City Cast Salt Lake

Let’s get municipal. The Salt Lake City Council was busy this week, taking hours of public comment on oodles of issues. Lead producer Emily Means joins host Ali Vallarta to break down the week’s news, including permanently closing SLC’s Main Street to cars and ranked choice voting in this year’s municipal election. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSL...

Salt Lakers love a good commuter rail ride as much as the next transit nerd (see you on FrontRunner!). But our neighbors in Boise are frickin’ stoked about the idea of a possible Amtrak route from the Big Potato to the Big Salty. City Cast Boise lead producer Frankie Barnhill and host Emma Arnold join Salt Lake host Ali Vallarta to talk about why Boiseans are so pumped to ride the rails to SLC — a...

In just 45 days, Utah lawmakers passed nearly 600 bills. It’s a lot to take in. Fortunately, FOX 13 Capitol Hill reporter Ben Winslow was paying attention for us. Ben joins host Ali Vallarta to break down what legislators did about the issues Salt Lakers care about most — from housing and homelessness to the proposed gondola up Little Cottonwood Canyon. Also: What the Legislature did about the Gre...

Utah lawmakers passed nearly 600 bills in just 45 days. Whew! It’s a lot to take in. Luckily, FOX 13 Capitol Hill reporter Ben Winslow was paying attention for us. Ben joins host Ali Vallarta to break down what legislators did about the issues Salt Lakers care about most — from the Great Salt Lake to liquor laws. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC...

We could all use a stiff drink now and then — bartenders especially. It’s a tough gig, with difficult customers, low wages, and bad tippers. Salt Lake mixologist Alexi Fisher joins host Ali Vallarta to explain what it’s like on the other side of the bar and break down when and how to tip service workers. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC and Twitt...

Happy Meteorological Spring, everyone! The days are (hopefully, maybe) getting warmer. Lead producer Emily Means joins host Ali Vallarta to talk about the week’s stories, including funding to study burying Salt Lake City’s trains, Gov. Spencer Cox’s move to clear the air, and a confusing vote by the Salt Lake County Council. Learn about burying the rails through the Rio Grande Plan. Subscribe to o...

It’s the freezing cold start to an election year, so this year we made a point of getting Salt Lake City’s candidates for mayor Rocky Anderson and Michael Valentine on the record about one of our most urgent issues: homelessness. Today, in the final installment of our three-interview series, host Ali Vallarta talks with current SLC Mayor Erin Mendenhall about her record on this issue, including he...

It’s the freezing cold start to an election year, so we wanted to get Salt Lake City’s candidates for mayor on the record about one of the city’s most urgent issues: homelessness. In the second of three interviews, host Ali Vallarta talks with former SLC Mayor and current mayoral candidate Rocky Anderson about his record on this issue, stretching all the way back to the 2002 Olympics.  A little ho...

It’s the freezing cold start to an election year, so we wanted to get Salt Lake City’s candidates for mayor on the record about one of the city’s most urgent issues: homelessness. In the first of three interviews, host Ali Vallarta talks with mayoral candidate Michael Valentine about how his experience with homelessness influences his policy proposals.  A little housekeeping: Tomorrow, candidate R...

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall recently announced plans to fund a new approach to affordable housing. The program would put money back into renters’ hands to help them buy a home in the future. Perpetual Housing Fund Co-Director Ashley Atkinson joins host Ali Vallarta to explain how this fits into solving Salt Lake’s housing puzzle.     Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find...

You would think the NBA leaving town cooled things off in the city, but nope! There’s still plenty of news to go around. Lead producer Emily Means and host Ali Vallarta discuss legislation on doulas, break down three big lawsuits, and reminisce about the spring of 1983. Also –– text us at 801-203-013 or email us at saltlake@citycast.fm to share the Salt Lake natural events your parents talk about...

Utah lawmakers keep pushing for more restrictions on abortion. Plus, with a shortage of OBGYNs in this big-family state and high maternal mortality rates in the U.S. — especially for Black women — access to good reproductive health care is becoming increasingly important. Host Ali Vallarta talks with Jeelan Fall, a Black midwife in Salt Lake, about how Utah’s abortion bills impact her colleagues a...

NBA All-Star weekend has come and gone, and outside of the events, visitors saw a pretty quiet picture of the capital city. But if you look closely, you’ll find that there’s more to Salt Lake than its manicured streets. SLC poet RJ Walker explains why the magic of the city lies below the surface. This episode first aired Feb. 28, 2022. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on...

The 2023 Legislative Session has dropped some controversial bills in front of Utahns — and a slough of recent voting bills are no exception. Salt Lake Tribune columnist Robert Gehrke tells host Ali Vallarta why he’s calling these bills “anti-democratic” and why the people who always win would want to make it harder to vote. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on Instagram @C...

We’re heading into a three-day weekend, but the Utah Legislature isn’t slowing down. Lead producer Emily Means joins host Ali Vallarta to break down the newly released abortion bill and an effort to disband Salt Lake County’s Unified Police Department. Plus, Ali gives an update on her dual missions to go car free and have one drink at every bar in Salt Lake County. Ali’s “Every Bar in SLCo” tracke...

NBA All-Star weekend is finally here, and billionaire Jazz owners Ryan and Ashley Smith are selling a very particular vision of Utah to the hundred thousand fans visiting Salt Lake City. Host Ali Vallarta asks Salt Lake Tribune Jazz beat reporter Andy Larsen if he thinks anyone will buy it. Plus, Andy gives some tips on enjoying the All Stars for under $50. Get your tickets to the NBA Celebrity Ga...

Have you ever stared down a vacant building in downtown Salt Lake City and thought, “Why isn’t this housing?” Host Ali Vallarta is obsessed with a few particular structures that would make great apartments or shelters, and she asks SLC Planning Director Nick Norris what it would take to make it happen. Take note of this map of NBA All Star Weekend road closures. Subscribe to our daily morning news...

Raise your hand if you’ve been the victim of a truly awkward date. On this Valentine’s Day, we stand in solidarity with our Salt Lake neighbors who have survived family reunions, monster hunters and people who look nothing like their dating app profile. Doug Fabrizio, host of KUER’s RadioWest, joins Ali Vallarta to relive the cringe of your most memorably strange dates.  Sick of dating apps? Unive...

The Brigham Young Virginity Club Instagram page claims to be a “Utah-based club dedicated to preserving and promoting Virginity on college campuses.” And they’re very clear that they have “no affiliation with Brigham Young University.” But is it satire? Host Ali Vallarta and two former BYU students, Cassie Bingham and Shelby Hintze, talk about if the page is a productive way of discussing purity c...

A big headline hit the streets of Salt Lake City this week: “Plan seeks to keep homeless off Salt Lake streets during NBA All-Star Weekend.” Lead producer Emily Means joins host Ali Vallarta to unpack that story, plus some news about the Great Salt Lake. Volunteer for Project Homeless Connect on March 24.  Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC and Twi...

Lawmakers made passing bills that impact young transgender people an early priority this legislative session. Adults spoke out on both sides of the debate around health care and gender identity. But what are kids thinking? Oliver Sharp, a 17-year-old trans person, shares his story with host Ali Vallarta. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC and Twitt...

A few weeks ago we published a neighborhood guide to Sugar House in our newsletter, and the feedback sparked a debate. Were those shops and restaurants really in Sugar House? Building Salt Lake editor Taylor Anderson joins host Ali Vallarta to explain why neighborhood boundaries matter so much and why you should care.  Listen to our episode explaining the proposed I-15 expansion. Subscribe to our...

Last week was Water Week at the Utah Legislature. So, did lawmakers save the Great Salt Lake? Salt Lake Tribune water reporter Leia Larsen breaks down the proposals and explains what else is in store for our namesake. Learn about the EPA’s reconsideration of air quality standards and submit a Salt Lake air quality comment.   Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on Instagram @...

We all love our city, but nobody’s perfect! Host Ali Vallarta asks Kendall Rodriguez, a.k.a. @queenofslc, for the best Salt Lake spots to take your enemies. Buckle in, haters. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC and Twitter @CityCastSLC. Looking to advertise on City Cast Salt Lake? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads.

We love our neighbors in South Salt Lake. Sometimes, we even think about annexing them. But it’s a city in its own right, with big city problems and opportunities! South Salt Lake City Councilmember Natalie Pinkney joins host Ali Vallarta to talk about a development dilemma, building out a downtown and trying to make SoSaLa happen. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter. You can find us on Inst...