Commentary
Katie Britt and the unreality of Alabama immigration rhetoric
Imagine if Alabama politicians started treating geothermal energy as a crisis. And not just criticizing particular practices or businesses. We’re talking about a heat pump apocalypse. Introducing legislation to criminalize steam. Storming library board meetings and demanding the removal of any book with the phrase “hot springs.” Using Hot Springs, Arkansas as a snickering shorthand […]
Ash Meadows should be cared for, cherished, and protected from mining
Over the past few years, I’ve thought a lot about how I think and feel about wild places, our public lands, and the rules, regulations, and agencies that govern them. As a long-time resident of Beatty, Nevada near the headwaters of the Amargosa River, one such wild place that I care deeply about is Ash […]
Climate impacts on sporadic winter storms and rising temperature in the Sierras
This last weekend we saw the largest storm to hit the Sierras this winter. The Central Sierra Snow Lab measured 75.2 inches of new snowfall over a four day period ending March 4. So what does this mean in terms of snowpack, drought, and how our wildfire season will pan out? And how does this […]
The Supreme Court won’t save the country so it looks like Nevada will have to
“Institutions will not save you.” That was the third rule listed in an eminent essay published by Russian-American journalist Masha Gessen shortly after the 2016 election, “Autocracy: Rules for Survival.” The rule’s validity is being powerfully telegraphed lately by the U.S. Supreme Court. Several constitutional scholars, some of them notable conservatives, strenuously supported the Colorado […]
Millions for kids’ safety go to I-80 sound wall instead
It sounds absurd. There is an attempt to quietly allocate millions of dollars meant for kids’ school safety in Washoe County to an Interstate 80 sound wall instead. No one would have noticed if it weren’t for one guy on the little-known Washoe County Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) Citizen’s Micromodal Advisory Committee (CMAC). That committee […]
The Constitution sets some limits on the people’s choices for president
When the Supreme Court ruled on March 4, 2024, that former President Donald Trump could appear on state presidential ballots for the 2024 election, it did not address an idea that seemed simple and compelling when Justice Brett Kavanaugh raised it during the Feb. 8, 2024, oral arguments in the case: “What about the idea […]
Is the United States overestimating China’s power?
Which country is the greatest threat to the United States? The answer, according to a large proportion of Americans, is clear: China. Half of all Americans responding to a mid-2023 survey from the Pew Research Center cited China as the biggest risk to the U.S., with Russia trailing in second with 17%. Other surveys, such […]
Rerun. Sorry. Deal.
Two years ago last Saturday, hybrid-totalitarian, war criminal and multiple murderer Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine. Republicans in South Carolina marked the anniversary by voting for life-long conman and aspiring authoritarian thug Donald Trump, who envies Putin, looks up to him as a role model, and shills for him. (In other words, the […]
Public education needs educational leaders not politicians
We are now entering “superintendent season.” Where political savvy often takes precedence over effective educational leadership in getting and keeping a district superintendent position. The two largest public school districts in Nevada are seeking superintendents because of recent resignations. Superintendent search firms are advisable as most board members lack the ability to discern quality educational […]
Trump is no Navalny
The death of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, announced on Feb. 16, 2024, lays bare to the world the costs of political persecutions. Although his cause of death remains unknown, the 47-year-old died while serving a 19-year sentence in a Siberian penal colony. “Three days ago, Vladimir Putin killed my husband,” said Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, […]
Lithium: Hot or not?
When they embarked on political careers that would lead them both to the U.S. Senate, a pair of Nevada Democratic politicians – Harry Reid and Richard Bryan – were dubbed the “gold dust” twins. More than half a century later, the phrase “lithium carbonate twins” doesn’t have as cute a ring to it. But it’s […]
Lombardo, legislators should take action for affordable prescription drugs
If you noticed that your prescriptions seem to be costing more this year, you might not be imagining it. In January, pharmaceutical companies raised the prices for more than 500 prescription drugs. That must have been good news for Big Pharma CEOs, their shareholders and the insurance middlemen who benefit from putting profits over patients. […]