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 Food In’s and Outs For 2026
Remember when cupcakes were all the rage in DC? Or espresso martinis? DC loves a food trend, but what will be THE THINGS in drink, dining and DC’s food scene…
- City Cast DC
Trump Has a New Obsession In His DC Takeover
What does Donald Trump want with DC’s public golf links? The question is suddenly on a lot of people’s minds because the administration has suddenly injected…
- City Cast DC
Is DC Getting Rid of Traffic Cameras? Plus, Arc de Trump, and Compass Coffee's Downfall
We’re talking about the Transportation Department’s proposal to get rid of all traffic cameras in DC, the plan to build a giant Arc de Trump along the Potomac…
- City Cast DC
Underrated Indoor Activities in DC
You might be experiencing a bit of the January Blues. On cold days like these, you don’t have to just stay in your apartment. But you also might want to do…
- City Cast DC
DC Stories You Need To Watch in 2026
What are your bets for the biggest story of 2026? We sat down with NBC4’s Mark Segraves to debate our choices, from DC politics, to the regional economy, to…
- City Cast DC
How to Escape DC for Under $150 This Winter
If you’re back in the office after a long holiday and already planning that next vacation, we’ve got you covered. We all know that winter trips can be spendy…
- City Cast DC
What U.S. Cities Will Be Talking About in 2026 (Including DC)
Nobody understands a city’s pulse quite like a City Cast host — and that makes them the best predictors for 2026’s biggest local stories. City Cast D.C. host…
- City Cast DC
Your Guide to January 2026 in DC
If your New Year’s resolution was to kick more ass in 2026, we’ve got you covered — from hot tub hangs to G-league basketball. It’s our guide to having your…
- City Cast DC
Political Scandals that Changed DC
With Council member Trayon White’s bribery trial set to begin in 2026, this next year is fixed to become a hall of famer for D.C. political scandals. But how…
- City Cast DC
H Street Isn’t The Ghost Town You Think It Is
It is almost 2026, and if you are like us here at City Cast D.C., one of your new years resolutions is to learn more about this city that we love. H Street got…
- City Cast DC
A Rare Piece of DC History Might Be Living in Your House
If you’ve got a Swedish ivy plant in your home and you’re not quite sure where it came from, there’s a non-zero chance it once lived in the White House…
- City Cast DC
Everything We Know About The New East Wing Construction
Shalom Baranes is one of Washington’s most prolific architects and the designer behind a lot of the most prominent modern buildings of the past few decades. So…
- City Cast DC
New Chief of Police, an AirBNB Gone Wrong, and Middle School Drops Novels
We’re talking about the state of DC’s police — the old chief is out, and her replacement is going to have to deal with an investigation into alleged…
- City Cast DC
How Trump Is Tanking DC’s Dining Scene
Between mass layoffs that hit people’s wallets, the federal takeover, and an ongoing ICE crackdown, DC’s restaurants are facing a lot of headwinds resulting…
- City Cast DC
Where Are DC’s Deadliest Roads and How Is The City Fixing Them?
What are the deadliest roads in the DC area? The city has actually made a lot of improvements, especially compared with other places in the country, but given…
- City Cast DC
DC's Best Cozy Coffee Shops
We’re officially in winter weather season, and staying holed up at home sounds pretty tempting. But Dominique Bazil is here with a guide to the cozy cafés that…
- City Cast DC
Is Trump Using the Park Police To Strengthen Control Over DC?
The Park Police’s massive hiring binge, that would more than double its size, has some locals worried. The Park Police, after all, is part of the federal…
- City Cast DC
Is DC’s Airspace Getting More Dangerous? Plus, Sandwich Guy Jurors, and More Trayon White Drama
The 51st’s Martin Austermuhle is here to chat about dangers in DC's airspace, less than a year after the DCA crash. Plus, more Trayon White shenanigans…
- City Cast DC
How Developers Used Affordable Housing to Rip Off DC
The politically-connected developers of a new affordable-housing building have walked away with millions more than experts say is typical — and taxpayers…
- City Cast DC
Last Minute Travel Hacks For Holiday Season in DC
It’s the holiday season, which means holiday travel….so much holiday travel. And to make sure your air travel is as boring, seamless and unmemorable as…
- City Cast DC
Police Chief Retires, Council Shake Up, And Why DC Politics Will Be Wild in 2026
We already know Mayor Bowser isn’t running for another term, but both Councilmember Anita Bonds and MPD Chief Pamela Smith also just announced their…
- City Cast DC
Why DC Is Full of Weird Traffic Circles
Traffic Circles are the secret to getting around DC — navigating them is a right of passage that separates the locals from the newbies. City planner Dan Reed…
- City Cast DC
Fixing Dulles, Divisive Streateries, and DC Enters Its 'Craziest Year in Politics'
We’re talking about the entry of a bona fide progressive into the DC mayor’s race, Donald Trump’s plans for Dulles Airport, and the return of stars to the…
- City Cast DC
How An Old Asylum Became DC’s Biggest Development Project
For a lot of people in DC, the name “Saint Elizabeth’s” still conjures the likes of John Hinckley. But the sprawling campus that housed what used to be known…
- City Cast DC
The Must-Buy Gift From Every City Cast City (Including DC!)
Join City Cast DC co-host Bridget Todd alongside fellow hosts from Austin, Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas, Madison, Nashville, Philly, Pittsburgh, Portland, Salt…
- City Cast DC
How the National Guard Shooting Tightens Trump's Grip on DC
After the tragic attack on two National Guard members that left one of them dead and the other fighting for his life in the hospital, the Trump administration…
- City Cast DC
Your Guide to December 2025 in DC
Whether you’re a holiday grump or can't get enough of all things merry and bright, we’ve got your guide to what to eat, drink, see, and do this December in DC…
- City Cast DC
Bowser’s Time As Mayor Is Over. What's Her Legacy? And Who'll Replace Her?
Muriel Bowser has announced that she’s going to hang it up after 12 years in office. What happens now? And what should we make of the decade-plus that…
- City Cast DC
$5 Snacks, Cemetery Dog Parks, and Other Niche DC Things to Be Thankful For
Thanksgiving is here! And we’re thankful, seriously and unseriously, about a whole bunch of things. The CCDC gang chat about what this Thanksgiving means for…
- City Cast DC
Why Do So Many Washingtonians Have Dementia?
Aging isn’t something most of us like to think about, but it’s something all of us will experience. And in D.C., older residents are more likely to face memory…
- City Cast DC
E-Bike Slowdown, EEOB Remodel, and Thanksgiving in DC
We’re talking about the latest scoop on DC’s looming mayoral election, the latest spillover effect from the city’s youth-crime problem — it’s going to affect…
- City Cast DC
Trump Is Gutting DC’s Coolest Secret Museum
You’ve probably never heard of the Wilbur J. Cohen federal building. It’s a government office building just off the Mall houses a collection of masterpieces of…
- City Cast DC
‘Mar-a-Lago’ Face is Taking Over DC
That taut, pulled look, full lips, jawlines that suddenly seem… suspiciously sharp. It’s what some are calling “Mar-a-Lago Face,” a plastic-surgery trend…
- City Cast DC
Is Student Truancy Behind DC's Youth Crime?
DC is in the middle of two youth crises: One involves school truancy; the other involves high-profile teen mayhem, like the skirmish on Halloween between young…
- City Cast DC
New Details About How Bowser Kept Trump At Bay — And Pissed Off DC
What really went on between Muriel Bowser and Donald Trump during the DC police takeover? The Washington Post’s Jonathan O’Connell has reported out an epic…
- City Cast DC
RIP Streateries? Plus, Shutdown Ends, and a New WaPo Food Critic
We’re talking about the future of streateries, the end of the federal shutdown, and a new Washington Post food critic. Plus, in a member’s-only fourth segment…
- City Cast DC
Confessions of a DC Food Critic: Behind the Scenes with Tom Sietsema
On Monday, the Washington Post announced that Elazar Sontag would be its new food critic. Which means that Tom Sietsema, who held the job for 26 years, is…
- City Cast DC
Food Halls Took Over DC — But Are They All Mid?
