Tag: las vegas

Trump-Hating Illinois Governor JB Pritzker Raises Eyebrows With His Explanation On How He ‘Won’ Over $1 MILLION Playing Blackjack On Just ONE Trip to Las Vegas

One of President Trump’s biggest political adversaries stunned the political world after revealing that he won an unusual amount of money gambling in Las Vegas last year.

As The New York Times reported, Illinois Democratic Governor JB Pritzker released his 2024 tax returns on Wednesday as rumors circulate about him as a 2028 presidential candidate.

The returns revealed that Pritzker and his wife reported $10.7 million in adjusted gross income. But the biggest shock was the fact that he won $1.4 million playing blackjack in Las Vegas in just one trip.

Such an amount is surprising, especially considering Pritzker is not a professional gambler.

Pritzker, though, told reporters Thursday that there was nothing nefarious and that it was just his lucky night at the casino.

“I went on vacation with my wife, with some friends, I was incredibly lucky,” a smiling Pritzer claimed at a press conference. “You have to be in order to end up ahead in a casino anywhere.”

“I like to play cards. I founded a charitable poker match here in Chicago called the Chicago Poker Challenge that has raised millions of dollars for the Holocaust museum,” he said in an apparent attempt to tone down any accusations of cheating.

Keep reading

LA to Vegas high speed train now predicted to cost $21 BILLION, as critics warn final sum will be far higher

The price tag for the much-anticipated high-speed train between Southern California and Las Vegas has soared to $21.5 billion with warnings the number could keep rising. 

The 218-mile railway will take passengers from Las Vegas to Southern California in just two hours, with a Metrolink connecting them to Los Angeles Union Station.

At speeds of up to 200 mph, Brightline West hopes that its project will promote a ‘car-free, care-free lifestyle’.

Earlier this year, Brightline West reported that the railway’s construction would cost $16 billion, double the initially projection. 

But rising costs due to labor shortages, material cost inflation, and competition from other infrastructure projects has driven the cost up even further, according to Desert Sun. 

To make up for the difference, the company has requested a $6 billion federal loan through the US Department of Transportation.

The company issued $2.5 billion in private activity bonds in February, which requires it to secure the necessary loan by November. 

But if they can’t secure it, they may end up paying even more and be forced to repay investors early. 

Initially, the railway was supposed to open in 2027, in time for the Summer Olympics in LA the following year, but the date has been pushed back to 2029. 

Brightline West ceremonially broke ground on the project in April 2024 and preliminary construction has begun. 

The all-electric trains will be built along the Interstate 15 median with new stations in Apple Valley and Hesperia.

The final stop in Rancho Cucamonga, California will connect passengers to LA on a pre-existing Metro line. 

Brightline West claims taking the high-speed rail will be two times faster than the driving time which can take up to five hours. 

They also boast that they will create more than 10,000 job during construction and 800 permanent operations and maintenance jobs.

It’s also environmentally friendly and is projected to save 325,000 metric tons of CO2 each year.

According to their website: ‘Brightline is the only private provider of modern, eco-friendly, intercity passenger rail service in America.’

Keep reading

Sin City’s shame: As tourists abandon Las Vegas, 1,500 forgotten ‘Mole People’ are left behind in rat-infested tunnels below the Strip

Tourists may have deserted the gambling capital of the world but the number of homeless has skyrocketed. Among them are the ‘Mole People’ who dwell in the decaying tunnels below the Las Vegas Strip. 

A petite blonde-haired woman in a red sundress, who goes by Natasha, emerges from her home under the Sahara Hotel and Casino on a sweltering late September day.

She is just one of an estimated 1,500 people, many of whom are drug, alcohol or gambling addicts, who live underneath the glittering Strip in a vast 600-mile system of storm drain tunnels built in the early 1990s.

At first glance she could be mistaken for an average tourist in town to play blackjack or see a show.

It’s not until she makes her way through the piles of garbage, including discarded shoes, a broken stroller, used syringes, old pizza boxes, dirty blankets, torn-open pillows, and leftover bags of junk food, and comes closer that you can see she’s missing a front tooth and has sores all over her legs that are a telltale sign of fentanyl abuse.

Natasha, from Anchorage, Alaska, admits she’s high but is also lucid enough to explain her situation and describe life in the tunnels because, she says, many who live alongside her cannot. 

She has been underground on and off for two years.

‘When I first came on the Strip – I’ve been here for a year – I was living in a truck,’ she told Daily Mail.

‘Then my boyfriend died [of an overdose] and so I’ve been down here off and on for weeks. I never knew how bad the whole [homeless] situation was here.

‘People are sleeping in alleyways and living by dumpsters or they’re in shelters. The people in the tunnels don’t want to stop using drugs. It makes them happy. 

‘They can’t do that with a normal lifestyle or any place where they have to follow rules.’

Since 2022, homelessness in Las Vegas (and the wider Southern Nevada/Clark County area) has risen sharply, according to federal Point-in-Time counts.

In 2022, there were just over 6,000 people counted as homeless on a single night. By 2023 that number grew to 6,566, and by 2024 it had jumped to about 7,906 — an increase of 20 percent in one year and about 36 percent over two years.

By contrast, Vegas has seen a sharp decline in tourism through 2025, with visitor numbers down more than 11 percent year-over-year in June and about 7 percent for the first half of the year. 

Analysts say rising prices – bottled water can cost as much as $12 or $14 in hotels along the Strip and resort fees, parking and food costs have increased exponentially – along with weaker foreign currencies and a slump in international visitors have caused Vegas to be a city currently down on its luck. 

International tourism has suffered the steepest drop: visitors were down by more than 13 percent in June alone.

Homeless people in Vegas do not have to live in the tunnels. They have the option of going to what locals call The Courtyard, the primary hub for unhoused people in the city.

Keep reading

Las Vegas church outrages neighbors as congregation parks SIX HUNDRED cars on lawns and driveways

Las Vegas residents were left outraged as congregants at an Ethiopian orthodox church continue to illegally park their vehicles on lawns and driveways.

Neighbors of the Hamere Noah Kidane Mihret and Saint Michael Ethiopian Church told KLAS they have repeatedly reached out to Clark County Commissioner Michael Naft and used the Fixit app as they were instructed, but nothing has changed in years.

‘We document that and we provide that proof and we have found that there’s no follow up,’ said Daria Wu, who gathered her fellow neighbors to discuss the issues they have faced during the services at the church.

These include a spike in speeding cars, vehicles running the stop signs and illegally parked cars.

‘It’s not great to sometimes have your driveway blocked by someone else’s car,’ Wu noted, as a recent morning ceremony brought more than 600 vehicles, most of which were parked illegally in front of county ‘no parking’ signs.

The swath of illegally-parked vehicles extended more than a mile, completely blocking some off some roads. 

Church members have claimed the hundreds of illegally parked vehicles only come once a year, though residents say it is much more frequently that they are dealing with the issue.

A congregant also reportedly admitted that the parking jobs were illegal according to the signs, but was not an issue because the county has not enforced ‘no parking’ rules.

Keep reading

Judge Gives Probation to Las Vegas Teen Who Fatally Shot Dad over Taking Away Electronics

A judge ordered probation on Thursday for the teenager who fatally shot his father on December 28 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The accused is 16-year-old Lincoln Peterson. HIs mother said the deadly incident happened after the boy’s family took his electronics away because of his bad grades, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported on Thursday.

His parents reportedly believed he was “sneaking electronics” and a fight erupted.

“The teen said his mother had struck him with a belt, according to an adult certification order. He was running from his parents when he picked up a handgun sitting on top of a dryer and fired backward,” the article read. However, the teenager claimed he was unaware he hit someone.

Keep reading

Senior Israeli Official Arrested In Vegas Pedophile Sting Is Released – And Flies Home

It looks like America’s “special relationship” with Israel may have paid off big for an alleged pedophile: A senior official in Israel’s cybersecurity agency was arrested in Las Vegas for allegedly attempting to use the internet to lure a child into sexual abuse, only to be released on bond and somehow allowed to go back to Israel. There’s no indication he was covered by diplomatic immunity. 

Tom Alexandrovich, who helps guide his country’s cybersecurity policy, was representing Israel at Black Hat USA, a professional conference in Las Vegas, when he was one of seven people swept up in a major, multi-agency sting operation earlier this month that targeted people seeking sex acts with minors. According to court records, on Aug 6, the 38-year-old Alexandrovich allegedly committed the felony offense of using computer technology in an attempt to lure a child into sexual abuse. That particular crime encompasses children under 16. The next day, he posted a $10,000 bond at the Henderson Detention Center. 

As the news broke, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reflexively denied Alexandrovich had done anything wrong, claiming that “the employee, who does not hold a diplomatic visa, was not arrested and returned to Israel as scheduled.” Subsequently confronted with court records, Israel’s Cyber Directorate said the earlier false statement “was accurate based on the information provided to us,” and that Alexandrovich is now on leave “by mutual decision.” 

It’s not clear why or how he was allowed to return to Israel, which has a reputation as a haven for pedophiles who prey on American children. Citing a Jewish watchdog group, a 2020 CBS News report found that, in just the previous six years, more than 60 Jewish Americans who’d been accused of pedophilia had fled to Israel, taking advantage of Israel’s “Right of Return” law that lets any Jew in the world enjoy instant citizenship. Though these individuals — who include both suspects and convicts — are technically subject to extradition to the United States, Israeli police have been accused of assigning low priority to these cases and — perhaps because of that — US agencies are accused of failing to aggressively pursue extradition.

Keep reading

Israeli cyber official among eight arrested in Las Vegas child predator sweep

Las Vegas police said Saturday that Tom Aleksandrovich, head of a division in Israel’s National Cyber Directorate, was the senior official detained this week during a professional conference he attended on behalf of the Israeli government. He was questioned on suspicion of online pedophilia.

Aleksandrovich was among eight people arrested in a large-scale operation targeting online child predators, led by Las Vegas police, who also issued a public statement about the arrests.

The operation, part of the Nevada Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force, included agents from the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, Henderson and North Las Vegas police, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Nevada Attorney General’s office. All eight face felony charges of luring a child via computer for sexual acts. They were booked into the Henderson Detention Center, except one suspect who was booked into Clark County Detention Center.

Aleksandrovich attended the U.S. conference in an official capacity. Authorities said he was released following questioning on Wednesday, returned to his hotel, and flew back to Israel within two days.

Israeli officials emphasized that the incident “has no political implications.” The Prime Minister’s Office, which oversees the cyber unit, said Aleksandrovich was not arrested and returned on schedule:

“The employee informed the unit that during his trip to the U.S., he was questioned by local authorities on matters unrelated to work and returned to Israel as planned. The unit has not yet received further details through official channels. Should additional information arrive, the unit will act accordingly. At this stage, by joint decision, the employee has taken leave to address the matter until it is clarified.”

Keep reading

Las Vegas casino dumps human dealers for computers as soaring prices and Trump boycotts decimate tourism industry

The oldest casino in Las Vegas is replacing all human dealers with electronic table games as soaring prices and tourist boycotts continue to drive visitors away.

The Golden Gate Hotel & Casino is ‘reimagining’ its casino floor and will no longer have live table dealer games, owner and Circa CEO Derek Stevens has revealed.

Although electronic table games have been in casinos around the globe for decades, the Golden Gate will be the first hotel in downtown Las Vegas to completely eliminate human dealers from all of its tables. 

‘We’ve always embraced the future, and now we’re reimagining our casino floor with a high-energy electronic table games pit unlike anything downtown has seen,’ Stevens said in a statement to KLAS.

Although the CEO did not specify what inspired the change, he teased that visitors can expect ‘more excitement, faster gameplay, and all the newest machines’.

Industry experts expect the electronic table games market in the US to grow from $2.7 billion in 2024 to $4.9 billion by 2033, according to a recent study by Market Statsville Group.

Proponents of the tables argue the devices increase accuracy and efficiency, optimize casino floor space, increase revenue and reduce operating costs because they require fewer dealers and pit supervisors than live tables.

All Golden Gate table games members will have the opportunity to pursue roles in other departments or at other hotels in the Circa family.

Keep reading

Vegas 7-Eleven security guard sentenced to 5 to 14 years in prison for killing customer over COVID-19 protocols

A Las Vegas security guard was sentenced to spend between five and 14 years in prison for fatally shooting a customer outside a 7-Eleven convenience store during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kegia Mitchell tearfully apologized on Thursday after she entered an Alford plea for the August 2020 death of 56-year-old Thomas Martin.

“I didn’t mean to take this man’s life, I did not,” Mitchell cried out in court. “I am truly sorry from the bottom of my heart.”

The deal means she doesn’t plead guilty to the murder of Martin but acknowledges that prosecutors may have enough evidence for a conviction, according to KLAS.

Mitchell was tasked with regulating the number of customers permitted into the convenience store in Las Vegas’ northeast section on August 26 when Martin cut the line and attempted to enter.

Martin was blocked and began complaining that Mitchell was refusing to let him in while she had allowed other customers through the checkpoint.

The two began arguing as Martin cursed at the security guard, threatening Mitchell before breaking past and into the store, the outlet reported.

Mitchell grabbed the angry customer and the two shoved each other before she took out a handgun and pointed it at Martin’s face, according to security footage of the incident.

Keep reading

Maui police chief named in Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs lawsuit as alleged co-conspirator

Maui Police Chief John Pelletier is fiercely denying allegations that he was involved in a cover-up linked to Sean “Diddy” Combs.

In a nearly 90-page civil lawsuit filed by Ashley Parham and two unnamed individuals, Pelletier is accused of being hired as security for Combs in 2018.

The suit claims that Pelletier, who at the time was a Las Vegas police captain, posed as a sheriff deputy in California and responded to an alleged gang rape involving Combs.

The alleged victim claims that Pelletier instructed her to go home and offered no help or medical care.

The woman claims Pelletier gave an envelope to a neighbor, which she believed to be full of cash.

She claims Pelletier later took her and another plaintiff at gunpoint to his home, restrained them, refused to let them call an attorney, and made various moves to cover up the kidnapping.

In a statement, Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen requested that the Maui County Police Commission put Pelletier on administrative leave while the investigation remains ongoing.

The statement reads as follows:

“On March 7, 2025, and was filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California in the case of Ashley Parham v. Sean Combs (Case No. 3:24-cv-07191-RFL).

This amendment includes multiple new defendants, one of whom is Maui Police Chief John Pelletier.

The original complaint, filed on October 15, 2024, did not name Chief Pelletier.

While the allegations in the amended complaint remain unproven, they are serious in nature and involve claims of alleged criminal conduct.

As with any such legal matter, due process must be observed, but the existence of these allegations alone presents concerns regarding public trust and the effective functioning of the department.

There is precedent within the County of Maui government for placing appointed officials on leave while allegations against them are investigated.

This approach does not constitute a presumption of guilt but ensures that the individual in question is not in a position that may compromise the integrity of the office while the matter is under review.

The County of Maui Charter requires appointed officers to uphold the highest ethical standards to maintain public confidence in local government.

Given the gravity of the allegations, I recommend that the Maui Police Commission place Chief Pelletier on administrative leave pending further investigation.

Additionally, I urge the Commission to conduct its own independent review rather than waiting for the resolution of the federal case.

Taking proactive steps will demonstrate the County’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and ethical governance.”Mayor Richard Bissen

Keep reading