Shows / City Cast DC
City Cast DC
City Cast DC is the daily, local audio companion you knew DC needed.. Washingtonians are deeply passionate about our city, whose story is still being written, and City Cast DC is here to tell it. Every weekday morning, our hosts Michael Schaffer and Bridget Todd will engage people from all over the eight wards in conversation about DC’s crises and its beauty, both literal and figurative. It’ll have the feel of eavesdropping on an energetic and informative coffee shop chat, except that with City…
Episodes
- City Cast DC
DC's Best Weekend Trip? Philly!
From history and a love for museums to breweries, Philly and D.C. have a lot in common. We caught up with City Cast Philly’s Trenae Nuri to talk about the D.C…
- City Cast DC
RFK’s Demolition, Legal Weed Patios, and Traffic Crackdowns
Washington Business Journal’s Drew Hansen joins the crew to explain RFK Stadium finally being knocked down, smoking weed outside this summer, and ticketing…
- City Cast DC
How DC Became a Hummus Hub
From Cava to Little Sesame, the DMV consumes a lot of hummus, and we make and export even more. Axios reporter Anna Spiegel is here to explain her theory that…
- City Cast DC
Bowser Unplugged, Doorman Squabble, and Mother’s Day Recs
Cuneyt Dil of Axios joins the team to talk about the state of downtown, your options for mother’s day, and a red-hot doorman drama in one of the fanciest…
- City Cast DC
Pro Tips for Urban Gardening in DC
You might not think of D.C. as a gardening city, but gardening in the District actually offers some specific benefits you don’t find elsewhere. Kathy Jentz…
- City Cast DC
Behind DMV Students’ Stand for Palestine
Protests and encampments regarding Israel and Palestine have taken off across the country. But in D.C., are we doing anything differently? Both Lauren Lumpkin…
- City Cast DC
Your Guide To May in D.C.
If you're new here, welcome! We’ve put together a starter pack for you, with episodes and articles to welcome you to the City Cast community. From checking out…
- City Cast DC
Big Drama in D.C.’s Little Leagues
Parents behaving badly? High-powered lawyers? The Wall Street Journal’s James Fanelli is here to walk us through his epic story about a Northwest D.C. Little…
- City Cast DC
A New Union Station, D.C.'s Media Failures, and Foxtrot's Demise
Washingtonian’s Andrew Beaujon joins the team to talk about the future of Union Station, the future of D.C. media, and the future — or lack thereof — of the…
- City Cast DC
Metro's Stance on Price Hikes, Fare Evasion, and the Funding Crisis
Metro is voting on their proposed 2025 budget TODAY. To explain it all, we sat down with Randy Clarke, who runs the Metro system. Clarke’s new budget proposal…
- City Cast DC
Could Connecticut Avenue’s Bike Lane Be Resurrected?
Recently, D.C.’s Department of Transportation announced that the bike lane planned for Connecticut Avenue was no more. Sauleh Siddiqui, who represents a…
- City Cast DC
DCPS Cuts, Wydown Unionization, and the Real Housewives of D.C.
To get into today’s news and culture updates, City Cast DC producer Ashe Durban and Washington City Paper’s Cat Sposato join the show to chat about DCPS facing…
- City Cast DC
D.C. Needs a ‘Real’ Chinatown
Here in D.C., Chinatown is more like a “China block.” And the longtime Chinese immigrant community has been advocating for a more robust Chinatown, one that…
- City Cast DC
Zombie Office Buildings, RIP Bike Lane, and Trivia Cheaters
Axios’ Cuynet Dil and City Cast’s Julia Karron join our roundup to talk about zombie office buildings and zombie bike lanes and one of the most D.C. stories of…
- City Cast DC
The Crazy History of D.C.’s Alleys
The history of D.C.’s alleys is a weird, crazy metaphor for a couple centuries of race and class and power. We spoke to Kim Prothro Williams, author of Hidden…
- City Cast DC
How to Buy, Smoke, and Celebrate Weed in the Nation’s Capital
This weekend is 4/20, the annual holiday where cannabis enthusiasts celebrate all things weed. Being in the shadow of the federal government means the laws…
- City Cast DC
The Complicated History Of D.C.'s Emancipation
Today is Emancipation Day. Even if you’ve been living in the District for a while, you might not know much about the holiday, and what makes it uniquely D.C…
- City Cast DC
Why Gas Leaks are Happening More Frequently
You might have noticed that gas leaks have been in the news more often. It’s pretty scary! When you suspect there’s a gas leak happening, it might not be clear…
- City Cast DC
Slashing Metro and Childcare Funding, and Vote For Your Favorite Restaurants
Reporter Michael Pope and author Briana Thomas join the show to talk about what the D.C. budget means for the cost of your child care, what the Virginia budget…
- City Cast DC
How to Kayak, Bike, & Metro to Every D.C. Park
D.C. has an absurd amount of parks – 683! Longtime D.C. environmental reporter Jacob Fenston is hitting up all of them for us in the ultimate D.C. park's…
- City Cast DC
D.C. is Upping Its Public Restroom Game
If you’ve ever had to GO while out and about in D.C., we’ve got good news. Throne Labs, a high tech toilet company, is bringing public restrooms to 5 different…
- City Cast DC
Weed Crackdown, Arena Deal Fine Print, and One-Star Reviews
In today’s roundup, we’re talking about the city sending a warning to unlicensed weed shops in the city, an update on keeping sports teams in D.C., and 1 star…
- City Cast DC
The Fight Over U Street's Future
There’s been a crazy fight going on about whether to erect an apartment building on the site of an old firehouse on U Street — and it’s a fight worth watching…
- City Cast DC
Bowser's Brazen Budget Cuts, James Beard Nominations, and a Russian Spy Chef
We’re breaking down the 2025 budget with City Paper’s Alex Koma, and Washingtonian’s Jessica Sidman is here to talk about D.C.’s nominees for the James Beard…
- City Cast DC
D.C. Food Trivia Smackdown
How’s your D.C. food trivia game? Two of the city’s premier food journalists are here to match wits about the past and present of Washington culinary life…
- City Cast DC
D.C.'s Best (and Worst) E-Bikes
Right now, through April 15, D.C. residents can apply to get up to $2000 from the city government to buy an e-bike. But there are limited funds available, and…
- City Cast DC
Has The Arena Saga Ruined Ted Leonsis' Legacy?
Ted Leonsis, who owns the Capitals and Wizards, is giving us some major whiplash. He’s had an abrupt change of heart and the Caps and Wizards will be staying…
- City Cast DC
Your Guide to April in D.C.
April in D.C. is about more than just cherry blossoms. The City Cast D.C. crew has recommendations for upcoming festivals, celebrations, and new ways to…
- City Cast DC
Caps and Wiz Stay in D.C., New Rosslyn Food Hall, and Nats Park Upgrades
In a dramatic turn of events, Monumental Sports owner Ted Leonsis announced that the Capitals and Wizards will be staying in D.C. after all. Plus, there’s yet…
- City Cast DC
D.C.’s Weirdest and Hugely Influential Unelected Board
Anything built in Georgetown has to go through the Old Georgetown Board. And, most recently it refused to approve an office-to-residential conversion on Thomas…
- City Cast DC
D.C.'s Got Snakes. Here's What To Do (And Not Do)
You might not think of D.C. as a city where you need to watch out for snakes, but multiple snake sightings in the city dispel that notion. Wildlife educator…
- City Cast DC
What We Hate About D.C.'s Weed Culture
It seems like there are weed shops, vape shops and smoke shops on every corner in D.C. these days. For some, it's heaven, for others it’s a bit much. Our hosts…
- City Cast DC
How Landlords Are Ripping Off The City
There’s been a lot of controversy around D.C.’s public housing agency. The latest involves the question of whether the city is overpaying landlords. Steve…
- City Cast DC
Frat Chaos at UMD, E-Bike Vouchers, and Visiting All 683 D.C. Parks
Environmental reporter Jacob Fenston joins the team to talk about frat chaos at the University of Maryland, e-bike vouchers in D.C., and a new quest to visit…
- City Cast DC
Tinkering with D.C.'s Height Act
One of the most notable features of Washington’s cityscape is the skyscrapers: there aren’t any! That’s thanks to a law that’s more than a century old. But…
- City Cast DC
How to Survive D.C.'s Wild Allergy Season
Allergy season is here. It may seem a little early, but this year’s unusually warm weather has pollen counts near record highs in D.C. Dr. Rachel Schreiber…
- City Cast DC
Blossoms Blooming, National Airport Debate, and Jefferson Memorial One-Star Reviews
Cherry blossoms are peaking early thanks to climate change and there’s a fight over D.C.’s busiest airport. The City Cast team is here to sum up the latest…
- City Cast DC
What To Know About D.C.'s Impending Budget Crisis
It looks like D.C.’s city budget is about to have a big fat hole in it. If you feel like we were swimming in cash not so long ago, you’re right. Tristan Navera…
- City Cast DC
Fare Evasion, Baseball Tax, and Pricey Parking Spaces
We’re talking Metro fare evasion, the future of Nats Park, and the cost of a parking space. City Cast Contributor Dan Reed and our senior producer Julia Karron…
- City Cast DC
How to Avoid Trash Collection Fines
Are you confused about your trash? What goes in what can, when should you use bags, and just what are you supposed to do with batteries? We sat down with…
- City Cast DC
Why You Should Explore 16th Street Heights
Big changes could be coming to 16th Street Heights. Businesses on the 4700 and 4600 blocks of 14th are doing a big push to revitalize this stretch and bring…
- City Cast DC
Is the Monumental Sports Arena Deal Dead?
