
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 7, 2024 • 23min
RFK’s Demolition, Legal Weed Patios, and Traffic Crackdowns
Washington Business Journal’s Drew Hansen joins the crew to explain RFK Stadium finally being knocked down, smoking weed outside this summer, and ticketing crackdowns on cars and mopeds alike. 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_dc (And 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 6, 2024 • 11min
How DC Became a Hummus Hub
From Cava to Little Sesame, the DMV consumes a lot of hummus, and we make and export even more. Axios reporter Anna Spiegel is here to explain her theory that our region is becoming the hummus hub of North America.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 3, 2024 • 22min
Bowser Unplugged, Doorman Squabble, and Mother’s Day Recs
Cuneyt Dil of Axios joins the team to talk about the state of downtown, your options for mother’s day, and a red-hot doorman drama in one of the fanciest pieces of real estate.Want to join our Mother’s Day event giveaway? Then become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $8 a month.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 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 2, 2024 • 16min
Pro Tips for Urban Gardening in DC
You might not think of D.C. as a gardening city, but gardening in the District actually offers some specific benefits you don’t find elsewhere. Kathy Jentz, host of the podcast Garden DC, explains why you should be giving gardening a shot.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 1, 2024 • 17min
Behind DMV Students’ Stand for Palestine
Protests and encampments regarding Israel and Palestine have taken off across the country. But in D.C., are we doing anything differently? Both Lauren Lumpkin and Peter Hermann from the Washington Post have covered the protests and lawsuits at the high school and college level, and they explain what’s going on for both.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

Apr 30, 2024 • 24min
Your Guide To May in D.C.
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 community. From checking out a sunset session of music and dancing at Flash, to finally investing in a solid hammock or blanket you’ve been eyeing, May is a special time in D.C. There are so many options for things to do and places to go, so the City Cast DC team is here to narrow down your May bucket list to the must-dos this month.For even more tips on how to make the most of May in DC, check out Hey DC’s take on what to do this month. Plus, at the end of the episode, our sponsor District Bridges shares one event THEY think you should attend this month: Africa on the Avenue. Learn more about that and District Bridges' other community-building projects at districtbridges.org. And we’re also powered by our members, who enjoy an ad-free version of the show. Find out more about how to become a member of City Cast DC.Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE. Reach us at dc@citycast.fm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 29, 2024 • 20min
Big Drama in D.C.’s Little Leagues
Parents behaving badly? High-powered lawyers? The Wall Street Journal’s James Fanelli is here to walk us through his epic story about a Northwest D.C. Little League conflict.Want some more D.C. 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

Apr 26, 2024 • 28min
A New Union Station, D.C.'s Media Failures, and Foxtrot's Demise
Washingtonian’s Andrew Beaujon joins the team to talk about the future of Union Station, the future of D.C. media, and the future — or lack thereof — of the Foxtrot food chain.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

Apr 25, 2024 • 27min
Metro's Stance on Price Hikes, Fare Evasion, and the Funding Crisis
Metro is voting on their proposed 2025 budget TODAY. To explain it all, we sat down with Randy Clarke, who runs the Metro system. Clarke’s new budget proposal isn’t full of the kinds of draconian cuts that were on the table last year, but he’s still managing a lot of the challenges — and, according to him, a lot of the opportunities — that come with running a mass transit system in a post-covid city. 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

Apr 24, 2024 • 18min
Could Connecticut Avenue’s Bike Lane Be Resurrected?
Recently, D.C.’s Department of Transportation announced that the bike lane planned for Connecticut Avenue was no more. Sauleh Siddiqui, who represents a portion of Cleveland Park, joined us to explain if the bike lane could make a comeback in future transportation plans, and what it says about how D.C. treats multimodal transportation.Sauleh joined us previously for a debate about the proposed bike lane.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