Daily Archives: July 12, 2021

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) Las Vegas officially hit 117 degrees on Saturday, tying the all-time high-temperature record for the city.

The official recording site for Las Vegas is at McCarran International Airport. It is worth noting that parts of the valley have been hotter and will be hotter than the official temperatures recorded.

RELATED: Will recent extreme heat be the new normal for Las Vegas?

Las Vegas has hit 117 four other times in recorded history:

Beyond matching the all-time high, daily high records have been broken over these past few days and record-challenging temperatures are forecasted for Sunday and Monday.

An Excessive Heat Warning remains in effect for the area through Monday night. The valley will hold onto highs in the triple-digit teens.

RELATED: Las Vegas weather: What's the difference between watch, warning and advisory?

A Heat Advisory is also in effect for the Spring Mountains/Red Rock and the Sheep Range. Temperatures there will reach the 90s over the next two days. Along the Colorado River Basin, temperatures are forecasted to flirt with the 120s.

Officials warn this heat can be very dangerous. We are at a very high level for heat risk, the highest level at the U.S. National Weather Service.

Heat is also the top weather-related killer in the U.S.

So what can you do? Drink lots of water and stay hydrated, try to avoid spending lots of time outdoors and if you need to be outside, take breaks in the AC or shade.

CURRENT CONDITIONS | 13 First Alert Weather

Continued here:

Excessive Heat Warning remains in effect, Las Vegas hits all-time high record of 117 degrees - KTNV Las Vegas

Investigator Perry Kaye jammed the brakes of his government-issued vehicle to survey the offense. Uh oh this doesnt look too good. Lets take a peek, he said, exiting the car to handle what has become one of the most existential violations in drought-stricken Las Vegas a faulty sprinkler.

Kaye is one of nearly 50 water waste investigators deployed by the local water authority to crack down on even the smallest misuse of a liquid perilously scarce in the US west, desiccated by two decades of drought. The situation in Las Vegas, which went a record 240 consecutive days without rain last year, is increasingly severe.

Lake Mead, the vast reservoir that supplies Las Vegas with 90% of its water, has now plummeted to a historic low, meaning Nevada faces the first ever mandatory reduction in its water supply next year. This looming cutback is forcing restrictions upon the city that has somehow managed to thrive as a gaudy oasis in the baking Mojave desert.

The lake isnt getting any fuller at this time so we need to conserve every single drop, said Kaye, an energetic former US air force serviceman who wears a hi-vis vest and brandishes a badge as he does his rounds searching for violators. He starts his shift at 4am. A lot of people think because we are government workers we are not out there at that time but we are out 24/7, every day of the year, he said.

Kaye regularly hands out fines they start at $80 and then double for each further offense for the sort of rule-breaking he has spotted in Summerlin, a wealthy Las Vegas enclave where landscapers tend manicured grounds in the soaring heat. Water sprayed on to lawns and plants isnt allowed to flow off the property, but that day a damaged sprinkler had caused water to cascade into the gutter, where the precious resource is lost.

Look, weve got a little creek or stream here, said Kaye, as he used his phone to video the water snaking on to the road. If everyone did this, quite a bit of water would be wasted.

Its so hot in Vegas this July days temperature will breach 40C (104F) that the errant water will evaporate within five minutes. Kaye planted a yellow flag next to the leak as a warning to the homeowners but a few taps on the computer mounted in his cruiser shows this property has a previous warning, so an $80 fine will be on its way.

Theres a growing realization, however, that such rules no watering between 11am and 7pm, none at all on Sundays wont be sufficient as Nevada is squeezed by a drought that has escalated dangerously in 2021. In June, the state passed a law to rip up non-functional public turf in Las Vegas, such as grass planted beside roads or on roundabouts, over the next five years to save around 10% of city water use.

That is just wasteful the only person who walks on that is the person who cuts it, said Kaye, jabbing a finger at a nearby grass verge median. Some people just want to recreate home, where they grew up with grass. The new law, along with a financial incentive given to homeowners to replace thirsty grass with more hardy desert plants and rocks, is an acknowledgment that climate change wont easily allow the imposition of a verdant green oasis upon a bone-dry desert basin.

A city that contains a huge replica of the Eiffel tower, sprawling golf courses and a simulacrum of Venetian canals complete with gondolas can never be said to fit in with its surroundings. But Las Vegas, called The Meadows in Spanish due to its natural springs that were pumped dry by the 1960s, is at least aware of its setting in a place so arid that only a few small creosote bushes and tumbleweeds can survive here naturally.

We live in the desert. We are the driest city in the United States, in the driest state in the United States, said Colby Pellegrino, deputy manager of resources for the Southern Nevada Water Authority. We have to act like it.

Pellegrino said the recent escalation of the drought has been very scary for some Vegas residents, although she insists the water authority has planned for this moment. Lake Meads level dropped under 1,075ft in June, barely a third full, triggering what will be the first ever cutbacks under a seven-state agreement on sharing the water from the Colorado River, which is harnessed by the Hoover dam to create the reservoir.

Different states get different water allocations and Nevada is a victim of its depopulated history, getting just 300,000 acre-feet of water a year (by comparison California gets 4.4m acre-feet) under an agreement struck before the Hoover dam was completed in the 1930s. The joke is that Nevadas representative was drunk, said Pellegrino, who was born in 1983, when the states population was barely 900,000. Its now more than 3m and receives tens of millions of tourists a year.

This small water allocation will shrink by 21,000 acre-feet with the new cuts, although Nevada has made impressive strides in keeping below its low cap, slashing its water use despite the population nearly doubling since the early 2000s. Pellegrino is confident that further savings can be made and scrutiny is being placed upon the water used in Vegas casinos ubiquitous cooling systems.

But global heatings impact upon the wests snowpack and rivers is unrelenting and the citys water savings will only go so far. Las Vegas only has a supporting role in its own fate. Three-quarters of allocated Colorado River water is used to irrigate thirsty agriculture, and the overall water supply is more dependent upon the amount of snow melting hundreds of miles away in the Rocky Mountains than some extra marginal savings made in the suburbs.

Vegas has done great things such as ripping out the grass, but weve lost 20% of the flow of the Colorado River since 2000 and another 10% loss by 2050 is completely possible, said Brad Udall, a water and climate scientist at Colorado State University whose research has focused on the stresses facing the river.

I worry it could be even more than that, and that should frighten everyone.

Back in Summerlin, Perry Kaye is also relentless. A house opposite the first offender has broken sprinklers splurging water into puddles on the grass and road. Kaye bangs on the ornate door to inform the homeowner, but no one is in.

These sprinklers havent popped up properly, they are just oozing everywhere, muttered Kaye. He has been policing water waste for the past 16 years, issuing countless fines in that time. I had hoped I wouldve worked myself out of a job by now. But it looks like I will retire first.

Continued here:

We live in a desert. We have to act like it: Las Vegas faces reality of drought - The Guardian

Im the sort of gambler who watches $20 disappear in the slot machine and then calls it a night. And my evenings spent romping around nightclubs are long over. But I still find myself in Vegas multiple times a year in search of great food and excellent cocktails. Now that the country is opening up again, I took a road trip and enlisted the help of visual journalists Yadira Flores and Cody Long to create the ultimate guide to drinking in Las Vegas. What follows is our list of favorite bars and cocktails, with everything from a speakeasy to the best slush on the Strip. Enjoy the libations and remember to drink responsibly.

The Bathtub Fizz cocktail at the Underground Speakeasy and Distillery at the Mob Museum in downtown Las Vegas.

(Miranda Alam / For The Times)

The allure of a speakeasy never gets old. Do I really want to go through a secret entrance, give a password for admittance, and sip a cocktail in a dark room with a bunch of strangers who were cool enough to know how to get in? Yes. There are plenty to choose from in Vegas, but the Underground at the Mob Museum is a favorite. (Of course the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement has a speakeasy.) Theres lots of mob paraphernalia (including the actual phone booth from inside the Four Deuces brothel and saloon in Chicago, run by Jonny Torrio and Al Capone in the 20s) and an actual distillery that turns out three kinds of moonshine. To get into the bars side entrance, youll need the password (they post it on the bars Instagram story). The drinks are good and stiff and often with a fair amount of whimsy: The Bathtub Fizz is made with HaPenny Rhubarb Gin and served in a handheld bathtub. $14

300 Stewart Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89101, themobmuseum.org

The Hennessy and Cola slushie at Best Friend in Park MGM in Las Vegas.

(Miranda Alam / For The Times)

Its impossible to walk 2 feet down the Strip in Vegas without seeing a slush machine churning a freezing neon liquid. And the person behind you, the person 2 feet in front of you and the one standing too close on your left are most likely each holding a giant bong-shaped container full of the stuff. These are the drinks you gulp if you want to start your hangover halfway through your beverage. If you want something that tastes like the advertised flavor and is fortified with an alcohol brand youve heard of, go to Roy Chois Best Friend in the Park MGM hotel. The Henny & Cola tastes like a Coke slurpee spiked with Hennessy. The Apple Bomb Crown Royal will make you think of an apple martini, and the Orange Dreamsicle with Stoli Vanilla tastes like a fluffy melted Creamsicle in a cup. $17 each. Add a shot for $6.

3770 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89109, parkmgm.mgmresorts.com

The Green Street punch bowl at the Dorsey cocktail bar in the Venetian Resort in Las Vegas.

(Miranda Alam / For The Times)

I like to think of the Green Street at the Dorsey cocktail bar in the Venetian Resorts as a green juice but with 10 ounces of vodka thrown in for good measure. Its one of the bars punch bowls, designed to satisfy four to six people, served in a large rose-gold-colored metal swan. The bartender starts by juicing fresh cucumber and apple, and then adds fresh lime juice, vodka, mint and some fizzy water. Its garnished with slices of apple and plenty of edible flowers. This one goes down easy. And according to the made-up, vaguely scientific logic I apply to my body while drinking, the fresh vegetable and fruit juices make this one slightly better for me than your average cocktail. $90.

3355 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89109, venetian.com

The Manhattan at the Rosina cocktail lounge in the Palazzo in Las Vegas.

(Miranda Alam / For The Times)

The Rosina bar at the Palazzo hotel at the Venetian Resort looks like the inside of the worlds largest jewelry box. Its one of the hotels Cocktail Collective bars (along with the Dorsey and Electra). This is where youll find precisely made Old-Fashioneds, martinis, Mai Tais and French 75s. The Manhattan is a particular favorite. Though youll find countless variations at bars around the world, the earliest versions of the Manhattan included rye, sweet vermouth, a couple dashes of bitters, and of course the cherry garnish. The citrusy bitters brighten the spicy rye, and the vermouth keeps everything balanced. If you feel like being adventurous, Rosina does have a series of secret menus with different versions of the Old Fashioned, the Manhattan, Julep and Champagne cocktails. But, really, why mess with a good thing? $18.

3325 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89109, venetian.com/towers/the-palazzo.html

The Were All Mad Here cocktail is prepared at the Chandelier in the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas.

(Miranda Alam / For The Times)

Some drinks are meant to be a full experience. At the Chandelier at the Cosmopolitan, the Were All Mad Here drink is an adventure youll find only in Vegas. Dreamed up by former chief mixologist Mariena Mercer, the cocktail is a nod to a conversation between Alice and the Cheshire cat in Lewis Carrolls novel:

But I dont want to go among mad people, Alice says.

Oh, you cant help that, replies the cat. Were all mad here. Im mad. Youre mad.

The book may be from 1865, but as we emerge from a global pandemic, the sentiment is especially fitting.

