

City Cast Las Vegas
City Cast
City Cast Las Vegas is an an award-winning 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.
Join us every weekday 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. Learn more and subscribe to our daily newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm.
Named Best Podcast by The Las Vegas Weekly 2025
Join us every weekday 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. Learn more and subscribe to our daily newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm.
Named Best Podcast by The Las Vegas Weekly 2025
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jun 5, 2023 • 25min
The Best Shows in Vegas This Summer
The heat may be turning up but the entertainment in Las Vegas is not slowing down! For this first episode in our Summer Entertainment Guide, co-host Dayvid Figler and producer Layla Muhammad give their picks for the hottest concerts to attend this summer. From your standard concerts, to comedy, to musical theater, to local shows, these Vegas concert veterans join co-host Vogue Robinson with entertainment recommendations that will fit every vibe. Stay tuned for more summer entertainment episodes once a week in June!Let us know if you attend any of the events we recommended! Share your experience with us on social media @CityCastVegas on Twitter and Instagram. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719.Looking for more summer entertainment? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter here.Lastly, looking for that listener survey link? You'll find it right now (along with our hearty thanks!): citycast.fm/survey

Jun 2, 2023 • 29min
Free Parking, Battle Bots, and Transgender Protections
Nevada, considered a relatively trans-friendly state (thanks to our largely libertarian streak of live and let live), has recently seen a rise in debates and backlash over laws and policies related to transgender issues. So in today’s news roundup, co-hosts Dayvid Figler and Vogue Robinson, along with lead producer Sonja Cho Swanson, take a look at the transgender protections that have already been passed and the likelihood of our Republican governor signing others into law. Next, it’s on to a conversation about FREE PARKING! With the Strat now allowing free parking for locals and the Mirage doing the same a month ago, are we on a pendulum swing towards free parking once again? And why are Las Vegans so attached to it? And lastly, we explore the wild world of Battle Bots, whose residency in Las Vegas has just been extended.Why do you think free parking is so important to locals? Let us know on social media — we’re @CityCastVegas on Twitter and Instagram. Or you could always leave us a voicemail (we love voicemails!): 702-514-0719.Are you in the loop with our daily morning newsletter? If not, make sure to sign up here.

Jun 1, 2023 • 24min
The Great Las Vegas Donut Throwdown
Picking the very best donut in Las Vegas is probably an impossible task. But — in honor of National Donut Day — the CCLV team is pitting three of the Valley’s donut heavy hitters against each other in a sugar-filled donut throwdown. We’ll tell you the back story behind Ronald’s Donuts, Donut Bar, and Poppy’s Donuts, and then we get down to business: Tasting a boxful of donuts from each and deciding which donut shop comes out on top. There can only be one!(Quick note: we’ve just heard the news that Donut Bar is closing. We’re following this story, and we’ll have some updates in tomorrow’s Friday news roundup — but in the meantime, enjoy the episode and know that Donut Bar is no more!)What’s your favorite donut in Las Vegas? What did we miss? Post a donut pic and tag us: We’re @CityCastVegas on Twitter and Instagram, or leave us a voicemail at 702-514-0719 (but make sure to tell us what your favorite donut flavor is).For more donut recs (and great food tips in general every Thursday), make sure to sign up for our amazing morning newsletter here.

May 31, 2023 • 26min
How to Buy a Home in Las Vegas
The Las Vegas housing market is bucking national trends, at least slightly: While other cities are continuing to see their home prices rise, Vegas has pretty much flattened out. This new stability might have some of you wondering: What are the ins and outs of buying a house here? Today, co-host Vogue Robinson sits down with Christina Chipman, a born-and-raised local, realtor, and current president of the Women's Council of Realtors Las Vegas Network. They talk about the myths surrounding the best time to buy a house, why NOT to buy a house, and if it’s possible to beat out a corporate all-cash buyer.Have you bought a home in Las Vegas recently, or are you hoping to do so soon? What’s been your experience with the process? Let us know: Leave us a voicemail or a text message at 702-514-0719, or tag us on social media (we’re @CityCastVegas on Twitter and Instagram).For more of what’s going on in Vegas, make sure to sign up for our amazing morning newsletter here.

May 30, 2023 • 24min
We’re On Track to Get the Nation’s First High-Speed Rail
Every few weeks, it seems like we get a new headline telling us that the much-publicized high-speed rail line between Vegas and LA is getting one step closer to reality. Las Vegans are used to start-and-stop train promises that dangle and disappear. But this time (this time!) things might actually be different. Nevada Independent reporter Gabby Birenbaum tells co-host Dayvid Figler how the billionaire-backed Brightline West is in the field goal zone of approval, what few obstacles remain, and how this would impact our growing city.What do YOU think the chances are of Brightline West being built by 2028? Let us know on social media — we’re @CityCastVegas on Twitter and 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.

