In The News: School of Public Policy and Leadership

’Tis the season for giving, and the latest World Giving Index shows that the United States is the sixth most generous country in the world. U.S. donors in 2024 still gave over $592 billion to charity, with 66% of the funds coming directly from individuals, according to Giving USA.
Regulators have hit Elon Musk's The Boring Company with fines for almost 800 different environmental violations they said have taken place as part of the company's Las Vegas tunneling project, ProPublica reported.

Nevada state regulators have accused Elon Musk’s Boring Co. of violating environmental regulations nearly 800 times in the last two years as it digs a sprawling tunnel network beneath Las Vegas for its Tesla-powered “people mover.” The company’s alleged violations include starting to dig without approval, releasing untreated water onto city streets and spilling muck from its trucks, according to a new document obtained by City Cast Las Vegas and ProPublica.
Nevada state regulators have accused Elon Musk’s Boring Co. of violating environmental regulations nearly 800 times in the last two years as it digs a sprawling tunnel network beneath Las Vegas for its Tesla-powered “people mover.” The company’s alleged violations include starting to dig without approval, releasing untreated water onto city streets and spilling muck from its trucks, according to a new document obtained by City Cast Las Vegas and ProPublica.

From nonstop arrays of food at buffets to the gravity-defying Bellagio fountain show in the middle of the desert, the Las Vegas Strip has always been the country’s symbol of excess. It’s Michael Gulich’s job to make sure the reality tells a different story.

Protests against federal immigration enforcement have ramped up across the country. In Nevada, the state faces a debate over immigration enforcement in schools.

The median yearly income in the U.S. is approximately $81,000, according to the latest data from the Federal Reserve. However, income inequality remains a pressing issue, with some individuals earning significantly more while others continue to face financial hardship.

Climate scientist Kristen Averyt doesn’t think using the words “climate change” is always necessary to communicate how rapidly the planet is warming.

Dozens of locals called for lower power bills and cleaner energy Tuesday, urging NV Energy to hear their concerns.

On Feb. 10, President Donald Trump issued an executive order ending the procurement and use of paper straws at federal agencies. It was a stark reversal from the Biden era, in which the former president vowed to remove plastic straws and single-use plastics from federal food service in favor of paper straws, which are thought to be better for the environment.
In March 2023, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its sixth assessment report. This report detailed current and projected climate change and established its 2050 goal: achieving global net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by the year 2050 so that global warming is limited to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. Exceeding that limit significantly increases the risk of severe, irreversible climate impacts that could render the planet uninhabitable. According to the report, meeting the net-zero goal by 2050 requires “immediate greenhouse gas emissions reductions in all sectors this decade.”

On Feb. 10, President Donald Trump issued an executive order ending the procurement and use of paper straws at federal agencies. It was a stark reversal from the Biden era, in which the former president vowed to remove plastic straws and single-use plastics from federal food service in favor of paper straws, which are thought to be better for the environment.