City Cast Las Vegas

Last month, the rising violence in Clark County School District came to a head in a horrific attack on a teacher, sending shockwaves through the community. In response, the Clark County Education Association, the Valley’s largest teacher’s union, presented a statement pointing a finger at restorative justice, which they called an “unfunded law” that “handcuffs”educators from taking action against violent students. So what exactly is this restorative justice policy in CCSD, and what are the challenges it’s facing? Why do advocates think it’s needed, and how can it improve? Lead producer Sonja Cho Swanson sits down with CCSD Police Captain Ken Young, who’s been with the District for 30 years, to talk about school safety and the culture shift required within the police force to get kids off the track to juvie and on track to graduation. 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 at @CityCastVegas You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719 with your perspective on restorative justice or any other LV topic!

The world premiere of “Clown Bar 2,” a film-noir-meets-circus-clowns immersive theater project, opens TONIGHT at Majestic Repertory Theatre—and we’ve got the inside scoop. Dayvid sits down with Artistic Director Troy Heard to talk about what makes immersive theatre unique, the give-and-take symbiosis between entertainment on the Strip and local productions, and where the Las Vegas arts scene is headed. Plus, we’ve got a bonus segment for you at the end of the episode: Producer Layla Muhammad brings us sounds and scenes from Clown Bar 2’s dress rehearsal. (Per Layla, it’s “freakin’ hilarious,” so you’re not gonna want to miss this one.) Make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter for even more news and events from around the city. And did you know we’re also on Twitter? Give us a follow us at @CityCastVegas Don’t forget that you can text or leave us a voicemail at 702-514-0719!

So far this year, over 460 babies have entered Clark County foster care system—at this rate, we’ll have 40% more babies in the system than last year. To help us understand this surge, we talk with Kim Foster, a local writer and foster advocate who has both fostered and adopted children in Clark County. We talk about the issues in our foster care system, why helping biological families is so important, and why you, too, might want to consider becoming a foster parent. If you’re interested in fostering, Clark County holds both in-person and virtual info sessions. Find out more at countmein.vegas For more Vegas news, sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter Do the blue bird thing and tweet at us: @CityCastVegas And don’t forget, you can also text or leave us a voicemail at 702-514-0719.

A leaked draft opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court suggests that Roe v. Wade, the 1973 case that guaranteed the right to abortion, will be overturned by a majority vote. With the draft likely to become official in the next few months, Western states like Utah, Idaho and Arizona face looming abortion bans that might have their cities turning to Nevada, where abortion rights are far more protected—they've been codified in state law since 1990. City Cast hosts from Salt Lake City and Boise, Ali Vallarta and Frankie Barnhill, join Dayvid to discuss what this means across state lines, and for the upcoming elections. Looking for that Vegas connection? Make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter Say hi to us on Twitter at @CityCastVegas! Got questions about your city? Let us help you find an answer! Call or text us at 702-514-0719.

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) History Month (or AAPI Heritage Month, depending on who you ask). Here in Clark County, AAPI is our fastest-growing ethnic group, with an expanding footprint in a growing city. Lead producer Sonja Cho Swanson sits down with Mark Padoongpatt, Director of Asian and American Studies at UNLV, to talk about the things he loves about AAPI History Month, his hesitations about it, and what he hopes everyone in Las Vegas takes away from the spotlight on AAPI in May. If you love the podcast, you’ll love our morning newsletter—packed with even more Vegas news, events, and snarky commentary. Sign up at lasvegas.citycast.fm Keep up with us on Twitter (and tweet at us too—we don’t bite!) @CityCastVegas And don’t forget, you can always text us or leave us a voicemail at 702-514-0719.

Today we’re bringing you a guest episode from the Nevada Independent’s podcast IndyMatters, which features original interviews and Q&As with the Indy’s reporters on some of their top stories of the week. Joey Lovato hosts and produces the show every Tuesday. It’s one of our go-to podcasts, and we think you’ll love it, too! Make sure to subscribe to IndyMatters wherever you get podcasts. In this guest episode, City Cast Las Vegas host Dayvid Figler talks with Joey about what makes IndyMatters special, before moving into the IndyMatters guest segment: An interview Joey held with Sheryln Hayes-Zorn from the Nevada Historical Society, about our many and varied state symbols. Did you know that Nevada’s official fossil is the ichthyosaur, and that we have TWO state trees? Why do we have a state tartan… and why have state symbols at all? Find out in today’s episode. For more Vegas news, sign for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm You can also find us on Twitter @CityCastVegas, and text or leave us a voicemail at 702-514-0719. We love hearing your voices!

Fawn Douglas is an artist, activist, and community leader doing work to educate Las Vegas on Native American culture and center joy with the Nuwu Art Gallery and Community Center. The gallery has been opened to the public for the first time to show Douglas’s MFA thesis exhibition, SOOV, until May 6. She sits down with City Cast Las Vegas producer Layla Muhammad to share a look into the creation of the arts complex and her work within the Las Vegas community. Support Fawn and learn more at nuwuart.com and IAFInc.org Interested in the people who make Las Vegas thrive? Make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter! We are also on Twitter! Follow us at @CityCastVegas Do you know someone who Las Vegans should know more about? Call or text us at 702-514-0719.

Short-term rentals like Airbnbs are legal (and hotly contested) in some parts of the valley, but they’re still illegal in unincorporated Clark County, where about half our population lives. That’s about to change: Assembly Bill 363, passed by the state last year, will force Clark County to create the legal infrastructure to regulate these SRTs by July 1st, 2022. You might already know that City Cast LV’s host, Dayvid Figler, is an attorney and neighborhood activist who’s written extensively on the topic—so today, he sits on the other side of the table as lead producer Sonja Cho Swanson interviews him about what we’re getting wrong (and right) about the Airbnb debates. Ready to join the conversation? First, you can email the County about STRs at: [email protected] Next, shoot us a text or leave us a voicemail at 702-514-0719: What do you think should happen with short-term rentals in your neighborhood? Plus, we’re on Twitter, so you can tweet at us and follow us at @CityCastVegas And last but not least, for more Vegas news, sign up for our morning newsletter.

Last summer, the federal government declared the first-ever shortage in the Colorado River Basin, where Las Vegas gets about 90% of its water. The trend continues this year as Lake Mead and Lake Powell sit at their lowest levels—just looking at those bathtub rings is enough to give any desert-dweller anxiety. Today, lead producer Sonja Cho Swanson sits down with Nevada Independent environment reporter Daniel Rothberg, who explains how it all comes down to “a math problem gone wrong”—less water in and more water out. So why does Las Vegas get the blame when we’re actually doing a pretty good job as a city at water conservation? How are we still reliant on major water guzzlers like agriculture in California and Arizona (thanks for all the lettuce)? And why does Daniel still have hope when asked if an apocalyptic Mad Max future awaits us? Want more Vegas news? Make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter! We’re also on Twitter! Follow us at @CityCastVegas You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719.

The decision on whether or not the Oakland Athletics will find their new home in Las Vegas is expected soon. That means yet another new sporting venue on the Strip could be on the pitch. We talk with UNLV assistant professor of economics Dr. William Robinson to weigh the pros and the cons of the MLB team’s possible move and if our city should even want it. Listen until the end of the episode for the secret code to enter at lasvegas.citycast.fm to win 2 full festival tickets to Wave In: A BMI Festival! Giveaway ends Friday, April 22, 2022. Looking for more ways to stay connected to Vegas? Sign up for our morning newsletter! Find us on Twitter at @CityCastVegas Got something to say about Las Vegas or the Oakland A's possible arrival? Call or text us at 702-514-0719.

Our community is still reeling from the North Las Vegas crash that killed 9 people in late January. Recently, Clark County has seen a rise in traffic fatalities and pedestrian deaths in the first quarter of 2022 with several high profile crashes. How can our growing city’s streets be safer? Director of the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT), Kristina Swallow, joins us in the first of many conversations about how to make our roads work for everyone. Make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter! Interact with us on Twitter and Instagram at @CityCastVegas Do you have thoughts about traffic in Las Vegas? Call or text us at 702-514-0719.

Las Vegas and Chicago have emerged as top candidates to host the Democratic National Convention in 2024—the Windy City has hosted the DNC before (most recently in ’96), but this would be a first for Vegas. In this special crossover episode, Las Vegas host Dayvid Figler talks with City Cast Chicago host Jacoby Cochran to debate the merits of having the DNC in each of our cities. Chicago’s got the history and the heartland geography; Las Vegas has the convention infrastructure and out-West issues of immigration, water and climate change (and let’s be real, Vegas is where the party’s at). But the biggest question of all just might be: Do either of our cities want the DNC at all? Looking for more Vegas news? Sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm! Twitter-ers take note: We’re also on the bird app! Follow us at @CityCastVegas Getting in touch is as easy as picking up your phone: You can leave us a text or a voicemail at 702-514-0719.

If you’ve somehow missed the news about K-pop sensation BTS starting their concerts this weekend, here’s your primer: They sold out four shows at Allegiant Stadium (yes, 65k-seat Allegiant Stadium)… in pre-sale. In 90 minutes. They’ll be painting the town purple (their signature color) with special events, merch, and even BTS-themed hotel rooms. So what’s the big deal, you ask? Well, host Dayvid Figler asked, and he got an earful from our producers: Sonja Cho Swanson and BTS Army member Layla Muhammad, who explain why K-pop has a global reach and just how powerful the BTS Army is. We’ve got more news, links, and events in our morning newsletter—sign up at lasvegas.citycast.fm Are you on Twitter? Follow us at @CityCastVegas! Don’t forget, you can also text or leave us a message at 702-514-0719.

Allergy season in the desert can be brutal, especially when the wind hits you with pollen that isn’t native to the environment. As a majority of residents (and some visitors) are suffering with their sinuses this spring, we wonder what makes allergy season so notoriously bad in Las Vegas. Asma Tahir and Dr. Joram Seggev from the CCSD/UNLV Pollen Monitoring Program join us to break down allergy season, and tell us what could help with symptoms, and what doesn’t (spoiler: you could be wasting money on honey). Learn more about the program and see the Valley’s pollen levels at unlv.edu/publichealth/pollen Are you curious about your city? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter. Find us on Twitter and Instagram! Follow us at @citycastvegas

Desert tortoises spend 95% of their lives underground, making Mojave Max the most elusive celebrity in Las Vegas. After a long winter brumation (that’s hibernation for reptiles), Mojave Max emerged from his burrow on Saturday, March 26th at 12:21pm—and as everyone in Las Vegas knows, the arrival of Mojave Max marks the unofficial start of spring. So who is Mojave Max, and how did he become the official mascot of desert conservation? We talk with Audrie Locke, PIO at the Clark County Desert Conservation Program, about the past lives of early Mojave Maxes (including one daring jailbreak), the unmarked “Area 51” for tortoises, and why you should never pick up a desert tortoise (spoiler alert: they’ll pee on you). Happy spring, everyone! Visit mojavemax.com for more information. Don’t forget: We’ve got a daily morning newsletter full of news and curiosities! You can find us on Twitter at @CityCastVegas Or leave us a message at 702-514-0719!

Rent in Las Vegas has soared since the pandemic began—up 33% since Feb. 2020, double the national average. Nevadans are making hard decisions between rent checks and insulin, childcare, and food. So when Governor Steve Sisolak pledged $500 million to affordable housing programs during his State of the State last month, housing advocates cautiously welcomed the proposal. But where is all that money going, and can it do enough to close the gap? Nevada Currentjournalist Michael Lyle joins us to break down the funding and help us understand the challenges ahead. You can find Michael’s most recent article about rent control here. Get more Vegas news, insights, and cheeky observations when you sign up for our morning newsletter. Are you on Twitter? Us too! Follow us at @CityCastVegas Plus, we’ve got digits: You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719.

Announcing City Cast Las Vegas! Las Vegas is a place of colossal contradictions. It’s a city that says, “Oh, we’re in an arid desert? Perfect spot for some manmade lakes and dancing fountains!” It’s a city of shiny surfaces but also deep complexity if you know where to look. Starting March 29th, join us every weekday morning for 15 minutes to get all the Las Vegas news you need (and want) to know. Subscribe to the newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm