Episodes

  • How to Prove You’re a Real Las Vegas Local

    How to Prove You’re a Real Las Vegas Local
    Apr 15 2026
    Las Vegans love proving they’re the real deal. We give that instinct the merit badge treatment with a playful checklist of local status. From surviving triple-digit summers to knowing secret parking hacks and late-night diner rituals, these badges capture the quirks that separate tourists from true residents. Beneath the humor, it reveals how pride and community shape belonging in a city people often misunderstand. Host Jesse Merrick is joined by contributors Dayvid Figler and Sonja Cho Swanson. Learn more about the sponsors of this Wednesday, April 15th episode: Southern Nevada Water Authority L.V. Academy of the Arts 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.
    Show more Show less
    30 mins
  • Is Vegas Running Out of Land for Housing?

    Is Vegas Running Out of Land for Housing?
    Apr 14 2026
    We’ve all heard it by this point: Vegas needs more housing to drive down the price of homes. But where exactly are developers supposed to build? Today on our City Cast Las Vegas podcast, reporter Patrick Blennerhassett from the Review-Journal explains how federal land policy, local zoning laws, and the rising cost of building homes makes for a complicated answer. Learn more about the sponsors of this Tuesday, April 14th episode: Southern Nevada Water Authority L.V. Academy of the Arts 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.
    Show more Show less
    26 mins
  • Could the Next Pandemic Start in Vegas?

    Could the Next Pandemic Start in Vegas?
    Apr 13 2026
    When a confirmed case of measles hit the Las Vegas Convention Center last month, did Vegas get lucky by avoiding a widespread outbreak? And if so – what happens if that luck runs out? Today on City Cast Las Vegas, host Sonja Cho Swanson sits down with Jeff Quinn, Public Health Preparedness Officer at the Southern Nevada Health District, to discuss whether Vegas learned its lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic – and whether the city is ready for another potential outbreak. Learn more about the sponsors of this April 13th episode: Southern Nevada Water Authority L.V. Academy of the Arts 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.
    Show more Show less
    28 mins
  • 'Your City Could Be Better': Why Portland’s Considering Hiring a Night Mayor — Presented By City Cast Las Vegas

    'Your City Could Be Better': Why Portland’s Considering Hiring a Night Mayor — Presented By City Cast Las Vegas
    Apr 12 2026
    Las Vegans, what do you do when your night life starts to dwindle? Nightlife is a huge economic driver for cities, but city offices are often closed when those businesses need help. That’s why Portland is considering hiring a Night Mayor. City Cast CEO David Plotz talks with City Cast Portland podcast host Claudia Meza about what this new position would do, and if it is the answer to the pandemic’s enduring negative impact on walkability, small businesses, and nightlife in cities everywhere. Plus, should your city be weirder? Mentioned on the show: "Can a Night Mayor Revive Downtown Portland?" (City Cast Portland) 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.
    Show more Show less
    26 mins
  • Crypto Kiosk Scams, Protecting Ash Meadows, and Pups on a Plane

    Crypto Kiosk Scams, Protecting Ash Meadows, and Pups on a Plane
    Apr 10 2026
    Clark County has hundreds of ATMs that exchange cash for cryptocurrency (or "crypto kiosks") and scammers are swindling Nevadans out of millions with these machines. So what kinds of guardrails make sense — or are even possible? Sonja Cho Swanson sits down with Nevada Current editor April Corbin Girnus and our brand new host at City Cast Las Vegas, Jesse Merrick, to discuss. Plus, the team looks at why the deep red community around Ash Meadows in Nye County is fighting development and seeking a national conservation area designation, and why the Animal Foundation just flew 30 rescue pets out to Utah. Plus: This week in our members-only feed, we discuss the debate over turning First Friday into an exclusive, ticketed event. Learn more about becoming a City Cast Las Vegas Neighbor at membership.citycast.fm. Learn more about the sponsors of this April 9th episode: Southern Nevada Water Authority L.V. Academy of the Arts Taskrabbit Looking to advertise on City Cast Las Vegas? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise. 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.
    Show more Show less
    34 mins
  • The End of Vegas' Strangest Media Marriage

    The End of Vegas' Strangest Media Marriage
    Apr 9 2026
    The Las Vegas Review-Journal is no longer printing the Las Vegas Sun in its pages — at least for now. The longtime rival newspapers published competing op-eds to mark the change, which came after continued legal battles. But why was the Review-Journal printing the Sun in the first place, and should it continue doing so? Host Sonja Cho Swanson is getting the scoop on this modern newspaper war from UNLV history professor Michael Green, and longtime media observer and lawyer Dayvid Figler. Learn more about the sponsors of this April 9th episode: Southern Nevada Water Authority L.V. Academy of the Arts Taskrabbit 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.
    Show more Show less
    27 mins
  • Can Nevada Laws Catch Up to the Data Center Boom?

    Can Nevada Laws Catch Up to the Data Center Boom?
    Apr 8 2026
    More tech companies are eyeing Southern Nevada for data centers, as the state’s AI boom continues. But new proposals are getting local pushback over water and power usage, and raising questions about how to regulate these companies. So just how resource-draining are data centers, and is this boom actually a good thing for Nevada? Host Sonja Cho Swanson is getting the details from Review-Journal reporter Alan Halaly. Learn more about the sponsors of this April 7th episode: Southern Nevada Water Authority L.V. Academy of the Arts Taskrabbit 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.
    Show more Show less
    23 mins
  • Could Nevada Have Its Own Zohran Mamdani?

    Could Nevada Have Its Own Zohran Mamdani?
    Apr 7 2026
    A pair of Democratic Socialists of America candidates are trying to unseat establishment Democrats in two Southern Nevada assembly races, betting that a message centered on affordability can break through. Nevada Current reporter Matthew Mondschein explains to host Sonja Cho Swanson how the candidates are rejecting corporate money, leaning on grassroots organizing, and tapping into voter frustration. But can that strategy translate into wins in Nevada’s political landscape? Learn more about the sponsors of this April 7th episode: Southern Nevada Water Authority L.V. Academy of the Arts Taskrabbit 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.
    Show more Show less
    24 mins