City Cast Las Vegas

It’s been a busy week in Las Vegas, and we’re breaking down the biggest stories shaping the valley right now. On today’s Friday News Roundup, we dig into the Golden Knights head coach shake-up, the drama over Congresswoman Susie Lee’s controversial tweet about a SCOTUS hearing on birthright citizenship, and the recurring phenomenon of pop-up casinos. Host Sonja Cho Swanson is joined by producers Layla Muhammad and Jacob Solis. 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 Trump Administration has spent months attempting to radically reshape how elections are run across the US – even though it’s up to the states, individually, to run elections. That includes an executive order signed this week seeking to do away with vote-by-mail as we know it. But how will these proposed changes affect Las Vegas? The state’s elections chief – Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar – joins host Sonja Cho Swanson to dive deep on not just what could change in 2026, but why it matters.   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.

April in Las Vegas hits a sweet spot, with ideal weather (usually), packed festival calendars, and locals fully out and about. From a citywide wrestling takeover and nostalgic movie screenings to stargazing parties and under-the-radar food gems, there’s no shortage of ways to fill your calendar. We’ve got tips for dodging lines, finding parking, and eating your way through everything from Gujarati cuisine to Taiwanese tea and Eastern European desserts. Host Sonja Cho Swanson is joined by newsletter editor Rob Kachelriess and writer and comedian Jason Harris. Want to learn how to photograph dark skies on your phone? Check out this episode for tips! 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.

Vegas casinos are constantly reinventing themselves, with recent multimillion-dollar renovations at the Horseshoe and Ellis Island reaching all the way down to the carpets. Those bold, swirling patterns are not just decorative, they are carefully designed to shape how you move and feel. We revisit a conversation that unpacks the hidden strategy and surprising psychology behind one of the Strip’s most overlooked design elements. Sarah Lohman talks with carpet designer Terrien Hale and interior designer Alice O’Keefe. 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.

WrestleMania is back in Las Vegas after a controversial bid win, and this year the spotlight is shifting as women take center stage in more matches than ever. We dig into how the sport evolved from the Divas era to today’s athletic, headline-making superstars and why fan backlash online now shapes the storylines in real time. Plus, what rising ticket prices, local indie promotions, and Vegas’ growing role as a wrestling hub mean for the future of the industry here. Host Sonja Cho Swanson talks with Wrestling Winedown founder Lo about how women are redefining professional wrestling. Learn more about the sponsors of this March 30th episode: UNLV Performing Arts Center 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.

More affordable housing is needed in places like Las Vegas. Some cities, however, are doing better than others at meeting this need. Austin, Texas, for example, is building more affordable housing than any other American city right now — 50% more, by some measures, than the second most successful city. However, this fast-growing city is also seeing a shortage in housing that middle- and lower-income residents can afford. City Cast CEO David Plotz talks with City Cast Austin podcast host Nikki DaVaughn about this paradox, the city’s affordable housing successes, and where Austin’s still falling short. Plus, how far is too far to walk to a neighbor’s house? Is there something your city is doing that we should be talking about? Email David now!  We’re also on Instagram: @yourcitycouldbebetter Looking to advertise on Your City Could Be Better? Check out our options.

Democratic Attorney General Aaron Ford is the presumptive front-runner for the party’s nomination for governor ahead of June’s primaries. But he’s not alone – and so far he has declined invitations to debate fellow candidate and Washoe County Commission Alexis Hill. So what are Nevadans losing when primary debates start to disappear? April Corbin Girnus and Michael “MJ” Lyle, both from the Nevada Current, join host Sonja Cho Swanson to break it down. Plus, the group discusses why ICE hasn’t supplemented TSA at the Las Vegas Airport, and what the NBA’s interest in Vegas (and potentially another Super Bowl) mean for the city.  Want to help TSA agents going without pay during the partial government shutdown? Find more here. Learn more about the sponsors of this March 27th episode:  UNLV Performing Arts Center Zen Leaf Las Vegas 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.

With the arrival of Gymkhana’s Michelin star-power to the Las Vegas Strip, the city’s burgeoning high-end Indian food scene has grabbed national headlines. But what led to Indian food’s upscale Vegas momentum – and maybe more importantly, where are the best slightly-more-affordable spots to eat? Today on City Cast Las Vegas, Giselle D'souza, founder of Nothing to Do LV Eats, and Roshni Dutt McIntire, private chef and founder of Dutt House, sit down with host Sonja Cho Swanson to break down why Indian cuisine is finally breaking through. Learn more about the sponsors of this March 26th episode: UNLV Performing Arts Center Zen Leaf 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.

When gambling addicts commit serious financial crimes, is prison the only answer? Las Vegas’ Problem Gambling Diversion Court has given local judges a rare alternative. But how well does the system work, really? For Problem Gambling Awareness Month, City Cast Las Vegas contributor and longtime local defense attorney Dayvid Figler joins host Sonja Cho Swanson to dive deep on the diversion court – and why Vegas might just be a model for other cities reckoning with worsening gambling addictions.  Learn more about the sponsors of this March 25th episode: UNLV Performing Arts Center Zen Leaf Roseman University 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 Boulevard Mall went from suburban status symbol to so-called dead mall to something much more interesting, a community hub that reflects how Las Vegas actually lives, learns, and hangs out today. This episode digs into its midcentury origins, mall walking heyday, a lost time capsule, and the creative reinvention that’s keeping its storefronts full and its halls busy. Host Sonja Cho Swanson talks with Nevada Preservation Foundation’s Paige Figenbaum and April Mench about why this “lost relic” might be one of the city’s most underrated success stories. Don't miss NPF's Mall Walk Through the Era's Tour. Learn more about the sponsors of this March 24th episode: UNLV Performing Arts Center Zen Leaf Roseman University 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.