May 26, 2023 • 30min
A Commercial Center Scandal, Punk Rock Bowling, and a New Pokémon Neighborhood
The Commercial Center debacle is the (erm) gift that just keeps giving: To celebrate the renaming of the adjacent Karen Ave. to Liberace Ave., the County helped organize a festival that ballooned to a party with 10,000 ticket holders when it was announced that legendary DJ Deadmau5 would be headlining. But the local artists who’ve worked to rebuild this“blighted” center weren’t exactly pleased with how the party turned out — and when Commissioner Tick Segerblom accidentally hit reply-all, calling the tenants “ungrateful miscreants,” the response reached a fever pitch. Today on our Friday news roundup, co-host Dayvid Figler, newsletter editor Scott Dickensheets, and special guest Kim Foster talk about Commish Tick’s apology on KNPR yesterday, the future of Commercial Center, and other fun stuff in the news: The arrival of Punk Rock Bowling, one of Las Vegas’ longest-running music festivals, and a whole neighborhood in Henderson whose streets are named after Pokémon.If you could choose the street names in a new development, what would YOU name them after? Let us know by tagging us on social media (we’re @CityCastVegas on Twitter and Instagram) or leaving us a text or a voicemail at 702-514-0719.Did you love hearing from our brilliant newsletter editor, Scott Dickensheets? Get some more of that Dickensheetsian wit in our morning newsletter here.

May 25, 2023 • 19min
Is Las Vegas Vegan Friendly?
Vegan or plant-based eating has been picking up steam recently and by all accounts the trend is here to stay. Vegas has seen a rise in popular vegan restaurants while other establishments are adding vegan dishes to their menus. With her Vegas Vegan Culinary School & Eatery, Heather Heath is in the vanguard of a meat-free movement in a town better known for steakhouses and prime rib. But while the city’s getting veggier, it's still not an easy path. In today’s episode, Heath gives co-host Dayvid Figler a candid assessment of the vegan business and life.What’s your favorite vegan spot in Vegas? Let us know on social media! Follow us @CityCastVegas on Twitter and Instagram. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719.We’ve got endless food recommendations for you! Don’t miss out by subscribing to our morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas.

May 24, 2023 • 21min
What the A’s Deal Could Mean for the Vegas Economy
Well, it looks like the Oakland A’s are one step closer to getting public financing for a new stadium in Las Vegas. Yesterday, the Nevada Independent reported that the team and state officials had reached a “loose agreement” for a reduced public financing package. After all the drama over stadium sites, dubious polling, PR blitzes, and public financing demands… are we in the home stretch? And is bringing the A’s to Vegas really such a good thing for our city?Today on City Cast Las Vegas, we’re bringing you a conversation co-host Dayvid Figler had last year with UNLV economist Bill Robinson. They discuss the economic upsides (and downsides) that major league sports franchises bring to cities, and whether baseball is right for us.How do you feel about the A’s coming to Las Vegas? Let us know on social media — we’re @CityCastVegas on Twitter and Instagram. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. (We love your voicemails!)For even more Las Vegas news, events, and commentary, get our brilliant newsletter in your inbox every morning at 6 a.m. — sign up here.

May 23, 2023 • 17min
Las Vegas’ Love Affair With Pickleball
The new racquet sport of pickleball has been sweeping the nation — here in Las Vegas, demand for the sport has risen so much that the City of Las Vegas recently received a $12 million grant to build 30 new pickleball courts. But it isn’t without controversy. Some homeowners near the new court sites are worried about noise levels, parking issues, and how their home values could fare. So what’s with the pickleball mania? And can the issues be resolved? Today on City Cast Las Vegas, lead producer Sonja Cho Swanson heads court-side to meet Southern Nevada Pickleball ambassador Patti Chess for her very first pickleball lesson, and a conversation about Las Vegas’ love affair with pickleball.Let us know if you love pickle ball too! We’re on social media! Follow us @CityCastVegas on Twitter and 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.

May 22, 2023 • 23min
How CCSD Became a Hotbed for School Choice
A showdown over school choice is brewing up in Carson City: Governor Lombardo is prepared to veto the entire state budget if the legislature doesn’t approve his ambitious plan to expand Nevada’s quasi school voucher program. Meanwhile, Clark County is ground zero for the impact of school choice legislation — the majority of the state’s voucher program recipients (administered through Opportunity Scholarships) live here in Southern Nevada, and most of them use the funds for religious private schools. And that’s just part of why they’re so controversial, Nevada Current reporter April Corbin Girnus tells co-host Dayvid Figler. So how did “school choice” become a darling of the right, and why are progressives worried it could gut public education? And most curiously of all, how did Dem-heavy Clark County become the epicenter for school choice debates in Nevada?What’s your stance on Nevada’s Opportunity Scholarships? Leave us a voicemail or a text message at 702-514-0719. You can also find us on social media! Follow us @CityCastVegas on Twitter and Instagram.For more on what’s hot and happening in Las Vegas, make sure to sign up for our brilliant morning newsletter here.


