Daily Archives: May 9, 2021

Latin America is practically one big pop of color, from its lush green forests to the beautiful coastline, or, in the case of Peru, those utterly stunning Rainbow Mountains. Add the indigenous weaving, the music, and the vibrant atmosphere, and it is not surprising that the decision of which colorful cities to pick for this edition of Most Colorful Cities in was difficult.

So, as always, I went with those I know, or, if I havent quite made it there yet, at least places I have on my radar and have researched extensively. A couple of cities, Valparaiso and Buenos Aires have already been awarded a place in my Most Colorful Cities in the World selection, but that is because they are simply the best when it comes to a pop of metropolitan color.

Enjoy planning your next colorful getaway to Latin America!

Before I ever visited Valparaiso, I knew I would love it. A once-thriving port city that had persevered through economic decline and hardships under political dictatorship, through color and street art, always offers something special. In Valparaiso, street art was once encouraged by Nobel prize-winning poet Pablo Neruda, then went underground, only to emerge again, and is now loved and thriving. Walking through the steep streets, with every corner a picture, and even humble staircases turned into works of art, you can spend hours, in fact, days discovering new pieces of art. It is one of the most colorful places, and one of my favorite art-filled cities in the world.

Pro Tip: The only way to try and see most of the art on display is by guided walking tour, and even then, you have the constant feeling that you should be looking around the next corner. So, I suggest you start off with one guided tour to get your bearings, and then go back and add to it with a self-guided walking tour experience later.

Rio de Janeiro conjures up images of glamorous hotels, stunning beaches, and happy people in bikinis frolicking on the same. But the brightly colored favelas are as much part of Rio as Christ the Redeemer or Sugarloaf Mountain. Im not a fan of so-called slum tourism myself, and there are arguments for and against it. That said, visitors to these areas bring money to those who need it most in the city. Much like in other Latin American cities where street art and literally painting the town have brought together poorer communities, the favelas in Rio have undergone art-centric revivals, and it is worthwhile taking a closer look at these vibrant communities clinging onto the sides of the citys many steep mountains.

Pro Tip: To state the obvious, dont try and attempt to go into the favelas without a guide, and even when with a guide, dont carry your best purse or watch. But do go with a local and spend some money in the neighborhood shops.

Buenos Aires is one of my favorite cities in South America. It is like a Paris that has frayed around the edges, but with the faded grandeur and the vibrancy of the city still very much present. Full of music, dance, art, and culture, Buenos Aires has many distinct neighborhoods, and La Boca is the colorful one. La Boca, the mouth, was once the port area of Buenos Aires, and today is best known for its street markets, street art, and painted surroundings. Even the cobbles on the streets are painted. Touristy, with many posing tango-dancing couples displaying their skill in front of popular bars, yes. But fun despite the hype? For sure. Especially for photographers and Instagram enthusiasts, this colorful neighborhood is difficult to beat.

Pro Tip: Caminito is a lane, literally meaning small path, within La Boca, and is even more colorful than the rest. Here, youll find a fabulous street market full of art and arts and crafts. The market is open daily, but the most stalls are out on weekends.

This is, reportedly, the most colorful city or town in Colombia and maybe even in South America. Colombia itself is full of worthwhile sights, but a stop in Guatap is a must if you like color. Not only are private residences as well as public buildings painted in all the colors of the rainbow and then some, but they also have special frescos on each house called zocalos. Some of the frescoes are abstract patterns while others depict more recognizable shapes such as chickens, flowers, and birds. Each and every house is worth taking a picture of, and having entire streets filled with them is just ridiculously joyous. Just exactly how and why this tradition of the zocalos has started nobody seems to know, but they are now a fixture and a must-see when in Colombia.

Pro Tip: The surroundings of Guatap are also worth exploring, so, if coming from Medellin, which is roughly two hours by bus, why not stay the night before heading back? There are also organized tours if you are shy of taking local transport.

