City Cast Portland

Today on City Cast Portland we’re talking about the indictment of Jesse Lee Calhoun, the man who has now been charged with the murders of three women in the Portland area. We’ll also look at the recent decrease in Portland shootings and the approval of Mayor Ted Wheeler’s $8.2 billion budget for the next fiscal year. Joining host Claudia Meza on this midweek roundup is our very own producer, Giuli...

Did you know we have nearly 40 farmers markets in the Portland area every week? But where are they? Which are the best for what? And what are the unspoken rules you might be breaking? Today on City Cast Portland, we’re revisiting a conversation host Claudia Meza had with Molly Notarianni — our executive producer John Notarianni’s big sister. As the former executive director of the Oregon Farmers M...

Today on City Cast Portland, we’re talking about a Philadelphia activist’s lie causing trouble at a local therapy office, all the money coming from who-knows-where in Oregon’s upcoming elections, and the latest audit looking into the city’s affordable housing mandate. Joining host Claudia Meza on this week’s Friday news roundup are Willamette Week City Hall reporter Sophie Peel and our very own pr...

The Columbia River’s millions of salmon sustained Indigenous people throughout the Pacific Northwest for millennia. But between the effects of overfishing and climate change, there’s only a fraction of their historic populations left. Today on City Cast Portland, executive producer John Notarianni talks with OPB investigations editor Tony Schick about OPB’s new podcast “Salmon Wars.” Schick digs d...

There’s nothing better than sitting out on the deck of a vineyard, looking out at the beautiful landscape and sipping something special. Lucky for us, the Willamette Valley has over 700 wineries, many of them about an hour’s drive. But the hardest part sometimes is just picking which one to visit! Which has the best food, or the nicest patio? Which do you need to book ahead? And where are the best...

Today on City Cast Portland, we’re looking into a new-age spirituality group that’s raising eyebrows in Ashland, and how they fit into Oregon’s strange propensity for attracting religious cults. Plus, we’ll take a look at the worst reviews of some of Portland’s best karaoke spots. Joining executive producer John Notarianni on this midweek news roundup is our very own producer, Giulia Fiaoni. Discu...

With the arrival of warmer weather, it’s the perfect time of year to jump from dance club to music bar for a late night out in the city. Producer Giulia Fiaoni has spent a lot of time tracking down the best places to dance in town and joins host, Claudia Meza, with tips on how to make the most out of a night out dancing – whether you’re moshing to live punk, grooving to ABBA, or learning how to tw...

Hey there! We are excited to share the trailer for a new special limited series from our friends and colleagues at City Cast Denver. If you’re a fan of what we do at City Cast, you’ll want to check it out: You’ve probably heard a story about Congresswoman Lauren Boebert. Like, how she got kicked out of a production of “Beetlejuice” for vaping and groping her date. Or, that time she heckled Preside...

Today on City Cast Portland, we’re talking about the safety issues facing Portland’s transit system, the aftermath of the PSU ceasefire protests, and the city camping ban that has been officially approved after many iterations. Joining executive producer John Notarianni on this week’s Friday news roundup are Portland Mercury news reporter Taylor Griggs and our very own producer, Giulia Fiaoni. Dis...

Four of the five seats on the Multnomah County Commission are up for grabs during this month’s primary election. Despite being under-the-radar for many voters, this race could lead to a significant shift in the priorities of county leaders. Today, Oregonian City Hall reporter Shane Dixon Kavanaugh is sharing his cheat sheet on who’s running and where they stand on the issues. And don’t worry if yo...

In the last year, Portland’s had alternative shelters spring up, a 90-day fentanyl emergency declared, Measure 110 rolled back, and a ton of money funneled into new affordable housing. But are any of these things changing the day-to-day on city streets? Today we’re asking Blanchet House executive director Scott Kerman about his ground-level perspective on the state of homelessness, addiction, and...

Today on City Cast Portland, we’re talking about the proposed $8.2 billion city budget that dropped last Friday, including some of the items the Portland Clean Energy Fund is throwing down for, as well as a couple of updates on some stories we talked about in last week’s Friday news roundup. Joining host Claudia Meza on this week’s midweek roundup is our executive producer, John Notarianni. Discus...

