
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

Mar 10, 2025 • 23min
How LDS Culture Shapes Utah’s Beauty Standard
Utah is gaining national notoriety for our beauty standard. You know it, you can picture it, because it’s literally on our billboards. Ex-Mormon author and content creator Alyssa Grenfell joins host Ali Vallarta to give her theories on its origins and what it would take to change the culture around beauty. Related listening: Utahns' Quiet Obsession With Med Spas [City Cast 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 are around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm.Subscribe to Hey Salt Lake, 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:
ICO
Salt Lake Bees
Treefort Music Fest
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Mar 7, 2025 • 33min
A Plan for the Sizzler! Unions Fight Back, Spring Forward
Utah unions are gearing up for a fight against a new controversial law. Host Ali Vallarta and executive producer Emily Means discuss the details and how you can get involved — if you want. Plus, a plan for the old Sizzler at Sugarhouse Park, daylight saving weekend, and a mystery $14 million donation. Resources and references:
SLC's New Police Chief, 7th Best Capital City, New Central City Restaurant [City Cast Salt Lake]
Boutique hotel, rooftop bar and restaurant in the works at old Sugar House Sizzler site [Building Salt Lake]
Utah unions will attempt to repeal HB267 ban on collective bargaining for public workers [Salt Lake Tribune]
Volunteer opportunity to collect signatures for the referendum.
Become a member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we are around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm.Subscribe to Hey Salt Lake, 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
Salt Lake Brewing
Harmons
Treefort Music Fest
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Workshopslc.com - use code CITYCAST for 20% off.
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Mar 6, 2025 • 22min
Is Flying From SLC Airport Still Safe?
Harrowing footage of commercial planes nearly colliding or landing belly up have made flying even more anxiety-inducing. Director of airport operations Treber Andersen, tells host Ali Vallarta about SLC International’s emergency plan and the Swiss cheese analogy of safety.Related listening: What would it take to make SLC International a world-class airport? Become a member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we are around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm.Subscribe to Hey Salt Lake, 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
Salt Lake Brewing
Harmons
Treefort Music Fest
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 5, 2025 • 28min
National Parks a Mess? Try These Lookalikes.
April and May are the best months to visit Utah’s five national parks, but the firing crisis might get in the way of a good time. Host Ali Vallarta and outdoor enthusiast Shireen Ghorbani create lookalike itineraries for each of the Mighty Five, promising a stress-free time with similar views.Become a member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we are around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm.Subscribe to Hey Salt Lake, 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
Salt Lake Brewing
Harmons
Treefort Music Fest
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 4, 2025 • 35min
Fluoride-Free SLC? Utahns & God, Neighborhood Bars
How many Utahns believe in God these days? Host Ali Vallarta and executive producer Emily Means find religious showdowns in the SLC skyline. Plus, thrilling game wins, new liquor laws, and farewell fluoride?Resources and references:
Fluoride will be banned from Utah’s water supplies — but only if Cox signs this bill [Salt Lake Tribune]
Survey shows Utah’s religious landscape is slightly different than you might guess [Deseret News]
City Creek: A Mall With a Vision [City Cast 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 are around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm.Subscribe to Hey Salt Lake, 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
Salt Lake Brewing
Harmons
Treefort Music Fest
Live Crude - Get $10 off your first CRUDE purchase with promo code CITYCASTSLC.
Workshopslc.com - use code CITYCAST for 20% off.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 3, 2025 • 31min
Your Guide to March 2025 in Salt Lake
Whether you think it’s winter or spring (controversial), March will keep you busy in Salt Lake City! Host Ali Vallarta, newsletter editor Terina Ria, and producer Ivana Martinez bring you a guide to making the most of it, from discounted spa treatments to mini dog racing and spotting bison. And if you’re excited about Antelope Island, you’ll love our journey to every park in Salt Lake County.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 March 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:The Shop, Salt Lake Brewing, Harmons, and Treefort Music Fest . We’re also powered by 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

Feb 28, 2025 • 32min
Avenging Julia Reagan, Cold Plunge Coffee, Frog Eye Salad Nostalgia
Billboard queen Julia Reagan is making headlines again, as her husband seeks to avenge her death through a new lawsuit. Host Ali Vallarta and executive producer Emily Means discuss the details and consider the impacts of Utah’s nursing shortage. Plus, cold plunge coffee coming to Central City, a Jazzy take on a Utah classic, and unplugging your phone. Resources and references:
Julia Reagan, late matriarch of Utah billboard company, died due to hospital negligence, lawsuit alleges [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 are around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm.Subscribe to Hey Salt Lake, 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:
Inn at 500
Live Crude - Get $10 off your facial by mentioning this ad.
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Feb 27, 2025 • 23min
Should Utah Manage Our National Parks?
Long lines already plague Utah’s national parks. Pile on the Trump administration’s cuts to park staff and funding, and you’ve got a recipe for a chaotic busy season. So, what’s the solution? Host Ali Vallarta asks Rep. Steve Eliason, R-Sandy, about his big idea for Utah to co-manage the Mighty Five.Related listening: Learn about Utah’s push to manage other federal lands. Become a member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we are around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm.Subscribe to Hey Salt Lake, 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: Inn at 500 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 26, 2025 • 30min
A Bandwagoner’s Guide to Utah Hockey Hype
Salt Lake City is hyped on the Utah Hockey Club’s inaugural season, with sold-out games and jerseys flying off the shelves. So now that Salt Lake is officially a hockey town, how will it change the city’s culture? COMMONS podcast host and journalist Arshy Mann joins host Ali Vallarta to break down what opportunities and baggage the NHL is bringing to town — like "bare-knuckle boxing on ice." This episode first aired Oct. 2, 2024.Resources and references Listen to COMMONS: Hockey from Canadaland.Become a member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we are around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm.Subscribe to Hey Salt Lake, 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:
Inn at 500 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 25, 2025 • 36min
SLC Streets in Jeopardy? Aritzia in Utah, Hoops With City Cast
State lawmakers are scheming again, and this time they’re targeting SLC streets. Host Ali Vallarta and Emily Means discuss a bill that puts bike lanes and pedestrian promenades in jeopardy. Plus, Fashion Place Mall gets trendier, a great bill, and the Holy War this weekend. Related listening: Find out how state lawmakers want to police Salt Lake City. Become a member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we are around for years to come. Get all the details and sign up at membership.citycast.fm.Subscribe to Hey Salt Lake, 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:
Live Crude - Get $10 off your first CRUDE purchase with promo code CITYCASTSLC.
Inn at 500
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices