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»12/1/09 What Are They Really Thinking
First, it's time for a group of completely different Las Vegans to gather and tell us what they are really thinking about health care reform or rationing, the new city hall, the opening of CityCenter and what ever else is on their minds.

Then, we talk to someone who says that health care reform has economic benefits. We talk to University of Maryland Political Scientist Thomas F. Schaller about that issue and his book Whistling Past Dixie: How Democrats Can Win Without the South.

And, Las Vegas Clark County Library District Chief Executive Jeanne Goodrich joins us to talk about the top books and what people in the Las Vegas Valley are reading.

»12/2/09 Westside Schools and Captain Sullenberger
First Members of the CCSD and West Las Vegas community activists discuss the causes of West Las Vegas schools underachievement and the possible fixes.

And we talk with NASCAR bad boy and one-time Las Vegan Kurt Busch about how he's changed and how NASCAR is dealing with diminished sponsorships.

Then we're joined by Captain Sullenberger who tells us about his new memoir and his harrowing experience safely landing his plane with 155 passengers in the Hudson River.

Artist and writer Er Tai Gao spoke out briefly in 1957 about the meaning of art and found himself damned as a rightist in Mao Zedong's China. He talks to us about his memoir.

»12/3/09 Sick, Drug War and LV Sun Layoffs
Sen. Harry Reid is pushing the Senate to pass his health reform bill. But it barely reduces the deficit and still leaves 50 million Americans uninsured. But it's better than nothing says health care writer Jonathan Cohn. He joins us to try and answer some of your questions about this giant puzzle of health care reform.

And the Mexican drug wars are being fought up and down the Southwestern border. We talk with an anthropologist who's interviewed some of the biggest kingpins.

»12/4/09 Empowerment Schools and Religious Roundtable
In 2007, Gov. Jim Gibbons boldly predicted that "empowerment schools" would end the perpetually low ranking of Nevada schools. It has not exactly worked out that way. We talk about empowerment schools and whether we should we have more of them.

And a priest, a rabbi and an imam ... it sounds like the start of a joke. But no, we're bringing them together with a couple of other religious leaders to examine the state of faith in Southern Nevada.

»12/5/09 KNPR's State of Nevada Weekend Select
The Mexican drug wars are being fought up and down the Southwestern border. We talk with an anthropologist who's interviewed some of the biggest kingpins. This selection represents the best segments from the past week's broadcasts.

»12/7/09 NPR Ombudsman and James McManus
Could National Public Radio use more people like Fox News commentator Glen Beck? Does NPR's news staff lack real diversity? Does Weekend Edition Host Scott Simon make too much? These are all questions that NPR Ombudsman Alicia Shepard.

And James McManus has written the big book on poker and the meaning of American life. He tells us about it.

»12/8/09 Winter Gardening and Food Talk
So there's snow on the mountains. It may be too late to plant and mulch for spring but there's always pruning that needs to be done in December and January. Norm Schilling and Frank Rauscher join us to share their expertise.

Max Jacobson and John Curtas join us to talk about eating out. They talk with Guy Savoy about his restaurant in Caesars Palace, chat with Steve Schirripa of The Sopranos and talk about the five best (and worst) food movies of all time.

»12/9/09 CCSD Superintendent and George Carlin's Last Words
First, Clark County School District Chief Walt Rulffes joins us to talk about the host of issues facing educators and schools in Southern Nevada.

Then, friend of George Carlin and fellow comic, Tony Hendra and Carlin's daughter Kelly join us to talk about the comic's life.

»12/10/09 How Green is CityCenter and Lion King
First, CityCenter now has six Gold LEED certificates. That's the best measure of a building's being green. But can a complex of skyscrapers be truly green? We talk about the greening of the corridor.

Then, former managing editor of the Las Vegas Sun joins us to talk about the news business in Las Vegas, his time at the helm of the Sun and where he thinks the newspaper business is headed.

And the four middle-school performers who play "Nala" and "Simba" in the Las Vegas production of "The Lion King" join us.

»12/11/09 The Lazystars, LV Philharmonic Christmas and Googled
First we continue our conversations with musical artists of the Southwest. Members of the group, The Lazystars, join us in the studio.

Then, it's the season for Christmas cheer and Maestro David Itkin joins us with some of this favorite songs of the holiday season.

And Googol used to mean a number with 100 zeroes. Now it's the way we work and play on the web. Author Ken Auletta tells us about it.

»12/12/09 KNPR's State of Nevada Weekend Select
Clark County School District Chief Walt Rulffes joins us to talk about the host of issues facing educators and schools in Southern Nevada. This selection represents the best segments from the past week's broadcasts.

»12/14/09 Life on the Outside and Amy Bach
What do you do after 30 years in prison? How do you build a life from scratch? James Mitchell is figuring out the answers to that question because he's recently started life on the outside after decades in prison. He tells us how he set about that.

And lawyers game the system all the time. Attorney and author Amy Bach will tell us why.

»12/15/09 Food Stamps, Elvis and Running for President
We hear from some folks using food stamps and talk with a nutrition expert and a local administrator about the program. Also, Elvis. The history of Elvis in Sin City as he will be the focus of the latest Cirque du Soleil show.

