The middle class is synonymous with the American Dream: the house, the kids, the cars, vacations and a comfortable retirement.

The desire to secure and sustain a middle-class standard of living is virtually universal. But the opportunity to do so is not. In some cities, the middle class is thriving, and low-income children are rising up to join its ranks. In others, the middle class is sliding (even shrinking, on some measures), and upward mobility rates are low.

In the effort to strengthen the American middle class, it would seem obvious to ensure that the educational needs of middle-class students are being met. Yet as Richard Reeves points out, those students often are overshadowed in discussions about higher education.

President Donald Trump often cites the African-American unemployment rate as one of his key accomplishments. Confoundingly, he even made the boast in a tweet last week chiding soccer superstar Megan Rapinoe over her pledge not to accept an invitation to visit the White House.

Last October, my dad — the epitome of health — lost his life to a stroke. Everyone in our family was blindsided and devastated by this incident, which brought us face to face with the very thin line between normal family life and emotional and financial catastrophe.

Nevada, the nation’s fastest growing state, is becoming older and more diverse, according to annual U.S. Census Bureau estimates released Wednesday night. Between 2010 and 2018, the Silver State saw its retirement-age population grow by more than 149,000 people, the data shows. Close to 1 in 6 Nevada residents are now age 65 or older.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In an age of predawn rage tweets by President Donald Trump and public cries from his opponents like “Impeach that (expletive),” a special debate last week at UNLV offered hope that civil discourse can return to American politics.

Las Vegas residents who’d like to see a battle between a powerhouse hometown team and a top-level opponent are in luck this week.

But we’re not talking about the Vegas Golden Knights, or about athletics at all.

We’re talking about UNLV’s debate team.

It is a project that seems to have been under consideration for years but now the head of the Regional Transportation Commission says the final public comment period for mass transit along Maryland Parkway is here.

For Southern Nevada residents who may be on the fence about whether to support development of light rail, the Brookings Institution’s Adie Tomer offered some compelling food for thought during a visit to UNLV this week.

After a decade in which Las Vegas rose from the depths of the Great Recession to a full recovery, this is an opportune time to look at our future and our immediate past.

“It’s a short list. We’re on it.”

I have been a member of the UNLV Foundation Board of Trustees for a long time. This past week was the best meeting I can remember.