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
Tracking Down the 'Freeway Phantom' Serial Killer
From 1971 to 1972, a serial killer who called himself the Freeway Phantom killed at least six Black girls in D.C. and terrorized their families and…
- City Cast DC
How To Create Your Own D.C. Tour
Look out for all those tourists, because in a recent poll, D.C. was ranked the third best destination in the US for tourism this summer. But giving and taking…
- City Cast DC
Can D.C. Fix Its Lead Pipe Problem?
D.C. ranks in the top 10 cities for lead pipes. As environmental reporter Kayla Benjamin will tell you, that’s not an honor. But it’s also an expensive thing…
- City Cast DC
Bowser Placates Congress. Plus, Union Station and Mystics Season
DC’s mayor made a trip to Congress this week and it maybe wasn’t as bad as it could have been? City Cast’s Priyanka Tilve and Julia Karron join Mike Schaffer…
- City Cast DC
What’s Next in D.C.’s Budget Debate
DC Council passed a first vote on the 2024 budget, and there were a lot of sticking points. Like, should transportation be free? Should there be police…
- City Cast DC
Taste-Test Bizarre Foods at This High-Tech DMV Farm
Area 2 Farms in Arlington is not what you imagine when you think of a farm. It's indoors and has bizarre plants that taste like roasted garlic, cheese, or…
- City Cast DC
Why MPD Can't Fire Bad Cops
The D.C. police have been trying to fire an officer named Michael Thomas, but he’s managed to appeal and arbitrate his way out of it for 13 years. And he's not…
- City Cast DC
Bowser Heads to the Hill
D.C.’s mayor is due on the Hill this week for a hearing where she’s almost certain to sit there as a line of Congressional Republicans lambaste her city, and…
City Cast DCMaryland Senate Race, WashPo's Mea Culpa, and Secret Spy Spots
Maryland has suddenly got a hot, open senate seat race and it’s likely to feature at least three DMV icons, with major implications about race, ideology, and…
City Cast DCD.C. Restaurants With Secret Spy Lore
Why do restaurants play such a big role in spy stories? And which DC eateries should you hit if you want to dine where the secret agents met their sources?…
City Cast DCDid “The Americans” Get D.C. Right?
It’s the 10th anniversary of the hit FX show The Americans, which is all about the spies living among us in D.C. But despite being set in D.C., the show was…
City Cast DCHow To Spot A Spy in D.C.
It is Day Two of our Spy Week, presented by the International Spy Museum! Today, former CIA agent Lindsay Moran tells us how to spot a spy in DC, whether it’s…
City Cast DCD.C.'s Best Spy Stories
It is City Cast’s SPY WEEK, presented by the International Spy Museum. Which means we’re doing a week’s worth of episodes about secret agents and covert…
- City Cast DC
D.C.'s Public Transit Feud, New Food Halls, and the XFL Final
DC Council and Mayor Muriel Bowser are engaged in a battle over the free Metrobus plan versus the redesign of K Street downtown. Plus, there are a bunch of…
- City Cast DC
How Avalon Theatre Defied The Odds
D.C.’s Avalon Theatre was founded in 1923, back when neighborhood movie houses were everywhere. And as movies moved to suburban multiplexes, the Avalon stayed…
- City Cast DC
Can We Make Downtown D.C. More "Livable"?
Downtown D.C. is known as a place to work, not live or hang out. In a new ranking of downtown vitality scores, D.C. ranks almost last. But the city is trying…
- City Cast DC
Does Marion Barry Deserve His Own Street?
It’s official: the city is moving ahead with changing the name of Good Hope Road in Southeast to Marion Barry Avenue SE, to honor D.C.’s Mayor for Life. But is…
- City Cast DC
DCPS Is Trying To Fix Historic Inequities
City officials are considering redrawing school boundaries for the first time in a decade, and it’s a big deal, even if you’re not a DCPS parent, because it…
- City Cast DC
Police Chief’s Exit, Fare Evasion Crackdown, and Arlington’s Zoning Battle
D.C. Police Chief Robert Contee “shocked” many with the surprise announcement of his retirement on Wednesday. We’re talking about that, plus Metro head Randy…
- City Cast DC
Is Local TV News Dead?
Pat Collins was a staple of local TV news at a time when local TV reporters were celebrities. But after decades over covering snow days and street crime, he…
- City Cast DC
Why D.C. Residents Are In Prisons Across the U.S.
