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City Cast Las Vegas

City Cast Las Vegas is a daily podcast and newsletter created by and for locals (and locals-at-heart) that’ll challenge the easy narratives about our city … and, okay, maybe confirm a few of them, too. Las Vegas is a city of reinvention, bursting at the seams as it welcomes newcomers into its various incarnations as a service-worker union town, a military town, a college town, and, most recently, a sports town. There’s a four-mile street testifying to our entrepreneurial genius, not far from pockets of staggering inequality. Great wealth runs through our city, but how much of that actually stays in Vegas? We’re independent in spirit, but also ruled by orange traffic cones. Our 2.5 million residents anchor an ever-changing city of 42 million visitors. Join us every morning for the messy, delightful, complicated conversations that Las Vegans are having: You’ll hear us ask hard questions about where we’ll get our water when Lake Mead runs out, and how we’ll keep housing affordable. We’ll argue over our favorite Chinatown bars, and share insider tips on the best tacos in town. City Cast Las Vegas will show you how loving a city means celebrating it and also holding it accountable, while having some fun along the way—because Las Vegans know how to have a good time.
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Episodes

Your Guide to September in Las Vegas

If you're new here, welcome! We’ve put together a starter pack for you , with episodes and articles to welcome you to the City Cast Las Vegas community. While some cities gear up for a cozy fall complete with scarves and sweaters, in Vegas, we like to call it our second spring. It’s finally time to start getting outside! From food festival hacks to sustainable shopping, in this episode you’ll hear all the tips and tricks you’ll need to make the most out of your September in Las Vegas. Co-hosts S...

Aug 28, 202428 min

The Secret to Making Friends in Las Vegas

Have you ever felt lonely living in Las Vegas? In a recent study of moving and living trends, we were ranked as the 2nd loneliest city in the United States. And just last year, the U.S. Surgeon General called loneliness a public health epidemic , with 1 in 3 Americans feeling lonely every week. No one is immune to feeling lonely — as it becomes a bigger problem across the country, we tackle just one way to combat that isolation: making friends! That can sound like a daunting task, especially for...

Aug 27, 202421 min

Does Vegas Need Universal School Lunch?

As the national debate over free school meals for all students heats up, Nevada Democrats are also putting pressure on Governor Joe Lombardo. The governor vetoed a universal school lunch measure last year, but assembly members have recently submitted a bill draft request to get it back on the agenda in time for next year’s legislative session. Governor Lombardo shot back saying despite his veto, there is still a path for free food for students in need. To break down the issue at its core, we are...

Aug 26, 202421 min

The Venetian Goes Union, Curbing Slumlords, and the Best Vegas Sunsets

Completing their infinity stone glove of the Strip, Culinary 226 has announced a tentative union contract with the Venetian and the Palazzo, the last two major casino holdouts on the Strip. So what now? Co-hosts Sarah Lohman and Dayvid Figler are joined by Nevada Current journalist Michael MJ Lyle to discuss. Next up, the team talks about slumlords and a new County proposal that could hold them more accountable, and wraps up with the not-so-surprising “study” that Las Vegas has the 19th-best sun...

Aug 23, 202435 min

Is the Vegas Buffet Alive and Well After All?

Dozens of Las Vegas buffets became casualties of the pandemic, but those that remain have found ways to adapt and thrive — even in this era of the rise of food halls. Eater Las Vegas editor Janna Karel spent a week recently eating at every buffet on the Strip , and she joins City Cast Las Vegas co-host Dayvid Figler to talk about the best, worst, and weirdest buffets she tried, and the future of the city’s buffet scene. Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram , or email us at...

Aug 22, 202421 min

New Water Cuts Are Here. Is Vegas Okay?

On Thursday, the federal government came out with its annual Colorado River water cuts : To maintain levels at Lake Mead and Lake Powell, Arizona will lose 18% of its allocation, California will lose 7%, Nevada will lose 7% , and Mexico will lose 5%. We’re on a water diet, y’all! But how will this affect Las Vegas? Why are the headlines so confusing, and how worried should we actually be? Co-host Dayvid Figler gets the real deal from environmental reporter Daniel Rothberg. Want to get in touch? ...

Aug 21, 202421 min

What Happened to Our 24-Hour City?

If any town deserves the moniker of “City Who Never Sleeps,” it’s clearly Las Vegas — city of entertainers, graveyard shift workers, and all the industries that cater to them. But are we losing our 24/7 edge? Co-host Dayvid Figler brings back a conversation with longtime local Brent Holmes about the 24-hour venues we’ve lost, the ones we still have, and why nightlife is the best life. Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram , or email us at lasvegas@citycast.fm . You can also...

Aug 20, 202420 min

What Culinary Really Thinks of “No Taxes on Tips”

When presidential candidate Donald Trump proposed “no taxes on tips” in Las Vegas this June, the mighty Culinary Union responded with deep skepticism. But now that a bipartisan bill has been introduced to Congress and Kamala Harris has endorsed the measure, they’ve come out in favor. So is this all just politicking? What about economists’ concerns about the impact of “no taxes on tips,” and why aren’t we talking about the problem with tipping culture to begin with? Co-host Dayvid Figler sits dow...

Aug 19, 202424 min

The Sphere Gets Loud, Why Heat Deaths Doubled, and the Aces Get Sued

Summer may be winding down in some places as the school year begins, but we’re still going strong here in Las Vegas. For this Friday’s weekly news roundup, the summer heat is taking its toll on locals as heat-related deaths spike this year, a former player is suing our champion Las Vegas Aces for discrimination, and residents complain the Sphere’s new sound feature is way too loud. Co-host Dayvid Figler is joined by food and justice advocate Kim Foster and City Cast executive producer Sonja Cho ...

Aug 16, 202437 min

Has Vegas Hit Peak Caviar?

Caviar — it’s the latest culinary status symbol, the padding on your dinner bill, the glittering cherry on top of your Vegas vacation Instagram posts. But with caviar showing up on donuts, hot dogs, and even ice cream … has caviar in Vegas gone too far? Executive producer Sonja Cho Swanson sits down with food critics John Curtas of the Eat, Talk, Repeat podcast and Gemini Stevens of the Food and Loathing podcast to talk about the latest crimes against caviar in our city of excess, and which rest...

Aug 15, 202425 min

Whatever Happened to that Airbnb Dispute, the Badlands Payouts, and Mt. Charleston’s School?

Just because the news cycle has moved on doesn’t mean our communities have, too — so what’s the latest on some of the biggest stories of the last year? Today, we’re trying something new and catching you up on the latest developments in three big stories we’ve previously covered on the show: The status of short-term rentals in Clark County and their Supreme Court limbo; the newest real-world impacts of the City of Las Vegas’ Badlands lawsuit payouts; and the school board’s latest decision on the ...

Aug 14, 202423 min

The Best (and Weirdest) Mascots in Las Vegas

Even though professional sport teams are fairly new to Las Vegas, mascots are not. Whether they are at schools or attached to local businesses, mascots have been bringing joy (and fear) to locals for decades. Co-hosts Dayvid Figler and Sarah Lohman are joined by former mascot and Nevada Current journalist April Corbin Girnus to discuss the best mascots in Las Vegas and the purpose that they serve. Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram , or email us at lasvegas@citycast.fm ....

Aug 13, 202424 min

Time is Running Out for Your Ornamental Grass

No one would describe Vegas as a green place, but you might notice the city looking even more desert-y than usual thanks to AB356. This bill from the 2021 legislative session tackles our low levels in Lake Mead by prohibiting the use of Colorado River water on “nonfunctional turf” in public spaces by 2027. So what public grass will disappear and how will this affect our water shortage as Vegas gets hotter and more crowded? Today, we’re revisiting a conversation with co-host Dayvid Figler and JC ...

Aug 12, 202421 min

New School Safety Measures, Hackers in Vegas, and Even More 1-15 Construction

Ahead of the new school year starting this Monday, Clark County School District police and other officials held a press conference highlighting new safety measures they have planned, including cell phone pouches, social workers, and new scanners that can detect even non-metal weapons. Is it all just a bit … too much? Co-hosts Sarah Lohman and Dayvid Figler are joined by TheList.Vegas creator Andrew Kiraly to discuss. Next, they get into Resorts World’s baffling implication that mandatory “non-in...

Aug 09, 202430 min

How Tiki Got Huge in Vegas

Tiki bars are classic Americana — the mai tais, plastic leis, and faux-tropical decor are embedded into our culinary history. But why and how? Co-host Dayvid Figler and Sarah Lohman, a culinary historian, take a deep dive into Las Vegas history to talk about how tiki came to Vegas, the right (and wrong) ways to do it, and where to treat yourself to an excellent rum punch today. Is it possible that Vegas, with our penchant for transportive flair, is actually doing tiki better than anywhere else i...

Aug 08, 202423 min

Why the Odds Are Getting Worse for Vegas Gamblers

For the last several years, gaming industry watchers have observed a troubling trend : gambling odds are shifting subtly but surely in the casinos’ favor. It’s small changes, like introducing triple zero roulette (which gives the casino 2% better odds), and big ones, like cutting down on comps and free play. But are the casino analytics machines taking a short-term win with long-term losses? Co-host Dayvid Figler sits down with casino whisperer Scott Roeben, AKA Vital Vegas , to discuss. Want to...

Aug 07, 202422 min

Is Laughlin Like Vegas … but Better?

The tiny riverside community of Laughlin is Nevada’s southernmost town (though it’s technically an unincorporated township), and it’s one of our youngest towns, too — so what exactly is there to do here? A lot, it turns out. Hey Las Vegas newsletter editor Rob Kachelriess recently wrote a guide to Laughlin for Thrillist and shares his favorite gems with co-host Dayvid Figler, from casino deals and water sports to a Guy Fieri (yes!) outpost. Is it possible that Laughlin knows how to Vegas … bette...

Aug 06, 202423 min

Should Vegas Have Spent $2 Million on Influencers?

Las Vegas media outlets are abuzz with the news that our city’s marketing arm, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) paid influencers over $2 million in the last couple of years to market the city — and the Authority’s refusal to release all of their payment records. But influencer marketing is par for the course these days, so what makes this initiative so controversial? Today, co-host Dayvid Figler and executive producer talk with local influencer Phil Tzeng about the ins and...

Aug 05, 202425 min

Voter ID on the Ballot, Restaurant Labor Violations, and JD Vance in Henderson

The Nevada Independent recently broke the news that Las Vegas Sands quietly funded a new ballot initiative to require Nevadans to show ID when voting. So why does that matter? Co-host Dayvid Figler and Sarah Lohman are joined by Nevada Current editor April Corbin Girnus to discuss. Next, the team looks at a recent spate of Department of Labor investigations in Las Vegas restaurants, including Blaze Pizza’s child labor violations, and Juan’s Flaming Fajita and Cantina wage theft fines. And lastly...

Aug 02, 202435 min

Why the Breast Milk Industry Is Running Dry in Nevada

In 2017, Elena Medo, the “ mother of the breast milk industry ,” moved to Boulder City and set up Medolac, her third breast milk company — a bank that paid women for breast milk donations, and processed sterilized, shelf-stable breast milk for premature babies in hospitals. But paying women for breast milk (rather than receiving it as a donation) is controversial. And after facing lawsuits from a competitor in this fiercely contested industry, Medolac is now shuttered. Medo’s bank is being aucti...

Aug 01, 202421 min

What Could Project 2025 Mean for Nevadans?

Project 2025 is a whopping 920-page policy plan created by the Heritage Foundation, a right-wing think tank, with the intention of giving a ready-to-go guidebook to a second Trump administration, if elected. While Trump has denounced the plan, Democrats have turned it into a rallying cry. But what could it mean for Nevadans? Nevada Current reporter Dana Gentry has been going through the plan page by page and recently launched a series of articles about how the proposed plan would affect us — fro...

Jul 31, 202422 min

Your Guide to August in Las Vegas

If you're new here, welcome! We’ve put together a starter pack for you , with episodes and articles to welcome you to the City Cast Las Vegas community. The summer heat takes on a whole new dimension with the arrival of monsoon season this month (learn from our city’s weirdest mascot, Drainger Danger , and “turn around, don’t drown”). But we’ve got loads of other tips for how to make the most of August in this episode, curated by local experts: Our co-hosts Dayvid Figler and Sarah Lohman, plus M...

Jul 30, 202428 min

Was the Brightline West Groundbreaking Premature?

