
City Cast Salt Lake
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.
Latest episodes

Nov 6, 2024 • 30min
How Salt Lake Voted So Far
Early election results are in. Salt Lake Tribune news columnist Robert Gehrke joins host Ali Vallarta to break down how Utahns voted, from the governor’s race to Salt Lake County candidates and big ballot questions. Plus, our biggest takeaways from this election cycle. Check out the most up-to-date election results. Become a member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we’re around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm.Subscribe to our Hey Salt Lake, 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
Utah Arts Alliance
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 5, 2024 • 32min
Election Expectations, Homeless Accountability, Non-Alcoholic Spirits
It’s Election Day! Executive producer Emily Means and host Ali Vallarta have everything you need to know, from voting options to when to expect local results. Plus, the Utah Homelessness Services chair threatens SLC’s funding, local non-alcoholic spirits, and the candidates who wouldn’t go on the record. Wait till the last minute to vote? Check out our guide on everything you need to know.Become a member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we’re around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm.Subscribe to 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:
Zoo, Arts, and Parks Reauthorization and Preservation Committee
Vote.utah.gov
The Shop
Utah Arts Alliance
Embodied Patience
Live Crude - Get $25 off your facial by mentioning this ad.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 4, 2024 • 29min
Will LDS Voters Keep Showing Up For Trump?
For the first time in years, Republicans are having to court Latter-day Saints, trying to sell them on voting for former President Donald Trump. McKay Coppins, staff writer for The Atlantic, joins executive producer Emily Means to discuss if the Trump campaign’s tactics are working and whether LDS voters will turn Utah purple. Read McKay’s reporting, “The Comically Terrible Rollout of Latter-day Saints for Trump.”Become a member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we’re around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm.Subscribe to 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:
Zoo, Arts, and Parks Reauthorization and Preservation Committee
Vote.utah.gov
The Shop
Utah Arts Alliance
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 3, 2024 • 25min
The Four Cities That Could Decide the Election
This week we’ll be sharing results from our local elections and discussing what they mean for Salt Lake. But we can’t help but wonder… what’s going on with our City Cast colleagues in swing states? As America white-knuckles its way into one of the closest presidential elections in modern history, City Cast CEO David Plotz sits down with the hosts of our shows in swing state cities: Madison, Philly, Pittsburgh, and Las Vegas. In this special episode, our crew of hosts gives you a locals’ look inside how their cities are preparing for the presidential election and its aftermath. From a peek inside the Pennsylvania election warehouse where mail-in ballots will be counted, to a glimpse at how Dane County, Wisconsin’s early voting is going, you’re invited to hear what the swing states are talking about…with each other. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nov 1, 2024 • 38min
Ballot Boxes on Fire, SLC Street Safety, Cow Cuddles
The election is next week, and the vibes in SLC are … intense. Host Ali Vallarta and executive producer Emily Means give a rundown of how local officials are securing your vote amid recent ballot box fires in other states. Plus, SLC’s Vision Zero progress, cuddling emo cows, and local sparkling sake. Check out our guide to November in 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’re around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm.Subscribe to 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:
Zoo, Arts, and Parks Reauthorization and Preservation Committee
Wasatch Food Co-op
BetterHelp - get 10% off at betterhelp.com/CITYCAST
Vote.utah.gov
Embodied Patience
Live Crude - Get $25 off your facial by mentioning this ad.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 31, 2024 • 25min
Is SLC’s Anti-Displacement Plan Working?
More than half of Salt Lake City households rent, which means most of us are at the whim of our landlords. Scary! Ruedi Matthes, policy manager for SLC’s Community and Neighborhoods Department, joins executive producer Emily Means to talk about new resources to help tenants and how we’ll know if the city’s anti-displacement plan is working. What else should renters know? Listen to our show about SLC’s renters rights. Become a member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we’re around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm.Subscribe to 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:
Zoo, Arts, and Parks Reauthorization and Preservation Committee
Wasatch Food Co-op
BetterHelp - get 10% off at betterhelp.com/CITYCAST
Vote.utah.gov
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 30, 2024 • 26min
Your Guide to November 2024 in Salt Lake
November is a great month to lean into comfort as we brace for winter. Host Ali Vallarta, producer Ivana Martinez, and Hey Salt Lake newsletter editor Terina Ria bring you a guide to what to expect and how to make the most of this month, from late-night hot pot to painting workshops. Plus, if you’re looking for more cozy food recs, don’t miss our episode on fall restaurants to eat at now.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 November 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, Zoo, Arts, and Parks Reauthorization and Preservation Committee, Wasatch Food Co-op, BetterHelp, and Vote.utah.gov.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 Salt Lake.Interested in advertising with City Cast? Check out our options.Reach us at saltlake@citycast.fm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 29, 2024 • 29min
Demystifying SLC’s Fentanyl Crisis
Utah just launched a new task force to tackle the headline-grabbing fentanyl crisis. Mackenzie Bray, Salt Lake Harm Reduction Project executive director, joins executive producer Emily Means to set the record straight on common misconceptions and suggest other tools for curbing the problem.Be a good neighbor, and learn how to identify and reverse an overdose using naloxone. Become a member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we’re around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm.Subscribe to 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:
Zoo, Arts, and Parks Reauthorization and Preservation Committee
Wasatch Food Co-op
BetterHelp - get 10% off at betterhelp.com/CITYCAST
Vote.utah.gov
Embodied Patience
Live Crude - Get $25 off your facial by mentioning this ad.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 28, 2024 • 30min
Lots of Plans To Fix the Jordan River. Will They Work?
What will it take for the Jordan River corridor to reach its potential in Salt Lake City and beyond? In the final installment of our partnership with the Salt Lake Tribune, Westside reporter Jose Davila IV joins executive producer Emily Means to talk about how new projects could shape the future of the Jordan River and those who use it. Read the final story in Jose’s reporting series, and listen to our previous episodes on the current state of the trail in Salt Lake City and why it’s different in the suburbs. Photo: Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake TribuneBecome a member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we’re around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm.Subscribe to 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:
Zoo, Arts, and Parks Reauthorization and Preservation Committee
ICO
Vote.utah.gov
Stein Eriksen Lodge
Sugar House Chamber of Commerce
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 25, 2024 • 35min
MLB District but No Team? Uncompetitive Elections, Airport Dino Bones
The Major League Baseball development on SLC’s Westside just passed its first hurdle, but what are the odds the city actually gets a team? Executive producer Emily Means and Salt Lake Tribune reporter Andy Larsen talk about what’s in store for the new district. Plus, a quarter of legislative House races have already been decided, a classic burger joint, and Ally the Airport Allosaurus.Resources and references:
Utah Legislature elections: 1 in 4 House races have already been decided [Utah News Dispatch]
Visit These Sugar House Businesses [Hey 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’re around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm.Subscribe to 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:
Zoo, Arts, and Parks Reauthorization and Preservation Committee
ICO
Vote.utah.gov
Stein Eriksen Lodge
Sugar House Chamber of Commerce
Embodied Patience
Live Crude - Get $25 off your facial by mentioning this ad.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices