

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

May 3, 2023 • 19min
Who Waters Salt Lake’s Urban Forest?
Salt Lakers love our urban forest. Over the past few years, the City has added thousands of trees to our landscape, largely due to an initiative by Mayor Erin Mendenhall. But who’s watering all these trees? Lead producer Emily Means puts on her reporter hat and joins host Ali Vallarta to dig into the challenges and opportunities of the city’s tree-planting efforts.Check out the Tree Equity Score map.Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC and Twitter @CityCastSLC.Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.

May 2, 2023 • 23min
Yes, Utah Has Bears. How Worried Should You Be?
Spring has arrived in Salt Lake City, so it’s time to say “good morning” to our black bear neighbors. Oh, you didn’t know we have bears in Utah? Join the club. Wes and Jeff Larson of the Tooth and Claw podcast join host Ali Vallarta to share their tips for handling an encounter with a black bear and their personal stories about their research run-ins. What to do if you meet a mountain lion.Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC and Twitter @CityCastSLC.Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.

May 1, 2023 • 18min
How To Enjoy Salt Lake’s Slow Sundays
You may have heard there’s nothing to do on Sundays in Salt Lake, due to the cultural influence of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But that’s only kind of true! Hey Salt Lake newsletter editor Terina Ria joins host Ali Vallarta to open your mind to embracing slower Sundays, including brunch recommendations for every vibe. Plus, we have tips for buying liquor on a Sunday.Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC and Twitter @CityCastSLC.Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.

Apr 28, 2023 • 24min
Manifesting Lifeguards, Unionizing the Library, and Homelessness Q&A
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall hosted an “Ask Me Anything” on homelessness this week. Lead producer Emily Means joins host Ali Vallarta to talk about their takeaways. Plus, Salt Lake City Public Library staff file their intent to unionize. And with 80-degree temps on the horizon, Ali and Emily share what they’re manifesting this summer.Listen to our interviews with SLC Mayor Erin Mendenhall and candidates Rocky Anderson and Michael Valentine about the city’s approach to homelessness.Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC and Twitter @CityCastSLC.Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.

Apr 27, 2023 • 18min
Salt Lake’s Sexiest Salads for Spring
There are few people in this world who feel a fiery passion for salads: Michelle Obama, rabbits and our very own Shireen Ghorbani. Shireen, a community health director for Intermountain Healthcare and greens enthusiast, joins host Ali Vallarta to make her defense about why salads are sexy meals and the best spots in Salt Lake to grab a bite — or a fistful.This episode originally aired on Dec. 6, 2022.Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC and Twitter @CityCastSLC.Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.

Apr 26, 2023 • 21min
3 Years After Protests, What Has SLC’s Policing Commission Done?
In the summer of 2020, protestors took to the streets calling for an end to racism in policing. Salt Lake City responded by establishing the Racial Equity in Policing Commission. Almost three years later, host Ali Vallarta asks outgoing chair Nicole Salazar-Hall what the commission has accomplished — and how it squares with their initial goals.Apply for Salt Lake’s Racial Equity in Policing Commission.Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC and Twitter @CityCastSLC.Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.

Apr 25, 2023 • 23min
Change Our Minds: Salt Lake’s Olympic Bid
Salt Lake City and Utah leaders — and frankly, most Utahns — are super hyped on the prospect of bringing another Olympics to our state. But not all SLC residents are convinced we need a do-over of the ‘02 games — including host Ali Vallarta. Catherine Raney-Norman, a four-time Olympian and chair of the Salt Lake City-Utah Committee for the Games, makes her case for bringing the Olympic dream back to our city.Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC and Twitter @CityCastSLC.Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.

Apr 24, 2023 • 19min
Getting Around Salt Lake Like a Local
Salt Lake’s big transportation play is our grid system, but despite its simplicity, it can be tough to master. Sweet Streets board member Johnnae Nardone shares her best tips for reaching corners of our city in everything but a car. Plus, she makes the case for the bus over the minivan.Listen to What Makes the 999 So Magical? by City Cast Salt Lake. Check out our tips for going car-less.Salt Lake City residents get a discounted UTA pass.Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC and Twitter @CityCastSLC.Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.

Apr 21, 2023 • 29min
Is Crumbl Good? What’s Mud Rain? And Why Are Ponds?
The New York Times recently posed a big question: Are Crumbl cookies any good? Lead producer Emily Means and host Ali Vallarta dare to answer. Plus, they break down the week’s top stories, from mud rain to a pond’s purpose. Watch out for road closures during the Salt Lake City Marathon.Please send Ali your best bike lock recommendations at saltlake@citycast.fm or by texting 801-203-0137.Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC and Twitter @CityCastSLC.Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.

Apr 20, 2023 • 14min
How's Utah's Medical Cannabis Program Doing?
Happy holidaze! It’s been three years since Utah’s medical cannabis program launched. As City Weekly’s annual 420 issue hits the stands, news editor Benjamin Wood joins host Ali Vallarta to give an update on medical card distribution and a vibe check on the future of legal cannabis in Utah.Read City Weekly’s reporting on Utah’s medical cannabis program. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC and Twitter @CityCastSLC.Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.