Nevada Current
@nevadacurrent.com
A nonprofit online source of political and policy news and commentary. We cover how policies, institutions and systems make life harder for Nevadans than it needs to be, and we explore what it takes to fix them. https://nevadacurrent.com
The Trump administration has prioritized shifting the VA’s budget, cutting staff in the process, in moves that critics have labelled a privatization of veterans health care.
Federal staffing deficits ‘negatively affected’ Southern Nevada VA, report says • Nevada Current
Staffing shortages, anticipated reductions in force, and limited participation from community specialty providers are affecting daily operations and patient care at the Southern Nevada VA, according t...
nevadacurrent.com
February 13, 2026 at 3:21 PM
The Trump administration has prioritized shifting the VA’s budget, cutting staff in the process, in moves that critics have labelled a privatization of veterans health care.
"We often think of authoritarians as omnipotent..But this is not true, and that attitude of despair is precisely what the authoritarian needs. Authoritarians have frequently been defeated in the face of mass resistance, from the Eastern Bloc to Latin America."
Commentary via @minnesotareformer.com
Commentary via @minnesotareformer.com
Minnesota 1, Trump 0 • Nevada Current
The sense that we’re all in it together motivates great acts of both charity and courage.
nevadacurrent.com
February 13, 2026 at 2:57 PM
"We often think of authoritarians as omnipotent..But this is not true, and that attitude of despair is precisely what the authoritarian needs. Authoritarians have frequently been defeated in the face of mass resistance, from the Eastern Bloc to Latin America."
Commentary via @minnesotareformer.com
Commentary via @minnesotareformer.com
“Remember: In the spring of 2024, Donald Trump invited top oil executives to Mar-a-Lago and told them, if you raise me a billion dollars to get me elected, I will cut regulations so you can make more money,” Schumer said.
Trump guts climate protections after fossil fuel industry raised billions for his 2024 campaign • Nevada Current
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump and his top environmental policy officer finalized a move Thursday to undo an Environmental Protection Agency regulation that laid the foundation for federal rules ...
nevadacurrent.com
February 13, 2026 at 12:40 AM
“Remember: In the spring of 2024, Donald Trump invited top oil executives to Mar-a-Lago and told them, if you raise me a billion dollars to get me elected, I will cut regulations so you can make more money,” Schumer said.
"If the true goal of these actions is to reduce the immigrant population, why are they also arresting and detaining those whose ancestors were here first?"
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For Indigenous Americans it's unthinkable, but true. ICE is arresting, detaining Native Americans. • Nevada Current
If the true goal of ICE action is to reduce the immigrant population, why are they also arresting and detaining those whose ancestors were here first? writes guest columnist Rebecca Tallent.
nevadacurrent.com
February 13, 2026 at 12:35 AM
"If the true goal of these actions is to reduce the immigrant population, why are they also arresting and detaining those whose ancestors were here first?"
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The “hearing was not moot,” Chattah said via text. She did not respond when asked if she intended to remain in the office as first assistant U.S. attorney, a title she adopted after a judge disqualified her from supervising prosecutors.
Trump appoints Kelesis as U.S. attorney as Chattah fights disqualification before Ninth Circuit • Nevada Current
A three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals is deciding whether to uphold U.S. District Judge David Campbell’s disqualification of Acting U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah’s participation in p...
nevadacurrent.com
February 12, 2026 at 10:34 PM
The “hearing was not moot,” Chattah said via text. She did not respond when asked if she intended to remain in the office as first assistant U.S. attorney, a title she adopted after a judge disqualified her from supervising prosecutors.
Some sporting events, such as the F1 and the 2024 Super Bowl, charge the live entertainment tax the same as a BTS or Taylor Swift concert. Other sporting events, including NASCAR and Las Vegas Raiders games, are exempt.
Nevada lawmakers ponder parity of live entertainment taxes • Nevada Current
Tickets to a Beyoncé concert, a UFC match, and a Golden Knights game might all cost an arm and a leg. But the first will cost an arm and a leg plus 9%, the second plus 8%, and the third plus nothing a...
nevadacurrent.com
February 12, 2026 at 8:17 PM
Some sporting events, such as the F1 and the 2024 Super Bowl, charge the live entertainment tax the same as a BTS or Taylor Swift concert. Other sporting events, including NASCAR and Las Vegas Raiders games, are exempt.
Snowpacks continue to look grim across Nevada and most of the western United States, as high temperatures and dry weather hamper snow accumulation.
Snowpack has not improved in Nevada or the West • Nevada Current
Snowpacks continue to look grim across Nevada and most of the western United States, as high temperatures and dry weather hamper snow accumulation. That’s an issue for the West where snowpack acts as...
nevadacurrent.com
February 12, 2026 at 5:01 PM
Snowpacks continue to look grim across Nevada and most of the western United States, as high temperatures and dry weather hamper snow accumulation.
Of the roughly 4,000 arrests made since the beginning of Operation Metro Surge last December, Homan could not say how many were targeted arrests of people deemed a safety threat.
Border Czar Tom Homan announces end to Operation Metro Surge, claiming success • Nevada Current
President Donald Trump’s border czar announced on Thursday an imminent end to Operation Metro Surge, claiming success from the unprecedented federal incursion that brought thousands of immigration off...
nevadacurrent.com
February 12, 2026 at 5:00 PM
Of the roughly 4,000 arrests made since the beginning of Operation Metro Surge last December, Homan could not say how many were targeted arrests of people deemed a safety threat.
Democrats and voting rights advocates say the measure, if passed by the Senate and signed into law, would disenfranchise the roughly 146 million Americans who do not have a passport and turn the election into chaos.
US House approves bill mandating proof of citizenship for voting in federal elections • Nevada Current
WASHINGTON — The U.S. House passed legislation Wednesday that would require the public to produce a passport or birth certificate in most cases to register to vote, less than a year out from November ...
nevadacurrent.com
February 12, 2026 at 12:18 AM
Democrats and voting rights advocates say the measure, if passed by the Senate and signed into law, would disenfranchise the roughly 146 million Americans who do not have a passport and turn the election into chaos.
U.S. jobs increased by 130,000 in January, buoyed by hires in health care, social assistance and construction. But in another sign of anemic hiring last year, estimates for 2025 were revised down by more than a million jobs to a growth level rarely seen outside of recessions. Via @stateline.org
Jobs report shows a historic stall in hiring last year • Nevada Current
U.S. jobs increased by 130,000 in January, buoyed by hires in health care, social assistance and construction. But in another sign of anemic hiring last year during President Donald Trump's second ter...
nevadacurrent.com
February 11, 2026 at 11:06 PM
U.S. jobs increased by 130,000 in January, buoyed by hires in health care, social assistance and construction. But in another sign of anemic hiring last year, estimates for 2025 were revised down by more than a million jobs to a growth level rarely seen outside of recessions. Via @stateline.org
The Jarbidge bull trout’s only hope is to stop the massive logging and burning of their watershed.
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Forest Service logging and burning will cook bull trout to extinction in the Jarbidge River • Nevada Current
Bull trout were listed as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act in 1999 after the Alliance for the Wild Rockies and Friends of the Wild Swan successfully sued the Fish and Wildlife Service. Bu...
nevadacurrent.com
February 11, 2026 at 11:02 PM
The Jarbidge bull trout’s only hope is to stop the massive logging and burning of their watershed.
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"Just because we don’t have people in armed fatigues walking through East Las Vegas does not mean that ICE has not ramped up considerably,” said Michael Kagan, director of the UNLV Immigration Clinic.
ICE arrests skyrocketed in Nevada last year • Nevada Current
Nevada has not seen the barrage of armed federal officers carrying out immigration enforcement that other cities have seen, but immigration arrests in the state increased drastically last year, with a...
nevadacurrent.com
February 11, 2026 at 3:34 PM
"Just because we don’t have people in armed fatigues walking through East Las Vegas does not mean that ICE has not ramped up considerably,” said Michael Kagan, director of the UNLV Immigration Clinic.
“The Constitution makes clear that Congress controls federal spending, and executive agencies must operate within the bounds of that authority," said NV's Aaron Ford, one of the 19 state attorneys general who sued to block Trump from penalizing states for defying his orders.
Trump agrees not to withhold school funding over DEI • Nevada Current
Attorneys General from 19 states, including Nevada, have secured an agreement with the Trump administration to abandon its effort to yank federal funding from K-12 schools that refuse to scrap diversi...
nevadacurrent.com
February 11, 2026 at 1:02 AM
“The Constitution makes clear that Congress controls federal spending, and executive agencies must operate within the bounds of that authority," said NV's Aaron Ford, one of the 19 state attorneys general who sued to block Trump from penalizing states for defying his orders.
“I have as much respect for you as I do for the last white men who put on masks to terrorize communities of color," Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL) told the Trump administration officials.
Republicans on US House Homeland panel defend immigration tactics at tense hearing • Nevada Current
WASHINGTON — The head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement declined during a U.S. House hearing Tuesday to apologize to the families of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, the victims of fatal shooting...
nevadacurrent.com
February 10, 2026 at 11:54 PM
“I have as much respect for you as I do for the last white men who put on masks to terrorize communities of color," Rep. Delia Ramirez (D-IL) told the Trump administration officials.
The ongoing surge of around 2,300 federal agents in the Twin Cities has created a climate of fear — not just for the criminals and undocumented immigrants they claim to be targeting — but for ordinary families trying to maintain the routines and normalcy of childhood. Via @minnesotareformer.com
The kids are not alright — ICE threatens children's short-term health, long-term prospects • Nevada Current
The long-term impacts extend beyond academic outcomes.
nevadacurrent.com
February 10, 2026 at 11:38 PM
The ongoing surge of around 2,300 federal agents in the Twin Cities has created a climate of fear — not just for the criminals and undocumented immigrants they claim to be targeting — but for ordinary families trying to maintain the routines and normalcy of childhood. Via @minnesotareformer.com
Like most states, Nevada already has a "right to try" law allowing terminally ill patients to seek experimental treatments. But it's “completely worthless," says the backer of a proposed state constitutional amendment.
Biotech firm’s ballot measure would make NV a medical testing ground for bypassing FDA approval • Nevada Current
A Las Vegas-based biotech CEO has a vision of Nevada as a hub for medical innovation. And he is hoping voters will help him make it happen. A political action committee titled Freedom to Try Medical I...
nevadacurrent.com
February 10, 2026 at 4:10 PM
Like most states, Nevada already has a "right to try" law allowing terminally ill patients to seek experimental treatments. But it's “completely worthless," says the backer of a proposed state constitutional amendment.
The parasite, which can be fatal to dogs in extreme cases, had never been documented in Colorado River’s waterways before. However, in 2018, the parasite was identified in a dozen dogs near a man-made pond in Moab, Utah, marking its first documented appearance in the West.
Signs of parasite deadly to dogs found in lakes Mead and Mohave but risk 'really low,' official says • Nevada Current
Two years ago a parasite that can potentially kill dogs was discovered for the first time on the shores of the Colorado River in Southern California. Now that same parasite has likely made its way to ...
nevadacurrent.com
February 10, 2026 at 3:42 PM
The parasite, which can be fatal to dogs in extreme cases, had never been documented in Colorado River’s waterways before. However, in 2018, the parasite was identified in a dozen dogs near a man-made pond in Moab, Utah, marking its first documented appearance in the West.
The National Governors Association organizes the bipartisan winter gathering that usually includes a working meeting with the U.S. president and a major dinner at the White House.
Trump shuts out Democratic governors from traditional White House gatherings • Nevada Current
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump decided to exclude Democratic governors from a traditional annual meeting at the White House and to disinvite several others from a black-tie dinner, according to t...
nevadacurrent.com
February 10, 2026 at 12:23 AM
The National Governors Association organizes the bipartisan winter gathering that usually includes a working meeting with the U.S. president and a major dinner at the White House.
There are currently no state or county-wide regulations in Nevada guiding where data centers can and can’t be built. As one Nevada local government official says, it will have to be on local governments to create more targeted policy interventions to manage the impacts of data centers.
Data center water/power needs, regulatory challenges strain rural communities • Nevada Current
Northern Nevada has attracted investments from several tech companies looking to expand their data infrastructure, and while many of those data centers are located in and around Reno, tech companies a...
nevadacurrent.com
February 9, 2026 at 4:12 PM
There are currently no state or county-wide regulations in Nevada guiding where data centers can and can’t be built. As one Nevada local government official says, it will have to be on local governments to create more targeted policy interventions to manage the impacts of data centers.
Amodei’s retirement, combined with Trump’s … well … everything, arguably provides Democrats the best opportunity (such as it is) to win CD2 since the congressional district was created more than 40 years ago.
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Did Nevada's 2nd congressional district just get interesting? • Nevada Current
Since its creation after the 1980 census, only four people have been elected to the U.S. House from Nevada’s second congressional district, none of them Democrats. The closest a Democrat has come in t...
nevadacurrent.com
February 8, 2026 at 3:41 PM
Amodei’s retirement, combined with Trump’s … well … everything, arguably provides Democrats the best opportunity (such as it is) to win CD2 since the congressional district was created more than 40 years ago.
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“I have to say, based upon what I’ve reviewed so far, I’m leaning towards a penalty, but I want to see all the records produced,” the judge said.
Judge gives DMV five days to produce communications with ICE, Homeland Security • Nevada Current
Carson City District Judge Kristin Luis says she’s leaning toward imposing civil penalties against the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles for failing to comply with the law in its responses to reques...
nevadacurrent.com
February 6, 2026 at 9:28 PM
“I have to say, based upon what I’ve reviewed so far, I’m leaning towards a penalty, but I want to see all the records produced,” the judge said.
"...it’s the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House,” wrote South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott.
White House takes down racist meme of Obamas posted on Trump social media • Nevada Current
WASHINGTON — The White House on Friday pulled down a social media post depicting former President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama as monkeys after members of Congress from both political pa...
nevadacurrent.com
February 6, 2026 at 7:50 PM
"...it’s the most racist thing I’ve seen out of this White House,” wrote South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott.
"After 15 years of service, I believe it is the right time for Nevada and myself to pass the torch," Amodei said.
Amodei joins ranks of Republican House members who won't seek reelection • Nevada Current
Nevada’s lone Congressional Republican, U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei, announced he is retiring from Congress at the end of his term. Amodei has represented the reliably Republican-leaning Congressional Dist...
nevadacurrent.com
February 6, 2026 at 7:45 PM
"After 15 years of service, I believe it is the right time for Nevada and myself to pass the torch," Amodei said.
Hours after border czar Tom Homan announced Wednesday morning that 700 immigration agents would be pulled out of Minnesota, agents crossed the St. Croix River to conduct a number of raids in the Twin Cities exurban communities of Hudson and Baldwin, Wisconsin. Via @wisconsinexaminer.com
Twin Cities ICE presence extends into Wisconsin • Nevada Current
ICE agents involved in the agency's surge into Minnesota have regularly crossed the border into nearby western Wisconsin communities.
nevadacurrent.com
February 6, 2026 at 5:07 PM
Hours after border czar Tom Homan announced Wednesday morning that 700 immigration agents would be pulled out of Minnesota, agents crossed the St. Croix River to conduct a number of raids in the Twin Cities exurban communities of Hudson and Baldwin, Wisconsin. Via @wisconsinexaminer.com
LV Defensa is a grassroots rapid response network in Southern Nevada that formed in October 2025. The group surged in membership by hundreds after federal agents killed two American citizens, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, in Minneapolis last month.
Southern Nevada activists organize ICE response network • Nevada Current
The Trump administration’s violent immigration raids in Minneapolis have stirred locals in Southern Nevada to organize their own resistance networks to protect their communities from federal immigrati...
nevadacurrent.com
February 6, 2026 at 4:32 PM
LV Defensa is a grassroots rapid response network in Southern Nevada that formed in October 2025. The group surged in membership by hundreds after federal agents killed two American citizens, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, in Minneapolis last month.