City Cast Portland

We’re quickly approaching fall weather and the season of pumpkin-spiced everything. But one of our favorite fall treats is the simple apple cider doughnut. (Really, any flavored doughnut, if we’re being honest.) Today on City Cast Portland, we’re revisiting the time producers John Notarianni and Giulia Fiaoni and host Claudia Meza grabbed a few dozen doughnuts from shops you all recommended to dec...

Today on City Cast Portland, we’re talking about Portland’s push to ban drugs again, the city’s inability to keep its trees alive, and a big switcheroo for one local school. Joining lead producer John Notarianni on this week’s news roundup are Willamette Week reporter Sophie Peel and City Cast’s director of newsletters, Bryan M. Vance. Stories Discussed in Today’s Episode: Portland Leaders Approv...

Imagine you’re going about your day, minding your own business, and then all of a sudden — whoops — there’s a giant hole in the middle of the road. We’re talking about Oregon’s sinkholes. Why does this happen and how concerned should we really be? Today on City Cast Portland, lead producer John Notarianni is taking a closer look at sinkholes with science journalist Erin Ross. Who would you like to...

Oregon’s public defense system relies on court experts to weigh in on cases: people like private investigators and forensic accountants. But a group of local private investigators says they’ve been chronically underpaid, and they’re not taking on certain cases until they get a raise. Today on City Cast Portland, lead producer John Notarianni is talking with Dawn Krantz-Watts, a private investigato...

Oregonians are facing an extreme housing shortage across the state. We have one of the lowest supplies of rentals that are affordable to people at or below poverty levels, and we also rank fourth in the country when it comes to underproducing housing. Although researchers say there isn’t a quick fix to address decades of under-building, there are efforts underway to help reduce the strain. Today l...

Today on City Cast Portland we’re talking about the district attorney’s race heating up, the skyscraper that may — or may not — be built in Old Town, and outdoor dining is here to stay. Joining lead producer John Notarianni on this week’s news roundup are Oregonian courts reporter Zane Sparling and our very own audio producer, Giulia Fiaoni. Stories Discussed in Today’s Episode: Multnomah County D...

It’s been three years since chanting protesters clashed with police clad in body armor, taking over Portland streets during the racial justice protests of 2020. Most of us remember those nights through the images captured by photojournalists and documentarians who dodged rubber bullets and clouds of tear gas. Today on City Cast Portland, lead producer John Notarianni talks with documentary photogr...

This week’s rain showers are a sign that the final weeks of summer are upon us. So what better way to mark the end of the season than to take in a few more glorious sunsets? Go grab those picnic blankets: Eden Dawn, author of “The Portland Book of Dates” and host of the “We Can't Print This” podcast is sharing the ultimate guide to Portland’s golden hour activities and hangouts. Eden’s Date Ideas:...

Skating is the ultimate DIY sport: All you need is a board or a pair of skates and a creative eye for the urban environment. Portland has a history of skaters making their own skate parks, without city funding or even permission. Now a coalition of skaters and supporters are trying to convince the city to create a new skate park under the west end of the Steel Bridge. Today on City Cast Portland,...

Did you know that Portland has some of the oldest drinking establishments on the West Coast? Today on City Cast Portland, we’re talking with Nathan P. Gale & Alfredo Moreno, hosts of the “History by the Glass” podcast. They’ve been drinking their way through Portland’s historic taverns and are here to share some of the unexpected history from some of our favorite watering holes. So pull up your ba...

Today on City Cast Portland, we’re talking about what the audit of the city and county’s Joint Office of Homeless Services uncovered, and Mayor Ted Wheeler’s big asks at Governor Tina Kotek’s downtown revitalization task force meeting. Joining host Claudia Meza on this week’s news roundup are KBOO news director, Althea Billings and lead producer, John Notarianni. Stories discussed in today’s episo...

Two of our area’s largest medical institutions are planning on merging: OHSU is seeking to absorb Legacy Health before the end of 2024, employing more than 32,000 people in over 100 locations. But what does this mean for patients and the overall quality of care? Or for the cost? And especially for all their health care workers who are still struggling since the pandemic? We’re talking with Oregoni...

We’re currently smack dab in the middle of the Portland Mercury’s most popular themed food week: Burger Week 2023. Every year, dozens of local restaurants create a specialty burger and then offer it at a ridiculously low price: All for the love of burgers. And this year there are nearly 80 restaurants taking part!  Yes: That’s an impossible number of burgers to eat in a week. So today on City Cast...

