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
The Sus Park Police Shooting, Zionism Enters the Mayor's Race, Bald Eagle Romance
NBC4’s Mark Segraves is here to talk about the shooting of a police officer that could upend the status quo between local Washington and the Trump…
- City Cast DC
What Trump’s War on Big Law Means for DC
Donald Trump’s war on big law has been a big political and constitutional story everywhere. But in Washington, it’s also a business story: the big law firms…
- City Cast DC
'Your City Could Be Better': How Austin is Succeeding at Affordable Housing — Presented By City Cast DC
More affordable housing is needed in places like DC. Some cities, however, are doing better than others at meeting this need. Austin, Texas, for example, is…
- City Cast DC
Public Safety Politics, The Cornhole Killer, A Streetcar Named Defunct
WAMU’s Alex Koma is here to talk about the DC mayoral race, where public safety has suddenly become an issue, the quadruple-amputee cornhole champion accused…
- City Cast DC
Why Does DC Have So Many Traffic Circles?
Traffic Circles — they’re the secret to getting around DC. Back in December, we talked with city planner Dan Reed about how we wound up with all these circles…
- City Cast DC
How Elon Musk’s DC Hyperloop Project Failed
Everyone hates sitting in traffic. But what if you could skip the gridlock entirely and travel underground in a high speed pod instead? That was the vision…
- City Cast DC
DC's Housing Crisis, National Guard Controversy, Betting Bar Bust
We’re talking about the draft DC land-use map that is enraging YIMBYs, a slew of new town-gown fights between local Washington and the Trump administration…
- City Cast DC
Inside Julia Child's DC
Julia Child is a lot more associated with Paris, or maybe Cambridge, Massachusetts, than with DC. But the legendary cook and writer actually spent some of her…
- City Cast DC
'Your City Could Be Better': Could a Nevada Brothel Help Redefine Labor Standards Nationwide? — Presented By City Cast DC
The unionization efforts of sex workers in Nevada might have implications for gig workers in DC. At Sheri's Ranch, a legal brothel 45 minutes outside Las…
- City Cast DC
Mayoral Forum Chaos, Fed Workers Chopped, Fake Tornadoes
We’re talking about a fracas at a DC mayoral forum, the new changes that make it easier for Trump to fire career federal workers, and the windstorm that…
- City Cast DC
A Top Architecture Critic Says Trump 'Will Destroy' Washington
Between the East Wing of the White House, the proposed Arc de Trump, and whatever’s going to happen to the Kennedy Center, it’s no secret that our first real…
- City Cast DC
Kids Are Playing Hooky — Is That Driving Up Youth Crime?
DC just had another weekend of controversy around out-of-control behavior by huge groups of teens, this time around the Navy Yard. Allegations of youth…
- City Cast DC
Best DC Spring Getaways for $150 Or Less
Here in DC the nice spring weather is right around the corner. And you know what else is right around the corner in DC? Delaware. You may not think it, but…
- City Cast DC
Will DC Restaurants Survive This Round Of ICE Enforcement?
More than almost any local industry, dining is reliant on a workforce that doesn’t always have legal status to work. Which means that the recent hints of a new…
- City Cast DC
'Your City Could Be Better': DC’s Plan To Hold Federal Agents Accountable
DC Council recently passed emergency legislation requiring local police to release body-worn camera footage of incidents involving federal forces they patrol…
- City Cast DC
Kenyan McDuffie Is Playing Catch-Up, Cops Collabing With DOGE, Congestion Pricing Debate
Axios’ Cuneyt Dil is here to talk about the fallout from the newly released video of DC cops helping DOGE guys take over the US Institute of Peace, congestion…
- City Cast DC
Should DC Get Rid of Its ANCs?
Should DC get rid of Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, the closest-to-the-ground level of local democracy? That’s one of the implications of an essay…
- City Cast DC
What Would Happen If Trump Revoked Home Rule
Anyone paying attention to the DC mayor’s race knows that for all the talk of affordability or crime that all mayors have to deal with, there’s one central…
- City Cast DC
Cherry Blossoms Park, Fine Dining, And Other Ways Filipinos Changed DC
If you've been to great spots like Purple Patch in Mount Pleasant, then you already know there's a rich history of Filipino culture in the DMV. Erwin Tiongson…
- City Cast DC
The Nursing Home Murder That's Straight Out Of a Crime Novel
It’s one of the DMV’s grisliest, and weirdest, crime stories in years: an 87-year-old millionaire shot to death inside a Potomac nursing home. When the news…
- City Cast DC
'Your City Could Be Better': What DC Needs To Know About Utah's Controversial 'Homeless Campus' Plan
Homelessness is one of the major issues that cities like DC are trying to solve. The state of Utah is planning to build a 16-acre homeless campus on the…
- City Cast DC
Why Are Electric Bills So High? Watchdogging ICE, Bidet Tax Break
We’re talking about the politics of bodycam footage around federal arrests in DC, your crazy high utility bills, and a possible tax break for…. Bidets. Plus…
- City Cast DC
The Group Chat Drama That Divided Petworth
The Petworth Peanuts group chat was a place for people to commiserate about parenting, get doctor recommendations and meet up for beer. Until a slew of posts…
- City Cast DC
Best Underrated $15 Dates in DC
Okay so you want to impress someone but your wallet is giving “balling on a budget.” We've all been there. Good news: Jade Womack, the genius behind Clockout…
- City Cast DC
Waymo Lobbies DC, Potomac Sewage Cleanup, & Wild Bar Sabotage?!
We’re talking about the politics of Waymo in DC, the state of the Potomac after the spill, and allegations about workers getting stiffed at what was supposed…
- City Cast DC
Your Guide to March 2026 in DC
Happy March! The City Cast DC team is running through the best of food, culture, and fun in and around DC this month. If you're new here, welcome! We’ve put…
- City Cast DC
'Your City Could Be Better': What DC Needs To Know About Pittsburgh's Plan To Fix Downtown
A lot of cities, including DC, are trying to figure out how best to revitalize downtown. It's an issue that's especially top of mind for Pittsburgh, who is…
- City Cast DC
Where Are The Mayoral Candidates? Trumpington USA, and Things We Hated This Week
We’re talking about the very weird state of the DC mayor’s race, the Trumpian rebranding of DC’s landscape, and our favorite question: What are Washingtonians…
- City Cast DC
The McMillan Development is Finally Here — Will It Be the Nightmare Neighbors Feared?
For more than a decade, the question of whether the city would redevelop the McMillan Sand Filtration site was perhaps DC’s ugliest political battle. And now…
- City Cast DC
The Best Diners in DC
There is nothing that hits quite like a good diner. Unlimited coffee, comforting, no-frills food that's just the right amount of greasy. But in a city like DC…
- City Cast DC
The Downfall of Compass Coffee
Last week, a British coffee chain called Caffè Nero bought DC’s Compass Coffee at auction. It was an ignominious end for what was once one of the DMV’s…
- City Cast DC
DC Pays Non-Profits Millions To Reduce Violence. Is It a Scam?
DC’s violence interruption program has become one of the most controversial subjects in local politics. One program, Life Deeds, finds itself front and center…
- City Cast DC
‘Your City Could Be Better’: What DC Needs To Know about Madison's Data Centers Fight
Everyone’s talking about AI these days, including Washingtonians. And now, more data centers are popping up across the country, thanks in part to the AI…
- City Cast DC
Potomac River in Deep Shit, Anti-ICE Bills, Cat Fight Over Cat Cafes
It's kind of an emergency! We’re talking about the latest in the Potomac River sewage spill. Plus, Maryland and Virginia versus ICE, a union catfight at a…
- City Cast DC
Marty Baron On Bezos' Betrayal of the Washington Post
Marty Baron spent almost a decade as Executive Editor of the Washington Post, which gave him a close-up view of Jeff Bezos’ stewardship of one of our city’s…
- City Cast DC
Your Guide to DC’s Vinyl Bars
When it’s chilly out, there’s nothing better than a cozy bar, and vinyl bars appear to be that peak winter vibe. About a year ago, City Cast’s Julia Karron and…
- City Cast DC
Is ‘Fedlandia’ DC’s Newest Neighborhood?
A group of people in Donald Trump’s orbit have a plan to demolish and rebuild a whole swath of DC — and, in this case, it echoes something that actual…
- City Cast DC
How DC Could Be Better: How the Twin Cities Organized. Plus, What Counts As ‘Cold’?
All eyes have been on the Twin Cities lately, including Washingtonians’. Operation Metro Surge is reportedly ending in Minnesota, with the withdrawal of…
- City Cast DC
Childcare Cuts, Kennedy Center Layoffs, Love Letters to DC
We’re talking about the big budget troubles ahead for DC, and what they’ll mean for your bottom line; we’re digging into the latest Kennedy Center news — mass…
- City Cast DC
The Showdown Over Housing in One Of DC’s Richest Neighborhoods
There's this neighborhood fight that’s worth paying attention to even if you don’t live in Chevy Chase. For a couple of years, the city has been trying to…
- City Cast DC
Waymo Vs. DC
Driverless taxis are coming to DC! At least, that's what Waymo, the California-based autonomous vehicle company, announced last year. The company revealed…
- City Cast DC
Read the DC Thriller That’s Blowing Up Right Now — Before You See It On TV
What happens when you add DC's hyper-competitive personalities, with big bank accounts, and real estate anxiety? You get Best Offer Wins, the hit thriller by…
- City Cast DC
Local Schools Are Reinstating Their Racist Names
After 2020, there was a huge trend towards changing out schools named for confederates and slave owners. But what happens when the general public opts to…
- City Cast DC
City Cast Expanding After WaPo Layoffs, City Spending Scandal, Baby Elephant Naming
We’re talking about the jaw-dropping cuts at the Post and the future of DC local news — including some exciting stuff cooking at City Cast. Plus: A shocking…
- City Cast DC
Jeff Bezos Gutted the Washington Post. What Happens Now?
Yesterday was an incredibly grim day for the Washington Post — and for our city, too. The Post, owned by Jeff Bezos, laid off up to a third of its staff. The…
- City Cast DC
DC’s Best Historical Collections Aren’t In the Smithsonian
DC offers so many ways to celebrate Black heritage and history. Case in point: the MLK Library. Because the MLK Library is so much more than just books. It's…
- City Cast DC
Trump Closing Kennedy Center, National Guard's Price Tag, Snow May Decide Next Mayor
WAMU’s Alex Koma joins the team to talk Trump shutting down the Kennedy Center for two years, snow removal’s effect on the mayoral race, and D.C’s bill from…
- City Cast DC
Your Guide to February 2026 in DC
We’re here to warm you up with ideas about how to have the absolute best February possible in DC, from new restaurants, to museum openings, to line dancing. If…
- City Cast DC
Where Are the Plows?! Gutting WashPo Layoffs, Appalling Apartment Nightmare
We’re talking about plowmaggedon, the city up in arms about icy streets and blocked-off alleys. We’re talking about the looming cuts at the Washington Post and…
- City Cast DC
Eleanor Holmes Norton’s Son Wishes She Retired Earlier
D.C.’s Congressional Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton announced this week that she’s not going to run again. This ended a horrible series of news cycles for the…
- City Cast DC
DC Just Hit a 8 Year Low in Homicides. But It Should Be Doing More
DC saw an eight year low in homicides in 2025, following a national drop. But our neighbors in Baltimore have an even more impressive story: their homicide…
- City Cast DC
Holmes Norton Drops Out, Sewage in the Potomac, Snow Updates
We’re rounding up some of DC’s biggest stories today. After months of speculation, the campaign of 88-year-old Eleanor Holmes Norton filed to “terminate” her…
- City Cast DC
DC’s Coziest Winter Spots
The snow hit DC this weekend in a big way. It might be hard to get around, but the city’s got a lot of neighborhood bars, cafes and restaurants that are worth…
- City Cast DC
Who Is DC's New Councilmember? Plus, DC’s Best Restaurants and Its Worst Speed Cameras
We’re joined by Alex Koma of WAMU and Jessica Sidman from Washingtonian to chat about our newest councilmember, the priciest traffic cameras in the area, and…
- City Cast DC
The Local Political Battles Turning National Tides
Virginia made history this week, swearing in its first female governor. Democrats now hold the House, the Senate, and the governor’s office. A new legislative…
- City Cast DC
The Kennedy Center Might Not Survive Trump
The Washington National Opera announced this month that it was leaving the Kennedy Center. It’s the most shocking departure yet since Donald Trump’s takeover —…
- City Cast DC
Hacks To Get Your Kids Into The Best DC Summer Camps
We know what you're thinking - why would City Cast be talking about summer camps in January? If you're a parent asking yourself that question, you need to get…
- City Cast DC
Major Kennedy Center Loss, FBI Raids Reporter's Home, Cellphone Heist in Congress
We’re talking about the Washington Opera’s departure from the Kennedy Center, the FBI searching a Washington Post reporter’s house, and more furor over DC…
- City Cast DC
Inside the DMV’s AI Data Centers Driving Up Your Electric Bill
With the explosion of AI, data centers have proliferated. And the DC metro area is the focal point of it all, with Northern Virginia leading the way. Prince…
- City Cast DC
Has Trump Permanently Tanked DC's Economy?
Tracey Hadden Loh runs a program at Brookings that compiles economic data about the DC area — which means she tends to be a step ahead when it comes to…