[{"_id":"2432a807-be21-437f-8b54-d879595a931f","publishDate":"2024-04-19","title":"Struggling Atlantic City Is Likely To Face Two New Regional Challenges","_updatedAt":"2024-04-18T20:56:06Z","body":[{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"d99f3ed84840","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The New Jersey gambling mecca of Atlantic City has always paled in comparison to Las Vegas, but it’s not Sin City that represents the biggest threat to those East Coast casinos.","_key":"eea26a2e5ad40"}]},{"markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://apnews.com/article/atlantic-city-new-york-casinos-gambling-meadowlands-aec6dba0345cbc184c1add5eaa35328c","_key":"e5fd0149f328"}],"children":[{"_key":"87fe795dba3e0","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Neighboring New York has"},{"text":" secured licenses for casinos","_key":"8078bef9cb4d","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"text":" of its own … and now there’s new competition ","_key":"bde9aea5bcc6","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["e5fd0149f328"],"text":"looming","_key":"87fe795dba3e1"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" from within the Garden State.","_key":"87fe795dba3e2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"977702c5d4f4"},{"style":"normal","_key":"ddc117b0a067","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"Bad news piling up","_key":"ba03e8b490b40"}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Gaming has suffered some serious setbacks across the board in the wake of the pandemic, with losses during the shutdowns compounded by the impact of reduced foot traffic in casinos over the several years since.","_key":"b756e783f86d0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"2d7fba2384ad"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ad82bc9dee28","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"And Atlantic City is acutely aware of this trend. According to recent data, ","_key":"da262f2e17160"},{"_key":"22116f8a41b8","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"seven out of the resort town’s nine casinos "},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"are taking in less revenue from in-person gambling than they did prior to the COVID outbreak.","_key":"d2e2b8bc9192"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"As New York plans to build up its own gaming footprint, Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small is sounding the alarms.","_key":"b64561559bed0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"d1c62a528731"},{"children":[{"text":"“Now more than ever, we know there’s a threat coming with New York gaming coming,” he said. “We understand the threat. We want to continue to work together to do things right ","_key":"708b2c0911740","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"to put Atlantic City in a prime position","_key":"bc23c6a132c4"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":", no matter where these casinos are, that we diversify our options.”","_key":"eff855f15f02"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"e2b06aa1263a","markDefs":[]},{"_key":"59df98d7b58f","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"The Meadowlands question","_key":"f4e584135df60"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_key":"92619dbfa916","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Casino operators and employees might be looking across the state line, but the next big threat to their revenue might be brewing in their own backyard.","_key":"d9e106abaf980","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"3e4a09258dbe","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"According to Jeff Gural, who operates a racetrack in East Rutherford, casinos are","_key":"fa6e478817d10","_type":"span"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":" likely to pop up","_key":"1f5da0d31fec","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" in the Meadowlands shortly after New York casinos open, which means another Atlantic City alternative within the same state.","_key":"6a58d6707dd8"}]},{"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"“I’m just waiting for New York to open,” he said. “People will say, ‘Why am I driving over the George Washington Bridge and ","_key":"c589a74c40a10","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"paying an $18 toll ","_key":"4e7f26f9427c"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"and sitting in traffic to go gamble?’”","_key":"d5989609ae95"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"64ff917c104d","markDefs":[]}],"_rev":"wmKFo0F7u4qLYW1dpdcfRP","category":"us-news","image":{"crop":{"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0,"top":0,"left":0},"hotspot":{"y":0.5669481923988058,"height":0.8197548666186013,"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.8904109589041095,"x":0.5547945205479452},"_type":"image","attribution":"Shutterstock","asset":{"metadata":{"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":5113,"aspectRatio":1.5029394473838917,"height":3402},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"VTC@K-NLNg$zJET5X9kCslR-ENs,nzNI$dtls8n~SjxB","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"lightMuted":{"population":10.15,"background":"#c8c9be","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff"},"vibrant":{"background":"#4474bc","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":8.13},"dominant":{"population":10.15,"background":"#c8c9be","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"title":"#fff","population":0.2,"background":"#30335e","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff"},"muted":{"background":"#567aa8","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.13},"lightVibrant":{"title":"#fff","population":2.56,"background":"#f1a654","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000"},"darkVibrant":{"background":"#197c96","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0.01}},"hasAlpha":false},"_type":"sanity.imageAsset","path":"images/8mioycse/v3/f0e6d0f36f8a2acb6a2630791261acf3e82a0256-5113x3402.jpg","description":"Atlantic