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Stadium Update

Sources say that state leaders and the Oakland A’s have reached a tentative financing agreement — one that’s scaled back from the $195 million in public funding and $200 million in county bonds that were recently discussed. The Legislature still needs to approve it. [Nevada Independent]

• Context: UNLV economics professor Bill Robinson questions the value of publicly funded arenas. [City Cast Las Vegas 🎧]

After the Party

The backlash to the county’s Deadmau5 dance party in Commercial Center keeps growing. Newly emerged emails show county commissioners Ross Miller and Tick Segerblom doubling down on the glum optics: Segerblom derides merchants who aired their problems with the party as “ungrateful miscreants,” while Miller sniffs, "Perhaps next time we'll just do less." [KSNV]

• Related: Channel 3 investigates claims that Miller told Commercial Center businesspeople he could “burn the entire place to the ground and no one would care.” [KSNV]

Trout Out

What’s with all the dead trout floating in the pond at Sunset Park? Some 120 died in a recent three-day span, alarming park-goers. The Nevada Department of Wildlife says it’s because warm weather kills trout. The pond will soon be stocked with catfish instead. [KTNV]

How Many Dead Tourists?

It is, many believe, a taboo subject for local media: The number of tourists who die here. Citing data from the health district, Vital Vegas blogger Scott Roeben attempts to pierce the veil of silence: More than 1,800 nonlocals died in Clark County in 2022, 77% from natural causes, 18% from accidents — and 2.6% (51 people) from suicide. [Vital Vegas]

🎸 Thanks to reader Staci Wilson for adding to the Vegas playlist I published last week by sending in “Sin City” by the Flying Burrito Brothers. “Not the most flattering,” she says, “but the video has some cool '60s footage.” She’s right on both counts. Certainly the tourism people wouldn’t endorse lyrics like, "On the 31st floor/ a gold-plated door/ won't keep out the Lord's burning rain." On the other hand, there are many days I’d add "It seems like this whole town's insane" to the big welcome sign.

💧 Tina Quigley, CEO of the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance, sent this in response to a reader who worried that some industries weren’t seeing enough water restrictions:

“Water used indoors is 99.99% put back into Lake Mead via our return flow infrastructure. And we get ‘credit’ from the Colorado Commission for that return. Please, please, please help our community understand that outdoor use and evaporative coolers are ‘spent’ water, but indoor use is recycled. We are one of only two cities in the world that can claim this advantage (Singapore is the other).”

🎒 School district superintendent Jesus Jara has asked the Legislature to provide additional funding for school safety measures. That triggered a memory for this reader:

Christy Clayton: “So crazy to think I asked Jara in 2018 at one of his first public parent meetings why the schools never seem to entertain metal detectors if they are important enough for government buildings, courthouses, and even high school football games. His answer was that studies proved them ineffective.”

🪤 ‘Dismayland: Tales from the Park’ | Thursday-Sunday | various times

From theater impresario Troy Heard comes a bracing set of 10 playlets and monologues reveling in the dark side of Disney. Leave the kids at home! [Majestic Repertory Theatre, $30]

🎭 ‘The Tempest’ | Thursday-Saturday | 7:30 p.m.

Nevada Shakespeare Festival’s beginner-friendly adaptation of the Bard’s classic stars illusionist Rod Raven as Prospero — expect some magic. [Water Street Amphitheater, $15]

📚🎸 Greg Graffin Book Signing | Friday | 4:50-7 p.m.

The lead singer of Bad Religion signs his memoir of L.A.’s punk scene as part of the 2023 Punk Rock Bowling event. You can preorder a copy of the book from The Writer’s Block or pick it up at the signing. [Downtown Grand, free admission]

Is a Major League Ballpark a Home Run for Its City?

With funding prospects for the Oakland A’s thunderdome changing almost daily, now’s a good time for a loftier perspective. UNLV business professor Bill Robinson joins today’s podcast to explain to co-host Dayvid Figler the up- and downsides of publicly funded sports facilities.