Wherever I go, I search out areas that are known for their street art. Sometimes those can be slightly dodgy neighborhoods, visited with care, but other times, as in the case of Batman Alley, they are dedicated areas where artists are allowed and encouraged to let loose. This alleyway would normally have been a nondescript back lane, boring and bland, but now, adorned with ever-changing murals, it is an outdoor art gallery in a lovely neighborhood that is colorful and filled with small boutiques and cafes, making you linger a little longer.

Pro Tip: So Paulo is not only full of amazing museums and art galleries but also has some of the largest commissioned murals by world-renowned street artists in the world. As you drive through the city, look out for underpasses along the motorways and up at the towering apartment blocks in the city center. Most spaces are adorned by art.

Pelourinho means whipping post in Portuguese, and this neighborhood of Salvador, the upper, old part, was where the slave auctions took place. Ironically, like in most Central, Caribbean, and South American cities, it is the colonial buildings we find so beautiful, and they are, but the history behind them is disturbing. That said, it is history, and should not be ignored, and, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this very colorful part of the city is being cherished and preserved.

Pro Tip: Pelourinho is on a hill overlooking Salvador, and the climb can take a toll on your knees. Instead, take the lift, Elevador Lacerda, to the top. Its a sight in itself, with fabulous views from the top.

Apart from being a colorful city, Guayaquil also has Ecuadors second busiest airport and is the transit hub to the Galapagos Islands, so, if you are en route, book a brief stopover and enjoy the city. While it is an ever-growing modern city, there is an old colonial part that dates to 1538. The old town, Las Peas, is located at the end of the Malecn 2000, the bustling beach promenade, on a hill overlooking the port. It is a real pop of color. To best appreciate it, climb the 444 Steps of Cerro Santa Ana, a wide, comfortable staircase hemmed by beautiful buildings and lined with palm trees and pieces of art. And even if 444 steps sound a lot, it is a comfortable climb.

Pro Tip: Dont miss Numa Pompilio Llona, a cobbled street at the bottom of the hill, which is famous for its old wooden buildings.

Granada in Nicaragua is a hotchpotch of colonial buildings, some dating to 1524, crowded markets, a great selection of cafes and restaurants, and the sunshine-yellow Cathedral Iglesia Guadalupe. The entire old center is full of single-story residences, each brighter than the next, but one of the best streets to linger for a while is La Calzada, also known as Gringo Street. Touristy, yes, but full of cafes and restaurants, color, and street musicians. Perfect for a lazy afternoon.

Pro Tip: Granada lies on the shores of Lake Nicaragua, the only freshwater lake that contains oceanic, that is, saltwater species of fish, which are believed to have become trapped there after the lake was formed by a volcanic eruption.

Panama City is one of those cities where super-modern meets old and charming. The Casco Viejo is one of my favorite places in Latin America because of its gorgeous yes, colonial architecture that is painted in vibrant colors. The old town is filled with lovely boutiques (Panama hat, anybody?), arty markets, superb top-rated restaurants, atmospheric cafes, and many picturesque spots. Add to that the carnival and the truly rainbow-colored Frank Gehry-designed Bio Museum, and you have a superbly colorful mix which to enjoy within easy reach of the States.

Pro Tip: Spend your first night on the rooftop bar Tantalo, which I include in my picks for The Worlds 9 Best Champagne Bars To Enjoy A Sip. The views are incredible.

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Viva Las Vegas! Popular Shows Announcing Their Return To The Strip - TravelAwaits

Fatal hit-and-run crashes are up 450 percent this year compared with 2020, according to Las Vegas police.

The Metropolitan Police Department had investigated 11 fatal hit-and-run crashes as of Thursday, according to traffic Lt. Bret Ficklin. By this time last year, the department had investigated two, he said.

Metro traffic logs show that in all of 2020 the department investigated nine fatal hit-and-runs.

Even if youre at fault, all youre doing is adding an additional felony charge to the problems and issues you may already be facing if you leave, Ficklin said.

Metro declined to provide updated totals on arrests for 2020 and 2021. By this time last year both hit-and-run cases had resulted in arrests, according to data publicly available from the department.

Ficklin said detectives have been successful in finding witnesses and using traffic cameras to track the direction of drivers who leave the scene.

The issue to that is its not like you have somebody whos a habitual burglar or habitual robbery suspect, Ficklin said. Usually in criminal acts people have an M.O. that often helps track them down and help to find them. Obviously people arent looking to go out and be involved in wrecks and Id hope go out and hope to run somebody over.

In many cases, Ficklin said, the drivers they have been able to catch leaving the scene have been impaired. He recalled the case of Alton Murray, who was followed by a witness to his apartment complex Nov. 16 after he ran a red light and crashed into another vehicle, according to a police report from Metro.

Murray was found with 11 grams of marijuana on him and had two previous arrests for allegedly driving under the influence in July and August. His license had been revoked, police said at the time.

Murray, 30, died 10 days after slipping out of handcuffs Nov. 26 and running across Desert Inn Road, where he was struck by a car.

On Wednesday, a woman crossing a street in northeast Las Vegas was fatally struck by a dark gray GMC truck with a trailer attached, police said.

Ficklin said that if residents can collect video or a license plate from the scene of a crash they are encouraged to provide it to police.

We need to be looking out for fellow beings, and we are not when we hurt another and run from that, Ficklin said.

Contact Sabrina Schnur at sschnur@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0278. Follow @sabrina_schnur on Twitter.

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Fatal hit-and-runs spike in Las Vegas in 2021 - Las Vegas Review-Journal

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) Two new things are happening on or near the Las Vegas Strip.

The first is Red Rock Resorts selling the Palms hotel-casino to San Manuel Gaming and Hospitality Authority for $650 million. San Manuel Band of Mission Indians says this expansion is expected to create over 1,000 jobs.

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San Manuel Band of Mission Indians is a nationwide philanthropic California American Indian tribe.

After years of supporting the Las Vegas community, having a physical foothold here is a milestone for the tribe.

"There were main pieces that we viewed as a catalyst for making this a viable business. The first is they have a nice southern California database. The second is we know our guests go to Las Vegas anyway. So we would like to figure out a way to become a part of the local business," said San Manuel COO Rikki Tanenbaum.

Along with the background of Native American gaming, particularly the Serrano tribe continue to look for ways to diversify their economy to be sustainable for generations to come. They hope to bring their value of positive community impacts to Nevada.

RELATED: History of San Manuel Band of Serrano Mission Indians and San Manuel Casino

CEO Laurens Vosloo tells us: "Those two things are very critical to use. The community and the employees before we talk about business."

They say its too early for definitive plans but they have talked with the Culinary Union and plan on operating like surrounding casinos, including alcohol services. There are no plans to change the Palms name at this time.

The second new development is MGM Resorts International and Infinity World Development Corp. selling two acres of land to the local 63SLVB company. The sale is set to go for about $80 million.

RELATED: CityCenter selling 2-acre parcel in the heart of Las Vegas Strip

The undeveloped land is located next to the Shops at Crystals at CityCenter between Las Vegas Boulevard and Harmon Avenue.

Both project transactions are set to close this year.

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Big changes coming to the Las Vegas Strip and beyond - KTNV Las Vegas

Online gamblingresourceBonusFinder is looking to pay someone to live it up in Las Vegas. Yes, this is real.

Feeling lucky? Fill out an application and you could be pulling in a paycheck for visiting Sin City, staying in swanky hotels and trying your hand at winning big in Vegas many casinos. Only one person will be selected, so be sure to explain why youre the right person for the job. As BonusFinders website says, The more creative your entries are, the better!

The selected winner will get a paid travel budget to cover the costs of flying from wherever they are to Las Vegas, paid accommodation for at least two nights, a $500 cash reward upon completion of their review and $2,000 to spend at the casinos. Its not exactly enough to quit your job and never look back, but who knows how youll make out at the casinos.

BonusFinder will pick the one lucky candidate on June 7. Thats plenty of time to let your joband family and friendsknow youre heading to Vegas for a few days to live it up.

Plenty of people are going to be vying for this gig, so be sure to get as creative as you can. Its not every day that an opportunity like this arises. Roll the dice. You might just come out on top.

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This Company Will Pay You to Visit Las Vegas and Stay in Luxury Hotels - Thrillist

LAS VEGAS (AP) Another new drive-thru COVD-19 vaccination site is about to open in Las Vegas.

Health officials this past week opened a new drive-thru site last Tuesday at the Las Vegas Convention Center. A second drive-thru location will open next Tuesday at the shuttered Texas Station Hotel & Casino northwest of downtown.

Dr. Fermin Leguen, chief health officer for the Southern Nevada Health District, recently said officials are committed to increasing access and providing as many opportunities for people to get the COVID-19 vaccine as possible.

According to Leguen, vaccinations are the best way to protect yourself and others from COVID-19.

The Texas Station site will be located on the first floor of the propertys parking garage and operate 7 a.m. to noon seven days a week for six weeks to accommodate a full cycle of first- and second-dose appointments of the Pfizer vaccine.

First doses will be offered weeks one through three of the clinic and second doses during weeks four through six. Appointments are now available at http://www.snhd.info/covid-vaccine.

The Texas Station site will also offer COVID-19 testing.

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New drive-thru vaccine site to open Tuesday in Las Vegas - Associated Press

Forbes released its annual, Worlds Most Valuable Sports Teams list, and the Las Vegas Raiders, albeit dropping down in the rankings, increased in value.

Despite the pandemic, the Silver and Black jumped from a value of $2.9 billion in 2020 to $3.1 billion in 2021. Percentage-wise, the Raiders bumped up in value by 117 percent in the past five years.

According to Forbes, the reason for the Raiders' bump in value is due to the opening of Allegiant Stadium.

The other NFL team that recently opened a new stadium, the Los Angeles Rams, bumped up their value by 176 percent in the last five years. In 2021, the Rams were valued at $4 billion.

While its true the NFL signed a new TV contract on March 18, 2021, with CBS, Fox, NBC, ESPN/ABC, and Amazon worth $113 billion over the next 11 years, Forbes said that that injection of money is not expected to raise the value of NFL teams in the short term.

All 32 NFL teams will be making $321 million a year from this new TV contract.

The NFL negotiates national TV contracts, including all regular-season games, as a league, divided equally among all 32 teams. This is drastically different from the MLB, NBA, and NHL, as outside of national primetime TV contracts, each individual team negotiates with a regional sports network to air regular non-primetime games.

An example of this is the Bally Sports Regional Networks, formerly known as Fox Sports Regional Networks, holding rights to many local broadcast deals with MLB, NBA, and NHL teams.

So, whenever the Raiders mention that they are an International Brand, remember that they are a sports team, or in other words a business worth $2.9 billion.

With the Raider Nation motto, it means the Silver and Black developed into the international brand it is today.

Want the latest breaking Las Vegas Raiders news delivered straight to you? CLICK THE FOLLOW button on the top of the page. Don't miss any of the latest up to the second updates for your Las Vegas Raiders when you follow onTwitter @HondoCarpenter,@HikaruKudo1@BaydounDarin

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Las Vegas Raiders Are 29th Most Valuable Sports Team in the World - Sports Illustrated

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) These unsung heroes were brought to the forefront of the worlds appreciation in 2020. Nurses are warriors ready to fight and save lives.

RELATED: Deals for National Nurses Week

One local nurse who has shined bright, never looking for attention, Marc Johnson is an EMS RN with American Medical Response (AMR) here in Las Vegas.

Johnsons passion has always been emergency medical services. He started out as an EMT then put himself through nursing school.

Hes experienced it all from the emergency room to pediatrics to heart evaluation and even spent time as a flight nurse.

"I love the autonomy of emergency medicine and doing whats right for the patient," said Johnson

When asked about the biggest change he has seen during his years in emergency medicine, his response was 2020 and the coronavirus pandemic.

"Its just been very tough to take a patient to a skilled nursing facility, put on a ventilator, not having the family around and having them stare through the windows from outside," Johnson told us.

A long-time colleague on Johnson, Donna Miller has had the opportunity to see Marc in action first-hand.

"What I have seen all along is him demonstrate courage. It takes courage to be a part of this industry. I have seen the passion for his profession. He doesnt have a job, he has a passion. Ive also seen compassion for the patients hes taking care of on the worst day of their lives," said Miller, the regional director for both AMR & MediQuest.

She has many heroic memories of Marc, like the time he saved a patient while the patient was being taken off an aircraft.

"I have seen him literally throwing himself over a ramp in order to catch an oxygen tank that fell off while a very large group was transferring that patient. Not only did he save the equipment, he saved that patient's life," Miller remembers.

Johnson says the hardest part of the job, besides being physically demanding is: "The human response for seeing somebody crying over a loved one that they may never get to see again. Im that link."

Johnson says the best part is: "It sounds cheesy but just doing the right thing for people."

"That gift of tomorrow, he does it every day with many of his patients," says Miller.

Have you had a moment where you thought this is what I was meant to do?

"I would say weekly if not daily that happens," said Johnson.

Miller says this honor comes as no surprise: "Congratulations Marc on that well-deserved recognition. You rock!"

CHECK OUT MORE AWESOME NURSES: Honoring Las Vegas nurses for National Nurses Week

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AMR Las Vegas nurse Marc Johnson is honored during National Nurses Week - KTNV Las Vegas

By Brian Greenspun (contact)

Sunday, May 9, 2021 | 2 a.m.

Congresswoman Liz Cheney a stalwart and conservative member of the Republican Party from the state of Wyoming is under fire from her GOP colleagues and, perhaps by this weekend or almost certainly the next, will lose her leadership role in the House of Representatives because, simply put, she told the truth.

What a concept! Tell the truth and get punished. That is exactly opposite from the way we were raised and the way Americans have raised their kids since the very beginning. Remember that whole George Washington story about the cherry tree?

And it is exactly the opposite of the mandate this newspaper and other legitimate, credible news organizations have across the country. That is to tell our readers the truth and help them make good decisions for themselves and their families based on facts and intelligent analysis.

You see, Rep. Cheney insists that lying to the American people about who won the 2020 presidential election you know, the one that led to Americans storming the Capitol of the United States, causing death and destruction and demeaning our country in the eyes of the world and our own children is just plain wrong. And very, very dangerous.

And by telling that simple truth, Cheney has, at the very least, put her political career at risk. And with the number of crazy people floating about in camouflage these days, perhaps a good bit more.

If Cheney can risk so much to defend our Constitution, what should the rest of us be willing to risk and do to help preserve this democracy the Founding Fathers gave us and which far too many of us seem content to squander?

And speaking of risks, how about the thousands and tens of thousands of American men and women who have sacrificed their lives on the battlefield to protect our way of life and our freedoms including the right to vote freely and fairly for our leaders.

If they could do all that, the question looms large in most of us: What can we do to make sure that this democracy, which has lasted 234 years, has a chance of lasting another 234 years under our watch and that of our progeny?As a news organization, the first thing we need to do is make sure that science, fact and truth govern our daily lives going forward. This practice some of our former friends and neighbors have of ignoring the truth and believing the lies they want to hear is dangerous for our children and every other human being on the planet. Not to mention our democracy, which came with no guarantees when the founders first wrote the Constitution in 1787. All our Constitution had at the time was a promise of loyalty to its words and commitment to its promise from one generation to another.