City skyline at night, AC, NJ, New Jersey, America","mimeType":"image/jpeg","creditLine":"John Greim/Shutterstock","extension":"jpg","_rev":"wmKFo0F7u4qLYW1dpdcYnO","sha1hash":"f0e6d0f36f8a2acb6a2630791261acf3e82a0256","_updatedAt":"2024-04-18T20:54:49Z","originalFilename":"sstk-4842668lk.jpg","uploadId":"Gtf4PAZM8GtEe6dx3qmH2MfcqlGmBX5k","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/f0e6d0f36f8a2acb6a2630791261acf3e82a0256-5113x3402.jpg","size":3247399,"assetId":"f0e6d0f36f8a2acb6a2630791261acf3e82a0256","_createdAt":"2024-04-18T20:54:49Z","_id":"image-f0e6d0f36f8a2acb6a2630791261acf3e82a0256-5113x3402-jpg"}},"_createdAt":"2024-04-18T20:56:06Z","visibility":"true","id":"anHxkWMF","slug":"/story/2024/04/struggling-atlantic-city-is-likely-to-face-two-new-regional-challenges","summary":"Las Vegas isn't the only competition for this New Jersey resort town anymore. ","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"_type":"story"},{"author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"title":"New York Is Pursuing A More Humane Approach To The City’s Rat Problem","summary":"One common strategy could soon be banned entirely.","id":"tyOmAPHf","_type":"story","visibility":"true","body":[{"_key":"29b70d9abcf0","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/rid-nyc-rats-brutality-birth-control-idea-109213268","_key":"a8bb2d157927"}],"children":[{"_key":"0820dc4522770","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"“Pizza Rat” might’ve made for a viral meme a few years ago, but New Yorkers know that his"},{"text":" millions of friends across the city","_key":"b18b4ad4f089","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"marks":[],"text":" have combined to create a real problem. And while the initial response by many locals has been to reach for poison or glue traps, lawmakers say there’s a ","_key":"bd46e2125f0c","_type":"span"},{"marks":["a8bb2d157927"],"text":"better","_key":"0820dc4522771","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" way to reduce the rat population without causing unnecessary suffering to the rodents and other wild animals.","_key":"0820dc4522772"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Take it from Bob Barker","_key":"a790e72d41a80","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"feb86a0f3cd8"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"If you recall the days of “The Price Is Right” as hosted by the late Bob Barker, you remember his daily reminder to have your pet spayed or neutered. Current host Drew Carey has continued that tradition … and now a variation of it is being considered in response to the Big Apple’s rat problem.","_key":"11ec61d37fbf0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"9e3a3e416d08","markDefs":[]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Last week, city council members moved to advance a program that would ","_key":"f969087048800"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"spread rat contraceptives far and wide","_key":"c1e7e85578f8"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" as a way to reduce the number of rodents while curbing the use of more harmful measures. The proposal came after Flaco, an escaped zoo owl, was found dead after having ingested rat poison.","_key":"0b22e901074e"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"d4f0f2e4e425"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"683b7d91c17b","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Local leaders also want to ban glue traps, which kill rats and other trapped animals in a lengthy and some say torturous process.","_key":"e06137f55f6b0","_type":"span"}]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"3362fac88b09","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"How would it work?","_key":"493f342d16180"}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"7f4a48ae9f80","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"d7d35a629ad60","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"As you might imagine, it’s not feasible to teach rats to take their birth control pills. But as city councilman Shaun Abreu laid out in his recent proposal, there is a rather straightforward solution."}],"_type":"block"},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"a37f9a5d9d28","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"ContraPest is a product that interrupts","_key":"211dfd5cef870"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" sperm production or ovarian function","_key":"d8af17f763a6"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" in rodents and is contained in pellets that can be widely distributed in areas where rats are most common.","_key":"98f4b22b52ee"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Jakob Shaw of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is on board, declaring: “This is not a problem we can kill our way out of.”","_key":"753787e795240"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"7d74057eda22"}],"_id":"15811578-3de2-4741-bdc4-a01e0cd13981","_createdAt":"2024-04-14T20:28:55Z","category":"us-news","image":{"_type":"image","attribution":"Giphy","asset":{"path":"images/8mioycse/v3/a1a8157d0ffd52a0908cf433f5cea7d6cb2ac0f8-480x246.gif","size":562836,"_id":"image-a1a8157d0ffd52a0908cf433f5cea7d6cb2ac0f8-480x246-gif","_updatedAt":"2024-01-12T23:49:39Z","metadata":{"lqip":"data:image/jpeg;base64,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","dimensions":{"_type":"sanity.imageDimensions","width":480,"aspectRatio":1.951219512195122,"height":246},"isOpaque":true,"blurHash":"M.Mjv|adxst6M{~paekCj@aeWUayNGWBoL","_type":"sanity.imageMetadata","palette":{"darkVibrant":{"foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":0,"background":"#624c21","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch"},"lightMuted":{"background":"#d8ceb1","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#000","population":2.94},"vibrant":{"background":"#c29a4d","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#fff","population":2.1},"dominant":{"population":6.42,"background":"#90504e","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"_type":"sanity.imagePalette","darkMuted":{"background":"#353947","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff","population":3.99},"muted":{"population":6.42,"background":"#90504e","_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#fff","title":"#fff"},"lightVibrant":{"_type":"sanity.imagePaletteSwatch","foreground":"#000","title":"#000","population":6.21,"background":"#fcf4dc"}},"hasAlpha":true},"_rev":"1js8Eqc7nziBHN8dNDQBcv","mimeType":"image/gif","source":{"name":"New York City Nyc GIF by GIPHY News","id":"i0RmgkrZH7FQnkCcPi","url":"https://giphy.com/gifs/news-nyc-new-york-city-eric-adams-i0RmgkrZH7FQnkCcPi"},"uploadId":"B6aesXmrMfhlXGjc7IdYKO6yi3WkQdO7","_type":"sanity.imageAsset","assetId":"a1a8157d0ffd52a0908cf433f5cea7d6cb2ac0f8","_createdAt":"2024-01-12T23:49:39Z","extension":"gif","url":"https://cdn.sanity.io/images/8mioycse/v3/a1a8157d0ffd52a0908cf433f5cea7d6cb2ac0f8-480x246.gif","originalFilename":"839c736a-5ac2-4462-809f-b56f8a85fd8b.gif","sha1hash":"a1a8157d0ffd52a0908cf433f5cea7d6cb2ac0f8"},"crop":{"top":0,"left":0,"bottom":0,"_type":"sanity.imageCrop","right":0},"hotspot":{"_type":"sanity.imageHotspot","width":0.8321917808219177,"x":0.5,"y":0.5,"height":1}},"publishDate":"2024-04-15","_updatedAt":"2024-04-14T20:28:55Z","_rev":"7JoDA4Sj5w9Jp2lYIemheu","slug":"/story/2024/04/new-york-is-pursuing-a-more-humane-approach-to-the-citys-rat-problem"},{"id":"7OZ4tUTm","_updatedAt":"2024-04-02T19:30:58Z","summary":"After 67 years in operation, yesterday marked the end of an era.","title":"Leaving Las Vegas: Sin City Bids Farewell To An Iconic Casino","publishDate":"2024-04-03","_rev":"ggXYGCakEYiQmkTQlu3Bex","body":[{"_key":"244e1618aed2","markDefs":[{"_type":"link","href":"https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/welcoming-guests-67-years-tropicana-las-vegas-casinos-final-day-arrive-rcna145992","_key":"b48f908a52f1"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"It’s been nearly 70 years since the Tropicana first opened its doors to visitors in an emerging oasis of adult-themed fun in the Nevada desert. Las Vegas has changed a lot since then, but this","_key":"8b0eb3b948a20"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":" landmark casino and hotel ","_key":"c0e057e82d03","_type":"span"},{"text":"remained a ","_key":"75e64128bdc3","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["b48f908a52f1"],"text":"constant","_key":"8b0eb3b948a21"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" throughout the subsequent decades.","_key":"8b0eb3b948a22"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"That era has now come to an end.","_key":"06fec90bb8770"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"6b844bd02d3b","markDefs":[]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"186c1dde457f","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":["strong"],"text":"A star-studded legacy","_key":"d66dc40dd1900","_type":"span"}]},{"_key":"0e61cfa995fb","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"When the Tropicana first opened, it was","_key":"0878bece70fd0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" three stories tall and had 300 rooms","_key":"102ee32ac011"},{"marks":[],"text":". Construction cost $15 million, which is nothing by today’s standards but was a massive investment at the time.","_key":"25de9ac5a17d","_type":"span"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"And there wasn’t much around it, unlike the","_key":"6460af848fd40"},{"text":" densely packed Strip","_key":"22be3d3fb28b","_type":"span","marks":["strong"]},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" that now serves as the focal point of Las Vegas. Over the years, the Tropicana built on its nickname — the Tiffany of the Strip — by welcoming high rollers with an elegant experience and offering performances by some of the biggest stars of the day.","_key":"6e4d9c4fac39"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"a1f03028575b","markDefs":[]},{"_key":"18c9814c5df5","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"A few of the","_key":"55cca90c4f760"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" most notable acts","_key":"0fb5de7ad484"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" to play its showroom included:","_key":"6b8c83d5ece9"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Frank Sinatra","_key":"de16b7cf69e80"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"23efa2f176b0","listItem":"bullet"},{"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"1c97430be051","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Elizabeth Taylor","_key":"cfcdfa3cd31c0","_type":"span"}]},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Gladys Knight","_key":"862ef7f1e6980"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ee92688229dd","listItem":"bullet"},{"listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Wayne Newton","_key":"a7d3845b04e30"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"73c07f1688a5"},{"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Debbie Reynolds","_key":"b0b723d7b86e0","_type":"span"}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"58472e708f1e","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[]},{"_key":"f5f287d5e489","listItem":"bullet","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Sammy Davis Jr.","_key":"8899a6cc476c0","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"level":1,"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"_key":"4431c9eb2206","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"It was even good enough","_key":"1b896cd3cdcf0","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_key":"a332f25d978a","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":" for James Bond himself"},{"_key":"4d62c1f360e1","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" in the 1971 classic “Diamonds Are Forever.”"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"But times have changed, and the Tropicana now only exists in the memories of those who have experienced it.","_key":"fa2a6829fb390"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"ba9ece867bfc","markDefs":[]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"c5dc5148f62e","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"“It’s ran its course”","_key":"5fa009c180270"}]},{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"36c5584ac132","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"So why was yesterday the last for this historic location? 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a story that put White House correspondents in the hot seat.","_id":"caef8461-614a-4acf-87d8-828c1b4466ba","category":"us-news","_updatedAt":"2024-04-01T01:26:00Z","_rev":"HDgWe7sT5BAsuHOLVarS4q","visibility":"true","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"_type":"story","publishDate":"2024-04-01","body":[{"markDefs":[{"_key":"8f886eb1ac67","_type":"link","href":"https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68702982"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The opportunity to grab a celebrity souvenir can be hard to resist — even if you’re a reporter and the celebrity in question is the president of the United States. 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But those with plenty of cash to spend might be able to ride it out with little noticeable impact on their privileged lifestyle.","_key":"c9eabc4f63a2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"dc28a3435ec5"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"And many of them are busy planning for it already.","_key":"bd4399ed7ab40"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"c1b44dc9f206"},{"children":[{"text":"Bunkers are nothing new, and rich people have been building them as a last resort for generations. 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","_key":"6709dd77019e0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"slower service at higher prices","_key":"2b264ca71b28"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"” as well as “contracts with ","_key":"c4bf9951ae69"},{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"worse terms and conditions","_key":"98fca219578b"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"” to communities with higher poverty rates.","_key":"68f677bffbc1"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"6cb27a7e85f3","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Charter pushed back against the findings, asserting that the foundation’s conclusions were “intentionally misleading.”","_key":"d9189bd8431c0","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"marks":[],"text":"Additional criticism came from the Central City Foundation of Los Angeles, which represents the interests of businesses including both Charter and AT&T. 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FCC has already defined the practice and implemented a federal ban.","_createdAt":"2024-02-01T21:25:49Z","author":{"_ref":"phCNL32Gn","_type":"reference"},"visibility":"true","_id":"b8c88e78-b1d5-4753-9176-ecf88c3e8390","id":"G0n3oLK7","_type":"story","_updatedAt":"2024-02-01T21:32:13Z"},{"summary":"The rise in e-commerce has given modern-day thieves a new incentive.","body":[{"style":"normal","_key":"433a98dbf3ac","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"If you’re a U.S. history buff or a sucker for a good true-crime tale, you’ve probably come across more than a few stories about","_key":"f88caecea7510","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"marks":["strong"],"text":" brazen train robberies","_key":"77eb8c3e5b18","_type":"span"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" by the likes of Butch Cassidy or Jesse 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UAW members walked off the job as part of a strike called in response to failed contract negotiations with the Big Three automakers - General Motors, Ford and Stellantis, the parent company of Jeep and Chrysler. 