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

East Wing Demolition, Driverless Cars, and a Copycat Restaurant

October 24, 2025 • 31 mins
We’re talking about the fate of the White House east wing, whether there’s ever going to be Waymo in DC, and a very funny slapfight over the restaurant Millie’s and one of its imitators. Plus, in a members-only fourth segment: Remember the shutdown? It’s still ongoing. We have updates. If you’re a City Cast DC Neighbor, you’re invited to a private tour of one of the DMV’s true hidden wonders, Fort DeRussy! It will be hosted by our...
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The Best Cocktails in DC Right Now

October 23, 2025 • 21 mins
Pumpkin spice is fine and all, but DC bartenders are doing way more interesting things with fall flavors. Today, Emily Venezky of Eater is taking you on a little bar crawl through the city’s best drinks worth putting on a sweater for — and why DC is a great city for cocktails. 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 b...
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Inside DC's Supernatural Craze

October 22, 2025 • 24 mins
We’re coming up on Halloween and today we’re sitting down with historian Mark Benbow, who’s going to take us back to a time when seances and ouija boards were a popular pastime across DC — including in the sitting rooms of the rich and powerful. It’s a wild history and it’s not as far away as you might think. 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...
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This Ride Share App Keeps Pissing Off DC

October 21, 2025 • 26 mins
The ride share app Empower has had a whirlwind few weeks. The owner was even threatened with jail time if he didn't shut down the app and now he’s back in court. So what exactly is going on with this ride share app and why has it been so controversial? Martin Austermuhle from The 51st is here to explain.  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: (...
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How To Get Free Cash In DC

October 20, 2025 • 16 mins
Writer Dorothy Parker once said that the two most beautiful words in the English language are “check enclosed.” With things being so expensive in DC right now, maybe a little check in your mailbox is just what you need. Ike Allen of the Washingtonian explains how DC’s unclaimed property unit could have money waiting for you.  Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can text us or le...
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Does DC Want a New Mayor? Plus, Weed Economy, and RIP 2000 Series Trains

October 17, 2025 • 32 mins
We’re talking about whether DC’s mayor is actually going to hang it up after this term, we’re talking about the weird economics of DC’s cannabis stores, some news about one type of transit that’s going away and another that just might be on the horizon — and in a members-only fourth segment, we’ll take you inside the final act of the Big Balls assault trial.  Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsle...
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Learning From our Neighbors to the North {Sponsored}

October 16, 2025 • 32 mins
In the second episode of our special three-part series sponsored by the Public Welfare Foundation, City Cast DC executive producer Annie Rees talks with Stefanie Mavronis, Director of the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement in Baltimore, and David Muhammad, Executive Director of the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform. They discuss how Baltimore has achieved three consecutive years of declining gun viol...
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The Crazy Fan Fights Extinguishing DC’s Friday Night Lights

October 16, 2025 • 25 mins
People don’t really think of DC as a Friday Night Lights kinda town, but it actually has a pretty robust high school football scene, with big crowds turning local games into a scene. Until this year, at least: The DCPS season has been upended by a bunch of fights in the stands – which has led to night games being curtailed and the whole atmosphere being less fun. The Washington Post’s Matt Cohen is here to give us the blow by blow ...
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Is Trump’s Ruthless Approach to Homelessness Actually Different Than DC’s?

October 15, 2025 • 30 mins
Trump’s deployment of the national guard and ICE had some obvious targets. But in the background, homeless folks were also feeling the pain. There were displacements and arrests of homeless encampments, all in the name of keeping the city clean and crime free. Franziska Wild and Madi Koesler from Street Sense Media are here break down what happened over that month and where DC’s homeless population stands now. This story is part ...
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Is DC Still a Good City To Live In?

