City Cast DC with Michael Schaffer
🕵️ 6 DC spy sites you pass every day
November 18, 2025 · 💌 Kaela
Morning! Amabala the Cheetah at the National Zoo Front Royal campus gave birth to four cubs during the shutdown. They won't be interacting with the public for now but you can watch them grow via the Cheetah Cub Cam.
What's CITY Talking About
House To Vote on 2 More DC Crime Bills
The House will likely vote this week on two bills that threaten D.C. autonomy. One will make pretrial detention required for certain crimes while the other repeals portions of the policing reform act passed in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder. D.C. leaders, including Mayor Bowser, protested the bills calling them “an affront to Home Rule.” [NBC4]
Student Truancy 🤝 Youth Crime
Youth crime remains at the center of D.C. politics. Two weeks ago, the D.C. Council voted to reinstate a 90-day youth curfew, and last weekend, D.C. police added more curfew zones. On today’s pod we’re covering an investigation into the connection between youth crime and D.C.’s failure to combat school truancy. [Washington Post / WTOP/ City Cast DC 🎧]
Flu Season Incoming
Experts are warning of a bad flu season this year with new strain H3N2 emerging and a particularly cold D.C. winter. The new strain doesn’t match this year's flu vaccine and D.C.’s flu tracker is trending up. [Axios]
FAA Lifts Flight Reduction Order
The Federal Aviation Administration has officially lifted flight restrictions imposed at 40 major airports — including DCA, IAD, and BWI — during the government shutdown. Normal flight schedules resumed Monday, just in time for Thanksgiving travel! [ABC7]
Washington Spirit Faces Gotham In Finals
Washington Spirit is headed to the second straight NWSL Championship after securing a 2-0 victory over the Portland Thorns at Audi Field over the weekend. They will take on Gotham FC on Nov. 22 in San Jose. [ESPN]
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Ranking D.C.’s Supermarkets for Quality and Price
Unfortunately for the DMV, we can’t have it all: The grocery stores with the highest-quality produce and meat don’t have the lowest prices. But there is one customer favorite that costs less on average than Giant, Harris Teeter, and Safeway. See how your preferred supermarkets rank.
What To Do
Tuesday, Nov. 18
- 🎤 Landmark Lecture: The Art of Replication at Dower House (Georgetown)
- 🌪️ Profs & Pints: Hunting Hurricanes at Penn Social (Penn Quarter)
- 💕 Bridge District Cuffing Season Series at Sandlot Anacostia
- 💐 Dried Flower Bouquet Workshop at PLNTR (Dupont Circle)
- 🎵 Tunes: Sydney Rose at the Atlantis (U St. Corridor)
- ✨ Astronomy on Tap at DC9 (Shaw)
- 🍁 Arch Fall Fest at Capital Turnaround (Navy Yard)
Wednesday, Nov. 19
- 🎨 Hands-On with Waterway Painting at Phillips THEARC (Shipley)
- 🖼️ NMWA Nights at the National Museum of Women in the Arts (Downtown)
- 🎶 Abe Mamet Septet at Rhizome DC (Takoma)
- 🍫 Chocolate and Wine Tasting at The Chocolate House (Dupont Circle)
- 📖 An Evening with Bee Wilson at Bold Fork Books (Mt. Pleasant)
- 🥃 Winter Cigar Social at Langston Bar and Grille (Kingman Park)
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