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.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Las Vegas Metro PD wants to be the most technologically advanced police force in the country, and they're well on their way to doing that. Drones filling the sky, Flock license plate readers, a fleet of police Cybertrucks, ShotSpotter technology and a counterterrorism surveillance program called the Meridian Project are all part of Metro's growing tech arsenal. But how much do Las Vegas residents actually know about what's being deployed in their neighborhoods, and how much input have they had? Host Jesse Merrick sits down with Nevada Independent reporter Oona Milliken, who has been digging into Metro's surveillance expansion, to break down what the technology actually does, why so much of it came through private donations rather than public funding and whether the tradeoffs in privacy and civil liberties are actually worth it.

For more information on the sponsor of today’s podcast, visit www.fwle.org

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There’s lots to love about Las Vegas, but being able to get in and out of it easily and cheaply can be an underrated metric of its livability. Accommodating, accessible, and affordable local airports are a specific resource that many cities need. To find out which cities are leading the charge and the kinds of amenities that elevate an airport to gold status, City Cast CEO David Plotz chats with Scott Keyes, founder and Chief Flight Expert of Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights) about everything he’s seen in his work and travels. How does your airport stack up?

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A billion-dollar lawsuit over a failed satellite city northeast of Las Vegas, which is led by a Lombardo campaign advisor, is headed to trial, and if developers win, it could fundamentally change the way the state regulates water rights. Then, a data center developer near Boulder City found a way around the city's public approval process by pivoting to federal land, which could open the door for more data center projects to follow suit. Plus, driverless cars are getting closer to Las Vegas streets as Waymo announces fully autonomous testing in the valley. Host Jesse Merrick breaks it all down with reporters Tabitha Mueller of the Nevada Independent and Michael "MJ" Lyle of the Nevada Current. And in a members-only bonus segment, Gov. Joe Lombardo has outspent his opponent, Attorney General Aaron Ford 174 to 1 on campaign ads in a race everyone says is a toss-up. So what impact will that actually have on the governor's race?

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Las Vegas has built one of the fastest-growing sports scenes in the country. The Golden Knights arrived in 2017, the Aces followed, then the Raiders came to town and the Athletics are on their way. Now, as Summer League returns to Las Vegas, the NBA is eyeing the valley for one of two expansion franchises, alongside Seattle. But is the city actually ready for the NBA?

News 3 Sports Director Bryan Salmond and Vegas Sports Today’s Cassandra Cousineau join the show to break down whether Las Vegas has the market, the right ownership options and the arena infrastructure to make an NBA team work, and whether it's more likely to follow the Golden Knights' model of local support or the Raiders' reliance on tourists.

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Las Vegas has gotten in on national protests over the years, but it seems grassroots movements often have trouble gaining enough traction to garner attention for their cause in Southern Nevada. So why is that? Is Las Vegas dissuading massive protests? To answer that question, we sit down with journalist Naoka Foreman and criminal defense attorney Dayvid Figler to dig into the guardrails created in Las Vegas that seem to be hindering protests from picking up steam.

Learn more about the sponsors of this Wednesday, July 8th episode:

Neon Museum

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