City Cast DC

The Washington Commanders season opens on Sunday. But a lot of fans are busy talking about 2020, when the team changed its name from an ugly racial slur. Now some observers think they’re tiptoeing towards changing it back.

D.C. sports podcaster Al Galdi is here to talk us through the politics of the name — and the bigger question of what it takes to re-ignite a city’s love affair with its once great franchise.

(Note: This story discusses the history of the Washington Commanders and the team’s former name, which some listeners may find offensive. The former name is repeated throughout the story as part of that discussion.)

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 become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month.

Learn more about the sponsors of this September 9th episode:

District Bridges

DC Department of Behavioral Health

Mosaic Theater Company

Washington National Opera

The Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University

Signature Theatre

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

What does it look like when local artists try to capture living through this particular moment in Washington? That’s the idea behind “Tomorrow The Sun Will Rise,” a new exhibition at the Phillips Collection featuring 56 works from 48 artists across the DMV.

The exhibition is open through September 20th. Today we’re speaking with Tie Jojima, the Phillips Collection’s curator of global contemporary art, and one of the people tasked with narrowing 1,500 submissions down to the works on the walls.

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 become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month.

Learn more about the sponsors of this September 8th episode:

District Bridges

DC Department of Behavioral Health

Mosaic Theater Company

Washington National Opera

The Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University

Signature Theatre

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

Do you know what kind of surveillance technology is being used in DC? In Nashville, the city government has blocked numerous measures to install and use it. From license plate readers to drone cameras, the technology is routinely rejected by the Metro Council and mayor, and locals are somewhat split on if that’s for the better. City Cast Nashville host Rachel Iacovone joins “Your City Could Be Better” to walk through all the measures that the Nashville government has reviewed and rejected, why people have reason to fear the tech, and what the city may lose by saying no to surveillance.

Is there something your city is doing that we should be talking about? Email David now! 

We’re also on Instagram: @yourcitycouldbebetter

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This week we’re taking a look at likely mayor Janeese Lewis George’s all-ward listening tour. We’ll be talking about why current Mayor Muriel Bowser is fighting against a roof for Audi Field. And we dive into the Maryland Renaissance Festival’s ban on all things furries. Plus, in a members-only fourth segment, there’s been a lot of news this week on Trump’s efforts to change D.C.’s landscape – we’ll get into all of it with City Cast’s Kate Corliss and NOTUS reporter Martin Austermuhle.

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 become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month.

Learn more about the sponsors of this September 4th episode:

Tasti

District Bridges

DC Department of Behavioral Health

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

City Cast’s Alyssa Fowers has done some important reporting about problems at D.C.’s 988 suicide-prevention call line. In the spring, nearly half the calls went unanswered. What’s going on? And what does it mean for people in crisis? Alyssa is here to talk us through the numbers.

If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts or a mental health crisis, contact the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988, or chatting online at https://chat.988lifeline.org/. To reach the Crisis Text Line, text HOME or HOLA to 741741. D.C.’s Access Helpline is also available at 1-888-793-4357.

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 become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month.

Learn more about the sponsors of this September 3rd episode:

Tasti

District Bridges

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

Last week, The Washington Post’s Perry Stein broke news that US Attorney Jeanine Pirro has convened a special grand jury in what looks like a probe of how the District does or doesn’t protect youth. One particular focus: The city’s truancy problem. It’s an unusual probe — but one that also seems to be touching on a genuine problem. Perry is 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. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month.

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

Tasti

District Bridges

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

This September – we’ve got D.C.’s middle-school-girl-pop concert lineup, another chance to eat fruit in Malcolm X Park, and the best way to see (and taste) the District by bike. As the leaves start to change, the September Guide has you covered.

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 become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month.

Learn more about the sponsors of this September 1st episode:

Tasti

District Bridges

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

You may know Sara Polon as the woman behind Soupergirl, the D.C. company whose soups are now in hundreds of supermarkets. But before that, she was a comedian. And after launching the company, she went through – as Sara puts it – a personal explosion. This week, her struggles are the subject of a one-woman show she’s launching in D.C. Sara’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. You can also become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month.

Learn more about the sponsors of this August 31st episode:

Tasti

District Bridges

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

The D.C. airports definitely have a lot going for them, but they don’t have their own electrical grids, like Pittsburgh’s airport does. For the past few years, Pittsburgh International Airport has been generating on-site electricity, more than it needs even at peak operation, to fortify itself against the kind of power outages that hit airports (unsettlingly often) across the world. City Cast Pittsburgh host Megan Harris brings David into the little-known world of airport energy independence, showing how a one-time investment can bring the kind of peace of mind that both travelers and operators hope for every day.

Is there something your city is doing that we should be talking about? Email David now! 

We’re also on Instagram: @yourcitycouldbebetter

Looking to advertise on Your City Could Be Better? Check out our options. 

This week, we’re talking about a Sunoco station on U Street and what it says about actually getting things built in D.C. We also look at the fate of a park that was supposed to be our version of NYC’s High Line. Finally, we discuss a lawsuit against a think tank and what it means for that crucial industry. Plus, in a members-only fourth segment, we talk about how the District is mourning our Earth Angel, Dolly Parton.

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 become a member, with ad-free listening, for as little as $10 a month.

Learn more about the sponsors of this August 28th episode:

DC Department of Behavioral Health

Tasti

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