Nevada News & Current Events | Public News Service

Voter turnout has surged among citizens with disabilities, with a 5.9% point increase in 2020 compared to the 2016 elections, according to the American Association of People with Disabilities. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, October 14, 2024

How Nevadans with disabilities can vote in this year's election

Advocates in the Silver State want to ensure all Nevadans can cast their ballot this election, including those with disabilities. Dora Uchel-…

Some 35 states require voters to present identification in order to vote at the polls on Election Day. Of these, 24 require voters to present photo identification; 11 accept other forms of identification, according to Ballotpedia. (Adobe Stock)

Nevada's Question 7 could enact ID requirements to vote

A coalition of voting rights advocates in Nevada is voicing its opposition to Question 7 on this year's ballot, which would require Nevadans to …

Among conservative Republicans, 60% said the decline in organized labor membership has been at least somewhat good for working people, according to the Pew Research Center. (Adobe Stock)

NV union organizer: Project 2025 threatens labor movement

Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are aiming to appeal to labor groups on the campaign trail, especially in battleground …

Electric motors are able to convert up to 85% of the energy they burn into motion, compared with less than 40% with a combustion engin, according to Earthjustice. (Adobe Stock)

Expert calls electric vehicles better for environment

Nevada is home to North America's largest lithium deposit, a needed metal for electric vehicle battery manufacturing. And while some argue EVs are …

Postpartum depression can happen any time after childbirth, but often starts within one to three weeks of having a baby. (Adobe Stock)

NV nurse practitioner: 'Baby blues' treatment options improving

While it may be the last day of Suicide Prevention Month, one Nevada psychiatric nurse practitioner wants moms grappling with postpartum depression …

State utility regulators last week rejected NV Energy's request to raise its basic service charge for Northern Nevada customers by 175%. (Adobe Stock)

NV groups share concerns about utilities' health, environmental impacts

The Public Utilities Commission of Nevada this week heard local leaders' concerns during consumer sessions, where people protested increasing utility …

Nevada is one of seven states that have already eliminated the pay category of subminimum wage, according to the Economic Policy Institute. (Congressman Steven Horsford)

NV Congressman introduces bill to eliminate taxes on tips, subminimum wage

Nevada U.S. Rep. Steven Horsford - D-Las Vegas - has introduced legislation that would aim to eliminate the subminimum wage for tipped workers across …

NV Energy's proposal sought to increase its rate of return to investors from 9.5% to 10.4%. The Public Utilities Commission approved a 9.65% return, according to the Nevada Conservation League. (Adobe Stock)

Utility regulators deny NV Energy rate change for northern NV customers

Nevada leaders and community groups are pleased with this week's decision by state utility regulators to reject NV Energy's request to raise its basic…

If you want to register to vote on the same day as the election, you need to have a valid Nevada driver's license or ID card, according to Vote 411. (Adobe Stock)

NV advocates ready for National Voter Registration Day on Tuesday

National Voter Registration Day is tomorrow, and voting-rights advocates in Nevada want to ensure everyone is set to make their voice heard in …

Similar to the faceoff between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump earlier this summer, microphones during Vice President Kamala Harris and Trump's debate will also be muted while one candidate is speaking. (Gage Skidmore)

As Harris, Trump take debate stage, Project 2025 will be a focus

The highly anticipated debate between former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris is tonight, and as Election Day inches closer…

Around 66% of committed electric school buses are located in school districts with the highest shares of low-income households, according to the Electric School Bus Initiative. (Adobe Stock)

Advocates tout electric school buses in Nevada, ask for more resources

Nevada has secured 60 electric school buses to take students to and from school and as the school year kicks off, advocates want to see more of the …

Around 19% of students with disabilities attend four-year colleges and universities, compared with 40% of students without disabilities. Students with disabilities are more likely to attend two-year colleges or vocational schools, according to the Iris Center. (Adobe Stock)

NV secures $10 million grant to enhance outcomes for students with disabilities

A Nevada program is aiming to centralize transition services and improve outcomes for children with disabilities. It will help create a centralized …

Nevada has seen an exodus of poll workers since 2020. (AnnaStills/Adobe Stock)

NV lawmakers will consider changes to its elections process

Nevada lawmakers will consider changes to the state's election laws next year. Most proposals are minor, like adding small filing costs for primary …

The National Weather Service produces thousands of daily forecasts through its network of 122 bureaus. It also provides storm warnings and fire forecasts and tracks climate-change events. (Adobe Stock)

Conservative plan to dismantle weather service could worsen climate change

Environmental groups are concerned part of the proposed Project 2025 calls for closing several federal agencies political conservatives consider too p…

The Inflation Reduction Act will begin to produce budgetary savings starting in 2028, according to the Center for American Progress. (Adobe Stock)

As the IRA turns 2, an expert highlights its effects in NV

The Inflation Reduction Act turns two today and one expert contended its impact in the state of Nevada has been significant. Shannon Heyck-Williams…

In 2022, there were already 59,200 Nevada workers employed in the energy sector, according to the Department of Energy. (Adobe Stock)

NV clean energy advocates commemorate the IRA's 2nd anniversary

Tomorrow marks the Inflation Reduction Act's second year anniversary, and Nevada climate and clean energy advocates contend the piece of legislation …

In 2017, the average full-time white farmer brought in $17,190 in farm income, while the average full- time black farmer made just $2,408, according to the Center for American Progress. (Adobe Stock)

USDA awards funds to minority NV farmers after years of discrimination

The Biden-Harris administration has announced 103 grant awards to Nevada farmers, ranchers and forest landowners through the Discrimination Financial …

Progressive NV leaders examine Project 2025's labor, environmental impacts

Project 2025 is the controversial right-wing plan for the next Republican presidency, and progressive Nevada leaders are dissecting what the playbook …

Green spaces are valuable, cost-effective public health resources that can drive mental, physical, and environmental outcomes for communities, according to the Trust for Public Land. (Adobe Stock)

NV nonprofit receives funds to improve Reno community park

A Nevada nonprofit dedicated to improving the quality of life for elders is among the 343 organizations nationwide to receive funding for quick-action…

The United States has 403 centers for independent living, according to the National Council on Independent Living. (Adobe Stock)

Disability advocates call for more independent living in Nevada

Advocates for individuals with disabilities want the state of Nevada to further embrace what is known as the "independent living" model. Dawn Lyons…

Washoe County recount controversy sets 'negative precedent'

Voting-rights advocates are pleased two of three Washoe County commissioners who refused to certify the results of two primary election recounts decid…

The first time ever sale of federal public land in Nevada would be used for an affordable housing development near Las Vegas. (Paul/AdobeStock)

Nevada gets OK to sell federal public lands for affordable housing

Environmentalists said a first time ever federal decision to allow the sale of a small parcel of national public land in Nevada is an example of "care…

Nevada has new tool to sum up electrification incentives

Nevada leaders have announced a new calculator that will help homeowners and renters determine how much they can save by tapping into electrification …

UNLV sociologist not optimistic after Trump assassination attempt

Plenty of political and social leaders are calling for unity and condemning political violence after this weekend's assassination attempt on former Pr…

The median monthly rent for all bedrooms and all property types in Las Vegas is $2,060, according to Zillow. (Adobe Stock)

Nevada leaders sound the alarm on housing crisis

Half of Nevada voters feel their political leaders are ignoring the housing crisis. Recent polling conducted by the Center for Popular Democracy and …

A total of 2,277 heat related hospital emergency room visits were recorded, with the peak for both visits and deaths occurring near the middle and end of July last year, according to the Southern Nevada Health District. (Adobe Stock)

As Nevada bakes, health experts share tips to stay safe

Nevada, like many other states in the West, just endured its hottest June. The broken records indicate yet another summer of extreme heat, and could …

Around 67% of Nevada residents ages 50 and older think the country is headed in the wrong direction, according to AARP Nevada. (Adobe Stock)

AARP NV Poll: Older Nevada voters show stronger support for Trump

Former President Donald Trump leads President Joe Biden by 12 points among Nevada's older voters, according to a new AARP poll. Erin Neff, …

Typically, more than 80% of crisis calls are resolved on the phone, according to Inseparable. (Adobe Stock)

Report: NV misses 32% of mental-health crisis calls

Nevada is among a handful of states to add a surcharge to all phone bills intended to help support the state's 988 mental health emergency hotline…

By a 17-point margin, 53%-36%, voters favor Congress taking action to reform the Supreme Court and the way it operates, according to Stand Up America. (Adobe Stock)

UNLV law professor: SCOTUS has changed U.S. in 'dramatic ways'

A University of Nevada-Las Vegas law professor said the conservative majority on the U.S. Supreme Court has issued major decisions dramatically …

NV June primary shows high preference for mail ballots

Voting rights advocates say turnout for Nevada's June primary election was low overall but those who did vote did so mostly by mail. Just over 383,00…

The current metro area population of Reno in 2024 is 538,000, a 1.32% increase from 2023. (Adobe Stock)

Reno Mayor led this year's U.S. Conference of Mayors

Mayors from across the nation were in Kansas City, Missouri, last week for the 92nd annual meeting of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and Hillary …

Some 24% of people with student-loan debt say they do not expect they'll ever be able to pay it off, according Bankrate. (Adobe Stock)

NV nonprofit calls Biden's student debt initiatives economic justice

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have different views on most issues, and student loan debt is no different. In the Reno-Sparks …

The majority of enrollees in the U.S. Department of Education's Saving on a Valuable Education program today have $0 payments, while borrowers who still owe a payment are saving an estimated $102 a month, according to the department. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Dept. of Education should improve student loan outreach

Policy analysts are concerned the Department of Education is not reaching and engaging with low-income and disadvantaged student loan borrowers in the…

Nevada Health Link's texting initiative is estimated to reach more than 80,000 Nevadans. (Adobe Stock)

NV Health Link extends special enrollment period, launches SMS outreach

Nevada's marketplace insurance program wants people who no longer qualify for Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program to know it has exten…

It has become less common for dads to be their family's sole breadwinner, according to the Pew Research Center. (Adobe Stock)

UNLV professor explains how fatherhood is evolving

With Father's Day behind us, an expert pointed out today's dads are more involved in their children's lives, leading to enhanced parent-child …

Fewer than a third of fourth graders were at or above proficient in reading, two percentage points lower than right before the pandemic, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Kids Count Data Book. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Nevada struggles to improve child well-being standards

Plummeting reading and math scores could prove to be a significant barrier for Nevada children, especially as they head into the workforce. This …

A 538 poll shows former President Donald is ahead of President Biden by almost 5.5 points in Nevada. (Gage Skidmore/Flickr)

NV progressive groups react to Trump Las Vegas campaign rally

Donald Trump held a rally on Sunday in Las Vegas - one of his first since being convicted by a New York jury late last month. The former president …

The Rural Climate Partnership report found that 47% of all emissions from US power plants are based in rural America. (Adobe Stock)

Nearly 100% of NV's combustion power plant emissions come from rural regions

Nevada's rural population accounts for about 6.5% of the total state population, and nearly 100% of combustion power plant emissions in the Silver …

The classroom was the most common location bullying occurred at school in 2019-2020, according to the Pew Research Center. (Adobe Stock)

NV parent speaks out on bullying, zero-tolerance school policies

About a third of U.S. parents with children younger than 18 say they worry their children might be bullied at some point and it became a reality for …

Last year was the hottest year on record, with July 6, 2023, marking the hottest day ever, according to Climate Central. (Adobe Stock)

NV braces for scorching temperatures; report predicts more heat

A dangerous heat wave and possible record-breaking temperatures are headed toward Nevada and parts of the West later this week and a new report showed…

Nevada organization aims to mobilize Latino voters

Latinos make up a significant chunk of Nevada's population, and one local organization wants to encourage Latino voters in the Silver State to …

Some counties in Nevada are required to provide language assistance in Spanish, Shoshone, Paiute or other Native American languages. (Abode Stock)

Early voting underway for Nevada Primary Election

Nevada's early voting started this past weekend and will run through June seventh - with the June Primary Election taking place on Tuesday, June 11…

The final rule reflects more than 15,000 pages of comments from nearly 200 stakeholders, according to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. (Adobe Stock)

NV conservation group supports FERC's transmission planning rule

A new plan for updating the power grid is being applauded by a Nevada conservation group. The goal is a path toward a more resilient and cost-…

Some 12% of Nevada's eligible voters are Black, according to Pew Research Center. (Adobe Stock)

Black voters in battleground states are a crucial voting bloc in 2024

Black voters will play a key role in determining who will win the 2024 presidential election. And while Black voters remain overwhelmingly …

Much of the West and East are experiencing the greatest increase in fire weather during spring months. The Southwest is also seeing a boost in fire weather during summer, according to Climate Central. (Adobe Stock)

NV sees drastic increase in number of fire weather days

A new report finds that climate change is affecting weather conditions in ways that increase wildfire risk, with the West seeing the greatest jump in …

In Nevada, same-day registration allows a voter to register for the first time or update their existing registration on the same day they vote. (Adobe Stock)

NV's Election Protection Program eases access to voting information

The Nevada state primary is coming up June 11 and one voting-rights group wants to make sure all Nevadans have the information they need to make their…

A new poll from the civil rights group Intersection of Our Lives found women of color believe racism has persisted far too long and there is a need for elected officials who will address it. (Adobe Stock)

Poll: Women of color 'fed up' with policymakers

More than 50% of voting-age women in Nevada are people of color, and a new poll found they do not feel heard or seen by most policymakers. The poll …

A total of 38,600 transgender youth now live in states where a policy has been enacted that either explicitly or implicitly restricts their access to bathrooms and other facilities, according to the report. (Adobe Stock)

Report: NV fares well with transgender rights

Ninety-three percent of transgender teens live in a state that has enacted or proposed legislation that would restrict their rights - according to a n…

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