The Sexuality Information and Education Council just gave Utah’s sex ed syllabus an F. Host Ali Vallarta asks Ocean Candler, a Colorado-based sexual health expert, what gold star sex education would look like in our city. Plus, tips for discussing sex at home or school, from porn to pleasure. 

Here are some resources for parents and adults: 

This episode first aired Jan. 21, 2025 

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A new federal policy may be putting Utah wildland firefighters' lives at risk. Host Ali Vallarta, producer Ivana Martinez, and City Cast Salt Lake contributor Kate Groetzinger talk about the change and its impacts as wildfire season rages on. Plus, Salt Lake gets a rebrand and local shoutouts.

Resources and references:

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Salt Lake City's new council member, Jennifer Napier-Pearce, got her seat due to a coin toss. Host Ali Vallarta asks her about the challenges and opportunities facing her downtown district, plus the one thing she would ask from her former boss, Gov. Spencer Cox, to make the capital city better.

Listen to our conversation with the SLCPD chief on the 999 Ride, drones, and ICE. 

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There’s lots to love about Salt Lake City, but being able to get in and out of it easily and cheaply can be an underrated metric of its livability. Accommodating, accessible, and affordable local airports are a specific resource that many cities need. To find out which cities are leading the charge and the kinds of amenities that elevate an airport to gold status, City Cast CEO David Plotz chats with Scott Keyes, founder and Chief Flight Expert of Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights) about everything he’s seen in his work and travels. How does your airport stack up?

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It’s been nearly a week of hearings in the Charlie Kirk case. Host Ali Vallarta, executive producer Emily Means, and City Cast Salt Lake contributor Andy Larsen break down the biggest developments. Plus, what locals are buying at the liquor store (and what it says about us), and in our members-only segment: Are Utahns actually rude?

Resources and references:

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If you enjoyed this interview with Eric Haymond, the SVP of Business Development for Taskrabbit, learn more here. 

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Salt Lake temps are hitting triple digits this weekend. Host Ali Vallarta and newsletter editor Terina Ria discuss ways to stay cool and ideas for having fun in this heatwave. 

Find a Salt Lake County cooling zone near you.  

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We know fox squirrels are taunting Salt Lake dogs, but are they taking over our city? Natural History Museum of Utah Citizen Science Manager Ellen Eiriksson tells host Ali Vallarta why these critters are worth studying.

Submit your fox squirrel and firefly sightings.

This episode first aired on Jan 30, 2023. 

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Poplar Grove’s neighborhood peacocks are turning up dead. Host Ali Vallarta and producer Ivana Martinez talk about a distressing local situation. Plus, some feel good news bits and shoutouts.

Resources and references:

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A weeklong court hearing in the killing of Charlie Kirk starts today in Provo. Host Ali Vallarta and Salt Lake Tribune politics reporter and astrologer Addy Baird talk about what to expect. Plus, an astrological reading for Salt Lake while Mercury is back in retrograde.

Resources and references:

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See if your Salt Lake knowledge serves you well! In the first-ever Your City Could Be Better trivia episode, City Cast CEO David Plotz goes head to head with journalist and historian Alexandra Petri to see who knows more about U.S. history, geography, and celebrities ahead of the country’s semiquincentennial. Sean McPherson, trivia wiz and City Cast Twin Cities host, leads four riveting rounds of questions covering everything from The Declaration of Independence to the hottest college rivalries, and all 13 City Cast cities make an appearance. See how you stack up!

Mentioned on the show:

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