Bill Oakley is best known for his work as a showrunner for “The Simpsons”; he’s probably written some of your favorite lines from the show. But in recent years, Oakley has become Portland’s resident fast food expert. With National Hamburger Day coming up on May 28, Oakley is here to give us his honest takes on Portland’s fast food scene — from vegan junk food to the best burgers — as well as his e...

Happy 503 Day, everyone! Today on City Cast Portland, we’re talking about some of the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s planned greenway additions, what the upcoming federal reclassification of cannabis would mean to our local industry, and the participatory budgeting campaign currently gathering signatures. Plus, we reveal our new unofficial city slogan! Joining host Claudia Meza on this week’s...

For the past month, City Cast Portland has been campaigning to make May 3 an official holiday celebrating all that is Portland. But since it’s a brand-new holiday, host Claudia Meza and producers John Notarianni and Giulia Fiaoni have picked the best ideas for how to celebrate the inaugural 503 Day, with contributions from city leaders, regular contributors, and you — our amazing listeners. Become...

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 Portland community.  From checking out a mausoleum tour to getting outdoors with a NW forest pass, there’s no shortage of things to do this month in Portland. So the City Cast Portland team is here to narrow down your May bucket list to the must-dos, like this seasonal...

Today, we’re starting something new: neighborhood guides where we talk with notable Portlanders about the good, the bad, and the ugly of where they live. First up: potentially our most controversial neighborhood, Old Town Chinatown. Suzette Smith, from the Portland Mercury, has lived there for nearly a decade and has plenty of reasons why we have Old Town pegged all wrong. And a note to our ride-o...

Despite our iconic forests, mountains, and waterfalls, some Oregonians say the real adventure awaits us in the high desert, east of the Cascades. Out there, you’ll see landscapes unlike anywhere else in the Northwest, remnants of volcanic activity, aromatic brush and desert wildflowers, black-tailed jackrabbits, and a big ole crack in the ground. Today on City Cast Portland, Norther Emily of Wild...

Today we’re talking about why a North Portland affordable housing development for seniors is sitting empty, which type of homeless shelters are most successful in moving people into permanent housing, and whether Metro should be diverting supportive housing services dollars to buy existing cheap residential properties. Joining host Claudia Meza on this week’s Friday news roundup are KOIN 6 investi...

On May 21, a primary election is likely to decide whether Mike Schmidt remains Multnomah County’s District Attorney or if instead the job will be passed on to Nathan Vasquez, a prosecutor working in the DA's office. Schmidt has appeared on the show a couple of times, so today we’re talking with Vasquez about why he thinks our city would be safer with him in office. Events mentioned in today’s epis...

Jenny Nguyen is the owner of Portland’s Sports Bra — the first bar in America dedicated to playing only women’s sports. Following this week’s news that The Sports Bra plans to begin opening franchises nationwide, we’re revisiting a conversation host Claudia Meza had with Nguyen about her role in raising the profile of college and professional women’s basketball, in our city and across the country....

Today on City Cast Portland, we’re talking about a recent report on the health of the Willamette River and our local coastal waters. We also have updates on stories from last week, including Commissioner Rene Gonzalez’s backtracking on Mayor Ted Wheeler’s updated camping ban, and redemption for a maligned executive producer. Joining host Claudia Meza on our midweek roundup is our very own producer...

The Joint Office of Homeless Services was created in 2016 to centralize planning for homelessness programs and coordinate services between the county and the city. But despite a budget of $279 million a year, critics say it’s been slow to act and ineffective. There’s been enough controversy that the city auditor’s office just released a comprehensive look at the office. Today on City Cast Portland...

Today on City Cast Portland, we’re talking about delayed and unfinished city infrastructure projects in Montavilla, how parent fundraising for Portland Public Schools might be changing, and Commissioner Gonzalez’s surprise camping ban proposal. Joining host Claudia Meza on this week’s Friday news roundup are City Cast director of digital strategy, Bryan M. Vance, and our very own executive produce...

This tax season, $5.61 billion is headed back into our pockets, courtesy of Oregon’s largest-ever “kicker” tax credit. Why were our state economists so far off? And why don’t they just use that money on all the stuff Oregon really NEEDS, like mental health services, housing, or schools? Today on City Cast Portland, OPB politics and government reporter Dirk VanderHart is walking us through the hows...