

City Cast DC
City Cast
City Cast is the daily, local audio companion you knew DC needed. Washingtonians are gritty, proud, and resilient — necessary qualities for a community facing issues that range from an affordability crisis to the fight for statehood to the movement for racial justice… and useful qualities for a region full of whip-smart people, dynamic culture, and constant change. 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.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 8, 2024 • 34min
Will Council Fund I-83? Plus, DC Trump Reactions, and Coping Recs
Initiative 83, proposing ranked choice voting and semi-open primaries, passed on Tuesday, but what’s next? The Washington Post’s Meagan Flynn joins the team to discuss that, plus local reactions to the 47th president.Check out the 51st’s recommended volunteer opportunities, and Washingtonian’s decompression recs. If you’re especially passionate about our work, consider becoming a member. Thank you for being here — We really hope our election coverage has served you, and we’re planning to keep covering the local stories that matter RIGHT now, RIGHT here in DC. Vote on our City Cast 6 awards shortlist here, to help select the six Washingtonians who have transformed D.C. this year. This year’s City Cast 6 Awards are presented by Christopher Nace and the trial lawyers at Paulson & Nace.Learn more about the sponsors of this November 8th episode:Food & Friends' - Slice of LifePaulson & NaceInterested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.

Nov 7, 2024 • 39min
DC's New Approach to Development
It’s been a week of big news about things outside of DC’s control, and we’ll get more into that in tomorrow’s Friday news roundup. But one thing that is DC’s call is the redevelopment of North Capitol Street. Ebony Dumas and Anita Cozart from DC’s Office of Planning sat down with us in July to talk about how planners have changed throughout the years. Vote on our City Cast 6 awards shortlist here, to help select the six Washingtonians who have transformed D.C. this year. This year’s City Cast 6 Awards are presented by Christopher Nace and the trial lawyers at Paulson & Nace.Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $8 a month. If you enjoyed today's interview with Food & Friends' Executive Director, Carrie Stoltzfus, learn more here.Learn more about the sponsors of this November 7th episode:Food & Friends' - Slice of LifePaulson & NaceInterested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.

Nov 6, 2024 • 24min
How the Election Went Down in DC
It’s 4 AM, and though there hasn’t yet been a final call, it’s looking like D.C. is going to have to brace itself for another Trump presidency. The team is here to process what that means for our city, our country, and for all of us.Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $8 a month.Learn more about the sponsors of this November 6th episode:Food & Friends' - Slice of LifeAlliance FrancaisePaulson & NaceInterested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.

Nov 5, 2024 • 19min
What Happens if Trump ‘Takes Over’ DC?
It’s election day! And your guess is as good as ours about what happens. Cuneyt Dil from Axios joined us back in July to talk about what D.C. might look like in a second Trump administration. Vote on our City Cast 6 awards shortlist here, to help select the six Washingtonians who have transformed D.C. this year. This year’s City Cast 6 Awards are presented by Christopher Nace and the trial lawyers at Paulson & Nace.Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $8 a month.Learn more about the sponsors of this November 5th episode:Food & Friends' - Slice of LifeAlliance FrancaisePaulson & NaceInterested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.

Nov 4, 2024 • 24min
2024 DC Celebrity Endorsements
Since election day is almost here, you might be feeling all kinds of election related anxiety. So take your mind off that with City Cast DC’s endorsements for which celebrities could run our city. And if you’re wanting updates and analysis from our ACTUAL election, we’ve got our election day coverage dropping later in the day, around 6 am, on Wednesday.Check out all of our previous coverage on D.C.’s election, which includes episodes on:
The I83 debate
If Trump wins
If Harris wins
Our live taping ep for Trayon White details
What will election security look like this year?
Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $8 a month.Learn more about the sponsors of this November 4th episode:Food & Friends' - Slice of LifeAlliance FrancaisePaulson & NaceInterested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.

