Editor’s note: Seven days. Never enough hours.

Stacks of paperwork at the office and piles of laundry at home. It’s a never-ending cycle, which makes it difficult to stay on top of the endless news nuggets flowing from the White House, state capital, local government, and business community. We get it — and we’re in the news business.

Enter “About Last Week.” This is our way of bringing news-hungry but time-strapped readers up to speed on happenings that may have flown under the radar. Our promise: We’ll keep it brief. Our hope: You’ll read (or skim) and keep checking back every Monday.

So, without further ado, here are some noteworthy things that happened in Nevada last week.

Republican AG group trolls Ford

Senate Majority Leader and attorney general candidate Aaron Ford received an early (and politically motivated) Christmas present this year — a copy of Paul Blart Mall Cop 2 — and a note attacking his support of the state’s film tax credit program.

The package sent last week by the Republican Attorneys General Association included a DVD of the critically panned Kevin James film with a “note” from the actor thanking Ford for supporting the program and stating “good news…. Mall Cop 3 is coming out soon. So, when are you passing ‘Senate Bill 165B - Screw The Taxpayer’? Don’t let me down.”

The letter notes that the impersonation of James is intended to be a “satire,” but that “there is nothing humorous about liberal politicians favoring Hollywood over every day Nevadans.”

State lawmakers approved an $80 million, 4-year “pilot program” for film tax credits in 2013, though the fund was quickly tapped to help pay for the $1 billion in tax incentives offered to electric car manufacturer Tesla during a 2014 special legislative session. Blart, which was filmed at the Wynn Las Vegas, received $4.3 million in tax credits from the program.

Ford spokeswoman Michelle White deflected the attack as a "pathetic stunt," and flipped the message to target Republican Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, who's faced accusations of inappropriate sexual conduct with minors in the 1970's.

"Instead of using their resources to pay for pathetic political stunts like this, RAGA would be better off helping their friends at the (Republican National Committee) pay for more real-life mall cops to help keep people like Roy Moore away from underage girls," White wrote in an email

Ford and others have promoted film tax credits as a way to attract the film industry to Nevada and help develop a diversified economy, but economists have largely cast doubt on the effectiveness of the program and the return-on-investment seen by the state. The RAGA noted that Ford’s likely Republican opponent, former Assemblyman Wes Duncan, voted against the 2013 bill creating the tax credit bill (the bill passed 27-14 in the Assembly and 13-8 in the senate, with all Republicans excluding then-state Sen. Mark Hutchison voting against it).

The “note” is one of the first of many coming salvos by the RAGA, which spent an estimated $1.8 million to help elect Republican Attorney General Adam Laxalt in 2014.

— Riley Snyder

October 1 shooting strains state crime victims’ compensation fund

The state is fielding a flood of applications for assistance from victims, witnesses and people who lost loved ones in the Oct. 1 shooting on the Las Vegas Strip.

Lawmakers on the Interim Finance Committee approved a request Thursday to transfer nearly $7 million in funds from a reserve account into a main account that’s help covering funeral expenses, medical bills, counseling costs and lost wages for people affected when gunman Stephen Paddock opened fire on the Route 91 Harvest Festival from his suite at the Mandalay Bay hotel. There is now about $5 million left in the reserve account.

Officials said they’ve received 2,908 applications for assistance so far, and have paid out $581,112, including costs for nearly 60 funerals. Any of the estimated 22,000 people present at the concert where the shooting occurred could receive benefits, although most of the benefits will go to the approximately 600 people who were injured or killed.

Uninjured survivors of the shooting are eligible for up to $5,000 in counseling, although program manager Rebecca Salazar said most people don’t max out that benefit. “Secondary victims,” such as family members of the injured who weren’t present themselves at the concert, aren’t eligible for individual services such as one-on-one counseling.

The program offers payment for specific bills and isn’t concerned about potential overlap with the Las Vegas Victims' Fund, a GoFundMe account. That account is expected to provide cash payments to victims but without a specific goal.

People have a year to apply to the program. Officials have lists of the injured and all the ticketholders — they hail from every state, Canada, Mexico and England — and are trying to encourage everyone who is eligible to submit an application.

The federal government provides a grant for victim compensation that is expected to be larger for Nevada this year because of the heavy toll from the shooting.

— Michelle Rindels

Nevada vies for new FAA drone program

The Governor’s Office of Economic Development hopes to lure a new Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) program to the Silver State.

Nevada was one of 200 entities that submitted a notice of intent to apply for the competitive program, which has only five guaranteed spots. The new drone program is an opportunity for state, local and tribal governments to partner with private companies, such as drone operators or manufacturers, to create proposals for more advanced operations for drones — otherwise known as unmanned aircraft systems.

“Building on the momentum of securing the FAA Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Test Site designation in 2013 and pioneering some of the most innovative uses of drones anywhere, Nevada is up for the challenge to develop and submit a cutting-edge proposal for this new initiative, which we hope will continue to boost this growing industry in Nevada,” incoming GOED Executive Director Paul Anderson said in a statement. “We are earnestly working to identify key UAS industry partners, from Nevada-grown companies to Fortune 500 corporations, in a collaborative effort to make the Silver State stand out from a crowded field in what is shaping up to be a hotly-contested bid process.”

Nevada must complete the other phases of the application process by Dec. 13 and Jan. 4.

— Jackie Valley

The Indy Rewind:

From a deep dive into sexual harassment allegations that forced state Sen. Mark Manendo to resign to a look at which states may be next to legalize marijuana, here’s what Nevada Independent reporters focused on last week:

• As the Trump administration reverses tip policy, the pendulum swings back toward the employer
• As Nevada rolls toward 2nd year of recreational marijuana, pot legalization in other states all over the map
• Former chief medical officer resigned over 'bullying behavior,' investigation found allegations unsupported
• Indy Congressional Tracker: Kihuen keeps low profile, House rejects resolution for Trump's impeachment
• Dispatches from Washington: Delegates highlight other issues as harassment allegations cloud congressional activity
• Speaking Up: How 57 people ended one lawmaker’s pattern of misconduct at the Legislature
• A history of harassment: Past legislative leaders explain why Manendo faced few consequences for misbehavior
• Culinary Union calls for 'full and fair investigation' into sexual harassment allegations against Kihuen
• Franken has announced his resignation, but Cortez Masto was not among horde to call for his head
• Cresent Hardy considering a bid for House seat held by embattled Democratic Rep. Ruben Kihuen
• The Indy Explains: State Senate recall lawsuits and their status
• Kihuen says he is not resigning, dodges on re-election effort
• Sandoval talks frankly on party politics, the D.C. climate, regrets and his future
• Clark County takes steps to sue opioid companies, first jurisdiction in Nevada
• Interior secretary recommends shrinking Gold Butte
• Kihuen says he won't resign, says leaders asking him to leave knew about allegations but still supported him
• Clark County, Reno prepare to move forward with opioid lawsuits, despite warnings from AG
• Titus calls for sports betting hearings
• Who's buying pot in Nevada? More than a quarter of adults, according to survey