Working + The Economy
Rolling the dice on rail safety: Nevada’s high-stakes legislative gamble
As ambitious rail projects like Brightline West push forward, Nevada stands at a critical crossroads in terms of infrastructure growth and rail safety. It’s been a year since Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoed Assembly Bill 456—a bill that aimed to strengthen rail safety protocols—and the risks that haunt our tracks are not just lingering; they are […]
Vegas PBS whistleblower alleges workplace retaliation, racism
A current employee at Vegas PBS has filed a discrimination complaint against the station, saying she’s risking her job because she wants to bring attention to “a culture of retaliation and racism.” Vegas PBS Director of Marketing Terry Chi in September filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Nevada Equal […]
Summer EBT won’t go out until September
Parents in Nevada will have to wait until September to receive benefits from a popular free food program designed to cover kids during summer vacation. Earlier this year, Nevada signed up for the first new federally funded nutrition program in decades, which established a permanent summer nutrition assistance program for children out of school for […]
Lombardo tries to hog credit for Biden administration achievements (again)
“I’m pleased to announce the allocation of $250 million towards Middle Mile Infrastructure,” Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo said in a statement released by his office this week. “This significant investment will enhance internet connectivity in communities across Nevada that have struggled with inadequate internet access. By addressing these critical gaps, we are ensuring that all […]
Trump’s corporate tax cuts paved the way for inflation
Next year, when key provisions of President Trump’s 2017 tax breaks to the wealthy and corporations expire, we have an opportunity to get our money back. I’m not just talking about all the foregone tax revenue we’ve lost because the rich have paid so little since 2017 — though we should get that back, too. […]
History says tariffs rarely work, but Biden’s 100% tariffs on Chinese EVs could defy the trend
In June 2019, then-presidential candidate Joe Biden tweeted: “Trump doesn’t get the basics. He thinks his tariffs are being paid by China. Any freshman econ student could tell you that the American people are paying his tariffs.” Fast-forward five years to May 2024, and President Biden has announced a hike in tariffs on a variety […]
Southern Nevada food insecurity increased last year, Three Square says
Food insecurity climbed across Southern Nevada last year with an estimated one in five children uncertain where their next meal is coming from, according to the latest findings from Three Square Food Bank. Data released Thursday as part of the Feeding America’s 2024 Map the Meal Gap Study comes after food pantries and services providers […]
Standardized testing is a flawed yardstick for assessing educational success
Listening recently to a local political candidate denigrate public education in Nevada was very disheartening. Not because of character flaws or perceived inability of the candidate. He, like most voters, believes that national and state school rankings based on standardized test scores accurately measure school quality and effectiveness. Improving public education seems to be on […]
Tariffs to be sharply hiked by Biden administration on Chinese-made products
WASHINGTON — The Biden administration is doubling and in some cases tripling tariffs on Chinese-made products, like steel and electric vehicles, in a move aimed at easing economic pain in battleground states, though senior administration officials say it isn’t political. National Economic Advisor Lael Brainard told reporters on a call Monday ahead of the announcement […]
U.S. is way stingier with maternity leave and child care than the rest of the world
In most American families led by couples, both parents are in the workforce. Almost three-quarters of American mothers with children under 18 work. At the same time, nearly 1 in 4 U.S. children are being raised by single moms. Yet child care is generally unaffordable, and paid leave is not available to most U.S. parents. […]
Presentation on disability council gets legislators riled up against presenter
Advocates are pushing Gov. Joe Lombardo to embrace “Employment First” policies that assist people with disabilities in finding and keeping paying jobs. Catherine Nielsen, the executive director of the Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities and a member of the Nevada Employment First Task Force, told state lawmakers last week that the policy groups are in […]
Amazon singled out by backers of federal warehouse worker safety bill
WASHINGTON — Two Democratic U.S. senators announced Thursday they plan to introduce a piece of legislation that would require large companies to disclose quota practices to workers and prevent those quotas from interfering with a worker’s health. “The Warehouse Worker Protection Act would put an end to the most dangerous quotas that plague warehouses,” Democratic […]