
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

Sep 11, 2024 • 32min
Hospital Beds Lag, New Liquor Lobbyists, Redwood Road Glow-Up
One side effect of Utah’s growth? Not enough hospital beds. Executive producer Emily Means and host Ali Vallarta discuss the problem and possible solutions. Plus, a new drinking group wants a seat at the legislature’s table, a delicious cocktail competition, and Redwood Road gets a safety glow-up. Resources and references:
Utah has the third lowest rate of hospital beds in the nation. Here’s why. [Salt Lake Tribune]
New group seeks to advocate for 'everyday, responsible Utah drinkers' on Capitol Hill [Fox 13]
Take the SAFER Utah survey
Consider becoming a founding 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:
Salt Lake City Corporation
Hale Centre Theatre
Zoo, Arts, and Parks Reauthorization and Preservation Committee
Avenue Street Fair
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Sep 10, 2024 • 26min
What Constitutional Amendment D Actually Does
The November election is two months out, and we just got language for a big question on our ballots. Are Utah’s Republican leaders trying to mislead voters on Constitutional Amendment D? Salt Lake Tribune columnist Robert Gehrke joins host Ali Vallarta to separate fact from fiction.For more background on how we got here, listen to “Fall Ballots Just Got Juicier, SLC Housewives Return, and Local Jimmy Buffett” by City Cast Salt Lake.Consider becoming a founding 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:
Embodied Patience
Live Crude - Get $25 off your facial by mentioning this ad.
Salt Lake City Corporation
Hale Centre Theatre
Zoo, Arts, and Parks Reauthorization and Preservation Committee
Avenue Street Fair
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 9, 2024 • 29min
What Should a City Be Responsible For?
There’s a lot to learn from the 23 cities and towns in Salt Lake County; what ideas are worth stealing? Today, host Ali Vallarta asks Riverton Mayor Trent Staggs how he’s tackling the needs of his fast-growing community in the southwest corner of the valley.Plus, what ideas does Millcreek have to offer?Consider becoming a founding 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:
Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST
Salt Lake City Corporation
Hale Centre Theatre
Zoo, Arts, and Parks Reauthorization and Preservation Committee
Avenues Street Fair
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 6, 2024 • 30min
Emergency Jordan River Trail Closure, New GSL Water, $20 Halloween Costumes
The Utah State Fairpark has fenced off a part of the Jordan River Trail in Salt Lake City, as the State Fair opens this week. Host Ali Vallarta and executive producer Emily Means dig into the closure and the tense response by SLC Council members. Plus, the Great Salt Lake gets a major donation, Halloween costume gems, and dinosaurs in concert. Resources and references:
Could Utah Republicans Fix School Lunch Debt? [City Cast Salt Lake]
Operation Jordan River? Sounds Familiar. [City Cast Salt Lake]
A major water donation for the Great Salt Lake [Great Salt Lake Collaborative]
Utah Opera’s costume department sale is Saturday, Sept. 7 at 10 a.m.
Get tickets to Jurassic Park in concert, Sept. 13 and 14 at 7 p.m.
Consider becoming a founding 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:
Embodied Patience
Live Crude - Get $25 off your facial by mentioning this ad.
Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 5, 2024 • 28min
How LDS Suspicion Carves Our Neighborhoods
Even if you’re new to the state, you’ve probably noticed what one scholar calls “the defining feature of Utah cultural life” — the divide between members and non-members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Salt Lake Tribune religion reporter Tamarra Kemsley talks to host Ali Vallarta about how the divide creates riffs in Salt Lake neighborhoods.Check out Tamarra’s series on the LDS/non-LDS divide.Consider becoming a founding 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:
Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 4, 2024 • 31min
Electric Bill Hikes, Greek Town Opportunities, Local Movie Captions
Salt Lake City has big plans for getting Japantown back, but what about Greek Town? Executive producer Emily Means and host Ali Vallarta dive into the drama and opportunities around a proposal to redevelop the area. Plus, here’s how much your energy bill could go up, and local tips for ghost town explorers and moviegoers.Resources and references:
As SLC looks to revitalize Japantown, the question arises: What about Greek Town? [Salt Lake Tribune]
How We Get Japantown Back [City Cast Salt Lake]
Rocky Mountain Power lowers its rate increase proposal to 18.1%, down from 30.5% [Utah News Dispatch]
Why Your Electric Bill Might Go Up [City Cast Salt Lake]
How to balance safety vs. adventure at Utah's ghost towns and abandoned mines [Axios]
Consider becoming a founding 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:
Babbel - Get up to 60% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sep 3, 2024 • 27min
Your Guide to September in Salt Lake
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. September marks Salt Lake’s first taste of fall, and we’re diving right in. Host Ali Vallarta, executive producer Emily Means, and producer Ivana Martinez bring you a guide to making the most of the month, from maximizing your time outdoors, to trying a new wine bar, and dancing at the symphony. Plus, if you head to one of the Bees’ final baseball games at Smith’s Ballpark, don’t miss our episode on what the future holds for the stadium. For even more tips on how to make the most of September in Salt Lake, check out Hey Salt Lake’s take on what to do this month. City Cast Salt Lake’s guide to September is made possible by our awesome sponsors: Live Crude, Babbel and Embodied Patience.We are 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

Aug 30, 2024 • 33min
Who’s To Blame for Homeless Plans? New E-Bike Vouchers, One Less Block Party
The temps are cooling down, but city leaders are getting heated about plans to house unsheltered Utahns this winter. Executive producer Emily Means and host Ali Vallarta break down what’s on (and who is at) the table. Plus, more e-bike credits on the way, fermenting at the farmers market, and Salt Lake events struggle with revenue. Resources and references:
As winter looms and homeless shelter capacity strains, Utah leaders ask: Will we be ready? [Utah News Dispatch]
South Salt Lake officials express frustration, but recognize need for proposed family shelter [KSL]
Consider becoming a founding 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:
The Shop
Utah Department of Health and Human Services
Embodied Patience
Live Crude - Get $25 off your facial by mentioning this ad.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 29, 2024 • 26min
The Best Game Day Experiences in Salt Lake
College football kicks off this weekend, with the Utah Utes’ home opener on Thursday. Whether you’re a superfan or a casual observer, you may be wondering: Where the heck can I have the most fun watching sports in this city? Salt Lake Tribune sports reporter Andy Larsen and host Ali Vallarta name the best sports bars and restaurants, speculate on what’s missing from the scene, and share stadium recs — so you, too, can enjoy all Sports Lake City has to offer.Consider becoming a founding 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:
The Shop
Utah Department of Health and Human Services
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 28, 2024 • 27min
Does Utah’s Public Lands Story Hold Up?
It’s no secret that Utah Republican leaders take issue with the federal government’s ownership of nearly 70% of land in our state. Now, they’re making it the U.S. Supreme Court’s problem, with a lawsuit to gain control of “unappropriated” public lands. Kate Groetzinger, communications manager for the Center for Western Priorities, joins host Ali Vallarta to give important context for the case and debunk one folksy ad about camping. Watch Utah’s “Stand for our Land” ad.Consider becoming a founding 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:
The Shop
Utah Department of Health and Human Services
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices