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.
117episodes
Episodes
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Forty Years of Heavy Metal Parking Lot
2d ago00:32:28Tap to summarizeThe movie Heavy Metal Parking Lot turns 40 this year — and feels weirdly contemporary. The basic setup is this: A couple of guys showed up at the parking lot of a Judas Priest show outside DC and just let cameras run as the tailgaters go wild. The difference: The cringe behavior didn’t wind up on social media, but instead became part of an underground art film that slowly became a cult classic. The filmmakers Jeff Krulik and John Heyn are here to tell the story of the metal show and what happened next. 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. If you enjoyed this interview with Richard Reyes-Gavilan, the Executive Director for DC Public Library, learn more here. Learn more about the sponsors of this July 21st episode: DC Public Library DC Sustainable Energy Utility Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.
Transcribe →These Guys Fixed the 311 App. D.C. Told Them To Stop
3d ago00:20:34Tap to summarizeD.C. has an app that lets citizens request services and report problems around town. And this spring, it just stopped working. Our guest Josh Jacobson worked with a colleague to build their own. You’d think the city would be grateful. You’d be wrong. Josh 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 July 20th episode: DC Public Library DC Sustainable Energy Utility Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.
Transcribe →‘Your City Could Be Better’: Why Are Chattanoogans ‘Doing It Their Damn Selves’? — Presented By City Cast DC
4d ago00:27:14Tap to summarizeSometimes it can feel like DC is two (or more) steps behind the needs of its neighborhoods. Enter the residents of Chattanooga, Tennessee. What Chattanoogans don’t have, they make up for in advocacy, whether by showing up to city council and organizing for change or just doing things themselves. City Cast CEO David Plotz sits down with creator and city lover Hope Henchey about how she and her neighbors are sneakily and secretly fixing up their city. You’ve heard of the Nashville bench builders — now get ready for the Chattanooga pothole fillers, sidewalk layers, and (literal) trail blazers. Mentioned on the show: Atlas Obscura feature on the community-built benches in Chattanooga Efforts by Strong Chattanooga to make a path through the woods in a sidewalk-less neighborhood Review of Hoboken's streak of zero traffic fatalities 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 →Historic Artifacts in Danger, Reckoning with the Viral Metro Photo, and Best World Cup Final Parties
6d ago00:37:18Tap to summarizeWe’re talking about the problems at the Lincoln Memorial undercroft, that viral July 4 photo of a woman on the Metro, and World Cup specials. Plus, in a members-only fourth segment, we’ll get into the proposed very expensive upgrades to Audi Field — that D.C. taxpayers are going to pay for 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 17th episode: DC Department of Behavioral Health Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.
Transcribe →D.C. Dates Under $15
1w ago00:25:05Tap to summarizeDating in D.C. can get expensive fast. But romance doesn't have to come with a $300 price tag, which yes that is how much some people are paying for dates in cities! Whether you're planning a first date, trying to keep date night affordable, or just looking for something fun to do with a partner, there are plenty of ways to have a great time in this city without spending much at all. Jade Womack, aka Clockout DC, has built a following by finding the best affordable things to do around the city. Today, she joins us to share her favorite DC date ideas for around $15 or less. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter. 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 16th episode: DC Department of Behavioral Health Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.
Transcribe →D.C. Fights Over Whether to Allow Waymo
1w ago00:32:52Tap to summarizeWaymos—the autonomous, self-driving ride-hailing vehicles—are already cruising around D.C. with one big catch: under current D.C. law, there's still a human safety driver behind the wheel. But will D.C. ever allow Waymos to operate without a human driver? And more importantly, should it? The D.C. Council is considering a bill that could finally allow them to operate in the District, but not without a fight. Labor unions, disability advocates, tech companies, and business leaders all packed a marathon hearing to debate what the future of transportation in D.C. should look like—and who it should serve. Ben Brasch was there for many many hours. He joins me today to explain where the debate stands and what the future of AVs in D.C. could look like. 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 15th episode: DC Department of Behavioral Health Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.
Transcribe →Inside the Controversy Tearing Apart A Prestigious D.C. Theater
1w ago00:35:51Tap to summarizeArena Stage is one of D.C.’s most prestigious theaters, but this month its biggest drama happened offstage: The theater’s artistic director was abruptly ousted, and the fallout has been bitter, with accusations of racial bias and workplace toxicity — plus allegations about making staffers fetch groceries. Rebecca Ritzel reported on this for NOTUS and she’s here to share some dishy details. 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 14th episode: DC Department of Behavioral Health Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.
Transcribe →Lonnie Bunch and the Smithsonian Take On Trump
1w ago00:27:29Tap to summarizeA new Trump administration report says the Smithsonian institution is run by radicals who aren’t trustworthy. And while the report focused on the American history museum, a lot of people read it as a shot at the institution's leader, Lonnie Bunch. Clint Smith is the author of a recent piece in the Atlantic that profiles Bunch and ponders the future of the Smithsonian. He’s here to walk us through what all of this may portend. 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 13th episode: DC Department of Behavioral Health Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.
Transcribe →'Your City Could Be Better': Does DC Have a 'Perfect' Airport? — Presented by City Cast DC
2w ago00:33:10Tap to summarizeThere’s lots to love about DC, but being able to get in and out of it easily and cheaply can be an underrated metric of its livability. Accommodating, accessible, and affordable local airports are a specific resource that many cities need. To find out which cities are leading the charge and the kinds of amenities that elevate an airport to gold status, City Cast CEO David Plotz chats with Scott Keyes, founder and Chief Flight Expert of Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights) about everything he’s seen in his work and travels. How does your airport stack up? 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 →DC's Coming Wealth Tax Debate, a Controversial Makeover for Rock Creek Tennis, and Waymo's Shady Robo-Caller
2w ago00:32:01Tap to summarizeWe’re talking about new taxes for D.C. residents, the politics of our fountains, and whether Rock Creek Tennis Center is going to be the next local park that gets a controversial Trump-era glow-up. Plus in a members-only fourth segment: DC is finally about to have its debate about Waymo, and we’ll get into the contours. 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 10th episode: Library of Congress Alliance Française Washington DC Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.
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