

City Cast Salt Lake
City Cast
City Cast Salt Lake is SLC’s daily news podcast. Join host Ali Vallarta and a bevy of smart and entertaining locals for conversations about the issues that matter most. City Cast Salt Lake will celebrate the city’s triumphs, explore its history, (try to) solve its mysteries, and it’ll help you feel more connected to the Wasatch Front – whether you’ve lived here for six months or six generations. Learn more and subscribe to our daily newsletter at saltlake.citycast.fm.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Feb 24, 2023 • 28min
Medicaid for Doulas, Three Lawsuits, and a Flood of Nostalgia
You would think the NBA leaving town cooled things off in the city, but nope! There’s still plenty of news to go around. Lead producer Emily Means and host Ali Vallarta discuss legislation on doulas, break down three big lawsuits, and reminisce about the spring of 1983. Also –– text us at 801-203-013 or email us at saltlake@citycast.fm to share the Salt Lake natural events your parents talk about constantly.Listen to “Was Zhifan Dong’s Death Preventable?” by City Cast Salt Lake.Donate to the Silverado Fire Relief Fund.The very first dating app photo with a fish.Looking for something to do this weekend? Shovel your sidewalk, watch Utah Women’s Basketball take on Stanford, or see An American in Paris at the Utah Symphony.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.

Feb 23, 2023 • 16min
How to Midwife When the Rules Keep Changing
Utah lawmakers keep pushing for more restrictions on abortion. Plus, with a shortage of OBGYNs in this big-family state and high maternal mortality rates in the U.S. — especially for Black women — access to good reproductive health care is becoming increasingly important. Host Ali Vallarta talks with Jeelan Fall, a Black midwife in Salt Lake, about how Utah’s abortion bills impact her colleagues and patients and why representation in her field matters. 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.

Feb 22, 2023 • 15min
Taking Shaq’s Bait on Salt Lake’s Quiet Streets
NBA All-Star weekend has come and gone, and outside of the events, visitors saw a pretty quiet picture of the capital city. But if you look closely, you’ll find that there’s more to Salt Lake than its manicured streets. SLC poet RJ Walker explains why the magic of the city lies below the surface.This episode first aired Feb. 28, 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.

Feb 21, 2023 • 21min
How Two Bills Could Make Elections Weird
The 2023 Legislative Session has dropped some controversial bills in front of Utahns — and a slough of recent voting bills are no exception. Salt Lake Tribune columnist Robert Gehrke tells host Ali Vallarta why he’s calling these bills “anti-democratic” and why the people who always win would want to make it harder to vote.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.

Feb 17, 2023 • 24min
A Doozy Abortion Bill, Republicans vs. Police, Cars and Bars
We’re heading into a three-day weekend, but the Utah Legislature isn’t slowing down. Lead producer Emily Means joins host Ali Vallarta to break down the newly released abortion bill and an effort to disband Salt Lake County’s Unified Police Department. Plus, Ali gives an update on her dual missions to go car free and have one drink at every bar in Salt Lake County.Ali’s “Every Bar in SLCo” tracker!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.

Feb 16, 2023 • 20min
Is All-Star Weekend Ryan Smith’s Pageant?
NBA All-Star weekend is finally here, and billionaire Jazz owners Ryan and Ashley Smith are selling a very particular vision of Utah to the hundred thousand fans visiting Salt Lake City. Host Ali Vallarta asks Salt Lake Tribune Jazz beat reporter Andy Larsen if he thinks anyone will buy it. Plus, Andy gives some tips on enjoying the All Stars for under $50.Get your tickets to the NBA Celebrity Game.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.

Feb 15, 2023 • 22min
Why Aren’t These Vacant SLC Buildings Housing?
Have you ever stared down a vacant building in downtown Salt Lake City and thought, “Why isn’t this housing?” Host Ali Vallarta is obsessed with a few particular structures that would make great apartments or shelters, and she asks SLC Planning Director Nick Norris what it would take to make it happen.Take note of this map of NBA All Star Weekend road closures.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.

Feb 14, 2023 • 22min
Salt Lake’s Most Awkward Dates
Raise your hand if you’ve been the victim of a truly awkward date. On this Valentine’s Day, we stand in solidarity with our Salt Lake neighbors who have survived family reunions, monster hunters and people who look nothing like their dating app profile. Doug Fabrizio, host of KUER’s RadioWest, joins Ali Vallarta to relive the cringe of your most memorably strange dates. Sick of dating apps? University of Utah gender researcher Lisa Diamond shares her tips for making a connection.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.

Feb 13, 2023 • 19min
V Is for Valentine but Also for Virgin
The Brigham Young Virginity Club Instagram page claims to be a “Utah-based club dedicated to preserving and promoting Virginity on college campuses.” And they’re very clear that they have “no affiliation with Brigham Young University.”But is it satire? Host Ali Vallarta and two former BYU students, Cassie Bingham and Shelby Hintze, talk about if the page is a productive way of discussing purity culture and whether everyone is in on the joke.This episode first aired Aug. 8, 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.

Feb 10, 2023 • 27min
Shelter Funding, Pickled Birds, and Galentine's Recs
A big headline hit the streets of Salt Lake City this week: “Plan seeks to keep homeless off Salt Lake streets during NBA All-Star Weekend.” Lead producer Emily Means joins host Ali Vallarta to unpack that story, plus some news about the Great Salt Lake.Volunteer for Project Homeless Connect on March 24. 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.


