City Cast Las Vegas

When the Supreme Court recently struck down the Trump-era ban on bump stocks, Las Vegans in particular took note — it was a bump stock that allowed the October 1 shooter to upgrade his weapon and cause so much carnage. So what happens to bump stock legislation now, and have we run out of all that bipartisan goodwill from the wake of the shooting? Today, co-host Dayvid Figler and executive producer...

For many Las Vegans, the tiny town of Pahrump, about an hour outside of the city, exists as the butt of jokes, a dusty desert town with brothels, guns, and not much else. But today, Pahrump Valley Times sports editor Jimmy Romo joins co-host Sarah Lohman to tell her otherwise. He plans out a perfect day in Pahrump, which includes wineries, French pastries, a race car track, and, yes, a combo coffe...

The votes are in and the dust has settled: So what can we learn from last week’s primary? Jon Ralston, CEO and editor of the Nevada Independent, sits down with co-host Dayvid Figler, to discuss what the results tell us about voter turnout, the Culinary Union’s power, and the prospects of June’s winners this November. Quick reminder: We’re off tomorrow for Juneteenth (here’s a great list of ways to...

Every year, the Las Vegas Valley Water District (LVVWD) releases its list of the top 100 residential water users — and every year, some of the same names show up at the top of the list: Casino moguls, professional athletes, and the wealthiest families in Las Vegas. So why does this list matter, and can it actually help us put a dent in our city’s water consumption? Today, co-host Sarah Lohman talk...

Most of the major races in the June 11th Primary Election have now been called — and that’s partly because there were fewer ballots than ever to count. Aside from the abysmal turnout, what other surprises did this election hold for us? Andrew Kiraly from TheList. Vegas lays it out for co-host Sarah Lohman and newsletter editor Rob Kachelriess. The team also talks about a new state board intended t...

Vegas is an old Western town, so that’s why steakhouses are such fixtures here … right? Well, not exactly. Culinary historian Sarah Lohman sits down with her co-host Dayvid Figler to trace the history of American steak from its home on the range, through the moneyed elite of NYC, and over to the casinos of Las Vegas. They talk about why our infamous steak and eggs breakfasts are so dang cheap, the...

Nevada is the only state with legal prostitution — but only in certain counties. So why doesn’t Clark County, home to Sin City, have legal brothels? With prostitution arrests in the news again, we’re bringing back a conversation co-host Dayvid Figler had with UNLV sociology professor Barb Brents. They talk about why Clark County has held out against both decriminalizing prostitution and legalizing...

As the nation celebrates LGBTQ+ Pride Month, the city of Las Vegas holds off on throwing its Pride parade until October. While it might be obvious that the heat is a factor, there is also the surprising history of how Las Vegas struggled to become a queer-friendly city. Historian Dennis McBride is known as being the keeper of Las Vegas’s gay history. Co-host Dayvid Figler sits down with the lifelo...

The general consensus about dating in Las Vegas seems to be: Yes, it sucks everywhere, but it’s even worse in our tourist-clogged town. Could speed dating, the newest trend in romance, be the answer? Co-host Sarah Lohman recently went to three speed dating events in Las Vegas to find out. She sits down with executive producer Sonja Cho Swanson to talk about app fatigue, how the speed dating events...

Short-term rentals are hardly a settled matter in the Valley: This week, a disgruntled homeowner sued the City of Las Vegas, claiming the $180k in fines levied against him for operating an illegal Airbnb were excessive and unconstitutional. But what’s really at the heart of this case? Co-hosts Sarah Lohman and Dayvid Figler sit down with Nevada Current editor April Corbin Girnus to discuss. Next,...

Most households stock their refrigerators and cupboards with items from a grocery store, but did you know you can also dine where you shop?! While we love new restaurants in this city, dining in at a grocery store can be an underrated way to save money while getting a great meal. We are bringing back this conversation with writer and City Cast contributor Brent Holmes, who tells co-host Dayvid Fig...

Today is the 15th anniversary of ‘The Hangover’s’ theatrical release. It made history as the highest-grossing R-rated comedy and arguably the most successful movie about Las Vegas. ‘The Hangover’ follows a group of friends in town for a bachelor party — chaos ensues when they wake up to a missing groom and destroyed hotel room with no memory of what happened. Co-host Dayvid Figler sits down with m...

