Nevada
Obama says aliens exist, but not at Nevada’s Area 51
Former President Barack Obama said in a podcast interview Saturday that aliens are real, but they aren’t at Nevada’s Area 51.
During an appearance on YouTuber Brian Tyler Cohen’s show, Obama said he hadn’t seen extraterrestrials but that they existed.
“They’re not being kept in Area 51, there’s no underground facility, unless there’s this enormous conspiracy and they hid it from the president of the United States,” Obama said during a rapid-fire round of questions at the end of the interview.
Cohen didn’t ask a follow-up question on the subject, and Obama didn’t explain his answer further.
“What was the first question you wanted answered when you became president?” Cohen asked next.
“Where are the aliens?” Obama replied with a laugh.
► VIDEO: Former President Barack Obama on Brian Tyler Cohen’s YouTube show.
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Area 51, the classified operating location near the Nevada National Security Site about 90 miles northwest of Las Vegas, has long captured popular culture’s attention as a government facility believed to be holding UFOs and aliens.
In reality, the site has been a test bed for the nation’s high-tech aircraft dating back to when it was established in 1955 to test the high-flying U-2 spy plane. But the U.S. government did not acknowledge the facility’s existence until 2013, when the CIA declassified documents confirming Area 51’s use as a testing site for U-2 and SR-71 spy planes.
The secrecy surrounding the site’s purpose has made Area 51 the subject of countless out-of-this-world conspiracies, including claims that the facility holds pieces of alien spacecraft and technology that workers are trying to reverse-engineer.
That gave way to an alien fanatic subculture tied to Southern Nevada, with souvenir shops and businesses like the Area 51 Alien Center in Amargosa Valley and the Little A’Le’Inn in Rachel dotting the desert. In 1996, the state renamed Nevada Route 375 to Extraterrestrial Highway because of its proximity to Area 51.
Businesses in the area did not respond to requests for comment on Sunday afternoon.
Before the Las Vegas Aviators moved to Las Vegas Ballpark in 2019, the Triple-A baseball team played at Cashman Field from 2001 to 2018 as the Las Vegas 51s.
National media attention turned to Area 51 in September 2019 after a viral social media post saw millions demand a glimpse of extraterrestrial life.
A tongue-in-cheek Facebook event made by California man Matty Roberts had more than 2 million people sign up to storm Area 51, all pledging to run into the facility and “see them aliens.”
What began as an online joke became a four-day music festival known as Alienstock that drew thousands to the small Lincoln County communities of Rachel and Hiko, both located near Area 51.
Obama’s comments aren’t likely to sway the myth’s believers. An Ipsos poll conducted during the Storm Area 51 social media movement found a quarter of Americans thought that crashed UFO spacecrafts are held at the site. Slightly more than half of Americans, 52 percent, believed that extraterrestrial life exists.
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.
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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.
Nevada
After California case, what Nevada parents need to know about e-motorcycles and liability
LAS VEGAS (KSNV) — A case out of Southern California is raising new concerns for parents across Nevada as high-powered electric motorcycles grow in popularity.
In the California case, a mother is facing criminal charges after prosecutors said her 14-year-old son hit and killed an 81-year-old Vietnam veteran with an e-motorcycle. She is now charged with involuntary manslaughter after law enforcement reportedly warned her about her son using the device a year ago.
Legal experts said similar consequences could apply in Nevada, depending on the circumstances.
“I think that warning is what’s triggering the criminal liability and this intention of involuntary manslaughter case,” Ray Johnson, a Nevada attorney and former FBI assistant special agent in charge, said. “In Nevada, you would have something similar, but it’s got to be around willful misconduct and delinquency. So, if a mom, the dad, the parent, or the guardian is willfully involved with not teaching them to do the right things, or it’s improper equipment, or they’re allowing them to do things, they could get a criminal charge.”
Across the Las Vegas Valley, electric motorcycles and other high-speed e-devices are becoming more common, especially among young riders. Law enforcement said some can reach speeds of 60 miles per hour, raising safety concerns when used by minors.
Under Nevada law, parents can be held financially responsible, up to $10,000, for damages caused by a minor’s willful misconduct, which results in any injury or death to another person or injury to the private property of another or to public property.
In some cases, parents could also face criminal consequences if they knowingly allow a child to engage in illegal or unsafe behavior involving vehicles.
Officer Luis Vidal with Las Vegas Metropolitan Police said those situations are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, with investigators looking at the circumstances.
“I think it’s very important for parents to understand that when the police department investigates anything that is something that we look at.”
The Clark County District Attorney’s Office would formally file charges in a case. News 3 has reached out to the office and is waiting for a response regarding what prosecutors would consider in a case involving a minor and an e-motorcycle.
North Las Police shared with News 3, “The topic of potential parental liability related to incidents involving e-motorcycles or e-bikes is best addressed by the City Attorney’s Office, as it involves legal interpretation and potential charging considerations.
Additionally, the City of North Las Vegas does not currently have a finalized version of specific e-bike or e-motorcycle ordinances in place. As such, any enforcement or liability would be evaluated on a case-by-case basis under existing laws.”
As these devices continue to surge in popularity, authorities said awareness and supervision are key to preventing serious accidents and potential legal consequences.
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