🦟 Here come the ‘urban’ mosquitoes

👀 Politically Connected Charity Under Fire

A prominent charity that helps developmentally disabled and medically fragile children is in a whirlwind of controversy. The Foundation for Positively Kids has been hit with allegations of fraud and poor fiscal management in a tale that includes doctored paperwork, bounced checks, suspicious expenditures, state and federal dollars, and two Democratic lawmakers connected to the organization who claim they didn’t know what was going on. [Nevada Independent]

🌪️ Social Media Storm

If you’re extremely locally online, you’ve probably seen the Twitter/X trollstorm that’s engulfed the Review-Journal and one of its reporters for stories about the killing of a bicyclist allegedly by a teenage thrill-killer. This explainer sorts out the facts from the toxic internet backwash. [Poynter]

🦟 ‘An Urban Mosquito’

Does it seem like there’s (slap!) a lot more mosquitoes this year? Back in June we wondered if that might be the case. (Hey Las Vegas 📧). Now a health district official confirms that there’s been a spike, and says a new kind of skeeter — “an urban mosquito that feeds mostly on people and is very aggressive” — may be to blame. [KLAS]

💻 Strip Hack Update

With computer systems down for almost two weeks at MGM Resorts properties nationwide thanks to hackers — snarling everything from online booking services to the lights in hotel rooms — and Caesars Entertainment revealing it was hacked less than a week before, Scott Roeben (aka Vital Vegas) shares his inside knowledge of what's happening. [City Cast Las Vegas 🎧]

📬 Highlights From the Inbox

🌳 The Bellagio tree debacle is still on people’s minds — especially when combined with the MGM hack:

John J. Delibos: “I find it ironic that no sooner did Bellagio cut down their beautiful, quarter-century-old trees … then they were hit with the cyber visit from Hell. I can just visualize MGM gleefully forecasting all that anticipated F-1 income and it literally melting away in a sea of red ink.”

V. Samuels: “I'm more disappointed in the state of our local streets. So much effort has gone toward getting the city ready for F1 that other things are being neglected.”

💭 The perilous state of the homeless in Las Vegas prompted this thought balloon — with a surprise twist ending:

Venita P.: “Do you know why the homeless count is rising? … In order to rent an apartment you have to make 2 1/2 times (the amount) the rent is. If people made that kind of money, they would be renting in nice areas around this town. So there’s your answer. I’ve lived here since 1976, and I really wish the mob was back running this town.”

🔌 NV Energy’s power bills are on this reader’s mind:

Robert K.: “It is just ridiculous how they continually keep raising our electric bills here, and a lot of people in my neighborhood are disgusted with this company. Nevada needs to do something about this quickly. Before things get worse.”

🍝 San Gennaro Feast | Today-Sunday | Various times

An Italian and International food and culture festival — music, arts, rides, games, vendors, and more. [The M Resort, Henderson; $17.99]

⚖️ Ask a Lawyer About Intellectual Property | Thursday | 5-7 p.m.

A legal sesh designed for small-business owners who need to know more about patents, copyright laws, and the like. Registration required. [West Charleston Library; free]

🎶 WindSync | Thursday | 7:30 p.m.

The virtuoso wind quintet plays classical masterworks. [UNLV; $30]

☮️ ‘Folk Music of the ’60s: A Community Forum’ | Friday | 2-3:30 p.m.

The times they are a-changin’ back by six decades in this freewheelin’ conversation about Bob Dylan and his folkie cohort. [Summerlin Library; free]

What the Hack?

If the MGM International and Caesars Entertainment hacks have you scratching your head and updating your malware protections, tune in as host Dayvid Figler brain-picks Scott “Vital Vegas” Roeben about the situation’s heroes, villains — and victims.