Aerial shot of a desert mountain.
Courtesy of the U.S. Department of Energy

Yucca Mountain: Faster Water Flow Undermines Project Safety, UNR Geologist Says

The landscape appears arid. Yet, water flows at the heart of the controversy about a federal plan to build a national nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain in southwestern Nevada. A new scientific paper concludes water is moving through the mountain much faster than researchers previously had suspected. This may increase the possibility that groundwater in the region could become contaminated with radioactive elements.

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Faith And The Virus: How Some Idaho Churches Are Handling Reopening

Signed, Sealed, Undelivered: Thousands Of Mail-In Ballots Rejected For Tardiness

Updates: The Numbers Fire South Of Gardnerville

By , , , , , & • 8 hours ago
A fire and smoke on the side of a mountain.
Image from ALERTWildfire Greater Tahoe cameras on Twitter @nvfirecams

7:25 a.m. | July 13, 2020

Firefighters have contained 98 percent of the Numbers Fire, burning Southeast of Gardnerville, in the Carson Valley. The fire has burned  18,342 acres of brush and grasslands, as of the latest update last night from the Bureau of Land Management. Winds, plus hot and dry conditions are expected on Monday.

Novel Coronavirus In Nevada: Live Blog

By , , , & & bree ze • 20 hours ago
An illustration of an ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses.
Alissa Eckert, MS; Dan Higgins, MAMS / Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

7:55 p.m. | July 12, 2020

Nevada Legislature Pumped The Brakes After COVID-19 Case Reported
By The Associated Press

The 31st Special Session Of The Nevada Legislature: Live Blog

By & • 22 hours ago
KUNR

Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak issued the formal proclamation to call the Nevada Legislature into a special session beginning on Wednesday, July 8 at 9 a.m. to address the historic budget shortfall. This is the 31st Special Session in Nevada’s history.

#LuciaReports for America

KUNR is proud to introduce Corps Member Lucia Starbuck, whose reporting covers the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Northern Nevada and Eastern Sierra with a focus on housing and food insecurity.

Learn More And Support Lucia's Reporting

Trans People 'Have Always Been There,' Says 'Disclosure' Producer Laverne Cox

By • 8 hours ago

Disclosure is a new documentary on Netflix about the history of transgender representation in Hollywood.

"People traversing gender expectations was a part of cinema as early as 1914, there was a film that featured a sex change," says actress Laverne Cox, who is the executive producer and a prominent voice in this eye-opening documentary.

RV Business Booms As The 'Pandemic Demographic' Hits The Road

By • Jul 11, 2020


The first time Mark Ritchie and Leah Hardy laid eyes on their new camper, it was after they'd bought it.

"It was like, 'Oh my God, it's tiny.' Which was great," Ritchie said recently while standing outside their home in Laramie, Wyo. "It made me feel actually more confident dragging it around. Because when I see people with giant trailers, I go, 'Thank God that's not me.'"

Nuevas Leyes Entraron En Vigor En Nevada El 1 De Julio, Incluyendo Aumento Al Salario Mínimo

By Megan Messerly • Jul 11, 2020
Representantes estatales en las cámaras de la Asamblea.
David Calvert / The Nevada Independent

Read in English.

Un proyecto de ley que elevará el salario mínimo a $12 dólares para 2024 técnicamente entró en vigor el 1 de julio de 2019, aunque el primer aumento salarial inició el miércoles el 1 de julio de 2020.

Otras iniciativas que también iniciaron el 1 de julio buscan reducir la violencia en el lugar de trabajo, en hospitales y centros psiquiátricos, y aumentar el requisito del promedio de calificaciones GPA para la Beca Millennium.

Este es un resumen de algunas de esas leyes.

From Criminal Justice Reform To A Cannabis Compliance Board, New Nevada Laws Took Effect On July 1

By Megan Messerly • Jul 11, 2020
State representatives sitting in the Assembly Chambers.
David Calvert / The Nevada Independent

Lee en español.

Laws implementing a wide range of criminal justice reforms, establishing a state board responsible for regulating marijuana and creating a payday loan database took effect July 1, more than a year after the 2019 legislative session ended.

Shortages, Delays In Testing As Coronavirus Cases Surge

By • Jul 10, 2020

This story was powered by America Amplified, a public radio initiative.

Some communities in the Mountain West are again facing testing delays and shortages as the number of COVID-19 cases reach record highs across the country. 

Wildfire Season Can Inflame Flu Season, Study Suggests

By • Jul 10, 2020

This story was powered by America Amplified, a public radio initiative.

Lots of wildfire smoke in the summer can lead to more flu outbreaks in the winter, according to a recent study published in the peer-reviewed journal Environment International. 

Autoridades Del Condado de Washoe Debaten Nuevas Reformas Policiales

By & • Jul 10, 2020
La ciudad de Reno organizó un foro virtual el lunes 22 de junio con varios funcionarios que hablaron sobre la actividad policial en el norte de Nevada.
Captura de pantalla / Ciudad de Reno vía YouTube

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Funcionarios de alto rango de los diferentes departamentos de policía en el Condado de Washoe se juntaron de forma virtual el lunes 22 de junio para conversar sobre algunos de los pasos que sus agencias están considerando para mejorar la supervisión de la comunidad. Todo esto mientras que la conversación nacional sobre la reform policiaca continúa desarrollándose.

Lawmakers Grapple With Proposed Cuts To K-12 Education

By • Jul 10, 2020
People hold signs protesting proposed cuts to education funding outside the Nevada Legislature on July 8, 2020.
David Calvert / The Nevada Independent

Lawmakers in Nevada are set to cut more than a billion dollars from the state’s general fund in order to cover a budget shortfall created by the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, proposed cuts to the state’s public education system are causing some consternation.

El Condado Escolar De Washoe Anuncia Propuestas Para La Reapertura De Las Escuelas

By & • Jul 10, 2020
Durante una junta virtual con el consejo escolar el martes 7 de julio, los consejeros decidieron reabrir las escuelas del condado de Washoe este otoño.
Captura de Pantalla / Consejo del Distrito Escolar de Washoe Via Zoom

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Durante un encuentro de [nueve] 9 horas, el Distrito Escolar del Condado de Washoe aprobó los planes para la reapertura de las escuelas este otoño. Las propuestas escogidas se dirigen ahora al Departamento de Educación de Nevada para su aprobación final. Stephanie Serrano de KUNR tiene los detalles.

Breaking Down WCSD's Proposal For Re-opening Schools

By • Jul 9, 2020
A group of people attending a virtual conference.
Screenshot / Washoe County School Board Trustees Via Zoom

Washoe County students may soon reunite with friends and teachers this fall after school closures were mandated in the spring to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The Washoe County School District approved plans for the reopening of schools. Those proposals now head to the Nevada Department of Education for final approval.

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