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‘Mar-a-Lago’ Face is Taking Over DC Nov 19, 2025

Show notes

That taut, pulled look, full lips, jawlines that suddenly seem… suspiciously sharp. It’s what some are calling “Mar-a-Lago Face,” a plastic-surgery trend that’s gaining popularity here in DC. So who’s getting the work done? And what exactly are they asking for? We’re revisiting our conversation with journalist POLITICO’s Joanna Weiss about what DC really thinks of plastic surgery, why certain faces rise and fall with each administration—and how, in Washington, even our aesthetics are political.

Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month.

Learn more about the sponsors of this November 19th episode:

District Bridges

Simply Eloped

Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.

Is Student Truancy Behind DC's Youth Crime? Nov 18, 2025

Show notes

DC is in the middle of two youth crises: One involves school truancy; the other involves high-profile teen mayhem, like the skirmish on Halloween between young people and law enforcement at Navy Yard. Are the two related? Washington Post reporters Lauren Lumpkin and Robert Samuels wrote a blockbuster report on the city’s failures to combat truancy. They walk us through the shocking details.

Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can text us or leave a voicemail at: (202) 642-2654. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month.

Learn more about the sponsors of this November 18th episode:

District Bridges

Simply Eloped

Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.

New Details About How Bowser Kept Trump At Bay — And Pissed Off DC Nov 17, 2025

Show notes

What really went on between Muriel Bowser and Donald Trump during the DC police takeover? The Washington Post’s Jonathan O’Connell has reported out an epic look at the relationship between the blue mayor and the people that make up the MAGA administration, full of jaw-dropping details. Come for the cocktail party with Russ Vought, stick around for the Marshawn Lynch meme.

Learn more about the sponsors of this November 17th episode:

District Bridges

Simply Eloped

Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.

RIP Streateries? Plus, Shutdown Ends, and a New WaPo Food Critic Nov 14, 2025

Show notes

We’re talking about the future of streateries, the end of the federal shutdown, and a new Washington Post food critic. Plus, in a member’s-only fourth segment, we’ll talk about the trend of senior Trump officials living in military bases — and what that means for DC.

Learn more about the sponsors of this November 14th episode:

Nace Law Group

Mosaic Theater Company

Babbel - Get up to 55% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST

Public Welfare Foundation

Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

Confessions of a DC Food Critic: Behind the Scenes with Tom Sietsema Nov 13, 2025

Show notes

On Monday, the Washington Post announced that Elazar Sontag would be its new food critic. Which means that Tom Sietsema, who held the job for 26 years, is finally free to dish about what life was really like as the most powerful man in DC’s restaurant scene. We talked to Tom about the way the dining world has evolved, the way the critic’s job has changed, and whether he’d actually make me pay if we go out to dinner together. He also let slip some hints about what he’ll do next.

Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month.

Learn more about the sponsors of this November 13th episode:

Nace Law Group

Mosaic Theater Company

Babbel - Get up to 55% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST

Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.

Food Halls Took Over DC — But Are They All Mid? Nov 12, 2025

Show notes

Here’s a hot take: food halls are stressful. Too many options, not enough standout bites. So when we heard that DC was getting another one in the form of a chain called Wonder, we had to know why. Anna Spiegel joins us to dish on DC’s newest food hall chain and whether they’re actually worth the hype.

Want some more DC news? Then make sure to⁠ sign up⁠ for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can text us or leave a voicemail at: ⁠(202) 642-2654⁠. You can⁠ also become a member⁠, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month.

Learn more about the sponsors of this November 12th episode:

⁠Nace Law Group⁠

⁠Mosaic Theater Company⁠

⁠Babbel⁠ - Get up to 55% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST

Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info⁠ HERE⁠.

Mayor Bowser and Qatargate. Plus, Shutdown Latest Nov 11, 2025

Show notes

A blockbuster New York Times report last week announced that Mayor Bowser is under federal investigation over a foreign trip she took. But within hours, other news organizations reported that the investigation isn’t targeting the mayor, and may not be much of an investigation after all. Nonetheless, it lands at a terrible time for Muriel Bowser as she weighs a reelection run. And it highlights once again the bizarre dance between DC’s leaders and the Trump administration. Michael Schaffer talks with Axios’ Cuneyt Dil about Qatargate and the latest on the potential end of the federal shutdown.

Learn more about the sponsors of this November 11th episode:

Nace Law Group

Mosaic Theater Company

Babbel - Get up to 55% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST

Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.

How This Tax Change Could Reduce Child Poverty in DC Nov 10, 2025

Show notes

DC is on the cusp of passing a law whose proponents say it could massively reduce child poverty. But the catch is that the bill would take away a lot of the local tax benefits that at least some folks would get as a result of the One Big Beautiful Bill passed by Congress. Jenny Gathright from the Washington Post has been covering the debate and is here to explain.

Learn more about the sponsors of this November 10th episode:

⁠Nace Law Group⁠

⁠Mosaic Theater Company⁠

⁠Babbel⁠ - Get up to 55% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST

Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info⁠ HERE⁠.

Could a Mamdani Win in DC? Plus, Youth Curfews And Sandwich Guy’s Trial Nov 07, 2025

Show notes

All eyes this week were actually on New York City’s mayor’s race, and as our own race for mayor heats up, we’re talking about whether DC could ever get its own Zohran Mamdani. Plus, inside chaos at Navy Yard and the youth curfew in DC, and we dig into the trial of Sandwich Guy. And in a member’s-only fourth segment, we’ll talk about the strange K-shaped real estate market in DC. Co-host Michael Schaffer chats with the 51st’s Martin Austermuhle and City Cast’s Julia Karron.

Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can text us or leave a voicemail at: ‪(202) 642-2654‬. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month.

Learn more about the sponsors of this November 7th episode:

United Healthcare

Nace Law Group

St. Ann’s Center for Children, Youth and Families
Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

DC's Foliage is Radically Different This Year Nov 06, 2025

Show notes

Do you spend much time thinking about trees? Me neither. All we know is that DC has a lot of ‘em. But it turns out that our treescape has undergone some radical changes lately. And, thanks to climate change, more are in store. The Washington Post’s Marissa Lang and John Harden worked on an epic report on Washington’s trees and they’re here to explain how it all works.

Learn more about the sponsors of this November 6th episode:

United Healthcare

Nace Law Group

St. Ann’s Center for Children, Youth and Families

Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE.

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