🏀 1 point is all it takes: Aces win 2nd title!

🏡 Note to Bosses: Can I Have a Raise?

According to a new study, a Southern Nevada household needs to earn just north of $113,000 to afford a mortgage; that’s up 15% from last year. Median monthly payment nowadays: $2,830. [Review-Journal]

• Pairs nicely with: Our podcast episode about how to buy a house here. [City Cast Las Vegas 🎧]

🏎️ Planning Ahead is for Losers!

F1 is just a month away, but, Grand Prix officials said this week, a solution to the transportation challenges faced by Strip workers is still “a work in progress.” [KVVU]

• Related: Hotel room rates for the race weekend have been steadily falling. [Review-Journal]

🐶 🐱 LoJack That Kitty!

Thanks to a new ordinance approved by the Las Vegas City Council, starting next August, all pet owners in the city must have their animals microchipped. [Las Vegas Sun]

😱 More Fear, Additional Loathing

Headline news is all the frightdome I need. For those who want more visceral scares, a 110,000-square-foot permanent horror attraction — to be called, we learned this week, Universal Horror Unleashed — is destined for the Area15 campus. It will be Universal’s first permanent horror facility. [KVVU]

• BOO! Join us for a talk about the haunted parts of the Strip. [City Cast Las Vegas 🎧]

📚 Readings from ‘Las Vegas Writes’ | Today | 7-9 p.m.

A reading from "Feather Shows: Las Vegas Writers on Movies, TV, and Other Spectacles," part of the ongoing Las Vegas Writes book series. [Clark County Library, University District; free]

🎸 Richard Lloyd Group | Friday | 8 p.m.

Lloyd is a founding guitarist of the iconic band Television — “Marquee Moon” is a must-listen — and tops a bill that also includes Fur Dixon of The Cramps. [Sand Dollar Lounge, downtown; $15 advance, $20 door]

🩰 ‘First Light’ | Friday-Saturday | Various times

Season-opening concert by UNLV’s dance department, featuring choreography by faculty and artists in residence. [UNLV; $20]

📚 Las Vegas Book Festival | Saturday | 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

This year’s headliners include Terry McMillan, Ana Reyes, Rebecca Yarros, and Malcolm Nance. Plus dozens of local, regional, and national authors. [Historic Fifth Street School, downtown; free]

• Related: Check out the nabe around the festival site. [Hey Las Vegas 📧]

What’s Up With Buffets?

Once an unshakable symbol of Las Vegas excess, the all-you-can-cram buffet was hit hard by the pandemic — can it hang on now? Host Dayvid Figler checks in with food historian Sarah Lohman to learn about the past, present, and future of this Vegas classic.

➕ Sarah Lohman previously joined the podcast to talk about ice cream. 🍨 And we’ve covered the food hall trend, too.