DC is in the middle of two youth crises: One involves school truancy; the other involves high-profile teen mayhem, like the skirmish on Halloween between young people and law enforcement at Navy Yard. Are the two related? Washington Post reporters Lauren Lumpkin and Robert Samuels wrote a blockbuster report on the city’s failures to combat truancy. They walk us through the shocking details. 

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Learn more about the sponsors of this November 18th episode:

District Bridges

Simply Eloped

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What really went on between Muriel Bowser and Donald Trump during the DC police takeover? The Washington Post’s Jonathan O’Connell has reported out an epic look at the relationship between the blue mayor and the people that make up the MAGA administration, full of jaw-dropping details. Come for the cocktail party with Russ Vought, stick around for the Marshawn Lynch meme. 

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Learn more about the sponsors of this November 17th episode:

District Bridges

Simply Eloped

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We’re talking about the future of streateries, the end of the federal shutdown, and a new Washington Post food critic. Plus, in a member’s-only fourth segment, we’ll talk about the trend of senior Trump officials living in military bases — and what that means for DC.

Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can text us or leave a voicemail at: (202) 642-2654. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month. 

Learn more about the sponsors of this November 14th episode:

Nace Law Group

Mosaic Theater Company

Babbel - Get up to 55% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST

Public Welfare Foundation

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On Monday, the Washington Post announced that Elazar Sontag would be its new food critic. Which means that Tom Sietsema, who held the job for 26 years, is finally free to dish about what life was really like as the most powerful man in DC’s restaurant scene. We talked to Tom about the way the dining world has evolved, the way the critic’s job has changed, and whether he’d actually make me pay if we go out to dinner together. He also let slip some hints about what he’ll do next. 

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Learn more about the sponsors of this November 13th episode:

Nace Law Group

Mosaic Theater Company

Babbel - Get up to 55% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST

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Here’s a hot take: food halls are stressful. Too many options, not enough standout bites. So when we heard that DC was getting another one in the form of a chain called Wonder, we had to know why. Anna Spiegel joins us to dish on DC’s newest food hall chain and whether they’re actually worth the hype.

Want some more DC news? Then make sure to⁠ sign up⁠ for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can text us or leave a voicemail at: ⁠(202) 642-2654⁠. You can⁠ also become a member⁠, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month.

Learn more about the sponsors of this November 12th episode:

⁠Nace Law Group⁠

⁠Mosaic Theater Company⁠

⁠Babbel⁠ - Get up to 55% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST

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A blockbuster New York Times report last week announced that Mayor Bowser is under federal investigation over a foreign trip she took. But within hours, other news organizations reported that the investigation isn’t targeting the mayor, and may not be much of an investigation after all. Nonetheless, it lands at a terrible time for Muriel Bowser as she weighs a reelection run. And it highlights once again the bizarre dance between DC’s leaders and the Trump administration. Michael Schaffer talks with Axios’ Cuneyt Dil about Qatargate and the latest on the potential end of the federal shutdown.

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Learn more about the sponsors of this November 11th episode:

Nace Law Group

Mosaic Theater Company

Babbel - Get up to 55% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST

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DC is on the cusp of passing a law whose proponents say it could massively reduce child poverty. But the catch is that the bill would take away a lot of the local tax benefits that at least some folks would get as a result of the One Big Beautiful Bill passed by Congress. Jenny Gathright from the Washington Post has been covering the debate and is here to explain. 

Want some more DC news? Then make sure to⁠ sign up⁠ for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can text us or leave a voicemail at: ⁠(202) 642-2654⁠. You can⁠ also become a member⁠, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month.

Learn more about the sponsors of this November 10th episode:

⁠Nace Law Group⁠

⁠Mosaic Theater Company⁠

⁠Babbel⁠ - Get up to 55% off at Babbel.com/CITYCAST

Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info⁠ HERE⁠.

All eyes this week were actually on New York City’s mayor’s race, and as our own race for mayor heats up, we’re talking about whether DC could ever get its own Zohran Mamdani. Plus, inside chaos at Navy Yard and the youth curfew in DC, and we dig into the trial of Sandwich Guy. And in a member’s-only fourth segment, we’ll talk about the strange K-shaped real estate market in DC. Co-host Michael Schaffer chats with the 51st’s Martin Austermuhle and City Cast’s Julia Karron. 

Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can text us or leave a voicemail at: ‪(202) 642-2654‬. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month.

Learn more about the sponsors of this November 7th episode:

United Healthcare

Nace Law Group

St. Ann’s Center for Children, Youth and Families
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Do you spend much time thinking about trees? Me neither. All we know is that DC has a lot of ‘em. But it turns out that our treescape has undergone some radical changes lately. And, thanks to climate change, more are in store. The Washington Post’s Marissa Lang and John Harden worked on an epic report on Washington’s trees and they’re here to explain how it all works.

Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can text us or leave a voicemail at: ‪(202) 642-2654‬. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month. 

Learn more about the sponsors of this November 6th episode:

United Healthcare

Nace Law Group

St. Ann’s Center for Children, Youth and Families

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Now that it’s fall, we’re finally moving out of mosquito season, and today we’re talking about one of the animal heroes that eats mosquitos – that’s right, the bat. It turns out, DC is a lot battier than you might think. Dr. Kelly Russo-Petrick, Associate Professor of Urban Ecology and DC Master Naturalist Coordinator at the University of DC, joins us to share everything you need to know about the city’s bat population.

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Learn more about the sponsors of this November 5th episode:

United Healthcare

Nace Law Group

St. Ann’s Center for Children, Youth and Families

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