In the last 30 years, Nevada has evolved from a sparsely and homogenously populated rural outpost to one of the most urban and diverse states in the country. Nevada’s population is now majority-minority. The Las Vegas-Henderson-Paradise Metropolitan statistical area with over 2.2 million residents is the 28th largest in the country and is home to nearly three out of four Nevadans. By 2060, the demographics of the rest of the United States are expected to look a lot like Las Vegas does today.

Let’s not give up on light rail, Las Vegas. The decision last month by the Regional Transportation Commission board to create a rapid bus transit route along Maryland Parkway instead of a light rail system was a disappointment, but it doesn’t have to be the last word on the matter.

Southern Nevada becoming a two-franchise region raises an important question: Can Las Vegas handle a pair of professional teams?

The Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada board recently rejected a plan to build a light rail system along Maryland Parkway, despite public support for the $1 billion proposal.

Six presidential candidates in Las Vegas this weekend will talk about labor in a state whose unions still wield a lot of power.

A Trump administration tax break designed to spur investment by the affluent in low-income neighborhoods may be rewarding investors for infusing their money into already gentrifying areas where no incentive is needed, including two highly-prized locations in Nevada.

The years of studies, presentations and lobbying for light rail on Maryland Parkway in Las Vegas hit a dead end last week.
The Regional Transportation Commission board unanimously voted to install a bus rapid transit line instead of pursuing light rail.

The Brookings Institution’s John Hudak has been a frequent visitor to Las Vegas in recent years, teaching classes at UNLV and giving community presentations both on campus and in special events such as the Las Vegas Metro Chamber of Commerce’s annual Preview expo. This month, he and colleague Richard Reeves took part in a unique event — a debate on single-payer health insurance against members of UNLV’s debate team.

Liu Yuejin, vice commissioner of the National Narcotics Control Commission, speaks during a press conference in Beijing on Monday, April 1, 2019. China announced Monday that all fentanyl-related drugs, as a group, would become controlled substances, effective May 1, a step U.S. officials have long advocated as a way to stem the flow of lethal opioids from China.

This column was submitted to the Sun after the writer, a student at UNLV, attended a special debate this month between members of the university’s debate team and visiting scholars from the Brookings Institution. The topic was whether the U.S. should establish single-payer health insurance coverage.

The news of a national scandal surrounding admissions procedures at top research universities in the U.S. is both disappointing and unsurprising. Families with incomes that would be the envy of most Americans are able to make donations — or offer bribes — to ensure their children’s enrollment at elite universities.

The March 11 editorial “Engaging in civil debate, we learn that ‘we share the truth between us’ ” provides a report on a debate between the UNLV team and scholars from the Brookings Institution.