The deal to move the Capitals and the Wizards to Virginia isn’t looking good. Last week, both VA’s senate and house removed language about adding an arena to…
- City Cast DC
Why D.C.'s Crime Lab Is In Trouble
A few years ago, D.C. set up its own crime lab to process evidence and help investigators work cases faster. After fumbling multiple cases, the lab…
- City Cast DC
Crime Bill Passes, Service Fee Cap, and Office-to-Art Conversion
D.C. Council passed two major bills this week — one that’s supposed to fight crime, and another that deals, yet again, with restaurant service charges. Plus…
- City Cast DC
The Development Fight Tearing Chevy Chase Apart
There’s an epic fight over the redevelopment of the public library in Chevy Chase —- a fight that involves affordable housing, NIMBYism and historic…
- City Cast DC
How D.C. Broke Sports Betting
GambetDC, the District’s sports betting platform, is marred with issues. So much so that the city was willing to find a new contractor. But it turns out that…
- City Cast DC
How the Smithsonian is Rectifying its Racist Past
It sounds like something out of a horror movie, but throughout the early 20th century, the Smithsonian acquired more than 280 human brains as a part of racist…
- City Cast DC
Your Guide to March in D.C.
The days are finally feeling longer, it’s greener outside, and we’ve got an estimate for peak cherry blossom and it’s in this month! Welcome to March! We’re…
- City Cast DC
Ambitious Downtown Plan, Maryland Senate Shakeup, and Foggy Bottom Catnapping
Mayor Bowser has a plan for a wild future of downtown D.C., The Washington Post’s Michael Brice-Saddler is here to tell us all about it. Plus, City Cast…
- City Cast DC
How DCPL Preserves D.C.'s Unseen Black History
The MLK library is home to D.C.'s People’s Archive, a living breathing collection honoring the city's cultural, social, and political history. Program…
- City Cast DC
What D.C.'s Empty Offices Cost You
D.C. could be “ground zero” for office distress, AKA expensive downtown office buildings sitting unused and empty. And It could have big impacts for all of us…
- City Cast DC
Unions Protest Arena Move, RIP DCist, and D.C.’s Polyamory Scene
The Washington Post’s Teo Armus explains why some Virginia unions have come out against the plan to move the Capitals and the Wizards to Virginia. Plus, we…
- City Cast DC
What DCist's Closure Means for Local News
On Friday, public radio station WAMU announced that it was killing its local news site DCist. Fifteen journalists lost their jobs, adding even more casualties…
- City Cast DC
Nadeau Recall, Retail Security Upgrades, and Chesapeake Oyster Boom
There’s another recall campaign, this time against Ward 1 councilmember Brianne Nadeau. NBC4’s Mark Segraves is here to tell us about it. We’re also talking…
- City Cast DC
Behind Closed Doors: How D.C. Lost The Caps and Wizards
The plan to move D.C.’s hockey and basketball teams to Virginia is one of the biggest stories of the year — one that’s potentially devastating to downtown…
- City Cast DC
Why D.C. is So Lonely
It's still that time of year when the weather is gloomy and nights are long, and it can be hard to seek out social activity and fulfillment. City Cast…
- City Cast DC
Were the Robberies at the Chinatown Walgreens an Inside Job?
The Chinatown Walgreens was hit by armed robbers eight times in a year. It’s a story that seemed to be a symbol of Washington’s worries about lawlessness. But…
- City Cast DC
VA Senate Stalls Arena, New Police Hubs, and Dive Bar Rankings
Could VA Senators actually kill the plan to move the Wizards and the Capitals? For once, Washingtonians are rooting for the NIMBYs. Michael Pope from Virginia…
- City Cast DC
A New Airport is Coming to the DMV
The D.C. area is about to get a new airport — in Manassas. An old private-aviation facility is in the process of converting into a hub for actual airline…
- City Cast DC
The Expert's Guide to Making Friends in D.C.
D.C. is a unique place to make friends. It was recently named the loneliest city by the Chamber of Commerce. Last year, we sat down with psychologist and D.C…