

City Cast Salt Lake
City Cast
City Cast Salt Lake is Salt Lake City’s daily news podcast. Host Ali Vallarta and a bevy of smart and entertaining locals will bring you conversations about the issues that matter most to SLC. Some days City Cast will make you proud; other days it’ll make you angry. It will celebrate Salt Lake’s triumphs, (try to) solve its mysteries, and explore its history. City Cast will help you feel more connected to the Wasatch Front – whether you’ve lived here for 6 months or 6 generations.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Mar 4, 2025 • 33min
Fluoride-Free SLC? Utahns & God, Neighborhood Bars
How many Utahns believe in God these days? Host Ali Vallarta and executive producer Emily Means find religious showdowns in the SLC skyline. Plus, thrilling game wins, new liquor laws, and farewell fluoride?Resources and references:
Fluoride will be banned from Utah’s water supplies — but only if Cox signs this bill [Salt Lake Tribune]
Survey shows Utah’s religious landscape is slightly different than you might guess [Deseret News]
City Creek: A Mall With a Vision [City Cast Salt Lake]
Become a member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we are around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm.Subscribe to Hey Salt Lake, our daily morning newsletter. You can also find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC.Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:
The Shop
Salt Lake Brewing
Harmons
Treefort Music Fest
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Workshopslc.com - use code CITYCAST for 20% off.

Mar 3, 2025 • 30min
Your Guide to March 2025 in Salt Lake
Whether you think it’s winter or spring (controversial), March will keep you busy in Salt Lake City! Host Ali Vallarta, newsletter editor Terina Ria, and producer Ivana Martinez bring you a guide to making the most of it, from discounted spa treatments to mini dog racing and spotting bison. And if you’re excited about Antelope Island, you’ll love our journey to every park in Salt Lake County.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 Salt Lake community. For even more tips on how to make the most of March in Salt Lake, check out Hey Salt Lake’s take on what to do this month. City Cast Salt Lake is made possible by our awesome sponsors:The Shop, Salt Lake Brewing, Harmons, and Treefort Music Fest . We’re also powered by members, who enjoy an ad-free version of the show. Find out more about how to become a member of City Cast Salt Lake.Interested in advertising with City Cast? Check out our options.Reach us at saltlake@citycast.fm.

Feb 28, 2025 • 30min
Avenging Julia Reagan, Cold Plunge Coffee, Frog Eye Salad Nostalgia
Billboard queen Julia Reagan is making headlines again, as her husband seeks to avenge her death through a new lawsuit. Host Ali Vallarta and executive producer Emily Means discuss the details and consider the impacts of Utah’s nursing shortage. Plus, cold plunge coffee coming to Central City, a Jazzy take on a Utah classic, and unplugging your phone. Resources and references:
Julia Reagan, late matriarch of Utah billboard company, died due to hospital negligence, lawsuit alleges [Salt Lake Tribune]Become a member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we are around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm.Subscribe to Hey Salt Lake, our daily morning newsletter. You can also find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC.Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:
Inn at 500
Live Crude - Get $10 off your facial by mentioning this ad.

Feb 27, 2025 • 22min
Should Utah Manage Our National Parks?
Long lines already plague Utah’s national parks. Pile on the Trump administration’s cuts to park staff and funding, and you’ve got a recipe for a chaotic busy season. So, what’s the solution? Host Ali Vallarta asks Rep. Steve Eliason, R-Sandy, about his big idea for Utah to co-manage the Mighty Five.Related listening: Learn about Utah’s push to manage other federal lands. Become a member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we are around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm.Subscribe to Hey Salt Lake, our daily morning newsletter. You can also find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC.Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Inn at 500

Feb 26, 2025 • 29min
A Bandwagoner’s Guide to Utah Hockey Hype
Salt Lake City is hyped on the Utah Hockey Club’s inaugural season, with sold-out games and jerseys flying off the shelves. So now that Salt Lake is officially a hockey town, how will it change the city’s culture? COMMONS podcast host and journalist Arshy Mann joins host Ali Vallarta to break down what opportunities and baggage the NHL is bringing to town — like "bare-knuckle boxing on ice." This episode first aired Oct. 2, 2024.Resources and references Listen to COMMONS: Hockey from Canadaland.Become a member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we are around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm.Subscribe to Hey Salt Lake, our daily morning newsletter. You can also find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC.Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:
Inn at 500

Feb 25, 2025 • 34min
SLC Streets in Jeopardy? Aritzia in Utah, Hoops With City Cast
State lawmakers are scheming again, and this time they’re targeting SLC streets. Host Ali Vallarta and Emily Means discuss a bill that puts bike lanes and pedestrian promenades in jeopardy. Plus, Fashion Place Mall gets trendier, a great bill, and the Holy War this weekend. Related listening: Find out how state lawmakers want to police Salt Lake City. Become a member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we are around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm.Subscribe to Hey Salt Lake, our daily morning newsletter. You can also find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC.Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:
Live Crude - Get $10 off your first CRUDE purchase with promo code CITYCASTSLC.
Inn at 500

Feb 24, 2025 • 17min
Why SLC Bars Are Worried About Fake IDs
We gave SugarHouse Pub a hard time when they were shut down for serving minors at their bar. But now, we’re hearing there’s more to the story. Utah liquor lawyer Tanner Lenart joins host Ali Vallarta to talk about how fake IDs have gotten so good and what happens if you get caught with one.Background listening: What you need to know about what happened at Sugarhouse Pub. Become a member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we are around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm.Subscribe to Hey Salt Lake, our daily morning newsletter. You can also find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC.Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Inn at 500

Feb 21, 2025 • 28min
SLC's New Police Chief, 7th Best Capital City, New Central City Restaurant
What does SLC Mayor Mendenhall’s pick for police chief say about her vision for policing? Host Ali Vallarta and executive producer Emily Means discuss. Plus, an opportunity for parks lovers, and is Salt Lake really the 7th best capital city? Background: Last week, SLCPD Chief Mike Brown announced he was stepping down.Become a member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we are around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm.Subscribe to Hey Salt Lake, our daily morning newsletter. You can also find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC.Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:
Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST
Inn at 500
Live Crude - Get $10 off your facial by mentioning this ad.

Feb 20, 2025 • 20min
What To Do When Your Dog Dies
Salt Lake City has more households with dogs than children. We don't want to imagine life without our furry friends, but do you know what to do if your dog dies? Wendy Sorensen of Forever Loved Pets joins host Ali Vallarta to answer frequently asked questions about the next steps and how to prepare to say goodbye. Become a member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we are around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm.Subscribe to Hey Salt Lake, our daily morning newsletter. You can also find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC.Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:
Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST
Inn at 500

Feb 19, 2025 • 18min
What’s Next for Unions After Legislative Attacks?
Two huge union stories have dominated local news this year. Whether you picketed with the PC ski patrollers or protested Utah’s anti-union bill, the energy around organized labor is palpable. But it hasn’t always been that way. University of Utah labor historian Matt Basso joins host Ali Vallarta to explain the ebb and flow of union popularity through the years and what he thinks the future holds for workplaces.Required listening: Hear what an SLC firefighter has to say about the union bill. Become a member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we are around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm.Subscribe to Hey Salt Lake, our daily morning newsletter. You can also find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC.Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:
Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST
Inn at 500 in Boise, Idaho