
City Cast DC
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.
Latest episodes

May 20, 2024 • 26min
The Case to Recall Councilmember Charles Allen
No member of the D.C. Council has ever been recalled. But there’s a group of Capitol Hill residents who want to recall Ward 6 councilmember, Charles Allen, who they blame for last year’s spike in crime. We talked to Rich Masters, one of the campaign organizers, to hear his case against Allen. P.S. Want to hear Charles Allen's rebuttal? Listen here.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.Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HEREAnd we’d love to feature you on the show! Share your DC-related thoughts, hopes, and frustrations with us in a voicemail by calling 202-642-2654. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 17, 2024 • 26min
Falcicchio Fallout, MD Senate Race, and a New Nats Owner?
Channel 4’s Mark Segraves joins us to talk about the last aftershocks — we hope — from a scandal in the mayor’s office, a Maryland race that just might be interesting, and whether or not the Nats are for sale, AGAIN.We're the best podcast in the area right? So go vote for us in Washington City Papers Best of 2024!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.Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HEREWe’re also on Twitter! Follow us at @citycast_dcAnd we’d love to feature you on the show! Share your DC-related thoughts, hopes, and frustrations with us in a voicemail by calling 202-642-2654. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 16, 2024 • 16min
The Best DC Meals Under $10
It’s getting more and more expensive to eat out in the city. Luckily, DC native Big Schlim’s viral videos are shining a light on the best cheap eats in the city! Schlim is here to tell us his story, and to point us to some favorite spots for what he calls a ‘light pocket meal.’ Vote for us as your favorite local podcast in Washington City Paper!Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC.Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HEREAnd we’d love to feature you on the show! Share your DC-related thoughts, hopes, and frustrations with us in a voicemail by calling 202-642-2654. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 15, 2024 • 14min
What to Do if You See a Bear in DC
A bear, affectionately named Otis, was seen in Brookland last week. This is the third black bear sighting in the DMV in less than two weeks! We chatted with Lauren Crossed from the Humane Rescue Alliance to see why bears are roaming the streets, and what to do if you see one.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.Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HEREAnd we’d love to feature you on the show! Share your DC-related thoughts, hopes, and frustrations with us in a voicemail by calling 202-642-2654. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 14, 2024 • 26min
More DCA Flights, Big Bus Changes, Dating App Decline
More flights out of DCA, big changes to D.C.’s buses and is everyone in D.C. giving up on dating apps? Washington Business Journal’s Nate Doughty joins the City Cast crew to dive into all of it. Vote City Cast DC as your favorite local podcast in Washington City Paper!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.Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HEREWe’re also on Twitter! Follow us at @citycast_dcAnd we’d love to feature you on the show! Share your DC-related thoughts, hopes, and frustrations with us in a voicemail by calling 202-642-2654. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 13, 2024 • 32min
DC's Budget Director Defends Massive Cuts
It’s local budget season in D.C. But don’t let your eyes glaze over quite yet! D.C.’s mayor has proposed a bunch of cuts to fix a $700 million deficit. Her budget director, Jenny Reed, is here to walk us through their proposal and how we got here. Vote for us as your favorite local podcast in Washington City Paper!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.Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HEREAnd we’d love to feature you on the show! Share your DC-related thoughts, hopes, and frustrations with us in a voicemail by calling 202-642-2654. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 11, 2024 • 2min
From City Cast Denver: Introducing ‘Lauren Boebert Can’t Lose’
Hey there! We are excited to share the trailer for a new special limited series from our friends and colleagues at City Cast Denver. If you’re a fan of what we do at City Cast, you’ll want to check it out:You’ve probably heard a story about Congresswoman Lauren Boebert. Like, how she got kicked out of a production of “Beetlejuice” for vaping and groping her date. Or, that time she heckled President Biden during his State of the Union address. Throughout it all, she keeps winning elections and amassing followers, so it’s hard not to watch her meteoric rise and wonder: What does it mean for the future of American Politics?Host Bree Davies and Executive Producer Paul Karolyi have been covering Boebert’s wildest moments on City Cast Denver for years. And with only a month until her make-or-break primary on June 25, they’re talking to former friends and rivals, supporters and detractors, real people throughout Colorado who have been affected by her work in Congress, and hopefully Lauren herself. It’s a new limited series from City Cast, because no matter how you feel about her, you have to admit, it feels like Lauren Boebert Can’t Lose.Subscribe to Lauren Boebert Can’t Lose wherever you get your podcasts. Our first episode drops on May 15. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 10, 2024 • 23min
Revamping Chinatown, MPD vs Protesters, and Uber Wait Times
D.C. is considering a major revamp of Chinatown. The team is here to lay out the options. Plus, we detail the controversy over D.C. police and the George Washington University protesters, and the rising cost of Uber.Want to follow up on some episodes we mentioned?
Check out Mike and Bridget’s insightful take on D.C.’s weed scene.
We also covered the GW encampment in more detail, with the Washington Post’s Peter Hermann.
And yes, Metro GM Randy Clarke promised us good bus service options while the Red Line is partially shut this summer. Here’s what else he promised.
Our roundup is powered by some incredible local reporting:
Gallery Place Chinatown Task Force unveils ambitious vision for downtown D.C. - Washington Business Journal
33 demonstrators arrested as D.C. police clear GWU protest encampment - The Washington Post
Why Uber wait times may be getting longer around D.C - Axios DC.
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 advertising with City Cast HERE.Vote for us as your favorite local podcast in Washington City Paper! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 9, 2024 • 19min
One Year In, Was I-82 a Mistake?
It’s been a year since D.C. voters passed I-82, a referendum to phase out tipped minimum wage. The transition has been rough, largely because no one agrees on what the new normal should be. Washingtonian’s Jessica Sidman is here to walk us through I-82’s fallout and what it means for customers.Vote for us as your favorite local podcast in Washington City Paper!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.Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HEREAnd we’d love to feature you on the show! Share your DC-related thoughts, hopes, and frustrations with us in a voicemail by calling 202-642-2654. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 8, 2024 • 22min
DC's Best Weekend Trip? Philly!
From history and a love for museums to breweries, Philly and D.C. have a lot in common. We caught up with City Cast Philly’s Trenae Nuri to talk about the D.C. - Philly connection.Check out City Cast Philadelphia’s guide to the remaining smoking dive bars in Philly.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.Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HEREAnd we’d love to feature you on the show! Share your DC-related thoughts, hopes, and frustrations with us in a voicemail by calling 202-642-2654. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices