City Cast DC with Michael Schaffer
😮💨 Where the unemployment spike is post-DOGE
October 6, 2025 · — Natalia Aldana
Happy Monday! First — a huge thank you to everyone who became a City Cast DC Neighbor during our fall membership campaign. Your support means the world and we think you’re gonna really like it here. 😎
The campaign officially wrapped on Friday, but here’s the truth: we are SO close to our goal. If just a handful more of you join, we’ll get there.
In a world that often feels divided, what happens locally matters more than ever, and City Cast DC is here to help us all be better neighbors.
🥳 Here’s why Alejandro A. joined the membership program:
If you’ve been meaning to join, now’s the time! It’s $10/month for you and absolutely invaluable to us. Plus, we’ll send you this Neighbors Make DC tote as a thank-you … your last chance to get it! 🛍️
What's CITY Talking About?
Where DC’s Unemployment Spike Is Post-DOGE
It’s the question everyone’s been asking since DOGE first showed up: How screwed is D.C.? A new program at the Brookings Institution called DMV Monitor pulls together a ton of data to help answer the question. And their most recent report is kind of a jaw-dropper. The region’s unemployment has shot up nine times faster than the rest of the country, with more to come — although it’s not all bad news. Brookings Fellow Tracy Hadden Loh is here to break it all down. [City Cast DC 🎧]
DC Public Schools Halts Green Card Aid for Teachers
Over 200 teachers working in D.C. Public Schools may be forced to leave the U.S. after DCPS ended promised green card sponsorships. Many teachers say they feel betrayed and face uncertain futures, while officials say the program was always dependent on budget and legal constraints. [The 51st]
Brooke Pinto for DC Delegate?
Tom Sherwood reported Friday that Ward 2 Councilmember Brooke Pinto is expected to announce her campaign for D.C. Delegate to Congress today, the seat currently held by Eleanor Holmes Norton. Councilmember Robert White announced two weeks ago that he plans to run for the seat. [@tomsherwood via X/Politico]
Help City Cast DC Win an Award!
Exciting news! We're up for a national podcast award — the Signal awards! This win would be huge for our little team and for representing D.C. And you know D.C. could use a win right now. Throw us a vote!
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What To Do
Monday, Oct. 6
- 🧟 Profs & Pints: Washington's Spookiest Days at Penn Social (Penn Quarter)
- 🎶 Neti-Neti / Francis-Garrett-Hughes-Scheible / Max Hamel at Rhizome (Takoma)
- 🤩 Reneé Rapp: BITE ME TOUR at Merriweather Post Pavilion (Columbia)
- ✊ Activist Night: Watch N Learn at Bellevue Neighborhood Library (Southwest)
- 🍷 Italy Loves Friuli Wine Dinner at A Modo Mio (Arlington)
Tuesday, Oct. 7
- 🎤 Lecture: An Indigenous Foremother Reappears at Tudor Place (Georgetown)
- ✨ Profs & Pints DC: The Everyday Supernatural at Penn Social (Penn Quarter)
- 💐 Dried Wreath Class at PLNTR (Dupont)
- 🎉 DJ Fall Dance Party at Cleveland Park Neighborhood Library
- ❤️🩹 An Evening to Support Breast Cancer Survivors at Hen Quarter Prime (Southwest)
👋 WOW! Thanks to you, we broke our daily membership record! Drumroll please for our 25 new members: Madeline K., Fallon K., Eric MI., Brendan H., Julia H., Emma Y., Eunji K., Allison D., Katherine K., Elizabeth F., Paul K., Adrian A., Lila E., Emile K., Rebecca L., Yvonne J., Kevin S., Joanna S., David T., Robin L., Margie Y., Fehintola A., Mark J. Jr., Frank M., and Debra E.! 🥁
Do you appreciate local journalism? Do you enjoy ad-free pod listening? Are you craving a community of like-minded people who care about D.C. as much as you do? Do you love exclusive events? Since I know your answer to all of the above is a resounding: HELL YA, what do ya say friend, join us!
Free · 5 days a week