Cement City - podcast cover

Cement City

Audacy | Cement City Productionswww.cementcity.org
*Named one of The New York Times Best Podcasts of 2024* Two journalists stumble into a dying town with a Smog Museum and a mayor named Piglet… and not a whole lot else. They have one burning question: What’s it like to live here, in a town left for dead? They buy a house and stay – for three years. They get caught up in an election cycle and a web of scandals. It’s democracy in action on the smallest scale. It’s Our Town for our time. And it’s all real. Cement City is an Audacy original in partnership with Cement City Productions. For more stories on the power of American resilience, check out Seasons 1 and 2 of Hope, Through History, available in this feed. Hope, Through History is an Audacy original in association with Jon Meacham and The HISTORY® Channel.

Episodes

Introducing: Campus Files

College holds a mythic place in American culture, but behind the polished campus tours and glossy brochures lies a far more complicated reality. Each episode of Campus Files uncovers a new story that rocked a college or university. Consider this your unofficial campus tour. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mar 03, 20258 min

Cement City: Episode 10 | A Thousand Pairs of Untied Shoes

Jeanne Marie and Erin are closing in on a year in Donora. At Twinkle Bright Night they face existential questions: Will the new mayor save council? Is the community college going to come? What’s gonna happen to this town, anyway? But first things first: will Jeanne Marie and Erin ever leave? To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 06, 20241 hr 3 minSeason 3Ep. 10

Cement City: Episode 9 | No Indictments

It’s the general election! Yancey vs. Ed! The future of Donora is on the line, and ballot tampering and election denialism are in the air. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nov 06, 20241 hr 7 minSeason 3Ep. 9

Cement City: Episode 8 | Don’t Bitch About the Smog

Other towns have apples. Or pumpkin festivals. Donora has smog. Mayor Piglet sees this as an opportunity, and Donora is totally transformed — if only for a day. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 30, 202457 minSeason 3Ep. 8

Cement City: Episode 7 | Make Sure You Take Care of Vicki

Donora to the rescue!... of itself. Jeanne Marie and Erin discover the intricacies of Donora self-provided, self-maintained, totally improvised safety net. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 23, 202452 minSeason 3Ep. 7

Cement City: Episode 6 | The Island of Donora

There’s trouble everywhere. Jeanne Marie and Erin realize what the town has always known: This town isn’t on anyone’s radar. No one is coming in to help. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 16, 20241 hr 2 minSeason 3Ep. 6

Cement City: Episode 5 | Great Societies Crumble from Within

Indictments! Scandal and intrigue! The s***show on council is worse than anyone could have imagined. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 09, 20241 hr 2 minSeason 3Ep. 5

Cement City: Episode 4 | Big Day in a Little Town

It’s Election Day. A ragtag group of rookies is promising change and looking for a clean sweep. Jeanne Marie sees a potential hero and falls hard. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oct 02, 20241 hr 8 minSeason 3Ep. 4

Cement City: Episode 3 | The Skeleton Crew

It’s gridlock on council and nothing’s getting done. An upcoming election feels like the only ray of hope. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 25, 202447 minSeason 3Ep. 3

Cement City: Episode 2 | Just as Good as Ever

Donora has no banks, no gas stations, no schools. Jeanne Marie and Erin discover the one thing that could bring the town back to life. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 18, 202452 minSeason 3Ep. 2

Cement City: Episode 1 | I’ll Die Here

Jeanne Marie and Erin wander off the highway into Donora, Pa, a dying town with a dark secret. They decide to buy a house. A solid concrete house. In a neighborhood called Cement City. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 18, 202453 minSeason 3Ep. 1

Introducing Cement City: I Think I Like You

Two journalists stumble into a dying rust belt town with a Smog Museum and a mayor named Piglet… and not a whole lot else. They have one burning question: What’s it like to live here? In a town left for dead. But it’s not dead. Donora, PA will not go down without a fight. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sep 17, 20244 min

Hope, Through History: Episode 5 | Bloody Sunday: A Battle For Justice

A violent attack on peaceful marchers in Selma, Alabama fuels the fires of progress, leading to a monumental victory for voting rights. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jul 28, 202144 minSeason 2Ep. 5

Hope, Through History: Episode 4 | Death At Sea

As World War erupts in Europe, President Woodrow Wilson follows public opinion and stays out of the international conflict. But when a merchant ship carrying American passengers is attacked by a German U-boat, the United States begins to emerge from isolation and establishes itself as a source of possibility in the world. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/a...

