Nevada
California high speed rail update as work starts on Nevada border
California’s two high-speed rail efforts are progressing, with environmental protections secured in the Central Valley and work starting on Brightline West’s Los-Angeles-Las Vegas route near the Nevada border.
Last Friday, the California High-Speed Rail Authority, which is working on the line connecting Los Angeles and San Francisco via the Central Valley, completed a settlement agreement with several entities in the Grassland Ecological Area, which the rail line will pass through.
The agreement resolved potential California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) claims from the Grassland entities over the San Jose to Merced portion of the state’s high-speed rail project.
It ensures environmental safeguards in the Grassland Ecological Area, as well as in other sensitive areas, Coyote Valley and Pacheco Pass.
The Authority has committed to further mitigating noise and wildlife disturbance by incorporating wildlife crossings, avian enclosures, and sound barriers.
Reed Saxon/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Chief executive Brian Kelly said in a statement that the Authority is dedicated to balancing development with environmental stewardship. “This settlement reflects the hard work of state and local public agencies striving to protect natural resources and provide the public with new, state-of-the-art transportation that is clean, sustainable, and reduces our collective carbon footprint,” Kelly said.
“This agreement further reflects our organizations’ understanding that the best way to deliver these services is through collaboration.”
The project, first proposed in 2008, aims to connect Los Angeles and San Francisco via the Central Valley, with speeds exceeding 200 mph.
At the time, the project was anticipated to be operational by 2020 and cost $33 billion.
Though delays and cost increases have plagued the project, substantial progress has been made.
Currently, 119 miles of track are under construction in the Central Valley, part of the 171 mile section between Merced and Bakersfield.
The estimated cost for this segment alone is now estimated to be $35 billion, and the full Los Angeles-San Francisco route could potentially cost $100 billion.
Completion of the Central Valley segment is now expected between 2030 and 2033.
Meanwhile, Brightline West, the private company constructing a Las Vegas-to-Southern California high-speed rail line, began work near the Nevada border on Tuesday. Crews have been working near the Nevada-California border on I-15, carrying out field investigations, utility potholing, and geotechnical testing.
This 218-mile line is slated for completion by 2028, just in time for the Los Angeles Summer Olympic, with trains running at 186 mph.
Brightline has already laid the groundwork for high-speed rail in the U.S. with its Florida line between Miami and Orlando, which reaches speeds of 125 mph.
Newsweek has contacted the California High Speed Rail Authority and Brightline via email for comment.
Nevada
‘Egregiously unsafe’: Nevada attorney general sues Discord
LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — Another platform is coming under fire by the State of Nevada over alleged unsafe conditions for children.
On Wednesday, Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford filed a lawsuit against Discord, which is a communication platform that facilitates instant, text, and chat messaging as well as voice and video calls. Users are also able to share media, including photos and videos.
“Discord’s popularity with minors also makes it popular with a much more dangerous cohort: child predators, who seek to groom and exploit minor users,” the 100-page complaint reads in part. “Discord knows that the children on its platform are at risk, and further knows that children and their parents and guardians are afraid of malicious actors on the platform. Yet Discord has done very little to protect these children, and has refused to implement safety features that it knows would greatly ameliorate the risk.”
The complaint lists several cases as alleged proof that the platform is dangerous:
- In 2023, a Las Vegas man was sentenced to life in prison for sexually assaulting a minor and producing child pornography of his victim, whom he groomed on Discord.
- In 2024, a Reno man was sentenced to 10 years in prison to be followed by a lifetime supervised release for grooming a minor on Discord.
- In 2025, a sting captured eight individuals who had used Discord — among other communications platforms — to solicit sex from law enforcement agents posing as children.
According to the complaint, a group called 764, which was located on a Discord server that contained violent videos and “how-to” guides on sexually exploiting and extorting minors online, “has acknowledged a presence in Nevada”. The FBI’s Las Vegas field office is part of one or more of the agency’s 250 investigations into the organization.
Ford’s team also alleges that Discord has several flaws in its design, which is putting children at risk. For example, insufficient barriers for strangers contacting children, misleading and/or ineffective filters, parental control issues, and an “absence of age or identity verification in the account creation process.”
In February 2026, Discord tried to implement a requirement where users had to authenticate their age “with a face scan or by uploading a form of ID if they want to access adult content.” However, the complaint states that after user backlash to that announcement, “Discord immediately went into damage control mode and walked backed its commitment.”
According to the complaint, Ford’s team is seeking civil penalties of up to $15,000 per violation of the Nevada Deceptive Trade Practices Act and up to $25,000 for each violation directed at a minor.
Discord has denied the claims made in the complaint and sent Channel 13 the following statement:
“The lawsuit’s characterization of Discord does not reflect the platform we have built or the investments we have made in user safety. Discord is a communications platform built to connect people around playing games. Users join Discord communities intentionally, based on their interests, and unlike social media, the platform has no algorithmic feed, infinite scroll, or public “likes” pushing content to mass audiences.
Our safety systems combine advanced technology and human-led investigations, alongside user reports to help identify accounts or spaces engaged in harmful activity, including exploitative and child sexual abuse materials. We require all users to be at least 13 to use Discord and also provide teen users and their parents and guardians with important privacy and safety tools, including Teen Safety Assist and our Family Center. We look forward to collaborating with policymakers in working toward a safer online experience for all users on Discord and across the internet.”
Discord Spokesperson
This is not the only platform that is facing lawsuits in Nevada.
Last month, Ford announced the State of Nevada had reached a settlement with the online gaming platform Roblox.
In addition to abuse concerns, 13 Investigates partnered with ABC News Investigates to tell you how teenagers were being recruited on Roblox to become hackers.
WATCH: 2023 cybersecurity incidents lead to Nevada Gaming Control Board changes
2023 cybersecurity incidents lead to Nevada Gaming Control Board changes
As part of that settlement, Roblox officials agreed to several changes to make the platform safer, including age verification, content control, enhanced parental controls, and agreements to spend $2.5 million for online safety awareness campaigns as well as workshops and training for law enforcement.
APRIL 2026: Nevada reaches settlement with gaming platform Roblox
FULL PRESSER: State of Nevada reaches settlement with online gaming platform Roblox
Ford’s office has filed similar consumer protection lawsuits against TikTok, Snap, Meta, YouTube, and Kik, all alleging harmful design features and a lack of common-sense online safety measures for children.
According to Ford’s office, they’re set to go to trial against TikTok and Snap next year.
Nevada
New campaign helps fans find Nevada’s iconic movie, TV scenes
LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Nevada is teaming up with a screen tourism app to help visitors find, and go to, the real-world locations behind famous movie and TV moments.
The Governor’s Office of Economic Development and Film Nevada announced a new partnership with SetJetters, an app that maps filming locations around the world and encourages users to visit them in person.
Film Nevada Director Kim Spurgeon says the app makes it easier for fans to “relive their favorite cinematic moments,” pointing to Nevada staples like The Shootist house in Carson City, Genoa’s main street featured in Misery, the Ocean’s Eleven closing scene at the Fountains of Bellagio, and the Hangover quote many visitors still repeat in Las Vegas: “Did Caesar live here?”
AMPLIFIED: New guidebook highlights hidden gems across Las Vegas for locals, visitors alike
So what changes for movie fans—and for Nevada tourism?
Through the SetJetters campaign, users will be able to discover more movie, TV, and video-game locations across Nevada, along with additional film-related points of interest. There’s also a new Las Vegas-area badge users can earn by visiting 12 select scenes, and the app allows people to submit filming locations they think should be included.
“Screen tourism is no longer a niche campaign idea; it’s a core travel channel,” said SetJetters CEO Erik Nachtrieb. “Nevada’s cinematic history, from mountain and desert backdrops to the neon of Las Vegas and Reno, makes it a natural stage for this next phase of bringing films to the state. The real opportunity now is conversion, and this is exactly where Film Nevada’s partnership with SetJetters comes in. What we’re really looking at is the evolution from destination marketing to destination storytelling with screen content at the center.”
You can download the app from Apple or Google.
Copyright 2026 KVVU. All rights reserved.
Nevada
Nevada DETR ready to help laid-off Spirit Airlines employees
LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — State officials say they are ready to provide assistance to the 999 people laid off from Spirit Airlines.
The Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation (DETR) said it will support former Spirit employees with reemployment services, retraining opportunities and more.
Impacted workers can also file for unemployment insurance at NUI.nv.gov.
“DETR is committed to supporting every Nevada worker affected by the Spirit Airlines layoffs,” department Director Christopher Sewell said in a statement. “Our team is ready to provide timely resources, guidance, and individualized assistance to help impacted employees navigate their next steps.”
Rapid Response is a free program that provides strategies for layoffs and plant closures. It quickly coordinates services and provides immediate support to employers and affected workers.
Employees can access no-cost career and training services through EmployNV. This includes career counseling and job-search assistance, skills assessments and re-skilling opportunities, and training grants for high-demand career fields.
Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo encouraged anyone who was laid off to use DETR’s resources.
“Our priority is getting folks back to work right away, and the state stands ready to assist with no-cost employment services to help with the transition,” Lombardo said in a statement.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
Spirit ceased operations on May 2 after failing to secure a government bailout. The company notified Nevada DETR that it was laying off 999 employees based at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas as a result.
-
Fitness4 minutes agoFlexibility expert recommends doing this for three minutes daily to improve mobility
-
Movie Reviews16 minutes ago“Billie Eilish – Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour” Movie Review – Spotlight Report
-
World28 minutes ago
Cyberattack hits Canvas system used by thousands of schools as finals loom
-
News34 minutes agoState Department Will Revoke Passports of Parents Who Owe Child Support
-
Politics40 minutes agoU.S. Strikes Iranian Targets; Iran Says It Returned Fire
-
Business46 minutes agoHow Energy Prices Are Driving Demand for Solar Panels and Heat Pumps
-
Science52 minutes agoWhat My Father’s Experience Taught Me About Memory and the Brain
-
Health58 minutes agoAmerican Factories Lag in Adopting A.I. This Drugmaker Is an Exception.