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Nevada fourth grader joins House speaker in lighting US Capitol Christmas tree – WTOP News

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Nevada fourth grader joins House speaker in lighting US Capitol Christmas tree – WTOP News


A fourth grade student from Nevada helped light the U.S. Capitol Christmas tree on Tuesday evening.

Grady Armstrong, a fourth-grade student from Virginia City, Nev., stands with members of the Nevada Congressional Delegation during the lighting of the U.S. Capitol Christmas tree, a 53-foot red fir from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada, in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025.
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

House Speaker Mike Johnson of La., and his wife Kelly Johnson, stand with Grady Armstrong, a fourth-grade student from Virginia City, Nev., as they light the Capitol Christmas tree, a red fir from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada, in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
House Speaker Mike Johnson of La., and his wife Kelly Johnson, stand with Grady Armstrong, a fourth-grade student from Virginia City, Nev., as they light the Capitol Christmas tree, a red fir from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada, in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025.
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

US Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Republican from Louisiana, attends the US Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, December 2, 2025. The 53-foot red fir tree is from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada, the first time the state has provided the US Capitol Christmas Tree. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images)
U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, Republican from Louisiana, attends the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, December 2, 2025. The 53-foot red fir tree is from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada, the first time the state has provided the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree.
(Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images)

Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 02: The U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree stands prior to the Christmas Tree lighting ceremony at the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on December 02, 2025 in Washington, DC. This year’s tree, a 53-foot red fir from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, marks the first U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree from the state of Nevada. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 02: The U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree stands prior to the Christmas Tree lighting ceremony at the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on December 02, 2025 in Washington, DC. This year’s tree, a 53-foot red fir from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, marks the first U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree from the state of Nevada.
(Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 02: Ornaments crafted by Nevada residents adorn the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree prior to the Christmas Tree lighting ceremony at the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on December 02, 2025 in Washington, DC. This year’s tree, a 53-foot red fir from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, marks the first U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree from the state of Nevada. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 02: Ornaments crafted by Nevada residents adorn the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree prior to the Christmas Tree lighting ceremony at the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on December 02, 2025 in Washington, DC. This year’s tree, a 53-foot red fir from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, marks the first U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree from the state of Nevada.
(Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 02: Members of the U.S. Coast Guard Band perform during the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree lighting ceremony on the West Front Lawn at the U.S. Capitol on December 02, 2025 in Washington, DC. This year’s tree, a 53-foot red fir from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, marks the first U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree from the state of Nevada. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC – DECEMBER 02: Members of the U.S. Coast Guard Band perform during the U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree lighting ceremony on the West Front Lawn at the U.S. Capitol on December 02, 2025 in Washington, DC. This year’s tree, a 53-foot red fir from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, marks the first U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree from the state of Nevada.
(Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

The Capitol Christmas tree, a 53-foot red fir from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada, is illuminated in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
The Capitol Christmas tree, a 53-foot red fir from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada, is illuminated in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025.
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

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Grady Armstrong, a fourth grader from Virginia City, Nevada, helped U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson and members of the Nevada Congressional Delegation light the Capitol Christmas tree on Tuesday night.

The tree is a 53-foot-tall red fir from the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada. It’s the first time in 61 years that a tree from Nevada is featured on the West Lawn of the Capitol.

The tree traveled roughly 3,000 miles to D.C., and is decorated with about 6,000 LED lights and more than 5,000 ornaments, many of them made by children from across Nevada.

Armstrong earned the honor of lighting the tree after winning an essay contest.

“You don’t have to go far to enjoy Nevada. Right from my school playground, you can look east for hundreds of miles over the mountain ranges that make up the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest,” he said.

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“I want the country to know how special Nevada’s public land and national forests are. These lands are full of wonder, from big animals like elk, mule deer, bighorn sheep and even moose,” Armstrong added.

The tree, nicknamed “Silver Belle” as a nod to Nevada being the “Silver State,” will be lit from dusk until 11 p.m. every night through early January 2026.

WTOP’s Alan Etter contributed to this report.

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Nevada

Gas prices climb in northern Nevada amid tensions in the Middle East

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Gas prices climb in northern Nevada amid tensions in the Middle East


$3.99 on Sunday, $4.09 just days later.

An extra dime for the same gallon of gas, but why?

Conflict in the Middle East has impacted prices at the pump for drivers here in northern Nevada and across the country.

According to AAA, the national average for a gallon of gas has jumped nearly 27 cents since last week, coming in at $3.25. In Reno, the average price is roughly $4.26.

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Experts say for every $5 to $10 increase in oil prices, drivers could pay 15 to 25 cents more per gallon.

The increase primarily comes down to the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman, which controls roughly 20% of the world’s oil supplies. Amid the tensions, traffic through the area has recently ground to a halt.

Michael Goldman, General Manager of Caru Containers North America, said many of the shippers who typically go through the Strait have changed course.

“We’re seeing the routes ships need to take be much longer, much more costly. Going around the Horn of Africa instead of going through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea. And we’re definitely seeing cost increases to those carriers to make those journeys,” said Goldman.

Jayce Robinson from Sparks said he’s always looking for the best deal in town on gas.

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“I mostly fill up here for work, so it’s not my money, but when I do fill up, I definitely look for the cheapest place because money’s tight and gas is expensive,” Robinson said.



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10-month-old found safe, North Las Vegas police cancel AMBER Alert

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10-month-old found safe, North Las Vegas police cancel AMBER Alert


Authorities have canceled an AMBER Alert after they say a 10-month-old child taken by a non-custodial parent was found safe.

North Las Vegas Police said Thursday that Leilani Williams (aka Leilani Duke) was taken by her father, Roderick Duke.

Duke and Leilani were last seen at an apartment complex in the area of Martin L. King Boulevard and Cheyenne Avenue at 1:40 a.m.

“An AMBER Alert has been activated due to Roderick being in emotional crisis and making threats to harm himself and 10-month-old Leilani,” NLVPD said in a statement.

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By 10:05 a.m., NLVPD said that Leilani was located unharmed.

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Officers took Duke into custody without further incident, and the AMBER Alert has been canceled.



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California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks to Nevada Democrats in Las Vegas

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks to Nevada Democrats in Las Vegas


California Gov. Gavin Newsom addressed Nevada Democrats who packed a Las Vegas brewery Wednesday evening for a discussion about his upbringing, his political life and efforts his state has taken to combat the Trump administration agenda.

Newsom, who has been floated as a possible White House contender for 2028, sidestepped a quip from former Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak who introduced him as the next U.S. president amid cheers from the crowd.

“I’m very grateful for your friendship, and a friendship that’s only strengthened over the course of the last year or so,” Newsom told Sisolak.

Book tour stop

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The event, which served as a book tour stop for the California governor, was organized by the Nevada Democratic Party. It took place at Nevada Brew Works near Summerlin.

Nevada Assemblymember Daniele Monroe-Moreno, the state party chair running for North Las Vegas mayor, moderated the discussion.

It was part of the party’s Local Brews + National Views series that’s been bringing Democrats for similar discussions at intimate venues. Past speakers have included former President Joe Biden, Arizona U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly, and Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.

Criticizing President Donald Trump, Newsom spoke about the immediate aftermath of the 2024 general election.

“We were handwringing, a lot of finger pointing, and a sense of weakness,” Newsom said. “And just incapable of dealing with this moment, this existential moment.”

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He said he is taking account for what he described as his own complicity.

“This happened on my watch. This is all happening on our watch,” Newsom said. “And so I realized that I needed to be better.”

That included his advocacy to redraw California’s Congressional map after Trump called for the same in Texas, he said.

“They’re not screwing around, nor are we,” he said about Trump and his administration. “All of us.”

‘You’re giving us a voice’

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Newsom spoke out against the surge of federal immigration enforcement operations in California and later Minnesota, calls from the Trump administration to nationalize elections, and cuts to government funding due to the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act.

He said that pushback against Trump’s policies, including dozens of lawsuits filed by California, were making the president retreat on some of his proposals and policies.

“You’re filling the void, you’re giving us a voice, you’re giving us courage,” he told the crowd. “For things to change, we have to change. And it’s changing.”

The Republican National Committee reacted to Newsom’s Las Vegas visit. Earlier in the day, Newsom attended a private Boulder City event.

“Democrats are selling out to the spoiled, phony rich kid governor from California for years,” RNC spokesperson Nick Poche wrote in a statement. “President Donald Trump and Republicans are delivering major tax cuts and keeping Nevadans safe, unlike Democrats.”

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The national Republican Party also criticized California’s policies, and tied them back to Nevada Democrats.

Most of Newsom’s remarks weren’t specific to Nevada. He didn’t take any questions from media.

Polling shows Newsom and Vice President JD Vance leading in hypothetical races for their parties’ nomination. That includes a survey of likely Nevada voters conducted one by Emerson College Polling in November.

Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

 

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