City Cast Las Vegas

Airfare is climbing fast as jet fuel costs surge, and higher ticket prices could squeeze tourism to Las Vegas, especially for international visitors and budget travelers. We also dig into lingering funding questions around the latest flashy NBA arena proposal on the Strip. Then, a new report shows more young Nevadans are living with their parents, raising bigger questions about housing, wages, and what adulthood looks like now. Plus, in a members-only fourth segment, we ask whether a new cannabis consumption lounge can break into an uneasy market. Guest host Sonja Cho Swanson is joined by creative producer Jacob Solis and newsletter editor Rob Kachelriess. Listen to our episode on the turbulent journey to get legal cannabis in Nevada. Learn more about the sponsors of this Friday, April 24th episode: Zen Leaf Taskrabbit TedXLasVegas Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at lasvegas@citycast.fm. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas. Learn more about becoming a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm. Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

For years, Summerlin North has been something of a dining no-man’s land. But with burgeoning hotel food halls and fresh new spots at Tivoli Village and Boca Park, is the neighborhood finally a gourmand’s paradise? Al Mancini & Gemini Stevens, co-hosts of the podcast Food & Loathing, join host Sonja Cho Swanson to break down the best spots, tastiest dishes and finally answer the question: Where should you eat out in Summerlin North? Learn more about the sponsors of this Wednesday, April 22nd episode: Zen Leaf Taskrabbit TedXLasVegas Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at lasvegas@citycast.fm. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas. Learn more about becoming a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm. Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

Henderson’s Ward 3 City Council race is shaping up to be one of the most chaotic contests in Southern Nevada, with a three-way primary fueled by personal feuds, a recording scandal, and deep divides over local issues. Beneath the drama, debates over affordability, policing, and an ICE detention contract reveal real stakes for one of the region’s fastest-growing cities. Host Jesse Merrick talks with Nevada Independent reporter Oona Milliken to unpack how this race became the valley’s most unpredictable showdown. Learn more about the sponsors of this Wednesday, April 22nd episode: Zen Leaf Taskrabbit TedXLasVegas Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at lasvegas@citycast.fm. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas. Learn more about becoming a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm. Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

A judge vacated Rickie Slaughter’s conviction, but he remains behind bars as the DA weighs a retrial, raising big questions about power and accountability. Nevada’s $12 million settlement with Roblox also raises new concerns about kids’ safety online. And the slow disappearance of Strip buffets has locals wondering what Las Vegas is becoming. Breaking down the biggest local headlines are host Jesse Merrick, Michael MJ Lyle, and creative producer Jacob Solis. Learn more about the sponsors of this Tuesday, April 21st episode: Zen Leaf Taskrabbit TedXLasVegas Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at lasvegas@citycast.fm. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas. Learn more about becoming a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm. Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

With 4/20 and Earth Day landing in the same week, City Cast Las Vegas revisits a lively conversation about the valley’s most polarizing plants, palm trees. Nevada Plants master arborist Lisa Ortega talks with Dayvid Figler about the surprising variety of palms that thrive in the desert and whether they really deserve their reputation as water hogs. Learn more about the sponsors of this Monday, April 20th episode: Zen Leaf Taskrabbit Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at lasvegas@citycast.fm. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas. Learn more about becoming a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm. Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

Could public financing get more Las Vegans involved in local elections? For the last decade, the City of Seattle has issued $100 in vouchers to every voter to donate to the candidate of their choice in municipal elections. City Cast CEO David Plotz talks with City Cast Seattle podcast host Jane C. Hu about how these Democracy Vouchers work, how many people are participating, and what the impact on local elections has been. Plus, is the “Seattle Freeze” a real thing? Is there something your city is doing that we should be talking about? Email David now! We’re also on Instagram: @yourcitycouldbebetter Looking to advertise on Your City Could Be Better? Check out our options.

An Arts District dispute over patio concerts got louder this week, as a landlord is now ⁠suing his own tenant⁠ in an effort to quiet early-evening concerts. It comes after noise complaints from a single neighbor – and it raises the question: Can new arrivals to the Arts District handle what the neighborhood has to offer? Host Jesse Merrick sits down with longtime Vegas writer Scott Dickensheets and Executive Producer Layla Muhammad to break it down. Plus, the panel breaks down how much federal “⁠no tax on tips⁠” changes actually affected tax season, and whether ⁠a proposed NBA stadium⁠ well south of the Strip is actually a serious contender for the city’s next pro team. Learn more about the sponsors of this Friday, April 17th episode: ⁠Southern Nevada Water Authority⁠ ⁠L.V. Academy of the Arts⁠ Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on ⁠Instagram⁠, or email us at ⁠lasvegas@citycast.fm⁠. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter,⁠ Hey Las Vegas.⁠ Learn more about becoming a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor at ⁠membership.citycast.fm⁠. Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at⁠ citycast.fm/advertise⁠.

Strip clubs promise spectacle, but in Las Vegas they also promise a full menu, from late-night nachos to white-tablecloth steaks. Food writer and hedonist Gemini Stevens breaks down where the city’s clubs actually deliver, and why keeping diners in their seats is part of the business model. In conversation with Sonja Cho Swanson, they explore how Vegas blends indulgence and practicality, and whether any of these dishes are worth seeking out on their own. Clubs mentioned: Peppermint Hippo, Crazy Horse III, Treasures, Spearmint Rhino, Las Vegas Strip Club Learn more about the sponsors of this Thursday, April 16th episode: Southern Nevada Water Authority L.V. Academy of the Arts Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at lasvegas@citycast.fm. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas. Learn more about becoming a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm. Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

Las Vegans love proving they’re the real deal. We give that instinct the merit badge treatment with a playful checklist of local status. From surviving triple-digit summers to knowing secret parking hacks and late-night diner rituals, these badges capture the quirks that separate tourists from true residents. Beneath the humor, it reveals how pride and community shape belonging in a city people often misunderstand. Host Jesse Merrick is joined by contributors Dayvid Figler and Sonja Cho Swanson. Learn more about the sponsors of this Wednesday, April 15th episode: Southern Nevada Water Authority L.V. Academy of the Arts Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at lasvegas@citycast.fm. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas. Learn more about becoming a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm. Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

We’ve all heard it by this point: Vegas needs more housing to drive down the price of homes. But where exactly are developers supposed to build? Today on our City Cast Las Vegas podcast, reporter Patrick Blennerhassett from the Review-Journal explains how federal land policy, local zoning laws, and the rising cost of building homes makes for a complicated answer. Learn more about the sponsors of this Tuesday, April 14th episode: Southern Nevada Water Authority L.V. Academy of the Arts Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at lasvegas@citycast.fm. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas. Learn more about becoming a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm. Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

When a confirmed case of measles hit the Las Vegas Convention Center last month, did Vegas get lucky by avoiding a widespread outbreak? And if so – what happens if that luck runs out? Today on City Cast Las Vegas, host Sonja Cho Swanson sits down with Jeff Quinn, Public Health Preparedness Officer at the Southern Nevada Health District, to discuss whether Vegas learned its lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic – and whether the city is ready for another potential outbreak. Learn more about the sponsors of this April 13th episode: Southern Nevada Water Authority L.V. Academy of the Arts Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at lasvegas@citycast.fm. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas. Learn more about becoming a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm. Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

Las Vegans, what do you do when your night life starts to dwindle? Nightlife is a huge economic driver for cities, but city offices are often closed when those businesses need help. That’s why Portland is considering hiring a Night Mayor. City Cast CEO David Plotz talks with City Cast Portland podcast host Claudia Meza about what this new position would do, and if it is the answer to the pandemic’s enduring negative impact on walkability, small businesses, and nightlife in cities everywhere. Plus, should your city be weirder? Mentioned on the show: "Can a Night Mayor Revive Downtown Portland?" (City Cast Portland) Is there something your city is doing that we should be talking about? Email David now! We’re also on Instagram: @yourcitycouldbebetter Looking to advertise on Your City Could Be Better? Check out our options.

Clark County has hundreds of ATMs that exchange cash for cryptocurrency (or "crypto kiosks") and scammers are swindling Nevadans out of millions with these machines. So what kinds of guardrails make sense — or are even possible? Sonja Cho Swanson sits down with Nevada Current editor April Corbin Girnus and our brand new host at City Cast Las Vegas, Jesse Merrick, to discuss. Plus, the team looks at why the deep red community around Ash Meadows in Nye County is fighting development and seeking a national conservation area designation, and why the Animal Foundation just flew 30 rescue pets out to Utah. Plus: This week in our members-only feed, we discuss the debate over turning First Friday into an exclusive, ticketed event. Learn more about becoming a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm. Learn more about the sponsors of this April 9th episode: Southern Nevada Water Authority L.V. Academy of the Arts Taskrabbit Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise. Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at lasvegas@citycast.fm. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal is no longer printing the Las Vegas Sun in its pages — at least for now. The longtime rival newspapers published competing op-eds to mark the change, which came after continued legal battles. But why was the Review-Journal printing the Sun in the first place, and should it continue doing so? Host Sonja Cho Swanson is getting the scoop on this modern newspaper war from UNLV history professor Michael Green, and longtime media observer and lawyer Dayvid Figler. Learn more about the sponsors of this April 9th episode: Southern Nevada Water Authority L.V. Academy of the Arts Taskrabbit Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at lasvegas@citycast.fm. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas. Learn more about becoming a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm. Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

More tech companies are eyeing Southern Nevada for data centers, as the state’s AI boom continues. But new proposals are getting local pushback over water and power usage, and raising questions about how to regulate these companies. So just how resource-draining are data centers, and is this boom actually a good thing for Nevada? Host Sonja Cho Swanson is getting the details from Review-Journal reporter Alan Halaly. Learn more about the sponsors of this April 7th episode: Southern Nevada Water Authority L.V. Academy of the Arts Taskrabbit Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at lasvegas@citycast.fm. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas. Learn more about becoming a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm. Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

A pair of Democratic Socialists of America candidates are trying to unseat establishment Democrats in two Southern Nevada assembly races, betting that a message centered on affordability can break through. Nevada Current reporter Matthew Mondschein explains to host Sonja Cho Swanson how the candidates are rejecting corporate money, leaning on grassroots organizing, and tapping into voter frustration. But can that strategy translate into wins in Nevada’s political landscape? Learn more about the sponsors of this April 7th episode: Southern Nevada Water Authority L.V. Academy of the Arts Taskrabbit Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at lasvegas@citycast.fm. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas. Learn more about becoming a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm. Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

Nevada is one of just a handful of states without so-called “Dram Shop” laws, aimed at allowing DUI victims to sue not just the driver who caused the accident, but the bar or restaurant that served that driver. And despite a large number of deadly DUI accidents, especially in Las Vegas, politicians remain deeply skeptical that Nevada could ever pass such a law. But why? Host Sonja Cho Swanson sits down with investigative reporter Katelyn Newberg from the Las Vegas Review-Journal to answer that and more. Read Katelyn’s original investigation: Seeking accountability: Who shares responsibility for DUI crashes? In Nevada, businesses are shielded from liability Learn more about the sponsors of this April 6th episode: Taskrabbit SNWA Las Vegas Academy of the Arts Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at lasvegas@citycast.fm. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas. Learn more about becoming a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm. Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

If you are a fan of the WNBA's Las Vegas Aces, you already know how incredible women's sports are! While more and more people are embracing women’s sports, Denver is only the second city in the U.S. to build a stadium specifically for women’s soccer. Will betting on women’s sports drive Denver’s economy or will Denverites be left paying the price for another stadium? City Cast CEO David Plotz talks with City Cast Denver podcast host Bree Davies about why Denver has invested so much into having sports downtown, how Denver has capitalized on repurposing old industrial spaces, and how bad traffic gets when all your sports are downtown. Plus, is it better to have a Mayor with or without aims for a greater political office? Mentioned on the show: The $tadium Game: Inside the lucrative world of Colorado’s pro sports stadiums [The Denver Post] Is there something your city is doing that we should be talking about? Email David now! We’re also on Instagram: @yourcitycouldbebetter Looking to advertise on Your City Could Be Better? Check out our options.

It’s been a busy week in Las Vegas, and we’re breaking down the biggest stories shaping the valley right now. On today’s Friday News Roundup, we dig into the Golden Knights head coach shake-up, the drama over Congresswoman Susie Lee’s controversial tweet about a SCOTUS hearing on birthright citizenship, and the recurring phenomenon of pop-up casinos. Host Sonja Cho Swanson is joined by producers Layla Muhammad and Jacob Solis. Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at lasvegas@citycast.fm. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas. Learn more about becoming a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm. Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.

The Trump Administration has spent months attempting to radically reshape how elections are run across the US – even though it’s up to the states, individually, to run elections. That includes an executive order signed this week seeking to do away with vote-by-mail as we know it. But how will these proposed changes affect Las Vegas? The state’s elections chief – Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar – joins host Sonja Cho Swanson to dive deep on not just what could change in 2026, but why it matters. Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at lasvegas@citycast.fm. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. For more Las Vegas news, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas. Learn more about becoming a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm. Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise.