City Cast Las Vegas

Vegas restaurant icon Lotus of Siam put Thai food in our city on the national map — one food critic called it the “bestThai food in North America,” and chef Saipin Chutima has won a James Beard award (which is basically the Grammys of food). When Lotus announced their third location at Red Rock Casino, opening next week, locals rejoiced. The Thai food love doesn’t stop there: We’ve got incredible Thai food in town, and lots of it. But (and look, we’re not complaining)… why? Today, Vogue sits down with Mark Padoongpatt, Director of Asian and Asian American studies at UNLV, and subject of a recent Taste the Nation episode, to get the deets on how the Cold War brought Thai food to America, when Thai food took off in Vegas, and why one of the most popular menu items — pad Thai — was actually invented by the Thai government in the 1930s. What’s your favorite Thai restaurant in town? On a scale of 1 to 5, what’s your spice level? Let us know in a text or a voicemail (we’re at 702-514-0719), or a tweet @CityCastVegas. For even more tasty Vegas news, you’ll want to sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter! Dooooo it now!

Sure, we tell folks that we’re “from Las Vegas” when we’re traveling… but how many of us are actually from the city itself? The majority of the Valley lives in either one of the adjacent municipalities (like Henderson and North Las Vegas), or in unincorporated Clark County. So how did we get this weird patchwork of townships and jurisdictions, and how did it set up the city and the county for their many tensions today? Why do celebrities get the “Key to the Strip” and not the “Key to the City,” and how were mobsters involved in keeping the Strip (a Vegas icon!) out of the City of Las Vegas? Today, Dayvid chats with UNLV history professor Michael Green about the last century of Las Vegas (and Clark County) history, and how a city-county showdown brought us to this utterly unique arrangement. Do you have a story like Dr. Green’s, about a time you observed a clash between jurisdictions in the Valley? Or had to explain to out-of-towners why you don’t actually live in Las Vegas? Tell us about it! Leave us a voicemail or a text message at 702-514-0719. Don’t forget, you can also find us on Twitter! Follow us @CityCastVegas. Want even more Vegas news and whip-smart commentary? Make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter!

With Las Vegas’ close proximity to Lake Mead, it is no surprise that the Valley has put some serious thought into addressing the 170 foot bathtub ring that indicates the lake’s decline over the past 20 years. One of the unique steps the Las Vegas Valley Water District and Southern Nevada Water Authority have taken is the use of water investigators — or water cops — to monitor residential water waste around the city. Many of us have probably seen the blue and white patrol car circling our neighborhoods or seen the job parodied on television, but what does a water cop’s day actually look like? Host Dayvid Figler and producer Layla Muhammad hop in the car with outreach and media manager Bronson Mack to see how water cop Cameron Donnarumma does his job. Be sure to check out SNWA’s winter watering schedule, that starts November 1st, at SNWA.com. Have you run into a water cop before? Tell us about your experience by leaving us a message or a text at 702-514-0719 or on Twitter @CityCastVegas. For even more Vegas news, events, and happenings, make sure to sign up for our brilliant morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter!

Happy Halloween! Las Vegas is a fairly young city, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have some (literal) skeletons in our closet, especially on our boulevard of debauchery. Are some of the ghosts of Vegas’ past sticking around to continue the party? Today, host Vogue Robinson talks with Tandi Hornsby, a tour guide from Vegas Ghosts, about the real life stories behind the most haunted properties on the Las Vegas Strip. Where have you seen or felt ghosts in Las Vegas? Tell us your spectral tales by leaving us a voicemail or a text at 702-514-0719. We’re also on Twitter! Follow us @CityCastVegas. Want more Vegas news? Make sure to sign up for our amazing morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter!

The weather may be cooling down but the news just keeps coming in hot! In this week’s Friday news roundup, lead producer Sonja Cho Swanson tells us how a local pawn shop takes a stand against Kanye West’s anti-semitic remarks, producer Layla Muhammad and host Dayvid Figler explain how Trump supporters are looking for fraud in Nevada’s election process through record requests, and we all debate some fun food news! Do you have strong feelings about the McRib or the cronut? (Or, ya know, election denialism?) Let us know by leaving us a voicemail or a text message at 702-514-0719, or shoot us a tweet @CityCastVegas. Want more Vegas news? Make sure to sign up for our DELIGHT of a morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter. Sign up now, thank us later.

Every year, the Mental Health Institute releases a report on the state of mental health in America. One of the measures looks at the incidence of youth mental illness compared to the availability of quality mental healthcare. And for the last five years, through 2022, Nevada has ranked dead last in youth mental health. Just earlier this month, a U.S. Department of Justice report indicated that Nevada likely broke federal law for putting too many children with behavioral issues into residential care instead of community care (a less intense “middle space” that advocates say is lacking in Nevada). To help us understand why the problem is so bad, Dayvid sits down with Dr. Michelle Paul, a longtime Las Vegan and Executive Director of UNLV’s Practice, a community mental health clinic that just opened a youth-focused satellite clinic last week. They get into the mental health crisis our youth are facing (pre- and post-pandemic), why mental health treatment is increasingly inaccessible, and what policies need to change for it all to get better. What’s your take on the state of mental health care in Nevada? Do you have a story to share? Leave us a voicemail or a text message at 702-514-0719, or find us on the blue bird app @CityCastVegas. Then, do your inbox the biggest favor ever, and make sure to sign up for our brilliant morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter!

On Saturday, high winds brought in roiling dust clouds, grounded hundreds of flights, and forced the organizers of the nostalgia-driven pop-punk festival When We Were Young to cancel their first day. Thousands of forlorn fans wandered the Strip (a few even got tattoos of broken hearts)… until something kinda extraordinary happened. Over the course of a few hours, community members rallied and found spaces for dozens of the cancelled acts to perform, from a barbecue joint to dive bars to downtown casinos. The shows were nearly all free to fans (who’d gotten a full ticket refund), and also brought a windfall to downtown small businesses. Today on the show, Vogue, Dayvid and Layla sit down to talk about what this quick-thinking pivot says about both Las Vegas entertainment culture, and the culture of emo and pop-punk music. Did you get re-routed during WWWY Fest? How did Saturday’s high winds affect your weekend? Let us know by leaving us a text message or voicemail at 702-514-0719, or tweet at us! We’re @CityCastVegas. For even more interesting stuff going on around town, you’re gonna want to sign up for our amazing morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter! Don’t let your inbox miss out.

The November election is right around the corner and if there is any indication of that, it’s the political ads that find their way onto every screen or into our mailboxes — barely regulated, never-ending, irritating as hell. At the only gubernatorial debate we will see this cycle, the Nevada Independent dedicated a whole section to the misinformation in Sisolak and Lombardo attack ads. And they aren't the only candidates from Nevada who were caught spreading lies, misquotes, or exaggerations. Here to guide us through this wilderness of innuendo and manipulation is Review-Journal politics and government editor Steve Sebelius, who talks to host Vogue Robinson about the worn out tactics used in political ads. And get to a crucial question: What is the actual purpose of the political ad? What’s the best/worst political ad you’ve seen this election cycle? Leave us a voicemail or send us a text at 702-514-0719. You can also find us on Twitter @CityCastVegas. Want more Vegas news? Make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter!

Just when you thought Nevada was swinging blue, we swung right back into the murky middle. All eyes are on Nevada in this year’s elections, where 75% of our house seats are up for grabs, and we have what might be the most hotly-contested Senate race in the country. So — whence all this purple?? Why do we have so many independent voters, and are we witnessing the demise of the Harry Reid Democratic machine? Today, Dayvid chats it up with Jon Ralston, CEO of the Nevada Independent, and one of our favorite Silver State pundits(hey, he used the P-word first). They get into all of the shifting party power dynamics in Nevada, and why Jon thinks there are no certain wins in this year’s race — but make sure to listen to the end for his “canary in the coal mine,” carnage-for-the-Dems-if-they-lose candidate. Want more Vegas news? Make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter! Do you have questions about the election as November approaches? Call or text us at 702-514-0719. You can also find us on Twitter @CityCastVegas

What did the open hand say to the Nevada State Athletic Commission? SLAP. And then they all unanimously agreed to make it a sport in Nevada! In this week’s news roundup, host Vogue Robinson contemplates auditioning for slap fighting, lead producer Sonja Cho Swanson updates us on a new parking garage downtown that brings on some nostalgia for the days of free parking everywhere, and newsletter editor Scott Dickensheets teases some events from the Las Vegas Book Festival happening this Saturday downtown! Go see Scott IRL at The Las Vegas Book Festival at The Historic Fifth Street School this Saturday. He’ll be in the Empowered Tent at 3:30pm talking about the Las Vegas Writes anthologies. More information here. If you haven’t already, sign up to get his morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter! Are you going to audition to be Las Vegas’ next slap fighting champion? Tell us your thoughts at 702-514-0719 or follow us on Twitter @CityCastVegas.

The federal Equal Rights Amendment was a simple thing: An amendment to the Constitution to guarantee equal rights regardless of gender, for both men and women. But the bill languished in 1977 without enough state support... Until Nevada (yes, our very own Silver State) brought it back from the dead and ratified it in 2017 — thanks to NV, the federal ERA is back in play. And then, we took it one step further: A state-level ERA that’s even more expansive than the federal ERA is on the ballot as Question 1 this November. To help us parse out just why Question 1 is so confusing and what voters can expect if it passes, Dayvid sits down with Kate Kelly, an attorney and advocate for the ERA who’s currently campaigning for “Yes on 1” in Las Vegas right now. Kate answers all your ERA questions, like: Will the ERA be the end of girls’ sports? (No.) Will kids be able to buy beer?(Again, no.) And will the ERA protect abortion rights? (A resounding yes.) How are you planning to vote on Question 1? Or what questions do you have about it? Call or text us at 702-514-0719, or shoot us a note on Twitter @CityCastVegas. Don’t forget to sign up for our brilliant morning newsletter for even more news, events, and commentary at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter

Chris Giunchigliani, or Chris G. as she’s often known, is a familiar name to Nevadans — from teacher’s union president to Nevada Assemblywoman for 15 years, she then served as a Clark County Commissioner for 12 years. Today, Vogue sits down with Chris G. to look back at some of her pivotal career moves, from voting yes on voting machines and no on the Raiders’ Stadium. We ask how Nevada might be different if she’d won the 2018 gubernatorial primary against Steve Sisolak, and hear what she’s been up to in retirement (hint: she owns multiple chainsaws and her own cement mixer). And we look to the future, to what she hopes for Nevada in next month’s elections and beyond. Do you have thoughts or questions for Chris G.? Leave us a voicemail or give us a call at 702-514-0719. We’re also on Twitter! Follow us @CityCastVegas. For even more Vegas news and goings-on-about-town, make sure to sign up for our amazing morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter!

During his time in Nevada, journalist John M. Glionna has visited pretty much every city, town, township, hamlet, burg, village, and wide spot in the road in this state. In every spot he’s found a compelling story, a very human character — the last sheep farmer, an Indigenous artist, dozens more. He’s gathered the best of those tales in Outback Nevada: Real Stories from the Silver State. In today’s episode, Glionna regales Dayvid with outback anecdotes, and dishes on what the rurals really think of Las Vegas. You can catch John Glionna at the Las Vegas Book Festival this weekend on Oct. 22nd at 11 a.m. in Room 125. What’s on your rural Nevada travel itinerary? Let us know at 702-514-0719. We’re also on Twitter! Follow us @CityCastVegas Want more Vegas news? Make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter!

Yes, Las Vegas has rapidly become a sports town — but could we also become an eSports town, too? Ryan Smith and Lukas Eggen, co-hosts of the RJ’s eSports and gaming podcast LAN Parties, think so. Today, they sit down with Dayvid to talk about how this billion dollar global industry could take hold in our city, how betting and superstars might help, and what it takes to be a professional gamer (spoiler: it’s not just lounging in a comfy chair and eating Flamin’ Hot Cheetos). Want more Vegas news? Make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter! We’re also on Twitter! Follow us @CityCastVegas You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719.

Aaaand eyebrows UP! We’ve got some head-turning news for you in the roundup this week. Vogue, Dayvid and Sonja are talking about this week’s surprising endorsements… and lack thereof. The Clark County Education Assocation declined to endorse either gubernatorial candidate, while 14 members of Adam Laxalt’s family just endorsed his opponent, Catherine Cortez Masto… without mentioning poor Adam’s name once. Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Asian Chamber of Commerce has endorsed Joe Lombardo for governor, and Sonja’s got thoughts on why. Next, we get into the creation of a new evictions diversion court, and what that could do for renters… and where it still falls short. And, last but not least, we’re talking about the imminent arrival of the world’s first comprehensive punk rock museum, right here in Las Vegas! It’ll be a 12,000 square foot homage to the genre, located downtown, right next to Little Darlings. All in a week’s news in Las Vegas! Want more Vegas news? Make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter! We’re also on Twitter! Follow us @CityCastVegas You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719.

It’s a big week for the Vegas cannabis industry. Cannabis consumption lounge applications open tomorrow after 5 years of back and forth in the state legislature. Forty-five dispensaries and 20 individuals will be granted licenses to open lounges in Las Vegas and Unincorporated Clark County. While no alcohol or gaming will be allowed, other business models like movie theaters, bakeries, and music venues are fair game. So, what will these heavily regulated and expensive cannabis consumption lounges look like? And more importantly… what will they smell like? Christopher LaPorte, founder of the cannabis hospitality management company RESET and future operator of THRIVE Dispensary’s lounge, sits down with host Dayvid Figler to discuss how we got here, the potential of this new industry, and what our city and its tourists have to look forward to. What would your dream cannabis lounge look like? Tell us your thoughts or concerns about cannabis lounges in a voicemail at 702-514-0719. You can also let us know on Twitter @CityCastVegas Want more Vegas news? Make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter!

Last week, the Clark County Zoning Commission voted unanimously to approve Jim Rhodes’ housing project near Red Rock Canyon — predictably, Vegas Twitter exploded. Building near Red Rock just might be one of our city’s most contentious issues (just ask Rhodes, who’s been locked in a 20 year battle with the County to build here). But — deep breath, everyone — the approved project contains just 429 homes, a fraction of the originally proposed 5,000. And Rhodes still needs approval from the BLM to build a road out there. So today on City Cast Las Vegas, we’ve got the whole backstory on this housing development: we’re bringing you an interview we did with environment reporter Daniel Rothberg back in August. Daniel detailed the decades-long saga of the battle to build at Red Rock in an investigative piece for the Nevada Independent (it’s reeeally juicy, go read it now). We also get into roads — the ones you drive on, not the developer! — and why they’re trouble for wildlife. How do you feel about development at Red Rock? Leave us a voicemail at 702-514-0719 or find us on Twitter @CityCastVegas. For more Vegas news and goings-on-about-town, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter!

Look, we’ve got some great galleries and small art museums here in town — we’re not denying that. But when it comes to the massive, three-story, famous-permanent-collection kinda museums that other cities have… where’s ours?? Even Reno has one. We were actually supposed to get one, until the pandemic put a halt to it. In 2020, the Nevada Museum of Art, which runs programs throughout the Silver State, actually gave back $4 million of state funding that was earmarked for a Las Vegas branch. Today, Vogue talks with Carmen Beals, associate curator and outreach director with the Nevada Museum of Art, about why the project was put on hold, and if we might, juuuust might, get an art museum of our own someday. Where do you think we should put an art museum in Las Vegas? Leave us a voicemail at 702-514-0719, or hit us up on Twitter @CityCastVegas For even more Vegas news, events and general shenanigans, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter

What. A week. Of news. Before we get into today’s topics, we wanted to acknowledge the violence that occurred on the Strip yesterday: Six people were injured and two died in a mass stabbing attack near Las Vegas Blvd. and Sands. It’s a lot to process and the story is still developing, so we’ll be coming back to it next week. In the meantime, we’re got plenty more news to discuss today. Vogue is joined by Dayvid and special guest Geoff Carter, Senior Editor at the Las Vegas Weekly, and they’re tackling: 1. The latest news about the Rhodes development abutting Red Rock Canyon (and what some sources are getting wrong about it) 2. Sad puppies at the Animal Foundation! Or at least, the ups and downs of a nonprofit that’s now facing a wave of seriously sick pups 3. First Friday’s 20th birthday (as Vogue puts it, it’s not quite old enough to drink yet) — and Geoff’s fantastic retrospective in the Weekly about the evolution of First Friday, for better, worse, and somewhere in between What are your thoughts on the week’s news? Call or text us at 702-514-0719, or find us on Twitter @CityCastVegas Want more Vegas news? Make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter! And a quick note: We're observing Indigenous Peoples' Day on Monday, so we'll be back in your feeds on Tuesday. Happy weekend, everyone!

As we’ve discussed on City Cast, homelessness in the Vegas Valley is an urgent issue that’s only getting worse. Our patchwork of municipalities—including the County and the City—have taken different approaches (and have sometimes publicly sparred about them). But City Councilman Brian Knudsen has quietly been laying the groundwork for longterm solutions through healthcare — some of which might not bear fruit for 30 years, he says. Today, Dayvid sits down with Brian to talk about a new pilot program that brings social workers along with Metro on crisis calls, how Medicaid funding could support mental health centers, and just why this problem is so intractable in Las Vegas. Do you have questions about homelessness in Las Vegas? Leave us a voicemail at 702-514-0719. You can also ask us on Twitter @CityCastVegas Want more Vegas news? Make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter! Special thanks to Jason and Wes over at KUNR for their technical support for this episode.

On Sunday, The Nevada Independent hosted a debate between Nevada gubernatorial candidates Steve Sisolak, the Democratic incumbent, and Sheriff Joe Lombardo, a Republican. The heated debate, moderated by CEO Jon Ralston, was an hour and a half long and went over education, taxes, crime rates, and more (read the full rundown on the Indy here). City Cast was one of the sponsors of IndyFest this year, so host Dayvid Figler and producer Layla Muhammad got to watch the debate in real-time. So today on the show, host Vogue Robinson sits down with Dayvid and Layla to give you the quick and dirty recap of what may be the only gubernatorial debate ahead of the November election.

Remember that Vice article about Vegas dive bars? Yeah, we panned it in a Friday roundup — it was full of breathy, gleeful observations that painted a lurid picture of the down-and-out. Consider this episode your antidote. Dayvid sits down with P Moss, longtime local, writer, and owner of two Las Vegas bars, one of which is the world-famous Double Down Saloon, a punk rock dive bar where you can buy puke insurance and shots of Ass Juice. Dayvid and Moss talk about what makes a dive bar a dive bar, the wildest things he’s seen at his bars, and why dive bars are so susceptible to romanticization. Don’t miss out: Dayvid will be moderating a conversation with Moss at The Writer’s Block this Thursday at 7 p.m., about Moss’s newest novel, Dead Ringer. Come say hello!

If you’re listening to this podcast, you probably know how to pronounce “Nevada.” Or do you…? Is the Spanish “ah”more historically accurate, and why did we start saying “Nuh-vadda?” Plus, you’ve seen Nevadans boo politicians across the political spectrum, from Donald Trump to Michelle Obama, for saying “Nev-ah-da,” so why do we care so much, and do Nevadans have an extra-deep chip on our shoulder about this compared to other places? Today, Dayvid talks with Valerie Fridland, professor of linguistics at UNR, to get the DL on all of this. Don’t forget to check our Instagram page for a special outtake of a quiz YOU can take alongside Dayvid, testing how Western of a speaker you are. Let us hear how you say Nevada! Leave us a voicemail at 702-514-0719. Want more Vegas news? Make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter! We’re also on Twitter! Follow us @CityCastVegas

The escape and eventual capture of prisoner Porfirio Duarte-Herrera was all over the news this week — but could it become a hot button topic in this year’s fiercely competitive governor’s race? After all, Sheriff Joe Lombardo is running on a public safety platform, and the Nevada Department of Corrections director was a Gov. Sisolak appointee. Today, Sonja, Dayvid and Scott get into the potential political fallout of a highly-publicized manhunt. Then it’s on to a lawsuit filed this week by Councilwoman Victoria Seaman against fellow Councilwoman Michele Fiore and the City of Las Vegas, claiming that not only did Fiore assault Seaman at City Hall (breaking Seaman’s finger in the process), City Hall impeded the investigation and destroyed video evidence. (Yes, it’s a hot mess, and yes, we get into it!) Last but not least, you may have seen a few more grasshoppers flying around — but don’t worry, this isn’t the return of 2019’s hopper-pocalypse, at least according to 8 News Now. And hey, if the swarms do return, you could always take advantage of the bounty and cook a few up. Have you been following the Seaman-Fiore feud and do you have thoughts? Any ideas for what to do about all those ‘hoppers? Let us know! Leave us a voicemail or send us a text at 702-514-0719. You can also find us on Twitter @CityCastVegas. Want even more Vegas news, observations, and goings-on-about-town? You’re gonna want to sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter!

Despite being the most diverse city in Nevada, North Las Vegas has yet to see a Black woman mayor. This November, all that will change as Councilwoman Pamela Goynes-Brown and Democratic state Senator Pat Spearman, both Black women, go head to head for the nonpartisan seat. They take on major issues facing the city including housing, policing, and education. Host Vogue Robinson is joined by The Nevada Independent journalist Naoka Foreman to explain where the two candidates stand on the issues. Read Naoka’s coverage here. Are you in North Las Vegas? What issues do you care about? What questions would you have for the NLV mayoral candidates? Call or text us at 702-514-0719. And don’t forget, you can always find us on Twitter @CityCastVegas Want more Vegas news, events and whip-smart observations? Make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter!

“Break a leg” takes on new meaning for Dr. Kevin Debiparshad, a Las Vegas doctor and the subject of a recent viral article on GQ. Dr. D, as he often goes by, has pioneered a minimally-invasive limb-lengthening procedure that will nonetheless leave many squeamish: Via a small thigh incision, he breaks the femur bone, inserts a remote-controlled titanium gadget, and leaves the bone to fill the carefully-extending gap — giving his patients an extra three to six inches of height. It’s gruesome, painful, and expensive. But in a world where height has been shown to matter, both in hiring and dating, Dr. D’s patients are happy with the results. Today, Dayvid talks with Dr. D about how this procedure came about, why Las Vegas was the perfect place for him to set up shop, and how he thinks attitudes will change towards more involved cosmetic procedures like these. Would you spend $70k for a surgery like this? Why or why not? Leave us a voicemail at 702-514-0719 or send us a tweet @CityCastVegas. For a well-blended dose of news, events and all things Vegas, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter!

Baz Luhrmann directed a new film, which was recently released on HBO Max, about Elvis Presley’s life from childhood to riches, fame, and eventual demise. The film stars Austin Butler as Elvis and Tom Hanks as his devilish manager, Colonel Tom Parker. No Elvis story is complete without our city, as Elvis had a seven-year-long residency at the International Hotel (which later became the Las Vegas Hilton and is now the Westgate). Co-hosts Vogue Robinson and Dayvid Figler talk with producer Layla Muhammad about Elvis’ legacy in Las Vegas. Elvis was a superstar, a rock 'n' roll icon, who had impersonators on the Strip prior to his passing. We have Elvis-themed weddings, sell Elvis tchotchkes in our airport, and fake Elvis accompanies our mayor at parades… But are we honoring his legacy, or have we all turned him into a caricature?

Amy Saunders’s stage presence, Miss Behave, is more than an alter ego. Think more like “Amy times Amy,” — and if you’ve seen any of the Miss Behave shows, you know that Miss B is a brash, warm, comedic force, an androgynous drag queen in spectacular costumes, a master of audience interaction. Today, Dayvid talks with Amy (and Miss B) about the journey from London to Vegas via freak shows and the Festival Fringe, how aging Trump supporters helped hone the show at Bally’s, and why performing off the Strip creates an entirely unique audience experience. Want more Vegas news? Make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter! We’re also on Twitter! Follow us @CityCastVegas You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719.

Wow, Friday snuck up on us FAST this week — there’s just so much going on the news! Today, Vogue, Layla and Dayvid break it all down for us: What’s going on with Yucca Mountain (we thought that plan was dead), and why Governor Sisolak’s office just proposed that we kill it for once and for all. Plus, how other states vastly underestimated Senator Harry Reid when Yucca Mountain was first proposed back in the 80's. Next up, we revisit the long reach of the Route 91 shootings and how its aftereffects are felt even now: In the debates over exactly how many lives were claimed, what to do about guns, and what we should even call the massacre. And lastly, the team takes on the city’s newly-approved cannabis lounges, whether locals will actually go, and what we’d want to see in a cannabis lounge. Oh, and let us not forget: CONGRATULATIONS to the Las Vegas Aces!!! WNBA Champions, bayybeeeee! That’s right, Las Vegas just got its first major league sports championship. We love to see it. What would you want to see at Yucca Mountain? What does the weed lounge of your dreams look like? Leave us a voicemail or shoot us a text at 702-514-0719. You can always find us on Twitter too: @CityCastVegas For more news, events, and commentary about the city we love best, get our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter!

Today on City Cast Las Vegas, Vogue chats with Dr. Erika Gisela Abad Merced, (AKA Dr. Abad) an educator, writer, and curator. We talk about Vegas as a multicultural city and how that encompasses generation gaps, sexuality, race, & ethnicity. Dr. Abad shares how she’s turned her personal story into art and invited others to do so too with her show, Two Cultures, One Family. In a press release, Dr. Abad says, “I hope this exhibition helps people feel seen. To have their families feel seen. Two Cultures is a love letter to my mother and grandmother. While our struggles are different, I am here because of them – a testament to their resilience and sacrifice.” Dr. Abad also tell us how Las Vegas celebrates & respects different cultures, especially for our LGBTQ community, but also what we could do better. Two Cultures, One Family will be on display until January 28, 2023 inside the Barrick Museum at UNLV. It is free and open to the public. Visit the show and create art of your own during the Zine Workshop Friday, Sep. 23, 2022, 4pm to 6pm Do you have thoughts about multiculturalism in Las Vegas? Share them with us at 702-514-0719. Keep the conversation going with us on Twitter @CityCastVegas Looking for more community events and more? Make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter!

When Kim Foster started the cookbook club Please Send Noodles (a cheeky play on “please send nudes”), it was a gathering of local home cooks who discussed a new cookbook and met for a potluck every month. Then, the pandemic shut down Las Vegas — and the cookbook club. Our hospitality-centric city was devastated… and hungry. The Please Send Noodles crew swung into action, pivoting from potlucks to pantry, cooking hundreds of meals each month for struggling Las Vegans. Next week, Please Send Noodles will hold its first in-person gathering since the pandemic started. Kim joins host Dayvid Figler to talk about how the cookbook club met the challenges of the moment, why restaurant-centric Las Vegas needs a cookbook club, and how both trauma and resilience can show up when the table is set. For more information about Monday’s cookbook club event, visit The Writer’s Block website. Kim Foster is a James Beard Award-winning food writer and essayist. Her book, The Meth Lunches: Food and Longing in an American City, will be released from St. Martin’s Press in Fall 2023. Want more Vegas news? Make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter! We’re also on Twitter! Follow us @CityCastVegas Do you have an interesting club or organization that Vegas needs to know more about? Tell us about it by calling or texting 702-514-0719.

Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto made headlines when she publicly criticized President Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan, breaking rank with Democrats. So is this a play for Republican votes during a tough battle for reelection? Or is she actually swinging left of the Dems on this issue — especially given the fact that she’d already proposed a college affordability and loan forgiveness bill? Today, Dayvid talks with Nevada Independent reporter Tabitha Mueller, who recently wrote about Cortez Masto’s stance on the Biden plan, and how it all might play out in her reelection campaign. What do you think about Biden’s loan forgiveness plan? How are student loans affecting you? Leave us a voicemail or a send us a text at 702-514-0719. We’re all ears on Twitter, too: @CityCastVegas Want more Vegas news, observations, and goings-on about town? You’ll want to sign up for our brilliant morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter!

A few weeks ago, our team talked about the movers and shakers from Las Vegas history who would be on our(hypothetical) Mt. Rushmore. The problem? We had no women on our list! Here to help us fix that glaring omission is Dr. Su Kim Chung, Head of Public Services in Special Collections and Archives at UNLV Libraries. She and host Vogue Robinson talk about four iconic women in Vegas history that we should all know (plus one bonus pick!), and how they made our city what it is today. For more information about the women on Su Kim’s list, click on the links below: Helen Stewart Lubertha Johnson Claudine Williams Carol Harter Margaret Kelly (Miss Bluebell) Did you know about all of these Las Vegas women? Who would you add? Leave us a voicemail at 702-514-0719, or hit us up on Twitter @CityCastVegas. For even more Vegas insider history, news, events, and more — you’re gonna want to sign up for our brilliant morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter! Note: In the introduction to this episode, we incorrectly called Su Kim Chung the Head of Special Collections. Her correct job title is Head of Public Services in Special Collections and Archives at UNLV Libraries. Apologies for the error!

Sonja and Dayvid are joined today by a very special guest: Joey Lovato, host of the Nevada Independent’s podcast IndyMatters. (Psst, it’s his birthday today, y’all!) Joey catches us up on the cannabis news — namely, that the ACLU has won its lawsuit against the State Board of Pharmacy, who will now be required to de-classify cannabis as a Schedule 1 drug. So what does that mean for Las Vegans? We also talk about the endorsement that six local chambers of commerce recently gave to a ballot initiative that proposes to split up Clark County School District into smaller school districts. CCSD is the fifth-largest school district in the country — but splitting it up comes with some pros and cons. We round out the roundup with a remembrance of Blair Dewane, a beloved local indie musician who passed this week at too young of an age. Last but most certainly not least, we learn that Dayvid is in a polka punk band called Tippy Elvis, and that Joey was in a Justin Bieber-meets-Alvin the Chipmunks band called Full Silver… in the 5th grade. We’re currently looking for the Full Silver deep cut album, so let us know if you find footage anywhere! How do YOU feel about the CCSD ballot initiative? Are you in a local indie band that you want to shout out? Leave us a voicemail at 702-514-0719 or hit us up on Twitter @CityCastVegas. Want more Vegas news and events? Reward yourself every morning with our 6 a.m. newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter!

Vegas is buzzing as the top-seeded Las Vegas Aces make their way to Connecticut tonight with a 2-0 lead over the Sun in the WNBA Finals. They are one game away from bringing home our city’s first major league sports championship — it could happen tonight! News 3 sports anchor Bryan Salmond tells host Dayvid Figler how the team got there with a rookie coach and all-star roster. Also, what its win could mean for Las Vegas and a hint as to how they might celebrate a W. GO ACES! How do you hope to celebrate Vegas’s first major league sports championship? Share your excitement with us at 702-514-0719. We’re also on Twitter! Follow us @CityCastVegas Stay up to date on all the Vegas happenings by signing up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter!

The music, food, and art festival Life is Beautiful starts Friday — you may have already noticed street closures downtown as it sets up. Since 2013, Life is Beautiful has taken over several blocks of downtown for three days. Headliners have included huge artists, like Megan Thee Stallion, the Gorillaz, Kendrick Lamar, Arcade Fire. Celebrity chefs show up. Apparently Banksy was there one year? It’s all wild and magical… but maybe not for everyone. Today, Sonja (an LiB newbie) talks with Dayvid and Layla, both veterans of Life is Beautiful, about why so many locals have mixed feelings about it. Dayvid shares a conversation with musician Jack Evan Johnson, who started the cheeky Life is Shit event, while Layla talks with local artist Tanna Marie, who’s getting a huge break at this year’s festival. Quick note, you’re gonna hear some profanity in this one, including a well-executed F bomb. How do YOU feel about Life is Beautiful? Let us know: 702-514-0719 or @CityCastVegas on Twitter. For even more Vegas news, events, and snarky commentary, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter.

Twenty-six years ago today, Tupac Amaru Shakur died at University Medical Center here in Las Vegas. A few days before his death, he was shot at the intersection of Flamingo and Koval — you may have driven past the spontaneous, informal memorial at the site, a collection of fan tributes scrawled onto a telephone pole. There is no official memorial or plaque here, or anywhere in Las Vegas. Tupac didn’t get the accolades he deserved during his lifetime, but today, he’s remembered as one of the most influential hip-hop artists of all time — so where’s our memorial? Host Vogue Robinson is joined by DJ Warren Peace, a local who was on the Death Row street team and was playing at Club 662 the night Tupac never arrived. He tells us stories from the 90s club scene, and lays out the big picture: How the Vegas powers that be viewed hip-hop in the 90s, and why he thinks we don’t have a Tupac memorial. Where were you when Tupac was shot? Who else do you think deserves to be memorialized in Las Vegas? Let us know at 702-514-0719 or on Twitter @CityCastVegas. Looking for more Vegas news? Make sure to sign up for our amazing morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter!

If you’ve been in Vegas for a while, you might’ve seen “Rogers” in an organization’s name or two. That’s Beverly Rogers, who grew up in Las Vegas and has become one of Las Vegas’ biggest donors to education and the arts. The Rogers Foundation’s commitment to supporting students in Las Vegas was created to advance the passion of Jim Rogers (Beverly’s late husband) for education. Today on the podcast, Beverly tells host Vogue Robinson about her early life and how its led her to philanthropy, the influence Vegas has had on her, and the scoop on when The Beverly Theater will be opening! Do you have first-hand experience with the work of the Rogers Foundation? Or thoughts on philanthropy in Las Vegas broadly? Fill us in! Leave us a message or send us a text at 702-514-0719. Or drop us tweet @CityCastVegas. Get even more Vegas news, commentary, and events when you sign up for our fantastic morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter!

In our look back at the week’s news, our team is tackling the story of local journalist Jeff German’s murder, which has made national headlines. Today, Dayvid, Scott and Sonja catch you up on the news, reflect on the tense environment for journalists, and how that might (or might not) bear on this particular case. In case you missed it, here’s a summary of the news so far: Investigative journalist Jeff German was found murdered outside his home Saturday morning following an altercation the night before that left him with multiple stab wounds. After four days of investigations, police arrested Clark County Public Administrator Robert Telles on Wednesday evening in connection with the murder. Evidence was found linking Telles to the scene, including his car, a ripped-up hat that matched a video of the suspect, and DNA under German’s nails. It is believed that reporting from German (which exposed a toxic work environment at Telles's office) contributed to the loss of Telles's reelection bid in the June primaries. It was announced on Thursday that Telles was charged with open murder and will be held without bail.

Where have all the showgirls gone? No, we’re not talking about the costumed photo ops on Fremont Street, or those 50-foot clip art signs downtown. We’re talking about the classic showgirl revue — like Jubilee, the last showgirl show, which closed in 2016. Kelly O remembers those years well: She’s a dancer who performed in the iconic Jubilee show during its sunset years. In this special guest episode from our friends at the Faces and Aces LV podcast, Chris Kim talks with Kelly O about how she moved from ballet in NYC to the feathered world of Vegas showgirls, what a day in the life of a showgirl is like, and all of the other dancing gigs she’s taken up in Vegas since her showgirl days. You can listen to more Faces and Aces LV at facesandaceslv.com. Want more Vegas news? Make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter! We’re also on Twitter! Follow us @CityCastVegas You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719.

Football season starts tomorrow, and for some of you, it’s not just ego and bragging rights on the line. Ever since the Supreme Court allowed for sports betting outside of Nevada, the industry has seen major growth: It doubled in 2021 with over $57 billion wagered across the U.S. So what does that mean for Las Vegas? Yahoo sports betting analyst and Las Vegas local Minty (who goes by “Minty Bets” online) joins host Vogue Robinson to answer all of our most pressing and ridiculous questions about sports betting: What kind of prep does she have to do? Does sports betting ruin the experience of the game? Is Las Vegas still important in the ever-expanding world of sports-betting? And how can you tell when you’ve gone a little too far with the wagers?

Last month, CCSD confirmed their first Monkeypox case at Palo Verde High School. With Las Vegas being a global destination for tourism, how concerned should we be about Monkeypox? While our numbers remain low compared to the rest of the country, issues around messaging create a harmful stigma and false sense of safety for groups not included in the language. Southern Nevada Health District senior health educator Cheryl Radeloff talks with host Vogue Robinson about our case and vaccine numbers, the similarities in messaging with HIV/AIDS, and what we can to do protect ourselves. You can find the EPA's list of disinfectants for emerging viral pathogens here. Do you have more thoughts or questions about Monkeypox? A story to share? Tweet at us @CityCastVegas or leave us a voicemail or text 702-514-0719. Want more Vegas news? Make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter!

Millennial content warning: We reference BOTH The Dark Crystal and the Mayor of Flavortown in today’s episode. But before that — in this week’s Friday roundup, lead producer Sonja Cho Swanson sits down with producer Layla Muhammad and host Dayvid Figler to discuss the most important news items to share at the BBQ this Labor Day weekend. A proposal from the Nevada Department of Corrections is on ice after Gov. Sisolak asks for more data on how restricting greeting cards and colored ink in mail would decrease the amount of contraband in prisons. Advocates say the proposal is anti-family and dehumanizing. With autumn at our doorstep, elections aren’t far behind. We take a deeper look at Question No. 3 on this year’s ballot and how the results in Alaska could give some insight on how Nevada’s elections could go in the future. Lastly, a new name in Nevada’s “Black Book” could open the floodgates for people restricted from casinos. Still confused about ranked choice voting? Want to share who YOU’D vote in as the Mayor of Flavortown? Let us know on Twitter @CityCastVegas or leave us a voicemail or text at 702-514-0719. Stay up to date on the news and goings-on about town with our brilliant morning newsletter! Sign up atlasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter

Las Vegas doesn’t run on rum, tequila, or vodka — that’s tourist juice. Coffee’s the true lifeblood of our 24-hour city. Today on City Cast Las Vegas, Scott, Dayvid and Vogue talk about their favorite spots around town to get excellent brews, where to take a coffee date, and why a city needs a vibrant, healthy coffee scene. Did we miss your go-to coffee shop? Let us know at 702-514-0719 or tell us on Twitter @CityCastVegas! For more Vegas tips, tricks, and thoughts, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter!

City Cast Las Vegas co-host Dayvid Figler has a decades-long friend in Anne Kellogg. Anne is a fiercely proud born-and-raised Nevadan, businessperson, an arts supporter, a ranch caretaker and maybe beyond all else, one of the biggest cheerleaders for Nevada you’ll ever meet. She and her husband spend much of the year bouncing between her hometown Las Vegas and her adopted city of Ely. With its plentiful charms, artistic endeavors and abundantly magnetic sights and sounds, Ely has become a favorite for Las Vegans. But are Las Vegas residents always welcome, and why don’t Ely residents seem to embrace much that comes from Las Vegas? In a State where blue cities and red rurals make us perpetual purple, is there still time to embrace "One Nevada?" Dayvid and Anne talk about the differences, the similarities and the causes of disconnect between two very different but both unique Nevada towns.

Amid the attention given to predictions in a recent UNLV study that valley’s population will grow by more than 1 million by 2060, another interesting trend seemed largely overlooked. That is, that the number of residents 65 and older is expected to more than double. Among other implications of this is a likely boom of the healthcare industry to cater to these seniors. Today on the podcast, host Vogue Robinson is joined by independent Medicare broker La’Chelle Buckner to discuss why Las Vegas is the new retirement Mecca and how the healthcare system works — or doesn't — for our aging populace.

Las Vegas has shifted its slogan from “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” to “What Happens Here, Only Happens Here.” Both slogans shroud our city in mystery and encourage outsiders to speculate about our culture. What happens when you tell someone you live in Vegas? You get a slew of ridiculous questions! Do you gamble everyday? Do you only eat at fancy restaurants? Can I get a job outside of a casino in daytime hours? City Cast CEO, David Plotz, lives in Washington, D.C., and hasn’t visited Vegas for almost 20 years! Today on the show he asks our hosts Dayvid Figler and Vogue Robinson a series of wild and ridiculous questions about Las Vegas. You might learn a bit more about the weird jobs people can have in town, plus a few fun places you’d actually want to take your kiddos.

In this Friday’s news roundup, the question of whether Vegas is a “cesspool of crime” as former president Trump claimed is debated yet again, but this time by our very own Dayvid Figler, Vogue Robinson, and Scott Dickensheets. Oh, and they’ve got some numbers! Also, what’s with that new megasculpture, “City,” and why haven’t any local outlets covered it yet? Plus, the team talks about how Lake Las Vegas ended up on the 2021 list of top Las Vegas valley water users. Hear more from Scott in our daily morning newsletter! You can sign up at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter

Everyone we know in the Valley has an opinion about water — so why not make it an informed opinion? You can start by listening to the highly informative and entertaining podcast Water Smarts, from the experts at the Southern Nevada Water Authority. You’ll get deep dives on topics like wastewater surveillance, tips on how to save water in your landscaping, and insights into our decades-long water crisis, straight from the source. Today, we’re sharing an episode of Water Smarts all about our tap water — yep, it’s safe to drink. Carolyn Faircloth, the Water Quality Laboratory Manager for the Southern Nevada Water Authority (SNWA), shares how she and her team test and monitor our drinking water to ensure high-quality water is delivered to your home or business every day. Hosts Crystal Zuelke and Bronson Mack talk water quality and how you can find out what’s in our water on episode 25 of Water Smarts Podcast, “Yes, you can drink the tap water.” Do you have feelings about the tap water in town? Got a burning tap water question? Leave us a voicemail or send us a text message at 702-514-0719. You can shoot us a tweet @CityCastVegas. Get more Vegas news, events, and whip-smart commentary in our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter— it’s the freshest thing in your inbox every morning, at 6 a.m.

While our producers are taking a much-needed vacation, we’re revisiting one of our favorite City Cast Las Vegas interviews with the woman we’ve dubbed the Lorax of Las Vegas: Lisa Ortega, Master Arborist. This episode originally aired on June 14, 2022. Las Vegas is the fastest-warming city in the U.S. — and that's only made worse by the urban heat island effect, caused by dense concentrations of heat-trapping concrete, asphalt, glass, and steel. (Read more about Southern Nevada's extreme heat vulnerability on this site from RTC: Southern Nevada Strong.) The effect isn't evenly distributed: Our neighbors in the center and Eastside of the city see even higher temperatures from older infrastructure and more blacktop. This April, the City of Las Vegas announced a plan to plant 60,000 trees by 2025 to combat the city's extreme heat. In today's episode, the state’s only female Master Arborist and founder of the non-profit Nevada Plants, Lisa Ortega, joins host Dayvid Figler to discuss why trees are the answer to our heat problems, how this disproportionally affects communities of color, and why we might just be able to dub her the Lorax of Las Vegas. Do you have a favorite trees? Thoughts on our warming city? Leave us a voicemail or a text message at 702-514-0719. Or find us on Twitter @CityCastVegas and gives us your best hot take. Want more Vegas news, events, and snarky commentary? Make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter!