The Arts District in Las Vegas has long been known for its eclectic offering of murals and shops, but the city is now focusing on boosting boozy businesses to spur more growth and development in that downtown cultural hub.

New research by UNLV reaffirmed what sports fans have been saying about Las Vegas: It’s the place to be.

A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that birth rates in the United States have dropped significantly. And as Adriana Arévalo explains to us, analysts warn about the economic consequences.

Whether or not Las Vegas secures a new baseball team and ballpark, new research shows the valley’s sports renaissance has already attracted millions of dollars, hundreds of thousands of spectators, and an increased need for transportation and other infrastructure improvements.

Southern Nevada will have to diversify its economy — particularly in the health care and manufacturing sectors — if it’s going to overcome labor shortages and support a rapidly growing population, according to data presented at the Spring Economic Outlook by UNLV’s Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER).

Economists at UNLV are loosening predictions of a recession in the next 12 months, while nationally many are expecting at least a mild recession beginning later this year — a sign that shows the uncertainty swirling around how the economy will perform.

In a market relying so heavily on the growth of sports, this initiative envisions itself as the center of sports sciences, business and innovation in Las Vegas. The UNLV Sports Innovation Initiative (SII), which calls itself, “The Hub of Innovation in the Global Sports Capital,” took time at a UFC-owned venue Wednesday to hammer home its mission.

The parent companies of regional banks in Nevada tried to assuage client concerns after trading in their shares was temporarily halted several times on Monday as panic spread among investors after the collapse of two big banks.