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seem to be entering Sin City's third major reinvention phase.","title":"Learning To Recognize The Changing Face Of Las Vegas","body":[{"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"1b283251da0a","markDefs":[{"_key":"552848ff62d0","_type":"link","href":"https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/27/travel/las-vegas-sphere-grand-prix-sports.html"}],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"“Sin City” has lived up to its nickname for generations, but the adult playground in the middle of the desert is ","_key":"c439adf0f27c0"},{"_type":"span","marks":["552848ff62d0"],"text":"a lot more","_key":"c439adf0f27c1"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" than bright casinos, indulgent buffets, and raunchy shows these days.","_key":"c439adf0f27c2"}]},{"style":"normal","_key":"8322aa8632a6","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"Las Vegas has become a paragon of water conservation, it’s attracted world-class sports and entertainment … and of course there’s the Sphere, a massive round theater covered on all sides 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The Sphere is only the most notable example.","_key":"353a202605592"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"e4e36a364357"},{"_key":"2ff6d196c355","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"According to Brian Alvarez, who once served as Las Vegas’ cultural commissioner, the introduction of the huge theater, which dwarfs everything else in the city’s skyline, is a symbol of what’s to come.","_key":"c4f0ba39859c0"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"style":"normal","_key":"dd17e5c6e0dd","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"“The Sphere will define Vegas architecture,” he said. “It’s not a themed building like some of the other spots on the Strip. 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The first started nearly a century ago when a sleepy desert town attracted visitors by legalizing gambling. 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Throughout it all, however, experts were conducting a thorough investigation — and the first ","_key":"540cd2092e912","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_type":"span","marks":["3c4acece85ce"],"text":"glimpses","_key":"540cd2092e913"},{"marks":[],"text":" of that probe are now surfacing.","_key":"540cd2092e914","_type":"span"}]},{"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"A tragic coincidence","_key":"78505229c0620"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"4e28224a390e","markDefs":[]},{"_key":"60d168b4404e","markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"As the first locals are being allowed limited access to their fire-damaged property, investigators say they have some compelling evidence that about the origins of the fire that demolished the picturesque town of Lahaina.","_key":"294658b41cef0","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The blaze, which as of the latest reports ","_key":"831613faee9c0"},{"marks":["strong"],"text":"claimed at least 97 lives","_key":"831613faee9c1","_type":"span"},{"_key":"831613faee9c2","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":" and left thousands of structures damaged or destroyed, was temporarily thought to be extinguished after it began to spread last month. A short time later, however, the inferno was reignited and began spreading far and wide."}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"d0d8142322be"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"A preliminary report determined that an area of overgrown brush beneath some power lines could have been the cause.","_key":"465d47b1f5b90"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"8ca94ea99b0b"},{"style":"normal","_key":"d431346f42f9","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"What went wrong","_key":"6db26bdb76e70"}],"_type":"block"},{"style":"normal","_key":"e94829b33bfa","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"The area had already been deemed a fire risk due to its growth and proximity to electrical wires, but investigators say it had gone for several years without being properly trimmed.","_key":"b748331db7030"}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"One local said he had lived in the area for two decades and never saw anyone mow the gulley, adding: “It was not manicured at all.”","_key":"12bb6b91531b0","_type":"span","marks":[]}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"80af793684d4"},{"style":"normal","_key":"689987524295","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_key":"676c273daaf20","_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Gemsley Balagso went on to describe what he experienced on the afternoon of Aug. 8 as a major storm passed by Hawaii."}],"_type":"block"},{"markDefs":[],"children":[{"text":"“The winds were blowing 90 mph downhill,” he said. “From the time of reignition or rekindling to the time it passed my house, ","_key":"4e5e88e823dc0","_type":"span","marks":[]},{"_key":"4e5e88e823dc1","_type":"span","marks":["strong"],"text":"it was less than a minute"},{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":".”","_key":"4e5e88e823dc2"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal","_key":"3ebd1e5c97f8"},{"_key":"3f532afc91b7","markDefs":[],"children":[{"_type":"span","marks":[],"text":"Hawaiian Electric already issued a statement blaming the initial fire on a downed line but insisted that all power had been shut off for hours by the time the blaze kicked up again.","_key":"6ee7f29cf0d80"}],"_type":"block","style":"normal"}]}]