Beekeepers celebrated World Honey Bee Day this past weekend, celebrating all the work that pollinators do for us every day. But here in Oregon, there’s a lot more than just honey bees buzzing around: We have 600 species of bees, all doing their thing, pollinating plants. And a lot of them don’t look or act how you’d expect.  Today on City Cast Portland, we’re listening back to a conversation betwe...

It’s no secret that Portland has a lot of great pizza, but there’s a new class of pizzerias trying to take a slice of the pie by drawing inspiration from their international roots and creating some unique and wild flavor combinations. Today on City Cast Portland, we’re talking with Oregonian restaurant critic Michael Russell about the new vanguard of pizza parlors that are going way, way beyond re...

Today on the show we’re talking about the county’s inability to follow through on plans to tackle homelessness, how state lawmakers forgot to pay their art bills, and what to do about PGE’s dire warnings of what’s to come. Joining host Claudia Meza on this week’s news roundup are City Cast’s director of newsletters, Bryan M. Vance, and lead producer, John Notarianni. Stories discussed in today’s e...

The Pacific Northwest is home to some of the country’s best backpacking trails. But hiking and camping for days can feel daunting. Today on City Cast Portland, we’re talking with Karrie Carnes, a volunteer ambassador for the women’s outdoor empowerment organization, Women Who Explore. Their Portland chapter leads groups through the wilderness year-round on free backpacking excursions. Karrie’s sha...

Since the 2021 heat dome, there’s been a ton of interest in helping Oregonians prepare for a warming climate, with incentive programs for homeowners to upgrade to energy-efficient home cooling options. Still, up until recently, renters — who experts say are most at-risk from extreme heat — have been largely left out of these initiatives.  But this year, the Oregon Department of Energy launched a p...

Even though Portland has recently seen a significant drop in cycling, our city still has the highest number of bike commuters in the country. But with 43 traffic fatalities this year and 70 last year, many cyclists say riding has felt more dangerous than ever. Today we’re talking with BikePortland editor Jonathan Maus—he’s giving us some tips on how both drivers and pedestrians can stay safe on ou...

It’s been over 100 years since sea otters lived on the Oregon coast, but recently there are new efforts to reintroduce them. And experts say it’s not only viable but could also have a huge positive impact on our region’s marine ecosystem. Today on the show, host Claudia Meza talks with science journalist Erin Ross about why we should all be excited for the return of the Oregon sea otter. Who would...

Today on City Cast Portland, we’re talking about Multnomah County bailing on promises made to the city, the dozens of wrongful convictions in Clackamas and Washington counties caused by Oregon DMVs, and how Portland’s police chief is asking his officers to stop talking smack about the district attorney. Joining host Claudia Meza today are Willamette Week City Hall reporter Sophie Peel and our very...

A short road trip can be a great way to soak in the last weeks of an Oregon summer. Getting out on the road with no real agenda is exciting, but a road trip can really go wrong if you don’t have a plan for the basics. So today on the show, lead producer John Notarianni asks Norther Emily of Wild Solitude Guiding, a self-described Oregon road trip expert, for their best tips and route recommendatio...

The pandemic might have brought a few of our favorite restaurants down, but we’re seeing a resurgence of eateries bring back the happiest time of the day — that sweet spot between 4 and 6 p.m. Today on the show, host Claudia Meza talks with Brooke Jackson-Glidden, editor of Eater Portland, about the city’s best happy hour spots to help you ride out the summer season. You can check out Eater Portla...

When Mike Schmidt was elected district attorney in 2020, he said, “Multnomah County has just embraced the most progressive DA platform that this state has ever seen.” But since then, he’s faced a near-perfect storm as the pandemic, a backlog of cases, and the opioid crisis sent crime in the city skyrocketing. And now special interest groups have targeted him as the face of Portland’s record crime...

Last Friday was sunflower night at Providence Park, and any diehard Portland soccer fan knows that’s a celebration of Timber Jim’s family. For 12 seasons, Timber Jim aka Jim Serrill was the Portland Timbers’ suspender-wearing lumberjack mascot. He captured the hearts of fans and the club with his stunts: hanging from rafters, climbing 100 ft. poles, and slicing logs. Today we’re bringing back a co...