City Cast Las Vegas

The pandemic created a lot of new dog owners and a lot of new outdoors enthusiasts — resulting in more newbie dog hikers on our local trails. Today, we sit down with Kimberly Lewis and Paula Jacoby-Garrett, co-authors of “Best Hikes with Dogs: Las Vegas & Beyond.” Kimberly and Paula tell us how to be responsible hikers with dogs, from picking up their poop (yep, it’s a problem) to keeping them protected from the sun and heat (dogs can get skin cancer, too!). They also share their favorite cool and shady dog-friendly trails in the Valley.Sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter and you’ll get roundups of the latest news, whip-smart commentary, and links to upcoming events around town.Do you have strong feelings about dogs on trails? Let us know! Tweet at us @CityCastVegas or leave us a voicemail at 702-514-0719.

If you follow sports news, you probably know that the Las Vegas Raiders have had a bumpy few years: The city of Oakland is suing them for leaving, they’ve faced lawsuits and allegations of a boys club culture, their head coach resigned after his racist & homophobic emails were released, a star rookie had a horrible car crash that killed a woman… believe it or not, the list goes on. But last Thursday, the team announced their new president: Sandra Douglass Morgan, an attorney and former chair of the Nevada Gaming Control Board, and the NFL’s first Black woman president. Could this signal a new beginning for the team?Today, host Vogue Robinson sits down with Vegas Nation host and award-winning Review-Journal videographer Heidi Fang to talk about what the Raiders have been through, how they’ve displayed resilience on and off the field, and why more Las Vegans should get behind our new football team.Want more Vegas news? Make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter!We’re also on the bird app! Tweet at us @CityCastVegasDon’t forget that you can leave us a voicemail or text us at 702-514-0719

It’s Friday, which means it’s time for a news roundup! Every Friday, members of the team sit down to talk about what’s going on in Las Vegas news. Today, lead producer Sonja Cho Swanson sits down with producer Layla Muhammad and newsletter editor Scott Dickensheets. At the top of the ticket is the recent spate of violence at the Fremont Street Experience, and the curfews the city is talking about enacting for those under age 21. How can we keep Fremont safe — and also keep it weird? Next up, Layla, Scott, and Sonja share their Las Vegas origin stories (only one of us was born here — can you guess who?). And we wrap things up with some feel-good news, including a friend of Layla’s, Vegas boxer Hasim Rahman Jr., who is headed to Madison Square Garden next month to face Jake Paul. We’re rooting for the home team!!!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 at @CityCastVegas Want to join us for a Friday news roundup? Call or text us at 702-514-0719 with some topics! 

Cheers, Las Vegas! John Oliver praised the city for being a model for water conservation in the Colorado River Basin while pointing out that our friends in Utah aren’t doing so well. City Cast Salt Lake Host Ali Vallarta sits down with our Lead Producer Sonja Cho Swanson to compare notes on their cities’ water usage.Thirsty for more Las Vegas news? Quench your thirst with our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter! We are also on socials! Come say hi to @CityCastVegas  Drop us a line or send us a text at 702-514-0719. 

Throughout the month of June, the Neon Museum hosted a series of Pride Gallery talks, tying iconic neon signs (like the Silver Slipper and the Riviera signs) to important moments in Las Vegas LGBTQIA+ history. For example: Did you know that the “Red Barn” sign advertised one of the Valley’s first openly gay bars in the 1970s? Or that the Silver Slipper was a casino with a “boylesque” female impersonators show?Today on the show, producer Layla Muhammad interviews Emily Daura, Tour Development Coordinator at the Neon Museum, about how the Pride gallery talks were developed, how they’ll carry forward beyond June, and what other new programming the museum has planned.Want more Vegas news? Make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter!We’re on the bird app, too — follow us on Twitter @CityCastVegas, or leave us a voicemail or text at 702-514-0719.

The pandemic accelerated a lot of new technologies (like Zoom meetings and online shopping), and the gaming industry was certainly not left behind. Poker players are using A.I. to optimize their game. The newly-opened casino Resorts World is the first casino in town to offer cashless wagering at slots and table games. And can we talk about all those new, immersive slots showing up everywhere?Today, Dayvid talks with Dr. Brett Abarbanel, Director of Research at the UNLV International Gaming Institute, about the blurring lines between “gambling” and “gaming,” the consequences of high-tech gambling getting too fun, and if technology could actually be part of the solution.For more news, events, and snarky commentary, sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletterDo you have thoughts, feelings, questions about this episode? Want to share an idea with us? Tweet us @CityCastVegasYou can also leave us a text or a voicemail at 702-514-0719.

Nevada is one of just a handful of states with a “citizen legislature” — our lawmakers convene every other year, get paid a nominal fee, and have day jobs. A recent lawsuit claims that at least some of those legislators violate our state constitution: Government employees aren’t supposed to be legislators. But, as host Dayvid Figler points out, lawmakers with any sort of day job inevitably have conflicts of interest. And because they’re biennial part-timers, guess who ends up wielding a lot of influence? Lobbyists! Dayvid has some big feels about all of this, so lead producer Sonja Cho Swanson chats him up about why the framers of the state constitution created a citizen legislature … and why it might not be such a good idea anymore.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 at @CityCastVegas You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. 

As Pride Month comes to a close and midterm elections loom over us, Nevada Current reporter Michael Lyle shares his findings on how anti-LGBTQ bills and rhetoric from politicians, both locally and nationally, are affecting the queer community. With over 300 proposed bills nationwide to limit the rights of LGBTQ community members this year and local candidates adopting hateful language, the current atmosphere is creating a what Michael calls “chilling effect." It's not all doom and gloom, though: Listen through to the end to hear what has brought Michael joy and pride this Pride month.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 at @CityCastVegas You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719. 

Food writer Kim Foster loves a good donut — but you won’t ever find her at Pinkbox Doughnuts, a booming chain here in the Valley. That’s because Pinkbox is owned by the Siegel Group, a Vegas-based corporation that manages dozens of weekly stay apartments across several states. The Siegel Group is currently being investigated by a House panel regarding its eviction practices during the pandemic. And, as Kim explains, far from being the solution to our housing crisis, weeklies can drive people into even more instability.Want some more Vegas news, events, and insider hot takes? Then be sure to sign up for our morning newsletter!Got a piping hot take on Pinkbox Doughnuts or weeklies? Leave us a voicemail at 702-514-0719, or tweet at us @CityCastVegas!

The Nevada primary election ended last Tuesday and the road to the general election has begun. Some races turned out as expected, while others were a little surprising. Assistant editor and political reporter from the Nevada Independent Michelle Rindels joins Dayvid to discuss how some of these results could give us insights into November’s election, and what it says about the broader political climate in Nevada.Be sure to also check out today’s episode of IndyMatters for more takeaways from the NV primary!Looking to stay up-to-date this election cycle? Sign up for our morning newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm/newsletter for major election news and some much more. You can also keep up with us on Twitter at @CityCastVegas or call/text us at 702-514-0719!