City Cast Las Vegas is an an award-winning 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. Join us every weekday 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. Learn more and subscribe to our daily newsletter at lasvegas.citycast.fm. Named Best Podcast by The Las Vegas Weekly 2025
Las Vegas Metro Sheriff Kevin McMahill is defending the department's use of license plate reader cameras across the valley, even as a nationwide backlash grows and civil liberties groups call the technology a mass surveillance system. Then, the federal government just released its preferred plan for Colorado River water cuts, and Nevada could be forced to give up between a third and two-thirds of its current allocation after 2028, prompting swift pushback from state officials. Finally, the Raiders are back in training camp with rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza generating some buzz, but with six coaches, and a 39-50 record since moving to Las Vegas, is their hope to turn things around valid? Host Jesse Merrick breaks it all down with "Keep It Local" editor Melinda Sheckells and Creative Producer Jacob Solis. Learn more about the sponsors of this Wednesday, August 5th episode: Touching Hearts 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. 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.
President Trump is heading back to Las Vegas to promote his "no tax on tips" policy, but did it actually make a difference for the service workers it was designed to help? Then, Clark County School District is offering eligible families up to $1,000 in transportation assistance to help cover the cost of getting their children to higher-rated schools, but is it enough to make school choice a real option for working families? Plus, we debut a new segment: Vegas Fixation of the Week, where host Jesse Merrick, Spotlight Poetry founder Elle Hope and criminal defense attorney Dayvid Figler each share what Las Vegas-related thing, place or activity they can't stop thinking about right now. Learn more about the sponsors of this Tuesday, August 4th episode: Touching Hearts 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. 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 local dining scene in Las Vegas continues to explode, so what are some of the best new restaurants that opened in 2026? Host Jesse Merrick and newsletter editor Rob Kachelriess break down the best new restaurants in the valley, which upcoming openings to keep an eye on and what challenges new restaurants face in Southern Nevada. Learn more about the sponsors of this Monday, August 3rd episode: Touching Hearts 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. 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.
‘Your City Could Be Better’: How One City Beat Restrictive Zoning — Presented By City Cast Las Vegas
Do you know how zoning laws affect Las Vegas’ housing costs? New Haven, CT, has been governed for years by restrictive zoning that made it physically impossible to build tall buildings downtown, even for housing — that is, until the local government finally aligned to overturn it. City Cast CEO David Plotz sits down with Eli Sabin, a New Haven native and one of the alders (aka city council members) responsible for passing this change in recent months. Eli spent years working toward this goal, and he talks with David about what now needs to happen to fully realize its potential and increase affordability for locals. 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.
Las Vegas is bracing for temperatures up to 117 degrees this weekend, and with nearly 30 heat-related deaths already recorded in Clark County this year, the valley's approach to extreme heat is under the microscope. Then, Southern Nevada's data center battles are heating up too. Plus, Good News Friday returns. And in a members-only bonus segment, Nevada's fight against prediction market platform Kalshi escalates; we dig into just how big a threat platforms like Kalshi are to Las Vegas' gaming industry and what guardrails need to be put in place. Host Jesse Merrick breaks it all down with NPR Mountain West News Bureau regional reporter Yvette Fernandez and Nevada Current reporter Michael "MJ" Lyle. 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. 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.
August is here, and as the mercury keeps rising, we're kicking off our monthly guide with the best tips to beat the record-breaking heat headed our way this weekend. Then, "Keep It Local" writer Melinda Sheckells and local filmmaker and food correspondent Jason Harris share their picks for the best places to eat around town and the events they have circled on their calendars. Learn more about the sponsors of this Thursday, July 30th episode: Neon Museum 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. 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.
Talks are underway to extend the Vegas Loop tunnel system directly into Harry Reid International Airport, so would that finally make the Vegas Loop worth it? Then, Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto is introducing a bill to block the deportation of DACA recipients. Does this one have a shot at passing after her first attempt failed in 2023? Finally, as billionaires trip over each other to buy into Vegas sports teams, UNLV Runnin' Rebels basketball coach Josh Pastner has a different pitch: skip the NBA franchise and invest in the Runnin' Rebels instead. Host Jesse Merrick breaks it all down with Nevada Current Deputy Editor April Corbin Girnus and criminal defense attorney Dayvid Figler. 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. 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.
Clark County's population growth is slowing dramatically; a new UNLV forecast projects the county won't hit 3 million residents until 2055, a full decade later than previously predicted. So what does that mean for Las Vegas' future? Then, Nevada Democrats lost their bid to hold the first presidential primary in 2028, narrowly falling to South Carolina in a DNC committee vote, and the implications are significant. Finally, did you know there are beavers living in Las Vegas? The Clark County Wetlands Park is one of the valley's most underrated outdoor spaces, and it turns out those beavers are doing some pretty important work for the entire Colorado River watershed. Host Jesse Merrick breaks it all down with Creative Producer Jacob Solis and local artist Vogue Robinson. 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. 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.
Nevada Humanities is hosting a free screening of "Piconland" this Wednesday at the West Las Vegas Library. The documentary explores the history and cultural significance of Nevada's official state drink, the Picon Punch. But good luck finding a Picon Punch on a menu in Las Vegas. It's really more of a Northern Nevada thing. So what should the official drink of Las Vegas actually be? To answer that, we're revisiting a conversation hosted by Sonja Cho, who enlisted two top local bartenders to help create five contenders for the title of Las Vegas' official cocktail. 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. 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.
‘Your City Could Be Better’: The Trick to Getting People To Volunteer — Presented By City Cast Las Vegas
It’s not a given that every Las Vegan will chip in to help their community. In this episode, City Cast CEO David Plotz talks with writer Taylor Lahey about how functional incentives could be the missing link in traditional systems of donations and volunteering. Inspired by a waste exchange program in Curitiba, Brazil, Lahey is working to create circular systems that effectively incentivize donations and just as effectively get them into the hands of those who need them. When investment and morale are low, sometimes an unconventional approach is the right way to go. Want to hear your question on an upcoming episode of Your City Could Be Better? Submit your city dilemmas for our upcoming call-in show by using our Google Form: https://forms.gle/45X33jhGHf8BYDM5A 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.
Nearly 9,000 people were experiencing homelessness in Clark County in January, a 12% jump since 2024, and the numbers raise real questions about whether Southern Nevada's investments to combat homelessness are working. Then, a new Democratic poll shows Lombardo and Ford dead even at 44% each with four months to go, and we dig into what that means for the Governor’s race. Plus, our Good News Friday segment returns. And in a members-only bonus segment, Clark County just approved a new resort concept for the Strip's most infamous eyesore, and we debate whether this is what the south Strip actually needs. Host Jesse Merrick breaks it all down with Nevada Current reporter Michael “MJ” Lyle and Executive Producer Layla Muhammad. Learn more about the sponsors of this Friday, July 24th episode: Neon Museum Foundation for Women's Leadership & Empowerment Touching Hearts 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. 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.
Squatters have been in the news nationally and in Las Vegas recently, and under current Nevada law, even legitimate homeowners can find themselves powerless to remove unauthorized occupants quickly. So what needs to change? Then, local animal rescue Paws Patrol LV had its thermal drone destroyed mid-rescue by unhoused individuals, and a stranger from Montana stepped up to replace it. It raises a bigger question: why do some animal rescues have to rely on the kindness of strangers to fund life-saving equipment? Finally, one of Philly's most celebrated cheesesteak shops just opened its first location outside Philadelphia right here in Las Vegas, which got us thinking about some of the best sandwich shops around Vegas. Host Jesse Merrick breaks it all down with Executive Producer Layla Muhammad and Nevada Current Editor April Corbin Girnus. Learn more about the sponsors of this Thursday, July 23rd episode: Neon Museum Foundation for Women's Leadership & Empowerment Touching Hearts 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. 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 sent warning letters to every state threatening criminal penalties if noncitizen voters cast ballots in the midterms, and Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar fired back. Host Jesse Merrick sits down with Aguilar to find out how Nevada is pushing back. Then, Creative Producer Jacob Solis joins to explain why Nevada ranks among the states with the highest student loan default rates in the country, with 93,000 borrowers in default and more than $2 billion owed. Finally, a Las Vegas startup just launched an AI casino host platform, and it raises a big question about the future of hospitality in Vegas. Learn more about the sponsors of this Wednesday, July 22nd episode: Neon Museum Foundation for Women's Leadership & Empowerment Touching Hearts 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. 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.
ICE agents left a man handcuffed at Harry Reid International Airport after walking away from an attempted arrest, and the incident went viral. It's also prompting new scrutiny of Gov. Lombardo's claim at a closed-door event that his personal relationship with Trump is the only thing keeping ICE off the Las Vegas Strip. Then, Nevada still doesn't have a permanently confirmed federal prosecutor, and the delay appears anything but accidental. Finally, Las Vegas rents have risen nearly 20 percent faster than Los Angeles since 2019, while that’s shocking, it may not tell the whole story. Host Jesse Merrick breaks it all down with "Keep It Local" writer Melinda Sheckells and criminal defense attorney Dayvid Figler. We’re doing our annual survey to learn more about our listeners. We’d be grateful if you took the survey at citycast.fm/survey—it’s only 7 minutes long. You’ll be doing us a big favor. Plus, anyone who takes the survey will be eligible to win a $250 Visa gift card–and City Cast City swag. Learn more about the sponsors of this Tuesday, July 21st episode: Neon Museum Foundation for Women's Leadership & Empowerment Touching Hearts 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. 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.
Christopher Nolan shot "The Odyssey" entirely on IMAX cameras, and that's a big part of why cinephiles are scrambling to find one of the only 25 true 70mm IMAX screens in the entire country to see it on. Las Vegas has one of them at Brenden Theatres at the Palms. So what makes 70mm IMAX such a big deal? Where are the best places to catch a movie in Las Vegas, and in an era of streaming, why should we still bother going to the theater at all? Host Jesse Merrick gets into it with film podcaster David Rosen and filmmaker Jason Harris. We’re doing our annual survey to learn more about our listeners. We’d be grateful if you took the survey at citycast.fm/survey—it’s only 7 minutes long. You’ll be doing us a big favor. Plus, anyone who takes the survey will be eligible to win a $250 Visa gift card–and City Cast City swag. Mentioned in this episode: Brendan Palms The Beverly Theater Galaxy Theaters Cinemark Century Suncoast Regal Cinebarre Palace Station AMC Town Square Learn more about the sponsors of this Monday, July 20th episode: Neon Museum Foundation for Women's Leadership & Empowerment Touching Hearts 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. 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.
‘Your City Could Be Better’: Why Are Chattanoogans ‘Doing It Their Damn Selves’? — Presented By City Cast Las Vegas
Sometimes it can feel like the Las Vegas government is two (or more) steps behind the needs of its neighborhoods. Enter the residents of Chattanooga, Tennessee. What Chattanoogans don’t have, they make up for in advocacy, whether by showing up to city council and organizing for change or just doing things themselves. City Cast CEO David Plotz sits down with creator and city lover Hope Henchey about how she and her neighbors are sneakily and secretly fixing up their city. You’ve heard of the Nashville bench builders — now get ready for the Chattanooga pothole fillers, sidewalk layers, and (literal) trail blazers. Mentioned on the show: Atlas Obscura feature on the community-built benches in Chattanooga Efforts by Strong Chattanooga to make a path through the woods in a sidewalk-less neighborhood Review of Hoboken's streak of zero traffic fatalities 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.
About 139,000 Nevadans currently have suspended driver's licenses, many of them because of unpaid traffic fines. But the suspensions meant to push people toward compliance are largely backfiring. Then, the LVCVA just approved a $100 million sponsorship payment to F1 through 2037 and handed its CEO Steve Hill more than $800,000 in annual pay and bonuses. Are Las Vegans seeing their tax dollars distributed properly? Host Jesse Merrick digs into those stories with Nevada Current reporter Michael MJ Lyle and journalist Naoka Foreman. And in our members-only bonus segment, Boulder City's fight against a federally approved data center is heating up — the team explains why this battle is likely bigger than many people realize. Learn more about the sponsors of this Friday, July 17th episode: Foundation for Women's Leadership & Empowerment 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. 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.
Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo got pulled over by Metro, and the body cam footage just went public. A Las Vegas woman is accused of running a marriage scam, targeting men online, convincing them to fly to Vegas and marry her, then filing for divorce and demanding a financial settlement to fund her gambling habit.The Venetian is the latest Strip casino hit with a multimillion-dollar fine tied to convicted bookmaker Mathew Bowyer, bringing total penalties to $34 million across four casinos. And Flavor Flav's SHE Weekend parade hits the Strip Thursday to give Olympic women athletes the celebration they deserve. Criminal defense attorney Dayvid Figler and NPR’s Mountain West Bureau reporter Yvette Fernandez join host Jesse Merrick to break it all down. Learn more about the sponsors of this Thursday, July 16th episode: Foundation for Women's Leadership & Empowerment 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. 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.
Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford just joined 11 other states in a lawsuit to block the $110 billion merger of Warner Bros. and Paramount, so what are the ripple effects of our state getting in on the fight? Then, monsoon season is here and Las Vegas is bracing for an active stretch of weather, so what do locals need to know to stay safe? Finally, after eight years of planning and multiple redesigns, Clark County is moving forward with a $97 million overpass at one of the valley's most frustrating intersections. Host Jesse Merrick breaks it all down with Spotlight Poetry founder Elle Hope and Creative Producer Jacob Solis. Learn more about the sponsors of this Wednesday, July 15th episode: Foundation for Women's Leadership & Empowerment 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. 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.
Health organizations are pushing Nevada lawmakers to nearly double the state's cigarette tax, but with a two-thirds vote required for tax increases, do lawmakers have the political will to make it happen? Then, the Museum of Ice Cream just opened at Area15, promising 32 flavors, 60 toppings and unlimited ice cream, but is it actually worth it? Finally, an update on the Brightline West high-speed rail project connecting Las Vegas to Los Angeles: construction is underway, but costs have ballooned from $12 billion to $21 billion and a critical $6 billion federal loan has been pending since September with no decision timeline. Host Jesse Merrick breaks it all down with Nevada Current Deputy Editor April Corbin Girnus and food historian Sarah Lohman. Learn more about the sponsors of this Tuesday, July 14th episode: Foundation for Women's Leadership & Empowerment 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. 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.
