The Nevada Independent

Your state. Your news. Your voice.

The Nevada Independent

Opinion

Protesters hold signs during an event.

OPINION: Nevadans are paying the price for a broken immigration system

Nevada's economy is being drained by federal mismanagement of immigration, and unless changes are made, hardworking families and local businesses across the state will continue to suffer.

American flags in front of the Joe Crowley Student Union at the University of Nevada, Reno.

OPINION: Celebrating Independence Day is tougher this year

The annual celebration of a nation led by its people free of any king rings pretty hollow these days with the Trump administration issuing edicts and open threats to citizens and trading partners alike. And, so, I thought I’d pass on the whole stars-and-stripes thing.

Sign up for our newsletters

The Daily Indy
Join more than 20,000 Nevadans who start their day with The Daily Indy, our free flagship daily newsletter that gives you what you need to know in Nevada today.
Indy Environment
Written by energy and environment reporter Amy Alonzo, this weekly newsletter is a roundup of environmental goings-on in Nevada and the West.
Indy Gaming
Howard Stutz’s weekly dive into what’s innovative and interesting in Nevada’s gaming, sports and hospitality industries and how it’s shaping the rest of the world.
Indy Education
A recap of the top education stories from the week, profiles of interesting staff and students, plus details of family-friendly events and resources throughout the state.
The American flag.

OPINION: What’s the case for American optimism? 

America is more than the mere sum of our politics at any given moment, and our pride should depend not on current events, but on how far we’ve come as a nation since our messy separation from the English empire two and a half centuries ago. 

The Legislature on the final day of the 83rd session in Carson City.

OPINION: Nevada’s self-sustaining bureaucratic bloat

To be sure, not all objections to reform are the result of pure rent-seeking self-interest by industry incumbents and their bureaucratic enablers. Consumer protection is, after all, a legitimate concern for lawmakers, policymakers and regulators. 

Jon Ralston speaks during an Indy Talks event.

Want to work for The Indy? Apply today.

The longevity of many of our team members says it all — The Indy is a great place to work and we’re proud to be doing meaningful work each and every day. Want to be part of it?

People arrive during a Juneteenth celebration at The Expo in Las Vegas.

OPINION: Why we should celebrate Juneteenth with purpose

Juneteenth serves as a powerful reminder that when justice is delayed, it is effectively denied. It encourages us to stay vigilant and committed to ensuring that our constitutional rights and freedoms are not just proclaimed but actively fulfilled and embraced.

Protesters hold signs during an event organized by SEIU Nevada Local 1107 against immigration raids outside the Lloyd D. George U.S. Courthouse on Monday, June 9, 2025.

OPINION: Arrest quotas are no way to make America great again

Such an inhumane obsession over the raw number of arrests — rather than a calculated push to deport “the worst of the worst” — is the sort of directive one would expect from Joseph Stalin’s NKVD during the Great Purge rather than American law enforcement agencies.

Sen. Ira Hansen (R-Sparks) speaking.

OPINION: It’s over in Carson City — now go enjoy our state

Go visit some ghost town along a lonely Nevada roadway, explore the nearly infinite expanse of mountain ranges winding their way through our backyard or simply step out under the neon lights and enjoy the entertainment options that have made our state famous. 

Silhouettes of hands as they move around colored rocks that are lit from underneath.

OPINION: Authoritarianism is dressed up as school choice

If public education is weakened or defunded, and private institutions are empowered, it becomes easier for certain ideological agendas to shape what students learn, such as downplaying systemic racism, teaching creationism, or pushing nationalist interpretations of U.S. history.

7455 Arroyo Crossing Pkwy Suite 220 Las Vegas, NV 89113
© 2025 THE NEVADA INDEPENDENT
Privacy PolicyRSSContactNewslettersSupport our Work
The Nevada Independent is a project of: Nevada News Bureau, Inc. | Federal Tax ID 27-3192716