Las Vegas

The best thing about “Saint John of Las Vegas’’ is that it makes you really appreciate guys like David Lynch and Joel and Ethan Coen. Written and directed by first-time feature filmmaker Hue Rhodes, “Saint John’’ is full of odd characters and surreal bits. It has a screenplay inspired by Dante Alighieri’s “Inferno.’’ And it stars Steve Buscemi, one of Hollywood’s most reliably watchable actors, who just happens to be a favorite player in the Coen brothers’ canon of twisted comedies.

R&B singer Ray J has been hospitalized near Las Vegas for exhaustion. Ray J's representative said in a statement Tuesday that the singer went to the hospital Monday and "will remain there for treatment for exhaustion and jet lag. " The rep says Ray J was in Las Vegas to host a party and also attended Sunday's Billboard Music Awards. The rep adds that Ray J had just returned from performing in China. Ray J is R&B singer Brandy's younger brother. He was close friends with Whitney Houston and said in March that he was "still hurting" a month after she drowned in a bathtub in...

Plans to turn Wayne Newton's sprawling Las Vegas estate into a celebrity museum have shifted into an ugly legal battle citing mismanagement, animal abuse and sexual harassment. The company that purchased the rights to convert Newton's home into "Graceland West" filed a lawsuit this week in Las Vegas against Newton, his wife and her 76-year-old mother that claims the family unreasonably delayed the project to ensure it never opens. The Newton family claims the lawsuit is a preemptive strike because they had planned to sue the company for breach of contract after multiple...

First lady Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha are visiting Las Vegas after stopping in South Dakota on a family trip. A spokeswoman for McCarran International Airport confirmed that the first lady was expected to arrive in Las Vegas Wednesday night. The visit wasn't expected to affect flight operations. White House officials say the Obamas are on a private family trip to the West. The Obamas visited Mount Rushmore on Wednesday before heading to Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS - The NAACP in Las Vegas wants a federal investigation and the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada is calling for an independent inquiry of Las Vegas police practices after a police shooting that killed an unarmed Gulf War veteran behind the wheel of his car in a condominium complex. The calls for outside oversight came days after Sheriff Douglas Gillespie pleaded for patience from the public and promised a thorough internal investigation of the slaying of Stanley Lavon Gibson on Monday.

R&B singer Ray J has been hospitalized near Las Vegas for exhaustion. Ray J's representative said in a statement Tuesday that the singer went to the hospital Monday and "will remain there for treatment for exhaustion and jet lag. " The rep says Ray J was in Las Vegas to host a party and also attended Sunday's Billboard Music Awards. The rep adds that Ray J had just returned from performing in China. Ray J is R&B singer Brandy's younger brother. He was close friends with Whitney Houston and said in March that he was "still hurting" a month after she drowned in...

WASHINGTON -- A year after the Sept. 11 attacks, the Justice Department obtained video surveillance tapes suggesting terrorists were targeting Las Vegas casinos, but authorities never alerted the public as they discussed whether a warning might hurt tourism or increase the casinos' legal liability, internal memos show. The mayor of Las Vegas said yesterday he was never told about the tapes uncovered in Detroit and Spain in 2002, and had been assured by the FBI there were no credible threats against his city.

Will Power suffered a broken vertebra in the 15-car pileup that killed two-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon. Power was among the cars involved in the accident in the IndyCar season finale Oct. 16 at Las Vegas. He was released from a hospital after the accident with no evidence of significant injury. But Penske Racing says more tests on Monday in Indianapolis revealed a compression fracture of his fourth thoracic vertebra. IndyCar orthopedic specialist Dr. Terry Trammell says Power will recover with rest and rehabilitation.

The people at Vegas.com get a lot of strange questions at their call center. For instance: "I'm coming to Vegas and I'd like to shoot my friend out of a cannon. " Sorry, the caller was told, "We can't in good conscience help arrange this. " "My wife and I would like to make a home video in our hotel room. Can you arrange for the hotel videographer to give us a hand?" Sorry, the caller was told, "We're all about personal service but this is a bit over the line. " "Hi, I'd like to book the best ocean-view room in Vegas.

LAS VEGAS - Floyd Mayweather Jr. used his speed and accuracy to win a unanimous decision Saturday night over a game Miguel Cotto in one of his toughest fights ever. Mayweather dominated late, rocking Cotto in the 12th round to pull out a win and remain unbeaten in 43 fights. Mayweather won Cotto's 154-pound title, but it wasn't easy, with Mayweather getting his nose bloodied and Cotto fighting until the final bell. Two judges scored the fight, 117-111, and the third, 118-110.

Sen. Max Baucus says the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has agreed to permanently deny any trademark application for the well-known Montana slogan "Last Best Place. " The phrase was first popularized as the title of a 1988 anthology co-edited by writers William Kittredge and Annick Smith. About a decade ago, Las Vegas businessman David Lipson sought exclusive rights to the term for his Resort at Paws Up in Montana's Blackfoot Valley, and for other businesses and products.

A saxophone player who toured with The Killers has been found dead in Las Vegas in an apparent suicide. The Clark County coroner's office confirmed Thursday that 33-year-old Thomas Christian Marth was pronounced dead of a gunshot wound to the head on Monday. He was found in the backyard, though it's unclear whose. A tweet from the band's official Twitter account earlier this week announced Marth's passing, saying the band's prayers are with his family and that "there's a light missing in Las Vegas tonight.

The 13th Annual Latin Grammy Awards are coming back to Las Vegas for the fifth time. The Latin Recording Academy announced Thursday that the show is set for Thursday, Nov. 15, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center on the Las Vegas Strip. It will air live on Univision. A month of Latin Grammy-themed cultural events, street parties and recording sessions are scheduled to lead up to what organizers call the biggest night in Latin music. The awards honor Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking artists and other professionals in their industry.

WASHINGTON - General Services Administration witnesses came under sharp criticism from Congress for a second day Tuesday, as lawmakers expressed outrage over junkets, bonuses, and parties paid for by taxpayers. Questioning ranged beyond the $823,000 paid for a Las Vegas conference in October 2010, to a culture of the nation's government real estate agency playing fast and loose with taxpayer money. Members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee asked about trips to the South Pacific, the Napa Valley wine country, and to Las Vegas to plan for the October conference.

One of the nation's top high school basketball players is headed to UCLA. Shabazz Muhammad announced Wednesday he would play for the Bruins next year. The 6-foot-6 highly recruited wing had narrowed his list of finalists to include Kentucky and Duke. Muhammad is a senior at Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas but trimmed the hometown UNLV Runnin' Rebels and Kansas from his list in recent days. Muhammad says it came down to his comfort level with the coaching staff.

Kevin Na and Charlie Wi joined first-round leader Jhonattan Vegas at 12-under 130 on Friday to share the lead after 36 holes of the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open. Vegas, the rookie from Venezuela who won the Bob Hope Classic in January for his first PGA Tour title, was tied with William McGirt at 8-under 63 after the opening round at TPC Summerlin in the first of four Fall Series events. Vegas followed his bogey-free first round with a 4-under 67 that included an eagle and four birdies.

A plane headed to Las Vegas had to make an emergency landing at Philadelphia International Airport. Airport spokeswoman Victoria Lupica said U.S. Airways Flight 436 returned to the airport shortly after takeoff, making a safe landing about 9:15 p.m. Wednesday after the pilot reported fumes in its cockpit. She said there were no injuries.

Morgan Lucas raced to the qualifying lead at the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Friday. Lucas, who won two weeks ago in Gainesville, Fla. with a dominating performance, rallied from a 10th place effort in the opening round of qualifying to vault to the No. 1 spot with a leading run of 3.817 seconds at a top speed of 321.96 mph in his dragster on the day's final session. Robert Hight (Funny Car) and Jason Line (Pro Stock) also were qualifying leaders at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event.

First lady Michelle Obama and daughters Malia and Sasha are visiting Las Vegas after stopping in South Dakota on a family trip. A spokeswoman for McCarran International Airport confirmed that the first lady was expected to arrive in Las Vegas Wednesday night. The visit wasn't expected to affect flight operations. White House officials say the Obamas are on a private family trip to the West. The Obamas visited Mount Rushmore on Wednesday before heading to Las Vegas.