City Cast DC

Latest Episodes:

Real Safety Starts with Prevention {Sponsored} Oct 09, 2025

Show notes

On this bonus sponsored episode of City Cast DC, the Public Welfare Foundation is all about supporting safer, more just communities here in DC. And today, we’re kicking off a special three-part series with a conversation about what that really looks like.

City Cast DC CEO David Plotz is joined by Eric Weaver and Dr. Roger Mitchell. Eric Weaver is the founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Returning Citizens and helps people reenter society and break cycles of harm. Dr. Roger Mitchell is former DC Chief Medical Examiner and Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice, and now President of Howard University Hospital, and he’s become a national voice for treating violence as a public health issue.

They discuss what it will take to build safer neighborhoods in the District, and why rethinking public safety is critical to creating stronger, healthier communities for us to live in.

Learn more about their work and the efforts of leaders like Eric Weaver and Dr. Roger Mitchell at realsafetydc.org

Best DC Camping Spots This Fall Oct 09, 2025

Show notes

Summer’s over, but that doesn’t mean camping has to be. Whether you’re an experienced outdoorswoman like me or just testing the waters with a little car camping, there’s still time to get outside. We’re here with Leo Murray, founder of Kibiboyz and leader of Concrete Escapes, who’s helping DC city folks reconnect with nature one campfire at a time.

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 October 9th episode:

Wise

Folger Shakespeare Library

Nace Law Group

The Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University

Public Welfare Foundation

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

Restaurant Secrets From DC's Most Legendary Food Critic Oct 08, 2025

Show notes

Tom Sietsema, the longtime food critic at the Washington Post, announced yesterday that he’s retiring. And he finally revealed his identity! Now, most DC restaurants still knew what he looked like and tried to look out for him, but he can now put down his disguises. To honor his many years scouring the DMV for the best food, we’re taking you back to an episode he sat down for with City Cast Co-Host Michael Schaffer describing what it was like to be anonymous and use pseudonyms.

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 October 8th episode:

Wise

Folger Shakespeare Library

Nace Law Group

The Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University

Public Welfare Foundation

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

Why Hasn’t DC Stopped Collaborating With ICE? Oct 07, 2025

Show notes

New reporting from the Washington Post and the New York Timesalleges that MPD is still very much still collaborating with ICE. Teo Armus from the Washington Post is here to talk through MPD and ICE enforcement in DC and what the future looks like.

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 October 7th episode:

Wise

Folger Shakespeare Library

Nace Law Group

The Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University

Public Welfare Foundation

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

How Bleak is DC's Unemployment Crisis? Oct 06, 2025

Show notes

It’s the question everyone’s been asking since DOGE first showed up: How screwed is DC? A new program at the Brookings Institution called DMV Monitor pulls together a ton of data to help answer the question. And their most recent report is kind of a jaw-dropper. The region’s unemployment has shot up nine times faster than the rest of the country, with more to come. Brookings Fellow Tracy Hadden Loh is here to break it all down.

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 October 6th episode:

Wise

Folger Shakespeare Library

Nace Law Group

The Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University

Public Welfare Foundation

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

Will The Shutdown Tank DC's Economy? Plus, Rideshare Drama, and Your New Favorite Venue Oct 03, 2025

Show notes

We’re talking about the government shutting down — and what the city is going to do about it. We’re talking about a ride-share service being shut down — and why they’re mad at the city about it. Plus, a new music venue and in a fourth segment, we’ll talk about great DC challenges (and we don’t mean, like, balancing the budget).

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 October 3rd episode:

Wise

Library of Congress

Folger Shakespeare Library

Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info HERE

How the Shutdown Screws DC Oct 02, 2025

Show notes

The government shutdown affects the whole country, but it’s an especially big deal in DC. Our city is already reeling, and now we’re facing an event that threatens to scare off tourists and possibly lead to mass layoffs. How is the local government reacting? And what does the shutdown mean for your day-to-day even if you’re still employed? NBC4’s Mark Segraves is here to brief us.

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 October 2nd episode:

Wise

Library of Congress

Folger Shakespeare Library

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

Your Guide to October 2025 in DC Oct 01, 2025

Show notes

October in DC is just lovely. The weather is good. The leaves are turning. And even though the city is still reeling from the federal takeover, we are still finding joy and ways to connect with this city we call home. So from fast cars to throwing back a few drinks with a former US president, we give you OUR top picks for what to do in DC this October .

If you're new here, welcome! We’ve put together a starter pack for you, with episodes and articles to welcome you to the City Cast community.

For even more tips on how to make the most of September in DC, check out Hey DC’s take on what to do this month.

Learn more about the sponsors of this October 1st episode:

Wise

Library of Congress

Folger Shakespeare Library

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

Reach us at DC@citycast.fm

Unearthing the Truth in a Local Secret Cemetery Sep 30, 2025

Show notes

Imagine walking through the woods and stumbling across a few tombstones. That’s what happened outside the old House of Reformation, where more than 230 bodies of young black boys are buried. But you wouldn’t know it given the condition of the area. Michael Brice-Saddler from the Washington Post is here to dig up the secrets that lie beneath that ground and tells us a story that has largely been overlooked until now.

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 September 30th episode:

Wise

Library of Congress

Folger Shakespeare Library

Food & Friends - Move For Meals

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

DC's Only Ice Rink Is Cursed. Will It Open? Sep 29, 2025

Show notes

The Fort Dupont Ice Rink has been in shambles for years. But it has a storied history: it’s home to one of the oldest black hockey clubs in the states. The rink needed a little TLC but never got it, until now. But there’s another delay for when it’ll open again, and Martin Austermuhle from the 51st is here to tell us why it’s taken so long to get this historic rink back on its feet.

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 September 29th episode:

Wise

Library of Congress

Folger Shakespeare Library

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

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