City Cast Las Vegas

Last week, conservation groups filed a lawsuit to stop exploratory drilling for lithium in an area super close to Ash Meadows, a storied National Wildlife Refuge just outside of Vegas. This tiny gem of a desert oasis is home to the highest concentration of endemic species found anywhere in the U.S. But advocates for the mines say that not only is the operation safe, it’s a crucial step in our urgent national campaign to replace gas-guzzlers with lithium-battery-powered electric vehicles. U.S. demand for lithium is expected to grow tenfold by 2030.Today, co-host Dayvid Figler sits down with Review-Journal environment reporter Colton Lochhead, whose recent feature story on Ash Meadows examines this growing tension between conservationists and clean energy advocates for lithium mining. Colton says that conservationists see Ash Meadows as a flashpoint in the struggle over lithium — because if we allow lithium mining here, then where won’t it be allowed? And in a city like Las Vegas, currently under an ozone warning thanks to car pollution, are we asking the rurals to pay the price for our clean energy needs?Have you been to Ash Meadows? How do you feel about electric cars cleaning up our roads? Let us know what you think by giving us a call and leaving a voicemail or a text at 702-514-0719. You can also find us on social media: We’re@CityCastVegas on Twitter and Instagram.Want some more Las Vegas news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter here.

Last month, the Clark County Commission voted to officially designate the neighborhood around Flamingo and Decatur“Little Ethiopia,” creating the county’s first-ever cultural district. So today, we’ve got an insider’s guide to Little Ethiopia: Community member and educator Messeret Sertse takes co-host Vogue Robinson out for a grocery store tour, dinner at her favorite restaurant, and a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony. Messeret talks about what this cultural district means for her and the next generation of young Ethiopians in Las Vegas, and how the community at large can appreciate Ethiopian culture here, too.Here are some stops to make on your next tour of Little Ethiopia: Melkam Market Unity Market Yeshi Mart Selam Market Peace Ethiopian Market & Restaurant Cafe Luhena Lucy Ethiopian Restaurant Do you have tips about where to hang out Little Ethiopia? Next time you’re in Little Ethiopia, post a pic and tag us on social media: We’re @CityCastVegas on Twitter and Instagram. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719.For more events, recommendations, and news from around the Vegas Valley, make sure to sign up for our amazing morning newsletter here.

It’s 110F this week, so outdoor recreation is basically out of the question for the next two months, right? Wrong! Today on the show, avid hiker and foodie Terri Galura-Chiong tells co-host Vogue Robinson about three of her favorite summer escapes with cooler temps, all within a few hours’ drive of Las Vegas. From kayaking on the Colorado to high-desert hikes in Utah, Terri’s got all the insider tips for how to get to these special spots and where to eat once you’re there.What’s your favorite summer escape from Las Vegas? Tag us in a pic on social media (we’re @CityCastVegas on Twitterand Instagram) or send us a voicemail or text at 702-514-0719.Want some more Las Vegas news? Then make sure to sign up for our amazing morning newsletter here.

The 4th of July celebrations kicked this week off with a bang as the MSG Sphere fully lit up for the first time as it prepares for an official open later this year. The LED screen-covered structure transformed the Vegas skyline with its debut show, featuring fireworks, metallic moving art, and a giant eye. Co-host Dayvid Figler explains why he’s not impressed to lead producer Sonja Cho Swanson and writer Brittany Bronson. The trio also tackles a lawsuit challenging election worker protections and dangers for outdoor workers as the temperatures rise in this week’s Friday news roundup.In the one-upsmanship of spectacle on the Las Vegas Strip, what needs to come next to equal the Sphere? Send us a voicemail or text at 702-514-0719. We’re on social media! Follow us @CityCastVegas on Twitter and Instagram. Don't forget to sign up for our daily morning newsletter, Hey Las Vegas, for more hot takes and Vegas news.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that living in Las Vegas for any extended period means experiencing grief: Our city sees a lot of turnover, both in residents and small businesses. So today, co-host Dayvid Figler and contributor Brent Holmes, both lifelong Las Vegans, are talking about their favorite bygone restaurants. But here’s the fun twist: They’ll also share where in Las Vegas to go instead. So if you’re missing Flock and Fowl’s Hainanese chicken, Pots’ falafel, or Rosemary’s carpaccio salad, we’ve got you covered.What Vegas restaurant do you miss the most? And where would you direct people to go instead? Leave us a voicemail or text us at 702-514-0719. Bonus points if you’ve got pics and you tag us on social media: We’re @CityCastVegas on Twitter and InstagramDon’t forget to sign up for our amazing morning newsletter here — you’ll get a roundup of the news, insider tips on events, and large dose of snarky commentary in your inbox at 6 a.m. Monday through Friday.

Las Vegas is a city that sells sex… but when it comes to our sex shops, we’re actually kinda… basic. Today, co-host Vogue Robinson chats with UNLV professor Lynn Comella, author of the book “Vibrator Nation: How Feminist Sex-Toy Stores Changed the Business of Pleasure,” about sex shops in Vegas: How they’re evolving, the challenges faced by the one feminist sex shop we had (ever so briefly), and what a great sex shop can do for a city like ours.What’s your favorite sex shop in Vegas? Never been, but now you have questions? Leave us a voicemail at 702-514-0719, or tag us on social media at @CityCastVegas on Twitter and Instagram.Want some more Las Vegas news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter here.

Tell anyone you’re from Vegas, and you’re bound to get dumb questions: “Do you live in a casino? Does everyone gamble?” Last summer, we invited the City Cast CEO, David Plotz, an East Coaster through and through, to bring us all his most ridiculous Las Vegas questions. Co-hosts Dayvid Figler and Vogue Robinson do their best to do our city justice: Is everyone a night owl or do people have day jobs? Is Vegas youth-friendly? Can you bike outside in the summertime? So — the next time someone asks you a dumb Vegas question, send them this episode. You’re welcome.What are the dumbest Vegas questions you’ve ever heard? Let us know on social media (we’re @CityCastVegas on Twitter and Instagram). You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719.Want to get even smarter about what’s going on in Vegas? Do your brain a favor and sign up for our brilliant morning newsletter here.

Not only have we learned that this month’s mind-boggling casino con was allegedly committed by a 23-year old, it’s apparently one of at least five such heists in recent months. So today, co-hosts Vogue Robinson and Dayvid Figler sit down with Nevada Independent reporter Jacob Solis to hash out what these heists might mean for casino safety protocol, and dream up their perfect Vegas casino heist movie. They also chat about the news that the last two non-union casinos on the Strip, the Venetian and the Palazzo, agreeing to allow union organizing, and the news that yet another elected official, this time a Henderson city councilman, is under an ethics investigation for wearing his Metro uniform while campaigning.Who would your perfect casino heist movie star and how would it all go down? Send us a voicemail at 702-514-0719 and describe it in two sentences, or tag us on social media: We’re @CityCastVegas on Twitter and Instagram.Want some more Las Vegas news, events, and commentary? Then make sure to sign up for our brilliant morning newsletter here!

Las Vegas has some Thai food heavy hitters: Weera, Ocha, Archie’s, and of course, the James Beard Award-winning Lotus of Siam (which Saveur once called the “best Thai food in North America”). But how did we get here? Today, we’re bringing back a conversation that co-host Vogue Robinson had with UNLV professor Mark Padoongpatt. He’s the Director of Asian and Asian-American Studies at UNLV, and wrote a book about the history of Thai food in America called “Flavors of Empire.” Mark talks about how the Cold War helped Thai food make its way onto American plates, and how the rising fame of places like Lotus of Siam is changing the way that Americans value Thai food.What’s your favorite Thai food in Vegas? Let us know by tagging us on social media — we’re @CityCastVegas on Twitter and Instagram. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719.Want more Las Vegas news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter here.

Well, folks, it’s been a record-breaking year, but it looks like triple-digit temperatures are finally on deck this week. As Vegas starts its slow summer simmer, a lot of folks in the Valley make their escape up to Mt. Charleston, where temps are reliably 20 (or more) degrees cooler and pinyons and junipers shade trails along burbling creeks. Ahhh, paradise. Or is it? Today on the show, co-host Dayvid Figler talks with Jimmy Alderson, AKA Mt. Charleston Mountain Man, one of about 20 people who live year-round in Lee Canyon. He talks about the perils of off-grid mountain living, and why he’d still choose the mountain over the Valley any day.Have you ever thought about moving up to Mt. Charleston? Have a favorite trail or place to hang out there? Tag us on social media — we’re @CityCastVegas on Twitter and Instagram. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719.For more events, news, and commentary from around the Vegas Valley, treat yourself to our amazing morning newsletter here.