

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 9, 2023 • 19min
What One Teen Thinks About Utah’s Anti-Trans Bills
Lawmakers made passing bills that impact young transgender people an early priority this legislative session. Adults spoke out on both sides of the debate around health care and gender identity. But what are kids thinking? Oliver Sharp, a 17-year-old trans person, shares his story with host Ali Vallarta.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 8, 2023 • 20min
Who Decides What’s a Neighborhood?
A few weeks ago we published a neighborhood guide to Sugar House in our newsletter, and the feedback sparked a debate. Were those shops and restaurants really in Sugar House? Building Salt Lake editor Taylor Anderson joins host Ali Vallarta to explain why neighborhood boundaries matter so much and why you should care. Listen to our episode explaining the proposed I-15 expansion.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 7, 2023 • 17min
How Serious are Lawmakers About Saving the Great Salt Lake?
Last week was Water Week at the Utah Legislature. So, did lawmakers save the Great Salt Lake? Salt Lake Tribune water reporter Leia Larsen breaks down the proposals and explains what else is in store for our namesake.Learn about the EPA’s reconsideration of air quality standards and submit a Salt Lake air quality comment. 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 6, 2023 • 14min
A Hater’s Guide to Salt Lake
We all love our city, but nobody’s perfect! Host Ali Vallarta asks Kendall Rodriguez, a.k.a. @queenofslc, for the best Salt Lake spots to take your enemies. Buckle in, haters.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 3, 2023 • 26min
Car Lots v. Housing, Making a Downtown, and SoSaLa Who?
We love our neighbors in South Salt Lake. Sometimes, we even think about annexing them. But it’s a city in its own right, with big city problems and opportunities! South Salt Lake City Councilmember Natalie Pinkney joins host Ali Vallarta to talk about a development dilemma, building out a downtown and trying to make SoSaLa happen.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 2, 2023 • 18min
Can a Groundhog Grant Utah More Winter?
As Salt Lakers, we love winter — but how much do we have left? It’s Groundhog Day, and every Feb. 2, Punxsutawney Phil sits on his stump in Pennsylvania and predicts the weather. If he doesn’t see his shadow, that means an early spring. Today we’re passing the mic to our colleagues at City Cast Philly and City Cast Pittsburgh to find out if Phil is a scammer or if there’s some truth to the tradition. 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 1, 2023 • 15min
How Would Salt Lake Fare in a Recession?
There’s much talk about how Utah is well-poised for a recession, but how can that be true when veteran tech companies are laying our friends off and some of our favorite local businesses have had to close? Host Ali Vallarta asks Natalie Gochnour, director of the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute, for some clarity.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.

Jan 31, 2023 • 22min
The Ripple Effect of Utah's New Voucher Law
There’s a wave of “school choice” bills hitting red states across the country, and Gov. Spencer Cox has just signed Utah’s very own. Public education advocate and 6th grade teacher John Arthur joins host Ali Vallarta to explain what it means for the future of public schools and why everyone should care — even if you don’t have kids. 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.

Jan 30, 2023 • 18min
Why Are Squirrels Taking Over the City?
In 2011, Salt Lakers got some new neighbors: Eastern Fox Squirrels. Now, the Natural History Museum of Utah and a City Cast Salt Lake listener are asking if they can actually thrive here! We got answers from NHMU’s Citizen Science Manager Ellen Eiriksson.Submit your fox squirrel and firefly sightings.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.

Jan 27, 2023 • 32min
SLC's Report Card, Ballpark’s $100 Million, and Sundance’s White Claw Showdown
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall graded the city’s performance this week. Would lead producer Emily Means and host Ali Vallarta also give it an “A?” Plus, Sundance rages on despite a setback from the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services, and we announce the nominees for the “Oscars of Food.”Here is our episode on the Rio Grande Plan [16-min listen].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.


