KUNR

Las Vegas City Council Approves Controversial Homeless Law

By Paul Boger • Nov 15, 2019

Citizens protest at the Las Vegas City Council meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2019, during which council members considered a ban on people sleeping in public areas in downtown Las Vegas. — Jeff Scheid / The Nevada Independent

Las Vegas will soon enforce a new ordinance that bans homeless people from sleeping on some city streets. For some city leaders, the new laws are a necessary step in addressing homelessness as a public health problem, but critics argue the measure is waging an illegal "war on the poor." KUNR's Paul Boger talked to Shannon Miller who's been reporting on the new law for The Nevada Independent.

He Survived A Near-Lynching. 50 Years Later, He's Still Healing

By Avery Ellfeldt • Nov 15, 2019

It was 1965 when Winfred Rembert, then 19, says he was almost killed by a group of white men.

"I'm 71. But I still wake up screaming and reliving things that happened to me," Winfred, now 73, said.

During a 2017 StoryCorps interview, Winfred told his wife, Patsy Rembert, 67, about the traumatic incident he's still grappling with today.

Why Climate Change Poses A Particular Threat To Child Health

By editor • Nov 14, 2019

When it comes to global health, the world has made remarkable strides over the past two decades. There has been unprecedented progress vaccinating kids, treating diseases and lifting millions out of poverty. The childhood death rate has been slashed in half since 2000. Adults are living an average 5 1/2 years longer.

Juvenile Justice Groups Say Felony Murder Charges Harm Children, Young Adults

By Cheryl Corley • Nov 14, 2019

Felony murder is not your average murder. Juvenile justice advocates call felony murder laws arcane and say they unfairly harm children and young adults. Prosecutors can charge them with felony murder even if they didn't kill anyone or intend to do so. What's required is the intent to commit a felony — like burglary, arson or rape — and that someone dies during the process.

Rural Colorado Teens Initiate Mental Health Campaign To Support Their Peers

By Ali Budner • Nov 13, 2019

In response to skyrocketing youth suicide rates, one rural Colorado county is now offering kids two free vouchers to see a counselor at a local mental health center.

Battery Storage Still More Expensive Than Fossil Fuels—But Probably Not For Long

By Noah Glick • Nov 13, 2019

As an increasing number of states focus on renewable energy, batteries are becoming more of a necessity. And according to a new report, battery costs are dropping—but not enough to compete with fossil fuels.

The report comes from Climate Central, a nonprofit organization that studies the impacts of climate change. In it, the authors state that batteries and renewable energy sources are becoming cheaper by the year.

How Best To Use The Few New Drugs To Treat Antibiotic-Resistant Germs?

By Richard Harris • Nov 13, 2019

Updated at 1:35 p.m. ET Wednesday

Five years ago, Mary Millard went to the hospital for heart surgery. A contaminated medical instrument gave her an infection that led to septic shock. Her heart struggled, and her lungs and kidneys started to fail.

FBI Reports Dip In Hate Crimes, But Rise In Violence

By Rachel Treisman • Nov 12, 2019

Updated Nov. 12, 5:25 p.m. ET

While the number of reported hate crimes dipped slightly in 2018, violence against individuals rose to a 16-year high, according to numbers released Tuesday by the FBI.

The FBI's annual tally counted 7,120 hate crimes reported last year, 55 fewer than the year before. The main concern for extremism trackers, however, is the rising level of violence — the report showed an increase in the number of "crimes against persons," such as intimidation, assault and homicide.

Author Interview: How Technology Hooks Us

By Anh Gray • Nov 12, 2019

A row of people using their smart phones. — Robin Worrall for Unsplash

The incessant use of smartphones and other technologies has addictive qualities. New York Times Bestselling Author Adam Alter explores how tech companies market products that hook teens and what parents can do. KUNR’s Anh Gray spoke with him about his new book Irresistible: The Rise Of Addictive Technology And The Business Of Keeping Us Hooked.

Illegal Pot Operations In Public Forests Are Poisoning Wildlife And Water

By Eric Westervelt • Nov 12, 2019

Water and wildlife in the nation's public forests are slowly being poisoned by insecticides and other chemicals used in illegal marijuana operations, say forest police and researchers. They warn that the potential environmental damage could last generations.

Many of the grows are the work of highly organized drug cartels that take advantage of the forests' thick canopy to help hide their operations. Some sites go undetected for years.