Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down affirmative action, a college admissions principle which for decades has sought to increase the racial and ethnic diversity of student populations in higher education. How does the decision impact Salt Lake’s colleges? Dr. Tamara Stevenson, Westminster University’s vice president of diversity, equity, and inclusion, joins host Ali Vallarta to make the case for demographic diversity as an educational tool. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. Yo...
Jul 05, 2023•18 min
A proposal to build a women’s sports complex at the soon-to-be-vacant Smith’s Ballpark won over community members during Salt Lake City’s recent Ballpark NEXT competition. Utah Falconz football team president and defensive player Lacy Mile talks with host Ali Vallarta about what having a home field to play at could mean for her team and the trajectory of women’s sports. This episode originally aired March 30, 2023. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on Instagram @CityCast...
Jul 03, 2023•22 min
The special election for Utah’s 2nd Congressional District took a juicy turn this week. Lead producer Emily Means joins host Ali Vallarta to share some hot goss from the Republican nominating convention. Plus, Hey Salt Lake newsletter editor Terina Ria shares an eco-friendly love story for the ages, and Ali and Emily have delicious picks of the week. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC and Twitter @CityCastSLC. Looking to advertise on City Cast Sa...
Jun 30, 2023•29 min
After being forced to move from her home in Salt Lake City’s Guadalupe neighborhood two years ago to make way for a new apartment development, Tina Holt Balderrama is back in her old neighborhood — but not without sacrifice. Host Ali Vallarta joins Tina at her new apartment, right across the street from a hole in the ground where her old house once stood, to talk about why she fought to make the journey home. Review Salt Lake City’s Thriving in Place action plan and provide public comment before...
Jun 29, 2023•14 min
Something about summer really makes you want to pop some popcorn and take in a movie. Luckily, Salt Lake has oodles of indoor and outdoor options for your viewing pleasure. Host and resident film buff Ali Vallarta joins lead producer Emily Means to share her picks for the best places to catch a flick, hottest summer deals, and the origin story of the summer movie blockbuster. Utah Film Center screenings at Liberty Park Sundance Institute Local Lens summer lineup Lost & Found Club R-rated mov...
Jun 28, 2023•23 min
Utah-based sandwich shop Even Stevens has had a rocky road of operations over the past few years. But the once beloved restaurant that rose to fame for its buy-one-give-one donation model has mysteriously shut its doors around the valley. Producer Ivana Martinez joins host Ali Vallarta to break down what happened. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC and Twitter @CityCastSLC. Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for po...
Jun 27, 2023•16 min
The Utah Department of Transportation just requested $500,000 from the federal government to explore the possibility of a passenger train connecting Salt Lake to Boise. City Cast Boise lead producer Frankie Barnhill and host Emma Arnold join Salt Lake host Ali Vallarta to talk about why Boiseans are so pumped to ride the rails to SLC — and the best ideas for a long weekend in each city. This episode originally aired on March 8, 2023. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on ...
Jun 26, 2023•22 min
If there’s one thing you can count on the Utah Department of Transportation to do, it’s expand a highway. Lead producer Emily Means joins host Ali Vallarta to break down how turning Bangerter Highway into Bangerter Freeway could displace 241 homes in West Valley City. Plus, some residents in SLC’s Wasatch Hollow neighborhood have beef with planned speed bumps on 1300 S. And are you prepared in case of a Mormon cricket apocalypse? Submit public comment on the Bangerter Highway expansion before Ju...
Jun 23, 2023•25 min
Large, towering apartment complexes are popping up all over Salt Lake City. But when it comes to addressing our affordable housing crisis, maybe we should be thinking a bit … smaller. That’s where “missing middle” housing comes in. Building Salt Lake editor Taylor Anderson explains to host Ali Vallarta why these types of units are missing and how they fit into our housing puzzle. Listen to “Why Aren’t These Vacant Buildings Housing?” Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on ...
Jun 22, 2023•22 min
What’s missing from Salt Lake’s burgeoning network of farmers markets? In part three of our Summer Entertainment Guide, Utah Farmers Market Network director Chandler Rosenberg tells host Ali Vallarta why we are short on farmers to meet the demand. Plus, she lays down the best markets in the valley, an etiquette guide, and some cool affordability programs. Find a farmers market. Farmers can apply for the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food’s mental health voucher program. Subscribe to our dai...
Jun 21, 2023•17 min
It’s been almost a year since the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision protecting the right to an abortion. Since then, we’ve seen an all-out legislative effort to ban abortion in Utah. Shortly after last year’s SCOTUS decision, host Ali Vallarta hit up the bar scene in Downtown SLC to ask young Salt Lakers how they’re thinking about going out and hooking up in a post-Roe world. Their answers were incredibly candid. This episode first aired July 5, 2022. Subscribe to our ...
Jun 20, 2023•17 min
The Salt Lake City Council has passed the 2024 city budget! How are they spending our money? Lead producer Emily Means joins host Ali Vallarta to break down key programs as well as some fun line items that snuck their way in. Plus, newsletter editor Terina Ria joins to share picks of the week. Our breakdown of SLC Mayor Erin Mendenhall’s initial budget proposal. Mayor Erin Mendenhall’s approach to homelessness. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC ...
Jun 16, 2023•29 min
A decade ago, Utah had one of the highest rates of opioid overdose deaths in the U.S. Now, while the rest of the country experiences an increase, the Beehive State has reversed that trend. Democratic State Sen. Jen Plumb, the founder of Utah Naloxone, tells host Ali Vallarta how we got to this point and what’s worrying her now. Find naloxone kits at Salt Lake County libraries and pharmacies across the state. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC and...
Jun 15, 2023•23 min
School’s out for the summer, which means parents have to weave a tapestry of summer entertainment to fill kids’ days. So, where to start? In Part 2 of our City Cast Summer Entertainment Guide, dad about town and City Weekly contributor Bryant Heath tells host Ali Vallarta his favorite places for family-friendly fun on the cheap. Plus, Bryant shares tips for leveraging camps to keep up with the ever-changing interests of an elementary-schooler. Review the Utah State Board of Education’s Core Stan...
Jun 14, 2023•19 min
Do wildfire smoke, vehicle emissions, and other nasty air in the valley sneak into our homes? Host Ali Vallarta asks Dr. Kerry Kelly, an air quality investigator at the University of Utah, how we can protect our very bedrooms from smog — and whether our house plants are pulling their weight! This episode first aired Aug. 4, 2022. A few of Dr. Kelly’s recommendations: How to make a DIY box air filter; PurpleAir Quality Sensors (a Salt Lake company!); and Tellus Air Quality Sensors from the U. Lis...
Jun 13, 2023•16 min
Last fall, Salt Lake City invested $6 million to help develop 400 units of permanent supportive housing for people experiencing homelessness. So far, only 94 have opened with a project called The Point at Fairpark, a converted motel run by Switchpoint Community Resource Center. Switchpoint executive director Carol Hollowell joins host Ali Vallarta to make the case for charging ahead with this type of resource over emergency shelters. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on ...
Jun 12, 2023•19 min
It’s summer travel season, and the SLC International Airport is expanding (welcome, Vessel Kitchen!). Host Ali Vallarta and lead producer Emily Means rate the airport experience. Plus, they share some good news re: flood warnings and their picks of the week. Learn more about The Christian School art installation on State Street. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC and Twitter @CityCastSLC. Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our...
Jun 09, 2023•25 min
Few people parade as hard as Shireen Ghorbani, so buckle in for her mascot origin story! In part one of our City Cast Summer Entertainment Guide, the former county council member and general enthusiast tells host Ali Vallarta the best parade routes in the Wasatch. Plus, the do’s and don’ts of throwing candy, and the perfect song for making an entrance. Learn more about Salt Lake City’s ambitions for a Green Loop. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSL...
Jun 08, 2023•20 min
According to the Visit Salt Lake website, there is “tons of super gay stuff going on” in our city. But how queer is Salt Lake, really? Salt Lake Tribune reporter Paighten Harkins tells host Ali Vallarta whether the data matches the vibes — and what the governor’s gear shift on the wellbeing of LGBTQ+ Utahns means for our city. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC and Twitter @CityCastSLC. Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our o...
Jun 07, 2023•18 min
When was the last time you had a corn dog? From gas station parking lots to elegant food truck variations, corn dog enthusiast Sam Martinez tells host Ali Vallarta why summer’s simplest, most underrated pleasure is his new obsession. And, of course, where to find the fluffiest renditions across this valley. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC and Twitter @CityCastSLC. Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast a...
