City Cast Las Vegas

On Sunday, The Nevada Independent hosted a debate between Nevada gubernatorial candidates Steve Sisolak, the Democratic incumbent, and Sheriff Joe Lombardo, a Republican. The heated debate, moderated by CEO Jon Ralston, was an hour and a half long and went over education, taxes, crime rates, and more (read the full rundown on the Indy here). City Cast was one of the sponsors of IndyFest this year, so host Dayvid Figler and producer Layla Muhammad got to watch the debate in real-time.So today on the show, host Vogue Robinson sits down with Dayvid and Layla to give you the quick and dirty recap of what may be the only gubernatorial debate ahead of the November election.

Remember that Vice article about Vegas dive bars? Yeah, we panned it in a Friday roundup — it was full of breathy, gleeful observations that painted a lurid picture of the down-and-out. Consider this episode your antidote. Dayvid sits down with P Moss, longtime local, writer, and owner of two Las Vegas bars, one of which is the world-famous Double Down Saloon, a punk rock dive bar where you can buy puke insurance and shots of Ass Juice. Dayvid and Moss talk about what makes a dive bar a dive bar, the wildest things he’s seen at his bars, and why dive bars are so susceptible to romanticization.Don’t miss out: Dayvid will be moderating a conversation with Moss at The Writer’s Block this Thursday at 7 p.m., about Moss’s newest novel, Dead Ringer. Come say hello!

If you’re listening to this podcast, you probably know how to pronounce “Nevada.” Or do you…? Is the Spanish “ah”more historically accurate, and why did we start saying “Nuh-vadda?” Plus, you’ve seen Nevadans boo politicians across the political spectrum, from Donald Trump to Michelle Obama, for saying “Nev-ah-da,” so why do we care so much, and do Nevadans have an extra-deep chip on our shoulder about this compared to other places?Today, Dayvid talks with Valerie Fridland, professor of linguistics at UNR, to get the DL on all of this. Don’t forget to check our Instagram page for a special outtake of a quiz YOU can take alongside Dayvid, testing how Western of a speaker you are.Let us hear how you say Nevada! Leave us a voicemail at 702-514-0719.Want more Vegas news? Make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter! We’re also on Twitter! Follow us @CityCastVegas

The escape and eventual capture of prisoner Porfirio Duarte-Herrera was all over the news this week — but could it become a hot button topic in this year’s fiercely competitive governor’s race? After all, Sheriff Joe Lombardo is running on a public safety platform, and the Nevada Department of Corrections director was a Gov. Sisolak appointee.Today, Sonja, Dayvid and Scott get into the potential political fallout of a highly-publicized manhunt. Then it’s on to a lawsuit filed this week by Councilwoman Victoria Seaman against fellow Councilwoman Michele Fiore and the City of Las Vegas, claiming that not only did Fiore assault Seaman at City Hall (breaking Seaman’s finger in the process), City Hall impeded the investigation and destroyed video evidence. (Yes, it’s a hot mess, and yes, we get into it!)Last but not least, you may have seen a few more grasshoppers flying around — but don’t worry, this isn’t the return of 2019’s hopper-pocalypse, at least according to 8 News Now. And hey, if the swarms do return, you could always take advantage of the bounty and cook a few up.Have you been following the Seaman-Fiore feud and do you have thoughts? Any ideas for what to do about all those ‘hoppers? Let us know! Leave us a voicemail or send us a text at 702-514-0719. You can also find us on Twitter @CityCastVegas.Want even more Vegas news, observations, and goings-on-about-town? You’re gonna want to sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter!

Despite being the most diverse city in Nevada, North Las Vegas has yet to see a Black woman mayor. This November, all that will change as Councilwoman Pamela Goynes-Brown and Democratic state Senator Pat Spearman, both Black women, go head to head for the nonpartisan seat. They take on major issues facing the city including housing, policing, and education. Host Vogue Robinson is joined by The Nevada Independent journalist Naoka Foreman to explain where the two candidates stand on the issues.Read Naoka’s coverage here.Are you in North Las Vegas? What issues do you care about? What questions would you have for the NLV mayoral candidates? Call or text us at 702-514-0719. And don’t forget, you can always find us on Twitter @CityCastVegasWant more Vegas news, events and whip-smart observations? Make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter!

“Break a leg” takes on new meaning for Dr. Kevin Debiparshad, a Las Vegas doctor and the subject of a recent viral article on GQ. Dr. D, as he often goes by, has pioneered a minimally-invasive limb-lengthening procedure that will nonetheless leave many squeamish: Via a small thigh incision, he breaks the femur bone, inserts a remote-controlled titanium gadget, and leaves the bone to fill the carefully-extending gap — giving his patients an extra three to six inches of height. It’s gruesome, painful, and expensive. But in a world where height has been shown to matter, both in hiring and dating, Dr. D’s patients are happy with the results.Today, Dayvid talks with Dr. D about how this procedure came about, why Las Vegas was the perfect place for him to set up shop, and how he thinks attitudes will change towards more involved cosmetic procedures like these.Would you spend $70k for a surgery like this? Why or why not? Leave us a voicemail at 702-514-0719 or send us a tweet @CityCastVegas.For a well-blended dose of news, events and all things Vegas, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter!

Baz Luhrmann directed a new film, which was recently released on HBO Max, about Elvis Presley’s life from childhood to riches, fame, and eventual demise. The film stars Austin Butler as Elvis and Tom Hanks as his devilish manager, Colonel Tom Parker. No Elvis story is complete without our city, as Elvis had a seven-year-long residency at the International Hotel (which later became the Las Vegas Hilton and is now the Westgate). Co-hosts Vogue Robinson and Dayvid Figler talk with producer Layla Muhammad about Elvis’ legacy in Las Vegas. Elvis was a superstar, a rock 'n' roll icon, who had impersonators on the Strip prior to his passing. We have Elvis-themed weddings, sell Elvis tchotchkes in our airport, and fake Elvis accompanies our mayor at parades… But are we honoring his legacy, or have we all turned him into a caricature?

Amy Saunders’s stage presence, Miss Behave, is more than an alter ego. Think more like “Amy times Amy,” — and if you’ve seen any of the Miss Behave shows, you know that Miss B is a brash, warm, comedic force, an androgynous drag queen in spectacular costumes, a master of audience interaction.Today, Dayvid talks with Amy (and Miss B) about the journey from London to Vegas via freak shows and the Festival Fringe, how aging Trump supporters helped hone the show at Bally’s, and why performing off the Strip creates an entirely unique audience experience.Want more Vegas news? Make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter!We’re also on Twitter! Follow us @CityCastVegas You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. 

Wow, Friday snuck up on us FAST this week — there’s just so much going on the news! Today, Vogue, Layla and Dayvid break it all down for us: What’s going on with Yucca Mountain (we thought that plan was dead), and why Governor Sisolak’s office just proposed that we kill it for once and for all. Plus, how other states vastly underestimated Senator Harry Reid when Yucca Mountain was first proposed back in the 80's. Next up, we revisit the long reach of the Route 91 shootings and how its aftereffects are felt even now: In the debates over exactly how many lives were claimed, what to do about guns, and what we should even call the massacre. And lastly, the team takes on the city’s newly-approved cannabis lounges, whether locals will actually go, and what we’d want to see in a cannabis lounge.Oh, and let us not forget: CONGRATULATIONS to the Las Vegas Aces!!! WNBA Champions, bayybeeeee! That’s right, Las Vegas just got its first major league sports championship. We love to see it.What would you want to see at Yucca Mountain? What does the weed lounge of your dreams look like? Leave us a voicemail or shoot us a text at 702-514-0719. You can always find us on Twitter too: @CityCastVegasFor more news, events, and commentary about the city we love best, get our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter!

Today on City Cast Las Vegas, Vogue chats with Dr. Erika Gisela Abad Merced, (AKA Dr. Abad) an educator, writer, and curator. We talk about Vegas as a multicultural city and how that encompasses generation gaps, sexuality, race, & ethnicity. Dr. Abad shares how she’s turned her personal story into art and invited others to do so too with her show, Two Cultures, One Family. In a press release, Dr. Abad says, “I hope this exhibition helps people feel seen. To have their families feel seen. Two Cultures is a love letter to my mother and grandmother. While our struggles are different, I am here because of them – a testament to their resilience and sacrifice.” Dr. Abad also tell us how Las Vegas celebrates & respects different cultures, especially for our LGBTQ community, but also what we could do better.Two Cultures, One Family will be on display until January 28, 2023 inside the Barrick Museum at UNLV. It is free and open to the public. Visit the show and create art of your own during the Zine Workshop Friday, Sep. 23, 2022, 4pm to 6pmDo you have thoughts about multiculturalism in Las Vegas? Share them with us at 702-514-0719.Keep the conversation going with us on Twitter @CityCastVegas Looking for more community events and more? Make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter!