City Cast Salt Lake

A lucky Californian recently won the record-setting $2.04 billion Powerball. But if Salt Lakers even wanted a chance at that money, they really had to work for it. Utah is one of five states that doesn’t sell lottery tickets, and gambling of any kind is banned here. That means we’re hopping in the car for a road trip to an Idaho gas station in the hopes of buying a life-changing lotto ticket. It’s...

The resorts are opening, the snow is accumulating, and our local ski towns are trying to survive their worst instincts. Last November, freelance journalist Gloria Liu asked How to Save a Ski Town in Outside magazine. One year later, host Ali Vallarta asks Gloria if there is still hope for mountain towns, and which creative solutions are proving their might. Subscribe to our daily morning newslette...

Nowadays true crime is inescapable. Whether it’s Netflix's latest doc-series or a podcast relaying the details of a grizzly murder — Utah has become a hotspot for these stories. But can a market that re-victimizes and exploits grief be ethical? Host Ali Vallarta asks former crime journalist (and former sports reporter!) Amy Donaldson, host of the mega-popular KSL podcast “The Letter.”   Subscribe...

Election day is over but the ballots persist! As county clerks continue their herculean effort to update the latest midterm results, host Ali Vallarta talks with former Salt Lake County Councilmember Shireen Ghorbani about the local nail biters, the moderate grind, and weirdly personal judicial reviews. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter here. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC and T...

Everyone is trying to save the Great Salt Lake from becoming a puddle and an ecological wasteland. But a plan by US Magnesium, LLC, could put a wrench in those eforts. Host Ali Vallarta talks with Alex Veilleux, a policy associate at HEAL Utah, about the potential impacts of siphoning 100,000 gallons of water per minute out of the GSL — and why it’s not too late to prevent it from happening. Atten...

The vote totals are still trickling in, but in this deep red state … some races are essentially called the moment a Republican candidate lands on the ballot. If you know, you know. Host Ali Vallarta talks with Salt Lake Tribune columnist Robert Gehrke about the impact of Utah Democrats throwing their support behind unaffiliated Senate candidate Evan McMullin in his bid against incumbent Republican...

Do you doomscroll on Election Day? Stay up to watch the poll numbers come in? Tired of being told, “This is the most important election of our lifetime?” Take a deep breath. Host Ali Vallarta spoke with family therapist Josie Bohling about techniques to calm your mind and get you through the day as we’re bombarded with results.  Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter here. You can find us on In...

The midterm election is upon us! There's a glaring difference between this year’s ballot and 2018's: no citizen-led initiatives. Host Ali Vallarta spoke with political strategist Katie Matheson about why that is and what it takes to get an initiative on the ballot. Then, lead producer Emily Means joins them as they share their dream ballot measures — if only they had about $3 million.  Call or tex...

Unclench your jaw, grab a warm beverage and take a load off — we made it to the weekend. Lead producer Emily Means and producer Ivana Martinez talk about the news of the week, including *really* bad Halloween costumes, an update on homelessness as winter hits town, and what to do if you put off voting.  Call or text the City Cast hotline anytime at (801) 203-0137.  Subscribe to our daily morning n...

It’s a City Cast Salt Lake X State Street crossover! In preparation for the upcoming election, we’re bringing you an episode of KUER’s politics podcast, State Street. Hosts Saige Miller and Sean Higgins break down the U.S. Senate race at the top of your ballot: two-term incumbent Republican Mike Lee vs. unaffiliated challenger Evan McMullin. They explore the candidates’ positions and what the outc...

The old Sears Building on State Street is coming down to make way for something new. That has us wondering: What does the future hold for one of Salt Lake’s most prominent thoroughfares? Host Ali Vallarta dared to dream a little with State Room co-owner Darin Piccoli about what State Street could be. Here’s what’s happening to the taco stand in the Sears parking lot. Subscribe to our daily morning...

State Street could easily be considered the grand boulevard of our city. The multi-lane highway cuts through the heart of Salt Lake County, climbing up to the Utah State Capitol and running up and down the whole state as U.S. 89. Recently, State Street has undergone some drastic changes — notably, the former Sears has come crumbling down to make way for new development. The demolition has us feeli...

Happy Halloween, ghosts! This is your time to shine, and today we invoke Utah spiritual medium Marie Ogden. Host Ali Vallarta talks with Emma Kemp, a writer and professor who has been investigating Marie and her 1930s Utah commune, Home of Truth, for almost a decade. Emma shares all the past and present goings-on at the Home of Truth, as the cultural site and ghost town faces nearby development an...

What’s scarier than ghosts? Not knowing how your tax dollars are going to be spent this upcoming year. Lead producer Emily Means joins host Ali Vallarta to break down the Salt Lake County mayor’s proposed budget, the latest fire to hit SLC and a new proposal to help the Great Salt Lake.   Wanna see the numbers? Check out the budget here. Call or text the City Cast hotline anytime at (801) 203-0137...

Knock knock. (Who’s there?) Leaf. (Leaf who?) Leaf me alone! Leaf-peeping season is coming to a close, while leaf-cleanup season is at our door. Wasatch Community Gardens Farm Director James Loomis talks with host Ali Vallarta about resisting the urge to rake the leaves off our lawn and just let them do their thing. Why work harder when you can work smarter? Adopt a storm drain here. Subscribe to...

Buckle up, Utah Jazz fans. This year’s team is fresh-faced, bright-eyed and ready to break our hearts — so of course, we’re already in love with them. Salt Lake Tribune Jazz columnist Andy Larsen joins host Ali Vallarta to talk about this year’s strategy and whether the team is winning on purpose or if they’re just lucking into it. RSVP for the city’s Olympic bid resident listening session Wednesd...

This election season, SLC residents will crack open their ballots and vote for or against the Salt Lake Parks Bond — an $85 million taxpayer-funded investment in our parks and green spaces. That includes $27 million to convert the old Raging Waters water park on the city’s westside into the Glendale Regional Park. Glendale Neighborhood Council chair Turner Bitton tells host Ali Vallarta why this v...

What’s it like to contact the dead? RJ Walker, local poet and host of the Mancy Podcast, joins host Ali Vallarta to talk spirits, paranormal con jobs and haunted happenings in Salt Lake City. Join RJ and his co-host for a live seance at their special Halloween show. Listen to “Salt Lake’s Own Magical Mystery Tour.” Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter here. You can find us on Instagram @CityC...

It’s Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday. Lead producer Emily Means joins host Ali Vallarta for a very local news roundup, highlighting some big decisions by the Salt Lake City council. Plus, we’re pretty sure this is our year, Jazz fans. Gen Z: Meet Old Gregg. Sorry.   Call or text the City Cast hotline anytime at (801) 203-0137.  Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter here. You can find...

It’s not a trick — here’s a family-friendly, Great Salt Lake-related treat! Professional narrators Nancy Peterson, Cindy Kay, and BJ Harrison produce the first ever audiobook version of “The Great Great Salt Lake Monster Mystery.” It’s a kids book dedicated to the Great Salt Lake ecosystem, written by the scientists who founded the Great Salt Lake Institute at Westminster College: Dr. Bonnie K. Ba...

People have legal rights. Should nature? Host Ali Vallarta talks with Grant Wilson, executive director of Earth Law Center, about the Rights of Nature movement and how it could help save the shrinking Great Salt Lake.   RSVP for the Rights of Nature event at Brewvies. Subscribe to our daily morning newsletter here. You can find us on Instagram @CityCastSLC and Twitter @CityCastSLC. Looking to adve...

News about the Great Salt Lake crisis — you know, the shrinking water levels that have us careening toward an apocalyptic future — can be overwhelming. So, we brought in Salt Lake Tribune water reporter Leia Larsen to help make sense of it all. Leia joins host Ali Vallarta to talk about Utah House Speaker Brad Wilson’s recent summit on the lake and what we can learn from other dried up, dusty lake...

Craig Gelman is a graphic designer who thinks it’s high time and low tide for Utahns to get an NHL team. So much so that he’s already laid out the branding and given them a name: the Salt Lake Sea Monkeys. Host Ali Vallarta talks with Craig about how organizing around a sports franchise could raise awareness about the crisis at the Great Salt Lake. Get ready to be #brineshrimptough. Subscribe to o...

Welcome to Friday! Another zany week in our big little city means it’s time to round up the news. Lead producer Emily Means joins host Ali Vallarta to discuss Salt Lake City’s crime plan, Rep. Burgess Owens bailing out of the Fourth Congressional District debate, and how many Americans are getting their SLC news from the Real Housewives of Salt Lake. Join Ali in submitting a public comment this we...

It's Friday night in Salt Lake City. The clock strikes midnight. Bars are preparing to close. And in the distance, you hear the infectious beat of reggaeton. Next to a GREENbike station on Main Street, a young man in a snapback is surrounded by two large speakers, a six-foot banquet table, and turntables. Welcome to DJ Oscar’s Block Party. Host Ali Vallarta talks with producer Ivana Martinez about...