There are so many pieces of media that take place in D.C. - some good, some bad, and some totally cringey. So in this new series, City Cast D.C. cohosts Mike Schaffer and Bridget Todd are looking back at some famous portrayals of D.C. in media to break down how they depict our city. Starting with the iconic ‘80s Mr. T classic D.C. Cab, where a group of rag tag DC cab drivers try to keep their struggling cab company afloat while solving a kidnapping on the side. Want some more DC news? Then make ...
Mar 28, 2023•26 min
Union Station is about to undergo a massive renovation. In this interview originally aired last summer, WAMU’s Jordan Pascale walks us through what the transit hub will look like inside and out, and how it's going to impact the neighborhood around it. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. We’re also on Twitter! Follow us at @citycast_dc. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE. And we’d love to feature you on the show! Share yo...
Mar 27, 2023•19 min
There’s never been a D.C. mayoral aide quite so powerful as John Falcicchio. And all of a sudden, he’s gone — departed amid scandal. Alex Koma, Loose Lips columnist from Washington City Paper, is here to walk us through what it means. Also, we’ll be talking about the wonky nature of the new city budget, and Lead Producer Priyanka Tilve explains the future of ebikes in the District. We couldn’t do our news roundups without the great local reporting in the area: Alex Koma’s Loose Lips column about...
Mar 24, 2023•27 min
For decades, geopolitics has shaped Washington’s restaurant scene. And one of the latest trends is the boom in Uyghur restaurants, often run by folks fleeing oppression back home. Today, we’re talking with a Uyghur advocate based in the DMV about the food and the new Washingtonians who are cooking it. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter. We’re also on Twitter! Follow us at @citycast_dc. And we’d love to feature you on the show! Share your DC-related thoug...
Mar 23, 2023•19 min
It’s official: DC’s flag is awesome. And Maryland’s isn’t too shabby, either. Virginia’s? Well… Today we’re talking with two leading vexillologists — that’s flag experts — who will walk us through how the DC flag became so ubiquitous, and why it works. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE. We’re also on Twitter! Follow us at @citycast_dc (TRY TO CHANGE IT UP EVERY TIME) And we’d love to ...
Mar 22, 2023•23 min
Pretty much everyone in D.C. is obsessed with finding a good place to live. Jamie Manning started the popular Instagram and newsletter Exposed Brick after she got obsessed with finding good deals on rentals on Craigslist. She shares her tips and tricks to navigating D.C.’s rental market. Also, that promo code we mentioned at the end of the podcast is: ‘TRYCABIEBIKE.’ Enter it in the rewards section of the Capital Bikeshare or Lyft app to take $2 off one e-bike ride before March 31. Want some mor...
Mar 21, 2023•18 min
Staffers at Union Kitchen, a food business accelerator, are suing their employee for wage theft. It’s the issue that initially sparked their interest in forming a union last year, and the lawsuit is now raising tensions with management. The DCist’s Amanda Gomez is following the case. Make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC for more local news and hot tips. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE. And leave us a voicemail by calling 202-642-2654. We’d love to ...
Mar 20, 2023•20 min
The Eden Center, the Vietnamese mall in Northern Virginia, is about to see some changes and the local Vietnamese community is making its voice heard. Plus, there’s a new billionaire in the mix for owner of the Washington Commanders, and it’s someone with ties to the arts in DC. And Marjorie Taylor Greene is concerned about horrible living conditions at D.C. Jail. Why ever could that be? As always, our Friday roundups rely on great local journalism: Hector Arzate’s piece about the Eden Center red...
Mar 17, 2023•22 min
Anyone who’s ever stared at a Metro map has probably fantasized about their ideal Metro line, the new route that takes them exactly where they want to go. Cleveland Park to National Harbor? No problem. Hains Point to Potomac Mills? Just close your eyes. I’m sitting down with Metro historian Zack Schrag and transit planner Matt Johnson to talk about why D.C.’s metro is designed the way it is, how it compares to other cities, and why our fantasy lines can — or can’t — happen in real life. Want som...
Mar 16, 2023•26 min
This week marks Equal Pay Day, the point in the year that women have to work just to break even with men’s salaries from the year before. Talking openly about what you make is a big part of closing the pay gap. Hannah Williams, a Washingtonian and the creator of the popular Salary Transparency TikTok account, is here to talk about the push for pay transparency in D.C. Also, sign up here at 10 a.m. on Thursday for the White House Easter Egg Roll lottery. Our morning newsletter Hey DC highlights c...
Mar 15, 2023•22 min
We’ve been told that ChatGPT would take over our jobs, so we had to put it to the test to see how much it really knows about D.C. It told us that “dating in D.C. can be exciting” and had some wild views on D.C. statehood. Agree to disagree, ChatGPT. We chat with Axios DC reporter Chelsea Cirruzzo and ChatGPT to find out what the internet gets wrong about D.C. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. We’re also on Twitter! Follow us at @citycast_dc. Int...
Mar 14, 2023•24 min
For years, D.C. has paid rent to landlords for poor people who might otherwise live in public housing. But a recent Washington Post investigative series reports that the city has been shelling out way more than the apartments would get on the open market. It’s not just a wonky budget thing — the pattern has real impact for people using housing vouchers, but also for anyone in D.C. trying to find an a place to live. Plus, here’s the Kennedy Center’s My Tix program, with huge discounts for adults ...
Mar 13, 2023•26 min
The biggest local news in a long time, the Congressional vote to overturn a DC bill for the first time in decades. City Cast DC producer Julia Karron and newsletter editor Kaela Cote-Stemmerman are here break down what it means and what happens now. Plus, we’re talking about the weird trend of dress codes for D.C. bars, and Kaela’s going to tap her newsletter knowledge to tell us about the best of weekend events. We couldn’t do our news roundups without the stellar reporting of D.C.’s local jour...
Mar 10, 2023•23 min
It’s official. Senate has voted to reject D.C.’s criminal code reforms. The President has said he’s going to sign it, which means this will be the first time in 30 years that Congress has rejected a duly enacted D.C. law. NBC Reporter Mark Segraves joins us to talk about how we got here, and what it means for the fight for statehood. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE. We’re also on Tw...
Mar 09, 2023•24 min
Today is International Women’s Day and D.C. is full of stories of female empowerment and impact that might not always get the recognition they deserve. Kaitlin Calogera organizes tours of D.C. women’s history to change that, and she’s here today with some tips for how we can all embark on that journey. Plus, check out our episode about how the D.C. nightlife task force affects you Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. Interested in advertising with ...
Mar 08, 2023•25 min
The band Dupont Brass started unexpectedly as a side gig for a group of Howard University students, and now they’re about to go on tour, starting April 12. As they prepare to share their music up and down the East Coast, two of the band’s original members are here to tell us about Dupont Brass’s evolution and sound. Buy tickets here for Dupont Brass’s upcoming tour. And if you want to ride around D.C. via water taxi, check out their schedule here. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find m...
Mar 07, 2023•20 min
The 11th Street Bridge connects Anacostia to Navy Yard. And a project to create a park there for everyone to share, while also not leaving out longtime residents of Anacostia, has been years in the making. The project’s start date was recently pushed back to the end of this year. 11th Street Bridge Park Director Scott Kratz and Ronald Moten of Don’t Mute DC say community buy in has been a big part of getting project off the ground. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our mornin...
Mar 06, 2023•20 min
We’re back with another live taping at Politics and Prose Union Market! This time, City Cast DC Contributor Dan Reed and the Washington Post’s Lori Aratani join us to talk about why NFL owners are threatening (again) to vote Dan Snyder out, how D.C. is potentially backtracking on its plan to make Metrobuses free this summer, and how to take advantage of the very very early Cherry Blossom season this year. Plus, City Cast CEO David Plotz sits down with Politics & Prose's Chief Adult Book Buye...
Mar 03, 2023•30 min
The FBI Headquarters at 935 Pennsylvania Avenue NW is a famously ugly blot on an otherwise beautiful D.C. street. But maybe not for long (we can hope)? There’s a renewed push for the FBI to move to the suburbs, and we’re dreaming up alternate uses for that plot of land with WBJ Reporter Tristan Navera, who has been covering the FBI’s winding relocation process. For more D.C. news, sign up for our morning newsletter, and follow us at @citycast_dc. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find mo...
Mar 02, 2023•17 min
There's just no way around it — all of us are going to die. Sadly, in D.C., a lot of folks are dying alone. Laura Lyster-Mensh, Congressional Cemetery's Death Doula in Residence, is trying to change that by encouraging death positivity in the District. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter. We’re also on Twitter! Follow us at @citycast_dc. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE And we’d love to feature you on the show! Share your DC-r...