Nov 3, 2024 • 25min
The Four Cities That Could Decide the Election
This week we’ll be sharing results from our local elections and discussing what they mean for DC. But we can’t help but wonder… what’s going on with our City Cast colleagues in swing states? As America white-knuckles its way into one of the closest presidential elections in modern history, City Cast CEO David Plotz sits down with the hosts of our shows in swing state cities: Madison, Philly, Pittsburgh, and Las Vegas. In this special episode, our crew of hosts gives you a locals’ look inside how their cities are preparing for the presidential election and its aftermath. From a peek inside the Pennsylvania election warehouse where mail-in ballots will be counted, to a glimpse at how Dane County, Wisconsin’s early voting is going, you’re invited to hear what the swing states are talking about…with each other.

Nov 1, 2024 • 26min
WaPo Loses 250k Subscribers, DCA Line-Cutting Tech, and Commanders Hope!?
We’re talking about the crisis at the Washington Post, the joy around the Washington Commanders, and a sneaky new technology that aims to bust line-cutters at DCA.Vote on our City Cast 6 awards shortlist here, to help select the six Washingtonians who have transformed D.C. this year. This year’s City Cast 6 Awards are presented by Christopher Nace and the trial lawyers at Paulson & Nace.Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $8 a month.Learn more about the sponsors of this November 1st episode:Mosaic Theater CompanyBetterHelp - get 10% off at betterhelp.com/CITYCASTAlliance FrancaiseLuray CavernsInterested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

Oct 31, 2024 • 25min
Your Guide to November 2024 in DC
D.C. is getting darker earlier and the pleasant weather is giving way to the cold. November can be a slog, but the City Cast team is here to help you make the most of it.Vote on our City Cast 6 awards shortlist here, to help select the six Washingtonians who have transformed D.C. this year. This year’s City Cast 6 Awards are presented by Christopher Nace and the trial lawyers at Paulson & Nace.If you're new here, welcome! We’ve put together a starter pack for you, with episodes and articles to welcome you to the City Cast DC community. For even more tips on how to make the most of November in D.C., check out Hey DC’s take on what to do this month. And if you're finding our recs helpful, please consider becoming a member to help us stick around long-term.If you enjoyed today's interview with Luray Caverns Director of Marketing and PR, Bill Huffman, learn more here.Learn more about the sponsors of this October 31st episode:Mosaic Theater CompanyBetterHelp - get 10% off at betterhelp.com/CITYCASTAlliance FrancaiseLuray CavernsInterested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.

Oct 30, 2024 • 19min
How DC Prepares For Elections After January 6
The election is looming and Washington is anxious. The city government announced some plans last week for security around November 5 and all the way through the interregnum. Axios’ Cuneyt Dil is here to tell us what to expect.Vote on our City Cast 6 awards shortlist here, to help select the six Washingtonians who have transformed D.C. this year. This year’s City Cast 6 Awards are presented by Christopher Nace and the trial lawyers at Paulson & Nace.Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $8 a month.Learn more about the sponsors of this October 30th episode:Mosaic Theater CompanyBetterHelp - get 10% off at betterhelp.com/CITYCASTLuray CavernsInterested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.

Oct 29, 2024 • 27min
Poop Memorial, WaPo Resignations, And Other DC Stories You Missed This October
October was a crazy month in D.C.! In fact, there were so many stories that we couldn’t get to all of them. So today on City Cast DC, we’re recapping the wildest stories you missed, from the poop memorial on the Mall to Metro’s latest big problem.Vote on our City Cast 6 awards shortlist here, to help select the six Washingtonians who have transformed D.C. this year. This year’s City Cast 6 Awards are presented by Christopher Nace and the trial lawyers at Paulson & Nace.Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $8 a month. Learn more about the sponsors of this October 29th episode:Mosaic Theater CompanyBetterHelp - get 10% off at betterhelp.com/CITYCASTLuray CavernsInterested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.