Nevada

Nevada's role in the November elections. And, U.N. to discuss Middle East conflict

Published

1 year ago

September 23, 2024

Nevada's role in the November elections. And, U.N. to discuss Middle East conflict

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Today’s top stories

The Israeli military is carrying out extensive strikes in Lebanon this morning and has published a video warning some villagers to evacuate immediately if they suspect Hezbollah is hiding weapons in their area. This comes as Hezbollah landed rockets deeper into Israel and after last week’s attack on Hezbollah by way of exploding pagers and walkie-talkies. The incidents mark the most significant escalation on the Israeli-Lebanese border in almost a year of war.

First responders and Israeli security forces gather amid debris and charred vehicles in Kiryat Bialik in the Haifa district of Israel, following a strike by Lebanon’s Hezbollah on Sunday.

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Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images

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Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images

🎧 NPR’s Daniel Estrin tells Up First that Israel is signaling it’s attempting to gradually hit Hezbollah, but is stopping short of launching a full out war that could pull in Iran and the U.S. Israel says its goal is to degrade Hezbollah’s rocket launching capabilities to prevent a situation similar to when Hamas stormed across the border on Oct. 7 of last year. NPR producer Itay Stern spoke with some Israelis who said it’s about time their country finally took the initiative against Hezbollah. But some are opposed to Israel’s moves in Lebanon, with one protestor telling Estrin she wants the war to end and the hostages to be freed.

World leaders are at the United Nations this week in New York, and conversations are expected to focus on the Middle East. President Biden is expected to give a speech tomorrow. The high-level week will also include meetings on the sidelines to try to push forward diplomacy. Gaza and the escalating war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon are all parts of the world that need solutions addressed.

🎧 NPR’s Michele Kelemen says other conflicts that will be discussed include Haiti and its slow efforts to get gang violence under control as the country gets back on a path to elections. Also on the agenda: Sudan, where U.N. officials say the world’s worst humanitarian crisis is currently happening. Even though the U.S., Saudi Arabia and others were able to get aid routes open, more is needed to help, including getting the Sudanese armed forces and paramilitary RSF to negotiate. Russia’s war against Ukraine remains a big topic with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who is expected to rally support for an end to the war in a way that preserves Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
➡️ U.N. leaders yesterday adopted the “Pact of the Future,” which included explicit calls to end fossil fuels.

Police are looking for the people responsible for a mass shooting that left four people dead and at least 17 others injured over the weekend in Birmingham, Ala. The possible murder-for-hire incident happened Saturday night in a popular entertainment district, outside of a hookah bar where people were lined up to enter. Multiple suspects involved drove into the area, got out of the car, began shooting and then fled in the vehicle. This has the city’s mayor, Randall Woodfin, talking about the need to solve America’s gun violence epidemic.

🎧 Police believe one of the people who died was the intended target of the shooting while the others were caught in the crossfire, Andrew Yeager of NPR Network station WBHM says. Authorities say fully automatic weapons were used. These are banned under federal law, but Alabama has no equivalent state level ban. Woodfin says gun violence is a solvable issue if people, specifically elected leaders, worked together to have stronger laws, particularly at the local level. The city has already recorded 122 murders this year. Officers say the increase is due to multiple reasons, including the availability of guns and the tit-for-tat violence culture.

We, the Voters

The Arts District in Las Vegas, Nevada on Sept.18, 2024

Krystal Ramirez for NPR

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Krystal Ramirez for NPR

NPR is visiting six key swing states that will likely decide this year’s historic election. This week, Morning Edition is in Nevada to listen to voters about what matters to them and how that will affect their vote.

Nevada could help determine who wins the White House in November with its six Electoral College votes. Though that doesn’t sound like many, it doesn’t negate the state’s importance. In the last two presidential elections, 15 of the state’s 17 counties voted Republican. The two that didn’t made up 90% of Nevada’s population. For Republicans to make their mark and win, they’ll have to focus on those two counties. Around 40% of registered voters in the state don’t identify with a specific party, meaning candidates will have to find out if they lean left or right in order to reach them.

