From Bugsy Siegel to Frank Rosenthal, organized crime has a special place in Las Vegas history. And, as posited by local journalist and author Lissa Townsend Rodgers, women have a special place in the history of organized crime.

Published by the locally based Huntington Press, Shameless: Women of the Underworld delves into the lives of six women who made a name for themselves in their respective circles of criminals. Most historical accounts seek to cast figures like Kathryn Kelly, Bonnie Parker, Stephanie St. Clair, Virginia Hill, Geri Rosenthal and Liz Renay as supporting acts to their male counterparts and companions. Rodgers brings their stories to center stage in the book and at a reading and book signing at the Mob Museum on March 26.

Theyre stories that defy societys roles for women. As she notes in her introduction, If the America of the early to mid-20th century was a time when women knew their place, the gender roles and rules were even more rigid in the underworld of the era.

Obviously, it was much worse back then, Rodgers tells the Weekly. As serious and as much as it was in everyday life, it was even worse in the world of the mob, where you clean things, you tidy things, youre a side piece, you keep your mouth shut.

While societys and the underworlds expectations for women were rigid, the author highlights how the crime queens broke that moldwhether it was Virginia Hill, widely known as Bugsy Siegels girlfriend, using her sexual prowess to work her way up in the mob; or Bonnie Parker, Clyde Barrows other half, posing for an immortal photo with cigar in mouth, shotgun in hand and one foot perched on a car fender.

Years of extensive research not only roots the stories in factual history, but also makes readers feel as though theyre a fly on the wall. The author weaves together firsthand accounts, news reports from the time, menus, guests lists and various sources to paint vivid scenes and transport readers back in time. Take this example from Geri Rosenthals chapter:

In the early 70s, the Stardust glowed with smoke mirrors, pink neon and action. It was Vegas at its post-Rat Pack zenith, the stars and spangles of Strip signage blitzing and glimmering, everything humming from senatorial suite and steakhouse to sports book. Dancers cha-cha-ed with giant bananas onstage at the Lido show as Siegfried & Roy made another tiger disappear. Saudi Arabian arms dealers dropped a ten-grand courtesy bet at the tables, Eartha Kitt purred languidly on the rotating stage in the lounge.

And in the middle of it all, the mad queen of a crazy town was Geri, in a Halston halter and diamond-ruby necklace, blown out of her mind on Percodan and vodka rocks, ready to throw a drink, start a fight, kick down an empire.

Not only the womens surroundings, but also their inner lives take shape in the narratives Rodgers crafts. She captures their emotional states, from the highs of thrilling heists to the lows of ending up penniless and mysteriously dead.

Las Vegans may find themselves particularly drawn to the chapters about Virginia Hill, Liz Renay and Geri Rosenthal, whose plots all touched Sin City at one point or another. And for many of the crime queens featured in the book, Shameless offers history previously untold.

There are so many great stories that people dont tell, Rodgers says of the subjects of her book. For a lot of them, its the only serious record thats in one place.

SHAMELESS: WOMEN OF THE UNDERWORLDMarch 26, 7 p.m., $20-$35. Mob Museum, themobmuseum.org.

ClickHEREto subscribe for free to the Weekly Fix, the digital edition of Las Vegas Weekly! Stay up to date with the latest on Las Vegas concerts, shows, restaurants, bars and more, sent directly to your inbox!

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Las Vegas author Lissa Townsend Rodgers sheds light on historic women in organized crime - Las Vegas Weekly

This gain quickly followed the previous days gain in the official and parallel market. A report by the Punch newspaper shows that the Naira closed at N1,410 per US dollar on the black market on Wednesday.

According to data obtained from the FMDQ Securities Exchange, the Nigerian currency ended trading on Wednesday at 1,410/dollar in the parallel market and N1,492 at the official Nigerian Autonomous Foreign Exchange Market.

The currency's gain in the official market is equivalent to an appreciation of N68, or 4.5%, over the N1,560/$1 reported at NAFEM the previous day. In the parallel market, the gain is equivalent to N190, or 13.5%.

"The dollar supplied by FX market players increased to $288.47, an increase of $2 or 7.46 percent from $268.29 million recorded on Wednesday from $195.13 million at NAFEM," the Punch's report reads.

This denotes that in the past few weeks, the Naira has gained N500 against the US dollar from its record low this year at the black market.

As promised by Governor Olayemi Cardoso, the Central Bank of Nigeria announced on Wednesday that it has successfully settled all legitimate foreign exchange backlogs, settling $7 billion in inherited claims.

The Central Bank of Nigeria issued several circulars in recent weeks which have assisted in fixing loopholes that had previously been exploited by money speculators and racketeers.

Additionally, the president warned against Nigerians sabotaging the currency, calling such an act unpatriotic and deserving of burnt fingers.

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The Nigerian currency sheds off N500 against the US dollar - Business Insider Africa

{KXLG -Watertown, SD} After a brief clarifying discussion, the Watertown Regional Library acquired the approval of a conditional use permit from the Board of Adjustment for storage units to put up a 12 x 24 shed on adjacent vacant property owned by the City of Watertown.

Before approval, Board member Todd Kays commented, What if this request was from a resident and Community Development Manager Brandi Hanten responded.

Resident Mike Kludt spoke up, stating the letter he received from the City wasnt very clear.

Hanten responded that the unit has to fit the residential nature of the neighborhood.

Library Director Maria Gruener explains some background.

Gruener describes it as similar to a garden shed.

Kays made a specific motion and was seconded by Board member Bonnie Oletzke.

Kays welcomed a friendly amendment from Board member Jeff Brink that it cannot be rented out for commercial use.

Once the motion was modified, it was voted on and unanimously approved.

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Library approved for storage shed thanks in-part to a $10000 donation from Friends of the Library - mykxlg.com

Led by the University of Nottingham, in collaboration with Kings College London and Newcastle University, researchers have created a quantum tornado to see how black holes behave.

The team created a giant quantum vortex within superfluid helium that is chilled to the lowest possible temperatures.

Through the observation of minute wave dynamics on the superfluids surface, the research team has demonstrated that quantum tornadoes mimic gravitational conditions near rotating black holes.

The research was published in the journal Nature.

The team created a bespoke cryogenic system capable of containing several litres of superfluid helium at temperatures lower than -271C.

Liquid helium acquires unusual quantum properties at this temperature.

These properties act as a barrier to the formation of giant vortices in other quantum fluids like ultracold atomic gases or quantum fluids of light.

The system shows that the interface of superfluid helium acts as a stabilising force for these objects.

The papers lead author, Dr Patrik Svancara from the School of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Nottingham, said: Superfluid helium contains tiny objects called quantum vortices, which tend to spread apart from each other.

In our set-up, weve managed to confine tens of thousands of these quanta in a compact object resembling a small tornado, achieving a vortex flow with record-breaking strength in the realm of quantum fluids.

The team found interesting parallels between the vortex flow and the gravitational influence of black holes on the surrounding spacetime.

The achievement provides the opportunity for simulations of finite-temperature quantum field theories within the realm of curved spacetimes.

Professor Silke Weinfurtner, leading the work in the Black Hole Laboratory where this experiment was developed, said: When we first observed clear signatures of black hole physics in our initial analogue experiment back in 2017, it was a breakthrough moment for understanding some of the bizarre phenomena that are often challenging.

Now, with our more sophisticated experiment, we have taken this research to the next level, which could eventually lead us to predict how quantum fields behave in curved spacetimes around astrophysical black holes.

The research has received 5m in funding from the Science Technology Facilities Council.

The project has also been supported by both the UKRI Network grant on Quantum Simulators for Fundamental Physics and the Leverhulme Research Leaders Fellowship held by Professor Silke Weinfurtner.

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Quantum tornado sheds light on black holes - Innovation News Network

TROY -- One person was hospitalized after a fire ripped through a homein Troy Wednesday afternoon.

Multiple crews spent hours battling heavy flames ata residencealong the Barker Road. The Troy Fire Department was alerted of the fire around 1:30 p.m.

"There was a fire that started in one of the wood shops and then spread to the house and the house became fully involved, somebody noticed it that was up by the animals and called 911 and we responded to the scene," said Troy Fire Chief Chris Phillips.

Chief Philips says the house was fully involved when they got to the scene but everyone were already out of the house.

He says the house was too unstable for firefighters to enter making it difficult to extinguish, resulting in a total loss.

"If it was a safe interior we probably could have gotten more done quicker but because it was an unsafe interior because it was fully involved at the town we had to complete surround it and extinguish it from that point," said Phillips.

Two sheds also destroyed were housing animals, however the chiefwas unsure if any animals were hurt.

According to Chief Phillips, the homeowner was hospitalized for smoke inhalation.

The fire department was assisted by crews from Thorndike, Dixmont, Plymouth, Detroit and Unity.

The cause of the fire is currently unknown.

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Fire destroys home and sheds in Troy | Local News | foxbangor.com - FOX Bangor/ABC 7 News and Stories

Trent Brown had options in free agency, but he ultimately decided to sign with the Cincinnati Bengals on a one-year deal. While discussing his decision, Brown pointed to the roster that was already in place and the opportunity to log some serious snaps as major motivating factors.

"Just the pieces that are already in place," Brown said of why he selected Cincinnati. "I feel like it's a plug and play situation, and the chance to go win."

With the Bengals, Brown feels like he'll be able to focus on football in an atmosphere that he feels comfortable in.

"I feel like I'll be worried less and be able to worry about playing football," Brown said. "I won't have to worry about any off-the-field things, and I'll be able to just enjoy coming to work on a day-to-day basis. And that was important as well when we talk about fit."

Following the departure of Jonah Williams in free agency, there was a hole in Cincinnati's offensive line, and Brown projects to fill it. He brings ample experience and versatility to the offense, as he has played both left and right tackle over the course of his career. He is projected to play on the right side with the Bengals with Orlando Brown Jr. occupying the opposite side.

Brown's addition could also potentially alter Cincinnati's draft strategy, as it might open up some options for them in the first round. Many pundits predict that the Bengals will grab an offensive lineman with their first pick, but after adding Brown perhaps they'll opt to go in a different direction.

But, Brown is 30 with nearly a decade of professional experience under his belt, and as a result he might not be a long-term answer for the Bengals on the line. So, the team would still be wise to bolster the line in the draft, even if it's not in the first round.

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Trent Brown sheds light on his decision to sign with Bengals in free agency - Stripe Hype

Sister Wives star Madison Brown Brush is getting candid about her brother Garrison Brown's mental health following his tragic death.

Madison took to Instagram Monday, one week after Garrison was laid to rest, to share how she's processing her grief and shed light on the importance of mental health.

"I wanted to get back to normalcy here, but I want to address some things first," Madison, the eldest daughter of Kody Brown and Janelle Brown, said in the video. "Mental health is so important and I don't think we talk about it enough and I don't think we do enough to bring awareness. It wasn't bullying, it wasn't a lack of love that Garrison had, it was mental health, and I am going to continue talking about mental health and self care until I am blue in the face."

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

She also reflected on conversations she and Garrison had about his difficult relationship with social media, particularly as someone with such a public-facing family.

"Social media is not real -- it's a highlight reel and that was something that Garrison and I talked a lot about," she continued. "I know my other siblings and my mom have expressed this -- that Garrison used to feel like he wasn't doing enough because he was comparing himself to things on social media and I don't think that it's real and we need to remember that."

Madison's video comes just days after Garrison was found dead in his home in Flagstaff, AZ after an apparent suicide.

According to TMZ, the Flagstaff Police Department responded to a report of a death on on March 5, finding Garrison dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. No foul play is suspected. According to the FPD, Garrison was found by his brother Gabriel.

In addition to Madison, 28, Garrison is survived by siblings Logan, 29, Hunter, 27, Gabriel, 22, and Savannah, 19 -- as well as 12 half-siblings from Kody's relationships with ex-wives Meri Brown, Christine Brown and wife Robyn Brown.

Touching on the Brown family's dynamic, Madison said that although her siblings tend to "disagree," on a lot, they've come together to grieve Garrison over the last few weeks.

"Time is so precious and if you're not happy with how you're spending your time, and you don't feel fulfilled in life, then I would encourage you to reevaluate," she noted. "Thank you to all of you who have shown love and kindness in the last few weeks."

Following the news of his passing, Garrison's friends and family, including his siblings, have been mourning their loss on social media.

Mykelti Brown took to her Instagram last week, sharing a photo of Garrison with her daughter.

"'But pain's like water. It finds a way to push through any seal. There's no way to stop it. Sometimes you have to let yourself sink inside of it before you can learn how to swim to the surface,'" she wrote, using a quote from Katie Kacvinsky to kick off her tribute.

She also included a quote by C.S. Lewis before sharing some words of her own for her late half-brother.

"My heart breaks for my brother who's no longer with us but it rejoices knowing he's with his fellow warriors in Valhalla drinking and fighting with Odin. I hope he is loving his place amongst the stars," Mykelti continued. "Garrison was always the funniest person in the room. He was one cool dude and I cry so much because my kinda [sic] will never be able to experience his fun presence. But he will live on in all my families memories. Have fun up with the stars little bro, you're missed."

Janelle's former "sister wife," Christine Brown, also paid tribute to the Army vet, taking to Instagram to share a sweet video of him building a flowerbed with her daughter, Truely, on Thursday.

If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or has had thoughts of harming themselves or taking their own life, get help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) provides 24/7, free, confidential support for people in distress.

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Sister Wives Star Garrison Brown's Sister Sheds Light on His Mental Health Struggles After Tragic Death - TooFab

Amid his late-season struggles, Indiana Pacers star point guard Tyrese Haliburton recently opened up about his mental recovery process. He also touched on the rigors of being an NBA star, including constantly being dehumanized by sports bettors.

After a strong first two-thirds of the season, Haliburton has struggled mightily since the All-Star break. Over his last 12 games, he is averaging 15.0 points per game, shooting just 40.2% and 19.0% from 3.

The 24-year-olds 3-point shooting slump has dropped his season average to 35.9%. Considering that he shot at least 40.0% from deep in each of his first three seasons, many are concerned. Meanwhile, gamblers are growing increasingly frustrated with the two-time All-Star for costing them potential winnings.

Multiple players have spoken out against the NBAs emphasis on gambling this season, as the league is promoting it more than ever. However, sports bettors have long been critical of athletes when they dont meet their expectations.

According to Haliburton, he has dealt with his struggles by regularly meeting with a sports psychologist. He noted that the experience has been beneficial to him. So, he encouraged all athletes to find someone to reach out to about their mental health.

(0:29 mark below)

Also Read: NBA analyst ferociously defends Tyrese Haliburton's injury and delivers strong verdict on 65-game rule

Tyrese Haliburton also touched on his shooting woes following Mondays 108-103 home loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The star point guard finished with 14 points, shooting just 4-for-14 (28.6%) and 1-for-9 (11.1%) from 3.

Amid increased scrutiny from gamblers, Haliburton vowed to snap out of his slump soon, noting that he has never experienced such prolonged struggles.

The Pacers (38-31) sit seventh in the Eastern Conference with 13 games remaining. So, they could use increased production from the 24-year-old to secure a top-six seed and avoid the play-in tournament.

Given his track record, Haliburtons slump will likely end soon. However, in the meantime, it appears that he wont let the outside noise affect him too much.

Also Read: Is Tyrese Haliburton 6 years old? Debunking rumors around Pacers guard's leap-year birthday

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Tyrese Haliburton sheds harsh truth on sports betting: I'm a prop - Sportskeeda

When his then-teammates were gearing up for the NFL playoffs a few months back, linebacker Anthony Walker was hospitalized, fighting an infection that he feared would cost him his football career if not worse.

Little about Walkers health scare was known as the Cleveland Browns closed out their 2023 season. But Walker, a recent free agent pickup for the Miami Dolphins, went into detail about his medical issue during a Zoom call with South Florida reporters Tuesday.

Walker, a team captain who relayed the Browns defensive play calls to his on-field teammates, started 12 of Clevelands first 13 games at linebacker in 2023.

But he played just one game the rest of the season an inactive stretch that included the Browns playoff loss to the Texans with what the team called a knee injury.

What wasnt known until now: Walker, who signed a one-year deal with the Dolphins in recent days, was hospitalized with a pretty gnarly infection that he worried might cost him his career. The infection was related to the torn quadriceps tear that cost him most of the 2022 season.

Walker said at first, he thought it wasnt anything significant. I didnt think it was or the team didnt think it was.

We thought it was soreness or whatever. It ended up being a low-grade infection or something inside the knee. No structural damage, but more so just have to clean it out, antibiotics and all that stuff.

The cause of the infection was a mystery, but it didnt take long for Walker to realize it was more serious than he initially thought.

I was hospitalized for a good while, he said Tuesday. I had no idea. I didnt know what it was. You think the worst, right? You know, you think like, Man, will I be able to play the game again? [And] even worse than that.

My dad was there with me the whole time. I really appreciate him for that. The team, my teammates, my coaches and everybody kept me in high spirits. The doctors were great and everything like that. So I am very fortunate that it was only a low-grade infection, and I can continue playing football. But yeah, definitely scary moments, for sure.

Walker added that hes made a full recovery and is able to go through his normal offseason workout regimen this winter.

Walker, a South Florida native whose father, Anthony Sr., is the head coach locally at Monsignor Pace, was desperate to escape the Midwest winters during his recent free agency. So it was easy for him to come home.

He helps complete one of the leagues more talented linebacker groups, with David Long Jr. and Jordyn Brooks also in his room.

Walkers early scouting report on Anthony Weavers defense?

I think [the Dolphins] rush the passer really well, he said. You got two elite pass rushers. Obviously, you lose [Christian Wilkins] in the middle. But again, a lot of talent up front, a lot of talent in the defensive back room, linebacker room.

David Long, one of my guys, Ive known him for a very long time. I played against him, against him. You know, he played in Tennessee, and I played for Indy. So weve grown a relationship with him over the years. I know he is excited for another opportunity to go out there and play.

Jordyn Brooks, another key addition. Been watching him for years and in Seattle [he] played really well.

So I think the team itself is loaded with talent, but that only goes so far. I think Ive been a part of talented teams in Cleveland and Indy and, you know, we just havent been able to put it all together. Thats the challenge of football, right? Can you put it all together? You can have all the talent in the world, but can you just put it all together?

KEEP READING: Is Tyreek Hill Running Out of Strikes?

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Miami Dolphins LB Anthony Walker Sheds New Light on Significant Health Scare - Pro Football Network

Modern humans dispersed from Africa multiple times, but the event that led to global expansion occurred less than 100,000 years ago. Some researchers hypothesize that dispersals were restricted to "green corridors" formed during humid intervals when food was abundant and human populations expanded in lockstep with their environments. But a new study in Nature, including ASU researchers Curtis Marean, Christopher Campisano, and Jayde Hirniak, suggests that humans also may have dispersed during arid intervals along "blue highways" created by seasonal rivers. Researchers also found evidence of cooking and stone tools that represent the oldest evidence of archery.

Working in the Horn of Africa, researchers have uncovered evidence showing how early modern humans survived in the wake of the eruption of Toba, one of the largest supervolcanoes in history, some 74,000 years ago. The behavioral flexibility of these people not only helped them live through the supereruption but may have facilitated the later dispersal of modern humans out of Africa and across the rest of the world.

"This study confirms the results from Pinnacle Point in South Africa the eruption of Toba may have changed the environment in Africa, but people adapted and survived that eruption-caused environmental change," said Marean, research scientist with the Institute of Human Origins and Foundation Professor with the School of Human Evolution and Social Change.

The team investigated the Shinfa-Metema 1 site in the lowlands of present-day northwestern Ethiopia along the Shinfa River, a tributary of the Blue Nile River.

The supereruption occurred during the middle of the time when the site was occupied and is documented by tiny glass shards whose chemistry matches that of Toba.

Pinpoint timing through cryptotephra

"One of the ground-breaking implications of this study," said Marean, "is that with the new cryptotephra methods developed for our prior study in South Africa, and now applied here to Ethiopia, we can correlate sites across Africa, and perhaps the world, at a resolution of several weeks of time."

Cryptotephra are signature volcanic glass shards that can range from 8020 microns in size, which is smaller than the diameter of a human hair. To extract these microscopic shards from archaeological sediment requires patience and great attention to detail.

"Searching for cryptotephra at these archaeological sites is like looking for a needle in a haystack, but not knowing if there is even a needle. However, having the ability to correlate sites 5,000 miles apart, and potentially further, to within weeks instead of thousands of years makes it all worth it," said Christopher Campisano, research scientist with the Institute of Human Origins and professor with the School of Human Evolution and Social Change.

"This study, once again," said Campisano, "highlights the importance of the University of Nevada-Las Vegas/Arizona State University team pushing the limits for successfully analyzing extremely low abundance cryptotephra to date and correlate archaeological sites across Africa."

The methods for identifying low abundance cryptotephra at Pinnacle Point were first developed at University of Nevada Las Vegas led by the late Gene Smith and Racheal Johnsen and now carried on at Arizona State University's Sediment and TEphra Preparation (STEP) Lab.

School of Human Evolution and Social Change graduate student Jayde Hirniak led ASU's effort to create its own cryptotephra labthe STEP Labworking with Campisano and building on methods developed at UNLV. Hirniak also collaborated with cryptotephra labs in the United Kingdom that work with sediment samples preserving hundreds or thousands of glass shards. Now Hirniak's primary expertise is in tephrochronology, which involves the use of volcanic ash to link archaeological and paleoenvironmental records and place them on the same timeline, which was her contribution to this research.

"Our lab at ASU was built to process extremely low abundance cryptotephra horizons (

Migrations along "blue highways"

Based on isotope geochemistry of the teeth of fossil mammals and ostrich eggshells, they concluded that the site was occupied by humans during a time with long dry seasons on a par with some of the most seasonally arid habitats in East Africa today. Additional findings suggest that when river flows stopped during dry periods, people adapted by hunting animals that came to the remaining waterholes to drink. As waterholes continued to shrink, it became easier to capture fish without any special equipment, and diets shifted more heavily to fish.

Its climatic effects appear to have produced a longer dry season, causing people in the area to rely even more on fish. The shrinking of the waterholes may also have pushed humans to migrate outward in search of more food.

"As people depleted food in and around a given dry season waterhole, they were likely forced to move to new waterholes," said John Kappelman, a UT anthropology and earth and planetary sciences professor and lead author of the study. "Seasonal rivers thus functioned as 'pumps' that siphoned populations out along the channels from one waterhole to another, potentially driving the most recent out-of-Africa dispersal.

The humans who lived at Shinfa-Metema 1 are unlikely to have been members of the group that left Africa. However, the behavioral flexibility that helped them adapt to challenging climatic conditions such as the Toba supereruption was probably a key trait of Middle Stone Age humans that allowed our species to ultimately disperse from Africa and expand across the globe.

The people living in the Shinfa-Metema 1 site hunted a variety of terrestrial animals, from antelope to monkey, as attested to by cut marks on the bones, and apparently cooked their meals as shown by evidence of controlled fire at the site. The most distinctive stone tools are small, symmetrical triangular points. Analyses show that the points are most likely arrowheads that, at 74,000 years in age, represent the oldest evidence of archery.

ASU's cryptotephra research was funded by the Hyde Family Foundations, the National Science Foundation, the Institute of Human Origins, and Arizona State University.

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Toba Supereruption Sheds Light on Early Human Migration - Mirage News