City Cast DC

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Junaid Dill, an Axios reporter specializing in D.C. politics, joins to discuss the future of Mayor Bowser as she navigates a potential fourth term amid possible challengers like Kenyon McDuffie and Janice Lewis-George. The conversation shifts to D.C.'s booming cannabis market, highlighting the tension between licensed retailers and informal shops, with regulatory pressures complicating the landscape. They also bid farewell to the 2000-series Metro cars, exploring upcoming 8000-series replacements, promising a new era for transit in the city.

In the second episode of our special three-part series sponsored by the Public Welfare Foundation, City Cast DC executive producer Annie Rees talks with Stefanie Mavronis, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement in Baltimore, and David Muhammad, Executive Director of the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform. They discuss how Baltimore has achieved three consecutive years of declining gun violence, and what D.C. might be able to learn from their approach. From life-coaching programs that help residents rebuild their lives to coordinated citywide strategies that bring agencies and communities together, Baltimore’s results are offering real hope, and can be a model for cities like D.C. This conversation is part of an ongoing series highlighting local and national leaders working to build safer, more just communities across the country, supported by the Public Welfare Foundation. Learn more about their work and the efforts of leaders like Stefanie Mavronis and David Muhammad at realsafetydc.org

People don’t really think of DC as a Friday Night Lights kinda town, but it actually has a pretty robust high school football scene, with big crowds turning local games into a scene. Until this year, at least: The DCPS season has been upended by a bunch of fights in the stands – which has led to night games being curtailed and the whole atmosphere being less fun. The Washington Post’s Matt Cohen is here to give us the blow by blow — and also tell us where in town you can still have a good time taking in a game.  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 $10 a month. Learn more about the sponsors of this October 16th episode: Public Welfare Foundation National Center for Victims of Crime Babbel - Get up to 55% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.

Trump’s deployment of the national guard and ICE had some obvious targets. But in the background, homeless folks were also feeling the pain. There were displacements and arrests of homeless encampments, all in the name of keeping the city clean and crime free. Franziska Wild and Madi Koesler from Street Sense Media are here break down what happened over that month and where DC’s homeless population stands now. This story is part of our 2025 contribution to the D.C. Homeless Crisis Reporting Project in collaboration with other local newsrooms. The collective works will be published throughout the week at bit.ly/DCHCRP. 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 $10 a month. Learn more about the sponsors of this October 15th episode: ⁠Public Welfare Foundation⁠ ⁠National Center for Victims of Crime⁠ ⁠Babbel⁠ - Get up to 55% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info⁠ HERE⁠.