In April of this year, on the outskirts of Las Vegas, Brightline West broke ground on what could be the nation’s first true high speed rail to general praise and glowy optimism. But was that premature? Not only is it unclear where half of the $12 billion in projected costs is coming from, but City Cast recently spoke with Nevada-based high speed rail experts who say they have a lot of outstanding safety questions — especially given Brightline’s safety record in Florida. Today, Sarah Lohman sits ...

Jul 29, 202425 min

Elderly Casino Robbers, the Neon Museum’s Big Move, and the Best Biden-Vegas Memes

After news broke that an elderly couple made off with over $600k at the Primm Valley Casino (before being apprehended at their Las Vegas home), the internet basically had two reactions: 1. Awe that someone in their 70s could jump over a casino counter and (almost) get away with this. 2. Depression, because one possible motive cited was the couple’s mounting medical bills. Today, co-hosts Sarah Lohman and Dayvid Figler are joined by Nevada Current reporter Michael MJ Lyle to discuss this news, pl...

Jul 26, 202432 min

An Insider’s Guide to Vegas Sex Clubs

As valley residents retreat into air conditioned spaces behind closed doors, one door remains mysterious to most of us here in Las Vegas: Famed local sex club, the Green Door. So what really happens at sex clubs like the Green Door, the Red Rooster, and Whispers? We’re bringing back a conversation that co-host Sarah Lohman had with kink educator and podcast co-host Gemini Stevens, who answers all of our questions about the written and unwritten rules of Vegas sex clubs. Learn more about the spon...

Jul 25, 202423 min

How to Sound Like a Real Vegas Local

What are the place names, turns of phrase, and particularly Vegas ways of saying things that mark you as a real local? How do you pronounce “Zzyzx Road” and how has hospitality-speak infiltrated our everyday lingo? Today, co-host Sarah Lohman sits down with lifelong Las Vegans and local artists Brent Holmes and Justin Favela to run through the “right” way to say things in our desert town. For a deep dive into the origins of why we pronounce “Nevada” the way we do, queue up this episode with UNR ...

Jul 24, 202423 min

What if Clark County Was “Las Vegas County” Instead?

Earlier this month, Clark County Commission Chairman Tick Segerblom commented on Twitter that the county should change its name to “Las Vegas County,” doubling down on this in a later interview with the Review-Journal. So is Commish Tick right? How does the rocky history of contention between the county and the city of Las Vegas play into Segerblom’s proposal, and who was this Clark fella, anyhow? Today, co-hosts Sarah Lohman and Dayvid Figler sit down with UNLV professor of history Michael Gree...

Jul 23, 202423 min

How To Have the Best Dam Day in Boulder City

Just half an hour from downtown Las Vegas, on the way to Hoover Dam, Boulder City feels like a world apart: It’s a charming, tiny town with a walkable historic district, antique shops galore, and Southern Nevada’s only A&W restaurant. (The town’s second traffic light, installed in 1998, was the source of great debate .) But there’s a lot more going on here than meets the eye. Today, co-host Dayvid Figler sits down with Jill Lagan, a third-generation Boulder City resident and CEO of the BC Ch...

Jul 22, 202423 min

Lone Mountain Temple Gets Green Light, Bipartisan Tax Agreement, and Iconic Statues Find a Home

After an eventful week in Las Vegas, we are back for our weekly news roundup. A proposed temple for the Church of Latter-day Saints was approved by the Las Vegas City Council on Wednesday despite loud opposition from neighbors in the northwest area. Also, Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen throw their support behind a bipartisan bill aimed at getting rid of taxes on tipped wages. Lastly, an iconic Siegfried and Roy statue from the Mirage finds a new home ! Co-hosts Dayvid Figler and Sarah Lohman ar...

Jul 19, 202434 min

Our Favorite Asian Desserts in Las Vegas

The Asian food scene in Las Vegas gives any other American city a run for its money — but when it comes to the vast world of Asian desserts, where to begin? Today, co-host Sarah Lohman sits down with tea sommelier Yukino Aoshima and City Cast executive producer Sonja Cho Swanson to talk about their favorite spots in town to get mochi, red bean shaved ice, tofu pudding, sweet sesame soup, and more. Treats mentioned in the episode: Milk tea custard bun at 85 Degrees Milk tea ice cream at Scoop LV ...

Jul 18, 202425 min
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