City Cast DC

This week, we’re talking about the National Guard shooting on Capitol Hill, Donald Trump’s new plans for the Golf Course at Hains Point, and whether Councilmember Felder is right that there’s too many traffic cameras in Wards 5 and 7. Plus, in a members-only fourth segment, we’re talking about truancy and ICE and how the two may be related at DC Public Schools. I was joined by City Cast’s Emma Ube...

D.C’s tenant protection laws make it tough for landlords to evict problem residents, but last year, lawmakers made it easier to kick out violent tenants. Now, a case working its way through D.C. Superior Court is challenging that assumption. Advisory neighborhood commissioner and City Cast contributor Ashley Schapitl joined me to explain how this judge’s ruling could reshape the city’s landlord-te...

Lonnie Bunch, the outgoing secretary of the Smithsonian, has been at the red-hot center of national political fights over culture. But in DC, he’s also the head of an institution that shapes the calendar of our city — and employs a lot of our neighbors. Secretary Bunch joins us to talk about his experience combating escalating pressure from the Trump administration, the role of museums, and whethe...

On Friday, the D.C. Council held a daylong session on raising taxes, and imposing new ones. It’s an issue council members usually wait until the last minute to address, but the real deadline comes next year, when a new mayor and a new Council need to figure out how to keep funding the programs D.C. residents have come to love, even though our current slew of taxes is bringing in less and less mone...

What restaurants make Washington, D.C. the city it is? That’s the question the Washington Post’s food critic Elazar Sontag set out to answer with his guide to the 40 best restaurants in the D.C. area. We get into how he put it together, the can't-miss dishes and spots that made the cut, and what he’s learned about the city’s food culture in his first year on the job. Read Elazar’s guide to the Top...

How much ownership or responsibility do you feel as a resident of D.C.? In Salt Lake City, people are being asked to “adopt a storm drain” to help keep city streets free of floods and trash — and to possibly slow the drying and pollution of the Great Salt Lake. City Cast Salt Lake host Ali Vallarta says it’s worth a shot. This week, she joins David to discuss how quick, periodic cleaning of a neig...

On today's episode, we get into the House Republicans who, on the heels of the Trayon White mistrial, allege that two D.C. activist groups are advocating for the practice of jury nullification. We’re also talking about presumptive-mayor Janeese Lewis George's affordable housing promises. And the zoo asks for the public’s help… in naming their red panda cub. Plus, in a member’s only fourth segment,...

What do Black women and Shakespeare have to do with each other? A new exhibition at D.C.’s Folger Shakespeare Library explores that little-known history, tracing Black women’s engagement with the Bard across centuries. Dr. Patricia Akhimie, director of the Folger Institute and curator of To Hear Her Speak: Black Women and Shakespeare, discusses the exhibit and a new way to consider Shakespear...

On Tuesday, a federal judge blocked the Trump administration from cutting any trees at East Potomac Golf Links, where the president wants to replace a public park with a luxury golf course. But to some critics, the question is: What took Judge Ana Reyes so long? The order came days after the administration cut down more than 400 trees on the golf course — a move that sent the judge into a newswort...

You’re not imagining it — there are a lot more flyovers in D.C. these days. President Trump is the biggest fan of them that the White House has ever had. And while your 8-year-old may be into it, many aren’t — including Mother Jones reporter Stephanie Mencimer. On today's pod, she digs into the data with us to calculate the true toll of all these flyovers. Want some more DC news? Then ma...

Another D.C. 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 surprisin...

This week, we unpack the tensions that led the Council to narrowly pass a bill letting businesses and college campuses pay extra for more parking enforcement. We also discuss why D.C.’s Board of Elections threw out a $16,000 fine against likely next mayor Janeese Lewis George. And we tackle a question that’s been rising to the top of D.C.’s debate: where can you score a great loaf of fresh bread w...

D.C.'s likely next mayor, Janeese Lewis George, has been dropping hints about how she'll handle one of D.C.’s most fraught issues – transit. The 51st’s Alex Koma is here to talk about her agenda, and the politics around it. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter City Cast DC. You can text us or leave a voicemail at: ‪(202) 642-2654‬. You can also bec...

In partnership with Theatre Washington, City Cast DC theater critic Chris Klimek sat down for a live conversation Monday night at D.C.’s Studio Theatre to chat with some of the most prominent voices in the city’s theater scene right now. They discuss how the closure of the Kennedy Center is rippling through local theater, the richness of the D.C. theater scene, changes in theater leadership across...

Living in any big city has its moments of loneliness — but according to some studies, D.C. might be the loneliest city in the U.S. Washingtonian recently covered D.C.'s loneliness epidemic, and lifestyle editor Daniella Byck is here to talk about why making friends here can be so hard, and what we can do to make connections. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morni...

D.C. has always had an in-crowd with its own hangouts, habits, and status symbols. But the in-crowd of the Trump White House has different tastes than what DC is used to. Vanity Fair’s Aidan McLaughlin has been reporting on the folkways of Trump’s D.C., and he’s here to share his findings. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter City Cast DC. You can text us or...

When D.C. 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 co...

Now that Trayon White’s bribery trial ended in a hung jury, what’s next for the Ward 8 Councilman? We’ll get into it. Speaking of D.C. courts, we’ll take a look at the problems they’re having staffing up. And Trump’s latest executive order takes aim at the District’s mosquito infestation -- we've got the latest. Plus, in a members-only fourth segment, we’ll get into the connection between Sweetgre...

Lime scooters and bikes are a fixture of D.C.’s landscape. They’re great for getting somewhere in a hurry, but safety issues persist. Lime is trying to address these concerns this year with a $17-million dollar investment in operations here in D.C. City Cast’s Alyssa Fowers has been reporting on their efforts, and she’s here to explain. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our mor...

We’re back with our regular monthly guide for October, but this time we tried something a little different. We answer questions submitted by readers on local and seasonal topics – then dish out the answers you asked for, and probably some you didn’t! City Cast D.C.’s Kaela Cote-Stemmermann is here to talk cozy fall lattes, where to see foliage this October without a car, and everything in between....

The bribery trial of Ward 8 Councilman Trayon White ended yesterday with a hung jury and a mistrial. This will have repercussions in city politics, not to mention in the lives of Trayon White and his associates. City Cast D.C. reporter Emma Uber watched the entire trial, and she’s here to talk about how it ended. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Cit...

If you’re scared of rats, then I’ve got bad news – D.C. is one of the most rat-infested cities in America, at least as far as complaints go. But there’s an organization at the Department of Health that’s fighting the good fight. And there’s a man at the top of that organization – Andre Pitman. Sometimes he’s known as D.C.’s rat czar. Andre is here today to go over how the District is cutting down...

What’s a seemingly small project in D.C. that’s made a big difference? In the Oregon suburb of Tualatin, a drinking water pipe has just been fitted with a seamless electrical turbine, so that an existing utility can now have a dual purpose. David is joined by Nic Westendorf, Tualatin’s deputy public works director, to talk about the power of thinking local, using existing tools, and looking ahead...

Two years on, the District is still reeling from devastating DOGE job cuts, according to two new reports. We also take a look at why the D.C. Council is considering restrictions to how initiatives make it to the ballot. And for listeners planning to attend Adams Morgan's Porchfest, we’ve got the latest on the new rules on sipping and strolling. Plus, in a members-only fourth segment, we’ve got an...

Metro is redoing its station signage to make it easier for the public to navigate — but some riders are not happy. What are they changing, and why are folks so up in arms? Bloomberg’s Kriston Capps has been covering this, and he’s here to explain. Want some more DC news? Then make sure to⁠ sign up⁠ for our morning newsletter City Cast DC. You can text us or leave a voicemail at: ‪⁠(202) 642-2654‬⁠...