City Cast Boise

City Cast Boise is the award-winning daily news podcast that connects us to the city we love. With a companion newsletter, Hey Boise, it’s the place where curiosity and passion for Boise meet. Every weekday morning, our hosts will introduce you to your neighbors — from newcomers to born-and-raised Boiseans. It’s like eavesdropping on a great conversation overheard at your favorite downtown coffee shop, except in this case you’re invited to join in. We’ll engage with you online and on the podcast, with stories that spark passion and delight — but sometimes also frustration and anger. With a clear-eyed vision of the challenges and triumphs of our rapidly changing Boise, the podcast will make you feel more connected to this city we share. *1st place for “Best Interview” at Idaho Press Club 2024 Awards, in addition to 2nd place for "News Talk - Audio, and 3rd place for "Election Report - Audio".

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Episodes

What Happens to Farmworkers When the Heat Comes?

Last year, two farmworkers died from extreme heat — one in Oregon, and one in Washington. The tragedies prompted organizers with the non-profit Idaho Immigrant Resource Alliance to spotlight unsafe conditions Idaho farmworkers deal with regularly. They created a fund and gathered donations of basic protection items to protect Idaho farmworkers from the dangers of extreme heat and wildfire smoke. Today, we’re talking with the organizers behind that fund. Irene Ruiz and Samantha Guerrero are once ...

Jul 05, 2022•15 min

The Top 3 Boise Foods Trends

Following which new restaurants have opened and which ones are closing is kind of a cottage industry in Boise media. And as much as we like clicking on those headlines (because we all want to know!), it’s good to step back and see what wider trends are going on in our food scene — and what it means for our community. That’s why we’re talking with local writer Lex Nelson, who covers food and drink in the Boise Weekly and other outlets. She’s breaking down the top 3 trends going on in our food cul...

Jun 30, 2022•21 min

Abortion Access and Advocacy In a Post-Roe Idaho

Thousands of people in Boise rallied and marched over the weekend to protest the Supreme Court’s Friday ruling against abortion. There was an impromptu gathering on the statehouse steps Friday and an organized rally at Cherie Buckner Webb Park on Saturday. Donations to local and regional abortion funds flooded websites as people faced the reality of losing access to this healthcare statewide. Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood lawyers worked long hours to find a way to stop our state’s so called “tri...

Jun 28, 2022•31 min

Why Drag Matters, with Boise’s Frida Nightz

Technically, Boise Pride is in September this year, but we’re holding space for conversations about Boise’s queer and trans communities this month too. On today’s episode of City Cast Boise, newsletter writer Blake Hunter is talking to the recent winner of Boise’s Next Drag Superstar, Frida Nightz, about their journey into drag, the competition, and what inspires them. In a space as white, conservative, and straight as Idaho — even Boise — drag artists are important purveyors of culture. And as ...

Jun 23, 2022•18 min

Hate Groups Still Love North Idaho

It’s been more than a week since 31 men from the white supremacist group Patriot Front were arrested and charged with conspiring to riot in Coeur d’Alene. Most of them travelled from other states to potentially violently attack locals celebrating Pride — in broad daylight. Police stopped the U-Haul truck carrying them just blocks away from the public park where LGBTQ families and allies were gathered to celebrate community. To try and understand why this happened — and why it could happen again ...

Jun 21, 2022•16 min

Why Boise Is Awesome (And Awful) For Biking

Summer and bicycling in Boise go together like peanut butter and jelly. Cruising along the Greenbelt is a delight, and grabbing a group of friends to ride around downtown can make even the most cynical Boisean feel like a kid again. But so many of us still use our cars as our primary way of getting around, which is a problem if we ever want to meet our city’s climate change goals. What gives? Today, we’re talking with Garden City resident and Boise biking enthusiast Joe Jaszewski. He (mostly) di...

Jun 16, 2022•14 min

Post-Primary Politics Palooza

Idaho is pretty used to getting embarrassed in national media for cranking out far-right extremist figures. But in last month’s Republican primary, extremists who were hoping to win statewide elections lost big-time — for the most part. That doesn’t mean the legislature won’t drive Boise liberals nuts next year though. To find out whose having a moment and whose been kicked to the curb in Idaho’s GOP, we talk with two local reporters who keep a close eye on the statehouse. Heath Druzin hosts the...

Jun 14, 2022•20 min

What To Do (And What To Skip) This Summer

We haven’t officially switched to summer yet, but the heat is supposed to flirt with us this weekend. City Cast Boise audio producer Evelyn Avitia and newsletter writer Blake Hunter share their hard-won local tips and secret spots to help us make the most of the season (including what to do when it’s 100+ and smoky, and why floating the Boise River is kinda over-rated – but still worth trying!). What are your favorite things to do each summer, and what are you going to try in 2022 for the first ...

Jun 09, 2022•25 min

We Love Boise. But How The Heck Do We Pronounce It?!

For this debut episode of City Cast Boise, we’re starting with the basics: what’s the correct pronunciation of our city’s name? Is it “boy-SEE” or “boy-ZEE,” and who gets to decide? To get to the bottom of it we talk with Boise State University Linguistics Department Chair Michal Temkin Martinez. Turns out there’s been confusion about how Boise should be pronounced since our founding in the 1860s. More recently, the longstanding linguistic debate even prompted a local company to make t-shirts ce...

Jun 07, 2022•16 min

Launching June 7

City Cast Boise is here! Whether you’re a born-and-raised Boisean or just moved here, connect to the city you love with our daily podcast. It’s the smart new way to stay informed, engaged, and inspired. Get fresh conversations about all-things-Boise (from the awesome to the problematic) each weekday at 6 a.m. beginning June 7th. Subscribe to the newsletter at boise.citycast.fm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 25, 2022•2 min

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