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.
Episodes
May 2, 2025 • 44 mins
The Kentucky Derby is this weekend, and our money is on Journalism! Host Ali Vallarta and executive producer Emily Means explore Utah’s horseracing scene and why, according to Utah’s Supreme Court, horses are an exemption to gambling. Plus, SLC enforces a ban on astroturf, the leaked Hockey Club name, local May Day, and Crumbl v. Warner Music Group.
Resources and references:
Utah Gov. Cox issues drought executive order, urges...
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May 1, 2025 • 35 mins
It's May in Salt Lake, when the sunshine — or lack thereof — can make or break your patio experience. Host Ali Vallarta, producer Ivana Martinez, and Hey Salt Lake newsletter editor Terina Ria bring you a guide to what to expect and how to make the most of this month, from cheap margaritas to a mobile book shop to a killer zipline deal. Plus, if you take advantage of the plant sales this month, don’t miss our episode on gardening a...
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April 30, 2025 • 27 mins
Host Ali Vallarta is obsessed with "The Pitt," a new medical drama that chronicles one 15-hour shift in a downtown Pittsburgh emergency room. But how closely does it mirror Salt Lake ERs? Local emergency medicine Dr. Aly Smith shares how the cases and the institutional issues stack up.
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April 29, 2025 • 33 mins
A law that neuters Utah's public sector labor unions is getting a second chance at death. Host Ali Vallarta and executive producer Emily Means give the latest update on the Protect Utah Workers referendum. Plus, a huge weekend for scammers, an early Mother’s Day event, and the origins of SLC’s sticker machines.
Resources and references:
State auditor: Employee stole more than $100,000 from a Salt Lake County liquor store ove...
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April 28, 2025 • 29 mins
An idea to bury the train tracks dividing the east and west sides of SLC could bring $12 billion of economic impact to Salt Lake County. But that doesn't mean the Rio Grande Plan has the greenlight. Host Ali Vallarta asks Taylor Larsen, one of the project's organizers, where it fits with other big developments on the horizon and what's next.
Required listening: how the Rio Grande Plan came to be.
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April 25, 2025 • 39 mins
Utah's environmental organizations were in a frenzy this week due to President Trump’s rumor mill. Host Ali Vallarta and executive producer Emily Means discuss the administration's latest impacts on local nonprofits. Plus, a Navajo Nation community in Utah finally gets running water, The Beach Boys' Salt Lake ties, and a Met Gala fundraiser for teachers.
Resources and references:
Planned Parenthood of Utah announces clinic closu...
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April 24, 2025 • 23 mins
A new opportunity to audit your sidewalk could lead to better walking experiences across the Salt Lake valley. HEAL Utah policy analyst Katie Balakir tells host Ali Vallarta what makes a great sidewalk and how to participate in this grassroots data project.
Start with HEAL Utah’s walk audit toolkit.
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April 23, 2025 • 26 mins
Time to bury your puffy coat and refresh the wardrobe. Host Ali Vallarta and her friend Kate Groetzinger riff on the best places in Salt Lake to find a new fit, considering price, quality, and style.
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April 22, 2025 • 36 mins
Utah's school voucher program — a core tenant of Republicans' education strategy — has been ruled unconstitutional. Host Ali Vallarta and executive producer Emily Means discuss the case and what happens next. Plus, Millcreek's mayor pushes back (again) on the Trump administration's deportation agenda, recognition for an influential local researcher, and good neighbors in Kanab.
Resources and references:
Judge rules 'Utah Fits All...
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April 21, 2025 • 26 mins
Beginning in July, about 40,000 Utah kids will be eligible for free lunch — good news in a state where one in eight of us experience food insecurity. But there's still more work to do. Host Ali Vallarta asks Gina Cornia, executive director of Utahns Against Hunger, what it would take to eradicate hunger in Utah.
Learn more about one Republican legislator's plan to feed students.
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April 18, 2025 • 33 mins
Utah has boasted the number one economic outlook in the nation for 18 years, but according to who? Host Ali Vallarta and executive producer Emily Means dive into the data and compare it to support for Utah's labor movement. Plus, chickens in theaters, two new neighborhood murals, and ideas for Easter weekend.
Resources and references:
For 18th year, Utah ranks No. 1 for best economic outlook. What could threaten its top spot? [U...
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April 17, 2025 • 23 mins
It’s the Utah ShakeOut, which means you might have a friend or a kid in an earthquake drill right now. Host Ali Vallarta asks Keith Koper, director of the seismological observatory at the University of Utah, how prepared Salt Lake is for "The Big One."
This episode first aired Nov. 14, 2024.
Resource and references:
Apply to Salt Lake City’s Fix the Bricks program.
How to Prepare for “The Big One” [Hey Salt Lake]
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April 16, 2025 • 25 mins
With two bars closing on Main Street, how can Salt Lake City upgrade its nightlife? Lutz Leichsenring of VibeLab makes the case to host Ali Vallarta for a "night advocate" and explains the science behind creating a vibrant city after dark.
Related listening: How To Keep Main Street Bars From Closing
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April 15, 2025 • 44 mins
Four Salt Lake restaurants shut their doors this past week, which has us asking: What went wrong? Hey Salt Lake newsletter editor Terina Ria and host Ali Vallarta talk about the closures and new places they’re hyped about. Plus, a wishlist for SLC’s lesbian bar, the launch of a Utah workers’ hub, and a must-see bathroom.
Resources and references:
Find out what $50 gets you at the Winter Farmers Market.
Check out the Utah Worke...
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April 14, 2025 • 19 mins
Hate filing your taxes? Jenna Williams, tax and budget policy analyst at Voices For Utah Children, joins host Ali Vallarta to explain what your taxes actually pay for and why you should be hyped.
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 morni...
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April 11, 2025 • 31 mins
What if these Chinese tariffs help save the Great Salt Lake? Host Ali Vallarta and executive producer Emily Means explore this possible silver lining. Plus, what to do about noisy neighbors, help on your taxes, and small business shoutouts.
Resources and references:
Next Steps for Saving the Great Salt Lake [City Cast Salt Lake]
Get free tax help at taxhelput.org.
Check out what myrtle spurge looks like.
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April 10, 2025 • 24 mins
First Alibi, now The Ruin; why are SLC bars on Main Street closing? Former Ruin owner Rheda Fouad joins host Ali Vallarta to talk about the challenges of doing business on Main and what we can learn from Central Ninth's nightlife.
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.
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April 9, 2025 • 26 mins
With the news that it’s now over twice as expensive to buy than rent in Salt Lake (!), host Ali Vallarta asked local realtor Kaitlin Hannig what the housing market is offering first-time homebuyers, the toxic traits of one particular neighborhood, and why maybe you shouldn’t buy a house.
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 th...
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April 8, 2025 • 43 mins
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. by Monday, Bernie Sanders by Sunday. What are these men seeking in our city? Host Ali Vallarta and executive producer Emily Means talk about their visits, another $300 million dollars for Ryan Smith, a found parrot in Central City, and a third lottery win for a friend of the pod.
Resources and references:
Utah banned adding fluoride. How long will it take to flush out of SLC’s water? [KUER]
RSVP for Bernie...
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April 7, 2025 • 27 mins
Are Latter-day Saint men falling prey to the "manosphere"? With Alpha Con 2.0 coming to town, Relationscapes podcast host Blair Hodges joins host Ali Vallarta to talk about the versions of masculinity that some Utah men are buying into and why.
Resources and references:
How a beta like me managed to get kicked out of Salt Lake City’s ‘Alpha Con’ [Deseret News]
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