KNPR-FM (Las Vegas, NV)

6 days ago | knpr.org | Anne Davis

If you stepped outside at any point on Friday or Saturday, you know that summer is, at least unofficially, upon us. Highs in the Las Vegas valley reached 109. The local National Weather Service bureau issued an extreme heat warning — Nevada's first of the year. This triggered the opening of Clark County’s cooling stations, which are located in libraries, community centers, and shelters around the county. It remains to be seen just how hot this year’s summer will get.

1 week ago | knpr.org | Paul Boger

Governor Joe Lombardo has signed a bill to fund the state’s K-12 public schools for the next two years. Lombardo signed the bill Thursday night after lawmakers approved a separate piece of legislation guaranteeing raises for charter school teachers. Senate Bill 500 allocates 12.4 billion dollars to support the nearly half a million students in Nevada.

1 week ago | knpr.org | Christopher Alvarez

It’s no secret Nevada’s education system has long taken a backseat to powerhouse industries like tourism and entertainment — and the consequences are clear. The state consistently ranks near the bottom nationwide. According to U.S. News & World Report, Nevada is the 14th worst state for education overall and ranks fourth worst in Pre-K through 12th grade. It also faced the worst teacher shortage in the nation for the 2023-2024 school year.

1 week ago | knpr.org | Paul Boger

Memorial Day is behind us. Kids are out of school, and Las Vegas just recorded the year’s first triple-digit temperatures over the weekend. That means it’s officially Summer in the Silver State. At the same time, lawmakers in Carson City are wrapping up the 2025 legislative session. Congress is working to pass the President Trump’s big beautiful bill, while at the same time the administration restructures and refocuses the federal government.

1 week ago | knpr.org | Noam Levey

GLOBE, Ariz. — Like many residents of this copper-mining town in the mountains east of Phoenix, Debbie Cox knows plenty of people on Medicaid. Cox, who is a property manager at a real estate company in Globe, has tenants who rely on the safety-net program. And at the domestic violence shelter where she volunteers as president of the board, Cox said, staff always look to enroll women and their children if possible. But Cox, who is 65, has mixed feelings about Medicaid.