October 14, 2025 • 41 mins
Historically, a government town like Washington didn’t have to scrape and scrap for jobs like other cities. These days, amid unprecedented cuts to federal employment, DC has no option but to focus on finding other ways for locals to pay the rent. Deputy Mayor Nina Albert is in charge of that effort, and she’s here to talk about what they are — and aren’t — up to.  Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning n...
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Battle For DC’s House Seat, Crime Stat Fakery, and Fave Things Unaffected by the Shutdown

October 10, 2025 • 38 mins
We’re talking about the jockeying for DC’s House seat and the explosive controversy over crime stats. Plus, your ideal shutdown itinerary of non-federal DC attractions, and in a members only fourth segment, the latest on whether federal workers will get back pay if this thing ever ends. WAMU's Alex Koma joins City Cast’s Michael Schaffer and Julia Karron. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter...
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Real Safety Starts with Prevention {Sponsored}

October 9, 2025 • 27 mins
On this bonus sponsored episode of City Cast DC, the Public Welfare Foundation is all about supporting safer, more just communities here in DC. And today, we’re kicking off a special three-part series with a conversation about what that really looks like. City Cast DC CEO David Plotz is joined by Eric Weaver and Dr. Roger Mitchell. Eric Weaver is the founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Returning Citizens and...
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Best DC Camping Spots This Fall

October 9, 2025 • 26 mins
Summer’s over, but that doesn’t mean camping has to be. Whether you’re an experienced outdoorswoman like me or just testing the waters with a little car camping, there’s still time to get outside. We’re here with Leo Murray, founder of Kibiboyz and leader of Concrete Escapes, who’s helping DC city folks reconnect with nature one campfire at a time. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC...
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Restaurant Secrets From DC's Most Legendary Food Critic

October 8, 2025 • 22 mins
Tom Sietsema, the longtime food critic at the Washington Post, announced yesterday that he’s retiring. And he finally revealed his identity! Now, most DC restaurants still knew what he looked like and tried to look out for him, but he can now put down his disguises. To honor his many years scouring the DMV for the best food, we’re taking you back to an episode he sat down for with City Cast Co-Host Michael Schaffer describing what ...
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Why Hasn’t DC Stopped Collaborating With ICE?

October 7, 2025 • 23 mins
New reporting from the Washington Post and the New York Timesalleges that MPD is still very much still collaborating with ICE. Teo Armus from the Washington Post is here to talk through MPD and ICE enforcement in DC and what the future looks like. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month. Learn more abou...
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How Bleak is DC's Unemployment Crisis?

October 6, 2025 • 29 mins
It’s the question everyone’s been asking since DOGE first showed up: How screwed is DC? A new program at the Brookings Institution called DMV Monitor pulls together a ton of data to help answer the question. And their most recent report is kind of a jaw-dropper. The region’s unemployment has shot up nine times faster than the rest of the country, with more to come. Brookings Fellow Tracy Hadden Loh is here to break it all down. Wa...
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Will The Shutdown Tank DC's Economy? Plus, Rideshare Drama, and Your New Favorite Venue

October 3, 2025 • 40 mins
We’re talking about the government shutting down — and what the city is going to do about it. We’re talking about a ride-share service being shut down — and why they’re mad at the city about it. Plus, a new music venue and in a fourth segment, we’ll talk about great DC challenges (and we don’t mean, like, balancing the budget).  Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can also becom...
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How the Shutdown Screws DC

October 2, 2025 • 32 mins
The government shutdown affects the whole country, but it’s an especially big deal in DC. Our city is already reeling, and now we’re facing an event that threatens to scare off tourists and possibly lead to mass layoffs. How is the local government reacting? And what does the shutdown mean for your day-to-day even if you’re still employed? NBC4’s Mark Segraves is here to brief us. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up ...
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Your Guide to October 2025 in DC

October 1, 2025 • 32 mins
October in DC is just lovely. The weather is good. The leaves are turning. And even though the city is still reeling from the federal takeover, we are still finding joy and ways to connect with this city we call home. So from fast cars to throwing back a few drinks with a former US president, we give you OUR top picks for what to do in DC this October . If you're new here, welcome! We’ve put together a starter pack for you, with e...
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Unearthing the Truth in a Local Secret Cemetery

September 30, 2025 • 23 mins
Imagine walking through the woods and stumbling across a few tombstones. That’s what happened outside the old House of Reformation, where more than 230 bodies of young black boys are buried. But you wouldn’t know it given the condition of the area. Michael Brice-Saddler from the Washington Post is here to dig up the secrets that lie beneath that ground and tells us a story that has largely been overlooked until now.  Want some mor...
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