ReportWire

Tag: Nevada

  • As a Colorado River deadline passes, reservoirs keep declining

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    The leaders of seven states failed to negotiate a deal to share the diminishing waters of the Colorado River by a Trump administration deadline on Saturday, leaving the Southwest in a quagmire with uncertain repercussions while the river’s depleted reservoirs continue to decline.

    Former U.S. Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt said in an interview with The Times that the impasse now appears so intractable that Trump administration officials should take a step back, abandon the current effort and begin all over again.

    Babbitt said he believes it would be a mistake for Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to “try to impose a long-term solution” by ordering major water cuts across the Southwest — which would likely set off a lengthy court battle.

    “We need a fresh start,” Babbitt said. “I believe that in the absence of a unanimous agreement, [the Interior Department] should renew the existing agreements for five years, and then we should start all over. We should scrap the entire process and invent a new one.”

    Officials for the seven states have tried to boost reservoir levels via voluntary water cutbacks and federal payments to farmers who agree to leave fields dry part of the year. But after more than two years of trying to hash out new long-term rules for sharing water, they remain deadlocked; the existing rules are set to expire at the end of this year.

    The states similarly blew past an earlier federal deadline in November.

    Interior Department officials have not said how they will respond. The agency is considering four options for imposing cutbacks starting next year, as well as the option of taking no action.

    Babbitt, who was Interior secretary under President Clinton from 1993 to 2001, said he thinks the Trump administration’s options are too narrow and inadequate. They would place the burden of water cuts on Arizona, California and Nevada while not requiring any for the four other upriver states — Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico.

    Without a consensus, the only reasonable approach is to extend existing water-saving agreements for a few years while making a new push for solutions, Babbitt said.

    Federal officials have “missed the opportunity” to take a strong leadership role, he said, and it’s time to reimagine the effort as a “much more inclusive, public, broad” process.

    The river provides for about 35 million people and 5 million acres of farmland, from the Rocky Mountains to northern Mexico. California uses more water than any other state but has cut back substantially in recent years.

    Since 2000, relentless drought intensified by climate change has sapped the river’s flow and left reservoirs depleted. This winter’s record warmth and lack of storms has left the Rockies with very little snow.

    Lake Mead, the river’s largest reservoir, is now 34% full, while Lake Powell is at 26%.

    “Our states have conserved large volumes of water in recent years,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a joint statement with Arizona’s Katie Hobbs and Nevada’s Joe Lombardo. “Our stance remains firm and fair: all seven basin states must share in the responsibility of conservation.”

    The states’ positions haven’t changed much in the last two years, said JB Hamby, California’s lead negotiator, and moving toward an agreement will require firm commitments for cuts by all.

    Officials representing the four Upper Basin states said they’ve offered compromises and are prepared to continue negotiating. In a written statement, they stressed they are already dealing with substantial water cuts, and said their downstream neighbors are trying to secure water “that simply does not exist.”

    The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s latest forecast shows the amount of runoff flowing into Lake Powell will decrease so dramatically this year that the dropping reservoir levels could render Glen Canyon Dam unable to continue generating electricity.

    The Interior Department said in a written statement Saturday that it will finalize new rules by Oct. 1, and it “cannot delay action.” The agency is accepting comments from the public as part of its review of options until March 2.

    “Negotiation efforts have been productive,” Burgum said. “We believe that a fair compromise with shared responsibility remains within reach.”

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    Ian James

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  • Sex workers in Nevada fighting to become first in U.S. to unionize

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    Pahrump, Nev. — Nevada is the only state where people can legally purchase sex, and now sex workers at one of the state’s oldest brothels are fighting to become the nation’s first to be unionized.

    “We want the same things that any other worker wants. We want a safe and respectful workplace,” said a worker at Sheri’s Ranch in Pahrump, Nevada, who goes by the stage name Jupiter Jetson and asked that her legal name not be used for fear of harassment.

    Prostitution is legal at licensed brothels in 10 of Nevada’s rural counties. That doesn’t include Clark County, home to Las Vegas, though Sheri’s Ranch is about an hour’s drive away.

    The majority of the brothel’s 74 sex workers submitted a petition to unionize with the National Labor Relations Board last week under the name United Brothel Workers, represented by the Communications Workers of America.

    Sex workers, who go by the names Jupiter Jetson, right, and Molly Wylder, pose for a photo in front of Sheri’s Ranch, a brothel In Pahrump, Nev. on Feb. 12, 2026.

    Ian Maule / AP


     Jetson said the drive was spurred by a new independent contractor agreement issued in December that would give the brothel power to use the women’s likeness without permission, even if they no longer work there.

    “This is how you end up the face of a Japanese lubricant company without ever having signed a document,” Jetson said. “This is how you end up finding yourself on a website offering AI companionship without ever seeing a penny.”

    Sex work, and the employment rights of the those who do it, remains a largely taboo topic worldwide. Prostitution is only legal in a handful of countries, including Germany, and organizing efforts vary. In Spain, where prostitution is unregulated, the government approved a union for sex workers in 2018 but a court quickly outlawed it, saying it made the exploitation of prostitutes legal.

    “All workers are guaranteed certain human decencies and dignities, and the right to organize is one of those,” said Marc Ellis, state president of the Nevada Communications Workers of America.

    Sheri’s Ranch respects the right of workers to “express their views on workplace structure,” Jeremy Lemur, the brothel’s marketing and communications director, said in an email. The business’s focus is on providing a “safe, lawful and professionally managed environment.”

    The process could go back and forth for weeks, but the brothel could choose to recognize the Communications Workers of America as the sex workers’ representatives and begin negotiating a new contract immediately, according to union attorneys.

    The workers at Sheri’s Ranch, who call themselves courtesans, were given a new contract in December that would give the brothel control over their intellectual property and power of attorney. The contract, viewed by The Associated Press, said the brothel will have the “irrevocable, worldwide, perpetual, royalty-free, non-exclusive license” to distribute the women’s material.

    Another worker, who goes by the stage name Molly Wylder, said the terms would make it harder for courtesans to leave the industry and pursue other opportunities. For Wylder, sex work is a temporary job to help pay for her student loans. Like Jetson, she asked that her legal name not be used.

    “It was never my plan to stay forever,” Wylder said.

    When the women brought their concerns to management, they were told to sign or leave, they said. The women requested more time to decide, while some signed under duress, Jetson said. The dispute remains ongoing. Lemur did not respond to questions about the women’s concerns.

    Jetson said she and two others were fired after the brothel learned about the unionization effort. The Communications Workers of America is fighting for them to be rehired. Lemur didn’t respond to questions about Jetson’s employment.

    Sex workers are typically classified as independent contractors, said Barb Brents, an expert in Nevada’s sex industry and retired professor at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas. Independent contractors don’t get as many legal protections as employees, but they usually get more freedoms. The success of their unionization could come down to a debate between whether they are considered independent contractors or employees.

    The independent contractor status is fundamental to the workers’ autonomy, said Lemur.

    But the women argue they are treated as employees. They have set schedules, they can’t work from home and they are required to charge a minimum of $1,000 per hour to their clients, Ellis said. Sheri’s Ranch gets 50% of what they earn.

    “In our dream scenario, we would like to be recognized as employees because we would like the full rights and bargaining power that employees have,” Jetson said.

    With many of the women making their own online content, they want their intellectual property protected. They also said they want to negotiate over their dress code – they were recently told they can only wear denim shorts, not pants – and they’d like to see a fairer wage contract.

    Wylder said she’d also like to negotiate for health insurance, with which they’re not provided.

    Other workers in the sex industry have seen success. In Los Angeles, dancers at the topless bar Star Garden became the only unionized group of strippers in the U.S. The Lusty Lady, a San Francisco strip club, was pioneering when its workers unionized in 1997, though it’s now closed.

    Legislation in Washington state known as the “Strippers’ Bill of Rights,” which advocates said included the most comprehensive statewide protections in the nation for adult dancers, was signed into law by then-Gov. Jay Inslee in March 2024.    

    Brents said the Sheri Ranch courtesans’ effort is significant in a stigmatized industry in which its workers historically lay low and stay quiet.

    “It’s pretty amazing and heartening to see so many sex workers standing up for their rights,” she said.

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  • Nevada Nowhere Near Meeting 2030 Greenhouse Gas Emission Goal

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    Nevada fell well short of its greenhouse gas emission-cutting goals in 2025, and it’s poised to be much further behind when the bar raises again in 2030.

    According to the Nevada Department of Environmental Protection (NDEP), the state’s carbon emissions are projected to stay nearly the same over the next five years, reaching less than half of the goals lawmakers hoped to see by 2030.

    Lawmakers in 2019 passed SB254, setting goals of reducing emissions by 28 percent by 2025 over 2005 levels, when greenhouse gas emissions peaked in the state, 45 percent by 2030 and to net zero by 2050. The law did not establish consequences for failing to miss the targets.

    According to NDEP’s annual greenhouse gas emissions report, which the department quietly released just before the new year, the state is set to lower its emissions by just half a percentage point between 2025 and 2030 — nearly 25 percent less than what lawmakers had hoped for.

    Human activities, including burning fossil fuels to generate electricity, power cars and heat homes, release greenhouse gases that most scientists agree are the primary driver of the Earth’s warming climate; its temperature has increased by about 2 degrees Fahrenheit since the Industrial Revolution. The warming is driving a variety of changes, including more erratic weather patterns, prolonged drought, changes in when plants flower and fruit, and snow and ice melting at faster rates. Most experts forecast dramatically worsening effects unless emissions are drastically curbed in the next few years.

    Since 2005, the economic downturn of 2007 to 2009 and the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the retirement of the Mohave and Reid Gardner coal-powered generating stations, have led to substantial reductions in Nevada’s emissions.

    But since the bill’s passage, emission reductions have been largely flat, and are projected to continue to plateau as state and federal policymakers deprioritize the issue of slowing climate change.

    The state is only anticipated to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 20.7 percent by 2030, 24.3 percent short of the legislative target. Nevada’s current trajectory also puts it woefully behind goals of net-zero emissions by 2050.

    Since taking office, Gov. Joe Lombardo, a Republican, has made various moves to distance the state from carbon reduction efforts undertaken by his Democratic predecessor, including pulling the state from a nationwide greenhouse gas reduction coalition, drastically revising the state’s climate strategy and issuing an executive order that, in part, promotes the use of energy sources such as natural gas, a fossil fuel that, while cleaner than coal, still produces substantial emissions.

    Republican President Donald Trump has also taken notable steps favoring fossil fuels and ignoring emission reduction efforts, including withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement, ordering coal plants slated to close to remain open and repealing solar tax credits.

    Former state Sen. Pat Spearman (D-North Las Vegas), one of the primary sponsors of SB254, said she isn’t surprised at the lack of state efforts to reduce emissions, but she is disappointed.

    “It doesn’t matter if you’re in a red state, blue state, purple state or no state. You’re talking about people’s lives,” she told The Nevada Independent. “It’s disappointing that the current administration at the state level has decided to go along with the decisions at the national level. It’s about science. It’s not politics. It’s about science and public policy.”


    Electricity generation, transportation drive emission levels

    Electricity generation and transportation remain the largest emitters in the state, followed by industry and buildings. Combined, they accounted for 91 percent of the state’s emissions in 2025; the remaining 9 percent were from waste and agriculture.

    In 2005, electricity generation drove 45 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. By 2023, with the retirement of the Reid Gardner and Mohave generating stations, emission contributions from electricity generation were down to 26 percent. Lawmakers in 2013 passed legislation requiring NV Energy to shutter its remaining coal plants.

    At the beginning of this year, the utility stopped burning coal at the North Valmy Generating Station, the company’s last coal plant. (It is being converted to burn natural gas.)

    “NV Energy is proud of our work in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the state,” utility spokesperson Meghin Delaney said in an email. “Through careful planning since 2005, NV Energy has been a leader in these efforts and is … transitioning to a less carbon-intensive future.”

    However, projections indicate that current policies will not lead to future reductions in emissions from the electricity generation sector, and it will eventually become static.

    “Continuing to encourage energy efficiency, continuing to adopt renewables will help the power sector, which is where we’ve seen our biggest gains,” said former Sen. Chris Brooks (D-Las Vegas).

    But, he acknowledged, he has concerns, including the pace at which the state is decarbonizing the transportation sector, which is becoming an ever larger piece of the pie.

    In 2010, transportation overtook electricity generation as the largest producer of statewide emissions.

    In 2005, transportation drove 33 percent of emissions; last year, it drove 38 percent. Projections also indicate that unless more aggressive policies are adopted at the state and federal level, transportation emissions will not decrease.

    The 2025 report does reflect some drastic year-over-year increases in emissions from transportation, but that is because of changes in how certain emissions, including jet fuel, have been recalculated using methodology developed at the federal level, according to NDEP.

    “This reflects a change in methodology, not an actual increase in real-world emissions,” according to the department.

    Excluding that, the gap between the state’s reduction goals and projected emissions has been fairly flat since the state’s emission reduction goals were established in 2019, the department told The Nevada Independent in an email.

    Olivia Tanager, executive director of the Toiyabe Chapter of the Sierra Club, said the numbers are concerning and that the state is on a “horrible trajectory.”

    The governor’s office of energy declined to make anyone available for an interview or to provide a statement. The Nevada Department of Transportation and the governor’s office referred requests for an interview to NDEP.

    NDEP declined an interview with The Indy but did agree to answer some questions via email.

    “It is not NDEP’s role to set policy or advocate for specific actions,” the department stated. “Our job is to provide objective information to help decision-makers and the public understand Nevada’s emissions outlook.”

    Enacting change is hard though, requiring corporations to prioritize the environment over profit, governments to introduce effective policies and a change in consumption habits by the general public.

    For Nevada, the report points out, achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 “will require major changes to the State’s transportation system,” “shifts in travel patterns and personal transportation choices” and “a more-strategic approach to Nevada’s investment in infrastructure that includes consideration of the cascading impacts of climate change.”

    Elected in 2022, Lombardo pivoted away from the climate policies of his predecessor, Gov. Steve Sisolak, a Democrat.

    Sisolak signed SB254, the legislation outlining the state’s carbon emission goals, entered a coalition of states focused on reducing emissions and issued an executive order directing state agencies to implement measures outlined in SB254. Those changes would be spearheaded by leaders at the state’s office of energy and at the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, which oversees NDEP. A statewide climate plan was also drafted under his administration.

    Early in his governorship, Lombardo moved in the opposite direction.

    Shortly after taking office, Lombardo issued an executive order outlining his state energy policy objectives. Instead of focusing solely on renewable energy and electrification, it also emphasized a continued use of natural gas.

    That approach, according to the order, would “meet environmental objectives while keeping costs low for Nevadans.”

    Lombardo then pulled the state’s climate plan offline. It took more than a year and a half for the state to get a new plan online.

    “Nevada’s Climate Innovation Plan,” the 33-page document that replaced the former plan, was intended to “mitigate the ever-changing patterns of the environment while also considering economic realities and national security.”

    Critics panned it as having “no data, no goals, and no proposals. It looks backward to what has already been done, instead of charting a path forward,” pointing out that the plan focused on critical mineral production and economic opportunities while lacking focus.

    Later that year, Lombardo withdrew the state from the U.S. Climate Alliance, a coalition of more than two dozen governors committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by advancing climate goals outlined in the Paris Agreement, an international treaty adopted by 196 nations.

    Sisolak enrolled Nevada in the alliance in 2019.

    In his letter withdrawing Nevada from the group, Lombardo stated that the goals of the alliance “conflict with Nevada’s energy policy objectives.”


    Policies affecting emissions

    Several policies that required new cars to emit less pollution were expected to help Nevada get closer to its carbon-cutting goals. But the report notes that some of those rules are in flux, including:

      1. Clean Cars Nevada, which adopted California’s low-emission vehicle standards, went into effect starting with model year 2025 vehicles and was to be applied to all subsequent model years. However, the California Air Resources Board approved new regulations for light-duty vehicles starting with model year 2026 and later light-duty vehicles that Nevada has not adopted; therefore the low-emission standards in Nevada are only applicable to 2025 model year vehicles.

      2. Under former President Joe Biden, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set stricter emission standards for all light-, medium- and heavy-duty vehicles; those rules are being considered for repeal. (The EPA is expected to soon rescind a nearly two-decade-old determination, dubbed by environmentalists as “the endangerment finding,” that is the foundation for regulating greenhouse gas emissions at the federal level, including from vehicles.)

      3. Updated federal fuel economy standard rules that went into effect in 2024, increasing fuel economy by 4 percent by 2032 for passenger cars and light-duty trucks and 18 percent by 2036 for heavy-duty trucks and vans, were effectively eliminated through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act approved by Trump and congressional Republicans over the summer.

    “The decision-makers at all levels of government need to grow a spine and realize we’re on a dangerous and deadly path here,” Tanager said. “The issue is a lack of political will.”

    This story was originally published by The Nevada Independent and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – January 2026

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    Associated Press

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  • AI Set to Drive Efficiency and Innovation Across Las Vegas Casinos

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    Artificial intelligence will change the Las Vegas casino scene, boosting productivity and improving sports betting control, while also posing job challenges in many areas. Industry experts talked about these topics during a recent meetup held by the Economic Club of Las Vegas at Park MGM. They looked at how fast-growing tech could shape the city’s gambling world.

    Panel Explores How AI Is Transforming Sports Betting Oversight and Casino Systems

    Experts from the University of Nevada and Las Vegas International Gaming Institute teamed up with a top exec from KPMG to discuss the pros and cons of AI adoption, as reported by CDC Gaming. They zeroed in on how AI is playing a bigger part in keeping an eye on sports betting. Since 2018, legal sports betting has taken off across the US, creating tons of data every day. AI systems can look at betting trends all over the world, spotting odd patterns that might point to fixed matches or cheating. While tech is becoming a key tool to keep things fair, the speakers stressed that it cannot take the place of human investigators or regulators watching over the industry.

    Beyond protecting the integrity of sports, speakers pointed out how AI could update casino operations. For customer service, computer systems can answer booking questions and solve problems more quickly, often beating regular call centers in speed and reliability. AI also has an impact on back-office teams like accounting, following rules, and financial reports. It can handle everyday paperwork, spot odd things, and make work smoother.

    Experts Predict AI-Driven Shift in Workforce Roles

    However, the productivity gains have an impact on the workforce. As AI tools take over more game design and software development tasks, creating digital content gets cheaper and faster. University experts pointed out that jobs that used to need big teams and loads of money can now be done in hours with AI tools. This change might mean fewer jobs for some tech roles but more jobs for people who can handle, oversee, and guide AI systems.

    The group also talked about how AI could cause a revolution in slot machines and interactive gaming. It could create content on the spot that changes as players use the games. These new ideas could shake up how casinos pull in and keep guests entertained.

    Even as digital technology gains ground, the experts at the conference agreed that Las Vegas’s main appeal comes from real-life experiences. People still flock to the city for shows, sports, and socializing, despite many daily activities moving to the internet. The speakers pointed out that technology cannot match the value of human interaction.

    Looking to the future, AI is set to boost casino efficiency, which could cut running costs. This might lead to better deals for visitors, helping to attract more tourists and reverse recent drops in visitor numbers.While AI is set to shake up regular jobs and methods, big names in the field think people who adjust and use the tech will spot fresh chances. Las Vegas has changed itself many times in the past so it is likely to grow again — mixing cutting-edge tech with the human touch that makes the city special.

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    Silvia Pavlof

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  • “Dances With Wolves” actor Nathan Chasing Horse found guilty of sexual assault

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    A Nevada jury on Friday convicted “Dances With Wolves” actor Nathan Chasing Horse of multiple charges of sexually assaulting a minor.  

    The jurors in Las Vegas found Chasing Horse guilty of 13 of the 21 charges he faced. Most of the guilty verdicts centered on Chasing Horse’s conduct with a victim who was 14 when he began assaulting her. He was acquitted of some sexual assault charges when the main victim was older and lived with him and his other companions. He had pleaded not guilty to all 21 charges. 

    Chasing Horse, 49, faces a minimum of 25 years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for March 11.

    The verdicts mark the climax of a yearslong effort to prosecute Chasing Horse after he was first arrested and indicted in 2023 in a case that sent shock waves through Indian Country. The Nevada Supreme Court ordered the dismissal of Chasing Horse’s original indictment in 2024.

    He has also been charged with sex crimes in other states as well as Canada. British Columbia prosecutors said Friday that once Chasing Horse has been sentenced and any appeals are finished in the U.S., they will assess next steps in their prosecution.

    As the verdict was read, Chasing Horse stood quietly. Victims and their supporters cried and hugged in the hallway while wearing yellow ribbons. The main victim declined to comment.

    Nathan Chasing Horse appears in court for his sexual assault trial on Jan. 20, 2026, in Las Vegas.

    John Locher / AP


    William Rowles, the Clark County chief deputy district attorney, thanked the women who had accused Chasing Horse of assault for testifying.

    “I just hope that the people who came forward over the years and made complaints against Nathan Chasing Horse can find some peace in this,” he said.

    Defense attorney Craig Mueller said he will file a motion for a new trial and told The Associated Press he was confused and disappointed in the jury’s verdict. He said he had some “meaningful doubts about the sincerity of the accusations.”

    “Dances With Wolves” was one of the most prominent films featuring Native American actors when it premiered in 1990. After Chasing Horse appeared in the Oscar-winning film, he traveled across North America and performed healing ceremonies.

    Chasing Horse was born on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota, home to the Sicangu Sioux, one of the seven tribes of the Lakota nation. He is widely known for his portrayal of Smiles a Lot in Kevin Costner’s Oscar-winning film.

    Earlier this month, a week before the trial, Chasing Horse was temporarily thrown out of court after he disrupted proceedings with demands he be allowed to fire his defense attorney.

    His trial came as authorities have responded more in recent years to an epidemic of violence against Native women.

    During the three-week trial, jurors heard from three women who say Chasing Horse sexually assaulted them, some of whom were underage at the time.

    Clark County Deputy District Attorney Bianca Pucci said in her closing statements Wednesday that for almost 20 years, Chasing Horse “spun a web of abuse” that caught many women.

    Mueller said in his closing statements there was no evidence, including eyewitnesses. He questioned the main accuser’s credibility, describing her as a “scorned woman.”

    Prosecutors said sexual assault cases rarely have eyewitnesses and often happen behind closed doors.

    The main accuser was 14 years old in 2012 when Chasing Horse allegedly told her the spirits wanted her to give up her virginity to save her mother, who was diagnosed with cancer. He then sexually assaulted her and told her that if she told anyone, her mother would die, Pucci said during opening statements.

    “Today’s verdict sends a clear message that exploitation and abuse will not be tolerated, regardless of the defendant’s public persona or claims of spiritual authority,” said Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson, who came in to the Las Vegas courtroom to hear the verdict, in a statement.

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  • UNLV: Vegas Slots Are Gradually Increasing Their Hold Percentage

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    A recent study by the UNLV has suggested that slot machines in Nevada are getting tighter, to players’ dismay. And if so, is the slot machine hold percentage still within the legal frame?

    Gamblers Have Been Feeling that Slots Are Getting Tighter

    For context, Nevada law requires all machines to have a return-to-player metric (RTP) of at least 75%. However, the RTP of most modern slot machines is usually much higher, generally reaching 93.5% for retail slots and even more for online slots.

    The benefit of a higher RTP is that they allow players to enjoy gaming longer, making it easier for casinos to foster brand loyalty. However, some players in Nevada have been feeling that the slot machines are getting tighter.

    A few have questioned the recent Nevada gaming industry financials, which show that the state’s casinos are making more money even though visitation has fallen. While this could be simply due to an increase in spending by existing customers, some believe that this could be due to the increase in casino hold percentage – the money casinos keep.

    Casinos Wouldn’t Dare to Break the RTP Rules, UNLV Says

    In its report, the UNLV noted that the average hold percentage for the past two decades has been 6.55, which is well within the legal limit. However, data also suggested that an increase in hold percentage has been gradually taking place, with the casino hold increasing by some 26% in the past 10 years to an average of 7.15% in 2025. This figure was even higher in Las Vegas, where the average hold percentage was as high as 7.57%.

    While this hold percentage isn’t illegal, as angrier players have suggested, the fact is that players have been winning back less money than before. Casino guests tend to prefer higher RTP ratings, which is why many have been unhappy with the change.

    Still, the UNLV was firm that casinos not only did not go above the max 25% hold percentage, but would not do it even if they had the opportunity. According to experts, such metrics would alienate players and, to top it all off, could cost a potential violator their gambling license.

    As a result, the tightest of the tightest slots have an RTP of roughly 86%, while many casinos also sport looser options with an RTP of around 96%.

    The UNLV concluded that the slight increase in hold percentages hasn’t changed the fact that luck plays a huge role in gaming and could mess with statistics. As a result, the monthly reports are not always a reliable indicator of the current RTP settings of slot machines.

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    Fiona Simmons

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  • Martinis at The Cosmo: The Corner Store Reveals Vegas Location

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    The Corner Store is opening in Las Vegas. Nick Johnson

    Eugene Remm, Tilman Fertitta and Catch Hospitality Group will open their second location of The Corner Store at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas this fall. And the goal here, as clear as a clean martini glass, is to not stray at all from the food, vibe, essence and energy that’s made SoHo’s The Corner Store a sensation. 

    As Observer previously reported, the Las Vegas restaurant will have twice the seating of the 75-seat New York restaurant. But the caviar-topped lobster rolls, five-cheese pizza rolls, wagyu French dip, steak frites, ice-cold martinis and Rockwell Group design are all about evoking what makes The Corner Store special in New York.

    “It’s the exact same thing, and that was the intent from the beginning,” Remm tells Observer. “I want to bring the New York experience to Vegas. Yes, it’s double the seats, but the kitchen is three times the size. I’ve got three bars instead of a tiny little bar. Yes, it’ll do more volume, but I don’t have to fight with guests to go down these tiny little stairs in SoHo to get the dishwasher pit to work. So I do not have any doubt that, at 150 seats, we’ll be able to keep the integrity of the food quality, the martini quality and everything that we do.”

    The menu will largely stay the same. The Corner Store

    The Corner Store, Remm says, unapologetically focuses on “classic approachable American cuisine.” It’s familiar. It’s nostalgic. It’s playful. It’s definitely not fusion. There are nods to fast-casual and freezer-aisle food, but everything is made from scratch at The Corner Store. 

    “I think the Cosmo is the perfect epicenter for that type of cuisine,” Remm says. “I feel like that’s exactly where The Corner Store belongs.”

    The Corner Store will take over the Cosmopolitan space currently inhabited by Blue Ribbon American Grill & Oyster Bar, which will close on February 16. The Corner Store is an expansion of the partnership between Remm and MGM Resorts, which has had Catch at Aria since 2018.

    “It’s about trust and having people as partners that are going to be able to execute the vision that you create,” Remm says. “MGM has done a wonderful job in being the shepherd of the Catch brand. They want to be the best. They have a competitive nature that I like. They want to win.”

    MGM Resorts recently expanded its dining portfolio with Carbone Riviera at Bellagio and Gymkhana at Aria, in a city where Cote at the Venetian and the forthcoming opening of Zero Bond and Sartiano’s at Wynn are also ushering in a new era of Vegas glamour.

    “I think everyone is embracing that lifestyle dining and creating experiences are the most important things in the culinary side of any casino,” Remm says. “You’ve got to create spaces that make people excited and also create spaces that are, in my opinion, from somewhere else and hard to get into. Everyone wants to touch what they see on social media. I think Las Vegas was built for that.”

    Martinis at The Cosmo: The Corner Store Reveals Vegas Location

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    Andy Wang

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  • Much of Nevada Plagued by Snow Drought

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    Each winter, high elevation snow blankets mountains for skiers and sledders, forming a natural reservoir that will slowly melt as winter warms into spring and provide a steady flow into creeks and rivers.

    At lower elevations, where it doesn’t linger as long, snow replenishes moisture in the soil and provides water for rangeland plants.

    But on Jan. 1, just 379,000 acres across the West were covered with snow, much less than the usual roughly 1.46 million acres that usually blanket the Western U.S. That’s because the West, including Nevada, is experiencing what meteorologists refer to as a “snow drought.”

    Unseasonably warm temperatures through late fall and early winter have resulted in much of Nevada’s precipitation arriving so far this year as rainfall. Beyond western Nevada, the state’s snowpack is lagging.

    “It was an unusually warm start to the season. When we got storms, we got rain instead of snow in the mountains,” said Jeff Anderson, hydrologist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Nevada. “It’s not just here — there’s been snow level issues all across the West this winter.”

    Maps from the U.S. Drought Monitor show that much of the West, including all of California and most of Nevada, are drought-free or facing just moderate drought because of the heavy rainfall the West has seen this winter. But just observing there is a lack of drought doesn’t paint a complete picture.

    “You can only store so much water in the soil,” said Baker Perry, the state’s climatologist.

    Without snow, ski resorts and other winter industries that rely on snow see diminished revenue. In the spring and summer, farmers, many of whom rely on the steady release of snowmelt for irrigation, face diminished, or even nonexistent, flows. Reduced streamflow also affects municipal water supplies, fisheries and wildlife.

    “The snowpack is the best winter reservoir to store water for summer,” Anderson said.

    When neither rain nor snow falls, it creates the dry conditions most people think of when they hear the word “drought.” Or precipitation can fall as rain instead of snow, as much of the West is experiencing this year.

    “We’ve had good precipitation, and that was especially the case in October and November,” Perry said.

    But Nevada and the Eastern Sierra still closed out 2025 with the lowest snowpack in more than 40 years. The low snowpack — the amount of snow that falls and remains frozen on the ground for several months — thus far is largely because of unseasonably warm temperatures.

    In November, statewide temperatures in Nevada were nearly 6 degrees above “normal” measurements for the last three decades. Some days reached temperatures of 10 degrees or more over normal.

    Reno tied its previous record for warmest November since 1893, and the city didn’t see its first frost until mid-November, setting a record for its latest fall freeze.

    “We’re looking at the future here of the West,” Perry said of the warming temperatures.

    As of Jan. 1, the state’s snowpack was at 74 percent of median (the middle of a range of historical snowpack measurements.) Those numbers are bolstered by the Tahoe, Truckee, Carson and Walker basins, which are all around normal and have a 50-50 chance of reaching the median snowpack by April 1. The rest of the state isn’t faring as well.

    The snow water equivalent — the amount of water contained within the snow — sits at just 24 percent of the median in the Upper Humboldt Basin, while the Lower Humboldt is at 31 percent. It’s the worst start to a winter for that region in nearly a decade, Tim Bardsley, hydrologist at the National Weather Service, said at an early January weather briefing. The basin has just a 20 percent chance of reaching its median snowpack.

    The Ruby Mountains outside Elko also have record low snow water amounts.

    Across the rest of the West, “It’s really a mixed bag,” Bardsley said.


    Less snow, more tension in
    Colorado River negotiations

    The Colorado River Basin, which spans hundreds of square miles, is also struggling with warm temperatures and low snowfall.

    While the Northern Rockies have a decent snowpack, Arizona, New Mexico, Utah and southern Colorado, all regions that rely on the over-tapped Colorado River for water, are “in pretty poor condition,” Bardsley said.

    Nearly a quarter of snow measuring stations in Colorado with at least 20 years of data were at record lows on Christmas Day; temperatures were between 15 and 25 degrees above normal.

    More than three-quarters of snow measuring sites in the state, as well as Utah, Arizona and New Mexico, were below the 20th percentile in early January, despite much of the river basin receiving more than 100 percent of normal precipitation.

    The Colorado River’s two main reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, are at 33 percent and 26 percent of capacity, respectively. The reservoirs are plagued by an imbalance between water supply and demand.

    For the last several years, Nevada, the smallest user of Colorado River water, has seen a 7 percent cut to its allotment. Because Southern Nevada doesn’t use its full allotment, water users don’t usually notice the cut.

    Bronson Mack, spokesperson for Southern Nevada Water Authority, said no further additional cuts to the state’s water allocations are expected this year.

    Earlier this month, the federal Bureau of Reclamation released its proposed guidelines for the operation and management of Powell and Mead at the year’s end if the seven states that rely on the Colorado River for water can’t come to an agreement about how to manage ongoing shortfalls.

    The draft environmental impact statement outlines various proposals for the river’s management, although the states, including Nevada, are seeking to draft their own agreement rather than having guidelines imposed on them.

    While some groups celebrated any movement toward a resolution, others said the federal draft guidelines penalize southern states.

    “It is clear federal officials are determined to prop up Lake Powell and limit the pain for the Upper Basin while the Lower Basin bears the brunt,” Kyle Roerink, executive director of the Great Basin Water Network, said of the draft guidelines in a press release.

    A final decision on the river’s future is slated for Oct. 1, the start of the new water year.

    This story was originally published by The Nevada Independent and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – January 2026

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  • At CES, Auto and Tech Companies Transform Cars Into Proactive Companions

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    LAS VEGAS (AP) — In a vision of the near future shared at CES, a girl slides into the back seat of her parents’ car and the cabin instantly comes alive. The vehicle recognizes her, knows it’s her birthday and cues up her favorite song without a word spoken.

    “Think of the car as having a soul and being an extension of your family,” Sri Subramanian, Nvidia’s global head of generative AI for automotive, said Tuesday.

    Subramanian’s example, shared with a CES audience on the show’s opening day in Las Vegas, illustrates the growing sophistication of AI-powered in-cabin systems and the expanding scope of personal data that smart vehicles may collect, retain and use to shape the driving experience.

    Across the show floor, the car emerged less as a machine and more as a companion as automakers and tech companies showcased vehicles that can adapt to drivers and passengers in real time — from tracking heart rates and emotions to alerting if a baby or young child is accidentally left in the car.

    Bosch debuted its new AI vehicle extension that aims to turn the cabin into a “proactive companion.” Nvidia, the poster child of the AI boom, announced Alpamayo, its new vehicle AI initiative designed to help autonomous cars think through complex driving decisions. CEO Jensen Huang called it a “ChatGPT moment for physical AI.”

    But experts say the push toward a more personalized driving experience is intensifying questions about how much driver data is being collected.

    “The magic of AI should not just mean all privacy and security protections are off,” said Justin Brookman, director of marketplace policy at Consumer Reports.

    Unlike smartphones or online platforms, cars have only recently become major repositories of personal data, Brookman said. As a result, the industry is still trying to establish the “rules of the road” for what automakers and tech companies are allowed to do with driver data.

    That uncertainty is compounded by the uniquely personal nature of cars, Brookman said. Many people see their vehicles as an extension of themselves — or even their homes — which he said can make the presence of cameras, microphones and other monitoring tools feel especially invasive.

    “Sometimes privacy issues are difficult for folks to internalize,” he said. “People generally feel they wish they had more privacy but also don’t necessarily know what they can do to address it.”

    At the same time, Brookman said, many of these technologies offer real safety benefits for drivers and can be good for the consumer.

    On the CES show floor, some of those conveniences were on display at automotive supplier Gentex’s booth, where attendees sat in a mock six-seater van in front of large screens demonstrating how closely the company’s AI-equipped sensors and cameras could monitor a driver and passengers.

    “Are they sleepy? Are they drowsy? Are they not seated properly? Are they eating, talking on phones? Are they angry? You name it, we can figure out how to detect that in the cabin,” said Brian Brackenbury, director of product line management at Gentex.

    Brackenbury said it’s ultimately up to the car manufacturers to decide how the vehicle reacts to the data that’s collected, which he said is stored in the car and deleted after the video frames, for example, have been processed. “

    “One of the mantras we have at Gentex is we’re not going to do it just because we can, just because the technology allows it,” Brackebury said, adding that “data privacy is really important.”

    Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – December 2025

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  • States Push to Keep Sports Betting Under Control Amid Prediction Market Expansion

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    Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford announced that he helped lead a coalition of 37 states and the District of Columbia in submitting an amicus brief to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, supporting states’ long-established power to regulate sports betting within their borders.

    Dozens of States Submit a Brief in Support of Internal Sports Betting Regulation

    The core issue in the appeal is whether a federally regulated event-contracts platform can offer “sports event contracts” (essentially yes/no outcome contracts) that effectively function like sports betting, while avoiding state licensing, taxes, and responsible-gambling rules. This directly challenges prediction markets such as Kalshi, which assert they can operate nationwide because they are officially registered in the US as a Designated Contract Market (DCM) under the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

    It’s interesting to note that the Trump family has ties to the two largest prediction market platforms, Kalshi and Polymarket. The latter, in particular, is planning a return to the United States after the company recently received a go-ahead from the CFTC.

    Kalshi, Polymarket, and other prediction markets assert that their platforms are financial trading, not gambling. They argue that prediction markets function like a derivatives exchange where users trade contracts that pay out based on event outcomes. The company has been doubling down on its mission, as recently, Kalshi set up a research team that aims to give a better understanding of forecasting through market data.

    However, states maintain that the federal framework governing derivatives markets was never intended to bypass state gambling laws. Allowing it to do so would create a regulatory loophole, potentially letting sports betting products expand without the licensing and consumer-protection safeguards that states have established through years of regulated wagering, the states argue.

    Nevada Attorney General Doesn’t Budge

    In a press release, Nevada Attorney General Ford said that the state is widely recognized as the foundational home of sports wagering. States, not federal financial regulators, have decades of experience safeguarding consumers, maintaining the integrity of sporting events, and addressing issues like underage gambling, he explained.

    Ford added that he is proud to lead this effort alongside a bipartisan coalition of states to emphasize that Congress did not quietly strip states of their authority to regulate sports betting. He further explained that permitting unregulated betting nationwide would disrupt that balance without explicit authorization.

    For the time being, the coalition is urging the Fourth Circuit to maintain the current framework. This means that states should continue to license and regulate sports betting, while federal oversight remains focused on its original role of supervising derivatives markets rather than supplanting state gaming authority.

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  • Outside Study Paints Picture of Staffing Crisis at Nevada Prisons

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    Nevada’s prison system has a “staffing crisis” that is leading to worsening conditions for incarcerated people, skyrocketing overtime costs and declining morale among employees, according to a third-party study conducted earlier this year.

    In a more than 230-page report completed in late June, which The Nevada Independent received through a public records request and has not been previously published, outside analysts from Corrections Consulting Services uncovered a lack of supervisors on duty at night, possible lapses in compliance with federal requirements to reduce prison sexual assaults and yearslong waits to resolve prisoner grievances, among other issues it said were detrimental to staff and prisoner safety.

    The agency’s vacancy rate stands at 18.8 percent, a decrease from the 2023 peak of about 33 percent but a slight increase from earlier this year. The report recommended adding about 800 new positions, which would require legislative approval and cost the state tens of millions of dollars every year.

    NDOC Director James Dzurenda said at a legislative hearing earlier this year that the findings would be included in a six-year implementation plan across the next three budget cycles. NDOC did not respond to multiple requests for an interview with Dzurenda.

    Beyond that, it’s an open question what the study will mean for the agency’s plans, and lawmakers — who backed significant criminal justice reforms in 2019 to curb prison population and expenses — said the report’s recommendation to add hundreds of positions would be a tall order.

    “That’s always the balance we’re trying to strike — you can’t give everybody everything,” Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager (D-Las Vegas) said. “What can we do across executive agencies to make sure folks are staffed to the degree we can afford the staff?”

    Nevada has long struggled to sufficiently staff its prisons, with competition coming from local law enforcement agencies that pay more and challenges in recruiting workers to facilities located in remote parts of the state. For the past three legislative sessions, lawmakers have sought clarity on the prison system’s staffing shortages, but the timing of the report means any potential legislative response won’t come until 2027.

    “At the end of the day, the executive branch should have prioritized this coming out of the 2023 legislative session,” Sen. Rochelle Nguyen (D-Las Vegas) said in an interview. “As a legislative body, we were trying to fix things with half information because that study wasn’t there.”

    The governor’s office did not respond to a request for comment about the study’s findings.

    The agency’s staffing shortages have been front and center this year as it faced a $53 million budget hole because of spiraling overtime costs that have shown little signs of relenting. Although there have been efforts to limit overtime costs — such as adding new positions during the legislative session and prioritizing cracking down on overdoses to limit hospital trips — the study’s findings underscore the problems go far beyond high overtime costs.

    Activities affected by the staffing shortages include everything from prisoners’ access to classes and showers to phone usage. The report said this makes everyone in the facility less safe by creating “an environment of continued lockdowns and idleness.”

    “Having phone calls, having recreation, having access to medical care, having education and library — all of those things are basic functions that should be happening in a prison,” said Jodi Hocking, the executive director of Return Strong, a nonprofit inmate advocacy group.

    There is also skepticism that certain recommendations will be adopted.

    Months after the initial study was completed, lawmakers approved funding for another analysis focused on High Desert State Prison (the largest prison in Nevada), which Dzurenda told lawmakers would provide more tailored recommendations on how to right the staffing ship.

    The June report recommended 12-hour shifts across all facilities, mandatory days off for correctional officers and an audit of internal agency operations, in addition to the hundreds of new positions.

    “The fact that they’re going to another company again should tell you all you need to know,” said Paul Lunkwitz, the president of the Fraternal Order of Police Nevada C.O. Lodge 21, the union representing correctional officers. “They didn’t hear what they wanted to hear.”

    Asked whether it intends to adopt recommendations that do not require legislative approval, NDOC said it is still in the collaboration and decision-making process, and that any changes to schedules must comply with collective bargaining agreements.

    It also declined to comment on the second study because it has not seen any findings.

    All detention facilities are required to have an official tasked with ensuring compliance with the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act, but these positions are still needed in nine of the 14 facilities covered in the report, according to the report.

    “While these requirements are demanding for agencies, they are crucial for maintaining a safe and humane environment for offenders and for preparing them for successful reentry into the community,” the report said.

    NDOC said it has an official to oversee the state’s compliance with the requirements, and that each facility has an employee focused on compliance on top of their regular duties. The law mandates that the designated official have “sufficient time and authority to coordinate the facility’s efforts to comply.”

    Minimal staffing has also prolonged the prisoner grievance process, with some formal written complaints pending for about six years — far beyond the required time limits, which differ depending on the type of grievance. The report recommended more positions to coordinate inmate grievances, noting the wait times could expose the state to litigation.

    “The grievance process is really their constitutional right to due process. It is the way that we make sure that we balance power and that people who are incarcerated have an avenue to get their concerns addressed,” said Hocking from Return Strong, who added that her organization has also seen grievances never get logged in the first place.

    NDOC said it contracted with an ombudsman to address the grievance delays. Hocking added that her group’s request to learn more about the ombudsman’s work has gone nowhere.

    There were also instances of no supervisors on call for night shifts. The presence of supervisors is critical to ensure proper procedures are being followed and to advise inexperienced officers, according to the report, which recommended adding an additional sergeant on staggered schedules to cover night shifts.

    “The safeguard against misconduct, corruption, abuse, or even apathy is the presence of first line supervisors,” the report said.

    There are also facility-specific staffing concerns.

    At Ely State Prison, which houses about 1,200 people, there is only one mental health professional, much lower than one recommended ratio of a mental health professional per every 150-160 inmates. In addition, employees think “shortcuts are being made to train the new staff and deploy them in a shorter timeframe to meet staffing needs” and staff members must escort high-risk people with less than the recommended three officers.

    At High Desert State Prison, which is located northwest of Las Vegas, correctional officers have had to work extra shifts on days off. And at Jean and Carlin conservation camps, there is a significant lack of visitors pat-downs because of limited staff, which could make it harder to find contraband, according to the report.

    Lunkwitz said the agency’s actions make him skeptical the report will lead to significant changes.

    He specifically pointed to the length of officers’ shifts. Similar to what the report recommended, the union has long preferred 12-hour shifts — which offer more days off — but Lunkwitz said the agency has been hesitant. The Northern Nevada Correctional Center in Carson City recently went from 12-hour to eight-hour shifts, prompting the departure of about 20 officers, Lunkwitz said.

    “When we want a work-life balance and ask to have this work-life balance established and keep it that way, and you get denied, you get what’s called ‘administrative betrayal,’” Lunkwitz said. “You don’t trust your administration to look out for your best interest.”

    During an October legislative hearing, Dzurenda had his own skepticism about the first report’s findings on new positions.

    The analysis calculated its job recommendations by determining the number of positions necessary to cover a single post. However, Dzurenda said the analysis occurred when the agency had a higher vacancy rate, so it inflated the numbers on how many new positions are needed now.

    Nguyen was also skeptical about the recommendation for hundreds of new positions because there would still be an estimated $13 million in overtime costs.

    Hocking also cautioned that adding staff isn’t going to help without other changes, such as better supervision and training.

    “More officers don’t equal safer conditions,” she said.

    This story was originally published by The Nevada Independent and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.

    Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

    Photos You Should See – December 2025

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  • Kalshi Faces Rising Risk in Nevada as Court Ruling Clears Way for Enforcement

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    Kalshi’s push to secure a nationwide presence is clashing with Nevada’s historic view of gambling regulation. The ongoing legal tension in the state could soon extend beyond civil litigation. After a federal judge refused to give the prediction market a stay, Kalshi is now facing potential enforcement action in the state, including the risk of criminal liability.

    Kalshi’s Expansion into Sports Riled State Regulators

    The latest ruling dissolved a preliminary injunction that was shielding Kalshi from state regulators. The Nevada Gaming Control Board is now free to act on its prior cease-and-desist order, which accused the company of offering sports products without a state license. According to Nevada law, unlicensed sports betting is a serious offense with steep penalties.

    Kalshi’s legal position rests on its federal registration with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The company insists that its event contracts are financial instruments, not wagers, and are consequently governed by federal commodities law rather than state gaming regulations. This argument was pivotal to Kalshi’s successful forays into political prediction markets ahead of the presidential election.

    However, sports have proven to be a significantly more divisive issue. Many argue that Kalshi, which now offers contracts relating to the NFL, NBA, and college games, looks suspiciously similar to a traditional sportsbook. This pivot has alarmed state regulators, who state that Kalshi’s sports-related offerings directly infringe on local gambling law.

    The Platform Faces Rising Pressure

    Judge Andrew Gordon’s recent ruling made clear he is unconvinced by Kalshi’s reading of federal law. While Gordon acknowledged that the legal questions are complex, he ultimately concluded that Kalshi was unlikely to prevail. That conclusion was enough to deny a stay, leaving the company exposed while it seeks relief from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

    An appellate ruling could take weeks. Meanwhile, Kalshi faces a difficult choice. It could block access to its services in Nevada, similar to Crypto.com, which lost a similar court fight. Alternatively, Kalshi could continue operating and risk enforcement action such as fines, injunctions, and, in extreme cases, criminal charges.

    Kalshi has been vocal against state-by-state shutdowns, arguing that geofencing is costly and potentially inconsistent with CFTC rules. However, other platforms have managed to limit access when necessary, undermining Kalshi’s arguments. Regulators in Ohio, New York, Maryland, and Connecticut have also raised objections to Kalshi’s sports markets, adding to the platform’s legal woes.

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  • Geno Smith’s frustration boils over with obscene gesture toward fed-up Raiders fans

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    HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — All indications since he joined the Raiders this year are that Geno Smith is popular and well-respected in the locker room, and his interactions with the media have mostly been positive.

    But everyone has a breaking point, and Smith might have reached his on Sunday.

    After he was sacked 10 times in a 24-10 loss to Cleveland and booed from the moment he was introduced, Smith was seen making an obscene gesture toward fans as he left the field. Shortly thereafter, his answers in the postgame news conference were uncharacteristically brief.

    The Raiders pointed to a statement they issued to the Las Vegas Review-Journal regarding the incident with fans.

    “We are disappointed in his actions and have discussed the incident with Geno,” the statement read. “We hold the Raider Nation in the highest regard and take this matter seriously.”

    It’s understandable why Smith is frustrated. This isn’t the kind of season he and coach Pete Carroll envisioned when the Raiders traded with Seattle to land him. Both had success with the Seahawks and had every intention of translating that to Las Vegas.

    Smith even spoke at his introductory news conference of having “unfinished business.”

    But 11 games and an NFL-high 13 interceptions later, his business with the Raiders may be closer to finished. Judging Smith as the starting quarterback is tricky, however, given how inept the offensive line — coached by Carroll’s son, Brennan — has been.