Whether you’ve grown up in Vegas or just moved here, you probably know Summerlin as the bougie part of town with abundant public spaces and scenic views. Residents in other parts of the valley can sometimes feel animosity towards Summerlin because it just seems to receive more resources than other parts of the city — but is that fair? Historian Geoff Schumacher, VP of exhibits and programs at The...

The City of Las Vegas has been involved in heated litigation over the Badlands Golf Course for years — and it’s not going well. After their most recent loss in the Nevada Supreme Court this April, the city is on the hook for over $230 million. And now it’s become a topic of contention in this year’s mayoral race. So how did we get here? Co-host Sarah Lohman talks with Channel 13’s Steve Sebelius a...

Politicians on all sides of the aisle have pushed the acquisition of federal lands on the outskirts of Las Vegas as a solution for our housing crisis. But is outward expansion the answer? On today’s news roundup, co-hosts Dayvid Figler and Sarah Lohman are joined by Nevada Current journalist Michael “MJ” Lyle, who recently interviewed housing experts about the problems with building out into the d...

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.  Looking for ways to survive a desert summer or which ice cream shops deliver to your house? Lucky for you, we’ve got it covered with our guide to June in Las Vegas. From how to celebrate Juneteenth to a Restaurant Week explainer, tune in for activ...

The pool of candidates is packed for the 2024 primary election coming up in June and with ballots already hitting mailboxes, now's the time to dive in. The Las Vegas Weekly’s Shannon Miller tells co-host Dayvid Figler which races are shaping up to be the most contentious, gives us a behind-the-scenes look at how their joint endorsements with the Las Vegas Sun were decided, and why primary election...

For our final episode of Mayoral Mondays, we’re bringing you a very special interview with someone who is quite possibly the most famous (unelected) mayor of Las Vegas: Actress Lauren Weedman plays Vegas Mayor Pezzimenti in HBO’s Emmy award winning show “Hacks.” She and co-host Dayvid Figler sit down to talk about how she gets into character, the surprising Disney connection in her shellacked hair...

Hey there! We are excited to share the trailer for a new special limited series from our friends and colleagues at City Cast Denver. If you’re a fan of what we do at City Cast, you’ll want to check it out: You’ve probably heard a story about Congresswoman Lauren Boebert. Like, how she got kicked out of a production of “Beetlejuice” for vaping and groping her date. Or, that time she heckled Preside...

If you were in Las Vegas last year, odds are you were inconvenienced by the Formula 1 Grand Prix in some way. Now, local business owners are leading the charge to try and hold F1 and the county accountable for financial losses caused by the event and construction: The owner of Ellis Island is the first to file an actual lawsuit, but more businesses are expected to follow. Also, a controversial cam...

As Gordon Ramsey and Lisa Vanderpump prepare to open their seventh (!) and third Las Vegas restaurants this summer, respectively, we wonder if this celebrity chef/owned restaurant trend has gone too far. We are revisiting a conversation co-host Sarah Lohman had with food writers Gemini Stevens and John Curtas. They share their spicy takes on celebrity chefs, why they all end up on the Strip, and w...

On Friday, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority announced an unprecedented new sponsorship program: $100k to each of the Las Vegas Aces players, from superstars to rookies. On the heels of that announcement, however, the WNBA confirmed that it would be investigating this sponsorship deal for possible violation of league rules. But why? Today, executive producer Sonja Cho Swanson talks w...

We love to gripe about getting “scammed” by a bad show that costs way too much, but what’s the difference between a bad deal and an honest-to-goodness scam? And how are people actually getting scammed in Las Vegas? Today, our co-host Sarah Lohman sits down with Celestia Ward, a card-carrying skeptic and co-host of Squaring the Strange, a podcast about critical thinking and evidence-based analysis....

As the election heats up, our special series on the Las Vegas mayoral race draws to a close — and decision time is on the horizon. Co-hosts Sarah Lohman and Dayvid Figler sit down with executive producer Sonja Cho Swanson to talk about all 12 mayoral candidate questionnaires we received, our nine candidate interviews, and who had the best — and the worst — takes of them all. Plus, we share some in...

For our final candidate interview in our series on the Las Vegas mayoral race, co-host Sarah Lohman sits down with Donna Miller. Donna is a veteran nurse, former regional director for the AMR/MedicWest ambulance companies, and medical entrepreneur. She talks about why her vision for public safety encompasses emergency medical care, the economic potential of the medical district, and how her life e...