Seventy-nine cents to the dollar. You’ve probably heard that statistic on the gender pay gap, a longtime wedge issue and soapbox topic for politicians, feminists and celebrities.

In dry, disturbed soil throughout the West, a weedy invader from Eurasia has gained a tenacious foothold. Kochia scoparia, also called poor man’s alfalfa, has slender, gray-green leaves that turn an ornamental orange in autumn. Despite control efforts, this weed springs back relentlessly thanks to its bountiful seed bank.

Armed with shovels, the group turned enough dirt to plant 630 trees and grasses along the Las Vegas Wash, an area that was once submerged and served as a docking area for boats. “This area was 50 feet below Lake Mead,” said Dr. Scott Abella, assistant professor in the School of Life Sciences at UNLV.

In reaction to President Trump’s immigration ban, thousands protested at airports around the country Sunday, including here at McCarran International Airport.

“One veteran at a time” is how Ross Bryant describes his approach to running UNLV’s Military and Veterans Services Center. But as members of the thriving veteran community of 1,700 on campus attest, he brings far more to his job than just an ability to focus.

University, health and city officials gathered for a town hall event Tuesday night looking forward to the development of the UNLV School of Medicine and the medical district surrounding it.

UNLV is among the universities around the country participating in a push by the Obama administration to demographically shore up the Affordable Care Act health insurance marketplace by signing up more young adults.

I stared at the crimson-colored organ sealed in industrial-strength Tupperware and labeled with the international symbol for biohazard.