City Cast Las Vegas

How well do you really know the Strip? Today, our resident Vegas insiders, co-hosts Dayvid Figler and Sarah Lohman, along with newsletter editor Rob Kachelriess, spill their favorite hidden gems from around the Strip: From little-known historical oddities and quiet places for reflection to the best food and drink surprises they’ve discovered. 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 your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Myths about Las Vegas go all the way back to our city’s earliest days. Today, journalist Corey Levitan, creator of the Vegas Myths Busted series at Casino.org, quizzes our two hosts, Dayvid Figler and Sarah Lohman, about how well they know old Vegas history. Play along and let us know how you did! 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 your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This June, for the first time in 25 years, Las Vegas voters will face a mayoral ballot without a single Goodman on it. But given our valley’s odd jurisdictional boundaries, less than half of Southern Nevadans actually live within the city and can vote for the Las Vegas mayor. So why does this election matter to the whole Vegas Valley? How did the Mayors Goodman transform the role for a global stage — and what’s next for our city? Co-host Sarah Lohman sits down with Channel 13 senior political reporter Steve Sebelius to find out. Today’s episode kicks off Mayoral Mondays, our special series on the 2024 Las Vegas mayoral race. Make sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Hey Las Vegas newsletter to stay up to date on candidate interviews and more! 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 your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s Friday News Roundup, we lay out all the details from a Henderson police barricade situation that resulted in the suspect deceased and the front of a home ripped away. Also, Assemblywoman Danielle Gallant gets a policy she voted for wrong and issues an apology after receiving backlash in videos posted to social media. Lastly, National park rangers are asking the public to help identify two men videoed pushing over ancient rock formations at Lake Mead National Recreation Area. Dayvid Figler is joined by his co-host Sarah Lohman and local policy wonk and communications lead at Battle Born Progress Jacob Solis. Also, a few announcements: Make sure to tune in on Monday, April 22nd for the launch of our new series, Mayoral Mondays. We kick things off with a conversation with Channel 13’s senior political reporter Steve Sebelius on why this mayoral race is important to everyone in the Valley, even if you can’t vote on the position. After that, we have interviews with the candidates airing every Monday until the election. As of this weekend, we’re airing our Friday News Roundups on KUNV (91.5 FM) on Sunday mornings at 6 a.m. So if you are tuning in for the first time welcome! We discuss the week’s top news every Friday in addition to daily episodes and newsletters Monday through Friday. You can learn more at lasvegas.citycast.fm. 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 your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Kroger-Albertsons merger proposed in 2022 is still in the works, but the FTC has raised alarm bells about the consequences a merger of this magnitude would have on consumers. And about a month ago, the Nevada Attorney General’s office announced it was joining the FTC and seven other states in a lawsuit to block the proposal. So today, we’re revisiting a conversation co-host David Figler had in September with food justice writer Kim Foster and Nevada Current editor April Corbin Girnus about the impact a merger like this would have on our city, grocery workers, and consumers. 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 your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most people know a little about the mob and their part in building the Las Vegas we know today, but what you might not realize is how integral burlesque was in cementing Vegas’ sinful status. As new burlesque shows pop up left and right in the city, co-host Sarah Lohman takes a look back on the history of the American art form with burlesque stars Dirty Martini from DITA Las Vegas and Buttercup from the Burlesque Hall of Fame. They discuss why we are seeing a revival and how Las Vegas can help fight the misconceptions of burlesque. Shows mentioned: DITA LAS VEGAS: A Jubilant Revue at the Horseshoe Lady Like: A Retro Modern Burlesque Show at Virgin Hotels The Jiggle Room at Cheapshots Lost Spirits Distillery at AREA15 (closing April 29) Viva Las Vegas (Rockabilly Weekend) at The Orleans on April 18 - 21 Sinful: A Night of Sin City’s Finest Stripteasers at The Fat Cat on May 11 Burlesque Hall of Fame Weekender at The Orleans on June 6 - 9 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 your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’re only four months into 2024, but we’ve already heard some infuriating, hilarious, or, honestly, kinda out-there quotes on Vegas issues in the news. So today, Executive Producer Sonja Cho Swanson invites co-hosts David Figler and Sarah Lohman to a game of “Guess Who Said It” to reflect on all the shenanigans our city finds itself in and, of course, win some bragging rights! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

O.J. Simpson died at his home in Las Vegas on Thursday at age 76; the cause was cancer. He’s arguably one of our city’s most controversial celebrities, trailed by the specter of that notorious 1995 murder trial, and then later, his 2008 conviction for armed robbery at Palace Station right here in Vegas. Co-host Dayvid Figler, who is also a lawyer, was there in 2008 as an expert commentator for Court TV — he and executive producer Sonja Cho Swanson discuss the stakes of that trial (and what made it so unusual), why O.J. made Las Vegas home after serving time in Nevada, and what he means to our city of second chances, for better and worse. 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 your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New details have emerged about the acrimonious child custody case at the heart of the Summerlin law firm shooting — but it also raises the question, how did things get this bad in the first place, and are we talking about this all wrong? Co-hosts Sarah Lohman and Dayvid Figler sit down with contributor Andrew Kiraly, creator of thelist.vegas, to discuss. Next up, we break down just why the monorail is feuding with media outlets over reports of its eventual demise, and wrap up with the curious case of a strip club lawsuit: Spearmint Rhino is suing Peppermint Hippo over copyright infringement… but is there really any confusion? We wrap up with a little game: What would your knock-off Vegas business be named? 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 your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we emerge from winter hibernation of our comfy, cozy regular haunts, spring and summer invite us to venture further afield when trying new bars and eateries. Co-host Sarah Lohman sits down with Neon News editor-in-chief Gemini Stevens to talk about the hottest new bars in Las Vegas right now — and what our drink scene is still missing. Bars mentioned in the episode: Wineaux at the UnCommons Crush Pad Wine Bar Garagiste The Silver Stamp Ser Veh Zah Cin Cin Brewhouse Hola Habibi Todo Bien at the UnCommons Liquid Diet The Bel-Aire Lounge at the Durango Bar Ginza Stray Pirate Fat Cat in the Downtown Grand Tiki Di Amore Mojave Brewing Company Hugo’s Cellar at the Four Queens 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 your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No one expected much when the Vegas Golden Knights played their first season in 2017. Now, since the team’s success in their first season and winning the Stanley Cup in their 6th, it’s hard to find a Las Vegan who doesn’t rep VGK merch. And key to their success in the community? The spectacular entertainment at every home game. The energy they create in the arena during their pregame shows is unlike any other team in the league — and today, VGK entertainment is legendary (c’mon, they even dropped a hockey puck from SPACE). Tyler Ferraro, VGK’s Director of Entertainment Experience, tells co-host Dayvid Figler what it takes to produce a pregame show only Vegas could handle. 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 your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ah, spring in Vegas: That golden season of hikes, picnics, and… allergies. But how did a desert town get so pollen-y, and is allergy season getting worse? Co-host Sarah Lohman sits down with UNLV Pollen Monitoring Program Supervisor Asma Tahir to learn more about the rooftop gadgets that measure our pollen counts, and how we can (and can’t) fight back. Vegas residents, heads up! We’re starting a series on the mayoral race, and we want to know what your questions are. What would you like us to ask the mayoral candidates? Send us an email: lasvegas@citycast.fm. You can also find us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or 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 your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For a city that stays up late, we sure don’t have too many coffee shops open past 4 p.m. But it wasn’t always this way: Lifelong Las Vegan and co-host Dayvid Figler remembers the 90s as a golden era of late-night coffee shops that hosted poetry readings and musical performances. So where did they go? Co-host Sarah Lohman sits down with Dayvid and writer Kim Foster to talk about why late-night coffee shops are so important, and what’s filling this “third space” gap in Las Vegas today. 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 your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Las Vegans are sharing an outpouring of support for Enzo, the police dog who was stabbed in a recent encounter downtown. Happily, he is on the road to recovery and heading home. But what really went down in that encounter, and how should we be thinking about the use of K-9 units with mentally unstable people? Today, co-hosts Dayvid Figler and Sarah Lohman sit down with comedian-magician Matt Donnelly from the podcast Matt and Mattingly’s Ice Cream Social to discuss. Next, they tackle the new street vendor regulations, which advocates say are too strict and onerous for the vendors. And lastly, a new report lists the top states where departing Nevadans move. So of the top three, we play a PG version of FMK: Who would you wine, dine, or ditch? Interested in adopting Smokey, the 29-pound cat we mention at the end of the episode? Email foster@animalfoundation.com with his name and ID # (A1311271) to arrange a time for a meet & greet with his foster family. If you haven’t yet joined the City Cast Las Vegas membership program, now would be a great time: We’ve got a special ticket giveaway just for members — but we’re picking names at midnight on Friday! We’ve got two pairs of tickets for the Home & History tour coming up at the end of the month: Two (2) tickets to the Art Vegas bus tour (4/26 Friday 8:30 a.m.) Two (2) tickets to the Vintage Vegas Variety Hour + Cocktail Gala (4/27 Saturday 7 p.m.) 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 your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The shrimp cocktail might just be the most iconic dish in Las Vegas. But why? Where did it come from, why’s it called a “cocktail,” and can you still find a good 99-center anywhere in town? Co-hosts Dayvid Figler and Sarah Lohman (a culinary historian) break down the history of the shrimp cocktail, its surprising Cajun and Jewish origins, and the story behind that special red sauce. If you haven’t yet joined the City Cast Las Vegas membership program, now would be a great time: We’ve got a special ticket giveaway just for members — but we’re picking names at midnight on Friday! We’ve got two pairs of tickets for the Home & History tour coming up at the end of the month: Two (2) tickets to the Art Vegas bus tour (4/26 Friday 8:30 a.m.) Two (2) tickets to the Vintage Vegas Variety Hour + Cocktail Gala (4/27 Saturday 7 p.m.) So make sure to become a member by Friday, and you’ll be automatically entered to win. Head over lasvegas.citycast.fm to join. 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 your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As our population grows in Vegas and major events become a regular occurrence, sweeps of the storm tunnels under Las Vegas seem to be in the news more than ever. Not to mention the rain we’ve already experienced this year that can put people living down there in danger. It makes for titillating urban folklore — a subterranean quasi-community shuffling through the darkness beneath the bright city. But what’s the reality? We are revisiting a conversation with Nevada Current reporter Michael Lyle, co-host Dayvid Figler, and lead producer Sonja Cho Swanson on what it’s really like in the storm tunnels of Las Vegas. 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 your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, almost exactly 67 years after opening, the Tropicana Casino and Hotel closes its doors for good. Old-timers with deep connections to the property have shared their special memories from the Trop’s heyday… but most Las Vegans of today will admit it’s been years since they stepped foot inside the Trop. So when did the Tropicana start to lose its relevance and why? Should we care about its closure — and when does a casino become worthy of preservation? Co-hosts Dayvid Figler and Sarah Lohman discuss. If you haven’t yet joined the City Cast Las Vegas membership program, now would be a great time: We’ve got a special ticket giveaway just for members — but we’re picking names at midnight on Friday! We’ve got two pairs of tickets for the Home & History tour coming up at the end of the month: Two (2) tickets to the Art Vegas bus tour (4/26 Friday 8:30 a.m.) Two (2) tickets to the Vintage Vegas Variety Hour + Cocktail Gala (4/27 Saturday 7 p.m.) So make sure to become a member by Friday, and you’ll be automatically entered to win. Head over lasvegas.citycast.fm to join. 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 your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Whether you know the difference between the Sunrise and Frenchman Mountains or not, they’re home to some extraordinary views and natural wonders — including rare plants, Indigenous sites, and a world-class geological feature called the Great Unconformity. But you might be surprised to hear that this land isn’t federally protected. You’ll often see broken glass bottles and graffiti here. City Cast co-host Sarah Lohman took a trip out to see the site, and meet with community leaders who are advocating for an East Las Vegas National Monument: UNLV geologist Dr. Steve Rowland; Bertha Gutierrez, program director at the Conservation Lands Foundation; and Taylor Patterson, executive director of the Native Voters Alliance. They discuss why the area needs protection, and what an accessible outdoor space would mean for East Las Vegas. 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 your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Starting in August, CCSD middle and high schools will enact a new policy: During classes, students will be required to place their phones into signal-blocking pouches. Unsurprisingly, the move is deeply controversial. So what’s the upside (and the possible fallout)? Co-host Sarah Lohman and Dayvid Figler are joined by Nevada Current editor April Corbin Girnus to discuss. Next up, the team looks at new polling numbers that have just come out on Nevada ballot measures and how that could affect the election. And last but certainly not least, we take a moment to admire an enormous, 29-pound cat up for adoption at the Animal Foundation. (Spoiler: He is a very good, very chonky boi.) 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 your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There’s a lot that’s edible in the parks, walking paths, and backyards of urban Las Vegas, if you just know where to look. Today, co-hosts Dayvid Figler and Sarah Lohman (a culinary historian) sit down to talk about the edible greens, flowers, and fruits coming into season this spring — all of which you can find growing right here in our city. Resources mentioned: Indian Uses of Desert Plants by James W. Cornett Southwest Foraging by John Slattery Portico by Leah Koenig Nevada Grown: A Year in Local Food The Meth Lunches by Kim Foster Seek app 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 your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices