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FITNESS & OUTDOORS LIFE
An introduction to ultimate frisbee in Las Vegas, plus a roundup of local disc golf courses.
FEATURE With thousands displaced by the LA fires, Las Vegas could be a destination for climate migration.
NEWS
Nevada conservationists rally as the Trump administration moves to redraw the boundaries of national monuments.
ART
Contemporary visuals and classic jazz harmonize in American Duet: Jazz & Abstract Art at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art.
COMEDY
“Throwback” comedian Murray Hill and the Plaza Showroom are a match made in old-school Vegas heaven.
FOOD & DRINK
brings coastal Mexican cuisine to the
Opera Las Vegas brings The Barber of Seville to modern-day Hollywood, the Rabbit Hole DJ collective celebrates its 10th anniversary and more happening this week.
Amaya
Cosmo.
Amaya (Jose Salinas/Courtesy)
SUPERGUIDE
THURSDAY FEB 20
(Courtesy)
GARY
CLARK JR.
With Grace Bowers, 6:30 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticketmaster. com
7:30 p.m., Wiseguys Arts District, wiseguyscomedy. com
FRIDAY FEB 21
OPERA LAS VEGAS: THE BARBER OF SEVILLE
One of the most beloved operas of all time is getting a contemporary twist. Opera Las Vegas is bringing The Barber of Seville to modern-day Hollywood. Originally set in 19th-century Spain, the opera has been reimagined by director Josh Shaw, who is also the artistic director of Los Angeles’ acclaimed Pacific Opera Project. Pop star Rosina, played by mezzo-soprano Kelly Guerra, just got out of rehab after a highly publicized breakup and has moved in with her overbearing producer and manager, Dr. Bartolo. Played by bass-baritone Adelmo Guidarelli, Bartolo plots to marry the young Rosina. Will he succeed? Music director and principal conductor Joshua Horsch will be on the podium leading a live orchestra that includes members of the Las Vegas Philharmonic and the Las Vegas Master Singers. The performance will be sung in Italian with English supertitles. 7:30 p.m. (& 2/23, 3 p.m.), $40$75, Nicholas J. Horn Theatre at CSN North Las Vegas, operalasvegas. com. –Shannon Miller
PAUL VAN DYK 9 p.m., the Portal at Area15, seetickets.us
KOOL KEITH With MC Homeless, 8 p.m., Swan Dive, eventbrite.com
MORGAN JAY 8:30 p.m., & 2/22, Summit Showroom, ticketmaster.com
ROSEBUD BAKER 7 & 9:30 p.m., & 2/22, Wiseguys Town Square, wiseguyscomedy. com
STEVE AOKI 10:30 p.m., Omnia Nightclub, taogroup.com
DJ SNAKE 10:30 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zoukgrouplv.com
THOMAS SCHUMACHER 10 p.m., Discopussy, seetickets.us
KROMI 10:30 p.m., LIV Nightclub, livnightclub.com
SATURDAY FEB 22
ALEJANDRA GUZMÁN
8 p.m., Theater at Virgin, axs.com
DESTROY LONELY
With Lil88, 7 p.m., Brooklyn Bowl, ticketmaster.com
RICHARD ELLIOTT
8 p.m., Chrome Showroom, ticketmaster.com
BLACKPATH FEST
With Never Ending Game, All Out War, Missing Link, Khasm, more, 2 p.m., American Legion Post 8, blackpathbooking. com
VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS VS. VANCOUVER CANUCKS
7 p.m., T-Mobile Arena, axs.com
UNLV MEN’S BASKETBALL VS. COLORADO STATE
7 p.m., Thomas & Mack Center, unlvtickets.com
POWER OF LOVE GALA
5:30 p.m., MGM Grand Garden Arena, keep memoryalive.org
(Courtesy)
MISC
GRAPHOUSE WRESTLING: TWO WORDS
8 p.m., the Space, thespacelv.com
SILVER DOLLAR CIRCUIT QUARTER HORSE SHOW Thru 2/26, times vary, South Point Arena, silverdollar circuit.com
BEN SCHWARTZ & FRIENDS
8 p.m., the Chelsea, ticketmaster.com
JAY LENO
8 p.m., David Copperfield Theater, mgmgrand.mgm resorts.com
BORED TEACHERS
7:30 p.m., Reynolds Hall, the smithcenter.com
THE CHAINSMOKERS
10:30 p.m., XS Nightclub, wynnsocial.com
DABABY
10:30 p.m., Drai’s Nightclub, draisgroup.com
ANNA LUNOE
10 p.m., Discopussy, tixr.com
MEDUZA
10:30 p.m., Zouk Nightclub, zoukgrouplv.com
ROOLER & WARFACE
With MGMA, Kami Khaos, 10 p.m., Nine Twenty Warehouse, seetickets.us
ADAPTER
With Fvlcon & Flame, Fama, 11 p.m., La Mona Rosa, seetickets.us
THE RABBIT HOLE 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY
KERRY KING
6:30 p.m., House of Blues, concerts. livenation.com
The Rabbit Hole, a valve in the heart of the Vegas beat scene, has been going strong since its initial inception 10 years ago. Founded by a group of DIY DJs and producers who utilize local venues for events, the music collective has steadily grown into a community of people who appreciate self-developed beats, visual melding and dance. While taking strong influence from hiphop and blending it with electronically produced sounds, audiences are met with familiar roots while finding new strides in the artist’s experimentation. In celebration of this decade-long standing, The Rabbit Hole is hosting its anniversary party at Swan Dive and will be showcasing a stacked lineup headed by audio-visual performer Brett Bolton, indie R&B quintet Overnight Celebrity and more.
The Mob Museum will host a rare speaking appearance by Tonesa Welch, who evolved from a teen mom in a middle-class Detroit family to the notorious “queenpin” of the Black Mafia Family, the drug tra cking and money laundering syndicate that fueled the expansion of cocaine across the country in the 1980s and ‘90s. Founded by southwest Detroit’s Flenory brothers, BMF got into the hip-hop biz as a front in the early 2000s and was linked to Sean Combs, T.I., Jay-Z and other high-profile artists, and Welch’s story was portrayed in a BET original movie in 2023 directed by Vivica A. Fox. But you can hear the real tales for yourself Downtown. 7 p.m., free for members or with museum admission ($35), Mob Museum, themobmuseum. org. –Brock Radke
TEXAS TENORS
Thru 2/28, 6:30 p.m., South Point Showroom, ticketmaster.com
AUSTIN SKINNER
8 p.m., Dawg House Saloon, dawghouselasvegas.com
MIKEY FRANCIS
10:30 p.m., Omnia Nightclub, taogroup.com
VICKI BARBOLAK
7 p.m., Jimmy Kimmel’s Comedy Club, ticketmaster.com
DAVID BLAINE
8 p.m., & 2/28, 3/1, Encore Theater, ticketmaster.com.
WEDNESDAY WED 26
UNLV SYMPHONY
ORCHESTRA: STRAUSS’S ALPINE
SYMPHONY 7:30 p.m., Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall, unlv.edu.
VS. COACHELLA
FIREBIRDS 7 p.m., Lee’s Family Forum, axs.com
UNLV WOMEN’S BASKETBALL VS. BOISE STATE 6:30 p.m., Cox Pavilion, unlvtickets.com
COMPOSERS SHOWCASE
9:30 p.m., Myron’s, thesmithcenter.com
HIGH SIERRA CLUB With Alive Alone, The Red Sea, Lies for Attention, 8 p.m., Swan Dive, swandivelv.com
An introduction to ultimate frisbee
BY CAMILLE CANNON
THAT’S THE SPIRIT!
in Las Vegas
There couldn’t be a better time to get involved with ultimate frisbee in Las Vegas. The Vegas Bighorns—named for our state animal, the desert bighorn sheep—was recently announced as the latest expansion team of the Ultimate Frisbee Association, and the new franchise is just weeks away from its debut.
Before the Bighorns march into town, opportunities abound for you to try your hand at ultimate. Whether you’re looking to play your rst pick-up game, test your skills in a tournament or simply cheer on our sheep from the sidelines, we’ll break down the ways for you to get started playing ultimate frisbee.
ULTIMATE 101
No experience is required to start playing recreationally, but you should get familiar with the sport’s guiding principle: the Spirit of the Game. Ultimate is a no-contact sport played without referees, and players are entrusted to make the calls. As such, USA Ultimate, the sport’s o cial governing body, emphasizes the importance of “mutual respect and trust between opponents, communication and con ict resolution skills; and self-condence—both on and o the eld of play.” Yes, there are also ocial rules to the game, and your friendly local players can help you get familiar (more on this later). But the Spirit is essential, and the foundation of all things ultimate.
Where to play disc golf (see page 16)
FIND YOUR LOCAL FRISBEE COMMUNITY
Brian Kilkenny is the current board president of Las Vegas Ultimate, the local organizing body for ultimate frisbee. Kilkenny has been involved with the sport since 2002, when he joined a group in Massachusetts while stationed in the Air Force. In 2010, he was ordered to Las Vegas, and he brought his love of the sport with him. “I was welcomed immediately into the ultimate community here,” says Kilkenny, who played with UNLV’s then-club. “To already have a group of people that I could socialize with—it made the move so much easier.”
Kilkenny and his fellow Las Vegas Ultimate board members help promote pickup games, host clinics and coordinate community events that may involve ultimate frisbee, or not. “We have a Facebook chat of community members who get together to play board games,” says Kilkenny. “People make friends within the frisbee community.”
BET ON THE BIGHORNS
Now, you may be thinking: This sounds fun. Where do I sign up? Kilkenny says your best rst move is showing up to a pickup game. (Check lvfrisbee.com for the latest schedule.) Bring a positive attitude and an open mind—no special equipment is needed. “Everyone is willing to help a new player learn the game,” says Kilkenny. For those looking to develop their play, Las Vegas Ultimate also hosts regular “Skills and Drills” clinics, league teams and local tournaments.
Still feeling sheepish about getting on the eld? The Bighorns’ arrival in Las Vegas brings a slew of new opportunities to connect with the sport, on or o the eld. On February 22, Las Vegas Ultimate hosts a Kick-O Party at PKWY Tavern (4930 West Flamingo Road, pkwytavern.com) to socialize and celebrate the UFA team’s arrival. Vegas Bighorns merch is already available at bighorns.vegas so you can represent the new hometown team with pride. And if you happen to need a frisbee to play at your next pickup game, look no further—there are three stylish branded discs to choose from.
SPORTS
FITNESS & OUTDOORS LIFE SPORTS
TEE TIME
BY CAMILLE CANNON
precision into metal baskets.
A search on UDisc yields
disc golf
Here’s where you can play in Las Vegas
■ the highest-rated
Pickleball may be getting the limelight when it comes to outdoor sports, but there’s another fun, low-cost activity you best not overlook: disc golf. For the uninitiated: the sport is, like golf, played at holes on a course, but instead of tee-ing up balls, you throw a frisbee-like disc with precision into metal baskets. And like pickleball, disc golf grew enormously popular during the pandemic. According to a 2024 report by UDisc, a disc golf course discovery app, there are more than 15,000 disc golf courses around the world—a number that has doubled since 2017.
City had one.) On UDisc you can
A search on UDisc yields no fewer than seven disc golf courses in the Las Vegas Valley, and these include some pay-toplay or private courses. (This is a number we can take pride in—as of the report’s publication, Washington D.C. had two disc golf courses and New York City had one.) On UDisc you can browse the listings by di culty level (typically, the atter the course, the easier it is to throw the discs e ectively), amenities, accessibility and course length. In general, disc golf courses vary from 24, 18 or nine holes, the latter of which is referred to as a mini course.
The expert disc golfers at Las Vegas Weekly have rounded up a few choice recommendations of where to play:
is
Peccole Ranch the highest-rated publicly accessible course on UDisc. (18 holes)
■ Ridge
Red Ridge Park, a mini course in the southwest Valley, is relatively flat, straight, and beginner-friendly. (Nine holes)
■ the longest public course in the Val-
Sunset Park is the longest public course in the Valley, though due to the park’s popularity, the course can get crowded quickly. (24 holes)
■ play and well-liked
Mountain Crest in the northwest is recommended for intermediate play and well-liked by the local disc golfers of Reddit. (18 holes)
■ separate course in the morning and
Wildhorse Golf Club costs $15 per player, which includes a golf cart rental, and many disc golfers say the fee is well worth it. Wildhorse o ers a separate course in the morning and afternoon, and tee time reservations must be made in advance by calling 702-434-9000. (20+ holes)
BY AMBER SAMPSON
Dayna Galbreath and her husband had just months ago nished a renovation on their Altadena bungalow when the Eaton Fire tore through their neighborhood on January 8.
Around 3:30 a.m., her phone rang out with a noti cation. “It basically said an evacuation order has been initiated for your area, and in big capital letters, it said, ‘GET OUT NOW.’”
That would be the last time Galbreath saw their bungalow intact.
Weeks later, after the devastating Eaton Fire tore through more than 14,000 acres of Los Angeles County, she returned to Altadena to nd her home and surrounding community reduced to a pile of ash.
“It’s unreal, because you just don’t think it’s going to be you,” she says. “You think everything’s going to be okay. You’re like, okay, we’ll bring three days worth of clothes. We’ll bring our important documents. We’ll bring our dog, and we’ll go back in a few days.”
The Eaton Fire destroyed over 9,000 homes, structures and
businesses and claimed 17 lives, according to Cal Fire. It joined the Palisades Fire, which burned concurrently through more than 23,000 acres, as one of the deadliest and most destructive res in California’s history.
With both res now 100% contained, California continues recovery e orts after an estimated $250 billion in damages.
Rebecca Rice, an assistant professor of communication studies at UNLV who specializes in crisis communications and natural disaster response, views these ca-
tastrophes as a sign of the times.
“Our past understanding of re behavior is changing. The thought was, if I live in an urban area, I’m safe from wild re, right? And if I live in the woods, I’m obviously at more risk. But we’re seeing res that are so extreme and winds that are so extreme that they are blowing embers into urban areas, and res are spreading faster through urban communities than before,” Rice says. “LA is not the rst place to experience that, and I think that’s starting to happen, particularly in the western U.S.,
where we thought that there were rules about how re behaved. Now, the rules are changing.”
It isn’t just wild res. Rice says climate disasters have gotten more frequent and more devastating as climate change shifts the narrative and makes disaster recovery more costly.
“With climate change now, we need to ask is rebuilding in the same place the right thing for me and my family, or is it going to be the case that certain places become less livable?” Rice says.
Much of Galbreath’s life is in
a state of ux right now, but one thing she says she’s certain about is this: “We will stay in California.”
What about those who won’t?
Each year, more and more people nd themselves displaced as a result of the increasing number of environmental changes and natural disasters—climate migrants.
According to a study by RAND, 3.4 million people in the U.S. were displaced by a natural disaster in 2022. And although most dis-
BY SHANNON MILLER
An estimated 16,000 homes were damaged or destroyed by the LA fires that broke out in early January and burned through the neighborhoods of Altadena, Pacific Palisades and Malibu, leaving thousands of residents in search of new housing.
The disaster and loss of inventory has had a domino effect on LA’s housing and rental market, which was already strained by high home costs and rising rents before the fires. At the end of January, LA County rents were up 37% from a year earlier, according to a report from real estate company Redfin, leaving many residents priced out of the market in their time of need.
The increasing wildfire risks posed by climate change and the rising cost of housing might be reasons enough for Angelenos to look to relocate—and Las Vegas could be a prime location.
“When those things happen, it does make you start to think, is it worth it here?” says Troy Reierson, CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices for Nevada, Arizona and California.
Even before the recent wildfires, Californians were moving to Las Vegas in droves, Reierson says. According to a recent report from UNLV’s Lied Center for Real Estate, 40% of new Nevada residents are from California. There could be several reasons for this.
“We’ve got lower property taxes than California has. Our home prices, if you’re coming from California, look phenomenal. The median home price in Southern Nevada is $440,000 … [and there’s] no state income tax. We’ve had strong job growth here. Construction is still going crazy throughout the Valley, and it’s kept us as one of the top 10 fastest growing metros for the past three years,” Reierson says.
But growth in Las Vegas coincides with the worst affordable housing shortage in the nation. According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, there are only 13 affordable homes for every 100 extremely low-income households (making 0% to 30% area median income) that need one. And the average cost of housing has risen considerably since the pandemic.
“We’ve seen so much change here in Las Vegas. As part of that, the rents are going up. Home prices are going up like crazy. Salaries aren’t necessarily trending in that same direction,” Reierson says. “Mortgages are up roughly 56% from four years ago. Home prices have almost increased close to 40% since 2020.”
More Californians moving to Southern Nevada could exacerbate those issues, if leaders don’t take steps to shore up the region’s shortage of affordable housing and ensure that jobs support the cost of living. But despite that, Reierson says Southern Californians continue looking to Southern Nevada as a land of opportunity.
“I think you’ll continue to see plenty of middle class folks coming in, as long as the economy can support it,” he says.
placement is temporary—that same study found that only 500,000 of the 3.4 million had not returned home by 2023—some may decide to settle in regions with lower risk factors.
Las Vegas has its own share of climate challenges, including a dwindling water supply and extended periods of extreme heat. However, it’s relatively safer than California, which in recent years has been pummeled by drought, wildfires and landslides—so much so that State Farm Insurance announced in 2024 that it would not be renewing coverage for 72,000 houses and apartments in California, citing catastrophe exposure and reinsurance costs.
This year’s wildfires have accelerated an already-growing housing crisis in LA. This recent disaster, paired with a loss of inventory, expensive rebuilds and an unreliable insurance landscape, could be the tipping point of relocation for many Southern Californians. And they could be looking at a certain fast-growing desert metro that’s only a few hours away.
According to a 2023 policy brief from housing advocacy nonprofit Enterprise Community Partners, “Migrants will often relocate to communities that are familiar, or with which they have existing cultural ties borne from prior migrations. …Migrants may also look for jurisdictions in areas with a relatively low-risk of climate-related impacts, especially if located relatively proximate to their own hazard-prone communities.”
Rachel Bogardus Drew, senior research director at Enterprise Community Partners, studies housing markets and policy including climate and disaster resilience. In a 2023 report for Urban Institute, she examined the impacts of climate-change induced migrations, including the 2005 situation in which residents of New Orleans migrated to Houston, Texas following Hurricane Katrina; and in 2017, when Puerto Ricans fleeing Hurricane Maria settled in Central Florida.
In both cases, the communities that received these migrants had to step up on a local level. Should Las Vegas anticipate doing the same?
Could and should Southern Nevada position itself as a climate migration destination?
With President Trump’s stance that the Federal Emergency Man-
agement Agency (FEMA), which coordinates federal response to disasters, should be “terminated,” mutual aid between states is becoming more important than ever for emergency response.
In the past, Southern Nevada and our neighbors to the west have
shown that we’re capable of this type of assitance. During the Route 91 Harvest Festival shooting in 2017, Southern California hospitals opened their trauma bays to injured survivors and even shipped equipment to MountainView and Sunrise Children’s hospitals. And in recent weeks, Las Vegas has extended its hand to people impacted by the LA wildfires. Local fire departments sent strike teams to provide support and resources to help fight the fires. Hotels around the Valley offered discounted rooms to the displaced. The Plaza allowed horses affected by the fires to be rehomed in its equestrian stalls. Local pizzerias donated a portion of their proceeds to help those in need.
“We’ve certainly anecdotally heard stories of that. Often a receiving community will be incredibly welcoming and open to migrants in the immediate aftermath. These are folks who have just been through this major traumatic event, and receiving communities, by and large, want to support these folks and help them,” Drew says. “But there can be sometimes some frustration over the long term. Again, it depends how the community prepares for the migration, and understanding too [that] this is a long-term process.”
Preparing for climate migration begins with policymakers. It’s about figuring out what resources Las Vegas already has, and making sure there’s enough to go around, Drew says.
Affordable housing (see sidebar on page 20) and building better transit systems have long been a pain point for Las Vegas residents. If the local community expects to experience population growth from climate migration, it would be even more necessary to strengthen infrastructure.
“It does start with housing and making sure that they have a safe place to live. But beyond that, some of the key areas are transportation, if folks have lost their vehicle, or they’re coming from an area where they didn’t rely on one to an area that they do,” Drew says. “Transportation networks can be incredibly important, making sure that you pair the housing with transportation access.”
Current residents also need more affordable housing and better transportation resources. Some will undoubtedly ask: Why should Southern Nevada welcome more Californians?
In the grand scheme of things, it could benefit the continued growth and economy in the region. There’s much to consider when it comes to climate migration, Drew says.
“Can this be a benefit for the receiving community, to have folks coming in supporting that local economy, filling those open jobs, adding businesses, adding customers to that area?” she says. “It absolutely can be a net positive for the receiving community, depending upon their capacity, depending upon their acceptability, and depending upon their planning.”
We likely won’t understand the full impact of the LA fires on the Las Vegas Valley for some years to come. But forward thinking has rarely done any harm in an unpredictable world.
“You think it will never happen to you, but now unfortunately, climate disasters are almost becoming a when, not an if,” Rice says. “Maybe that looks different for Las Vegas than it does for places impacted by wildfire.
“But certainly Las Vegas residents understand the stress about things like extreme heat and water consumption. It can feel like resources are scarce and we should protect them. But also one day, you might be the person who needs help.”
Trees sway in high winds as the Eaton Fire burns structures on January 8 in Altadena, California. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) (Shutterstock)
IN THE NEWS
“If these cuts are enacted, Nevada’s state budget could lose billions while hundreds of thousands of Nevadans could lose their healthcare coverage altogether. All Nevada elected o cials—Democrat and Republican—should be united in speaking out against these devastating cuts to Nevadans’ health care.”
—Nevada Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro and Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager addressing Congressional Republicans’ budget resolution that calls for $4.5 trillion in tax cuts, some of which is expected to come from Medicaid
WAY TO GO
BY
THE NUMBERS
The Golden Knights host the Vancouver Canucks on February 22 at 7 p.m.
That’s how many Nevadans receive services from Medicaid, according to data from the Department of Health and Human Services.
The Las Vegas Raiders’ Maxx Crosby high
fives a girl during a Credit One Bank ceremony at the YMCA on Meadows Lane February 12. Credit One donated $50,000 to the YMCA of Southern Nevada and $50,000 to the Maxx Crosby Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to youth health and wellness.
(Steve Marcus/Sta )
Backstreet Boys to launch residency at Sphere
Oh my God, they’re back again. The Backstreet Boys have announced their return with Into the Millennium, a 12-date residency set to launch at Sphere on July 11 and continue through August 3.
The best-selling boy band will make history as the first pop act to headline the iconic Las Vegas venue, joining past performers like U2, Dead & Company and Eagles. The residency will chronicle the Backstreet Boys’ 1999 album, Millennium, where hits like “I Want It That Way” and “Larger Than Life” first debuted.
Tickets are available at ticketmaster.com
–Amber Sampson
A proposed state law would prohibit Nevada’s public school districts from granting access to district facilities or giving student or family information to authorities investigating federal immigration cases without a court order or warrant.
Assembly Bill 217 comes amid renewed fears among immigrant populations after President Donald Trump’s administration repealed a policy last month restricting immigration arrests at schools and other “sensitive” areas such as churches and hospitals.
The bill, introduced by Assemblymember Cecelia González, D-Las Vegas, would make “knowingly and willfully” violating the proposed law a misdemeanor. The bill has been assigned to the Assembly’s Committee on Education but has not been scheduled for a hearing yet.
Roseman to start recruiting charter class for MD program STUFF
HOUSING Lawmakers: Act will speed up home building
New Nevada bill targets immigration enforcement at schools
González’s bill is similar to the policies Clark County School District says it employs. Last month when Trump was sworn into office, CCSD put out a statement that it “does not check any student’s immigration status and is not responsible for enforcing federal immigration law.” That includes the district’s police force. It added that a school board resolution adopted in 2017— spurred by Trump’s first inauguration—that said the district was committed to students regardless of immigration status remained in effect.
CCSD has also said that if any law enforcement officer or government agent arrives at a school that staff should verify their identity and ask why they’re there, and if there is a concern over the person’s identity or the reason for their visit, then staff should contact school police.
–Hillary Davis IMMIGRATION
AB 217 would put Nevada in
line with California, where state law says school officials are not required to allow immigration agents to enter schools without a warrant.
Any bill would need to be signed into law by Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo, who has repeatedly backed Trump’s deportation agenda. Lombardo signed on to a joint letter in December with 25 other Republican governors supporting Trump’s deportation plans, calling them a “vital mission” and saying that “together, we will make America safe again.”
The Pew Research Center estimates that as of 2022, 8.8% of households in Nevada had at least one undocumented immigrant, and 13.9% of Nevada schoolchildren had at least one parent who is an undocumented immigrant—both the highest percentages in the nation.
Roseman University College of Medicine has received preliminary accreditation status from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, meaning it can now begin recruiting an inaugural class of 60 medical students for a new Doctor of Medicine program. According to a news release, the university will start accepting applications in early March, with the program set to kick off at its Summerlin campus on July 21. From there, the college will work toward provisional accreditation before pushing for full accreditation status. If that effort is successful, the program would become the third allopathic medical school in Nevada, joining the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV and the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine.
Roseman University of Health Sciences president and co-founder Renee Coffman says the preliminary program “will address the critical physician shortage in Nevada while providing students with a leading-edge medical education.” According to the American Medical Association, Nevada is experiencing a shortage of qualified healthcare professionals in each of its 17 counties. –Tyler Schneider
Susie Lee and Catherine Cortez Masto stood on a gravel-filled vacant lot in northwest Las Vegas February 14 with a promise: In a few years, this once federally owned land will host around 3,000 homes.
Lawmakers and developers say they are expanding efforts to untap some of the federally owned acres that account for over 80% of the state’s total land for housing. The effort is vital to address the housing crunch of availability and affordability that’s plaguing Southern Nevada.
However, securing appraisals and permits to build on the land is a lengthy process—something U.S. Rep. Lee, D-Las Vegas, and U.S. Sen. Cortez Masto, D-Nev., say they are working for solutions to cut through those “bureaucratic barriers.” They say part of that fix can be found in their Accelerating Appraisals and Conservation Efforts Act—or the AACE Act.
The law, one of the final pieces of legislation signed by former President Joe Biden, relaxes Department of Interior requirements in appraising and valuing real property for transactions the department has jurisdiction over—like federal land that’s ripe for new housing development.
“It’s not just for housing, it’s for infrastructure and for conservation,” Lee said. “It’s not a silver bullet, but it’s certainly a commonsense way to cut government red tape and speed up home building.”
Skye Summit, a community near Centennial Hills, is among several housing projects developed by Olympia Companies on land previously held by the federal government. Construction is expected to begin at the end of this year on 500 acres of land. –Haajrah Gilani
LAND’S END?
Nevada conservationists rail against Trump administration moves to redraw boundaries of national monuments
ON THE COVER
COVER ART Photograph Courtesy/Alan O’Neill
Castle Peaks at Avi Kwa Ame National Monument (Courtesy/Alan O’Neill)
BY TYLER SCHNEIDER
Nevada is home to four national monuments—Tule Springs Fossil Beds, in the northwest corner of the Las Vegas Valley; Avi Kwa Ame, surrounding Searchlight; Gold Butte, northeast of Lake Mead; and Basin and Range, south of Ely. Their federal designations, which protect the lands from mining and commercial development, were fought for by a broad coalition of Indigenous groups, conservationists, recreationists, businesses and local government officials. And they were made possible by the 1906 Antiquities Act, which authorized the sitting president and Congress to designate federal land as national monuments.
However, President Trump’s return to the White House may retroactively thwart those efforts after his newly confirmed Secretary of the Interior, Doug Burgum, called for “actions to review and, as appropriate, revise all withdrawn lands” including those established by authority of the Antiquities Act. Burgum said the review is intended to reduce “barriers to the use of federal lands for energy development,” and set a deadline of February 18 for officials to submit plans to carry out this order.
Reacting to the Department of Interior’s order, Mathilda Guerrero Miller, government relations director of the nonprofit Indigenous Voices of Nevada, emphasized the cultural significance of Nevada’s national monuments and vowed to protect and preserve the areas.
“As we confront the federal review of Nevada’s national monuments, we must emphasize the sacred nature of these lands—cherished ancestral lands of Indigenous communities. These landscapes, including Avi Kwa Ame, represent far more than natural beauty; they embody the deep spiritual and cultural heritage of Native peoples who have been their stewards since time immemorial. Our dedication to protecting these sacred landscapes is unwavering, and we are committed to continuing our efforts to honor and preserve these crucial parts of our nation’s history and culture,” Miller
said in a partial statement.
An adjacent legislative push by Senate and House Republicans, including Nevada’s own Rep. Mark Amodei, also seeks to revoke the presidential authority to establish new national monuments. Amodei’s bill, co-authored by Utah Republican Rep. Celeste Maloy and titled “Ending Presidential Overreach on Public Lands Act,” would put the power to establish, expand or reduce the boundaries of monuments solely in the hands of Congress.
“There are legitimate arguments for those areas to be special. However, the problem with the way the Antiquities Act has been used is that it’s kind of become highly political. I think there ought to be some process which formalizes broader public input rather than just who can get the president’s ear,” Amodei tells the Weekly. “When you’re talking about hundreds of thousands of acres, what’s the problem with having a public discussion and participation and opportunity for input when those decisions are made?”
Amodei, who represents Nevada’s 2nd Congressional District on the state’s northern end, argued that the presidential authority granted by the Antiquities Act does not provide for “predictability or stability” because it permits a sitting president to reverse decisions made by their predecessors.
“The problem is, under the present circumstances, if Doug Burgum gets together with Donald Trump and his policy folks and they decide they want to scramble that egg a little bit, they can do it. And then the next guy or girl that comes along can come back and change it again. … People need to be able to count on the folks that they elected to do land use planning in their counties and regions,” Amodei says.
But conservationists who came together to get Nevada’s national monuments designated say the process was driven by public input. To them, both the Department of the Interior’s order to review national monuments and Amodei’s proposed legislation defy the coalition of Nevadans who secured those protections.
Alan O’Neill was one of the many Nevadans who helped pave the way for the creation of Avi Kwa Ame, Basin and
Basin and Range National Monument (Courtesy/ Alan O’Neill)
“This was a classic example of democracy at work as grassroots advocacy. It wasn’t driven by governmental agencies; it was led by everyday Nevadans.”
–
Alan O’Neill , former superintendent of Lake Mead National Recreation Area
Range and Gold Butte National Monuments. The Washington, D.C. native spent 13 of his 34 years at the Department of the Interior as superintendent of the Lake Mead National Recreation Area.
“This was a classic example of democracy at work as grassroots advocacy. It wasn’t driven by governmental agencies; it was led by everyday Nevadans. It was a communal approach to power and the most highly vetted and transparent process I’ve ever been involved in,” O’Neill says. “We spent so much time building the momentum to get this protected. The thought that someone may downsize these monuments is incredibly heartbreaking to me.”
It’s not the first time Trump’s administration has taken aim at lands designated under the Antiquities Act. In 2017, Trump issued an executive order instructing his former interior secretary, Ryan Zinke, to review all national monument designations since 1996. That review led to the shrinking of two national monuments: Utah’s Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments. The former is the site of coal reserves, while the latter contains uranium deposits.
According to a fact brief from The Nevada Independent, the Nevada Mining Association has acknowledged rare earth mineral deposits in Southern Nevada, possibly where Avi Kwa Ame is situated. When Joe Biden designated the national monument in 2023, Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo raised concerns about “the potential for terminal disruption of rare earth mineral mining projects.”
Despite the possibility that rare
minerals do exist within Avi Kwa Ame’s borders, Jocelyn Torres, chief conservation officer for the nonprofit Conservation Lands Foundation, believes it’s worth foregoing that potential in order to continue to protect the “small fraction of places” that have already been set aside for conservation.
She argues that “the majority” of Nevada’s lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management is still “open to all of these uses.” Additionally, she adds, “existing mining rights and active leases are grandfathered in and can continue to be developed” on national monument lands.
Kristee Watson, executive director of the political advocacy group Nevada Conservation League, is skeptical that Nevada’s monuments contain the energy sources the Trump administration seems keen on accessing.
“I think it’s important to remember that oil and gas leasing in Nevada is almost always a losing investment. Time and time again, investors will come in and buy the land for speculation, but it results in nothing or even in a financial loss for these companies,” Watson says. Amodei reiterates his stance that these decisions should rest with Congress and local officials rather than the president.
“Maybe there’s something we want to mine or drill around the edges of one of the monuments. If so, we’ve got to go back to Congress and make that case. And once it’s done that way, it stays done. That’s how it should be,” he says.
Regardless of how the process unfolds, Watson believes that interfering with existing national monuments could have adverse effects on a burgeoning recreation scene. According to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, the Silver State’s outdoor recreation industry accounted for $8.1 billion of its total annual GDP in 2023—a 12.8% increase from 2022 and fourth largest growth among all states for that period.
“If we just start selling off random plots of land, that’s not actually going to create solutions, because it’s not going to be near economic drivers where this infrastructure already exists,” Watson says.
Torres, who was present for Trump’s first round of national monument reviews in 2017, cites concerns over what she called the secretive nature” of the 2025 review.
“They’re taking 15 days to review monuments that have been designated over the course of many years. There’s no real public engagement component to
an internal review process, so it feels like they have already made the decision on what they want to undo,” Torres says.
She adds that the national monuments can serve future generations if preserved.
“These are national treasures that people have asked their representatives to set aside, and Americans don’t want their access blocked. They want to continue being able to hike, camp, hunt and fish on these public lands. It’s also important to look at the future value of these places—not just what we can get out of them right now,” she says.
On February 17, Nevada’s Democratic U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen joined the calls against rolling back monument designations via a joint letter in which they urged Burgum to reconsider his department’s review.
“Decisions to protect these treasured lands were not made on a whim. They were the result of intense engagements with tribes, community leaders, and local businesses,” Cortez Masto and Rosen wrote. “While Congress reserves the authority to revoke or adjust national monuments, any future action by your department should be a result of the same level of outreach and public engagement.”
Gold Butte National Monument. (Courtesy/Alan O’Neill)
Tule Springs Fossil Beds National Monument (Courtesy Alan O’Neill)
FULL STEAM AHEAD
Seven future plays to make as the sports betting calendar turns
BY CASE KEEFER
Sports book executives might still be celebrating the result of the most bet-on game of the year.
The house got the best of the bettors in Super Bowl 59 earlier this month with Nevada books banking a record $22.13 million win on the event, according to a release from the state’s Gaming Control Board.
Now, let’s try to take some of it back. No sport stands as popular to bet on as the NFL, but there are still plenty of other options to handicap before it returns in September— and there are already odds on its 2025-2026 campaign, too. Here’s our annual list of bets to make in seven future markets across seven di erent sports at the conclusion of the Super Bowl.
University of Houston’s Milos Uzan
MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Houston to win the NCAA Tournament at 10-to-1 (South Point)
Three teams have established themselves as far ahead of the pack heading into this year’s March Madness: Auburn, Duke and Houston. Only the rst two are priced liked it.
Houston is lagging behind in perception because of past tournament failures and a reputation for being more defensively inclined. That’s a pair of misguided reasons. This year’s Cougars—which include Desert Pines High graduate Milos Uzan in the starting lineup—can score more than past versions, rating in the nation’s top 10 in o ensive e ciency. Many of their past ame-outs meanwhile have been the result of bad luck—injuries, close-game bounces, etc. At some point, those will regress the other way. Maybe it happens this year.
WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Texas to win the NCAA Tournament at 10-to-1 (BetMGM)
Similar to the Houston men’s team, the women’s Longhorns’ price is in ated due to absurd factors. Texas isn’t seen as dominant as South Carolina or Connecticut because it’s not a perennial powerhouse. The Longhorns also get less publicity because of their lack of a superstar like USC’s JuJu Watkins or Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo. But Texas might be the best of the bunch this year, or at least right on par with South Carolina and Connecticut. It just avenged an earlier-season loss to South Carolina on February 9 and has rated ahead or equal to Connecticut all year by e ciency metrics. The Longhorns might not be the most likely champion, but their probability is surely higher than the 9% this line implies.
GOLF
Rory McIlroy at 9-to-1, Justin Thomas at 30-to-1 and Tyrrell Hatton at 50-to-1 to win the Masters (Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook)
It’s best to build a portfolio of golfers for major tournaments like the Masters, and Westgate is making that easy with the best prices in the market on this trio. This feels like the year McIlroy completes the career grand slam and dons the championship green jacket at Augusta National. The 35-yearold is in better form than anyone on the PGA Tour, even arguably including defending Masters/Tour champion Scottie Sche er. The 31-year-old Thomas meanwhile is under the radar because he hasn’t won a tournament since the 2022 PGA Championship, but he’s playing well enough to break that streak imminently. The 33-yearold Hatton has been the best golfer on the rival LIV Tour and arguably shouldn’t be this high teeing it up anywhere in the world currently.
Texas Longhorns’ Kyla Oldacre
Golfer Rory McIlroy
SPORTS
Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
NBA
Oklahoma City Thunder to win the Western Conference at +110 (Wynn)
The odds aren’t re ecting how dominant the young Thunder have been this season. They have the best point di erential in NBA history at +13.5 per game at the All-Star break. Their lack of postseason experience is what’s keeping bettors at bay, a trend reminiscent of a decade ago when the 2015 Golden State Warriors were doubted despite amassing a similar level of production. The Warriors ended up rolling their way to their rst of four NBA titles that season. The Thunder may nish the year in the same fashion, but a tough matchup with the defending champion Boston Celtics could loom in the NBA Finals. That’s why it’s a better bet just to take them to get there by winning the West, a proposition that shouldn’t be available anywhere near plus money.
Arkansas Razorbacks’ Dave Van Horn
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Arkansas to win the College World Series at 14-to-1 (BetMGM)
The Razorbacks have repeatedly threatened winning it all with four trips to Omaha for the College World Series in the last 10 years. This could be the season where they nally break through. Arkansas put together the best transfer-portal class in the sport with a balance of pitching and hitting. Veteran Dave Van Horn is one of the most respected coaches in the sport and has expressed con dence the Razorbacks will hit for more power this season. That’s the only thing that held them back last year when they still went into the NCAA Tournament ranked No. 5 overall before getting upset in the regional round.
Texas Rangers’ Cody Bradford
Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Texas Rangers to win the American League at 12-to-1 (Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook)
The Los Angeles Dodgers have more or less ruined World Series futures wagering by putting together one of the greatest rosters of all-time on paper. They’re as low as +250 to win a second straight title, and might even be worth a bet at the one book (BetMGM) still o ering 3-to-1. But someone has to get there to face them, and it might be the 2023 World Series champions. The Rangers had an injury-plagued World Series defense last year but reloaded in the o season and look healthier going into this year. They should be the team to beat in the American League West and might have the upside to put a scare into the Dodgers.
NFL
Cincinnati Bengals to win Super Bowl 60 at 20-to-1 (Caesars/William Hill)
The Bengals had one of the best o enses in the NFL by the end of the year; defense was their problem and the reason why they missed the postseason for a second straight season. Luckily, defense is an easier x from year to year. Cincinnati is a few shrewd free-agency moves and draft choices away from being much more formidable on that side of the ball. The Bengals hired a new defensive coordinator in Al Golden, who should spark some life into the unit. Cincinnati is no longer priced as a primary contender, but it should be as long as quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase are around.
(AP Photo/Photo Illustration)
ART
SOUND AND COLOR
BY AMBER SAMPSON
The late African-American abstract painter Sam Gilliam shared one of his greatest sources of inspiration with W magazine in 2014: “Before painting, there was jazz. I mean cool jazz. Coltrane. Ornette Coleman, the Ayler brothers, Miles Davis. It’s something that was important to my work, it was a constant. You listened while you were painting. It made you think that being young wasn’t so bad. All the young painters were into jazz.”
That sentiment is shared by countless other contemporaries in the art realm. Many have owned jazz dens and performed in bebop bands when they weren’t creating on canvas, and American Duet: Jazz & Abstract Art, the current exhibit at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art, seeks to explore that connection.
Pulling from the Petrucci Family Foundation Collection of African American Art, American Duet demonstrates how jazz has played a significant role in 34 modern and contemporary artists’ lives. As the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s moved the needle through activism and artistry, jazz musicians
Bellagio Gallery’s
American Duet: Jazz & Abstract Art strikes a chord
joined the cause, giving the movement a profoundly louder voice.
Prior to stepping into the gallery, you’ll be shown a QR code to scan, which unlocks a playlist of jazz tracks curated specifically for the exhibit. As you peruse the works of prominent abstractionists like Herbert Gentry, Anthony Smith Jr., John E. Dowell Jr. and others, the swinging harmonies of John Coltrane and Miles Davis fill the room. The prolific bandleader Herbie Hancock introduces a fusion of funk into his rhythm section. And then you start to notice the overlaps.
Gilliam’s piece, “Purple Antelope Squeeze Space II,” is like that of improvisational jazz: loud, loose and fast. It’s a map of embossed texture, viciously etched with colors as bold as the horn section of a band. By contrast, Richard Mayhew’s jazz influence manifests through soft, hand-pulled silkscreen on “Summation,” a work that recalls the dreamlike “mindscapes” associated with spirituality and transcendentally smooth melodies. “Springtime
Again” by Sun Ra & His Arkestra should be essential listening with this piece.
Adger Cowans is another artist fluent in the language of both sound and color. The photographer and painter’s 1970s piece, “Untitled (gold on green vinyl),” appears absolutely alive. By dragging a horse comb through metallic powders and pigment, Cowans achieves an illusion of vibration and movement, a clear ripple across a sea of sound.
AMERICAN DUET: JAZZ & ABSTRACT ART Thru June 1; daily, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; $19. Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art, bellagio. mgmresorts.com.
That ability to hear the artwork is a common theme throughout American Duet. The stark lines of Mavis Pusey’s “Frozen Vibration” almost seem to pierce out, shrilling with the temperament of an angry trumpet. Meanwhile, Xenobia Bailey’s “Think” features a record-shaped tapestry of hand-crocheted cotton and yarn, and a physical copy of the eponymous 1968 single by Aretha Franklin.
Through this lens of jazz, we’re able to experience how other artists experience their work. It’s a visual harmony of sorts, and American Duet hits all the right notes.
THAT’S SHOWBIZ
Murray Hill brings old-school Vegas fun back to where it began
BY GEOFF CARTER
The Hollywood Reporter identi es Murray Hill as a “nightlife legend” and “queer icon,” and rightly so. The New York Times calls the breakout player of HBO’s Somebody Somewhere and Hulu’s Life & Beth and Drag Me to Dinner an “almost famous drag king” and an “ascendant character actor”—correct on both counts.
Yet there’s a far easier way to size up the relentlessly upbeat comic and dapper New Yorker who calls himself “Mr. Showbiz” and “the hardest-working middle-aged man in show business.” Simply put, Murray Hill is Vegas, from his pencil mustache to his snazzy suits. He claims such old-school Vegas legends as Don Rickles, Shecky Greene and Totie Fields as in uences—“all those old-school comics that started o in the lounge with bands and orchestras behind them, and then went to the headlining rooms,” he says.
What that means is that when Hill performs at the Plaza on February 24, it’ll feel like Vegas is reclaiming him. And at the same time, it’ll feel like he’s claiming Vegas right back. He’ll perform a few songs with Jordan Katz & The Sti Gimlets, welcome a guest appearance from his friend Melody Sweets, and he’ll Vegas up the place real good.
I can’t wait to catch your act. And at the Plaza, where Miss Behave’s Mavericks do their thing, no less. A real, old-school Vegas showroom.
people that I’ve seen live the most that I’ve literally studied—the format, the audience, the banter, all that stu . They had a very simple structure to their show, and they never, never felt scripted. That’s what I love about Don and Shecky. They basically did the same act their entire career, but it always felt new and fresh and had a kinetic energy, because you never knew what the hell they were gonna say or what was gonna happen.
And like those giants, you’ve now done a good amount of TV. How does that change things for you?
As a comedian, you always want this thing called “the TV bump.” The old greats like Johnny Carson used to talk about this. Sometimes, because we’ve been on TV, there’s some validation in people’s minds, right? Now that I’ve been in a bunch of shows and movies and stu , I don’t necessarily have to start the rst 15 minutes of the show trying to convince people we’re going to have a good time and that I’m funny and everything’s ne. I’ll come in blazing, and then the audience is blazing, too.
MAVERICKS PRESENTS: MURRAY HILL AS HIMSELF February 24, 8 p.m., $45-$75. Plaza Showroom, feverup.com
That’s right! I’ve done a million appearances in Vegas over probably the last 15 years or so—hosted game shows, did the Viva Las Vegas Burlesque Showcase, did NoMad with Brian Newman and Angie [Pontani], did shows with Dita [Von Teese] and Melody Sweets. This is the rst time I’m going to do my full comedy show, with a band, at the Plaza—which is a throwback, too. It’s a real throwback show, but it’s not an impersonation.
An homage, more like?
It’s an homage, but it’s also in my bones. I must have been a Vegas lounge comedian in a previous life, because I don’t know why anybody would do this. … You know, this is camp. This is humor that nobody does anymore, but I do it.
Not since Don Rickles left us. I got to meet him! I got to see him live. I would say Don Rickles and Joan Rivers are the
You’ve said, “If you don’t see yourself represented, then go out and represent yourself.” What’s your advice for doing that as boldly as you have, in an era where even the idea of representation is under attack?
I am going to continue to be out there to take up space and to be a positive light, even to the haters. People are being fed fear and hatred, and they have no idea what’s what. The real issue is, because they don’t know trans people. They don’t sit with them. They’re not in their families. They’re so removed from an actual person that has a heart, has feelings, is somebody’s kid, somebody’s neighbor, somebody’s parent. I’m going to continue, through my act and my persona, to show the humanity of not just trans people but of queer people, of all people. That’s something that my show, and even [the characters] I play on TV have; they’re about heart and humanity and laughter. If you have those things happening, it’s really hard to hate at the same time.
(Bettina May/Courtesy)
That’s why I’m going on the road. That’s why I’m in these mainstream shows. That’s why I wear that suit and I go into spaces that have no idea what I’m doing, who I am, that discriminate against me. I’m just like, “I’m gonna come here and I’m gonna be me, and you’re gonna see that there’s nothing to be afraid of.”
TASTE OF PARADISE
Amaya brings coastal Mexican cuisine to the Cosmo
(Jose Salinas/Courtesy)
BY GENEVIE DURANO
Step into the new Amaya Modern Mexican at the Cosmopolitan and the transformation is instant.
You feel a little looser, a little more relaxed as you enter a space that channels the energy and sophistication of Tulum, where tropical foliage mingles with dramatic lighting and intimate nooks, creating an immediate sense of escape.
This isn’t just another Mexican restaurant—it’s a portal to a coastal scene with pulsating beats from DJs and other types of entertainment, including fire dancers, as the night progresses. Here, you definitely should be holding a margarita in your hand.
“Vegas offers a lot of different concepts, and we wanted something that takes you away,” says Jason McLeod, the Michelin star executive chef who has crafted a menu that marries coastal Mexican flavors with Vegas flair.
The chef’s classical French culinary background adds unexpected sophistication to dishes like oysters Oaxacafeller ($28), where briny bivalves meet poblano peppers and cotija cheese in a clever south-of-the-border spin on a classic.
will turn your neighbors’ heads. The sea bass ceviche ($26) offers a bright, citrusy contrast, while the charred octopus ($35), with chorizo and guajillo, could convince you you’re dining seaside in Baja.
For McLeod, authentic Mexican flavors get a creative take in dishes like the quesabirria ($24), which transforms his favorite street food into an elevated experience. “I lived in San Diego for many years and spent a lot of time in Tijuana and Ensenada,” he says. “Taking that very food down in the Baja coast and bringing it to Las Vegas and into this design-focused restaurant was very cool.” The short ribs are braised until they’re fall-off-thebone tender, while Monterrey and Oaxaca cheeses create a crispy crust inside the tortillas.
But first, that drink. The cocktail program demands immediate attention, offering an impressive selection of aged tequilas and smoky mezcals. Start your journey with the Agua de Vida ($19), a tropical blend of 818 Tequila Blanco, Cointreau, passionfruit syrup and lime juice, or embrace the heat with the Diablo’s Michelada ($19), a Blood Mary mix elevated by housemade guajillo marinade and fresh cucumber. There’s a great selection of beer and wine, too. Pair those cocktails with appetizers that pucker lips and whet appetites. Mariscos al fuego ($28) steals the show—four individual shell servings of Mexican shrimp and scallops with bagna cauda butter, served around a dancing flame that
The seafood offerings continue to impress with fire roasted shrimp tacos ($25) and build-your-own lobster tacos ($38), but it’s the Angry Fish ($56) that commands attention. This whole grilled masterpiece, enhanced by fermented Calabrian chilies and fiery garlic sauce, becomes a table-wide adventure that continues until the last morsel is scooped up by the accompanying tortillas.
When you finally make your way to the dessert menu, check out the classic churro ($18), reimagined as an ice cream sandwich. But it’s really the Golden Goddess ($28) you want for the table, another smoking showstopper that will become your new favorite chocolate dessert. Trust us on this one.
While tourists will inevitably add Amaya to their list of new must-visit Vegas hot spots, locals have something even better: our very own slice of Mexican paradise, available without a passport, any night of the week (and brunch, too!). Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or simply need a Tuesday night escape, the restaurant delivers that vacation feeling, from the first sip of tequila to the last bite of dessert.
GORDON RAMSAY BRINGS TASTY EXCLUSIVES TO HIS SECOND STRIP BURGER JOINT
If Gordon Ramsay has taught us anything, it’s that the Brits love their burgers just as much as their Beef Wellingtons. When his namesake burger shop debuted at Planet Hollywood in 2012, it helped set a new standard for upscale casual grub. More than a decade later, the celebrity chef has opened a second location at the Flamingo with exclusive dishes and brunch.
Specialties include the Cluck Yeah G.F.C. Sandwich ($27), a spicy chicken sandwich served on a pink brioche bun and a crunchy bed of red cabbage slaw, and the Idiot Burger ($34), with its stupid-tasty braised short rib, melted gruyere cheese and roasted mushrooms.
Ramsay’s sticky toffee waffle ($15) also hits the sweet spot. And his milkshakes, namely the spiked vanilla Sticky Shake ($25) and the strawberry cheesecake shake ($13), nail their rich and foamy assignments.
Flamingo’s Gordon Ramsay Burger also ups the square footage to nearly double the size of the Planet Hollywood location, adding a spacious dining area, an island-style bar and an outdoor patio with a Strip view. At its grand opening event on January 16, feathered showgirls and reality TV star Lisa Vanderpump joined Ramsay in celebrating his seventh restaurant on the Strip.
