City Cast DC City Cast Expanding After WaPo Layoffs, City Spending Scandal, Baby Elephant Naming
Feb 6, 2026
They unpack dramatic newsroom cuts and what losing local coverage means for Washington life. They cover a jaw-dropping investigation into excessive city spending on so-called violence interrupter programs. They debate oversight failures and political fallout tied to local leaders. They also have fun with a baby elephant naming contest at the National Zoo.
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Post Cuts Threaten Civic Cohesion
- The Washington Post's cuts feel like a deliberate weakening of a long-standing civic institution in D.C..
- David Plotz and Michael Schaffer say the Post once unified and set the city's news agenda, and its decline fragments civic life.
Personal Ties To The Post
- Michael Schaffer recounts having a Washington Post front page next to his baby pictures from 1973 to show how embedded the paper was in his life.
- Annie Rees and David Plotz echo that personal, lifelong connection to the Post among Washingtonians.
Cultural Beats Keep Cities Vibrant
- Cutting critics and cultural coverage erodes local ecosystems like theater and sports reporting.
- The hosts warn that losing those beats harms artists, attendance, and local civic conversation.