Here’s a deeper dive into the voters’ concerns heading into this election.

Life advice

A bar of soap is working very hard to wash someone's arm.

We all wash our bodies. The concept is simple enough. But when you get to the details… things can get complicated. How often you should wash? When you should get a new loofah? Is bar soap better than the liquid alternative? Dermatologists Sonia Batra and Michelle Henry offer surprising advice on the subject.

🧼 You should wash your whole body starting from the top and working your way down so you don’t transfer germs all over yourself.
🧼 Wash your washcloth or loofah with soap, rinse it out with hot water and let it fully dry to prevent mold growth. Launder it once a week.
🧼 There’s no scientific hard line on whether a shower or a bath is more hygienic.
🧼 Sitting in hot water for excessive amounts of time can strip your skin of its natural protective oils and dehydrate it.

See the complete list of advice in the form of a comic.

3 things to know before you go

A building on the Tufts University campus.

Eden, Janine and Jim/Flickr Creative Commons

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Eden, Janine and Jim/Flickr Creative Commons

Five players on Tufts University’s men’s lacrosse team have been hospitalized after a “voluntary, supervised 45-minute workout” with an alum who graduated from a Navy SEAL training program, according to the school.
Almost all of North Carolina Lt. Gov. and gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson’s campaign team quit their jobs yesterday, just days after a CNN report alleging he posted racist and sexual comments on a pornography forum. (via WUNC)
The creators of the comedic adult party game Cards Against Humanity have filed a lawsuit against SpaceX, claiming that the company trespassed and damaged their property near the U.S.-Mexico border. (via Texas Public Radio)

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.

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Nevada

2026 lunar eclipse visible in Nevada. How to watch

Published

8 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

2026 lunar eclipse visible in Nevada. How to watch

A lunar eclipse will be in Nevada skies late Monday night — or, more accurately, early Tuesday morning, March 3.

The downside is the hour: you’ll have to be up very late or very early, depending on your perspective.

Unlike a solar eclipse, which occurs when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, a lunar eclipse happens when Earth casts its shadow on the moon, creating a rusty red hue.

If you’re looking to see the lunar eclipse, here’s everything you need to know about viewing it in Nevada.

What eclipse is in 2026?

If you live in the U.S., you will be able to see the lunar eclipse starting at 12:44 a.m. PST Tuesday, March 3, 2026, according to NASA. During the night, you’ll see the moon in a reddish hue, or a blood moon.

Totality lasts for a little more than an hour before the moon begins to emerge from behind Earth’s shadow, according to the popular site timeanddate.com. As the moon moves into Earth’s shadow, also known as the umbra, it appears red-orange or a “ghostly copper color,” hence its name: blood moon, NASA says.

“During a lunar eclipse, the moon appears red or orange because any sunlight that’s not blocked by our planet is filtered through a thick slice of Earth’s atmosphere on its way to the lunar surface,” NASA says. “It’s as if all the world’s sunrises and sunsets are projected onto the moon.”

Countdown clock to the 2026 total lunar eclipse

If you live in the U.S., you will be able to see the eclipse starting at 12:44 a.m. PST Tuesday, March 3, 2026.

The entire eclipse will last about six hours. People in Nevada can see the lunar eclipse during the early morning hours of Tuesday, March 3, 2026. The total lunar eclipse will be visible in North America, South America, Eastern Europe, Asia, Australia and Antarctica.

Everything will be over by 6:23 a.m. PST on March 3, 2026. Below is a countdown clock for the 2026 total lunar eclipse.

Where are the best places to see the lunar eclipse near Reno?

Though the Biggest Little City has an abundance of light pollution, darker skies are less than an hour from Reno.

Fort Churchill State Park: The park provides a dark night sky ideal for evening astronomical events among the ruins of Fort Churchill. Park entrance costs $5 for Nevada residents and $10 for nonresidents.
Pyramid Lake: A popular spot for Renoites seeking a night of stargazing, the lake is less than an hour from The Biggest Little City. It offers beautiful natural wonders and dark skies that give a clear view of the lunar eclipse.
Lake Tahoe: Multiple locations around the lake are excellent for stargazing that are less than an hour from Reno.
Cold Springs or Hidden Valley still get light pollution from the Biggest Little City, but have clearer skies than the middle of town.
Driving down the road on USA Parkway will likely also give you the dark skies to see the lunar eclipse without having to make a significant drive outside of town.

Carly Sauvageau with the Reno Gazette Journal contributed to this report.

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Nevada

How the strikes on Iran could impact gas prices in northern Nevada

Published

21 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

How the strikes on Iran could impact gas prices in northern Nevada

The United States and Israel launched targeted attacks on Iran on Saturday. The move brought new uncertainty into global energy markets, as northern Nevadans could be paying more at the pump in the coming weeks.

Following the strikes, oil prices increased. Brent crude, the international benchmark, jumped to roughly $73 a barrel, while the national benchmark, West Texas Intermediate, traded above $67.

Much of the concern centers around the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman. which carries about a fifth of the world’s oil supplies.

Patrick de Haan, head of petroleum analysis with GasBuddy, a price tracking company, spoke on the current questions in the region.

“The known would reduce oil prices if there becomes clarity, but it’s the unknown that is stoking fears…. If there is some sort of clarity in the days ahead, whether from Iran, the United States, or Israel, on how long this would last. We’d be able to put potentially an end date for the potential impacts that we’re seeing,” said de Haan.

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

According to Triple-A, the average price of a gallon of gas in Nevada on Sunday comes in at $3.70, which comes in above the national average of roughly $2.98.

Over at the Rainbow Market on Vassar Street, prices sat just below four dollars a gallon on Sunday. Reno resident Abran Reyes talked about gas prices potentially going up.

“Whether it’s to work, to maybe run errands, to do stuff that helps you, gas is essential…. That gas price really hits, especially in today’s economy, where gas prices are extraordinary…. I just hope everyone’s safe. I hope our soldiers and all of our troops can be okay,” said Reyes.

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Nevada

Nevada debuts public option amid federal health care shifts

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Nevada debuts public option amid federal health care shifts

More than 10,000 people have enrolled in Nevada’s new public option health plans, which debuted last fall with the expectation that they would bring lower prices to the health insurance market.

Those preliminary numbers from the open enrollment period that ended in January are less than a third of what state officials had projected. Nevada is the third state so far to launch a public option plan, along with Colorado and Washington state. The idea is to offer lower-cost plans to consumers to expand health care access.

But researchers said plans like these are unlikely to fill the gaps left by sweeping federal changes, including the expiration of enhanced subsidies for plans bought on Affordable Care Act marketplaces.

The public option gained attention in the late 2000s when Congress considered but ultimately rejected creating a health plan funded and run by the government that would compete with private carriers in the market. The programs in Washington state, Colorado, and Nevada don’t go that far — they aren’t government-run but are private-public partnerships that compete with private insurance.

In recent years, states have considered creating public option plans to make health coverage more affordable and to reduce the number of uninsured people. Washington was the first state to launch a program, in 2021, and Colorado followed in 2023.

Washington and Colorado’s programs have run into challenges, including a lack of participation from clinicians, hospitals, and other care providers, as well as insurers’ inability to meet rate reduction benchmarks or lower premiums compared with other plans offered on the market.

Nevada law requires that the carriers of the public option plans — Battle Born State Plans, named after a state motto — lower premium costs compared with a benchmark “silver” plan in the marketplace by 15% over the next four years.

But that amount might not make much difference to consumers with rising premium payments from the loss of the ACA’s enhanced tax credits, said Keith Mueller, director of the Rural Policy Research Institute.

“That’s not a lot of money,” Mueller said.

Three of the eight insurers on the state’s exchange, Nevada Health Link, offered the state plans during the open enrollment period.

Insurance companies plan to meet the lower premium cost requirement in Nevada by cutting broker fees and commissions, which prompted opposition from insurance brokers in the state. In response, Nevada marketplace officials told state lawmakers in January that they will give a flat-fee reimbursement to brokers.

The public option has faced opposition among state leaders. In 2024, a state judge dismissed a lawsuit, brought by a Nevada state senator and a group that advocates for lower taxes, that challenged the public option law as unconstitutional. They have appealed to the state Supreme Court.

Federal Policy Impacts

Recent federal changes create more obstacles.

Nevada is consistently among the states with the largest populations of people who do not have health insurance coverage. Last year, nearly 95,000 people in the state received the enhanced ACA tax credits, averaging $465 in savings per month, according to KFF, a health information nonprofit that includes KFF Health News.

But the enhanced tax credits expired at the end of the year, and it appears unlikely that lawmakers will bring them back. Nationwide ACA enrollment has decreased by more than 1 million people so far this year, down from record-high enrollment of 24 million last year.

About 4 million people are expected to lose health coverage from the expiration of the tax credits, according to the Congressional Budget Office. An additional 3 million are projected to lose coverage because of other policy changes affecting the marketplace.

Justin Giovannelli, an associate research professor at the Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University, said the changes to the ACA in the Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law last summer, will make it more difficult for people to keep their coverage. These changes include more frequent enrollment paperwork to verify income and other personal information, a shortened enrollment window, and an end to automatic reenrollment.

In Nevada, the changes would amount to an estimated 100,000 people losing coverage, according to KFF.

“All of that makes getting coverage on Nevada Health Link harder and more expensive than it would be otherwise,” Giovannelli said.

State officials projected ahead of open enrollment that about 35,000 people would purchase the public option plans. Of the 104,000 people who had purchased a plan on the state marketplace as of mid-January, 10,762 had enrolled in one of the public option plans, according to Nevada Health Link.

Katie Charleson, communications officer for the state health exchange, said the original enrollment estimate was based on market conditions before the recent increases in customers’ premium costs. She said that the public option plans gave people facing higher costs more choices.

“We expect enrollment in Battle Born State Plans to grow over time as awareness increases and as Nevadans continue seeking quality coverage options that help reduce costs,” Charleson said.

According to KFF, nationally the enhanced subsidies saved enrollees an average of $705 annually in 2024, and enrollees would save an estimated $1,016 in premium payments on average in 2026 if the subsidies were still in place. Without the subsidies, people enrolled in the ACA marketplace could be seeing their premium costs more than double.

Insights From Washington and Colorado

Washington and Colorado are not planning to alter their programs due to the expiration of the tax credits, according to government officials in those states.

Other states that had recently considered creating public options have backtracked. Minnesota officials put off approving a public option in 2024, citing funding concerns. Proposals to create public options in Maine and New Mexico also sputtered.

Washington initially saw meager enrollment in its Cascade Select public option plans; only 1% of state marketplace enrollees chose a public option plan in 2021. But that changed after lawmakers required hospitals to contract with at least one public option plan by 2023. Last year the state reported that 94,000 customers enrolled, accounting for 30% of all customers on the state marketplace. The public option plans were the lowest-premium silver plans in 31 of Washington’s 39 counties in 2024.

A 2025 study found that since Colorado implemented its public option, called the Colorado Option, coverage through the ACA marketplace has become more affordable for enrollees who received subsidies but more expensive for enrollees who did not.

Colorado requires all insurers offering coverage through its marketplace to include a public option that follows state guidelines. The state set premium reduction targets of 5% a year for three years beginning in 2023. Starting this year, premium costs are not allowed to outpace medical inflation.

Though the insurers offering the public option did not meet the premium reduction targets, enrollment in the Colorado Option has increased every year it has been available. Last year, the state saw record enrollment in its marketplace, with 47% of customers purchasing a public option plan.

Giovannelli said states are continuing to try to make health insurance more affordable and accessible, even if federal changes reduce the impact of those efforts.

“States are reacting and trying to continue to do right by their residents,” Giovannelli said, “but you can’t plug all those gaps.”

Are you struggling to afford your health insurance? Have you decided to forgo coverage? Click here to contact KFF Health News and share your story.

KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF — an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.

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