Like most things in the District, D.C.'s criminal justice system is all tied up in the federal government. That means D.C. residents convicted of committing…
- City Cast DC
Why D.C. is One Big Adult Playground
From arcade bars, to kickball leagues and adult mini golf, D.C. has a lot of pastimes geared toward our inner child. But does that make D.C. a city for adult…
- City Cast DC
D.C.'s New Environmental Justice Center Spotlights Marginalized Voices
On Saturday, the Anacostia Community Museum opened a new Center for Environmental Justice. It draws on the neighborhood’s long legacy of fighting for change…
- City Cast DC
Metro Funding Struggles, Police Shortages, and Concert Season
In today's roundup, friend of City Cast Hannah Denham, from the Washington Business Journal, is here to talk about everyone’s favorite subject: How screwed is…
- City Cast DC
D.C.’s Rat-Hunting Dogs, And Other Rat Solutions
The D.C. rats are already scurrying around this spring, and it’s only going to get worse as this warm year gets warmer. We sat down with Gerard Brown, who runs…
- City Cast DC
Power Ranking D.C.'s Seasons
Today, we’ve got another classic co-host debate: Which season is best in D.C.? Spring’s got deadly allergies. Summer, its mugginess. Fall, shortening days, and…
- City Cast DC
Your Guide To 4/20 in D.C.
It’s the week of 4/20 and days before the National Cannabis Festival, and we’re talking with its founder about the city’s ever-shifting, complicated…
- City Cast DC
Traffic Cameras Everywhere!
If you drive in D.C., you probably know all about the city’s red light cameras. But did you know D.C. will soon use cameras to ticket drivers who cruise in bus…
- City Cast DC
Dan Snyder Picks A Buyer. Plus, Buses, Cannabis, and Georgetown Transformers
After months of hand wringing, Dan Snyder has picked a buyer for the Washington Commanders! Audio Producer Julia Karron is here to celebrate but also caution…
- City Cast DC
The Mosquitos Will Be Worse This Year
D.C.’s mosquitos are about to be back. And, after a warm winter, this year could be especially bad. Reporter Jacob Fenston, who covers the environment for…
- City Cast DC
Celebrating Lou Stovall’s Impact on D.C.’s Art Scene
D.C. lost an icon this year. Born in 1937, artist Lou Stovall studied printmaking at Howard and his posters and prints are a reminder of the spirit and…
- City Cast DC
A New Civil Rights Investigation Into D.C. Police
On March 18th, Park Police shot and killed 17 year old Dalaneo Martin as they tried to apprehend him in a car they say was stolen. And last week, the FBI and…
- City Cast DC
Should There Be Bike Lanes on Connecticut Avenue?
The city’s bike lane plan for Connecticut Avenue NW is so controversial that there are petitions floating around with thousands of signatures, and the city has…
- City Cast DC
Yellow Line Drama, Big Bucks for Pickleball, and a New Concert Venue
The Yellow Line is coming back! But its route is not quite the same. Plus, D.C.’s proposed budget sets aside a small fortune for building out new pickleball…
- City Cast DC
Why D.C. Is A Great Place To Raise Kids
Austin Graff has made a living off of exploring D.C., and with a kid in tow, no less. He’s here to share why D.C. is uniquely suited for cultivating kids’…
- City Cast DC
Remembering the 1968 Unrest, With the Founder of Ben’s Chili Bowl
D.C. burned for days in April 1968, after Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination, and Ben’s Chili Bowl on U Street was one of the only places in town whose…
- City Cast DC
What D.C. Learned From the 1968 Uprisings
More than 900 D.C. businesses were damaged, and nearly 700 homes destroyed during the unrest in April 1968 after Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed. But what’s…
- City Cast DC
D.C.'s Youngest Politician Wants to Revitalize Local Schools
We’ve all heard the misconception about young people being apathetic when it comes to government and politics. But here in D.C., at just 18 years old, Quentin…
- City Cast DC
Congress's 'Oversight' Hearing, Awful Traffic, and Bizarre Smoke
The House Oversight Committee voted Wednesday to block D.C.'s police discipline and accountability bill. It was part of a larger hearing they SAY was all about…
- City Cast DC
How Walmart Abandoned H Street
The Walmart on H Street Corridor closes for good tomorrow, and it’s pissed off city officials more than you’d expect. Many felt like D.C. made a deal with the…
- City Cast DC
What Makes D.C.'s Gay Clubs Special
LGBTQ spaces are under attack nationally, and that means D.C.’s queer bars and clubs have even more importance. D.C. actually has a rich history of gay bars…
- City Cast DC
What 'D.C. Cab' Gets Right (and Wrong) About Our City
There are so many pieces of media that take place in D.C. - some good, some bad, and some totally cringey. So in this new series, City Cast D.C. cohosts Mike…
- City Cast DC
Union Station’s Upgrade Will Transform The Entire Neighborhood
Union Station is about to undergo a massive renovation. In this interview originally aired last summer, WAMU’s Jordan Pascale walks us through what the transit…
- City Cast DC
Mayor's Top Advisor Abruptly Resigns, Plus a New Budget, and E-Bikes
There’s never been a D.C. mayoral aide quite so powerful as John Falcicchio. And all of a sudden, he’s gone — departed amid scandal. Alex Koma, Loose Lips…
- City Cast DC
Why Uyghur Restaurants Are Booming in the DMV
For decades, geopolitics has shaped Washington’s restaurant scene. And one of the latest trends is the boom in Uyghur restaurants, often run by folks fleeing…
- City Cast DC
Why D.C.'s Flag Is the Best in the U.S
It’s official: DC’s flag is awesome. And Maryland’s isn’t too shabby, either. Virginia’s? Well… Today we’re talking with two leading vexillologists — that’s…
- City Cast DC
Here’s How To Game the D.C. Housing Market
Pretty much everyone in D.C. is obsessed with finding a good place to live. Jamie Manning started the popular Instagram and newsletter Exposed Brick after she…
- City Cast DC
Union Kitchen's Got Union Troubles
Staffers at Union Kitchen, a food business accelerator, are suing their employee for wage theft. It’s the issue that initially sparked their interest in…
- City Cast DC
Redeveloping Eden Center, D.C. Jail Controversy, And A New Commanders Bidder
The Eden Center, the Vietnamese mall in Northern Virginia, is about to see some changes and the local Vietnamese community is making its voice heard. Plus…
- City Cast DC
Why D.C.'s Metro Is Actually Underrated
Anyone who’s ever stared at a Metro map has probably fantasized about their ideal Metro line, the new route that takes them exactly where they want to go…
- City Cast DC
Washingtonians Love Sharing Their Salaries. Here's Why.
This week marks Equal Pay Day, the point in the year that women have to work just to break even with men’s salaries from the year before. Talking openly about…
- City Cast DC
What AI Gets Wrong about D.C.
We’ve been told that ChatGPT would take over our jobs, so we had to put it to the test to see how much it really knows about D.C. It told us that “dating in…
- City Cast DC
How D.C. Landlords are Profiting Off the Housing Authority
For years, D.C. has paid rent to landlords for poor people who might otherwise live in public housing. But a recent Washington Post investigative series…
- City Cast DC
Senate Rejection, Dress Codes in Bars, and Weekend Events
The biggest local news in a long time, the Congressional vote to overturn a DC bill for the first time in decades. City Cast DC producer Julia Karron and…
- City Cast DC
Senate Blocks D.C. Crime Bill
It’s official. Senate has voted to reject D.C.’s criminal code reforms. The President has said he’s going to sign it, which means this will be the first time…
- City Cast DC
A Walking Tour of D.C. Women’s History
Today is International Women’s Day and D.C. is full of stories of female empowerment and impact that might not always get the recognition they deserve. Kaitlin…
- City Cast DC
This Rising D.C. Band Started As Buskers At Dupont Circle
The band Dupont Brass started unexpectedly as a side gig for a group of Howard University students, and now they’re about to go on tour, starting April 12. As…
- City Cast DC
This New Southeast Park Wants To Build Community, Not Displace It
The 11th Street Bridge connects Anacostia to Navy Yard. And a project to create a park there for everyone to share, while also not leaving out longtime…
- City Cast DC
Voting Out Dan Snyder, Cherry Blossoms, and No More Free Metrobus?
We’re back with another live taping at Politics and Prose Union Market! This time, City Cast DC Contributor Dan Reed and the Washington Post’s Lori Aratani…
- City Cast DC
Where Is the FBI Moving?
The FBI Headquarters at 935 Pennsylvania Avenue NW is a famously ugly blot on an otherwise beautiful D.C. street. But maybe not for long (we can hope)? There’s…