Jul 21, 202127 minSeason 2Ep. 4

Hope, Through History: Episode 3 | To End A Plague

In the midst of a devastating humanitarian crisis, President George W. Bush announces a bold, international plan to turn the tide against HIV/AIDS. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jul 14, 202125 minSeason 2Ep. 3

Hope, Through History: Episode 2 | A New Birth Of Freedom

Abraham Lincoln arrives in Gettysburg to consecrate a battlefield, and to commit America to fulfilling its original promise that all men are created equal. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jul 07, 202134 minSeason 2Ep. 2

Hope, Through History: Episode 1 | Slow Walk To War

At the onset of World War II, Franklin Roosevelt contends with a fierce and at times virulent isolationsist movement in America while Winston Churchill pleads with President Roosevelt to join the fight against Axis forces. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jun 30, 202136 minSeason 2Ep. 1

Trailer: Hope, Through History, Season Two

Welcome back to a new season of the C13Originals critically acclaimed Hope, Through History documentary limited series. Narrated and written by Pulitzer Prize Winning and Best Selling Historian, Jon Meacham, Season Two explores some of the most historic and trying times in American History, how this nation dealt with the impact of these moments, and how we came through these moments a more unified nation. Season Two, presented by C13Originals, in association with The HISTORY® Channel, will guide...

Jun 28, 20212 min

Hope, Through History: Episode 5 | The 1918 Influenza Pandemic

In 1917, as President Woodrow Wilson prepared the nation for World War, an even deadlier crisis was hiding in plain sight. An influenza virus flourished on European battlefields and rapidly spread among civilians, paralyzing the globe with illness and fear. The 1918 flu pandemic serves as a poignant reminder that science, cooperation, transparency and leadership can help clear a path to recovery. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy...

May 19, 202027 minSeason 1Ep. 5

Hope, Through History: Episode 4 | JFK and the Cuban Missile Crisis

It is known as the most dangerous moment in human history. In late October of 1962, American spy planes discovered Soviet missile bases with nuclear capabilities on the island of Cuba. Normalcy was put on indefinite pause as millions of Americans grappled with terrifying idea that at any moment, without warning, their communities and loved ones could be decimated by an atomic bomb. While military leaders and hardliners clamored for aggressive action, it was the patience and poise of a president ...

May 12, 202043 minSeason 1Ep. 4

Hope, Through History: Episode 3 | The Polio Epidemic

From the late 19th to mid 20th centuries, the nation lived in fear of the polio virus. Often handicapping or paralyzing its victims, sometimes resulting in death, the disease was made all the more frightening by the fact that it preyed on young children. Generations of Americans were affected by this incurable illness until a brilliant young medical researcher, empowered by the coordinated efforts of public and private institutions, developed a miraculous vaccine. The expert knowledge and first-...

May 05, 202035 minSeason 1Ep. 3

Hope, Through History: Episode 2 | Winston Churchill and World War II

In May of 1940, Great Britain was in the crosshairs of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi war machine. As nations on mainland Europe fell prey to fascism, Winston Churchill seized the moment in dramatic fashion, ultimately winning a permanent place in the pantheon of heroic leaders who have single-handedly shifted the course of history. Churchill believed that “the only safe way” forward “was to convince Hitler that he couldn’t beat us.” And the only safe way to do that was to fight on. Accompanied by aw...

Apr 28, 202035 minSeason 1Ep. 2

Hope, Through History: Episode 1 | FDR and The Great Depression

Following a decade of roaring prosperity in America, something invincible was proving vulnerable. The Great Depression was ravaging the economy and destroying lives, creating a dire need for bold, honest leadership. With the help of Pulitzer Prize-winners Doris Kearns Goodwin and David M. Kennedy, along with Allida Black, the Director of The Eleanor Roosevelt Papers, Jon Meacham delivers a vivid and intimate look at a President who countered depression with action, and who conquered fear with ho...

Apr 21, 202040 minSeason 1Ep. 1

Trailer: Hope, Through History

Welcome to Hope, Through History with Jon Meacham. This limited series explores some of the most historic and trying times in American History, and how this nation dealt with these moments, the impact of these moments and how we came through these moments a unified nation. Season One takes a look at critical moments around the 1918 Flu Pandemic, the Great Depression, World War II, the polio epidemic and the Cuban Missile Crisis. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: ...

Apr 09, 20203 min