Nevada News & Current Events | Public News Service

More than 80% of Nevada is public land owned by the federal government, which is charged with managing it for the public's benefit. (Kurt Kuznicki)

Monday, September 20, 2021

State Parks Free This Saturday for Nevada Public Lands Week

LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Admission to any state park in Nevada is free this coming Saturday, as part of the first Nevada Public Lands Week - with a series …

The new infrastructure proposal would increase funding for home-based health care services for seniors. (AARP)

High-Income Americans Sign Letter Calling for Higher Taxes

CARSON CITY, Nev. -- It is not every day people ask for higher taxes, but that's the gist of a letter just sent to Congress, signed by more than 200 …

Nevada's small but tight-knit Muslim community is centered in North Las Vegas and Reno. (Pixel-shot/Adobe Stock)

American Muslims Reflect On 9/11 20th Anniversary

LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- As the nation marks the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks this weekend, Muslim groups are reflecting on progress in the …

A new poll shows that Nevadans favor policies to lower deductibles and prevent insurance companies from selling junk plans. (Volgariver/Adobestock)

New Poll Indicates High Anxiety About Health-Care Costs in NV

CARSON CITY, Nev. - The rising cost of health care is a top concern for Nevadans, according to a new poll. The survey, of 600 registered voters …

Wildlife overpasses such as this one help mule deer on their migration, which can be up to 100 miles long. (Nevada Department of Wildlife)

NV State Agencies to Prioritize Wildlife Migration Corridors

CARSON CITY, Nev. -- Sage grouse, pronghorn, mule deer and bighorn sheep are just a few of the species expected to benefit from a new executive order …

State assembly district maps, including this close-up of Las Vegas, are likely to change once lawmakers incorporate the new 2020 census data. (Nevada Legislative Counsel Bureau GIS)

Armed With Census Data, Community Groups Prep for Redistricting

LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Community groups are preparing to help lawmakers draw new political maps, based on just-released census numbers. The data shows …

Advocates are calling for more green transportation options in light of a new U.N. climate change study that predicts longer, more frequent heat waves. (Earthjustice)

Advocates: Nevada In Crosshairs After U.N. Climate Report

LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- The American West is already feeling the brunt of climate change and things are on track to get worse, according to a new report …

Las Vegas' free Arrow shuttle service runs from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. daily. (City of Las Vegas)

Las Vegas' New Shuttle for People Experiencing Homelessness Gains Popularity

LAS VEGAS - Las Vegas is trying to make it easier for people experiencing homelessness to get to their appointments with social service agencies by in…

Nevada is seeing multiple efforts to reduce racial disparities among kids who are arrested or incarcerated, and a new report says it's working. (Connie Mills/Youth Villages)

NV Makes Progress Reducing Racial Disparities for Youth Behind Bars

CARSON CITY, Nev. -- Nevada is closing the racial gap among young people behind bars, according to a new report from The Sentencing Project. The …

The Gila monster is listed as a protected species in Nevada. Wildlife officials would like to boost its population by importing lizards from Utah.(Josh Olander/Wikimedia Commons)

New Bill Would Help Save Bighorn Sheep, Golden Eagles

CARSON CITY, Nev. - A bill just introduced in the U.S, Senate would help thousands of species stay off the Endangered Species List - including …

Married couples with children under 18 who make up to $150,000 per year will qualify for the new, extended federal Child Tax Credit. (Jessica Shamout)

First Federal Child Tax Credit Funds Go Out Today

CARSON CITY, Nev. -- The first payments from the extended Child Tax Credit will hit most families' bank accounts today, providing much-needed relief …

The Avi Kwa Ame area, also known as Spirit Mountain, is important habitat for the golden eagle and the desert tortoise and is home to the largest Joshua tree forest in the country. (Justin McAffee)

Movement to Establish New National Monument in NV Gains Steam

SEARCHLIGHT, Nev. -- The push for a new national monument about 60 miles south of Las Vegas has taken on added urgency, in the face of a new wind-…

A GAO report found in 2020, U.S. Postal Service package-delivery business generated $11 billion, but it wasn't enough to put the agency in the black. (Lost In the Midwest/Adobe Stock)

Business Groups Press for Postal Service Reform

RENO, Nev. -- Supporters of the U.S. Postal Service are pressing for passage of a bill to shore up the troubled agency. Twin versions of the …

Groups such as Veterans for Responsible Leadership and We the Veterans are urging current and former military officials to continue to stand up for the Constitution. (Daniel Thornberg/Adobe Stock)

Vets Speak Out Against Far-Right on Independence Day

LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- Veterans on both sides of the aisle are concerned about what they call recent attacks on democracy by far-right organizations…

President Obama created the Basin and Range National Monument in 2015. (Bureau of Land Management)

Nevada's Treasures Showcased: Antiquities Act Turns 115

GOLD BUTTE NATIONAL MONUMENT, Nev. - Nevada is home to some of the last virtually untouched wide open spaces in this country, largely thanks to the …

This session, Nevada lawmakers voted to expand automatic voter registration and make vote-by-mail a permanent option. (Darylann Elmi/Adobestock)

NV Progressive Group Releases 2021 Legislative Scorecard

CARSON CITY, Nev. - Progressive groups in Nevada are holding an online summit tonight to marshal their forces for the next round of policy battles - …

New data show Nevada cut its teen birth rate almost in half between 2010 and 2019. However, key indicators on poverty and education got worse. (Wordley Calvo Stock/Adobe Stock)

Report: NV Among Hardest Hit in Pandemic

CARSON CITY, Nev. - A new report finds Nevada's children suffered more during the pandemic than those in many other states - and that small gains in …

A new Gallup survey shows more than 60% of Americans say they know "a little bit" or "nothing at all" about Juneteenth, the date that celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. (DoDEA.edu)

Juneteenth Declared National Holiday, Amidst Progress, Upheaval

CARSON CITY, Nev. -- Juneteenth National Independence Day is now an official holiday, after President Joe Biden signed a bill Thursday, approved by …

A new report finds that jobs in wind power in Nevada grew in 2020 despite the pandemic. (Niserin/iStockphotos)

Advanced Energy Sector Roars Back to Life in Nevada

LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- A new report found President Joe Biden's infrastructure bill, the American Jobs Plan, would supercharge the economy in Nevada and …

The Biden administration is carrying out a comprehensive review of oil and gas leases on public lands, including in Nevada's Ruby Mountains. (Jose Witt/Nevada Wildlife Federation)

Bills Heard in D.C. to Protect Ruby Mountains, Desert National Wildlife Refuge

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Two bills to expand protections for Nevada public lands got a hearing in the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources …

Organizers of the National Week of Conversation say it is intended to be an on-ramp to repairing divides. (Popaukropa/Adobestock)

Bridging the Divide in National Week of Conversation

LAS VEGAS, Nev. - This Saturday, thousands of Americans will take part in a first-ever event called America Talks - in an effort to heal social and …

Nevada's mule deer population can migrate up to 100 miles. Many use overpasses built by the state in spots where they attempt to cross each year. (Nevada DOT)

Study Urges Feds to Prioritize NV Wildlife Migration Corridors

CARSON CITY, Nev. - The mule deer population in Nevada has dropped 15% over the last decade - and now a new study is urging the feds to better …

A new study advises water utilities to build more shade structures, add more trees and better insulate buildings to resist rising temperatures. (Yves Bernardi/Pixabay)

Study Predicts Climate Change Will Stress NV Water Systems

LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- A new study showed climate change means Nevada summers will be longer and hotter in the coming decades, and that has big …

The Nevada State Legislature's next formal, regular session is set to convene in 2023. (Wikimedia Commons)

Looking to the Future as NV Legislative Session Ends

CARSON CITY, Nev. -- Groups that advocate for working families are calling for a professional, full-time Nevada Legislature to replace the current …

After meeting for four months, the Nevada Legislature has ended its 2021 session this week. (Annette Magnus/Battle Born Progress)

Mixed Bag for Progressive Priorities in NV Legislative Session

CARSON CITY, Nev. - Progressive groups are describing the just-ended legislative session as a rollercoaster year, with both victories and defeats…

A new report shows that Nevada seniors are 16th in the nation for getting in some exercise. (AARP)

Report: NV Seniors Face High Rates of Hunger, Suicide

CARSON CITY, Nev. -- A new study shows seniors in Nevada had some of the worst rates of hunger and suicide in the country, even before the pandemic…

President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Desert National Wildlife Refuge in 1936 to protect bighorn sheep. (Kurt Kuznicki)

Extra Protections Sought as Desert National Wildlife Refuge Turns 85

LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- The Desert National Wildlife Refuge north of Las Vegas turns 85 today, and conservation groups want to see it protected forever…

Nevada has one of the highest uninsured rates in the country. (Kathy Yeulet/iStockphoto)

Health-Care Advocates Press for Public Option as Deadline Nears

CARSON CITY, Nev. -- With just two weeks left in the legislative session, health-care advocates are pressing for action on a bill to create a public …

Unfinished gun parts are sold online and at gun shows, without background checks. (Stephen Lindley/Brady United)

Hearing Today in NV Senate on Bill to Ban Ghost Guns

CARSON CITY, Nev. -- A bill to ban so-called "ghost guns" gets a hearing today in the state Senate Judiciary Committee. Assembly Bill 286 would …

The charter class of UNLV medical school grads enjoyed free tuition, thanks to a scholarship program funded by donations from the community. (Josh Hawkins/UNLV)

Nevada Makes Progress on Doctor Shortage

LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- The University of Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV) will graduate its very first class of 50 medical students today, marking a milestone in …

Federal and state efforts to build out transmission lines will make it easier to move renewable power around the grid. (Laura Musikanski/Wikimedia Commons)

Clean-Energy Experts Predict Federal Dollars Will Spur NV Job Boom

CARSON CITY, Nev. -- Experts forecast up to 400,000 new jobs in Nevada as a result of the Biden administration's climate-change goals and …

Environmental advocates would like to see new rules to make sure water from pit lakes, such as this one at the abandoned Anaconda mine in Mason Valley, is treated, so it can be reused. (Ian Bigley/PLAN)

Mining Justice Advocates Press for Action on Earth Day

RENO, Nev. -- Today, to honor the 51st annual Earth Day, environmental advocates are calling for action on three bills to better regulate the mining …

The George Floyd case has prompted dozens of protests over systemic racism nationwide. (Pikist)

Groups Rally in Las Vegas After Chauvin Guilty Verdict

LAS VEGAS - Groups working for racial justice held a rally Tuesday night on the Las Vegas strip - a celebration and expression of relief that a Minnes…

Construction is the third-largest industry in Nevada. (SW Regional Council of Carpenters)

NV Construction Workers, Unions Call for Crackdown on Tax, Wage Fraud

LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- Unions that represent carpenters are calling on Nevada lawmakers to pass a bill to fight fraud and wage theft in the construction …

Hanna Olivas from Las Vegas, who suffers from multiple myeloma, favors medical aid-in-dying and will tell her story to lawmakers at a hearing for AB 351. (Hanna Olivas)

Hearing Today for Nevada Aid-In-Dying Bill

CARSON CITY, Nev. - A bill to allow terminally ill people to get a prescription to end their lives will be heard in the state Assembly Health and …

Assembly Bill 321 would make reforms made last year permanent to allow more mail-in voting ahead of the 2020 election. (Svanblar/iStockphoto)

Hearing Today on Bill to Make Mail in Ballots Permanent

CARSON CITY, Nev. -- A hearing is set for this afternoon on a controversial bill that would send mail-in ballots with prepaid postage to every …

A rally is set for this afternoon at a North Las Vegas apartment complex, calling on Congress to cancel back rent and mortgage debt accrued by low-income families during the pandemic. (PLAN NV)

Protest Today Against Eviction Filed After Feds Paid the Rent

NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- Tenants' rights advocates are holding a rally at 4:00 p.m. today in front of a North Las Vegas apartment complex to …

OECD data show the United States is one of the only industrialized countries that does not mandate paid parental leave. (Jessica Shamout)

Federal Infrastructure Plan Likely to Include Paid Leave

CARSON CITY, Nev. - President Joe Biden is set to release his new infrastructure proposal today in Pittsburgh - and within a few weeks, its second …

According to the CDC, in 2017, Nevada doctors wrote 55.5 opioid prescriptions for every 100 people, which is higher than the national average of 51.4 prescriptions. (Psiedelisto/Wikimedia Commons)

Nevada Negotiates $45 Million Opioid Settlement

CARSON CITY, Nev. -- The consulting firm McKinsey and Company has agreed to pay the State of Nevada $45 million for the company's role in the opioid …

Clark County School District data show distance learning has been difficult for students, with higher rates of absenteeism and failing grades during the pandemic. (Shangaray/Adobe Stock)

NV Teachers Back Standards for Distance Learning

CARSON CITY, Nev. -- Even as more Nevada kids are heading back to their on-campus classrooms, public-education advocates are calling on school …

Extravaccinenotifier.com' is a free site that helps clinics and pharmacies reach people who are willing to rush down and receive last-minute leftover vaccine shots. (ExtraVaccineNotifier.com)

Groups Try to Find Last-Minute Arms for Extra Vaccine Doses

CARSON CITY, Nev. - Several new websites have popped up to connect pharmacies or clinics with leftover doses of COVID-19 vaccine to people who want …

A new bill would expand the Desert National Wildlife Refuge by more than 1.3 million acres. (Kurt Kuznicki)

Biggest NV Conservation Bill Ever Would Better Protect 2 Million Acres

CARSON CITY, Nev. -- More than 2 million acres in southern Nevada would get wilderness protections under a new bill introduced in Congress on Tuesday…

The Biden administration is trying to remove barriers to the reunification of families separated at the border by the prior administration. (Rico Best/Adobestock)

Feds to Allow Some Separated Immigrant Families to Reunite in U.S.

CARSON CITY, Nev. -- Human-rights advocates are applauding a new Biden administration policy to allow children who remain in U.S. custody after being …

According to a new survey, 92% of Americans agree that deductibles should be low enough to not get in the way of a person's access to health care. (DoubletreeStudio/Adobe Stock)

Survey Confirms Frustration with Healthcare Costs

LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- A new survey shows most Americans are worried about out-of-pocket healthcare costs - deductibles, premiums and co-pays, and …

More than 85% of the energy Nevada consumes is from out-of-state fossil fuels, despite having the highest solar-energy potential in the nation. (srongkod/Adobe Stock)

NV Scientists Urge Preparation for High Energy Demand in Extreme Weather

RENO, Nev. -- In the wake of the devastating power-grid failure in Texas, energy and climate scientists are urging Nevada to prepare its own power …

Children's mental-health-related visits to the emergency room have increased since April. (New Africa/Adobe Stock)

Parents, Teachers Urged to Learn Signs of Teen Mental-Health Crisis

LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- As the spread of the coronavirus continues, behavioral-health experts say it's as important as ever to make sure children and …

The Regional Transportation Commission of Washoe County is adding 19 new buses this month. Some are electric and some are hybrid, as part of its effort to have an all-alternative-fuel fleet by 2035. (navee/Adobe Stock)

Reno Area Gets 19 New Hybrid Electric-Biodiesel, Electric Buses

RENO, Nev. -- Washoe County's transit fleet is getting greener, with 17 new hybrid electric-biodiesel buses, and two new electric buses this month…

Nevada's gun death rate is 40% higher than the national average, and shootings are the leading cause of death for young people in the Silver State. (Matthew/Adobe Stock)

Report: Steps for NV Legislators to Reduce Gun Violence

LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- Advocates against gun violence are urging state lawmakers to pass new laws this session to help prevent future gun deaths…

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