City Cast Las Vegas

Graduation season is upon us! We’re starting to see high schoolers and college grads descending on scenic spots around Las Vegas to take portraits — sometimes with elaborate additions to their stoles, gowns, and mortar board graduation caps. In fact, decorating grad caps is a fairly recent tradition that Dr. Sheila Bock, a folklorist at UNLV has been studying. She and co-host Dayvid Figler talk ab...

The A’s have just signed a binding agreement to purchase land for a new stadium near Tropicana and Dean Martin. Does that mean they’re really coming to town? And how do we feel about that? On today’s news roundup, co-hosts Vogue Robinson and Dayvid Figler sit down with lead producer Sonja Cho Swanson to talk about the Oakland-slash-Vegas A’s, a controversial HOA bill being debated in the legislatu...

Cooking with cannabis has moved beyond the college dorm weed brownie. Today on City Cast Las Vegas, co-host Vogue Robinson sits down with Veronica Marquez, AKA Chef Vee, a Cordon Bleu-trained private chef who creates cannabis-infused fine dining feasts for celebrity clients — we’re talking clams stuffed with cannabis aioli, scallops basted in cannabutter, and steaks with CBD-laced chimichurri sauc...

Artificial intelligence has arrived in Las Vegas, and it’s here to stay. Both Resorts World and the Cosmopolitan already use A.I. chatbots with friendly names like “Rose” and “Red” to answer guest queries about where to go and what to do. There’s even a laser-eyed robot bouncer on the Strip. But how will A.I. evolve, and will it take over our city’s legendary hospitality industry? Could A.I. make...

The two most common legal options for funerals in Nevada (the traditional burial and cremation) are not the most environmentally friendly. That could change with a bill currently being debated in the Nevada Senate for a greener option: natural organic reduction, or human composting. Assemblyman Max Carter II tells lead producer Sonja Cho Swanson about the issues with current burial options, how na...

The dams built along the Colorado River some hundred years ago paved the way for Western cities to boom. Las Vegas wouldn’t exist without Lake Mead, our nation’s largest reservoir. But these dams came with a cost: environmental impact, cultural loss, and fraught political battles. So as Western states stare down a deadline for figuring out our Colorado River allocation, we gotta ask: Was the creat...

It’s one of the more hotly-debated legislative items this session: Nevada is one of just five states without a lottery. We already have gambling, so what’s the big deal? In today’s news roundup, co-hosts Vogue Robinson and Dayvid Figler along with newsletter editor Scott Dickensheets break it all down, and debate the pros and cons of a lottery in our state. They also discuss the MSG Sphere’s upcom...

Many of the foods we think of as quintessentially Filipino (chicken adobo, lumpia, and pancit) are actually the result of centuries of colonization and cultural influence from Spain, China, Malaysia, and even the U.S. So what exactly makes Filipino food… Filipino? That’s the question driving Walbert Castillo, creator of the brand-new Filipino pop-up series Istorya — along with chef Catherine Carlu...

Many Vegas natives wouldn’t think gardening in our climate makes a lot of sense, but as our spring weather finally evens out and we spend more time outside, you may be glad to hear that gardening is possible for us! As our city grows and apartment living gets more common, our co-host Vogue Robinson asks Cheyenne Kyle, master gardener at the Obodo Collective, how to start a spring patio garden for...

When Jordan Clark saw an e-bike in the lobby of his hotel a few years ago, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to ride it. At 330lbs, he wasn’t doing much cycling. One ride later, and he was hooked. Today, Jordan is 245lbs and now owns several e-bike stores in the Valley — and he’s not just an enthusiast, he’s an evangelist. As Jordan points out, people with limited mobility like the elderly and infirm ca...

Nevada lawmakers are discussing a bill that would decriminalize psychedelics like shrooms and ketamine. Advocates argue that this will help open the door for more research on psychedelics’ clinical uses in mental health. But what’s the experience of using psychedelics really like? Perhaps no one is more qualified to talk about this than Shane Mauss — he’s a comedian, science podcaster, and self-de...

The historic Huntridge Theater will light up its marquee neon sign tonight for the first time in two decades (event details here) — which developer J Dapper says is a sign to the community that the space is on its way to renovation. But soon — and how likely is it to happen? In today’s news roundup, co-hosts Vogue Robinson and Dayvid Figler, along with contributor and thelist.vegas publisher Andre...

