
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

Oct 24, 2024 • 24min
Is South Salt Lake SLC’s Cooler, Younger Sister?
South Salt Lake is trying to create a vibrant downtown, but at this point, you might just know it for its drive-thrus. Host Ali Vallarta asks South Salt Lake Mayor Cherie Wood about how the city is growing up and what ideas she has worth stealing.Listen to our previous conversations with Millcreek Mayor Jeff Silvestrini and Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs about their big ideas. 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
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 23, 2024 • 24min
Utah’s Halloween Obsession, Explained
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, when our famously mild-mannered and street-swept suburbs absolutely rock out for Halloween. Twelve-foot-tall skeletons grace Sugar House neighborhoods, Daybreak is a haunting wonderland, and Utahns are hyped for scary season. Deseret News features writer Meg Walter joins host Ali Vallarta to explain why Utah goes so hard for Halloween.This episode originally aired Oct. 26, 2023.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
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 22, 2024 • 28min
Should You Still Vote on Amendments A & D? SLC Council Op-Ed, and RSL Tailgating
The Salt Lake City Council tries to explain their vote to increase our sales tax in support of the new downtown sports district, but did they convince anyone? Executive producer Emily Means and producer Ivana Martinez analyze their defense and ask if they’re rewriting history. Plus, we answer your ballot questions, an Election Day movie deal, and Real Salt Lake tailgating. Resources and references:
Salt Lake City Council: We didn’t just make a deal for a sports arena, we invested in lasting public benefits for a vibrant downtown [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’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
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Oct 21, 2024 • 24min
Why Is the Jordan River So Much Nicer in the Suburbs?
The Jordan River Trail has a bad reputation in Salt Lake City, but in the suburbs it’s an oasis for recreation. Salt Lake Tribune Westside reporter Jose Davila IV joins executive producer Emily Means to talk about how the river serves as a refuge for residents and what it would take to align SLC’s experience with the rest of Salt Lake County.Read the second story in Jose’s reporting series, and listen to our previous episode on the current state of the trail in Salt Lake City.Photo: Francisco Kjolseth/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 18, 2024 • 29min
I-15 Officially Expanding, Election Security Qs, and Award-Winning Toilets
It’s official: I-15 from Farmington to SLC is getting bigger. Executive producer Emily Means and KUER assistant news director Caroline Ballard break down the plan and its impacts to residents. Plus, ballots hit mailboxes this week, election pub trivia, and an outstanding restroom experience in SLC.Resources and references:
Check out voter information breakdown and election coverage
Audit finds errors with nomination signatures but candidates still qualify [KUER]
KUER Connects: 2024 Ballot Trivia Night
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
Nightmare on 13th
Embodied Patience
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Oct 17, 2024 • 42min
The Local Stories About To Be National
Back by popular demand, City Cast CEO David Plotz sits down with hosts from across the country to talk about what stories they're watching in their hometowns that are likely to impact yours too. Hear from Salt Lake's own Ali Vallarta along with hosts from our daily local shows in Austin, Boise, Chicago, D.C., and Pittsburgh.City Cast is now in 13 cities across the country! Joining our member community is the best way to support what we do. Get all the details and sign up here.Looking to advertise on City Cast? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:
Zoo, Arts, and Parks Reauthorization and Preservation Committee
Vote.utah.gov
Nightmare on 13th
Dr. Alexis Chiropractor - enjoy your first visit for just $60 (normally $210!)
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 16, 2024 • 37min
The Biggest ‘Huh?’ Moments From Our Candidate Interviews
Salt Lake voters have a stacked ballot this year, but two races representing 1.2 million people have our attention. Host Ali Vallarta and executive producer Emily Means break down our interviews with the Salt Lake County mayoral candidates and at-large council contenders, and share the moments that made us go, “huh?”Find all of our candidate interviews — with transcripts! — on our elections page. 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
Nightmare on 13th
Dr. Alexis Chiropractor - enjoy your first visit for just $60 (normally $210!)
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 15, 2024 • 27min
SLC’s Jordan River Problem and How We Got Here
The section of the Jordan River Trail in Salt Lake City is more of a liability than an asset these days, especially for Westside residents. Salt Lake Tribune reporter Jose Davila IV tells host Ali Vallarta how we got here and what solutions are on the table. This is the first installment in a three-part series on the Jordan River, a partnership between City Cast Salt Lake and the Salt Lake Tribune.Read the first story in Jose’s reporting series.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 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
Nightmare on 13th
Embodied Patience
Live Crude - Get $25 off your facial by mentioning this ad.
Dr. Alexis Chiropractor - enjoy your first visit for just $60 (normally $210)
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 11, 2024 • 33min
30-Acre Homeless Campus, ‘A’ Votes Don’t Count, Blanket Company Wars?
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. Another thing on your ballot is void! Host Ali Vallarta and executive producer Emily Means break down Amendment A’s journey to the trash. Plus, a 1,200-bed homeless campus, new roundabout at the capitol, and potential “blanket war.” Resources and references:
Amendment A voided by court so votes on it won't count [Fox 13]
Utah bucks homeless resource center model, will build a new centralized shelter [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’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
The Shop
Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST
Vote.utah.gov
Nightmare on 13th
Embodied Patience
Live Crude - Get $25 off your facial by mentioning this ad.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oct 10, 2024 • 24min
On Your Ballot: Natalie Pinkney’s Bid for SLCo Council
The race is on for an open seat on the Salt Lake County Council! Host Ali Vallarta asks Democratic candidate Natalie Pinkney about her plans for homelessness, affordable housing, and criminal justice. Listen to our interview with Natalie’s opponent, Republican candidate Rachelle Morris.Scroll down to read the transcript of our interview with Natalie Pinkney.Learn more about Salt Lake County’s new homelessness plan.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
The Shop
Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST
Vote.utah.gov
Nightmare on 13th
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices