Perform in St. Paul While ICE Thugs Were Kidnapping My Neighbors

The Nashville outsider rocked for a fiery 2.5 hours, but there are some lines even he won't cross.

February 9, 2026

NYT: MN U.S. Attorney’s Office ‘In Crisis’ After Patel Ended Investigation Into Renee Good Killing

Plus national attention on Council Member Stevenson, Lindell campaign's book-buying spree, and How to Help in today's Flyover news roundup.

February 9, 2026

MN ICE Watch Feb. 9-13: Daily Updates on the Federal Forces That Just Won’t Leave

Another week, another mega blog of ICE-related headlines.

February 9, 2026
See all posts