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Biden’s (at least) $12 billion rescue of a state that refuses to rescue itself
More than 2.6 million Nevadans – roughly 1.85 million adults and 751,000 children, according to Institute of Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) estimates – will get $1,400 direct payments under the American Rescue Plan signed into law by President Joe Biden. The Congressional Research Service calculates it a little differently, estimating more than 1.4 million […]
Red state bailout, unchartered charters, & the session’s best bill so far
The following are excerpts from this week’s Daily Current newsletter, the editor’s opinionated morning news roundup, which you can subscribe to here. Red State Bailout (March 2). Did you see this New York Times map of states with the biggest pandemic budget problems? The seven states with double-digit revenue drops were: Alaska: 42.5 percent Hawaii: […]
Megaresort clearance sale! Everything must go!
Sands execs said a while back that maybe the company was going to bug out of Las Vegas, so the deal that’s come to light this morning isn’t too surprising. I guess. So does $6.25 billion for the two hotel/casinos and the convention center seem like a lot? Or not a lot? I confess I am […]
Take Blockchains LLC seriously? You first, governor.
Are you anxious about when you or a family member will get the vaccine? Nervous because there’s no knowing when jobs around here will return, or if they will be even more precarious than they were before? Wondering how you’re going to pay the back rent? Relax. Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak is confronting Nevadans’ most […]
McConnell & the midterms, Schadenfreude watch, and that 2/3 thing
The following was excerpted from last week’s Daily Current newsletter, the editor’s opinionated morning news roundup, which you can subscribe to here. Mitch, Manchin & Cortez Masto (Feb. 15). Mitch McConnell and a majority of his Senate Republicans voted to continue to shame and disgrace themselves. Rather than do the right and just thing, they […]
To Mars, from Las Vegas, with best wishes
If all goes right, Thursday the Perseverance Rover will be safely on Martian ground, where it can begin searching for signs of ancient life, and collecting and storing rock and soil samples. And if all goes really right, someday those samples will be shipped to earth. The rover’s instruments are themselves capable of analyzing chemistry […]
Wages of spin, Murren’s utter nonsense, and impeachment will leave a Mark
The following are some excerpts from this week’s Daily Current newsletter, the editor’s opinionated morning news roundup, which you can subscribe to here. Check out the big brain on Mark (Feb. 8). When I saw last week that only 60 House Republicans voted to remove Liz Cheney from her GOP House leadership post, I just assumed Mark […]
The Nevada Democrats’ quiet surrender to minority rule
Nevada Democratic lawmakers are pretty pleased with themselves, and rightly so, for taking steps over the summer to assure people would be able to vote safely during a pandemic. Elected Nevada Democrats have supported numerous other voting measures, from same-day and automatic voter registration to restoring the rights of the formerly incarcerated. Weird, then, that […]
Blockchainsville, Harry Reid International, & holy sacred stakeholders amen
The following are excerpts from this week’s Daily Current newsletter, the editor’s opinionated morning news roundup, which you can subscribe to here. Today’s austerity update (Feb. 2). Conservationists met with several Democratic lawmakers yesterday, virtually, to wax fondly about the potential for clean energy infrastructure development. And there might be legislation to help. Just so long […]
That time Virginia was more progressive than Nevada
From our friends at the Mercury, our States Newsroom sibling publication in Virginia: Lawmakers in the Virginia Senate voted Wednesday to abolish the death penalty, setting the state on a course to become the first in the South to end capital punishment. “Ask yourselves what other countries are still doing this,” said Sen. Scott Surovell, […]
This time Reid gets it right
It’s not a question of if the Senate gets rid of the filibuster, but when. Harry Reid has said that, or some iteration of it, countless times over the last year and a half. So … when? Joe Biden should give Republicans “no more than three weeks” to play nice before ending the filibuster, Reid told […]
On the one hand, grab the popcorn
The following are excerpts from this week’s Daily Current newsletter, the editor’s opinionated morning news roundup, which you can subscribe to here. Biden’s short honeymoon. (Jan. 21) Biden will always be able to point to his emphasis on “unity” in the early days of his presidency, and say he tried. He believes his background makes […]