Mar 01, 2023•21 min
Trouble Bird Bar is opening tonight in Navy Yard, in the space that used to be Maxwell Park Wine Bar. But it's got a very different vibe. Think pajamas AND glitter. Confused? We talked to the founders for some answers. Plus, here’s that Ballpark Access Pass from our D.C. life hack of the day. And, more info on our live taping at the Politics & Prose Union Market, TOMORROW, at 6:30 pm. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter. We’re also on Twitter! Follow ...
Feb 28, 2023•20 min
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser says she’s redoubling her efforts to reverse the council’s move to pull police who have been serving as school resource officers out of D.C. public schools. The Metropolitan Police Department’s School Safety Division was once staffed by 100 school resource officers; it’s now down to 40, with the division set to disappear altogether by July 2025. WAMU’s Martin Austermuhle spoke to students, parents, and school resource officers to find out how folks are feeling about the ...
Feb 27, 2023•19 min
We’ve got a new museum that will open under the Lincoln Memorial! And the D.C. metro area is banding together to form a new fair housing plan. Mike Schaffer is joined by Julia Karron and Kaela Cote-Stemmerman to talk about that, plus fun events taking place this weekend. As always, our roundups wouldn’t be complete without the great local reporting in the city: Andrew Beaujon from Washingtonian has the new potential Lincoln Memorial museum plans on lock. Dan Brendel of Washington Business Journa...
Feb 24, 2023•19 min
Roller skating became all the rage during the pandemic, but for D.C., this wasn’t really a new thing. Just ask D.C. skate enthusiast, Saletta Coleman. She tells us why the District has always had a special connection to skating. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter. We’re also on Twitter! Follow us at @citycast_dc. And we’d love to feature you on the show! Share your DC-related thoughts, hopes, and frustrations with us in a voicemail by calling 202-642-265...
Feb 23, 2023•21 min
We’ve all been there. You’re out and about when nature calls. And if you’re in D.C., this could be especially bad news because there aren’t a ton of public bathrooms in the city. But there’s new legislation that might get D.C. to what Jonathan Katz calls “potty parity.” To learn more, here are some resources Jonathan recommends: The Big Necessity, by Rose George No Place to Go, by Lezlie Lowe The American Restroom Association And for some non-potty related news, make sure to sign up for our morn...
Feb 22, 2023•17 min
Fentanyl is a national crisis, and the D.C. area is no exception. But the communities bearing the brunt of it here are different compared to the rest of the country. As the FDA pushes to make narcan, the life-saving antidote to opioid overdoses, available over the counter, Axios DC reporter Chelsea Cirruzzo is here to tell us what harm reduction specialists say about the problem and how we can all help. DBH offers a full range of behavioral health services. To learn more, call the 24-hour Access...
Feb 21, 2023•17 min
Congress is pushing back hard on two D.C. bills and many local leaders are … letting them? City Cast DC Contributor Dan Reed and Lead Producer Priyanka Tilve join the show to talk about this wrinkle in the fight for statehood. We’re also talking about the best apps for tracking metro and Logic’s new rap album, which is an homage to the DMV. As always, our roundups are powered by stellar local reporting: Josh Jacobson’s Twitter spat with Sen. Michael Brown. Jordan Pascale’s eulogy for MetroHero a...
Feb 17, 2023•21 min
If you've been in Adams Morgan recently, you’ve probably seen the aftermath of attacks on local businesses. For example, Retrobottega on 18th street had its glass doors smashed in just yesterday. It’s alarming! But business owners and local leaders aren’t taking it lying down. Today, we’re looking at what they’re doing to protect themselves and the community. Do you live or hang out in AdMo? Let us know what you think about the recent break-ins by emailing us at dc@citycast.fm or leaving us a vo...
Feb 16, 2023•15 min
Ted Lerner, the 97-year old patriarch of the family that owns the Washington Nationals, died this week. But the team has been on the market for months — meaning it’s already a moment of transition for the organization. Who’s likely to own the team? And what will it mean for the city in general? Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post is here to talk about it. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter. We’re also on Twitter! Follow us at @citycast_dc. And we’d love...
Feb 15, 2023•19 min
Happy Valentine’s Day! We asked all of you to share your love stories, and boy did you deliver. Here are some of the stories we received, plus love letters from our team to D.C. Also, mark your calendars for our next live taping! We’ll be recording our weekly roundup on March 1, at Politics & Prose Union Market. More details here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/city-cast-dc-live-podcast-taping-tickets-530214785697 If you liked this episode, be sure to sign up for our morning newsletter. Our ed...
Feb 14, 2023•21 min
