City Cast Las Vegas
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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
934 Episodes
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A suspected biolab was discovered in an Eastside home, prompting a federal investigation that is still underway. What exactly was found in the home, and who are the major players here? Host Sonja Cho Swanson is joined by filmmaker Shahab Zargari and newsletter editor Rob Kachelriess to talk about the latest developments. Plus, they also get into the judicial decision to ban prediction markets from Super Bowl speculation in Nevada, and why an ultra-marathon runner will be running the length of the Colorado River this summer.
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.
Las Vegas is buzzing ahead of the largest In-N-Out and Five Guys openings on the Strip, so we dig into where locals are actually finding the city’s best burgers right now. Food influencers break down what makes a real smash burger, where pub-style classics still shine, and which low-key spots and fancy kitchens are worth the drive. Jeremy “Bullet Head” Johnson and Giselle D’souza of NothingToDoLVEats join host Sonja Cho Swanson to shout out neighborhood burger gems.
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 a brutal season, the Raiders finally have something fans can feel cautiously optimistic about. With a top coaching prospect headed to the Super Bowl this weekend and big decisions looming, we ask if this could be the moment things start to turn around. Las Vegas Review-Journal sports anchor Heidi Fang joins host Sonja Cho Swanson to break down what went wrong, what a new coach and No. 1 draft pick could change, and whether the Raiders will ever make Las Vegas proud.
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 federal funding whiplash has left Nevada’s nonprofit sector bracing for impact, with cut programs, lost staff, and unanswered questions about what comes next. We zoom out on why uncertainty can be just as damaging as outright cuts, and how shaky federal dollars ripple through healthcare, housing, and food access across Southern Nevada. Miles Dickson, founder of Nevada GrantLab, joins host Sonja Cho Swanson to break down the overall state of nonprofits in Las Vegas and what locals can do to help.
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.
It's officially February, which means we are full of love for our city and all it has to offer! Between the Death Valley superbloom, a new Elvis doc, and the James Beard semi-finalists announcement, there's plenty of reasons to be out and about this month. Host Sonja Cho Swanson is joined by newsletter editor Rob Kachelreiss and Nevada Current reporter Michael MJ Lyle to share the events they can't miss and businesses they're crushing on during this month of love.
If you're new here, welcome! We’ve put together a starter pack for you with episodes and articles to welcome you to the City Cast Las Vegas community.
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.
Nevada Prep Charter School was already planning a closure after reports emerged about hundreds of disciplinary issues — but now it's facing calls for the Attorney General's office to investigate possible financial misdoings. What's going on here, and what does this incident say about the state of charter schools in our state? Host Sonja Cho Swanson sits down with Channel 8 morning anchor John Langeler and City Cast Las Vegas executive producer Layla Muhammad to discuss. Plus, they also get into the uncertain fate of the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, and the Galleria Mall's rebrand — could this be the salvation of our aging shopping malls?
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.
Across the country, concerns about immigration enforcement are mounting. Host Sonja Cho Swanson sits down with Athar Haseebullah, Executive Director of the ACLU of Nevada, to break down the practical realities of encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement here in Las Vegas — what the law actually allows and what every resident should know. With community fears rising and ongoing debates about cooperation with federal agencies, this episode cuts through the headlines to help listeners understand their rights.
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.
Las Vegas just notched a record-breaking 14 James Beard Award semifinalist nominations, and the city’s food scene is feeling the heat — in a good way. Host Sonja Cho Swanson sits down with Eric Gladstone, founder of restaurant PR group Feast of Friends, to unpack what this moment means for chefs, restaurants, and Vegas’ national reputation. From surprise nominees to long-overdue recognition, they dig into why this year feels different.
Finalists for the James Beard Awards will be announced on March 31st.
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.
While Las Vegas is known as the gambling capital of the country, newer online vices are popping up that could be competition for our city's biggest offer – casinos. Prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket allow users to "trade real-world events" by predicting anything from the outcome of a sporting event to the weather in New York City. It sounds a lot like gambling, but is it? Rick Velotta, assistant business editor at the Las Vegas Review-Journal, joins host Sonja Cho Swanson to discuss the legalities of prediction markets and the threat they pose to gaming companies.
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.
While Nevada has a long history of old family names in politics (think the Goodmans, the Reids), the list of candidates that have filed to run in 2026 in Southern Nevada contains a shockingly low number of legacy names. How much power do these famous families still hold? Co-hosts Sarah Lohman and Dayvid Figler talk with UNLV history professor Michael Green to talk about the political dynasties of Las Vegas and if a legacy last name still matters as much as it used to.
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.
Amid rallying cries on the left of "defund ICE," the Senators from Nevada, Catherine Cortez-Masto and Jacky Rosen, have proposed a middleground solution: Diverting close to half of the $175 billion in Big Beautiful Bill funds earmarked for the agency towards local law enforcement. Will it work? And does it matter? Today, host Sonja Cho Swanson talks with Nevada Current editor April Corbin Girnus and writer Scott Dickensheets about the proposal, along with the valleywide impacts of later school start times for CCSD high schoolers, and why a proposed second Sphere in the DC suburbs has us feeling jealous.
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.
Because we have new restaurants popping up all the time in Las Vegas, that unfortunately means that we lose a lot of great spots too. So many of our favorite eateries closed in 2025, so City Cast Las Vegas contributor and man about town Brent Holmes joined host Dayvid Figler to discuss substitutes for the places they were sad to see go. Plus, they chat about what last year's closures say about the future of the Las Vegas food scene.
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.
Earlier this month, the CDC dropped several vaccines from its list of recommended childhood vaccinations. What does that mean for us here in Southern Nevada, and should we be concerned? Host Sonja Cho Swanson talks with medical epidemiologist Dr. Rosanne Sugay from the Southern Nevada Health District about how Nevada's vaccination rates stack up against neighboring states, and the challenges that providers face when talking about vaccines here in our purple state.
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.
Huntridge Park has been fenced off since 2020, stranded in the middle of Maryland Parkway and stuck in decades of controversy. Host Sonja Cho Swanson talks with Friends of Huntridge Park co-founders Freddy Godinez and Randy Mendre about the park’s turbulent history, from its postwar heyday to repeated closures tied to safety, access, and homelessness. They lay out why some neighbors would rather keep it closed — and why that might be a mistake. Plus, a bold vision for how this forgotten green space could become a cultural hub for downtown Las Vegas again, with help from UNLV landscape architecture students.
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.
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.
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