Each morning as I arrive at school, I observe the bright faces of my students and colleagues as they enter their classrooms — and later in the day, their more muted expressions as they leave. In the mornings they are smiling, energized, and ready to learn and work. In the afternoons, they cannot hide how tired and overwhelmed they are from the day.

Last month marked what would have been the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, but as we all know, federal protections for abortion are gone at least for the foreseeable future. Now, state governments and the patients who live in them are left to navigate a complicated legal landscape and an even more complicated path to accessing abortion care. 

Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo has begun making his first appointments to the state’s many boards and commissions, and this past week’s announcement of George Assad to the Gaming Control Board has drawn more than the usual number of furrowed brows and lines of newsprint.

The last time I wrote about feral horses, I received a fair amount of… let’s call it constructive criticism.

In a column in the The Nevada Independent, attorney Jason Guinasso recently wrote, “Buying human beings for sex, legally or illegally, is a violation of human rights and degrades human dignity.” However, prostitution doesn’t mean ownership of a human being is being transferred. It is simply the case, as former-UNLV professor and economist Murray Rothbard wrote, “If labor and persons in general are to be free, then so should there be freedom for prostitution. Prostitution is a voluntary sale of a labor service.” 

The first temptation in the quest to improve student performance is often to increase school funding.  Former Gov. Sisolak’s proposal  to double the K-12 budget and Gov. Lombardo’s vow to provide “unprecedented investments in K-12 education” are recent examples.

What will it take to get Nevada to a 100 percent graduation rate? During the recent meeting of the State Board of Education, this question was on our minds as we saw the data that continue to show significant and persistent gaps in high school completion for students of color and students from families experiencing poverty—with double digit gaps between the statewide average and the graduation rate for Black & African American students. 

The Colorado River is in a state of crisis — which means the seven states and Mexico that rely on its water are in trouble, as well. Last summer, a lack of precipitation and meager snowpacks in the Rocky Mountains led to a Tier II shortage being declared for the river: The water level at Lake Mead, America’s largest reservoir, had dropped to 1,042 feet, or just 28 percent full. 

With American Heart Month coming up soon, it’s important to shine a light on cardiovascular health and heart disease, which according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is the leading cause of death for men, women and people of most racial and ethnic groups in the U.S.

The Clark County Education Association described Gov. Joe Lombardo’s proposed $2 billion investment in public schools as “unprecedented.” The Nevada State Education Association, on the other hand, was seemingly less impressed.

It was a big week for Joe Lombardo. Bathed in the spotlight and the acclamation of his first State of the State address, Nevada’s 31st governor couldn’t keep the smile off his face.

It received little fanfare at the time, but the Supreme Court of Nevada refused to recognize the doctrine of qualified immunity last month.

Today, Nevada is the second largest producer of geothermal electricity in the U.S. – and we have quite literally barely scratched the surface of our state’s geothermal energy potential.

While conservation has been discussed throughout the region for decades (practiced by some more than others), the kind of urgency government officials are bringing to the water shortage really only seemed to arrive with the news that Lake Powel might soon reach dead pool status.

Michele Fiore’s rushed exit from the Las Vegas City Council late last year continues to generate trouble as she settles into her new duties as Justice of the Peace in Pahrump.

I’m not and never will be a city manager, but I am a manager — and, in all my years as a manager, I have never fired someone via YouTube video. In fact, I’m moderately certain I’d be fired myself if I tried.

In 2022, I enjoyed several personal and professional opportunities and achievements. But as I reflect on the year, I find the highlight was the opportunity to speak to the graduating 5th grade class at a Title I public elementary school in Northern Nevada. 

 It turns out it wasn’t mere campaign fodder — Republican Joe Lombardo was serious when he said he’d try to get Nevadans back to work by cutting regulations. 

Code controls computers. Law, on the other hand, doesn’t control — it governs.

This past week’s press conference hyping the first UFC Fight Night of 2023 veered into a predictable exchange with the blood sport’s president Dana White addressing questions about the latest tabloid scandal in his high-flying and head-slapping life.