

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

Apr 15, 2024 • 21min
Why Gas Leaks are Happening More Frequently
You might have noticed that gas leaks have been in the news more often. It’s pretty scary! When you suspect there’s a gas leak happening, it might not be clear what to do. So today on City Cast DC, we’re talking with environmental reporter Kayla Benjamin to get the lay of the land on what’s happening.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.

Apr 12, 2024 • 28min
Slashing Metro and Childcare Funding, and Vote For Your Favorite Restaurants
Reporter Michael Pope and author Briana Thomas join the show to talk about what the D.C. budget means for the cost of your child care, what the Virginia budget means for the health of our Metro system, and ways YOU can vote for D.C.’s best restaurants.You can vote for your favorite restaurants for the RAMMY awards here.Wanna win tickets to see the Washington Nationals? Become a City Cast DC member today!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.

Apr 11, 2024 • 13min
How to Kayak, Bike, & Metro to Every D.C. Park
D.C. has an absurd amount of parks – 683! Longtime D.C. environmental reporter Jacob Fenston is hitting up all of them for us in the ultimate D.C. park's quest. We catch up with him to see how it's going, what his approach is, and to learn the weirdest thing he has seen in the Potomac so far. And don’t forget to vote for City Cast DC as the District’s best podcast!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.

Apr 10, 2024 • 16min
D.C. is Upping Its Public Restroom Game
If you’ve ever had to GO while out and about in D.C., we’ve got good news. Throne Labs, a high tech toilet company, is bringing public restrooms to 5 different locations in the city as part of the D.C. Public Restroom Pilot Program. But D.C.’s track record with public restrooms has been iffy at best. Jonathan Katz joined us awhile back to explain why this is a big deal for everyone.To learn more, here are some resources Jonathan recommends: The Big Necessity, by Rose GeorgeNo Place to Go, by Lezlie LoweThe American Restroom AssociationWant some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletterWe’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.

Apr 9, 2024 • 22min
Weed Crackdown, Arena Deal Fine Print, and One-Star Reviews
In today’s roundup, we’re talking about the city sending a warning to unlicensed weed shops in the city, an update on keeping sports teams in D.C., and 1 star reviews of Capital One Arena.Parents have taken on weed shops in the past, and we explain why that’s a big deal.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.

Apr 8, 2024 • 16min
The Fight Over U Street's Future
There’s been a crazy fight going on about whether to erect an apartment building on the site of an old firehouse on U Street — and it’s a fight worth watching because it says a lot about what it takes to actually build anything in D.C. Paul Schwartzman from the Washington Post has been covering it and is here to walk us through the wild details. 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.

Apr 5, 2024 • 26min
Bowser's Brazen Budget Cuts, James Beard Nominations, and a Russian Spy Chef
We’re breaking down the 2025 budget with City Paper’s Alex Koma, and Washingtonian’s Jessica Sidman is here to talk about D.C.’s nominees for the James Beard awards — and a crazy spy story at a local Russian restaurant. Check out our interview with James Beard award-winning chef, Rob Rubba, on why we should all be switching to electric stoves!Also! We're giving away a Hey DC mug! But you have to be a member to enter the drawing, and we're doing it later today! Sign up by 12 pm ET on April 5 to enter, plus, as a member, you'll get ad-free listening and a ton of other exclusive perks. 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.

Apr 4, 2024 • 15min
D.C. Food Trivia Smackdown
How’s your D.C. food trivia game? Two of the city’s premier food journalists are here to match wits about the past and present of Washington culinary life. It’s Jessica Sidman versus Ann Limpert in a D.C. food trivia showdown.Jess mentioned that she doesn’t think D.C. is in the South, but we’re not sure it’s so simple. Check out the episode where we tried to figure it out.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.

Apr 3, 2024 • 25min
D.C.'s Best (and Worst) E-Bikes
Right now, through April 15, D.C. residents can apply to get up to $2000 from the city government to buy an e-bike. But there are limited funds available, and it got us thinking – how desperate ARE we really to buy our own e-bikes? Or, do the ones sprawled around town to rent do the trick? City Cast Producer Ashe Durban systematically tested all the different brands, and he’s here to give us the lay of the land.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.

Apr 2, 2024 • 18min
Has The Arena Saga Ruined Ted Leonsis' Legacy?
Ted Leonsis, who owns the Capitals and Wizards, is giving us some major whiplash. He’s had an abrupt change of heart and the Caps and Wizards will be staying in D.C. The Washington Post's Candace Buckner is here to tell us how Ted can make Washingtonians love him again and protect his long-term legacy. Losing the teams would have been a tough blow for Chinatown, which is already dealing with the aftermath of a weird inside robbery job at the local Walgreens. Sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey DC, to stay up to date on everything happening around the city. 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.