Category Archives: Las Vegas

ARIES (March 21-April 19)"Today I feel the whole world is a door," wrote poet Dennis Silk. In a similar spirit, 13th-century Zen master Wumen Huikai observed, The whole world is a door of liberation, but people are unwilling to enter it." Now I'm here to tell you, Aries, that there will be times in the coming weeks when the whole world will feel like a door to you. And if you open it, you'll be led to potential opportunities for interesting changes that offer you liberation. This is a rare blessing. Please be sufficiently loose and alert and brave to take advantage.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)Taurus philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein was called a genius by Nobel Prize-winning author Bertrand Russell. His Philosophical Investigations was once voted the 20th century's most important philosophy book. Yet one of Wittgenstein's famous quotes was "How hard it is to see what is right in front of my eyes!" Luckily for all of us, I suspect that won't be problem for you in the coming weeks, Taurus. In fact, I'm guessing you will see a whole range of things that were previously hidden, even though some of them had been right in front of your eyes. Congrats! Everyone whose life you touch will benefit because of this breakthrough.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)Why don't rivers flow straight? Well, sometimes they do, but only for a relatively short stretch. According to the US Geological Survey, no river moves in a linear trajectory for a distance of more than ten times its width. There are numerous reasons why this is so, including the friction caused by banks and the fact that river water streams faster at the center. The place where a river changes direction is called a "meander." I'd like to borrow this phenomenon to serve as a metaphor for your life in the coming weeks. I suspect your regular flow is due for a course changea meander. Any intuitive ideas about which way to go? In which direction will the scenery be best?

CANCER (June 21-July 22)Cancerian poet Denis Johnson eventually became a celebrated writer who won numerous prizes, including the prestigious National Book Award. But life was rough when he was in his twenties. Because of his addictions to drugs and alcohol, he neglected his writing. Later, in one of his mature poems, he expressed appreciation to people who supported him earlier on. "You saw me when I was invisible," he wrote, "you spoke to me when I was deaf, you thanked me when I was a secret." Are there helpers like that in your own story? Now would be a perfect time to honor them and repay the favors.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)What do you believe in, exactly, Leo? The coming weeks will be a fine time to take an inventory of your beliefsand then divest yourself of any that no longer serve you, no longer excite you, and no longer fit your changing understanding of how life works. For extra credit, I invite you to dream up some fun new beliefs that lighten your heart and stimulate your playfulness. For example, you could borrow poet Charles Wright's approach: "I believe what the thunder and lightning have to say." Or you could try my idea: "I believe in wonders and marvels that inspire me to fulfill my most interesting dreams."

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)Virgo poet Charles Wright testifies, "I write poems to untie myself, to do penance and disappear through the upper right-hand corner of things, to say grace." What about you, Virgo? What do you do in order to untie yourself and do penance and invoke grace? The coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to use all the tricks at your disposal to accomplish such useful transformations. And if you currently have a low supply of the necessary tricks, make it your healthy obsession to get more.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)Kublai Khan, ruler of the Mongol Empire and China in the second half of the 13th century, kept a retinue of 5,000 astrologers on retainer. Some were stationed on the roof of his palace, tasked with using sorcery to banish approaching storm clouds. If you asked me to perform a similar assignment, I would not do so. We need storms! They bring refreshing rain, and keep the earth in electrical balance. Lightning from storms creates ozone, a vital part of our atmosphere, and it converts nitrogen in the air into nitrogen in the ground, making the soil more fertile. Metaphorical storms often generate a host of necessary and welcome transformations, as wellas I suspect they will for you during the coming weeks.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)"Unexpressed emotions will never die," declared trailblazing psychologist Sigmund Freud. "They are buried alive and they will come forth, later, in uglier ways." I agree, which is why I advise you not to bury your emotionsespecially now, when they urgently need to be aired. OK? Please don't allow a scenario in which they will emerge later in ugly ways. Instead, find the courage to express them soonin the most loving ways possible, hopefully, and with respect for people who may not be entirely receptive to them. Communicate with compassionate clarity.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)Sagittarian author Cristin OKeefe Aptowicz wrote a poem entitled Not Doing Something Wrong Isnt the Same as Doing Something Right." I propose that we make that thought one of your guiding themes during the next two weeks. If you choose to accept the assignment, you will make a list of three possible actions that fit the description "not doing something wrong," and three actions that consist of "doing something right." Then you will avoid doing the three wrong things named in the first list and give your generous energy to carrying out the three right things in the second list.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)In the past few weeks, I hope you've been treating yourself like a royal child. I hope you've been showering yourself with extra special nurturing and therapeutic treatments. I hope you've been telling yourself out loud how soulful and intelligent and resilient you are, and I hope you've delighted yourself by engaging with a series of educational inspirations. If for some inexplicable reason you have not been attending to these important matters with luxurious intensity, please make up for lost time in the coming days. Your success during the rest of 2021 depends on your devout devotion to self-care right now.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)Sometimes when a disheartening kind of darkness encroaches, we're right to be afraid. In fact, it's often wise to be afraid, because doing so may motivate us to ward off or transmute the darkness. But on other occasions, the disheartening darkness that seems to be encroaching isn't real, or else is actually less threatening than we imagine. Novelist John Steinbeck described the latter when he wrote, "I know beyond all doubt that the dark things crowding in on me either did not exist or were not dangerous to me, and still I was afraid." My suspicion is that this is the nature of the darkness you're currently worried about. Can you therefore find a way to banish or at least diminish your fear?

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)"Some people, if they didn't make it hard for themselves, might fall asleep," wrote novelist Saul Bellow. In other words, some of us act as if it's entertaining, even exciting, to attract difficulties and cause problems for ourselves. If that describes you even a tiny bit, Pisces, I urge you to tone down that bad habit in the coming weeksmaybe even see if you can at least partially eliminate it. The cosmic rhythms will be on your side whenever you take measures to drown out the little voices in your head that try to undermine and sabotage you. At least for now, say "NO!" to making it hard for yourself. Say "YES!" to making it graceful for yourself.

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Free Will Astrology (April 15) - Las Vegas Weekly

Hannah Evana said matter-of-factly that shes going to lie, causing the 18-year-olds four roommates to burst out laughing.

The group, not yet old enough to drink, were inside the sprawling master bedroom of their 9,000-square-foot Las Vegas home to film a YouTube video of themselves playing the cheeky game Never Have I Ever.

Filmed last month, the nearly 12-minute video has racked up more than 67,000 views on YouTube. Its only a small slice of the content they produce on a daily basis as members of Society Las Vegas, the newly launched content house by Clubhouse Media Group.

Clubhouse Media not to be confused with the invite-only audio app is planning to create a network of content houses across the country. The Society Las Vegas content house opened in February and marks Clubhouses first U.S. expansion outside of California.

Content houses, or collab houses, are collectives of social media influencers who live and work together creating videos and snapping photos to post on social media platforms such as Instagram, TikTok and YouTube with the goal of building their fan bases.

Were very bullish about this space because we believe that its something that really has the potential to be big, Clubhouse Media President Christian Young said. The best way of saying this is we are a talent agency combined with a digital studio combined with really like a venture (capital) incubator.

The company boasts access to an estimated 280 million social media followers through its Clubhouse influencers while the companys own branded accounts have a following of more than 9 million.

The phenomenon of content houses isnt a new concept, but it has gained traction in recent years with notable examples including Hype House and Sway House in Los Angeles. Still, turning it into a long-term business model is a gamble and runs the risk of fizzling just as the internet fame of social influencers can be fleeting.

Kyle Johnston, president of ad agency Gigasavvy, said Clubhouse will need to convince brands that it can offer scale and efficiency as well as authenticity from its budding network of influencers.

If its done at scale and brands can get, say, 100 influencers at different houses across the country to all create content simultaneously and then feed that out, A/B test it all to see what works better then youve potentially got a model there, he said. But still theres a huge movement now with big brands to be purpose-driven and more authentic, and the risk of getting called out by consumers is pretty high.

Market run

Young co-founded the companys first content house, Clubhouse BH in Beverly Hills, in March 2020 with popular YouTuber Daisy Keech, Clubhouse Media Chief Operating Officer Simon Yu and Clubhouse Media Chief Executive Amir Ben-Yohanan, who also heads a New Jersey-based property management firm called West of Hudson Properties.

We wanted to start something different, Young said. We decided that we would scale this out and go to different markets.

The company now operates five content houses, which are leased, in the U.S. including Las Vegas and a location overseas in Malta. Influencers arent required by contract to live in one of their houses and can leave at any time.

Clubhouse went public shortly after launching on the over-the-counter markets in November through a reverse takeover, in which a private company buys shares to control a publicly traded company, then merges to become public.

For Clubhouse Media, that meant merging with a Chinese hospital that incorporated in Las Vegas in 2006 called Tongji Healthcare.

It seems like an unusual deal, but Young explained it as the best approach for the company to raise capital. It searched for a shell company to merge with that had ceased operations but was still listed on the public market.

(Tongji) happened to be the cleanest it was SEC reporting, it was third-party audited and very transparent, he said. So, we acquired it.

Living large

Publicly traded or not, the members of the Society Las Vegas are more excited about the opportunity to live and work together.

Kayla Patterson, 17, has a following of more than 2.2 million followers and relocated from South Carolina to join the house last month.

Shes able to continue with school since her classes are remote because of the pandemic, but it means finishing her schoolwork early so she has time during the day to create content.

Her parents werent familiar with the concept of a content house but were still supportive.

They were really scared for me to come across the country all by myself, she said. My grandparents cant even comprehend what is happening. But my friends, theyre really excited for me.

Evana, who moved to Las Vegas from Ohio, said she joined as an intern.

I had a little bit of a following on Instagram and TikTok but not necessarily like a creator (level) following, said Evana, who has more than 570,000 followers. So, Im here and Im interning. Ill help plan out some photo shoots and stuff like that and I drive everyone.

Their six-bedroom, six-bath house is 15 minutes east of the Las Vegas Strip near McCarran International Airport. The white Art Deco-style home has a large swimming pool and lighted tennis court. Inside, theres a movie room just off the kitchens large breakfast nook and a dance pole upstairs.

Jordan Beckham, 16, is the youngest of the crew but has the most followers at more than 4 million across YouTube, TikTok and Instagram.

When youre at home, you dont really have that source of people to collab with so I feel like you kind of feed off of everybodys energy and their following (of fans), Beckham said. Its an amazing opportunity, like anybody would take it.

Brian Freeman, chief executive of influencer platform Heartbeat, said its a win for all involved.

As the content creator, I get representation. I get access to more followers. I get a place to live. I get an epic lifestyle, Freeman said. And from the content house perspective, they can go to an advertiser and say, Hey, weve got 100 million followers pick your poison. Do you want car enthusiasts? Do you want gaming enthusiasts? Weve got something for everybody. The more houses they have, the more talent they have and the bigger the core brand, Clubhouse, gets, and that benefits advertisers by giving them a one-stop shop.

Lights, camera, action

Cole Beckham, 20, is the oldest of the group and the self-appointed big brother, adding that hes the one tasked with lifting heavy items and taking out the trash. He joined the house in February with sister Jordan.

While he sees Society Las Vegas as the best way to grow his fan base of more than 210,000, he admits it can be mentally taxing constantly churning out videos while living and working in the same space.

There are days when it gets overwhelming, but its really good to live with people that love and support you, he said. And its OK to say, Hey, Ill take a break today. Its really important to manage that, and weve learned so far, especially from being here in February and past life experiences, to maneuver and manage everything.

Gabriella Annalisa, 19, said that in addition to creating fresh content for their own social media channels, each member is required to produce regular videos and photos on behalf of the content house, in other words media assets that are meant for Society Las Vegas social media accounts. She has more than 2.6 million followers.

Ill post like three to four times a day on TikTok, and then we try to get at least one YouTube video done or an Instagram post too, Annalisa said.

We all have our different schedules, but we all try to post quite a few times a week.

A small sample of YouTube videos include Jordan Beckham getting her first tattoo and Annalisas videos of moving to the Las Vegas content house.

Producing a steady stream of content not only keeps followers engaged, but it can also help her snag sponsorship deals from brands, whether its free clothes or money to post specific content, according to Annalisa.

The more organic and authentic a video is the better, said Nixon Peabody LLP Partner Ellie Heisler, who works with several top influencers on licensing, IP protection and brand building.

If that influencer lives in a house and theyre living with a bunch of friends that decide to pop into that (sponsored) video or repost their friends content, all of a sudden the brand is paying for one influencer but they potentially get the reach of so many more, she said. If all the influencers are being managed by the same company in the house, they can negotiate for multiple brand deals for their multiple talent.

Slice of the pie

Young said the company will present creators with brand deals and negotiate the compensation, which helps Clubhouse cover operating expenses from hiring a videographer to a regular cleaning service for the house.

We also take equity in companies and market them to also provide revenue along with acquiring companies in the social media space that the network can promote, he said.

Company filings show some creators enter exclusive management agreements under Clubhouse Medias talent management firm Doiyen.

Doiyen receives between 10 percent to 50 percent of all gross compensation earned and received by the creator during the term of the management agreement, regardless of whether we introduced the opportunity resulting in compensation to the creator.

How compensation is calculated depends on the deal, Young said.

Influencers are expected to create content, called deliverables, for the house account in exchange for being provided with living arrangements and other services such as photography. Young said they will sell against them to companies for marketing purposes or use the content for Clubhouse Medias main social channels.

If a brand opts to work directly with Clubhouse and its branded accounts, then Doiyen receives the full payment. Should a brand choose to work directly with an influencer, then the creator can expect to pay Doiyen a percentage of their earnings.

Clubhouse Media Creative Director Heather Ferguson said its creators have a say in what brands they would like to work with and can reject offers presented by Clubhouse.

Were not here to make a quick buck from this brand deal, she said, adding its goal is helping influencers reach their career goals. Our point of differentiation is we have publicists. We have a media team. We have full-scale video production. We have full-scale styling production and in-house studio.

But the company hasnt turned a profit. It reported a net loss of an estimated $2.6 million for the fiscal year ended Dec. 31 though it reported revenue of about $1 million, up from $0 the previous year.

Young said that the company is still in hyper growth mode and that content houses arent the only line of business, pointing to plans to grow through acquisitions.

This is really a 360 business, he said. Its not just about the brand deals. Its not just about the houses. I know this is sort of the front end of what people see, but I think its important for the public to understand we have a lot else going on.

Contact Subrina Hudson at shudson@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0340. Follow @SubrinaH on Twitter.

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67K views on YouTube? Its just another day at the Society Las Vegas house - Las Vegas Review-Journal

Dozens of education-related bills are moving forward in the state Legislature after successfully passing out of committees by last weeks deadline.

The Senate and Assembly Education committees were among those acting on a flurry of bills covering topics such as distance education, what age children can start kindergarten and which Nevada colleges can be considered land-grant universities.

April 9 was the last day for bills to pass out of the committee to which they were originally referred. Those that didnt wont move forward this session.

One bill that didnt make it was Assembly Bill 255, which called for hybrid school boards in Clark and Washoe counties with some elected members and some appointed by municipalities. Currently, all school board members are elected.

The Assembly bill, sponsored by Speaker Jason Frierson, D-Las Vegas, proposed four members of a seven-person board be elected, while the rest would be appointed. A similar proposal Senate Bill 111, sponsored by Sen. Ben Kieckhefer, R-Reno called for three members to be elected and four appointed, but that bill also did not advance.

Another that isnt moving forward is Senate Bill 321, which called for creating a separate governing body for the states four community colleges and removing them from the Nevada System of Higher Educations authority.

Proponents have pushed the bill for years. Gov. Steve Sisolak also referenced the concept in his January State of the State address, pointing to the role community colleges will play as part of COVID-19 recovery efforts.

The Nevada System of Higher Education opposed the bill, saying it would be costly and would make it harder for students to transfer from a two-year college to a four-year university.

What the bills would do

Heres a look at six of the bills and resolutions that are still in play:

Senate Bill 102, sponsored by Sen. Scott Hammond, R-Las Vegas, calls for moving up the date when a child must be 5 years old in order to enroll in kindergarten for a new school year. Currently, children who turn 5 by Sept. 30 can register, but the proposal calls for changing the date to Aug. 1.

Proponents argue most other U.S. states have an earlier cutoff date than Nevada.

The legislation would impact up to 3,000 Clark County School District students.

We appreciate the effective date of this bill starting for the 2022-2023 school year as online registration for the upcoming school year will be open prior to this bill passing, the district said in a written statement.

The date change would also apply to requirements under state law for a child to be 6 in order to start first grade and 7 to start second grade.

SB 215, sponsored by Sen. Mo Denis, D-Las Vegas,would require the board for each public school district and public charter school to develop a plan for conducting a program of distance education. The bill incorporates recommendations from the states Blue Ribbon Commission for a Globally Prepared Nevada.

By Oct. 1 each year, a school district or public charter school would have to identify students and teachers or other school employees who dont have the technology needed to participate in distance education, including internet access or a computer.

A plan, including a cost estimate, would be required by Dec. 31 to make technology available to all those identified.

In Clark County, which operated for about a year under 100 percent distance education with the exception of seven rural schools, district officials say theyre looking to provide both full-time distance education and full-time, face-to-face instruction next school year. Superintendent Jesus Jara said last month that some students have done well under the distance education model.

District officials testified in support of the bill.

As we start to return to some form of in-person learning, distance education has become a part of the equation for how we will reach a subset of students, the district said in a statement. This is why CCSD Superintendent Jesus Jara was a member of the Blue Ribbon Commission, to help ensure innovation is at the forefront of how we educate our students.

The bill gives school districts flexibility so instruction is not restricted to a set time on the calendar, the district said.

Accelerated path for student teachers

SB 352, sponsored by the Senate Education Committee, proposes allowing a paraprofessional someone who provides instructional help in a classroom seeking to become a teacher to complete an accelerated student teaching program while on the job.

It also would require the Nevada Department of Education to accept student teaching or other teaching experience from an out-of-state or out-of-country applicant if it substantially fulfills the standards of a program of student teaching.

The legislation comes amid a nationwide teacher shortage, which is impacting Nevada.

Ronnow Elementary School Principal Michelee Cruz-Crawford worked with a number of community partners, including the Public Education Foundation, on bringing this idea forward, the district said in a statement. District officials also testified in support of the bill.

Ensuring there is a healthy teacher pipeline is incredibly important to the entire state, there is no better way to work towards this than by using the hard-working support professionals in our schools currently, the district said.

Assembly Bill 19, sponsored by the Assembly Education Committee on behalf of the Nevada Department of Education, would require parents homeschooling their child or children to add subject areas within social studies, including civics, financial literacy and multicultural education. The change would also apply to all public schools.

The Nevada Homeschool Network opposes the bill.

The state Department of Education provides technical assistance to the Legislature, but doesnt advocate or lobby for legislation, spokeswoman Jessica Todtman said via email.

AB 19 was drafted in response to school district feedback with the intent of clarifying social studies requirements for HS graduation (to include multiculturalism and financial literacy), she said.

Land grant schools

SB 287, sponsored by Sen. Dallas Harris, D-Las Vegas, would designate state land-grant schools as University of Nevada, Reno, UNLV and the Desert Research Institute.

Land-grant institutions were designed under the federal Morrill Act of 1862, which provided public lands in order for states to open colleges.

UNR is typically considered the states only land grant institution by the Legislature, but some past legal opinions have also included UNLV and the Desert Research Institute.

Whats now UNR opened in 1874 in Elko, but moved to Reno more than a decade later. UNLV opened in 1957 and the Desert Research Institute debuted in 1959.

In an April 8 letter to Denis, chair of the Senate Education Committee, state and local officials wrote in support of expanding land-grant status to all three higher-education research institutions in the state, including UNLV. Among those signing the letter were UNLV President Keith Whitfield, Vegas Chamber President Mary Beth Sewald, Council for a Better Nevada Executive Director Maureen Schafer, and Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance President/CEO Jonas Peterson.

Ultimately, the legislation is about achieving equity for UNLV with its peer institution and allowing UNLV to better serve the needs of our Southern Nevada community, they wrote.

It would also allow for better access to federal grants that have land-grant requirements, according to the letter.

Desert Research Institute is neutral on the bill, school spokeswoman Detra Page said.

But William Payne, dean of UNRs College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources, told the Review-Journal he has grave concerns about the bill and the impact it will have on the universitys programming throughout the state.

We serve over 28,000 youth in Clark County alone and are worried about the potential disruption that this legislation will cause, Payne said. I understand that this is a very complex issue, but I dont believe this will increase federal funding to UNLV or DRI.

The 2018 Farm Bill clearly states no additional federal land-grant money will go to states that designate additional land-grant schools, he said. I also have it on unambiguous federal authority that claims that land-grants get special points or consideration in competitive federal grant applications are inaccurate.

Payne said the university offered an amendment to study the issue in an effort to come up with a solution that serves the entire state.

We hope to be part of the conversation as this moves through the Legislature, he said.

Senate Joint Resolution 7, sponsored by Sen. Marilyn Dondero-Loop, D-Las Vegas, and Assemblyman Tom Roberts, R-Las Vegas, seeks to remove references to the Nevada System of Higher Educations Board of Regents from the Nevada Constitution.

Voters narrowly defeated a similar proposal, Question 1, during the November 2020 election.

Contact Julie Wootton-Greener at jgreener@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2921. Follow @julieswootton on Twitter.

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Here are 6 education bills moving forward in the state Legislature - Las Vegas Review-Journal

Brett Carlsen / AP

Tennessee Titans outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney pauses between plays against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the first half of an NFL football game in Nashville, in this Sunday, Oct. 25, 2020, file photo. Clowney will chase quarterbacks and a Super Bowl title with the Browns. The dynamic free agent defensive end signed a one-year, $10 million contract with Cleveland on Wednesday, April 14,2021.

By Tom Withers, Associated Press

Wednesday, April 14, 2021 | 6:37 p.m.

CLEVELAND As he considered his next stop in the NFL, Jadeveon Clowney said there was something about the Browns that made them very appealing.

They're winning, he said.

They are now, and Clowney wants to help them win it all.

The dynamic free agent defensive end signed a one-year, $10 million contract with Cleveland on Wednesday, joining All-Pro end Myles Garrett on the defensive line of a rising team looking to go even deeper in the playoffs in the 2021 season.

Clowney turned down a multiyear offer from the Browns last year (he said his former agent didn't want him to visit them), opting instead to sign for one season with Tennessee.

Things didn't go as he hoped with the Titans as Clowney was slowed by a knee injury that stopped him after eight games.

He's healthy following surgery, motivated and intent on showing he can still affect a game.

I can still dominate this league," the 28-year-old Clowney said. I know that.

The Browns will line up Clowney on the opposite side of their line from Garrett, another former No. 1 overall pick who has grown into one of the league's best defensive players and is a threat to get a sack on every snap.

And while much has been made of Clowney's addition making Garrett better, the 28-year-old said the opposite is also true.

I have been getting double-teamed an awful lot in this league and in my career, Clowney said, breaking into a wide smile. "I'm looking forward to playing with somebody who is dominant on the opposite side like a Myles Garrett, who can draw a double team.

"Maybe I can go one on one more."

Clowney's signing excited Browns fans along with quarterback Baker Mayfield, who celebrated his 26th birthday on Wednesday. Mayfield posted a photo of Clowney on his Instagram page with the caption: This is a nice birthday present...

The No. 1 overall pick in 2014, Clowney hasn't always played up to his reputation, and his stats haven't been impressive the past few seasons three sacks combined in 2019, 2020 because of injuries. But Browns general manager Andrew Berry has been intrigued by him for two years, and Clowney appreciated the team's dogged pursuit.

He was relentless getting after me and trying to get me up here, and I am going to be relentless on that field for him, Clowney said of Berry. "He knows I can play. He told me he likes my style of play. I said I am going to bring that here.

To some critics, Clowney has never reached his potential. He underwent microfracture knee surgery probably the worst thing you could have in this game and although he's been to three Pro Bowls, there are those who want to see more.

Clowney's one of them.

If I ever reach my max potential or get back there like I feel now, they say the sky is the limit, but it is probably higher than that, he said. "They have footprints on the moon, though. That is where we are trying to reach. I just want to stay healthy. If I play 16 games, I think we will be ready to see. Just let me work on that.

Berry spent this offseason upgrading Cleveland's defense, with Clowney, a three-time Pro Bowler, his signature move. The addition may impact Berrys plans in the upcoming draft; Clevelands biggest need had been an edge rusher to complement Garrett.

They took a run at J.J. Watt, who signed with Arizona. The Browns weren't going to let Clowney slip away from them again.

Hes one of the more disruptive players in the game and we think hes going to add an element of ruggedness along our defensive line and will pair nicely with many of the guys we have on the roster already," Berry said. "The other thing we love about Jadeveon is his versatility, his ability to play all across the front and impact the game regardless of his alignment.

The Browns ended their nearly two-decade-long playoff drought last season by going 11-5 in the tough AFC North. They beat rival Pittsburgh in the wild-card round and were minutes from upsetting the then-defending champion Kansas City Chiefs before losing 22-17.

Cleveland was already a Super Bowl contender. The signing of Clowney, who has 32 career sacks, has only raised expectations.

Clowney was in a similar situation last season with the Titans, and he knows that expectations can change a team.

When guys are trying to win and everybody is looking for the win, it brings out the best in everybody on the team, he said. "When you start winning, everybody is happy and everybody wants to go out there and make plays and ball.

"I'm looking forward to that. Hopefully, we can get on that winning train and everybody just wants to go out there, dominate and make plays.

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Clowney signs with Browns, wants to 'dominate' with Garrett - Las Vegas Sun

TREASURE ISLAND Gilleys Saloon, Dance Hall & Bar-B-Que has new weekend breakfast items, including $16 breakfast burrito with scrambled eggs, shredded cheese, and tater tots wrapped in a flour tortilla with homemade salsa; $18 loco moco with a hamburger patty, steamed rice, and an egg any style, served with mushroom gravy; and $29 steak and eggs with a 12-ounce New York steak, two eggs any style, and tater tots, served with Texas toast. Gilleys also has bottomless mimosas for $22 per person until 2 p.m. Gilleys serves breakfast every Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon. [EaterWire]

THE VENETIAN Dandelion Chocolate reopens its store with only its retail line including The Single Origin Truffle Collection, Hot Chocolate Trio, and Sea Salt Caramels. Beverages such as frozen chocolate and pastries may return in May or June. Executive pastry chef Lisa Vega and the kitchen team are working on the build out of a new off-site kitchen. [EaterWire]

LAS VEGAS Three Square Food Bank kicks off its annual Bag Childhood Hunger campaign. Nevada Gold Mines operated by Barrick and NV Energy Foundation will double any donation made through May 31. Three Square estimates that one in four children is experiencing hunger. Hunger plagued little ones across the valley long before COVID-19 arrived, Brian Burton, president and CEO of Three Square, says in a press statement. Prior to the pandemic, 102,000 children in Southern Nevada were food-insecure. While the pandemic continues, that number currently stands at 131,430. Donations can be made online. [EaterWire]

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How Coronavirus Is Affecting Las Vegas Food and Restaurants [ELV]

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Gilleys launches a new weekend breakfast with bottomless mimosas on the Las Vegas Strip - Eater Vegas

Despite the setbacks of 2020, Las Vegas is a city that cant sit still. Nevada remains one of Americas fastest-growing states, and an influx of creative newcomers is reshaping the city with a host of new galleries, bars, and restaurants. The opening of downtowns Circa Resort & Casino late last year will be followed by the highly anticipated Virgin Hotels Las Vegas this spring, and the Santa Febased arts collective Meow Wolf expanded into Vegas with a new experience, Omega Mart, in February. Suffice to say, theres a great deal to get excited about. Heres how to make the most of a long weekend in still-booming Sin City.

Wake up at the NoMad Las Vegas, a hotel-within-a-hotel at the Park MGM. With its elegant dark woods and jewel-toned velveta tasteful take on the glitz the city is known forits one of the Strips newest stays.

Your first day in town is dedicated to off-Strip exploration though: Take a 10-minute cab ride to downtowns Arts District, and begin by fueling up with a caf con leche and a short-rib-topped arepa benedict on the patio at Makers & Finders. Walk a few blocks north to the Arts Factory, a converted warehouse filled with galleries, boutiques, and studios where you can buy works by local artists, such as skater-slash-painter David A. Soto. Back on Main Street, browse vintage shops, including Retro Vegas for midcentury-modern furniture and Modern Mantiques for old signs and phonographs.

Makers & Finders, a Latin Americaninspired caf in the Arts District

The Neon Museum, which is home to 200-plus restored neon signs

For lunch, hail a cab to Vegas Test Kitchen, where rotating chefs host pop-ups of new concepts such as Bulgarian pastries and sourdough pizza. Next, dive into the long history of American organized crime at the Mob Museum. Youll need a timed-entry ticket, and a deluxe or premier pass can get you access to an interactive forensic crime lab or a Prohibition distillery tour.

Contrary to popular belief, you dont need to return to the Strip to find a decadent dinner. For proof, splurge on the seven-course tasting menu at Chinatowns Partage, where chef Yuri Szarzewski (who has cooked at Michelin-starred restaurants across France) puts modern twists on French classics, with dishes like mahi-mahi confit and seared foie gras with pineapple carpaccio.

Book a timed-entry ticket for the Neon Museum to learn the history of the citys rise as an American entertainment capital through its collection of 200-plus restored neon signs. Cap the night off with a rum-and-pineapple Tiki Bandit at Frankies Tiki Room, a perfectly kitschy tropical escape out in the desert.

No trip to Vegas is complete without a visit to the Hoover Dam, the awe-inspiring feat of Depression-era engineering that harnessed the power of the Colorado River. On the 30-minute drive from Vegas, make a pitstop at Hendersons Weiss Deli for cult-favorite breakfast sandwiches such as The Best, a combo of corned beef hash, eggs, and cheese.

While tours of the dam are currently on hold, you can still walk across the Mike OCallaghanPat Tillman Memorial Bridgethe worlds tallest concrete arch bridge at 880 feetfor spectacular views of the dam and the Black Canyon below. Nearby, take a stroll on the Historic Railroad Trail, which skirts the shores of the artificial Lake Mead and then cuts through a series of tunnels carved into the mountainside.

The Hoover Dam, an architectural marvel built in the 1930s

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Las Vegas Weekend Guide: Neon Signs, Red-Rock Hikes, and Tiki Cocktails - Cond Nast Traveler

The dazzling lights of Las Vegas are meant to attract. And on one summer night, they did just that, luring millions of grasshoppers a whopping 30.2 metric tons worth.

That insect cloud gives us the first numbers for the size of artificial lights impact on insects at such a large scale, says Elske Tielens, an ecologist at the University of Oklahoma in Norman.

That dramatic night, July 27, 2019, marked the peak of weeks of grasshoppers taking to the air after dark and, like moths bewitched by a porchlight, filling the brightly lit streets of the most intensely illuminated city in the United States. The spectacle made international news.

Just how big was it, Tielens and her colleagues wondered. They got to work, using Nevada weather-prediction radar data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration archives to study the horde of hard-to-count insects.

These werent the fabled locust species that switch from a solitary phase to a physically distinct gregarious one that travels in great clouds eating plants down to the nubs (SN: 11/26/18; SN: 8/12/20). Instead they were pallid-winged grasshoppers (Trimerotropis pallidipennis) that had survived in unusual numbers after a generous, moist start of the year.

When the grasshoppers lifted up from the ground after dusk, the radar bounced off the loose mass of flying insects as it would any rain droplets and ice crystals. To predict the weather, we filter out the biology, Tielens says. For insect censusing, we filter out all the boring water drops and clouds.

Each grasshopper weighs only about two-thirds of a gram, she and colleagues note March 31 in Biology Letters. So once the radar let the team determine the numbers, it estimated the total weight. Its a little dumbfounding to try to comprehend more than 45 million grasshoppers, she says.

Link:

Weather radar shows 30 metric tons of grasshoppers swarmed Las Vegas one night - Science News Magazine

WESTSIDE Mariposa Cocina & Cocktails reopens on April 9 at 111 a.m. without chef Robert Lomeli. Mariposa, which opened in November and closed temporarily in January, revamped its bar during the closure. [EaterWire]

THE LINQ PROMENADE Sweet Sin by Claude Escamilla reopens at the outdoor shopping center in April with some renovations to the space, including a white pastry display case made in Italy and a chocolate fountain from France with three, 7-inch-diameter, curvilinear pipes that cross the ceiling and end in three taps behind the pastry case. Each tap dispenses dark or white chocolate or caramel that are used in crepes, chocolate-dipped strawberries, and hot chocolate. New decor includes more than 50 whisk-shaped pendant lights, polka dots in raspberry, tangerine, lemon, lime, turquoise, and plum, and a rotating case that displays 400 handmade macarons. The shop features 13 flavors of gelato, omelets, breakfast sandwiches, sweet and savory pastries, and cold brew coffee on draft. [EaterWire]

DOWNTOWN Old Soul at the World Market Center reopened for lunch every Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Patrons can get free valet parking. [EaterWire]

SOUTHWEST Bella Vita opened a second location at 4965 Blue Diamond Road. Owner Sergio Montegrande and chef Flavio Garrido plan to open a third location in Summerlin. [EaterWire]

SOUTHEAST Pinkbox Doughnuts opens its first drive-thru location at 3990 E. Sunset Road on Saturday, April 10. A grand opening that day from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. features a live DJ, photo booth, airbrush tattoos, a doughnut eating contest, and more. Three doughnuts served that day will also have a pink ticket inside, giving three customers who find one the chance to win free doughnuts for a year. The first 100 customers will also receive a free, limited-edition Pinkbox T-shirt to take home. [EaterWire]

All AM Intel [ELV]

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Mariposa Mexican restaurant on the westside and Sweet Sin bakery on the Las Vegas Strip reopen in April - Eater Vegas

The Las Vegas Raiders have yet to make a move in free agency regarding their secondary, so they must attack it in the 2021 NFL Draft.

The Las Vegas Raiders have made some nice moves in free agency thus far, bringing in a talented running back to pair with Josh Jacobs, adding quality players along the defensive line, and really shoring up the linebacker spot. Also, the offense seems taken care of, outside of right tackle, as they revamped the offensive line, and added wide receiver help, all the while picking up some more draft capital along the way.

As we inch closer to the 2021 NFL Draft, there is still a ton of work left to do, including in the teams defensive backfield. Trayvon Mullen needs help at cornerback, and Johnathan Abram needs someone to start alongside him at safety, so addressing these issues has to be priority No. 1 heading into the draft.

After adding to the defensive line, including getting talent off the edge, and bringing back Nicholas Morrow to the linebacker group, two levels of the defense have at least improved. Heading into this offseason, general manager Mike Mayock said the defense was lacking playmakers on all three levels, but they certainly added one with Yannick Ngakoue coming off the edge.

The 2021 NFL Draft class has some exciting safeties that can be had in the second round, including Richie Grant, Andre Cisco, and Jevon Holland to name a few. Cornerback has some first-round talent that could fall to the Raiders, including Caleb Farley, but a safer bet would be possibly trading down and selecting players like Greg Newsome II or even Eric Stokes early in round two.

Obviously, right tackle is an issue for the Raiders, and if they can get a Rashawn Slater or Christian Darrisaw with that No. 17 overall pick, it is going to be hard to pass them up. However, the secondary is a major issue right now, and if they do not add a cornerback or safety in the first round, you can expect multiple picks on Day 2 to clear up the issues at those two position groups.

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Las Vegas Raiders must attack the secondary in the 2021 NFL Draft - Just Blog Baby

LAS VEGAS (KTNV) New details have been released in the case of a Las Vegas woman accused of killing her husband.

New police documents claim she killed him while he was on a live video game chat.

Officers say Emily Ikuta staged the murder as an accident.

RELATED: Woman suspected of murder after telling police husband shot himself

She called 9-1-1 after she said she found her husband face down after returning home from walking their dog.

She suggested he may have shot himself.

Officers say evidence and witnesses didn't support that story, including a neighbor who said they heard the couple arguing.

This all happened last week near Twain and El Capitan.

The friend of the husband who was on that video chat called the police to say they heard what sounded like a gunshot.

Ikuta is facing a murder charge.

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Las Vegas police say wife killed husband while he played video game on a live chat - KTNV Las Vegas