Nevada

Nevada Democrats hold steady in support of Biden as presidential nominee

Published

2 years ago

July 6, 2024

Press Room

Nevada Democrats hold steady in support of Biden as presidential nominee

Wade Vandervort

President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event at Pearson Community Center in North Las Vegas Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024.

By Haajrah Gilani (contact)

Saturday, July 6, 2024 | 2 a.m.

As conversations continue across the country about President Joe Biden’s age and capabilities, Nevada Democrats in the congressional delegation remain focused on keeping Republican Donald Trump out of office.

Public concern about Biden’s age and capabilities has continued since he announced his run for presidency in 2019. Now, more party members — including incumbents and major donors — have expressed worries after his debate with the former president last week.

In the aftermath of the debate, Biden attributed his performance to a bad episode, not indicative of any serious condition. The president told a crowd at Friday’s campaign event in Wisconsin that he has no intentions to halt his campaign and that he is staying in the race.

Nevada Democrats are not joining the calls for Biden to drop out. Some officials emphasized the importance of keeping Biden in office with reproductive rights at stake.

Since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Roe v. Wade precedent in 2022, Las Vegas clinics have seen a 40% increase in abortion care patients. Many of those seeking care are from nearby Republican-led states that have since enacted heavily restrictive legislation on abortion, like Texas, Utah and Arizona.

Wade Vandervort

Nevada Senator Jacky Rosen speaks during a campaign event in Las Vegas Friday, Jun 28, 2024.

While Sen. Jacky Rosen is focused on her own reelection, she believes the path forward is apparent.

“There is a clear choice for voters this November between an administration focused on lowering costs, growing the middle class, and restoring reproductive freedom and Trump’s MAGA agenda that would ban abortion and devastate hardworking Nevada families,” said the Rosen campaign in a statement.

Wade Vandervort

Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto speaks during a campaign event in Las Vegas Friday, Jun 28, 2024.

Nevada’s other U.S. senator, Catherine Cortez Masto, shared her colleague’s sentiments on the importance of retaining a Biden administration.

“From reproductive freedom to the future of our democracy, Nevadans understand the stakes of this election,” said Cortez Masto spokeswoman Lauren Wodarski in a statement.

Brian Ramos

Congresswoman Dina Titus speaks about reproductive rights on the second anniversary of Roe v. Wade being overturned, in Las Vegas, Nevada on Monday, June 24, 2024.

Rep. Dina Titus acknowledged in a statement that Biden’s performance in last week’s debate “was not his best” and that he could have come across stronger. She went on to explain why his presidency would still be important for her constituents.

“Here in Nevada, we are focused on protecting women’s reproductive freedoms and the Biden administration’s work to help us cope with the pandemic and the resulting high unemployment,” the statement said.

Steve Marcus

Congresswoman Susie Lee, D-Nev., speaks during a Month of Action event with President Joe Biden at the Stupak Community Center Tuesday, March 19, 2024. Congresswoman Dina Titus, D-Nev., listens at left.

Rep. Susie Lee’s team pointed to comments the congresswoman made to The Wall Street Journal last week, where she said she didn’t know if another party member had a better chance at beating Trump but that the Democrats need to talk about moving forward after the “awful” debate.

Rep. Steven Horsford did not respond for comment.

The day after the debate, Vice President Kamala Harris attended a campaign event in Las Vegas and defended Biden’s potential for a second term.

“For all the punditry last night, our president made clear there is a contrast between someone who lies and someone who leads,” Harris said at the event.

Harris will return to Las Vegas on Tuesday to speak at a campaign event targeting Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander voters.

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Nevada

Earthquake swarm rattles central Nevada near Tonopah along newly identified fault

Published

8 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Earthquake swarm rattles central Nevada near Tonopah along newly identified fault

A swarm of earthquakes has been rattling a remote stretch of central Nevada near Tonopah, including a magnitude 4.0 quake that hit near Warm Springs Tuesday morning.

Seismologists said the activity is typical for Nevada, where clusters of earthquakes can flare up in a concentrated area. “This is a very Nevada-style earthquake sequence. We have these a lot where we just see an uptick in activity in a certain spot,” said Christie Rowe, director of the Nevada Seismological Lab.

The latest magnitude 4.0 quake struck east of Tonopah near Warm Springs. The largest earthquake in the swarm so far has measured a 4.2.

What has stood out to researchers is the fault involved. Rowe said the earthquakes are occurring along a fault stretching along the southern edge of the Monitor and Antelope ranges — and that it was previously unknown to scientists. “We didn’t know this fault was there. It’s a new fault to us — not to the Earth, obviously — but it was previously unknown,” Rowe said.

For now, the earthquakes have remained moderate. Rowe said the lab would not deploy additional temporary sensors unless activity increases to around a magnitude 5 or greater.

Seismologists said they are continuing to watch the swarm closely as Nevada works to bring the ShakeAlert early warning system to the state. The program, already active in neighboring states, can send cellphone alerts seconds before shaking arrives. “For me, it’s a really high priority. That distance to the faults gives us enough time to warn people — and that can make a big difference in reducing injuries and damage,” Rowe said.

Seismologists encouraged anyone who feels shaking to report it through the U.S. Geological Survey’s “Did You Feel It” system, saying even small quakes can help scientists better understand Nevada’s seismic activity.

Experts said the swarm is worth monitoring but is not cause for alarm. They noted that earthquakes like the 5.8 that hit near Yerington in December 2024 typically happen in Nevada about every eight to 10 years, and said they will continue monitoring the current activity closely.

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Nevada

Kalshi Enforcement Action Belongs in Nevada Court, Judge Says

Published

20 hours ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

Kalshi Enforcement Action Belongs in Nevada Court, Judge Says

Nevada state court is the proper venue for reviewing whether KalshiEX LLC is improperly accepting sports wagers without a license, a federal district court said.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board showed that the state statutes under which it seeks relief don’t require interpreting federal law, Judge Miranda M. Du of the US District Court for the District of Nevada said in a Monday order. The board’s action is now remanded to the First Judicial District Court in Carson City, Nev., the order said.

The board in 2025 urged Kalshi, a financial services company, to get a gaming license, but the …

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Nevada

EDITORIAL: Nevada still vulnerable as tourist downturn continues

Published

1 day ago

March 3, 2026

Press Room

EDITORIAL: Nevada still vulnerable as tourist downturn continues

Strip gaming executives can put their best spin on the numbers, but local tourism indicators remain a major concern. Casino operators seeking to draw more people through the door still have much work to do.

The Nevada Gaming Control Board released January gaming numbers Friday. The news was underwhelming. The state gaming win was down 6.6 percent from a year earlier. The Strip took the largest hit, an 11 percent drop. But the gloomy returns were spread throughout Clark County: Downtown Las Vegas was off 5.2 percent, Laughlin suffered a 3.3 percent decline and the Boulder Strip dipped by 7 percent.

For the current fiscal year, gaming tax collections are up a paltry
2.1 percent, below budget projections.

The red flags include more than gaming numbers. Recently released figures for 2025 reveal that visitation to Las Vegas fell nearly 8 percent from 2024, which represented the lowest total since the pandemic in 2021. Traffic at Reid International Airport fell more than 10 percent in December and was down 6 percent for the year. Strip occupancy rates fell 3 percent in 2025.

To be fair, this is not just a Las Vegas problem. International travel to the United States was down
4.8 percent in January, Forbes reported, the ninth straight month of decline. Travel from Europe fell 5.2 percent, and passenger counts from Asia fell 7.5 percent. Canadian tourism cratered by 22 percent.

No doubt that President Donald Trump’s blustery rhetoric has played a role in the decline, but there’s more at work. International tourism has been largely flat since Barack Obama’s last few years in office. But domestic travel has held relatively steady although it is “starting to cool,” according to the U.S. Travel Association. Las Vegas hasn’t been helped by high-profile complaints last year about exorbitant Strip prices for parking, bottled water and other staples. Casino operators responded by offering discounts, particularly for locals, and they’ll need to continue those policies into 2026.

The tourism downturn has ramifications for the state budget, which relies primarily on sales and gaming tax revenues to support spending plans. “Nevada’s employment and economic challenges reflect deep structural factors that extend beyond cyclical economic fluctuations,” noted a recent report by economic analyst John Restrepo. “The state’s extreme concentration in tourism and gaming creates unique vulnerabilities.”

The irony is that state and local politicians have been talking for the past half century about “diversifying” the state economy. In recent years, that effort has primarily consisted of handing out millions in tax breaks and other incentives to attract businesses to the state. A dispassionate observer might ask whether that approach has brought an adequate return on investment.

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