City Cast Las Vegas

City Cast Las Vegas

City Cast Las Vegas is a 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. Las Vegas is a city of reinvention, bursting at the seams as it welcomes newcomers into its various incarnations as a service-worker union town, a military town, a college town, and, most recently, a sports town. There’s a four-mile street testifying to our entrepreneurial genius, not far from pockets of staggering inequality. Great wealth runs through our city, but how much of that actually stays in Vegas? We’re independent in spirit, but also ruled by orange traffic cones. Our 2.5 million residents anchor an ever-changing city of 42 million visitors. Join us every 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.

Episodes

Las Vegas isn't exactly known for its soul food cuisine, but that doesn't mean you can't find great, award-winning Southern food in the Vegas Valley. Today on the podcast, co-host Sarah Lohman talks with travel and food writer Shaunda Necole about her local soul food recs, the difference between traditional and modern soul food, and what's missing in Las Vegas' soul food scene. Learn more about the sponsor of this April 17th episod...
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Ahead of World Circus Day this Saturday, we’re taking a look behind the curtain at the physical strain performers endure for their careers. Las Vegas is a major destination for acrobats, but our city lacks the protections and medical care needed to help manage the pain that accompanies their dazzling skills. UNLV professor and aerial performer Laura Martinez studies the culture of the circus industry and how they discuss pain. She ...
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After WrestleMania’s failed 1993 attempt in Las Vegas — so bad they made a documentary about it — all eyes are on its return to Vegas this weekend at Allegiant Stadium. So what do locals need to know about WrestleMania 41 taking over the city and why are combat sports so attracted to Las Vegas? Wrestling superfan and poet AJ Moyer sits down with co-host Dayvid Figler to explain the hype around “the Super Bowl of wrestling” and the ...
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With animal shelters across Southern Nevada facing overcrowding, poor conditions, and some even resuming euthanizations, advocates say that "adopt, don't shop" is more important than ever. So some municipalities in Southern Nevada, including Clark County, have enacted bans forbidding the retail sale of certain pets — and now the legislature is considering a bill to make that ban statewide. Co-host Sarah Lohman sits down with Nevada...
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The story of a missing veterinarian at Lake Mead took even more twists and turns this week when it was revealed that he'd been caught on video kicking a horse in the head. But does his long apology, posted shortly afterward, explain another side to the story? Co-hosts Dayvid Figler and Sarah Lohman discuss the saga with TheList.Vegas creator Andrew Kiraly. They also talk about recent reporting from the Review-Journal that revealed ...
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April 10, 2025 24 mins
With Passover coming up, you might just have brisket, kugel, rugelach, and matzo ball soup on your mind — so where can you get the best Jewish deli food around town? Co-hosts Dayvid Figler (who grew up in Las Vegas's Jewish community) and Sarah Lohman (a culinary historian) bring back a conversation about the history of the Jewish deli, how "kosher-lite" cuisine came to Las Vegas, and how they rate the Jewish delis in the valley. L...
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Well, we've really done it now — even the famously nice Canadians are avoiding travel to the U.S. And for Las Vegas in particular, that's a big problem, because our number one source of international visitors is (you guessed it) Canada. About 1.4 million of them visited Vegas in 2023. But, as the Nevada Independent recently reported, that number is starting to plummet. Today, co-host Dayvid Figler talks with Graham MacLennan, a law...
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Nevada is one of America’s most diverse states for insect life but many of these species are at risk of extinction with no statewide protections. And as the City of North Las Vegas begins planning for a new development on 7,000 acres of land received from the Bureau of Land Management, how should we ensure the safety of endemic species? Could these protections actually streamline development? Co-host Sarah Lohman sits down with Amy...
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Clark County had 11 cyclist deaths on our roads last year — bike safety advocates say our road design and driving culture are partly to blame. They're backing a counterintuitive bill this legislative session: AB 168 would allow cyclists to disregard stop signs and keep pedaling through intersections. Co-host Dayvid Figler talks with Ky Plaskon, secretary at the Nevada Bicycle Coalition, and David Swallow, Deputy CEO at the Regional...
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Thirty-four of the Wetlands Park's 210 acres burned this week in a wildfire that took on surprising proportions — so what does it mean when a fire is "human caused," and what common plant could be at the root of the problem? Co-hosts Sarah Lohman and Dayvid Figler talk with Battle Born Progress press secretary Jacob Solis about the wildfire, explore how a decades-old abortion law was brought back to life, and rate the news about th...
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Not all Las Vegans are vegan, but we've actually got a surprisingly robust vegan food scene — and it's good enough that omnivores and plant-eaters alike can appreciate our diverse vegan food scene. Co-host Sarah Lohman talks with Jackie Sobon, food stylist and blogger at Vegan Yack Attack, who gives us the lay of the land and shares her favorite vegan restaurants in Las Vegas that are actually delicious. Bonus: she's also got a lis...
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The new administration's sweeping spending cuts have reached the USDA, which cut two pandemic-era relief programs in Nevada last week. Southern Nevada's only food bank, Three Square, won't receive about 1 million pounds of food that it had been expecting this spring, and Home Feeds Nevada won't be able to pay local farmers and ranchers to supply food pantries, either. So what happens now? Co-host Dayvid Figler sits down with Three ...
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April 1, 2025 32 mins
As the wind blows us into April, we have your guide to make the most out of this month in Las Vegas. From a magical exhibit at Springs Preserve to the hottest tickets to get your hands on. Co-hosts Dayvid Figler and Sarah Lohman are joined by poet and artist Vogue Robinson to share their best tips, can’t miss events, and tastiest food recs for April.  If you're new here, welcome! We’ve put together a starter pack for you, with epis...
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March 31, 2025 25 mins
The 83rd Legislative Session is in full swing, and we've already got well over 1,000 lobbyists registered in Carson City this year. But how exactly do lobbyists work, and why do they say they're so essential to Nevada's citizen legislature in particular? Today, co-host Dayvid Figler talks with the Nevada Independent's capital bureau chief Tabitha Mueller. She demystifies the lobbying process for us and answers a big question: Could...
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Today on our weekly news roundup, Uber and Nevada trial lawyers settle a dispute in the legislature with a big compromise, the $200 million residential homeless center, The Campus of Hope, draws opposition from neighbors, and we discuss our favorite moments after 3 years of the City Cast Las Vegas podcast and Hey Las Vegas newsletter! Writer and City Cast Las Vegas alum Scott Dickensheets joins Nevada Current deputy editor April Co...
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March 27, 2025 21 mins
On March 29th, Muslims across Southern Nevada will celebrate Eid al-Fitr, the holiday that marks the end of Ramadan and a month of fasting. To mark the occasion, families will host big dinners and order food from the many delicious halal restaurants around the Valley. So today, co-host Dayvid Figler talks with producer Layla Muhammad about her favorite halal restaurants in Las Vegas and what to order there. Learn more about the spo...
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March 26, 2025 20 mins
Who would give a one-star review to Mother Nature? A lot of people, it turns out. Today, we’re bringing back a collection of the funniest one-star reviews of natural wonders around Las Vegas. Executive producer Sonja Cho Swanson reads the reviews and quizzes our hosts, Dayvid Figler and Sarah Lohman, on which Mojave Desert icons got flamed online. Learn more about the sponsors of this March 26th episode: Tedx Las Vegas Want to get ...
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Las Vegans love to complain about our “lack” of public transit. But with recent reports of violence on buses, the conversation has intensified. So, what does the agency running our public transportation system of buses, bike shares, and more have to say about these concerns? We are revisiting a conversation co-host Dayvid Filger had with MJ Maynard, CEO of Southern Nevada’s Regional Transportation Commission (RTC). Maynard talks ab...
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March 24, 2025 20 mins
If you thought we’d get a quiet start to the year, well, you’d be wrong: The headlines have come in fast and furious. So today, executive producer Sonja Cho Swanson quizzes our two hosts, Dayvid Figler and Sarah Lohman, on quotes from the wildest stories of the year so far. Learn more about the sponsors of this March 24th episode: Tedx Las Vegas Want to get in touch? Follow us @CityCastVegas on Instagram, or email us at lasvegas@ci...
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With all the world’s events happening fast and furious, you may be wondering “what am I missing at home?” That’s where we come in with our Friday news roundup of the biggest stories to hit our hometown this week. We discuss the local and federal response to five Teslas set on fire with Molotov cocktails, UNLV graduate students testifying to the legislature about union representation, and snow in Las Vegas this month! Co-hosts Dayvi...
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