

City Cast DC
City Cast
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.
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 30, 2025 • 25min
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 D.C. a safer, more just place.  Kristy Love, Executive Director of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, and Victor Battle, President and Founder of Right Direction and longtime violence interrupter.
Together, they explore what real safety looks like on the ground: how data and coordination are helping D.C. reduce crime, why jobs and mentorship matter as much as policing, and how partnerships between community groups and government agencies are creating lasting change. They also share what gives them hope,  from young people finding new opportunities to neighbors reclaiming their blocks.
Learn more at realsafetydc.org
Data shows Washington, D.C., is a city that has made significant public safety gains in the past two years, particularly in reducing violent crime. 2024 marked DC’s lowest violent crime rate in over 30 years, and this year it has fallen by 26% from last year. 

Oct 30, 2025 • 28min
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, but Katie Kirkpatrick with Nightly Spirit Ghost Tours HAS and she’s here to share the DC stories that might just make you keep a light on tonight.
Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey 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 October 30th episode:
United Healthcare
Double Exposure Investigative Film Festival
Public Welfare Foundation
Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE. 

Oct 29, 2025 • 12min
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 for public crying! A couple of years ago, Bridget talked with Kiara McGowan from the now-viral TikTok account Crying in DC about how she is making space for DC’s public criers and the best spots for you, too, to cry in public.
Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey 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 October 29th episode:
United Healthcare
Double Exposure Investigative Film Festival
Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE. 

Oct 28, 2025 • 30min
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 high-profile race for whether Democrat Abigail Spanberger or Republican Winsome Earle-Sears will replace Glenn Youngkin as Governor. Now, this is one of the most important and closely watched in the country, and it’s also gotten a lot tighter and a lot more scandal-plagued. Michael Pope, a reporter for Virginia Public Radio and host of the Press Room podcast, is following why all eyes are on Virginia this election season.
Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey 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 October 28th episode:
United Healthcare
Double Exposure Investigative Film Festival
Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE. 

Oct 27, 2025 • 25min
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 Real Estate? Or a much-needed evisceration of red tape that makes DC housing so scarce? Emilia Calma from the DC Policy Center is here to walk us though the not-totally-wonky details. 
Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey 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. 
Please see below for tomorrow's sponsor show notes:
Learn more about the sponsors of this October 27th episode:
United Healthcare
Double Exposure Investigative Film Festival
Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE. 

Oct 24, 2025 • 32min
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 Millie’s and one of its imitators. Plus, in a members-only fourth segment: Remember the shutdown? It’s still ongoing. We have updates.
If you’re a City Cast DC Neighbor, you’re invited to a private tour of one of the DMV’s true hidden wonders, Fort DeRussy! It will be hosted by our CEO and lifelong Washingtonian, David Plotz. Interested? Email us here for more details. 
Not a City Cast DC Neighbor but would love to be there? Join today!
Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey 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 October 24th episode:
National Center for Victims of Crime
Nace Law Group
Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE 

Oct 23, 2025 • 21min
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 little bar crawl through the city’s best drinks worth putting on a sweater for — and why DC is a great city for cocktails.
Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey 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 October 22nd episode:
National Center for Victims of Crime
Nace Law Group
Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE. 

Oct 22, 2025 • 24min
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 a popular pastime across DC — including in the sitting rooms of the rich and powerful. It’s a wild history and it’s not as far away as you might think.
Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey 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 October 22nd episode:
National Center for Victims of Crime
Nace Law Group
Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE. 

Oct 21, 2025 • 26min
This Ride Share App Keeps Pissing Off DC
 Martin Austermuhle, a reporter for The 51st, illuminates the tumultuous saga of the Empower rideshare app, which is at odds with D.C. regulators. He discusses how Empower's subscription model allows drivers to keep all their earnings while sidestepping traditional insurance and background checks. Delving into the legal battles, Martin reveals staggering fines and the uncertain future of the app. He also addresses the complex dance between low-cost services and consumer safety, highlighting the passionate support from drivers and the volatile regulatory landscape. 

Oct 20, 2025 • 16min
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, maybe a little check in your mailbox is just what you need. Ike Allen of the Washingtonian explains how DC’s unclaimed property unit could have money waiting for you. 
Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey 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 October 20th episode:
National Center for Victims of Crime
Nace Law Group
Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.
 


