City Cast Salt Lake

Latest Episodes:

Are Utahns Happy? New City Problems, Cozy Pumpkin Curry. Oct 15, 2026

Show notes

Are Utahns happy with our quality of life? Host Ali Vallarta and City Cast Salt Lake contributors Andy Larsen and Chandler Rosenberg dive into the research. Plus, Utah City is facing some roadblocks, and we put together a list of cozy ideas for the back half of October.

Resources and references:

Read the Gardner Policy Institute's quality of life report.
Can a walkable downtown thrive in the heart of suburban sprawl? Utah City is putting that to the test. [Salt Lake Tribune]

Become a member of City Cast Salt Lake today to claim your dad hat and support our work! It's the best way to help make sure we're around for years to come.

Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can also find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC.

Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (801) 203-0137

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Tim Ballard Strikes at LDS Church, Spooky Things To Do, New Restaurants Oct 14, 2026

Show notes

Anti-trafficking activist Tim Ballard is back with a vengeance… against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Host Ali Vallarta and audience development manager Angie Treasure talk about his fall from grace and how we got here. Plus, spooky ideas for the back half of October in Salt Lake, and in our members-only segment: local food news.

Resources and references:

• Anti-trafficking activist Tim Ballard says LDS Church ‘excommunicated’ him to hide child abuse in the faith [Salt Lake Tribune]

• The Sugar House Halloween house [Instagram]

Become a member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we are around for years to come.

Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can also find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC.

Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: ‪(801) 203-0137‬

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Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:

• Utah Museum of Fine Arts

• SLC Public Library

• Steelcoated Epoxy Floors

Changing Utah’s Constitution, Great Salt Lake Decisions, Breakfast Tacos Oct 13, 2026

Show notes

Ballots are being mailed today, which means you’ll soon be voting on amendments A and B, both of which aim to change Utah’s constitution. Host Ali Vallarta and City Cast Salt Lake contributors Kate Grotezinger and Chandler Rosenberg break down what they do. Plus, an update on the effort to save our shrinking Great Salt Lake, and local shoutouts.

Resources and references:

2 amendments, 1 fight: What’s on Utah’s ballot this November [Deseret News]
Great Salt Lake, surrounding wetlands to receive 3.26 billion gallons of water from Willard Bay release [FOX 13]
Great Salt Lake dust: A problem Utah can’t afford to fix or ignore [Deseret News]

Become a member of City Cast Salt Lake today to claim your dad hat and support our work! It's the best way to help make sure we're around for years to come.

Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can also find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC.

Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (801) 203-0137

Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.

Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:

‘Your City Could Be Better’: A St. Paul Cell Phone Ban Teens Might Actually Like — Presented By City Cast Salt Lake Oct 11, 2026

Show notes

Another Salt Lake City school year has begun — how are cell phones being handled? In Minnesota, one high school is demonstrating that a strict no-phone school day can work, and they’ve got the (mostly) positive feedback to show for it. City Cast Twin Cities host Sean McPherson joins David to talk about how St. Paul Central High School is succeeding at enforcing a phone-free school environment, the surprising ways that some students approach it, and how these kinds of bans can even affect adults like Sean.

Listeners, it’s that time again! Send us the dilemmas you’re facing living in a city, and we might debate them on our upcoming call-in show. Email us or submit using this Google Form.

Mentioned on the show:

Kids using public radio comment sections as ad hoc communication

Is there something your city is doing that we should be talking about? Email David now!

We’re also on Instagram: @yourcitycouldbebetter

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Death Penalty Moratorium? 1-Star Fall Foliage Reviews, Cheap Ski Program. Oct 09, 2026

Show notes

Local prisoner advocates are calling for a moratorium on the death penalty after a botched execution in Tennessee and a man was released from Utah's own death row. Host Ali Vallarta, executive producer Emily Means, and City Cast Salt Lake Cassie Bingham discuss what it would take for lawmakers to take capital punishment off the books. Plus, on a much lighter note, we play a fall game and share picks for your weekend.

Resources and references:

After botched execution, inmate advocate urges moratorium in Utah [KUTV]
Apply for Ski Utah's Discover Winter program.
Take Ryan Smith’s survey on local businesses for the downtown sports and entertainment district.

Become a member of City Cast Salt Lake today to claim your dad hat and support our work! It's the best way to help make sure we're around for years to come.

Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can also find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC.

Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (801) 203-0137

Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.

Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:

7 More Banned Books, New Bagel Shops, Cozy Places To Read Oct 08, 2026

Show notes

It’s Banned Books Week, and Utah just added seven more novels to its growing list. Host Ali Vallarta and City Cast Salt Lake contributor Molly Miloscia ask Bookish co-founder Amanda Warren what’s behind the outrage and whether reading is becoming performative. Plus, is Salt Lake behind on the bagel food trend?

Resources and references:

Utah just banned 7 new books — at once — from all public schools in the state. Here’s what the novels are about. [Salt Lake Tribune]
What’s Good Sex Ed in Utah? [City Cast Salt Lake]
How to make – and keep – friends as a grownup, according to science [CNN]
Get tickets to Salt Lake Book Festival’s Prologue
Utah is about to enter its bagel era [Axios Salt Lake City]

Become a member of City Cast Salt Lake today to claim your dad hat and support our work! It's the best way to help make sure we're around for years to come.

Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can also find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC.

Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (801) 203-0137

Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.

Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:

Salt Lake’s Haunted History, No More Westside Pool, Apps for Local Problems Oct 07, 2026

Show notes

Do you know Salt Lake’s haunted history? Host Ali Vallarta, City Cast Salt Lake contributor Andy Larsen, and local folklore enthusiast Kyle Treasure dive into our city’s scariest stories. Plus, Glendale Regional Park’s pool gets canned, and in our members-only segment: We dream up apps for solving our niche Salt Lake problems.

Resources and references:

Salt Lake City’s mayor promised a new west-side pool. Then the city pulled it from the plans. [Salt Lake Tribune]

Become a member of City Cast Salt Lake today to claim your dad hat and support our work! It's the best way to help make sure we're around for years to come.

Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can also find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC.

Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (801) 203-0137

Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.

Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:

University of Utah Department of Art & Art History
Red Butte Garden

What's on Your Ballot, LDS Gambling Warning, Utah Sports Are Good Now? Oct 06, 2026

Show notes

Ballots are about to hit Utah mailboxes, but which races and issues should Salt Lakers be watching? Executive producer Emily Means and audience development manager Angie Treasure break down the congressional and county council races, a $128 million parks bond, and constitutional amendments. Plus, KSL Sports radio host Ben Anderson joins to talk about whether the Utah Jazz and Mammoth can actually win this season, and local shoutouts.

Resources and references:

Utah’s big sports season [City Cast Salt Lake]

Become a member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we are around for years to come.

Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can also find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC.

Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (801) 203-0137

Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.

Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:

University of Utah-College of Fine Arts
Cozy Earth - use code COZYSALTLAKE for up to 20% off
Red Butte Garden
Rocky Mountain Power

SLC’s Viral Scammer, Data Center on Public Lands, Cheap Lunch Recs Oct 05, 2026

Show notes

Salt Lake City has an alleged scammer on the loose. Executive producer Emily Means talks with City Cast Salt Lake contributors Chandler Rosenberg and Cassie Bingham about why this story has the internet in a chokehold. Plus, a nuclear-powered data center on public lands and cheap lunch deals.

Resources and references:

People speak out on encounters with viral “SLC Scammer Guy” [ABC 4]
A startup wants to build a massive nuclear-powered data center on public land in Utah [NPR]
Nuclear is Coming to Utah. What Questions Still Need Answers? [City Cast Salt Lake]

Become a member of City Cast Salt Lake today! It’s the best way to support our work and help make sure we are around for years to come.

Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can also find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC.

Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (801) 203-0137

Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.

Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:

‘Your City Could Be Better’: This Basketball Court Is Saving Residents From Floods — Presented By City Cast Salt Lake Oct 04, 2026

Show notes

When Salt Lake City looks for inspiration for the future, does it look to the Netherlands? That’s what designers and officials in New York City did in order to integrate flood mitigation into public housing. Inspired by places like Rotterdam, the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) collaborated with other groups to give Queens a state-of-the-art, climate-resilient amenity — in this case, a basketball court. David talks with Katy Burgio from NYCHA and Runit Chhaya of Grain Collective, one of the involved design firms, about the larger infrastructure the court is a part of and how it’s setting up NYC for climate resilience.

Mentioned on the show: