The Nevada Independent

Who’s running? Nevada 2026 candidate filing period opens - The Nevada Independent The latest: Former lawmaker seeks to unseat regent who criticized transgender athletes.

Former Democratic state Sen. Mo Denis is seeking to unseat a regent who made disparaging remarks about transgender people. @rociohzz reports on our candidate filing live blog:
thenevadaindependent.com/article/whos...

OPINION: Harry Reid changed the game — but what was the game? - The Nevada Independent OPINION: Harry Reid changed the game — but what was the game? Read more at The Nevada Independent.

OPINION by David Colborne:

Nevada icon Harry Reid changed the game — but what was the game? Jon Ralston’s new book portrays a passionate fighter whose biggest enemy was perhaps the cynical malaise of the post-New Deal era.
thenevadaindependent.com/article/opin...

Lawsuit: ICE detainee in Nevada loses eye in psychotic episode after being denied meds - The Nevada Independent A legal green card holder with schizophrenia alleges in a new lawsuit that he mutilated himself after being repeatedly denied his medications while in immigration custody at the Nevada Southern…

A lawsuit claims staff at a Pahrump facility disregarded a schizophrenic ICE detainee’s requests, leading him to mutilate himself during a psychotic episode.

thenevadaindependent.com/article/laws...

Out of prison, GOP strategist Tony Dane is back in Nevada politics - The Nevada Independent After resolving a legal case in Nevada and serving years in a Virginia prison, the operative is working for a congressional candidate.

Tony Dane is back. The longtime GOP operative, who was indicted for extortion in Nevada and sentenced to more than a decade in prison for involuntary manslaughter, is now helping a GOP congressional candidate in Las Vegas.

thenevadaindependent.com/article/out-...

Cortez Masto blames Trump for cuts to Nevada hospital - The Nevada Independent She said Medicaid cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act have forced Boulder City Hospital to make “sacrifices,” including ending overnight stays.

More than 70 layoffs and a major reduction in patient services are coming to Boulder City Hospital, which Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto said is due to Medicaid cuts in Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
thenevadaindependent.com/article/cort...

Lombardo says traditional education is not working. His answer? Expand school choice. - The Nevada Independent Though Gov. Joe Lombardo has taken small steps to provide more schooling options for students, he said he considered it a disappointment he hasn’t been able to do more.

In this week’s Indy Education newsletter:

🗨️ Lombardo defends education record
☑️ School board races shaping up
💸 Douglas school district avoids fiscal watch.

Read more and subscribe here: thenevadaindependent.com/article/lomb...

Cortez Masto blames Trump for cuts to Nevada hospital - The Nevada Independent She said Medicaid cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act have forced Boulder City Hospital to make “sacrifices,” including ending overnight stays.

In a Friday letter to President Donald Trump, Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto laid the blame of layoffs and reduction in patient services at Boulder City Hospital at the feet of Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
thenevadaindependent.com/article/cort...

Once a beacon of cheap homes, Nevada has become a symbol of America's struggle with high costs - The Nevada Independent Once a beacon of cheap homes, Nevada has become a symbol of America’s struggle with high costs. Home prices in Las Vegas rose 64 percent from early 2020 to last year, despite recent declines.

Rising home prices will be a major issues in the 2026 midterms, especially in Nevada, once a beacon of cheap homes now facing an affordability crisis.
thenevadaindependent.com/article/once...

Lombardo says traditional education is not working. His answer? Expand school choice. - The Nevada Independent Though Gov. Joe Lombardo has taken small steps to provide more schooling options for students, he said he considered it a disappointment he hasn’t been able to do more.

At The Nevada Independent’s IndyTalks event, the governor said he was disappointed he hasn’t been able to do more to expand school choice in the Silver State, but will “keep fighting away.”

Read more in this week’s Indy Education newsletter: thenevadaindependent.com/article/lomb...

Nevada will use AI for unemployment appeals. Some lawmakers are skeptical. - The Nevada Independent State officials have touted AI as a way to simplify and accelerate existing processes, but they have also cautioned that it must not replace human oversight. Still, there are skeptics in the…

In a significant expansion of the Nevada government’s use of AI, the state’s jobs agency is set to roll out a tool to process appeals to unemployment benefit decisions.

Eric Neugeboren reports on the human verification process and what concerns remain: thenevadaindependent.com/article/neva...

IndyTalks: Lombardo pushes against nationalizing elections, calls it ‘state issue’ - The Nevada Independent Read our recap of the governor's 90-minute talk with Nevada Independent CEO Jon Ralston, which covered everything from vaccines and election security to the Colorado River and transgender athletes.

Gov. Joe Lombardo spoke with Nevada Independent CEO Jon Ralston for nearly 90 minutes on Thursday, weighing in on whether he thinks Nevada elections are secure and why ICE hasn’t descended on Nevada en masse.

Our IndyTalks recap: thenevadaindependent.com/article/indy...

OPINION: Book in hand and Trump in mind, Newsom takes his roadshow through Boulder City - The Nevada Independent OPINION: Book in hand and Trump in mind, Newsom takes his roadshow through Boulder City. Read more at The Nevada Independent.

OPINION by John L. Smith:

Who’ll clean up the mess Trump leaves behind? It might be the governor next door. With panache and a passion for Western issues, Gavin Newsom tests a campaign message in Boulder City.

thenevadaindependent.com/article/opin...

Nevada will use AI for unemployment appeals. Some lawmakers are skeptical. - The Nevada Independent State officials have touted AI as a way to simplify and accelerate existing processes, but they have also cautioned that it must not replace human oversight. Still, there are skeptics in the…

Nevada’s jobs agency is about to roll out a Google-run AI tool to speed up the process of hearing appeals to unemployment benefit decisions.

The process will require human verification, but some are worried about its transparency and security.

Read more: thenevadaindependent.com/article/neva...

IndyTalks: Lombardo pushes against nationalizing elections, calls it ‘state issue’ - The Nevada Independent Read our recap of the governor's 90-minute talk with Nevada Independent CEO Jon Ralston, which covered everything from vaccines and election security to the Colorado River and transgender athletes.

From describing vaccines as “more of a personal choice” to saying there’s been “a definite benefit” to some of Trump’s tariffs, Gov. Joe Lombardo covered a lot of topics during last week’s IndyTalks.

Catch up on the conversation in our write-up:
thenevadaindependent.com/article/indy...

'They’re trying': State hopes to reverse course on poor pregnancy care. Progress is slow. - The Nevada Independent Nevada lags behind the nation on many pregnancy health care-related metrics. It's one of just three states that hasn't formed a central authority to monitor the issue.

“We’re just desperate for providers, for physicians, for health care for women, especially in rural areas but also all throughout our state.”

Perinatal care can save mothers and babies, but Nevada has some of the biggest gaps nationwide in its system.

thenevadaindependent.com/article/they...

OPINION: Stick that extra hour where the sun don’t shine - The Nevada Independent OPINION: Stick that extra hour where the sun don’t shine. Read more at The Nevada Independent.

OPINION by Elizabeth Thompson:

Who benefits from daylight saving time? Big business, tourism and retail — but actual humans, not so much. It’s time to stick that extra hour where the sun don’t shine.

thenevadaindependent.com/article/opin...

New Boring Co. station approved on UNLV’s campus - The Nevada Independent After months of controversy surrounding the company for unsafe working conditions, regents unanimously OK plans for an underground stop for the Vegas Loop.

An official from the Boring Company said a proposed station at UNLV will mean safe and convenient underground transportation for students, and committed to a student discount on tickets.

thenevadaindependent.com/article/new-...

'They’re trying': State hopes to reverse course on poor pregnancy care. Progress is slow. - The Nevada Independent Nevada lags behind the nation on many pregnancy health care-related metrics. It's one of just three states that hasn't formed a central authority to monitor the issue.

Nevada underperforms the nation on nearly every pregnancy-related health care metric. Advocates say the state began focusing on the issue too late and faces broader issues training and recruiting doctors.

Kate Reynolds reports:

thenevadaindependent.com/article/they...

Nevada rejects Trump admin childhood vaccine rollbacks, maintains existing regulations - The Nevada Independent The state board of health voted unanimously not to adopt weakened federal vaccine recommendations and ‘follow the science.’

Top Nevada health officials rejected weakened federal vaccine requirements Friday, saying Nevada was choosing to “follow the science.”

More here:
thenevadaindependent.com/article/neva...

Congress’ clawed back $503 million nationwide that had previously been awarded in 2022 under the infrastructure law for the buildout of electric vehicle charging stations, including $12.6 million to Nevada.

Learn more about it in this Fact Brief: thenevadaindependent.com/article/has-...

Who’s running? Nevada 2026 candidate filing period opens - The Nevada Independent The candidate filing period opened Monday and ends March 13.

Republican James Settelmeyer, a longtime legislator and current director of the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, will run for the House seat Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV) is leaving.

Check out our candidate filing live blog: thenevadaindependent.com/article/whos...

New Boring Co. station approved on UNLV’s campus - The Nevada Independent After months of controversy surrounding the company for unsafe working conditions, regents unanimously OK plans for an underground stop for the Vegas Loop.

The controversial Vegas Loop is coming to UNLV after a vote Friday cleared the way for Elon Musk’s company to extend its underground tunnels to campus.

thenevadaindependent.com/article/new-...

Nevada rejects Trump admin childhood vaccine rollbacks, maintains existing regulations - The Nevada Independent The state board of health voted unanimously not to adopt weakened federal vaccine recommendations and ‘follow the science.’

Nevada’s State Board of Health on Friday voted unanimously to reject Trump administration recommendations to rollback childhood vaccine requirements, saying it goes against evidence-based practices.

thenevadaindependent.com/article/neva...

Nevada, other states suing over new global tariffs Trump imposed after Supreme Court loss - The Nevada Independent Some two dozen states, including Nevada, challenged President Donald Trump’s new global tariffs on Thursday, filing a lawsuit over import taxes he imposed after a stinging loss at the Supreme Court.

Nevada and more than 20 other states are suing over replacement tariffs Trump imposed after a recent Supreme Court defeat.

Read about it here: thenevadaindependent.com/article/neva...

Has Nevada lost federal funding for new EV chargers?

Find out in this Fact Brief by Amy Alonzo: thenevadaindependent.com/article/has-...

Was Michele Fiore’s suspension as Nevada judge legal? Nevada Supreme Court hears arguments - The Nevada Independent The hearing largely centerd on whether the state's judicial commission had authority to impose the suspension. It also covered whether the high court can intervene in the case, even though the…

The case involving prominent conservative Michele Fiore’s suspension from the Nevada bench has reached the state Supreme Court.

Justices weighed if they can intervene as an investigation is pending and whether a Trump pardon factors in.

Read more: thenevadaindependent.com/article/was-...

‘This agency kind of raised me’: Nevada’s first female forester reflects on 24-year career - The Nevada Independent Kacey KC turned a love of the outdoors into a lengthy state career, becoming Nevada’s first female forester and fire warden. She left the state in February to take over the Oregon Department of…

From forming a highly trained firefighting strike force to partnering with other states on wildfire response, departing Kacey KC reflects on highlights from her time as Nevada’s first female forester: thenevadaindependent.com/article/this...

Was Michele Fiore’s suspension as Nevada judge legal? Nevada Supreme Court hears arguments - The Nevada Independent The hearing largely centerd on whether the state's judicial commission had authority to impose the suspension. It also covered whether the high court can intervene in the case, even though the…

The Nevada Supreme Court heard arguments Thursday about whether the state’s judicial discipline commission can suspend prominent conservative Michele Fiore from her role as a rural judge.

Read about it here: thenevadaindependent.com/article/was-...

Who’s running? Nevada 2026 candidate filing period opens - The Nevada Independent The candidate filing period opened Monday and ends March 13.

Republican Douglas County Commissioner Danny Tarkanian has filed for attorney general, throwing cold water on speculation that he would drop his bid and run to replace GOP Rep. Mark Amodei.

Read the latest on our candidate filing live blog: thenevadaindependent.com/article/whos...

OPINION by Michael Schaus: We’re all punch-drunk on national politics — fed by shock pundits and social media ragebait. But politicians who ignore the maxim that “all politics is local” do so at their own peril.

Read it here: thenevadaindependent.com/article/opin...