Is an oxygen bar in Las Vegas an unlikely place to launch a political campaign? We find out when we talk with the director and stars of a new independent movie that works that theme.

»12/16/09 Economic Outlook and Taxi
They've seen it all. We talk with some of the valley's cab drivers to see what they see sitting behind the wheel when they're carrying tourists all over the valley.

And on the eve of CityCenter's opening the Las Vegas economy is still sunk in recession. Record unemployment and a fiscal crisis could be here for years not months. We look at 2009 and 2010 with our business experts.

»12/17/09 CityCenter, Picturing Las Vegas and Botax
We talk to an author about her richly illustrated book on Las Vegas and why she has mixed feelings about the city of her birth.

And, plastic surgeons say the proposed 5% levy on their work is nothing but a sin tax. A local surgeon explains why they're squealing.

But first, the big day is finally here. We find out what happened when the casino finally opened at CityCenter.

»12/18/09 Political Roundtable and Gurus of Gossip
Tiger Tiger everywhere. What happened to Michael Jackson and who's the next big name going up on a Strip marquee. We talk entertainment and celebrities with the gurus of gossip.

But first, a year is a really long time in politics. Sen. Harry Reid is being counted out and Sen. John Ensign is done. And there could easily be a three-way race for governor, even though Gov. Jim Gibbons insists he's still running next year. We look at what's happened in 2009 and what's the outlook for 2010 with the best political minds in the valley.



»12/19/09 KNPR's State of Nevada Weekend Select
What do you do after 30 years in prison? How do you build a life from scratch? James Mitchell is figuring out the answers to that question because he's recently started life on the outside after decades in prison. He tells us how he set about that. And the big day is finally here. We find out what happened when the casino finally opened at CityCenter.

These selection represents the best segments from the past week's broadcasts.

»12/21/09 Homeless Youth and Frank Caliendo
We meet four teens who are living with the local charity Partnership for Homeless Youth.

Impressionist Frank Caliendo talks about his new show and how he got into the business of impersonating others. Rebroadcast

»12/22/09 Westside Schools, E.L. Doctorow and Neon Reverb Music Festival
Pre-eminent novelist of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, Novelist E.L. Doctorow joins us in the studio.

And members of the CCSD and West Las Vegas community activists discuss the causes of West Las Vegas schools underachievement and the possible fixes.

Then we talk with organizers of the Neon Reverb Festival. Rebroadcast

»12/23/09 Drug War Zone and Holiday Gift Guide
The Mexican drug wars are being fought up and down the Southwestern border. We talk with an anthropologist who's interviewed some of the biggest kingpins.

Then Las Vegas Clark County Library District Chief Executive Jeanne Goodrich joins us to give us her top book picks. And Doug Elfman, who doubles as the Game Dork, gives us a preview of the best games to buy for the holiday season.(Rebroadcast)

»12/24/09 Sake Master, Religious Roundtable and Lion King
We talk sake with Sake Master Yuji Matsumoto.

And a priest, a rabbi and an imam ... it sounds like the start of a joke. But no, we're bringing them together with a couple of other religious leaders to examine the state of faith in Southern Nevada.

Then the four middle-school performers who play "Nala" and "Simba" in the Las Vegas production of "The Lion King" join us. Rebroadcast

»12/28/09 Sick, and George Carlin's Last Words
Sen. Harry Reid is pushing the Senate to pass his health reform bill. But it barely reduces the deficit and still leaves 50 million Americans uninsured. But it's better than nothing says health care writer Jonathan Cohn. He joins us to try and answer some of your questions about this giant puzzle of health care reform.

Then, friend of George Carlin and fellow comic, Tony Hendra and Carlin's daughter Kelly join us to talk about the comic's life. And we talk with Irish singer-songwriter, David Hopkins.

Artist and writer Er Tai Gao spoke out briefly in 1957 about the meaning of art and found himself damned as a rightist in Mao Zedong's China. He talks to us about his memoir.Rebroadcast

»12/29/09 Life on the Outside, CityCenter Opening and Food Talk
How does anyone survive 29 years in prison for murder. Lamont Mitchell was recently released from the Nevada Prison system and he tells us his story.

Then we hear again the sounds of City Center as it opened a couple of weeks ago.

And we haven't heard from the food writers in some time but Max Jacobson and John Curtas will be here to give us their take on the best and worst in Las Vegas eating.

»12/30/09 Rat Pack and Kay Ryan
We hear the music of Sandy Hackett and his Rat Pack show that's playing at the Sahara.

And another chance to hear our interview with the Poet laureate of the United States Kay Ryan. She was a keynote speaker at the Vegas Valley Book Festival.

»12/31/09 Michael Uslan and Rick Faugno
As a boy, he dreamed of making a Batman movie worthy of the original story. His mother let him keep his comic books in the garage - all 40,000 thousand of them. Michael Uslan has spent the last 20 years fulfilling his Batman dream and he spoke at this year's Vegas Valley Comic Festival.

Then we hear Rick Faugno from the performance studio. He plays Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys but he came in the studio to preview his one-man show - "Songs my Idols Sang and Danced." And he brought his tap shoes into the performance studio. Rebroadcast.