

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

Oct 31, 2024 • 23min
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

Oct 30, 2024 • 24min
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.

Oct 29, 2024 • 25min
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.

Oct 28, 2024 • 28min
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

Oct 25, 2024 • 32min
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.

Oct 24, 2024 • 22min
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

Oct 23, 2024 • 22min
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

Oct 22, 2024 • 25min
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
Live Crude - Get $25 off your facial by mentioning this ad.

Oct 21, 2024 • 22min
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

Oct 18, 2024 • 27min
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
Live Crude - Get $25 off your facial by mentioning this ad.
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