The Were All Mad Here is presented in three parts. The first is a potion bottle full of Empress Indigo gin, affixed with a label that reads Drink me. The second is a goblet full of cardamom, ginger and Chardonnay syrup, lychee and elderflower liqueurs, apple rose water and lemon juice. The third is a piece of dehydrated pineapple flower, attached to the goblet with a label that reads Eat me. You pour the gin into the goblet and the drink quickly turns bright fuchsia (the butterfly pea in the gin interacts with the citrus, causing it to change color). Take a sip of the pink drink, nibble on the pineapple flower (it tastes like fruit leather) and soon youll be in another world completely. $20

3708 Las Vegas Blvd S., Las Vegas, NV 89109, cosmopolitanlasvegas.com

The Colossal Bloody Mary at HEXX Kitchen & Bar at Paris hotel and casino in Las Vegas.

(Miranda Alam / For The Times)

On your second morning in Vegas, a Bloody Mary is often necessary. The Colossal Bloody Mary at Hexx Kitchen + Bar at the Paris Hotel is garnished with the equivalent of a hearty breakfast. A chilled Alaskan king crab leg juts out of the top of the small pitcher. Jumbo shrimp are fastened to the side. Four strips of peppered bacon bob alongside the ice. A spear of peppers, pickled vegetables, tomato and blocks of cheddar balances across the top. A stalk of celery stands tall and inviting. Its an impressive drink that vies for the attention of the many passersby, competing with the spectacle of the Bellagio fountains across the street. But underneath all the garnishes is a well-made Bloody Mary, fashioned with basil-infused vodka and the classic spiked tomato juice thats light on the horseradish. Three sips in and youll feel alive again. $45

3655 S Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89109, hexxlasvegas.com

The view out the nodrth-facing window at the Sky Fall lounge is easily the best on the Strip. Located on the 64th floor of the Delano hotel, it feels as if youre on top of the world. You can see down to the other end of the Strip, over the Luxor pyramid and the points of the Excalibur castle, all the way to the Ferris wheel at Linq hotel and the lights across the new Resorts World casino. Its beautiful during the day but magical in the evening. The cocktails are seasonal, but this is the perfect place to order a Vesper martini. If its good enough for James Bond $TBA

3940 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89119, delanolasvegas.mgmresorts.com

People stand outside of Flights at the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas.

(Miranda Alam / For The Times)

There are many ways to imbibe in Vegas. If youre on a budget, here are some tips:

Order drinks while youre gambling. It doesnt matter if youre playing the penny slots or betting $25 a hand at the blackjack table, most casinos will serve you drinks in an effort to keep you gambling.

The Stage Door has $1 bottles of Budweiser, $2 Budweiser drafts, $3.75 domestic drafts and $5 two-ingredient cocktails. At Miracle Mile, which is attached to Planet Hollywood, Blondies has a $20 all-you-can-drink domestic draft beer and well drinks special, and you can get three drinks for $10 during happy hour at nearby Flights. For group drinks, PBR American Grill serves Porch Pounders punch bowls for $65 (100 ounces) and $35 (50 ounces).

3663 S Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89109, miraclemileshopslv.com

Additional reporting by Yadira Flores and Cody Long

See the article here:

Where to find the best Manhattan and more Las Vegas cocktails - Los Angeles Times

Wade Vandervort

Coronado point guard Richard Isaacs (2) drives the ball during a game against Gorman at Bishop Gorman High School, Thursday, Nov. 29,2018.

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Sunday, July 11, 2021 | 2 a.m.

If you want an example of Kevin Kruger taking control of the UNLV basketball program and building it to match his vision, look no further than this class of 2022 recruit.

Under previous coach T.J. Otzelberger, the program had no interest in point guard Richard Pop Isaacs, a Las Vegas native and 4-star, top-40 prospect. Kruger, however, has quickly corrected course and has made Isaacs a priority for his first full recruiting class.

Isaacs has bounced around during his high school career. He began with a promising freshman season at Coronado in Henderson before moving to Wasatch Academy (Mount Pleasant, Utah) for his sophomore and junior years, and hell finish up his senior campaign at Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.). But what hasnt changed during that time is Isaacs status as a premier point guard.

As a junior at Wasatch last year, Isaacs posted 14.1 points and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 53.3% from the field and 44% from 3-point range. He is rated the No. 34 recruit in the nation by 247 Sports.

Otzelberger never reached out to him, but Isaacs said Kruger wasted little time in making him feel wanted.

I started hearing from UNLV right when coach Kruger got the job, Isaacs said. I didnt get recruited by the previous staff for some reason. That was kind of odd. But right when coach Kruger got the job, he prioritized me.

The fit appears to be natural, based on Krugers comments about the type of offense he wants to run. The first-year coach has said he wants point guards who can create off ball screens, and who possess an ability to play in the pick-and-roll and attack advantages and get downhill and create advantages and opportunities for somebody else. Thats going to be our main pillar offensively going forward.

Isaacs can do that. At 6-foot-2, 175 pounds, he has the quickness to get inside the defense, and he said he has made pick-and-roll offense a focal point this summer as he plays for his AAU team, Y Not.

And as for his jump shot, his percentages speak for him. Isaacs can hit from the outside at a high level, making him one of the nations most well-rounded offensive point guards.

Im a point guard, Isaacs said. I can score, I can pass, I can do both at an elite level. Anything you really need me to do on the basketball court, I can do.

One area where Isaacs is definitely not lacking is personal instruction. Isaacs has worked with a whos who of top-tier trainers with Las Vegas ties, from Impact Sports czar Joe Abunassar to legendary former UNLV assistant and current Detroit Pistons assistant Tim Grgurich, and his father, Richard Isaacs Sr., is a former AAU coach and grassroots guru with connections across the country.

Though Isaacs Sr. has seen it all when it comes to the recruiting game, he said he is allowing his son to make his own decisions.

I really tried to give him freedom to build his own menu of schools that he has an interest in, Isaacs Sr. said. Ive got a lot of friends in this business, so it wouldnt be fair of me to get involved. Some of my friends are recruiting him, but ultimately hes the one thats got to play for the team, hes got to live at the school I dont.

That said, Isaacs Sr. definitely has opinions about what would be best for his son and will offer guidance.

If he has a question, I try to answer it, Isaacs Sr. said. Hell come to me with a question about the pace the school plays at, because theyre all going to tell you theyre going to play fast. I simply look at the stats and that will tell you how a team plays. I think for him, he needs to play in a program where the court is more wide open so he can take advantage of his speed and quickness. I also think the ball screen has to be a big part of the schools offense. If youre going to have him bring the ball up, throw it to the wing and run to the opposite corner, its not the right place for him.

Isaacs recently took an unofficial visit to UNLV, and he has been on official visits to Oklahoma State, Creighton and Arizona State.

Isaacs is impressed with the way Kruger has already put his stamp on the UNLV program, and he said the coaching staff has delivered a simple message while recruiting him.

Just to come in and be that guy to help turn around the program, Isaacs said. Theyre doing some really good things over there as far as culture-wise, and they can see me coming in and having an impact on the program in getting it back to where they want it and where it needs to be.

Isaacs lists winning the Peach Jam tournament with his AAU squad as his No. 1 goal for the summer, and once that tournament is concluded (July 25) he will begin to narrow down his college options.

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [emailprotected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.

Read more:

UNLV basketball courting Las Vegas native Isaacs on recruiting trail - Las Vegas Sun

Heat wave brings record highs to Pacific Northwest, residents react

Cities like Seattle and Portland are seeing record-setting temperatures.

Associated Press, USA TODAY

Another blistering, brutal heat wave is forecast to scorch much of the western U.S. this weekend, meteorologists say.

All-time record high temperatures could be registered in cities such as Las Vegas and Sacramento, while notorious hot spot Death Valley has already recorded a temperature only few degrees short of Earth's hottest ever measured.

Forecasters with the National Weather Servicesaid Death Valley hit 130 degrees Friday afternoon, but theobserved high temperaturewas considered preliminary and needs to be validated. Temperatures were creeping upward again Saturday and hit 123 degrees in the early afternoon.

"These extreme temps are NO joke! Be mindful before heading outdoors this weekend. Do not put yourself, nor first responders in danger!" the National Weather Service Las Vegas said.

Las Vegas' all-time high is 117 degrees andSacramento's is 115 degrees.

"Some locations may tie or break their high temperature record for the day,"the National Weather Service Sacramento wrote on Twitter early Saturday.

More than 32million people in the West live where an excessive heat warning or heat advisoryis in effect, the National Weather Service said.

Global warming to blame?: The heat wave in the West 'virtually impossible' without climate change

The savage heat comes as the U.S. is already reeling from itshottest June on record, according to a report released Friday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

June 2021 was the hottest June in 127 years of record-keeping, surpassing the record set in 2016, NOAA said.

Temperatures were so hot in thePacific Northwest andCanada last week, the heat mayhave killed more than one billion seashore animals living along the coastline, Chris Harley, a marine biologist at the University of British Columbia, told several news outlets.

The predicted exceptional temperatures this weekend are linked to a "heat dome,"or a ridge of high pressure, establishing itself over the Four Corners region of the Southwest U.S., the Capital Weather Gang said.

Heat domes have occurred more frequently as global temperatures have increased over the years.

Heat wave warning: Pacific Northwest heat wave shattered temperature records. Is another dangerous weather event developing this weekend?

"Extreme heat will significantly increase the potential for heat-related illnesses,"the weather service warned. "Confidence is very high for a dangerous heat wave to persist through Monday and maybe into Tuesday," the weather service said.

And as for the influence of human-caused climate change, every heat wave occurring today is made more likely and more intense by climate change, a study released this week found.

That study said thatlast weeksdeadly and record-breakingheat wavein parts of the Western U.S. and Canada would have been "virtually impossible" without the influence ofclimate change. It also said global warmingmade the extreme temperaturesat least 150 times more likely to occur.

Contributing: Grace Hauck

Read the original:

Scorching weekend heat expected to hit 30+ million people in West with temps up to 130 degrees - USA TODAY

The Raiders franchise has had some incredible wide receivers in team history, but in the history of the NFL, is Cliff Branch the most underrated?

Earlier this week, Bleacher Report Gridiron sent out a tweet with a quote from Denver Broncos safety Justin Simmons on recently retired wide receiver Demaryius Thomas.This quote created quite a buzz, as people began to interject their opinions on wide receivers who have been underrated in the league, a list that should have included Raiders star Cliff Branch.

Names, including Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees such as Sterling Sharpe, Steve Largent, Andre Reed, and Marvin Harrison were thrown around, but isnt the whole point of being underrated not being recognized at the highest level?

After seeing names swirl around of known superstars who were awarded their bronze busts, I began to think of a player who had more Super Bowl wins, more post-season touchdowns, and a more storied career than all of the aforementioned players, Cliff Branch.

Cliff Branch was drafted in the fourth round of the 1972 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders. Branch, who played his 14-year career in the Silver and Black was a three-time Super Bowl champion, three-time all-pro, and was selected to the Pro Bowl four times.

He recorded 67 touchdowns in his storied career during a period in time when the Raiders success was balanced through air and ground attack. During the postseason, Branch would be a clutch target for Ken Stabler and Jim Plunkett, as he amassed 1,289 yards receiving, with a 17.7 yards per catch average and five touchdowns.

Branch was a matchup nightmare, as his blend of speed and catching ability made him an elusive target. While Cliffs counterpart, Hall of Fame receiver Fred Biletnikoff would fundamentally beat opposing secondaries, Branch would blur right past them, earning a sign in the Raiders end zone that read Speed Kills #21.

Branch wasnt a flashy player, but he ran like the Flash, a small in stature player who could zoom past anyone and he became a fan favorite in Raider Nation.

Here we are now in 2021, 36 years after Branch retired, and he still hasnt been inducted into the Hall of Fame, a Hall of Fame that houses players that Branch outplayed, outscored, and outlasted on the field. Branchs stats compared to many of those who have had their busts enshrined in the most prestigious of homes for professional football players pale in comparison, yet today Branch has still been an afterthought.

In the history of the NFL, he is the most underrated.

Go here to read the rest:

Las Vegas Raiders: Is Cliff Branch the most underrated receiver in NFL history? - Just Blog Baby