“I still treat this business as if it’s our first-ever restaurant,” Ramsay said. “We dedicate these openings to the team. Getting to see them this morning, getting to see them before Christmas, getting to see where we broke ground a year ago, it’s been extraordinary. And the talent in this room is second to none.”
Towering above the crowd in his crisply starched chef’s coat, Ramsay recognized his kitchen staff with handshakes and hugs, proving the hot-headed Hell’s Kitchen host can be a different version of himself. During his speech, Ramsay expressed his gratitude for being there, having just evacuated his Los Angeles home due to the wildfires a week prior.
“I want to spend a moment to give thanks to the incredible service from all those first responders and the entire team back in L.A.,” he said. “Today was an important day for me. I couldn’t miss this.” –Amber Sampson
GORDON RAMSAY BURGER Flamingo, 702-784-7195, caesars.com. Daily, 10 a.m.midnight.
TWO DOCTORS PRESCRIBE EASY WAY TO EAT HEALTHY
BY KATIE ANN MCCARVER VEGAS INC STAFF
Customers of this delivery service could order chicken fajitas. Others may opt for the pan-seared salmon with rice and sautéed spinach, or shrimp partnered with couscous and an array of vegetables.
These are just a few of the crafted meals available through MDMeals, a Las Vegas-based service that aims to provide meals that prevent, delay and treat a variety of medical conditions. Customers, ordering online, select one or more medical conditions—such as heart and kidney disease, gout or high blood pressure— and then choose meals from a list analyzed by dietitian nutritionists within the parameters of that condition.
Meals are frozen and delivered to the consumer’s doorstep. The company launched last year.
“Oftentimes, when you’re making it yourself, it isn’t very flavorful,” said Liza Henley, a marketing strategist for MDMeals. “And so having chefs and doctors and nutritionists come together to be able to make those meals for you, it allows for you to not have to sit down and think about what you’re going to cook.”
MDMeals co-founder and CEO Wael Eid, a pulmonary, critical care and sleep physician in Las Vegas for more than 20 years, said he and his business partner—also a medical doctor—
noticed in their practice that many patients would not follow the recommended diet for any given condition.
He attributed that to busy lifestyles getting in the way, a lack of knowledge around the guidelines or an inability to cook appropriately. MDMeals set out to rectify the issue and make it easy for people to adhere to a diet.
MDMeals’ food strictly follows recommended guidelines for meals according to specific medical conditions down to the amount of vegetables, fiber, fat and sugar, Eid said.
“Following the recommended diet has tremendous benefit,” he said, pointing to evidence that proper diet can send prediabetic people or people with Type 2 diabetes into remission.
Many people get overwhelmed when a medical provider informs them of a diagnosis that requires a specific diet, Eid said, and they rarely get enough help.
“They get the handout: how to eat healthy,” he said. “But how to translate that into action where you need to bring all these ingredients, cook appropriately, have the portion right, and at the end, create this meal that fits what you need—it’s hard, especially for someone with (a) new diagnosis. We want to take that burden.”
MDMeals doesn’t require a prescription, Eid said, and provides 10 or 20 meals at a time to
ensure consistency.
And, he added, MDMeals provides healthy, balanced options so families or spouses who need to adhere to a specific diet can also benefit.
“My vision for this is to not just provide the diet, provide the education with it,” he said. “There’s a lot of misinformation, partial information, (trends) that are not really founded in real science. We go to the (basics). We go to all the data that are backed by real science and medical literature and medical society.”
Eid’s dream is that health insurance will eventually cover food like that provided by MDMeals, at least to some extent, and recognize that healthy diets improve quality of life and save significantly on health care costs.
“I want this to be the first thing insurance and health care target, instead of going to the next pill and next procedure and next surgery,” he said. “I want prevention to be the focus, including meals.”
Henley echoed the sentiment, saying MDMeals is about exemplifying that “food is medicine” and plays a vital role in the healing process and managing different conditions.
“Just because you’re a patient doesn’t mean that you don’t have any say,” she said. “Just because you have a chronic illness doesn’t mean that you can’t work toward managing it and or reversing it. What we eat directly impacts that.”
The majority of MDMeals’ customer base is people with chronic illnesses, she said. The company offers them food to increase their energy levels and longevity, and hopefully decrease symptoms, without sacrificing taste and aesthetic.
“Because we also know that food—it’s not just fuel,” Henley said. “It’s nostalgia, it’s memories, it’s bringing people together. There’s a whole experience around food. And so we want people to understand that they don’t have to give all that up just by eating healthier.”
GIVING
NOTES
NAIOP Southern Nevada, which represents commercial real estate developers, owners and related professionals in o ce, industrial, retail and mixed-use real estate, and its Community Service Committee spearheaded several initiatives in 2024 that benefited local families, youth and people in need. The committee’s e orts led to donations of more than $50,000 and more than 1,200 hours of volunteering benefiting, among others, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Hollingsworth Steam Academy, Communities in Schools, Walter V. Long Elementary School, the local homeless population and Clark County foster children.
The first free period supply machine was installed at Gwendolyn Woolley Elementary School, one of 55 local schools supported by Communities In Schools of Southern Nevada. The installation comes on the heels of an announce-
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ment by Project Marilyn that it would donate vending machines to elementary schools throughout Clark County. By the end of February, Project Marilyn plans to complete the installation of 55 machines in elementary schools.
Leah Grinvald, dean and Richard J. Morgan professor at the William S. Boyd School of Law at UNLV, announced the establishment of four new endowment funds created by alumni, totaling $311,000 in pledged contributions. Monicaand Paul Janda pledged $200,000 to name the Janda Family Student Lounge. Jenny Lee established the Jenny Legal Endowed Scholarship with a pledge of $50,000. Her contribution also includes a $1,000 donation to the campus food pantry. Jessicaand Jim Murphy established the Murphy Family Endowed Scholarship with a pledge of $30,000 to support first-generation students from Nevada who wish
to attend the law school. Adrian Karimi established the Adrian Karimi Endowed Scholarship with a gift of $30,000 to support first-generation students pursuing a legal education.
A $55,000 grant from Maddie’s Fund, a national family foundation established by Dave and Cheryl Du eld, will help Heaven Can Wait Animal Society expand its services at both of its Spay & Neuter and Wellness Clinics.
The Shade Tree, a 24-hour accessible shelter designed to meet the needs of those escaping domestic violence, human tra cking and homelessness, received $20,000 from Dimopoulos Law Firm. This gift will support The Shade Tree’s mission to provide safe shelter and resources to women and children in crisis, and their pets, while o ering life-changing services that promote stability, dignity and self-reliance.
BACKSTORY
ADOLFO GONZALEZ ‘ENRICHED HERITAGE’ SCULPTURE | FEBRUARY 14, 2025 | OBODO COLLECTIVE FARM
This mammoth of a statue—of a man caught between the transitional phases of a community—tells the story of our Historic Westside. Left of Center Gallery artist Adolfo Gonzalez forges elements out of cold, hand-formed metal and steel, literally bending the narrative to reflect the Westside’s saga of segregation, unity and resilience. “I intentionally left imperfections—dents, rough edges—visible to highlight the rawness of history,” Gonzalez told the Weekly. Symbolism shines forth a message: We are here, in spite of it all. –Amber Sampson
