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Waiting for California: 6 Colorado River states reach agreement even as 7th still on sidelines
Six Western states along the Colorado River have reached a tentative agreement to cut back on shared water use from the river’s two major dams, but California — which receives the largest share of water from the river — did not sign on to the deal. In June, Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton issued […]
It’s not all lithium all the time: DOE commits millions to hydrogen fuel research
Battery-powered electric vehicles have dominated the debate over the future of green technology, but the White House is eyeing another clean fuel alternative based on the most abundant resource in the universe — hydrogen. The Department of Energy announced plans last week to award up to $47 million in funding to accelerate the research, development, […]
A federal lawsuit is blocking 198,000 Nevada student loan borrowers from relief
The U.S. Supreme Court is the only thing standing in the way of as many as 198,000 Nevadans receiving relief from some or all of their student loan debt, according to figures released Thursday by the White House. An estimated 128,000 applicants in Nevada were fully approved for discharge, before a federal court case forced […]
Funding will get broadband to 40,000 Nevada homes
Nevada is set to receive $55.2 million for broadband infrastructure projects that will provide internet access to thousands of residents who still lack high-quality broadband. The funding will cover the cost of broadband infrastructure for more than 40,000 households still lacking high-speed internet access across the state. On Thursday, the U.S. Dept. of the Treasury […]
More snow in the mountains may not lead to more water, study finds
Mountains in the southwestern U.S. are welcoming record-breaking snowpacks this year, but new research shows they are melting at a record pace too. Winter storms have provided the Sierra Nevada snowpack with some of the highest preliminary snow levels in 40 years, according to federal resource managers. Snowpack levels across Nevada are currently 144% of […]
Homeland Security formalizes process that won immigrant workers a $3 million settlement
In a victory for labor organizers, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced a streamlined process last week, giving workers a clear and accessible path to request protection from immigration-related intimidation by abusive employers. Effective immediately, the new process will expedite requests for deportation relief —such as deferred action, parole, or stay of removal — […]
DOE offers contentious NV lithium mine $700 million loan
Citing a need to secure a domestic supply of lithium for electric car batteries, the Biden Administration has pledged $700 million for a planned lithium mine on the habitat of an endangered Nevada wildflower. On Friday, the U.S. Department of Energy announced it agreed to provide the attractive financing to Australian developer Ioneer Inc. under […]
450,000 Nevadans will see reduction in food assistance
Throughout the pandemic, most Nevdans receiving benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, also benefited from monthly emergency allotments. But that’s about to end. On Wednesday, the Nevada Division of Welfare and Supportive Services announced that March will be the last month the agency is allowed to provide the extra food dollars that […]
Burning Man sues BLM over geothermal project
Burning Man is suing the Bureau of Land Management over its approval of a geothermal exploration project in Gerlach, Nevada. In a filing Monday, the Burning Man Project—the nonprofit behind the festival —argues the agency failed to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act when it ruled in October that the exploration project would have […]
Lawsuit seeks to expel cattle from endangered wildflower habitat
A conservation group is suing the federal government in an effort to ban cattle from grazing in the habitat of an endangered wildflower that can only be found on about 10 acres of public land in Esmeralda County, Nevada. The Center for Biological Diversity filed a notice Monday of its intent to sue the U.S. […]
Ruling on fate of Thacker Pass expected ‘in next couple months’
A lawsuit over whether federal land managers erred when they approved plans for the largest lithium mine in the nation could be settled “in the next couple months,” said a federal judge in Nevada on Thursday. The case reflects the growing conflicts between conservationists, tribes, ranchers and mining companies looking to profit from the booming […]
Students, schools agree NV tuition waiver program for Native Americans is off to a promising start
Brian Melendez can trace his family history back to an encampment on the land where the Reynolds School of Journalism now stands, before they were forcibly removed to make room for the old Mackey Stadium. “Not too long ago, my great-great-grandmother gave birth where the University of Nevada, Reno football statue is currently located. That […]