City Cast Las Vegas

Back with another Friday News Roundup, host Sonja Cho Swanson is joined by Battle Born Progress press secretary Jacob Solis and Nevada Independent opinions editor Andrew Kiraly to unpack the week's biggest and buzziest headlines. This week, they discuss the lawsuit against the Southern Nevada Water Authority over its ornamental grass ban and the new master-planned community coming to the northwest. Plus, Philly's wing-eating competition, The Wing Bowl, is coming to the Plaza Hotel this year.  Learn more about the sponsors of this January 16th episode: Nevada Health Link The Neon Museum 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 recent Wall Street Journal article spelled doom and gloom for the pizza industry, citing the closure of multiple chains and the rising cost to buy a slice. Are Las Vegans following suit? Longtime pizza industry veteran John Arena of Metro Pizza and Robby Cunningham, owner of the newly-opened Guerilla Pizza, tell us what Vegas customers want, why margins are especially precarious in pizza, and why Robby, despite what these forecasts say, is optimistic about jumping into the Vegas pizza business. Learn more about the sponsors of this January 15th episode: Nevada Health Link The Neon Museum 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.

After all the ups and downs of the last year, Las Vegas needs something to look forward to. And that's the year 2028, newsletter editor Rob Kachelriess tells host Sonja Cho Swanson. Our city has some enormous ambitions shaping up that year, from the political to the architectural, and it could transform Las Vegas as we know it. Learn more about the sponsors of this January 14th episode: Nevada Health Link The Neon Museum 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.

At this year's Consumer Electronics Show, AI was the acronym on everyone's lips. From AI agents to smart toilets, it seems like there's no corner untapped by artificial intelligence. Host Sonja Cho Swanson is joined by tech commentator and podcaster Ed Zitron and newsletter editor Rob Kachelriess to discuss what they saw at CES this year. Plus, they debate whether AI will change Las Vegas tourism as we know it.  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.

Will there ever be another Nevadan as powerful as Harry Reid? In his new biography of the late senator, Nevada Independent CEO Jon Ralston dissects Reid's legacy in Las Vegas, his ruthlessness, and why rural Nevadans hated him so much. Plus, host Dayvid Figler asks about some of the stories that ended up on the cutting room floor. "The Game Changer: How Harry Reid Remade the Rules and Showed Democrats How to Fight" comes out on January 20. Learn more about the sponsors of this January 12th episode: Nevada Health Link The Neon Museum 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 first Friday News Roundup of the year takes stock of what’s already shaping 2026 in Las Vegas, from the uncertain future of New Orleans Square in the Historic Commercial Center to what preservation could cost the city. Host Sonja Cho Swanson is joined by Nevada Current reporter Michael MJ Lyle and executive producer Layla Muhammad to unpack a new Vegas Loop airport drop-off service and what it means for local transportation. The conversation also spins toward a brand-new museum dedicated to DJs opening in town. Learn more about the sponsors of this January 9th episode: ⁠Nevada Health Link⁠ 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.

Is your New Year's Resolution to branch out and try more restaurants and bars in Las Vegas this year? Well, you're in luck! Food writer Jason Harris and @nothingtodolveats founder Giselle D'souza join host Sarah Lohman to discuss their most anticipated new restaurants coming to Las Vegas in 2026. Plus, their picks for which existing restaurants deserve more hype this year.  Learn more about the sponsors of this January 8th episode: Nevada Health Link 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 Michelin Guide is returning to Las Vegas in 2026, and not everyone is popping Champagne. Food writers John Curtas and Lorraine Blanco Moss join host Sonja Cho Swanson to debate whether the once-gold standard still means something — or if it’s just expensive hype — and what it could actually change about the city’s dining scene. Plus, their picks for the Vegas restaurants most likely to earn stars if Michelin gets it right. Learn more about the sponsors of this January 7th episode: Nevada Health Link 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.

Bingo is making a surprising comeback on the Las Vegas Strip, and it’s not just for retirees anymore. We talk with Plaza Hotel CEO Jonathan Jossel about how bingo never really left town and why it’s suddenly clicking with new generations. From packed super bingo tournaments downtown to Circus Circus’ big bet on the game, Jossel explains how payouts, hospitality, and community keep players coming back. Plus, why bingo may be the perfect antidote to loud clubs, endless scrolling, and overpriced nights out. Learn more about the sponsors of this January 6th episode: Nevada Health Link 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.

Nobody understands a city’s pulse quite like a City Cast host — and that makes them the best predictors for 2026’s biggest local stories. City Cast Las Vegas host Dayvid Figler joins CEO David Plotz and the other 12 hosts from across the network to talk about the big changes coming to our cities, from political shifts to data centers. We’re on social media! Follow us @CityCastVegas on⁠ Instagram⁠. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. Want some more Las Vegas news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter⁠ here⁠. Learn more about the sponsors of this January 5th episode:Nevada Health Link