Podcast
City Cast DC
Hosted by City Cast · EN
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 Cast DC, consider this your official invitation to listen in. Learn more and subscribe to our daily newsletter at dc.citycast.fm.
131episodes
Episodes
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Inside Trump’s $22.5 Billion Plan To Remake Dulles
1w ago00:27:51Tap to summarizePresident Donald Trump has unveiled a $22.5 billion vision to remake Dulles International Airport, with plans to replace its iconic people movers, build a new passenger train, and totally transform one of the region's biggest transportation hubs. But how much of this is actually likely to happen? Who will pay for it? And what could it mean for the millions of people who use Dulles every year? Kriston Capps, writer for Bloomberg’s CityLab joins us to break down the proposal and what it means for DC and beyond. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter City Cast DC. You can text us or leave a voicemail at: (202) 642-2654. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month. Learn more about the sponsors of this August 6th episode: DC Department of Behavioral Health Library of Congress Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.
Transcribe →D.C.'s Next Mayor Wants To Make Buses Free For SNAP Recipients
1w ago00:17:20Tap to summarizeThe very likely next mayor of DC wants to make buses free for public-assistance recipients. If that sounds familiar, it should: over the last few years, there have been a bunch of proposals to make buses free for some — and sometimes all — Washingtonians. Zara Norman from NOTUS has been reporting on this, and is here to explain. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter City Cast DC. You can text us or leave a voicemail at: (202) 642-2654. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month. Learn more about the sponsors of this August 5th episode: DC Department of Behavioral Health Library of Congress Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.
Transcribe →One of D.C.'s Greatest Novelists Just Dropped a New Book
1w ago00:28:44Tap to summarizeGeorge Pelecanos is maybe the greatest Washington novelist — and he never writes about the Senate. Over the years, his crime stories have doubled as a kind of history of our city. And his most recent novel, The Blue Flame, drops today. I talked with Pelecanos about growing up in the city, working on The Wire, and where he finds his stories. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter City Cast DC. You can text us or leave a voicemail at: (202) 642-2654. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month. Learn more about the sponsors of this August 4th episode: DC Department of Behavioral Health Library of Congress Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.
Transcribe →D.C.’s Streateries Are Closing, But Are They Gone For Good?
1w ago00:30:46Tap to summarizeHave you walked by Wonderland Ballroom in Columbia Heights recently? The familiar picnic table streatery is gone! A string of high-profile closures of DC’s streateries has reignited the debate over outdoor dining, parking, public space, and what kind of city Washington wants to be. City Cast's Alyssa Fowers and Kaela Cote-Stemmermann have been following the issue. They're here to explain how we got here, why this debate has flared up, and what comes next for restaurants and the future of our streets. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter City Cast DC. You can text us or leave a voicemail at: (202) 642-2654. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month. Learn more about the sponsors of this August 3rd episode: DC Department of Behavioral Health Library of CongressInterested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.
Transcribe →‘Your City Could Be Better’: How One City Beat Restrictive Zoning — Presented By City Cast DC
2w ago00:27:14Tap to summarizeDo you know how zoning laws affect DC’s housing costs? New Haven, CT, has been governed for years by restrictive zoning that made it physically impossible to build tall buildings downtown, even for housing — that is, until the local government finally aligned to overturn it. City Cast CEO David Plotz sits down with Eli Sabin, a New Haven native and one of the alders (aka city council members) responsible for passing this change in recent months. Eli spent years working toward this goal, and he talks with David about what now needs to happen to fully realize its potential and increase affordability for locals. Is there something your city is doing that we should be talking about? Email David now! We’re also on Instagram: @yourcitycouldbebetter Looking to advertise on Your City Could Be Better? Check out our options.
Transcribe →Luxury Digs for the National Guard, Bowser Ditches the Budget, and Wild New Plans for Dulles
2w ago00:38:32Tap to summarizeWe’re talking about the National Guard in D.C., how Muriel Bowser isn’t signing the DC budget, and the goofy plans for Dulles. Plus in a members-only fourth segment, a blistering report on the MPD’s cooked-books scandal. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter City Cast DC. You can text us or leave a voicemail at: (202) 642-2654. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month. We’re doing our annual survey to learn more about our listeners. We’d be grateful if you took the survey at dc.citycast.fm/survey—it’s only 7 minutes long. You’ll be doing us a big favor. Plus, anyone who takes the survey will be eligible to win a $250 Visa gift card–and City Cast City DC swag. Learn more about the sponsors of this July 31st episode: DC Department of Behavioral Health District Bridges Library of Congress Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.
Transcribe →Your Guide to August 2026 in D.C.
2w ago00:33:48Tap to summarizeWhether it’s chomping on an apple with strangers in Malcolm X Park or vibing to local music at a summer concert series, our August Guide has got you covered. For even more tips on how to make the most of August in D.C., check out City Cast DC’s take on what to do this month. We’re doing our annual survey to learn more about our listeners. We’d be grateful if you took the survey at dc.citycast.fm/survey—it’s only 7 minutes long. You’ll be doing us a big favor. Plus, anyone who takes the survey will be eligible to win a $250 Visa gift card–and City Cast City DC swag. Learn more about the sponsors of this July 30th episode: DC Department of Behavioral Health District Bridges Library of Congress Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE. Reach us at DC@citycast.fm.
Transcribe →No Roommates, In-Unit Laundry – A Look At The National Guard’s Expensive New D.C. Digs
2w ago00:20:07Tap to summarizeThe National Guard is sticking around — and, like a lot of people who decide to stay in D.C., they’re about to pay through the nose for real estate. City Cast’s Alyssa Fowers and Emma Uber looked through the contract and crunched the numbers and they’re here to explain what it means that the troops are about to pitch up in some of the city’s buzziest neighborhoods. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter City Cast DC. You can text us or leave a voicemail at: (202) 642-2654. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month. We’re doing our annual survey to learn more about our listeners. We’d be grateful if you took the survey at dc.citycast.fm/survey—it’s only 7 minutes long. You’ll be doing us a big favor. Plus, anyone who takes the survey will be eligible to win a $250 Visa gift card–and City Cast City DC swag. Learn more about the sponsors of this July 29th episode: DC Public Library DC Department of Behavioral Health District Bridges Library of Congress Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.
Transcribe →D.C. Workers' Ample Leave Is Costing You Millions
2w ago00:19:04Tap to summarizeD.C. taxpayers — you — spent $220 million last year on overtime for public-safety agencies in D.C. How did this happen? According to a new report from D.C. Auditor Kathy Patterson, agencies are chronically understaffed, so bosses need to pay overtime to get the job done. How did we get here? And what does it mean? Kathy’s here to explain. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter City Cast DC. You can text us or leave a voicemail at: (202) 642-2654. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month. Learn more about the sponsors of this July 28th episode: DC Public Library DC Department of Behavioral Health District Bridges Library of Congress Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.
Transcribe →The People Who Date AI
2w ago00:34:43Tap to summarizeOur co-host Bridget has just published an audiobook that starts with her own journey into an AI relationship — and then examines the phenomenon through a range of others. As she notes, it’s a particularly ubiquitous thing in D.C., even if we don’t talk much about it. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter City Cast DC. You can text us or leave a voicemail at: (202) 642-2654. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month. Learn more about the sponsors of this July 27th episode: DC Public Library DC Department of Behavioral Health District Bridges Library of Congress Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.
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