    Smith had virtually no chance against Myles Garrett and the Browns’ pass rush, and as Carroll said Monday regarding the offensive line, “We got the guys we got.”

    But Smith will have a new offensive coordinator and play-caller in Greg Olson, the interim replacement for Chip Kelly, who was fired Sunday night. Maybe Olson, in his third stint as the Raiders’ OC, will find a way to help Smith play better than he has to this point.

    That Carroll has fired two coordinators in the same month — special teams boss Tom McMahon was let go on Nov. 7 — is more than telling. Carroll had never fired a coordinator in-season before he got to Las Vegas.

    “I’m really surprised as well that this has happened, but I think our players deserve it, and our fans deserve that we give them our best shot, and that’s what competing is all about,” Carroll said. “It’s just a very difficult time to have to do this … but we’re 2-9. So, unfortunately, that’s where we are.”

    What’s working

    DE Maxx Crosby. When is he not? Crosby always brings it, in practices or games. He was sensational even by his standards against the Browns, recording a personal-high five tackles for loss. His 19 tackles for loss this season are on pace to surpass the 23 he registered in 2023, when Crosby led the league in that category for the second year in a row. He trails only the 26 by Browns superstar Myles Garrett.

    What needs help

    The offensive line. If T Kolton Miller returns from injury at some point, it will get at least a little better. But any true improvement will have to occur in the offseason. This line might be the NFL’s worst and will need an overhaul. Giving up 10 sacks even to a stellar Browns defensive front is inexcusable, but the lack of pass protection and run blocking is not new.

    Stock up

    Move up the boards. The Raiders are up to fifth in next year’s draft order, and there’s a real chance they won’t win again this season. If Las Vegas loses out, the Raiders could put themselves in line to draft Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and maybe find the franchise quarterback they so desperately need.

    Stock down

    Job security. With two coordinators gone already, no one can feel too comfortable about their future in Las Vegas. That includes Carroll. Massive change figures to come in the offseason, and given how this season is playing out, it would be difficult to argue for the status quo.

    Injuries

    The Raiders got some rare good news with RB Ashton Jeanty (ankle) avoiding serious injury. He is not expected to miss any time. …There is still hope Miller (ankle) will return by the end of the season, but Carroll said his situation was “more week to week” than day to day.

    Key number

    8 — The number of play-callers the Raiders have had since October 2021, including Olson twice.

    Next steps

    The Raiders visit their AFC West rival Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.

    ___

    AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

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  • Ruling Stops Kalshi from Offering Sports Contracts in Nevada

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    A Las Vegas federal court has given Nevada gaming regulators the go-ahead to act against Kalshi, a prediction-market operator. 

    Nevada Regulators Gain Ground as Court Blocks Kalshi’s Bid to Offer Sports-Based Markets

    This decision puts a stop, at least for now, to the company’s attempts to offer sports-related contracts in the state. US District Judge Andrew Gordon made this ruling on Monday, overturning his earlier preliminary order from April. That previous order had protected the firm from enforcement while its lawsuit against state officials was ongoing.

    Gordon concluded that Kalshi’s view of its business would put sports betting under the sole control of the federal commodities regulator. He said this stance goes against long-standing lines between federal oversight and state control of gambling, reported The Nevada Independent. He pointed out that treating sports outcomes as regulated derivatives would upset decades of regulatory practice and lacked support from congressional intent.

    Betting platforms like Kalshi let traders buy and sell binary contracts linked to real-world results. The company says it works as a supervised exchange under the Commodity Futures Trading Commission‘s watch. However, officials in Nevada, along with almost two dozen other states and tribal areas, argue these contracts are just another type of sports betting that state law covers.

    Fresh evidence shown in recent hearings seemed to have an impact on the court’s viewpoint. Gordon highlighted certain football-related bets, such as wagers on when touchdowns would happen, as cases that weakened Kalshi’s claim that its products serve wider economic goals beyond just betting. In past cases involving another platform Crypto.com, he came to a similar conclusion, deciding that contracts linked to sports did not count as swaps under federal law.

    After the ruling, Nevada gaming regulators reported that Kalshi had not stopped its operations in the state yet. They indicated they would fight any appeal by the company to halt enforcement during its appeal process. Kalshi said it did not agree with the decision and planned to ask the Ninth Circuit to review it. The company emphasized that its exchange differs from state-licensed sportsbooks.

    The decision also affects Robinhood, which offers Kalshi’s contracts to its customers. Gordon turned down the brokerage’s request for temporary protection. He pointed out that Robinhood could lessen any disruption to its business by blocking Nevada residents until the case ends.

    The fight over prediction markets is spreading across several federal courts, with judges handing down conflicting opinions on how to classify these platforms. Legal experts say the mix of rulings makes it more likely that the dispute could end up at the US Supreme Court since the CFTC has stayed quiet on the issue.

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  • Motor Racing-FBI’s Patel, Homeland Security’s Noem Attend Las Vegas Grand Prix

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    LAS VEGAS (Reuters) -FBI Director Kash Patel and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem were in attendance at the Las Vegas Grand Prix on Saturday, arriving on the red carpet with Formula One CEO Stefano Domenicali before touring the paddock and McLaren’s garage.

    “This is a fantastic event to celebrate not just these drivers and teams but also the great competition F1 is,” Noem told Reuters.

    “We’re just glad everyone could come and do it securely.”

    Patel said he was “absolutely” an F1 fan and that he supported McLaren.

    Asked whether he would switch allegiances when the American team Cadillac joins the grid next year, Patel hedged.

    “I’ll have to see how they do,” he said.

    Security at major events in Las Vegas has been heightened since a gunman killed 58 people and wounded more than 500 more at a country music festival in 2017 in the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history.

    The third edition of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, which is held along the Las Vegas Strip, has drawn a raft of celebrities including Beyonce and Jay-Z, who met with Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton before the race, and actress Cynthia Erivo of Wicked fame.

    (Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

    Copyright 2025 Thomson Reuters.

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  • How to Watch Nevada vs Wyoming: Live Stream NCAA College Football, TV Channel

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    The Wyoming Cowboys (4-6) look to stop a two-game skid on Saturday when they host the Nevada Wolf Pack (2-8) in a Mountain West Conference clash in Laramie.

    How to Watch Nevada vs Wyoming

    • When: Saturday, November 22, 2025
    • Time: 2:00 PM ET
    • TV Channel: Altitude Sports
    • Live Stream: Fubo (try for free)

    Wyoming fell to 2-4 in the Mountain West last week and put itself in a position to have to win its final two games to reach bowl eligibility, with its rainy 24-3 loss at Fresno State. Samuel Harris ran for 102 yards on 12 carries, but the rest of the offense struggled, with Kaden Anderson getting benched after going 6-of-23 for 64 yards and an interception. The Cowboys managed just nine first downs and 184 yards of total offense in the loss. 

    Nevada snapped a seven-game losing streak and got its first Mountain West victory in style last week, smashing visiting San Jose State 55-10. The Wolf Pack led 31-0 at halftime, with Caleb Ramseur finishing with 128 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries while Chubba Purdy and Dominic Kelly also scored on the ground. Carter Jones finished 16-of-19 for 195 yards and two TDs, one to Ramseur and the other to Purdy. Murvin Kenion III had two of the defense’s four interceptions, with Nakian Jackson and Bryson Snelling also recording picks.

    Wyoming hosts Nevada for the first time since 2019 and won the teams’ last meeting in Reno, taking a 42-6 victory on Nov. 25, 2023. The Cowboys lead the all-time series 6-4.

    This is a great college football matchup that you will not want to miss; make sure to tune in and catch all the action.

    Live stream Nevada at Wyoming on Fubo: Start your subscription now!

    Fubo is the place for wall-to-wall college football coverage. They bring you the biggest games and the best teams across the country from a wide range of conferences. Stream every snap on top channels like ABC, FOX, NBC, CBS, ESPN, SEC Network, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, FS1, and more.

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  • Sphere’s ‘The Wizard of Oz’ Walks an Uneasy Line Between Cinematic Enchantment and A.I. Slop

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    A.I. restoration makes landscapes sharper, but it also pushes Dorothy, her friends and especially the extras toward an uncanny smoothness that feels oddly post-human. Photo: Stephen Garrett for Observer

    Anyone unimpressed with Glinda’s newly gifted vehicular spherical globe in Wicked: For Good might follow the Yellow Brick Road to Las Vegas and its own magic bubble. James Dolan’s Sphere, known mainly for hosting live concerts, is currently the home of a wildly distended, dazzlingly supersized and grotesquely manipulated version of 1939’s classic film The Wizard of Oz.

    All the action unfolds on a 160,000-square-foot LED screen with 16K resolution, dominating its viewers with an image over 300 feet high. (IMAX, eat your heart out.) Capacity for the event is 10,000 for each screening, and audiences have been coming in droves since it opened on August 28. The initial run-through, scheduled to end on March 31, has now been extended through May.

    Not quite the cinematic reinterpretation that the pair of Wicked films offer, this newly bedazzled curio—known formally as The Wizard of Oz at Sphere and presented in 4D—is, in its own way, just as subversive, if not downright corny. Brace for a teeth-rattling tornado sequence with actual wind machines blowing debris all around while your haptic seat shakes and quivers! Dodge the Styrofoam apples that fall from the ceiling when the sentient trees throw their fruit at Dorothy! Feel the Great and Powerful Oz thunder his declarations while white flashes and bursts of flames pop around the venue’s perimeter! And are those mannequin-sized drones buzzing overhead doubling as flying monkeys?

    The butchery is undeniable: This Sphere-ified Oz is 75 minutes long, nearly 30 minutes shorter than the beloved classic. Hope you’re not a big fan of the Cowardly Lion, because his song about being the King of the Forest is totally gone. Other nips and tucks include less time with the villainous Almira Gulch, a truncated visit to Professor Marvel, shortened conversations with Glinda the Good, a condensed version of “Ding-Dong the Witch is Dead,” plus abbreviated introductions to the Scarecrow, the Tin Man and the Cowardly Lion.

    A dark, stormy sky hangs over a massive fortress-like castle as a line of uniformed guards marches across a bridge toward its gate, evoking the Wicked Witch’s castle from The Wizard of Oz.A dark, stormy sky hangs over a massive fortress-like castle as a line of uniformed guards marches across a bridge toward its gate, evoking the Wicked Witch’s castle from The Wizard of Oz.
    Sphere’s version heightens every iconic sequence, amplifying the story’s visual drama far beyond the original. Photo: Stephen Garrett for Observer

    But there’s more than enough spectacle to impress. The film is literally expanded in all directions, giving a truly immersive dimension to Hollywood’s adaptation of Frank L. Baum’s fairy tale. You think the Tin Man gets buffed and shined in the Emerald City? This Oz is digitally zhuzhed and A.I.-enhanced beyond belief, with beautifully crisp landscapes and buildings that feel uncannily real.

    Sepia-toned Kansas is even more starkly handsome, with razor-sharp bales of hay, lifelike barnyard chickens and cows and an expansive copper sky overhead. When Dorothy sings about happy little bluebirds in “Over the Rainbow,” one of those chirping warblers is now soaring above to match her upward gaze.

    And when that twister uses its gale-force winds to lift up Dorothy’s house, we’re no longer on the inside looking out; now we’re in the eye of the storm, watching not only the house fly by but also swirling bovines, airborne men in a rowboat and—in an extended version of the iconic sequence—a bicycling Ms. Gulch transformed into the broomstick-riding Wicked Witch of the West. (Look straight up at Sphere’s domed ceiling, by the way, and you can see right out of the tornado’s cylindrical form and notice a perfectly calm circle of sky.)

    One set piece after another amazes. The Yellow Brick Road looks newly-paved in its bright canary hue; the merry old Land of Oz has vast rolling hills and picture-perfect mountains; candy-colored Munchkinland is an absolutely vibrant village; the Haunted Forest has a vividly menacing darkness; And the Emerald City, with extended towers and ornately expanded walls, shimmers in all its Art Deco glory. The Wizard’s vast, dark green Chamber now has a skylight; the Wicked Witch’s castle looms with extra wickedness. And the ruby slippers shine with vibrant intensity. The glammed-up production design is absolutely astounding.

    There’s only one problem, and it’s a big one: the cast. No amount of digital wizardry (yet) can convincingly re-render actual 1939-era actors into a 2025 production. You can only upconvert the visual resolution of the film’s characters so much—completely wiping away the film grain eliminates skin pores, leaving faces eerily smooth and plastic.

    Dorothy and her trio look like they’ve been peeled off the impeccably revivified Yellow Brick Road and then placed back, like sticker-book figurines. There’s a loss of gravity to their movements. At times, they even seem to be floating. Toto, too, with his shock of matted fur, seems digitally fuzzy. And other people have garish enhancements: the Wicked Witch suddenly has a hugely prominent black hair growing out of the mole on her green chin.

    Even worse are the background actors. The main reason why so many scenes were trimmed and cut from the original film wasn’t necessarily to tighten up the running time; it was also to cannibalize the Extras and reinsert them on the left and right sides of the newly extended, digitally enhanced scenery.

    So Munchkinland now has crowds of people standing behind Dorothy, in an A.I.-sweetened loop where they rock back and forth, waving their arms or shifting their weight endlessly in a computer-generated spell that prolongs their screen time. Some of the Extras’ faces look smeared and oddly deformed, due to those same A.I. enhancements. More than a few times, they even stare, with dead-eyed smiles, straight into the camera. It’s deeply unsettling and more than a little distracting.

    A giant projected head with greenish skin and glowing eyes looms over fiery bursts of red smoke, representing the exaggerated Wizard figure in Sphere’s reimagined version of the film.A giant projected head with greenish skin and glowing eyes looms over fiery bursts of red smoke, representing the exaggerated Wizard figure in Sphere’s reimagined version of the film.
    A.I. augmentation brings new clarity and scale to the film’s world, even as it introduces uncanny distortions. Photo: Stephen Garrett for Observer

    Intriguingly, many scenes have less editing in them: instead of cutting between the Tin Man’s solo dance and a shot of Dorothy and the Scarecrow watching him, for example, all three of them now share the same enormous frame—the Tin Man in the middle, Dorothy and the Scarecrow on the right. Thanks again to A.I., the Tin Man’s entire dance routine is seamless. But now Dorothy and the Scarecrow’s sight lines don’t match. Dorothy actually looks a bit bored, and seems to be staring off into the distance.

    Worst of all is how A.I. has compromised the film’s emotionally poignant climax. In the original film, when Dorothy says goodbye to her companions, the camera fills the frame with them one at a time for each tender farewell. At Sphere, all three stand in a row, waiting for Dorothy to talk to them. Weirdly, each one is slightly out of focus—and each only comes into focus once Dorothy starts to talk to them. When she stops talking to them, they stop emoting and go back out of focus. Then, like the Extras, each one goes into a powered-down mode, shifting back and forth as though in a trance.

    As an example of cutting-edge technology used to turn a national cultural treasure into a gloriously kinetic thrill ride, The Wizard of Oz at Sphere is certainly great and powerful. As a tool for enhancing the power of human connection through storytelling, it needs to keep waving its magic wands. We’re definitely not in Kansas anymore, but we still have a long way to go before we get to Oz.

    Sphere’s ‘The Wizard of Oz’ Walks an Uneasy Line Between Cinematic Enchantment and A.I. Slop

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  • Preparing to study abroad requires knowing what might go wrong during and after the trip

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    After spending two college semesters in northern Thailand, Sarah Jongsma found herself back home in the rural Nevada town where she grew up, surrounded by everything familiar yet feeling strangely out of place.

    “It caught me off guard,” she said. “I didn’t know what was going on.”

    Only later, after a summer studying in India and while preparing to go to France for another semester abroad, did Jongsma understand what she had been feeling: reverse culture shock.

    The 22-year-old’s experience shows that studying abroad can be challenging in unexpected ways. Experts say that’s why students need to study up on not only safety precautions and cultural differences, but also the emotional shifts that may come with leaving home — and returning to it.

    Planning for low points and potential disappointments, experts say, can help students focus on making the most of a trip that is exciting, challenging and life-changing.

    “The value and purpose of studying abroad is to learn about the rest of the world as well as learn about yourself. In fact, it is the juxtaposition of having your assumptions tested that you can gain from studying abroad and helps you understand yourself even better,” said Bill Bull, vice president of risk management for the Council on International Educational Exchange, which facilitates high school, college and faculty study-abroad programs.

    Here are some tips that experts and students recommend for anyone heading off to learn in a foreign country:

    Before you travel

    Along with having an up-to-date passport and a visa, if their host country requires one, students need to be aware of potential risks and cultural expectations based on their ethnicity, nationality, race, gender, sexual orientation and religion.

    Many countries do not recognize same-sex unions, so experts suggest being careful of open interactions with a partner of the same sex. Women may face cultural expectations around dress or hair, or find it hard to obtain birth control or feminine hygiene products they didn’t think to bring with them.

    “Make plans for what you will do when things go wrong, because things can go wrong and things will go wrong,” said Bull, who recommends connecting with students who studied abroad, as well as their parents, for advice they wished they’d had. “It doesn’t mean it has to be the end of your experience. It just means that you need to be ready to manage it.”

    Some study-abroad programs offer basic health coverage, but students should consider medical evacuation insurance and check whether any of their regular prescribed medications are illegal abroad. The U.S. Department of State also recommends enrolling in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, a free safety and security alert service for U.S. citizens.

    Advance research also is important for students still thinking about whether to apply for a study-abroad program.

    Financial and academic planning are equally important, as they are among the biggest barriers for students seeking to study abroad, said Phoebe Stears-Macauley, a Germany and Spain program advisor for the University Studies Abroad Consortium, which offers study-abroad programs for university students.

    “Meet with your academic advisors, talk through the classes you will take and how those will transfer back, and meet with your financial aid office,” she said.

    While a lot of the preparation and precautions are about practical needs, experts and students say it’s just as much about setting realistic expectations.

    When Jongsma left for the Thai city of Chiang Mai in 2023, it was her first time traveling internationally and being away from her parents.

    “When you’re getting ready to leave, you get really focused on your own personal goals and how you’re going to meet them,” she said. “I don’t think you realize that when you get there, you’ll miss your community a lot.”

    Homesickness may feel even sharper around holidays like Thanksgiving, especially for students who have not spent them away from family before. Jongsma suggests bringing small reminders of home with you and keeping a journal. She also packed a small portable printer for her summer studies in Bengaluru, India, in case she wanted to print out pictures of family and friends.

    While abroad

    Once students arrive at their destination, experts suggest slowing down and observing their surroundings. A common regret Stears-Macauley said she hears from returning students, especially those who studied in Europe, is that they spent every weekend traveling and not getting to know their host city.

    Bull advises students to think about why they are studying abroad in the first place and what they hope to get from the experience. Choosing to be present in the moment instead of constantly taking photos can make the time far more meaningful and yield cultural clues that help you fit in, he said.

    “Anyone can go be a tourist,” Bull said. “You want to notice what’s going on around you. You want to look at what people are wearing and what they’re not wearing. You want to see, do people stop at the red lights or do they cross anyway?”

    Programs can last anywhere from a few weeks to more than a year, and students may face mental health challenges such as loneliness, depression or language-related anxiety. Many programs offer on-site support, but experts say students should have a plan in place before those symptoms occur.

    For Dominic Motter, who spent a semester in London in 2023, familiar routines helped when homesickness struck. Like Jongsma, Motter’s trip abroad was his first time away from family and friends for an extended period of time, and he was surprised when confronted with the feeling of homesickness.

    “I’d never known that feeling before,” he said.

    An avid runner, Motter would jog in the park whenever he felt overwhelmed, a simple ritual from back home that helped him feel more grounded. He also found comfort in decorating his room, both with items from home and new souvenirs from his travels. At the end of the day, he said it helped him feel like he was “coming home.”

    “Instead of it feeling like a temporary dorm room or hotel room,” he said, it put him in the mindset that “this is now my new home.”

    Upon return

    Experts say many students returning home are going through a transition and may struggle with reverse culture shock without realizing it.

    “You’ve had this transformative experience. You’ve changed and grown so much, and you come back to the place where you were before and it’s all different because you’re so different,” Stears-Macauley said. She suggests joining local international clubs or alumni associations from the foreign school you attended to find support.

    Students can also prepare by answering the following questions, Bull said: How will you contextualize your experience? What aspects are most important to share? Which details are suitable for brief conversations, and which are better saved for deeper conversations with people who want to understand what made the experience meaningful?

    For Jongsma, it helped to create new experiences in a familiar place — even something as simple as checking out a new museum, she said. Motter, who spent his first few weeks wishing he were back in London, said it helped to talk with the friends he’d made there because they actually understood what he was feeling.

    As he put it: “It’ll eventually feel like home again.”

    ___

    Mumphrey reported from Flagstaff, Arizona. Yamat reported from Las Vegas.

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  • Nevada and Las Vegas Home to Some of the Worst Tippers

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    Posted on: November 21, 2025, 12:01h. 

    Last updated on: November 20, 2025, 03:29h.

    • Restaurant tips in Nevada and Las Vegas are among the lowest in the nation
    • That’s according to Toast, a restaurant software management provider

    Tippers in Nevada are among the worst in the country, new data suggests.

    tipping culture tips Las Vegas Nevada
    The Top of the World restaurant at The Strat overlooks Las Vegas in an October 2014 file photograph. Nevada and Las Vegas are home to some of the worst tippers in the United States, new data shows. (Image: Shutterstock)

    Tens of thousands of workers in Nevada are set to receive a little bump in their net take-home pay this year with the implementation of the “No Tax on Tips” provision of the Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Effective for gratuities received beginning Jan. 1, 2025, tipped workers can now deduct up to $25K in annual tips from their federal taxable income.

    While that’s big news for hospitality workers and casino employees, many of whom rely heavily on tips, restaurant management software giant Toast says Nevadans and visitors to Las Vegas are poor tippers.

    Toast’s primary product is its cloud-based all-in-one point-of-sale financial management system. Toast’s POS network is used in approximately 156K restaurants across the country.

    By analyzing millions of restaurant receipts within its network, Toast has unveiled its list of the best and worst states for tipping.

    Tipping Culture Rebounds

    Toast reports that after hitting a seven-year low in the second quarter of 2025, tipping in Q3 (July, August, September) rebounded, albeit slightly.

    Full-service restaurant tips during the three months ticked upward from 19.1% to 19.2%. Tips at quick-service restaurants remained steady at 15.8%.

    Delaware remained the best state for tipped restaurant workers, with tips at full-service restaurants averaging 21.1%. The other states where tips averaged above 20% were West Virginia (20.9%), Indiana (20.5%), Kentucky (20.4%), New Hampshire (20.4%), and Ohio (20.3%).

    Way down the list was Nevada, with average tips at full-serve restaurants coming in at just 18.2%. That was higher than only three states — Florida (18.1%), Washington (17.5%), and California (17.2%). Tips are also poor in the nation’s capital, with FSR checks in Washington, DC, averaging just 17.2%.

    While the Toast data relates only to restaurants, tips in Nevada for non-restaurant services like housekeeping, rideshares, hairstylists, and food deliveries are presumably lower than the national average, too.

    Scott Roeben of Vital Vegas often shames poor tippers in Las Vegas who win big but tip little.

    Big jackpot winners rarely tip,” Roeben said earlier this year.

    Earlier this month, a player at Park MGM hit a $1.17 million jackpot playing a Wheel of Fortune machine.

    “Sweet hit at Park MGM, despite the fact that the vast majority of million-plus winners tip zero,” Roeben wrote last month.

    tipping culture tips Las Vegas Nevada
    (Image: X)

    Tipping Culture’s Tipping Point

    More businesses and venues than ever before are soliciting tips. Customers are now prompted to tip at many quick-service restaurants, fast food chains, and coffee shops before receiving any service at all.

    Once considered a reward for excellent service, many workers now think of tips as a customer requirement. A considerable portion of the public has subsequently grown tired of being constantly asked for more money.

    A 2025 study from Temple University’s School of Sport, Tourism, and Hospitality Management suggests businesses would be wise to be more cautious amid tipping fatigue.

    The study suggested that it’s not that people don’t want to tip, but they’ve grown frustrated with being asked to tip before service is received or where service isn’t overly intensive (i.e., handing over a cup of poured coffee).

    “We reward people for good service; that’s the nature of tipping. But even without seeing the product or service, why am I tipping here? Customers need to justify their behavior. Asking for an additional expense without showing effort can lack legitimacy,” opined Temple Associate Professor Dr. Lu Lu.

    “Think more intentionally about when and how you ask for tips,” “There’s a way to do it that feels better for everyone,” Lu added.

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    Devin O’Connor

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  • Bad Bunny wins album of the year at the 2025 Latin Grammys, capping an electric night

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    It should come as a shock to no one: The 2025 Latin Grammy Awards were all about Bad Bunny. The Puerto Rican superstar won album of the year for his landmark release “Debí Tirar Más Fotos.” After thanking his family and all those who worked on the album, he ended his speech with “Puerto Rico, I love you, thank you.”

    Those are powerful words honoring a record that doubles as a love letter for his island.

    “I want to dedicate this award to all the children and young people of Latin America, especially those of Puerto Rico. Never stop dreaming, never stop being yourselves, no matter where you come from. Never forget where you come from, but never forget where you are going,” he said. “There are many ways to show patriotism and defend our land: we choose music.”

    The artist born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio was destined to dominate from the jump. He also won the first award of the night, for música urbana album. Halfway through the show, the singer found himself back on stage accepting the música urbana song trophy for “DTmF.” “I never practice my speeches,” he said in Spanish. And then he showed up for a third time: to perform “Weltita” with Chuwi.

    He wasn’t the only one with reason to celebrate: Song of the year went to Karol G, Andrés Jael Correa Ríos and Édgar Barrera for “Si Antes Te Hubiera Conocido.” And Alejandro Sanz took home record of the year for “¿Y Ahora Qué?”

    Live from Sin City, the 26th annual Latin Grammys were both energetic and eclectic. Take Raphael, the 2025 Person of the Year, who launched into an emotive rendition of “Qué Sabe Nadie” and “Mi Gran Noche,” inviting the crowd to sing along.

    That was after Santana kicked things off — specifically, Maluma singing Santana’s 1970 hit “Oye Como Va” with the guitar legend himself.

    It was just the beginning of a memorable medley, talents of today celebrating Santana — Christian Nodal joining in for “Corazón Espinoza” and Grupo Frontera for their 2025 collaboration with the virtuosic musician, “Me Retiro.”

    Performances hit hard and fast: Aitana brought her dreamy electro-pop, Sanz delivered a medley of “El Vino De Tu Boca” and “Las Guapas,” Rauw Alejandro channeled Puerto Rico in Vegas with “Khé?,” the bachata “Silencio,” “Falsedad” and “Carita Linda.” Then: Danny Lux, Kakalo and Ivan Cornejo brought contemporary Mexicana sounds. Pepe Aguilar followed, with his life-affirming mariachi — “El Cihualteco” into “El Fuereño.”

    Elena Rose slowed things down with “Me Lo Merezco.” Karol G and the legendary Mexican singer Marco Antonio Solís dueted the romantic ballad “Coleccionando Heridas.”

    Two of the biggest groups in regional Mexican music – Grupo Frontera and Fuerza Regida – launched into their joint hit, “Me Jalo,” before the latter took over for “Marlboro Rojo.” That’s a cut from their record-breaking 2025 album “111xpantia.” Carín León’s lovely raspy vocal tone carried throughout “Ahí Estabas Tú”; then he was joined by Kacey Musgraves for “Lost in Translation.” Not long after, León took home the trophy in competitive contemporary Mexican album category for “Palabra De To’s (Seca).”

    Morat brought the pop-rock with “Faltas Tú” and Ca7riel and Paco Amoroso brought a kind of outsider, artistic spirit. Joaquina delivered a full-bodied “Quise Quererte.” Any aspiring artists watching would be wise to take a page out of the Brazilian singer Liniker’s book; “Negona Dos Olhos Terríveis” was one of the night’s most joyful. The same, of course, should be said about norteño band Los Tigres del Norte.

    The coveted best new artist trophy was handed out to Paloma Morphy.

    Traditional tropical album went to Gloria Estefan for “Raíces.” Not long afterward, she hit the stage for “La Vecina” and “Chirriqui Chirri,” joined by Nathy Peluso for the latter.

    Then ranchero/mariachi album went to Christian Nodal for “¿Quién + Como Yo?”

    Most of the evening’s awards were handed out during a pre-televised Premiere Ceremony. That included: Bad Bunny’s “Voy A Llevarte Pa Pr” winning for reggaeton performance. Argentinian duo Ca7riel and Paco Amoroso cleaned house then, too: taking home their first Latin Grammys for short and long form music video, alternative song, as well as alternative music album for “Papota,” and pop song for “El dia del amigo.” That’s five wins, making them the most awarded act at the 2025 show.

    The three-hour award show aired live from Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena. It was hosted by the dynamic duo of Maluma and actor, producer and musician Roselyn Sánchez.

    ___

    This story has been updated to correct that Maluma helped open the Latin Grammys, not Miguel.

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