City Cast DC

City Cast DC

City Cast DC is the daily, local audio companion you knew DC needed.. Washingtonians are deeply passionate about our city, whose story is still being written, and City Cast DC is here to tell it. Every weekday morning, our hosts Michael Schaffer and Bridget Todd will engage people from all over the eight wards in conversation about DC’s crises and its beauty, both literal and figurative. It’ll have the feel of eavesdropping on an energetic and informative coffee shop chat, except that with City Cast DC, consider this your official invitation to listen in. Learn more and subscribe to our daily newsletter at dc.citycast.fm.

Episodes

Bowser’s Time As Mayor Is Over. What's Her Legacy? And Who'll Replace Her?

November 25, 2025 • 43 mins
Muriel Bowser has announced that she’s going to hang it up after 12 years in office. What happens now? And what should we make of the decade-plus that Herronner has spent dominating DC politics? City Cast’s Michael Schaffer, Bridget Todd and WAMU’s Alex Koma explain every juicy detail.  Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can text us or leave a voicemail at: (202) 642-2654. Yo...
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$5 Snacks, Cemetery Dog Parks, and Other Niche DC Things to Be Thankful For

November 25, 2025 • 26 mins
Thanksgiving is here! And we’re thankful, seriously and unseriously, about a whole bunch of things. The CCDC gang chat about what this Thanksgiving means for them and all the things we’re thanking DC for. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can text us or leave a voicemail at: (202) 642-2654. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month.  ...
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Why Do So Many Washingtonians Have Dementia?

November 24, 2025 • 20 mins
Aging isn’t something most of us like to think about, but it’s something all of us will experience. And in D.C., older residents are more likely to face memory challenges like dementia, which occurs here at higher rates than in much of the country. But a new approach to elder care might offer a better path forward for how the city supports its aging population. Washington Post reporter Michael Brice-Saddler explores what aging in D...
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E-Bike Slowdown, EEOB Remodel, and Thanksgiving in DC

November 21, 2025 • 34 mins
We’re talking about the latest scoop on DC’s looming mayoral election, the latest spillover effect from the city’s youth-crime problem — it’s going to affect your ebike rental — and the fate of the federal building DC loves to hate. Plus, Thanksgiving tips! And in a member’s-only fourth segment, we’ll talk through the latest Congressional bills that would rewrite DC laws. Our representatives don’t get a vote, but we do have thought...
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Trump Is Gutting DC’s Coolest Secret Museum

November 20, 2025 • 23 mins
You’ve probably never heard of the Wilbur J. Cohen federal building. It’s a government office building just off the Mall houses a collection of masterpieces of American art. Some of them are literally part of the building, murals by the legendary 1930s artist Ben Shahn. For decades, they’ve been open to the public, not that most people knew about them. Now, they might be destroyed: The Cohen building is one of the structures that t...
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‘Mar-a-Lago’ Face is Taking Over DC

November 19, 2025 • 21 mins
That taut, pulled look, full lips, jawlines that suddenly seem… suspiciously sharp. It’s what some are calling “Mar-a-Lago Face,” a plastic-surgery trend that’s gaining popularity here in DC. So who’s getting the work done? And what exactly are they asking for? We’re revisiting our conversation with journalist POLITICO’s Joanna Weiss about what DC really thinks of plastic surgery, why certain faces rise and fall with each administr...
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Is Student Truancy Behind DC's Youth Crime?

November 18, 2025 • 37 mins
DC is in the middle of two youth crises: One involves school truancy; the other involves high-profile teen mayhem, like the skirmish on Halloween between young people and law enforcement at Navy Yard. Are the two related? Washington Post reporters Lauren Lumpkin and Robert Samuels wrote a blockbuster report on the city’s failures to combat truancy. They walk us through the shocking details.  Want some more DC news? Then make sur...
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New Details About How Bowser Kept Trump At Bay — And Pissed Off DC

November 17, 2025 • 41 mins
What really went on between Muriel Bowser and Donald Trump during the DC police takeover? The Washington Post’s Jonathan O’Connell has reported out an epic look at the relationship between the blue mayor and the people that make up the MAGA administration, full of jaw-dropping details. Come for the cocktail party with Russ Vought, stick around for the Marshawn Lynch meme.  Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for ou...
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RIP Streateries? Plus, Shutdown Ends, and a New WaPo Food Critic

November 14, 2025 • 34 mins
We’re talking about the future of streateries, the end of the federal shutdown, and a new Washington Post food critic. Plus, in a member’s-only fourth segment, we’ll talk about the trend of senior Trump officials living in military bases — and what that means for DC. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can text us or leave a voicemail at: (202) 642-2654. You can also become a ...
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Confessions of a DC Food Critic: Behind the Scenes with Tom Sietsema

November 13, 2025 • 41 mins
On Monday, the Washington Post announced that Elazar Sontag would be its new food critic. Which means that Tom Sietsema, who held the job for 26 years, is finally free to dish about what life was really like as the most powerful man in DC’s restaurant scene. We talked to Tom about the way the dining world has evolved, the way the critic’s job has changed, and whether he’d actually make me pay if we go out to dinner together. He als...
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Food Halls Took Over DC — But Are They All Mid?

November 12, 2025 • 26 mins
Here’s a hot take: food halls are stressful. Too many options, not enough standout bites. So when we heard that DC was getting another one in the form of a chain called Wonder, we had to know why. Anna Spiegel joins us to dish on DC’s newest food hall chain and whether they’re actually worth the hype. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to⁠ sign up⁠ for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can text us or leave a voicemail at: ⁠(2...
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Mayor Bowser and Qatargate. Plus, Shutdown Latest

November 11, 2025 • 27 mins
A blockbuster New York Times report last week announced that Mayor Bowser is under federal investigation over a foreign trip she took. But within hours, other news organizations reported that the investigation isn’t targeting the mayor, and may not be much of an investigation after all. Nonetheless, it lands at a terrible time for Muriel Bowser as she weighs a reelection run. And it highlights once again the bizarre dance between D...
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How This Tax Change Could Reduce Child Poverty in DC

November 10, 2025 • 16 mins
DC is on the cusp of passing a law whose proponents say it could massively reduce child poverty. But the catch is that the bill would take away a lot of the local tax benefits that at least some folks would get as a result of the One Big Beautiful Bill passed by Congress. Jenny Gathright from the Washington Post has been covering the debate and is here to explain.  Want some more DC news? Then make sure to⁠ sign up⁠ for our mornin...
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Could a Mamdani Win in DC? Plus, Youth Curfews And Sandwich Guy’s Trial

November 7, 2025 • 35 mins
All eyes this week were actually on New York City’s mayor’s race, and as our own race for mayor heats up, we’re talking about whether DC could ever get its own Zohran Mamdani. Plus, inside chaos at Navy Yard and the youth curfew in DC, and we dig into the trial of Sandwich Guy. And in a member’s-only fourth segment, we’ll talk about the strange K-shaped real estate market in DC. Co-host Michael Schaffer chats with the 51st’s Martin...
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DC's Foliage is Radically Different This Year

November 6, 2025 • 32 mins
Do you spend much time thinking about trees? Me neither. All we know is that DC has a lot of ‘em. But it turns out that our treescape has undergone some radical changes lately. And, thanks to climate change, more are in store. The Washington Post’s Marissa Lang and John Harden worked on an epic report on Washington’s trees and they’re here to explain how it all works. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morni...
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Rabid or Rad? The Bats of DC

November 5, 2025 • 19 mins
Now that it’s fall, we’re finally moving out of mosquito season, and today we’re talking about one of the animal heroes that eats mosquitos – that’s right, the bat. It turns out, DC is a lot battier than you might think. Dr. Kelly Russo-Petrick, Associate Professor of Urban Ecology and DC Master Naturalist Coordinator at the University of DC, joins us to share everything you need to know about the city’s bat population. Want some ...
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How the Delay in SNAP Funding is Impacting DC — And How You Can Help

November 4, 2025 • 27 mins
With the Trump administration saying Monday that it would only partially  fund food benefits for low income families during what is about to become the longest government shutdown in history, D.C. announced the city has 30 million dollars in local funds that could be used to cover November food benefits for low income residents. Marissa Lang has been covering food assistance programs for the Washington Post. She explains what all o...
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Your Guide to November 2025 in DC

November 3, 2025 • 28 mins
Happy November! Now we know, things in the city are a bit weird since we’re still in the middle of the government shutdown, but from checking out DC art to scarfing tacos and sipping wines, there's still a ton to see, do, drink, and eat in DC this November.   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 community. For even more tips on how to ...
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Did MPD Cover Up a Shooting? Plus, SNAP Runs Out, and DC-Centric Halloween Costumes

October 31, 2025 • 35 mins
We’re talking about a federal police shooting — and a potential coverup. We’re talking about what happens in DC as SNAP benefits dry up. Plus, your DC-specific Halloween getups, and in a members-only fourth segment we’ll get into Donald Trump’s firing of an obscure planning commission and what it means for DC (and not just the White House ballroom). Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey...
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Real People. Real Safety Solutions {Sponsored}

October 30, 2025 • 24 mins
In the final episode of a three-part sponsored series with the Public Welfare Foundation, City Cast DC CEO David Plotz talks with two leaders working to make D.C. a safer, more just place.  Kristy Love, Executive Director of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, and Victor Battle, President and Founder of Right Direction and longtime violence interrupter. Together, they explore what real safety looks like on the ground: how d...
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