Jun 06, 2023•16 min
Great Salt Lake National Park. It has a nice ring to it, right? That’s what ethnobotanist Paul Alan Cox is suggesting as an intervention to the ongoing crisis at the lake. Cox makes the case to host Ali Vallarta that it’s possible for everyone — tribal leaders, brine shrimp farmers, and even Republican lawmakers — to be represented in what could be Utah’s sixth national park. We’re doing a survey to learn more about our listeners, so we can make City Cast Salt Lake an even better, more useful po...
Jun 05, 2023•20 min
Two elected officials representing Salt Lake announced their resignations this week. Lead producer Emily Means joins host Ali Vallarta to explain what happens next for the soon-to-be-vacant Salt Lake City Council and Congressional District 2 seats. Plus, Happy Pride! Hey Salt Lake newsletter editor Terina Ria shares her picks for any flavor of LGBTQ+ joy you want to celebrate. Learn more about Salt Lake City’s BallparkNEXT competition. State Sen. Todd Weiler, R-Woods Cross, on his bill requiring...
Jun 02, 2023•33 min
Rose Park Elementary hosted its final bike bus of the school year, where dozens of students and chaperones wheeled or walked to school together in a critical mass. Host Ali Vallarta tagged along as a guest chaperone and talked to bike bus originator Trina Perez about why it’s important to get students — and parents — out of the school drop-off line. We’re doing a survey to learn more about our listeners, so we can make City Cast Salt Lake an even better, more useful podcast for you. We’d be grat...
Jun 01, 2023•16 min
Welcome to pool season, Salt Lake. Not only are pool parties fun, they also provide an important avenue for cooling off during our hot summers. Host Ali Vallarta joins lead producer Emily Means to give a rundown on the best pools to dip your toes into this season. Plus, Ali has an update on Salt Lake County’s lifeguard shortage. Learn more about tree equity in Salt Lake. Apply to be a Salt Lake County lifeguard. We’re doing a survey to learn more about our listeners, so we can make City Cast Sal...
May 31, 2023•27 min
People have legal rights. Should nature? Host Ali Vallarta talks with Grant Wilson, executive director of Earth Law Center, about the Rights of Nature movement and how it could help save the shrinking Great Salt Lake. This episode originally aired on Oct. 19, 2022. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC and Twitter @CityCastSLC. Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads. Learn more about your ad...
May 30, 2023•16 min
It’s Memorial Day weekend, and Salt Lake Tribune reporter Andy Larsen may have found the cheapest beer in the county! He joins host Ali Vallarta and lead producer Emily Means to make sense of the week’s top stories, including the Utah Inland Port Authority’s strange rebrand and tales from local national anthem auditions. Listen to our episode on the results of the inland port audit. Read the 51-page whitepaper on the inland port, if you really want to. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. ...
May 26, 2023•33 min
Sure, I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream on a hot Memorial Day weekend. But what about our vegan and lactose-intolerant friends? What do they get to scream for? Producer Emily Means talks with Jill Onofrietti of The Skoop Instagram account about the best vegan ice cream options in Salt Lake. This episode originally aired on Sept. 14, 2022. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC and Twitter @CityCastSLC. Looking to advertise on City Cas...
May 25, 2023•13 min
competition asked Salt Lakers to submit their best ideas for the diamond and parking lot across the street. Host Ali Vallarta joins lead producer Emily Means to break down the proposals and give a temperature check on how Ballpark community members feel about them. View the finalists and vote for your favorite at BallparkNEXT.com. Winners will be announced May 31, 2023. Utah Falconz player Lacy Mile’s pitch for a women’s sports complex. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us ...
May 24, 2023•27 min
There’s always a need for blood donations, and with summer adventures approaching, the need is even more urgent. So while Salt Lake-based lab ARUP welcomes the news that gay and bisexual men can donate blood after a decades-long ban, that doesn’t mean a flood of the good stuff will come rushing in by Memorial Day. ARUP medical director Dr. Waseem Anani joins host Ali Vallarta — as she sits in the donation chair — to share the new line of questioning and what barriers still remain. Read pathologi...
May 23, 2023•20 min
All that water Utah got this winter means we’ll have a cool, fire-free summer, right? Not necessarily. And the threat of wildfires in the West, plus low pay, makes it difficult to recruit much-needed firefighters. Former wildland firefighter Jonathon Golden joins host Ali Vallarta to give a preview of fire season and share tips for keeping you — and firefighters — safe. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC and Twitter @CityCastSLC. Looking to adver...
May 22, 2023•22 min
