The debut of Palazzo, originally scheduled for last Thursday, has been pushed back to Dec. 28. However, some still question how much of the 3,025-suite mega-resort will be ready, and a soft opening is expected. A grand opening is scheduled for late January, when the 60-store Shoppes at Palazzo, several luxury restaurants (including ones by Charlie Trotter and Emeril Lagasse), the Canyon Ranch Spa, and hip-hop mogul Jay-Z's 40/40 nightclub should be ready to open to the public.

TOWER UPDATE: After lots of back and forth, a 1,064-foot tower to be built on the site of the old Wet 'n' Wild water park on the north Strip has been approved. The approval, based on the Federal Aviation Administration signing off, allows the developers of Crown Las Vegas to build the tallest hotel tower in the U.S. If all goes according to plan, the Crown building will have 5,000 rooms and a 250,000-square-foot casino, and will cost upward of $5 billion. The first phase could open as early as 2011, with the build-out competed two years later.

THE ARROW: The Strip Trolley and Vegas.com have launched a bus system that will compete with the Deuce double-deckers. The new "Arrow" replaces the old Strip Trolley, linking the Strip to downtown and the Las Vegas Monorail. Fares are $2.50 for one ride or $10 for an all-day pass that includes the monorail.

Q. Will Las Vegas host another fireworks spectacular this year?

A. Yes. "America's Party" will include a fireworks display launched from the rooftops of seven casinos along the Las Vegas Strip: MGM Grand, Planet Hollywood, Flamingo, Venetian, Treasure Island, Circus Circus and Stratosphere. More than 30,000 effects will be fired during a program that will run slightly longer than eight minutes.

For information about Las Vegas shows, buffets, coupons and deals, see www.LasVegasAdvisor.com.

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