Briefs
Lombardo appoints former AT&T lobbyist to PUC
Gov. Joe Lombardo announced Wednesday he’s appointing Randy Brown, who served as Regulatory and Legislative Affairs Director for AT&T as recently as this year, to fill a vacancy on the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada. Brown is a certified public accountant who lives in Reno. “Randy is a trusted and respected industry leader, and he […]
Nevada among states joining FTC in anti-trust suit against Amazon
Nevada joined 16 states and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in a lawsuit against Amazon, alleging that the online retail and tech company is a monopoly that maintained its influence through anticompetitive and unfair practices. “Amazon is a mammoth corporation and like most of my constituents, I am also an Amazon customer. There is nothing […]
Rosen joins senators calling for Menendez to resign
Update: As of Tuesday afternoon the number of senators calling for Menendez’s resignation had climbed to 18, all of whom are Democrats. Nevada Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen became the seventh U.S. Senator to call for fellow Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez to resign after the New Jersey senator’s indictment last week. “The well-documented political corruption charges […]
Food benefits for low income families at risk in a government shutdown, White House says
WASHINGTON — As Congress barrels toward a partial government shutdown, the White House Monday warned that a program that helps millions of low income families afford healthy food could see substantial cuts. The White House released a state-by-state breakdown, estimating that nearly 7 million people who rely on the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, […]
Menendez steps down temporarily as U.S. Senate committee chairman amid federal charges
WASHINGTON — New Jersey Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez will temporarily step aside as chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee following a federal indictment for conspiracy to commit bribery and other charges. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer made the announcement Friday afternoon, saying in a written statement that “Senator Menendez has rightly decided to […]
U.S. Senate panel grapples with how to ensure access to water amid Western drought
Decades of drought in the West has made water quality and quantity a major issue requiring government funding and innovation to fix, members of a U.S. Senate panel said Wednesday. Demand for water in growing municipalities is stretching agricultural and tribal communities, while shrinking availability is leading to higher water prices, witnesses told the Senate […]
State announces updated COVID-19 vaccines now available
Nevadans can now get the updated COVID-19 vaccines to protect against the new strains of the disease, the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services announced Wednesday. The Updated COVID-19 vaccines from Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech are available and recommended for everyone 6 months of age and older after approval by the U.S. Food and Drug […]
Supreme Court leaves injunction against ‘sickouts’ in place while appeal plays out
The Nevada Supreme Court on Friday denied the Clark County Education Association’s request to stay an injunction against it for recent “rolling sickouts” that have shut down schools and disrupted instruction within the Clark County School District. The injunction will remain in place as CCEA’s appeal plays out. “We are pleased that the injunction granted […]
Medicaid reinstated for Nevadans who lost coverage due to procedural denials
Approximately 114,000 Nevadans who lost their Medicaid coverage after the pandemic-era policy to keep people continuously enrolled expired have had their coverage reinstated. The coverage was reinstated by the Nevada Division of Welfare and Supportive Services (DWSS) after a federal policy change on August 30 by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), according […]
Automakers’ record profits not shared with workers, Biden says as UAW strike launches
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden dispatched two senior administration officials to Detroit on Friday after the United Auto Workers union began a historic strike against the Big Three auto companies amid a contract dispute. “Over the past decade auto companies have seen record profits, including over the last few years because of the extraordinary skill […]
Hospitals plead with Congress to avert $8 billion in cuts in Medicaid funding
WASHINGTON — Health care representatives from across the United States are urging Congress to halt cuts to funding that helps hospitals care for uninsured or low-income patients who rely on Medicaid. More than 250 hospitals and health systems appealed to House and Senate leadership in a letter Thursday asking the lawmakers to avert or delay a forthcoming […]
Democrats push to extend child care grant program
WASHINGTON — Congressional Democrats introduced a bill Wednesday to extend funding for five years for a pandemic-era child care subsidy program set to expire at the end of the month. The legislation would extend the child care stabilization grant program, which Congress established in 2021 to help child care providers meet additional costs during the […]