So I have given much thought to what I and you can do to fulfill our responsibility to our democracy and our readers.

There is, of course, plenty every citizen can do. We can ignore the lies and refuse to live in the make-believe world that those who dont believe in democracy would have us pretend exists. Not only should we speak the truth but we must condemn the lies, whether they are uttered anonymously on Twitter by enemies of our country or shouted from the rooftops of our communities by people who willfully ignore reality in favor of some other un-American pursuit.

But there is more that we the Las Vegas Sun can do. Our readers depend on us to publish the truth and at election time, recommend to them who we believe is best qualified to hold public office local, state and national.

And we know from decades of past experience that a Las Vegas Sun political endorsement is worth a great deal on Election Day. With most elections decided by a handful of votes, our endorsement is not only meaningful but most times the difference between winning and losing.

So, as of today, we will endorse only those candidates seeking public office and, therefore, the publics trust, who accept the truth of 2020.

And that is that Donald Trump lost the presidential election fair and square; that there was no rampant fraud in our election processes across this country; and that more people voting is good and that restricting the right of citizens to cast their ballots is bad.

All of that means that if any candidate comes around before the next election to seek our endorsement they must answer at the very least one question: Did Trump lose the 2020 presidential election fair and square?

If they cant say yes, unequivocally, they need not apply. No is the wrong answer. I dont know or dont have enough information is also the wrong answer. And I will get back to you later is wrong too.

A leader needs to speak truth to power. But those seeking to lead must speak truth to the people who will elect them.

Thats where the Las Vegas Sun can help.

Brian Greenspun is editor, publisher and owner of the Sun.

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Telling the truth about lies we are told - Las Vegas Sun

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Raiders Derek Carr. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Despite swirling rumors once again, Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr should have the best year of his career in 2021.

Ever since Jon Gruden took control of the Las Vegas Raiders before the 2018 NFL season, and traded Khalil Mack, experts and insiders claimed that Derek Carrs time as the Las Vegas quarterback would be close to its end. Their reasoning was that Gruden wasnt satisfied with Carrs production and that he would prefer to have a rookie quarterback that he could build around.

Draft after draft, this was the story that was being pushed, with players like Kyler Murray and Tua Tagovailoa being tied to Las Vegas before the draft. There were even reports this offseason that Las Vegas was looking to trade Carr, as players like Russell Wilson, Deshaun Watson, and Aaron Rodgers were rumored to be headed towards Las Vegas.

Yet, year after year, Carr has remained the teams franchise quarterback, and hes only improved with each season under Gruden. As he enters his fourth season under Gruden, the expectation is playoffs or bust, and hopefully, the Raiders have put enough around him, especially on defense to do that.

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Las Vegas Raiders: Derek Carr should have his best year yet in 2021 - Just Blog Baby

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) An unusual string of lights seen in the night sky over Las Vegas caused some stir Wednesday, prompting multiple calls and emails to the 13 Action News assignment desk.

It's a strange phenomenon with a simple answer.

The National Weather Service office in Seattle, Washington, says the lights are likely associated with the SpaceX Starlink satellite launch on Tuesday.

The company launched 60 Starlink satellites into space from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

That night, people all over the Pacific Northwest reported a similar sighting, a string of lights glowing in the night sky -- the same as what's being reported in Las Vegas tonight.

The satellites are part of a larger constellation, with nearly 1,600 in orbit to date, that the company is working on to help provide internet coverage to remote and rural parts of the world, Space.com explains.

Starlink is reportedly still in its beta-testing phase.

To learn more about the Starlink mission visit SpaceX.com.

Click here to view a Starlink tracker.

Meteorologist Dani Bescktrom explains further and shares when you can see the lights again next. Watch below.

Did you get a good video or photograph of the lights in the sky tonight? Send them to desk@ktnv.com and we may use them online and on-air! Please just let us know who to credit in the courtesy.

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National Weather Service clarifies mysterious lights in sky over Las Vegas - KTNV Las Vegas