Politics + Government
Nevada Republicans run for cover as Trump plays ball with Putin
UPDATE: Late Monday Dean Heller’s office issued a statement to some Nevada news outlets saying the senator trusted “our intelligence community’s assessment on Russian interference, not Vladimir Putin’s.” Heller’s statement made no mention President Trump. Democrats in Nevada and the U.S. are almost universal in their condemnation of President Donald Trump’s performance at a Helsinki […]
Laxalt campaign’s “Shady Steve” website prompts plea from Sisolak’s former girlfriend
UPDATE July 13: Kathleen Vermillion told the Current that her attorney, Dominic Gentile, sent a similar letter several months ago to Steve Sisolak’s primary opponent, Chris Giunchigliani, as a precautionary measure. Vermillion says Gentile declined to send a preemptive letter to Laxalt and was moved to action by the campaign website attacking Sisolak. Gentile would […]
“Nevadans should have a voice in the process” — unless they shouldn’t
Nevada Sen. Dean Heller is very fond of calling on Congress to take swift action on all manner of things. He’s even made a “no budget no pay” measure, under which members of Congress wouldn’t get paid unless they pass a budget and appropriation bills on time, something of a signature legislative aspiration over the […]
Sisolak: Don’t trust reproductive rights to Laxalt
The fact that abortion rights are codified in Nevada law doesn’t mean citizens should be complacent. That’s the warning from some Democratic candidates for office, who are using Donald Trump’s game-changing choice for the Supreme Court to hammer home the importance of November’s election. Clark County Commissioner and gubernatorial hopeful Steve Sisolak, state senate […]
Kavanaugh nomination presents election opportunity — but for whom?
Candidates know that voter turnout is the key to winning midterm elections. What’s less certain is knowing exactly what will bring people out to the polls. Identifying the strongest voter motivation is an especially crucial issue for Democrats, who typically see lower voter turnout percentages than Republicans. This week brings a new element to that […]
But will the 2020 GOP convention mar the Las Vegas image?
Putting the Vegas brand at risk? Las Vegas and Charlotte are reportedly in the running to host the 2020 Blessed Thanksgiving for The New Nation of Gilead, or as the media will call it, the Republican National Convention. Some people in Charlotte are a-scared of hosting the convention, because Trump. Meantime, it seems like […]
Guest op-ed: Reminder to progressives – courts matter
As I stood beside the podium, preparing to speak out against the previous day’s Supreme Court decision, which upheld the Trump Administration’s travel ban targeting several predominantly Muslim countries, a familiar buzz in my pocket signaled breaking news. I hesitated to check my phone at first, knowing that it would soon be my turn to […]
The shared values of Scott Pruitt and Adam Laxalt
“I can think of no one better to lead this agency,” Adam Laxalt wrote when Scott Pruitt was nominated to head the Environmental Protection Agency. In a January 2017 guest column published in the Las Vegas Review-Journal — like Laxalt, a Sheldon Adelson property — Nevada’s attorney general gushed about the “highly-qualified (sic) men and […]
Nevada Legislature: The XX Factor
They are more detailed, compassionate and experienced at working as a committee. They’re also more prone to interruptions from family, burdened by personal responsibilities and at risk of economic peril for becoming public servants. Such are the benefits and the pitfalls of the female lawmaker, according to those who know the job best – the […]
National labor union weighs in on Question 3
Someone new has chimed in on the contentious energy-regulation measure that is Question 3. The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) on Monday issued a strongly worded statement in opposition of the ballot measure, calling it an “anti-worker, anti-consumer initiative.” Question 3 would require the Nevada Legislature to establish an open, […]
Amid threats to their industry, sex workers question pushback on rally
Early last month, approximately 150 people donned red outfits and took to the sidewalks in downtown Las Vegas to advocate for the complete decriminalization of sex work. They marched about half a mile. They celebrated afterward with speciality themed cocktails at a supportive downtown bar. By all accounts, everything went smoothly — but the event […]
Attorney General Sessions, in the Peppermill, with the false choice
“What is the compassionate and right thing to do?” asked Attorney General Jeff Sessions in Reno Monday, according to the text of his prepared remarks delivered to the National Association of School Resource Officers. “The compassionate thing to do is to protect our children from drugs and violence, put criminals in jail, and secure our […]