During the pandemic, Victoria Flores started a food pantry from her home to help her community on the Eastside have better access to nutritious foods and essentials. Two years later, as SNAP benefits, or food assistance, that some Nevadans have been receiving since the pandemic began comes to an end this month, Victoria tells co-host Vogue Robinson how The Solidarity Fridge has been embraced by th...

The 2023 legislative session saw over 900 new bills introduced that ranged from serious to seriously curious. So how do the legislators make time to discuss all of them? Well, the wackiest ones don’t usually get a chance for debate on the floor, but Nevada Current reporter April Corbin Girnus tells co-host Dayvid Figler that there might be more to these “stunt” bills than you think. April and Dayv...

When AB168 passed in 2019, it required school districts across the state to integrate restorative justice into their disciplinary plans — in other words, instead of going right to the punishments, like suspension or expulsion, schools needed to look at other behavioral remedies. But fast forward to today, and it seems like nobody (on any side of the political spectrum) is happy with how AB168 has...

We’re a city where visitors outnumber locals many times over. Tourism is the lifeblood of our economy, but it’s also a source of tension when the party comes to local neighborhoods. So short-term rentals (or STRs) like Airbnbs or VRBOs are a hot-button issue here— where they should be allowed, how they affect communities, and who gets to operate how many. Today, co-host Dayvid Figler sits down wit...

Monday was the last day for members of the Senate and Assembly to introduce bills for the 2023 session and some of those proposals are already seeing pushback. Co-hosts Dayvid Figler and Vogue Robinson are joined by lead producer Sonja Cho Swanson to break down both sides of a proposal to ban hate symbols and another to out cheaters in online poker. Plus, the team shares their highlights from the...

Ever since Ikea popped up on the south curve of the 215, the surrounding empty dirt lots have been filling up with businesses, housing, and soon-to-be a new Station Casino. But the most exciting development in the Rainbow and 215 area is a food hub that neighbors are dubbing Chinatown 2.0. Food blogger Phil Tzeng (AKA LasVegasFill) joins co-host Vogue Robinson to talk about the best new spots, how...

When you’ve got friends or family coming to town that you really, really like, you take them to the good Vegas spots. You know what we’re talking about — whatever the opposite of M&M’s World is. Today, co-host Dayvid Figler sits down with Coco Jenkins, creator of the popular Instagram account @NothingToDoLV. There is, of course, a TON to do in LV, and Coco’s got the best tips for where to take a f...

Last week, we asked our listeners and newsletter readers to tell us about the biggest tourist scams you’re all seeing in Las Vegas. And overwhelmingly, the number one response was the “fake cannabis” stores on Fremont Street. Yep — despite the green crosses and marijuana leaves all over their signs, none of their products will actually get you high. So how are they getting away with this… and why...

No place in Las Vegas has changed more in the past few years than the Arts District downtown. Over the course of the pandemic, as businesses all over town closed their doors, a few brave locals launched their own small businesses in the Arts District — and they’ve thrived. Our hosts Vogue Robinson and lifelong downtowner Dayvid Figler take you on their tour through the newest places on and around...

Some long awaited news finally came down the federal pipeline to Nevada: Avi Kwa Ame, the sacred land to Indigenous communities, has officially been declared a national monument. On Tuesday, Biden protected over 500,000 acres of land in Clark County. Co-host Vogue Robinson and producers Sonja Cho Swanson and Layla Muhammad recap the efforts from multiple groups and discuss Governor Lombardo’s crit...

The days of the dirt-cheap buffet and the 99 cent shrimp cocktail are long gone — and with inflation on the rise, cheap eats are harder to find than ever in Las Vegas. But being on a tight budget doesn’t mean you can’t (or shouldn’t) enjoy a meal out, says contributor Brent Holmes. Today on the podcast, Brent tells co-host Dayvid Figler all about their philosophy on cheap eats, and where to find t...

70 years ago, iconic Black musicians like Sammy Davis Jr. and Harry Belafonte might have graced the stage at Vegas casinos — but wouldn’t be allowed to stay on-site, or walk through the front door (though many pushed back). Despite Las Vegas’s reputation for some freedom from societal norms, segregation was one line in the sand casino operators wouldn’t cross. Why was that? Today on City Cast Las...

In Nevada and 11 other states, an obscure statute allows the trash company to put a lien on your home if you don’t pay your bills. They say it’s because unlike water and gas utilities, they can’t cut off service — they have to keep picking up your trash. But over the course of 2022, Republic Services has doubled their lawsuits, and they’re not saying why. Today, co-host Vogue Robinson chats with M...