City Cast DC

Nobody understands a city’s pulse quite like a City Cast host — and that makes them the best predictors for 2026’s biggest local stories. City Cast D.C. host Mike Schaffer joins CEO David Plotz and the other 12 hosts from across the network to talk about the big changes coming to our cities, from political shifts to data centers.

Want some more DC news? Then make sure to⁠ sign up⁠ for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can⁠ also become a member⁠, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month.

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

If your New Year’s resolution was to kick more ass in 2026, we’ve got you covered — from hot tub hangs to G-league basketball. It’s our guide to having your best possible January. 

If you're new here, welcome! We’ve put together a starter pack for you, with episodes and articles to welcome you to the City Cast community.

For even more tips on how to make the most of January in DC, check out Hey DC’s take on what to do this month. 

Learn more about the sponsors of this January 2nd episode:

Simply Eloped

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

Reach us at [email protected].

With Council member Trayon White’s bribery trial set to begin in 2026, this next year is fixed to become a hall of famer for D.C. political scandals. But how does it rank against the District’s other legendary scandals, and what other hall of fame political transgressions should every Washingtonian know? We’re revisiting Michael Schaffer’s conversation with NBC4’s Mark Segraves to find out.

Learn more about the sponsors of this December 30th episode:

Simply Eloped

Black Cat

Want some more DC news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month. 

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

It is almost 2026, and if you are like us here at City Cast D.C., one of your new years resolutions is to learn more about this city that we love. H Street got some bad press this year, and if you believed that alone you might think every business is failing. But that's just not true, H Street may be a historic neighborhood, but it is vibrant and alive with new businesses and incredible experiences – you just have to know where to look. That is why City Cast contributor Austin Graff and tour guide Kate Denson are here with your ultimate guide to H Street. 

This episode originally aired September 16, 2025.

Want some more DC news? Then make sure to⁠ sign up⁠ for our morning newsletter Hey DC. You can⁠ also become a member⁠, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month. 

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

If you’ve got a Swedish ivy plant in your home and you’re not quite sure where it came from, there’s a non-zero chance it once lived in the White House. Cuttings from a Swedish ivy plant that lived for decades on the mantle of the oval office have quietly made their way all over D.C. — part of a little-known local tradition that’s been spreading for decades. City Cast’s Annie Rees has a cutting and has been getting to the root of its history.

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 December 23rd episode:

Simply Eloped

Black Cat

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

Shalom Baranes is one of Washington’s most prolific architects and the designer behind a lot of the most prominent modern buildings of the past few decades. So how did he wind up as the new architect of Donald Trump’s White House ballroom? After all, Trump has promised classical beauty and old-school design. Douglas Fruehling from the Washington Business Journal has covered Baranes for years and explains what this all means — about the ballroom, and, more generally, about the work of erecting buildings in the nation’s capital. 

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 December 22nd episode:

Simply Eloped

Black Cat

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

We’re talking about the state of DC’s police — the old chief is out, and her replacement is going to have to deal with an investigation into alleged manipulation of crime stats, among other challenges. Plus, DC’s top public middle school has stopped teaching novels. A nightmare story about an Airbnb tenant who wouldn’t leave, and what DC’s laws did and didn’t allow the frustrated owner to do. 

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 December 19th episode:

⁠Nace Law Group⁠

⁠Black Cat⁠

⁠Public Welfare Foundation⁠

Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info⁠ HERE⁠

Between mass layoffs that hit people’s wallets, the federal takeover, and an ongoing ICE crackdown, DC’s restaurants are facing a lot of headwinds resulting from the Trump administration’s choices. Jessica Sidman from Washingtonian is DC’s top reporter on the industry and she’s here to share some of her reporting. 

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 December 18th episode:

Aura Frames - Get $35 off the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST

Nace Law Group

Black Cat

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

What are the deadliest roads in the DC area? The city has actually made a lot of improvements, especially compared with other places in the country, but given America’s grim stats, that’s not good enough. The Washington Post’s Rachel Weiner and Ian Duncan have worked on a major investigative project about the issue and are here to share some of their reporting. 

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.

If you enjoyed this interview with Janessa White, the Director & General Manager of Simply Eloped, learn more here.

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

Aura Frames - Get $35 off the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST

Nace Law Group

Black Cat

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

We’re officially in winter weather season, and staying holed up at home sounds pretty tempting. But Dominique Bazil is here with a guide to the cozy cafés that are absolutely worth bundling up for.

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 December 16th episode:

Aura Frames - Get $35 off the Carver Mat frame with Promo Code CITYCAST

Nace Law Group

Black Cat

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