City Cast Las Vegas

The dams built along the Colorado River some hundred years ago paved the way for Western cities to boom. Las Vegas wouldn’t exist without Lake Mead, our nation’s largest reservoir. But these dams came with a cost: environmental impact, cultural loss, and fraught political battles.So as Western states stare down a deadline for figuring out our Colorado River allocation, we gotta ask: Was the creation of Lake Mead… a mistake?Today, co-host Dayvid Figler sits down with UNLV hydrology professor David Kreamer to talk about the mistakes we made when damming the river first started, the salty agricultural mayhem the dam created downriver, and what needs to change if we’re going to keep Lake Mead, after all.We’re on social media! Follow us @CityCastVegas on Twitter and 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. 

It’s one of the more hotly-debated legislative items this session: Nevada is one of just five states without a lottery. We already have gambling, so what’s the big deal? In today’s news roundup, co-hosts Vogue Robinson and Dayvid Figler along with newsletter editor Scott Dickensheets break it all down, and debate the pros and cons of a lottery in our state. They also discuss the MSG Sphere’s upcoming launch (and what they’d actually want to see in the sphere). And last but not least, we ask why Vegas was recently ranked the country’s sixth-best city for weed, below Buffalo, NY and Baltimore, MD (yes, the concentration of Taco Bells was a metric in this highly-scientific ranking).Are you excited enough for the MSG Sphere to score a $200+ ticket? Tell us your thoughts on the newest addition to our skyline on social media! Follow us @CityCastVegas on Twitter and Instagram. You can also call or text us at 702-514-0719 and let us know if you’d vote yes or no to the lottery in Nevada.Don’t forget to sign up here for our morning newsletter to stay up to date and engaged with your wittiest neighbor Scott! 

Many of the foods we think of as quintessentially Filipino (chicken adobo, lumpia, and pancit) are actually the result of centuries of colonization and cultural influence from Spain, China, Malaysia, and even the U.S. So what exactly makes Filipino food… Filipino? That’s the question driving Walbert Castillo, creator of the brand-new Filipino pop-up series Istorya — along with chef Catherine Carlucci and a team that includes culinary historians and cultural advisors, Istorya is peeling back the layers of history. Their first meal in the series, which is popping up on April 25th, explores pre-colonial Filipino ingredients and techniques, which includes tuna, ube, activated coconut charcoal, and a very special “dinosauregg”-shaped block of salt. And, as Walbert tells lead producer Sonja Cho Swanson, it turns out that Las Vegas is the perfect ground zero for this Filipino food movement.We’re on social media! Follow us @CityCastVegas on Twitter and 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. 

Many Vegas natives wouldn’t think gardening in our climate makes a lot of sense, but as our spring weather finally evens out and we spend more time outside, you may be glad to hear that gardening is possible for us! As our city grows and apartment living gets more common, our co-host Vogue Robinson asks Cheyenne Kyle, master gardener at the Obodo Collective, how to start a spring patio garden for any small space. From planting a watermelon in a bag to transitioning your garden for the summer, Cheyenne has all the Vegas planting tips you need to keep your plants alive.Let us know what else is on your mind this spring on social media! Follow us @CityCastVegas on Twitter and 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. 

When Jordan Clark saw an e-bike in the lobby of his hotel a few years ago, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to ride it. At 330lbs, he wasn’t doing much cycling. One ride later, and he was hooked. Today, Jordan is 245lbs and now owns several e-bike stores in the Valley — and he’s not just an enthusiast, he’s an evangelist. As Jordan points out, people with limited mobility like the elderly and infirm can tackle rides that they wouldn’t have otherwise. But not everyone is happy about e-bikes and how fast they can go. Today on City Cast Las Vegas, Jordan and co-host Vogue Robinson chat about how e-bikes can offer accessible cycling, the debates around e-bike regulation, and where to hit the trails around Las Vegas.Are you an e-bike enthusiast? Adamantly opposed to their presence on the trails? Let us know what you think: Tag us on social media (@CityCastVegas on Twitter and Instagram) or leave us a text or a voicemail at 702-514-0719.Want more Las Vegas goings-on-about-town? Then make sure to sign up for our amazing morning newsletter here!

Nevada lawmakers are discussing a bill that would decriminalize psychedelics like shrooms and ketamine. Advocates argue that this will help open the door for more research on psychedelics’ clinical uses in mental health. But what’s the experience of using psychedelics really like? Perhaps no one is more qualified to talk about this than Shane Mauss — he’s a comedian, science podcaster, and self-described psychonaut who has been exploring the world of psychedelics (bothfirst-hand and through interviews and research) for over 20 years now. And on the heels of his 111-city tour of “A Good Trip,” Shane is now bringing a new art and video-filled special called “A Better Trip” to Area15, for a residency starting April 23rd. Co-host Dayvid Figler and Shane sit down to talk about how Shane’s views on psychedelics have evolved, his own mental health journey, and what Nevadans should know about psychedelics as we debate their decriminalization.Do you think Nevada should decriminalize psychedelics? Have you had a good trip or a bad trip you want to share? Leave us a voicemail at 702-514-0719, or tag us on social media — we’re @CityCastVegas on Twitter and Instagram.For more of what Las Vegas is talking about, make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter here.

The historic Huntridge Theater will light up its marquee neon sign tonight for the first time in two decades (event details here) — which developer J Dapper says is a sign to the community that the space is on its way to renovation. But soon — and how likely is it to happen? In today’s news roundup, co-hosts Vogue Robinson and Dayvid Figler, along with contributor and thelist.vegas publisher Andrew Kiraly, discuss the Huntridge relighting and the “Lucy’s football” promise of the theater’s reopening. Then, it’s on to a heavier topic: A lawsuit against former associates of Tony Hsieh — it’s not the first such lawsuit, but this one comes with serious allegations, including a claim that Hsieh paid $30 million over actual value for the former Las Vegas city hall building. So what lessons can Las Vegas learn from this sad saga? And last, we discuss a proposed new beer garden on the roof of an apartment building — and how this debate could open up an interesting conversation about walkable neighborhoods and sensible zoning.Would you want a beer garden on your apartment rooftop? Or a coffeeshop in a house down the street? Let us know by leaving us a voicemail at 702-514-0719, or tagging us on social media: We’re @CityCastVegas on Twitter and Instagram. You can also follow us for tips, pics, and soundbites from the show!For even more Las Vegas news, events and snarky commentary, you’ll want to sign up for our brilliant morning newsletter. Don’t miss out, get it here.

During the pandemic, Victoria Flores started a food pantry from her home to help her community on the Eastside have better access to nutritious foods and essentials. Two years later, as SNAP benefits, or food assistance, that some Nevadans have been receiving since the pandemic began comes to an end this month, Victoria tells co-host Vogue Robinson how The Solidarity Fridge has been embraced by the community and will continue to meet people where they are at, no questions asked.Learn how you can get involved in supporting The Solidarity Fridge at https://www.thesolidarityfridge.org.Are you a Las Vegan working to solve an issue in our community? Let us know in a voicemail or text at 702-514-0719. You can also join the conversation on social media! Follow us @CityCastVegas on Twitter and Instagram. Want some more Las Vegas news? Then make sure to sign up for our morning newsletter here.

The 2023 legislative session saw over 900 new bills introduced that ranged from serious to seriously curious. So how do the legislators make time to discuss all of them? Well, the wackiest ones don’t usually get a chance for debate on the floor, but Nevada Current reporter April Corbin Girnus tells co-host Dayvid Figler that there might be more to these “stunt” bills than you think. April and Dayvid discuss the wackiest bills proposed this session, and why they might serve a purpose, even if they’re dead on arrival.If you were elected to the legislature, whats the wackiest bill would you’d propose? Let us know on social media @CityCastVegas on Twitter and Instagram. Don’t forget to hit that follow button while you’re there. You can also call us at 702-514-0719 and leave it in a voicemail!Trying to keep up with Nevada politics, news, and culture? Let Scott Dickensheets help you stay in the know by signing up for our morning newsletter here. 

When AB168 passed in 2019, it required school districts across the state to integrate restorative justice into their disciplinary plans — in other words, instead of going right to the punishments, like suspension or expulsion, schools needed to look at other behavioral remedies. But fast forward to today, and it seems like nobody (on any side of the political spectrum) is happy with how AB168 has played out. Even our governor recently spoke out against it, pushing a new bill that will make major revisions to AB168 in the name of school safety. So why didn’t restorative justice play out as planned? Has AB168 turned into a scapegoat for school safety concerns? What policies could actually work? Today, co-host Vogue Robinson sits down with Rocío Hernández, to talk about the drama over these two bills, and what’s being done about it.What are your school safety concerns — and how do you see restorative justice working (or not) in schools? Let us know by commenting and tagging us on socials (we’re @CityCastVegas on Twitter and Instagram), or by leaving us a voicemail or a text at 702-514-0719.Then make sure to sign up for our brilliant morning newsletter here. It’s chock-full of events, news, thoughtful (andoccasionally snarky) conversations about topics that matter to Las Vegans.