Here’s a hot take: food halls are stressful. Too many options, not enough standout bites. So when we heard that DC was getting another one in the form of a…
- City Cast DC
Mayor Bowser and Qatargate. Plus, Shutdown Latest
A blockbuster New York Times report last week announced that Mayor Bowser is under federal investigation over a foreign trip she took. But within hours, other…
- City Cast DC
How This Tax Change Could Reduce Child Poverty in DC
DC is on the cusp of passing a law whose proponents say it could massively reduce child poverty. But the catch is that the bill would take away a lot of the…
- City Cast DC
Could a Mamdani Win in DC? Plus, Youth Curfews And Sandwich Guy’s Trial
All eyes this week were actually on New York City’s mayor’s race, and as our own race for mayor heats up, we’re talking about whether DC could ever get its own…
- City Cast DC
DC's Foliage is Radically Different This Year
Do you spend much time thinking about trees? Me neither. All we know is that DC has a lot of ‘em. But it turns out that our treescape has undergone some…
- City Cast DC
Rabid or Rad? The Bats of DC
Now that it’s fall, we’re finally moving out of mosquito season, and today we’re talking about one of the animal heroes that eats mosquitos – that’s right, the…
- City Cast DC
How the Delay in SNAP Funding is Impacting DC — And How You Can Help
With the Trump administration saying Monday that it would only partially fund food benefits for low income families during what is about to become the longest…
- City Cast DC
Your Guide to November 2025 in DC
Happy November! Now we know, things in the city are a bit weird since we’re still in the middle of the government shutdown, but from checking out DC art to…
- City Cast DC
Did MPD Cover Up a Shooting? Plus, SNAP Runs Out, and DC-Centric Halloween Costumes
We’re talking about a federal police shooting — and a potential coverup. We’re talking about what happens in DC as SNAP benefits dry up. Plus, your DC-specific…
- City Cast DC
Real People. Real Safety Solutions {Sponsored}
In the final episode of a three-part sponsored series with the Public Welfare Foundation, City Cast DC CEO David Plotz talks with two leaders working to make…
- City Cast DC
You're Not A Real Washingtonian Unless You Know DC's Ghosts
You're Not A Real Washingtonian Unless You Know DC's Ghosts How haunted is DC? Have you ever had particularly spooky paranormal experiences here? We haven’t…
- City Cast DC
DC's Best Spots for a Big (Public) Cry
It’s been a rough few months in DC, and today, we’re running back one of our favorite episodes all about public crying, because, as it turns out, DC is a great…
- City Cast DC
VA’s Election is Next Week — And the Race Has Tightened Up
One week from today is election day in Virginia, and early voting has already started. Every seat in Virginia is on the ballot this November including the…
- City Cast DC
Is DC Cutting Red Tape — or Eviscerating Tenant Protections?
DC has just passed some big changes to the law that’s supposed to help tenants buy their apartments if the landlord decides to sell. Is this a giveaway to Big…
- City Cast DC
East Wing Demolition, Driverless Cars, and a Copycat Restaurant
We’re talking about the fate of the White House east wing, whether there’s ever going to be Waymo in DC, and a very funny slapfight over the restaurant…
- City Cast DC
The Best Cocktails in DC Right Now
Pumpkin spice is fine and all, but DC bartenders are doing way more interesting things with fall flavors. Today, Emily Venezky of Eater is taking you on a…
- City Cast DC
Inside DC's Supernatural Craze
We’re coming up on Halloween and today we’re sitting down with historian Mark Benbow, who’s going to take us back to a time when seances and ouija boards were…
- City Cast DC
This Ride Share App Keeps Pissing Off DC
The ride share app Empower has had a whirlwind few weeks. The owner was even threatened with jail time if he didn't shut down the app and now he’s back in…
- City Cast DC
How To Get Free Cash In DC
Writer Dorothy Parker once said that the two most beautiful words in the English language are “check enclosed.” With things being so expensive in DC right now…
- City Cast DC
Does DC Want a New Mayor? Plus, Weed Economy, and RIP 2000 Series Trains
We’re talking about whether DC’s mayor is actually going to hang it up after this term, we’re talking about the weird economics of DC’s cannabis stores, some…
- City Cast DC
Learning From our Neighbors to the North {Sponsored}
In the second episode of our special three-part series sponsored by the Public Welfare Foundation, City Cast DC executive producer Annie Rees talks with…
- City Cast DC
The Crazy Fan Fights Extinguishing DC’s Friday Night Lights
People don’t really think of DC as a Friday Night Lights kinda town, but it actually has a pretty robust high school football scene, with big crowds turning…
- City Cast DC
Is Trump’s Ruthless Approach to Homelessness Actually Different Than DC’s?
Trump’s deployment of the national guard and ICE had some obvious targets. But in the background, homeless folks were also feeling the pain. There were…