In The News: Department of Political Science

The U.S. Supreme Court restored broad access to the abortion pill Mifepristone, at least for now, allowing women to obtain the medication at pharmacies, through telehealth or through the mail without an in-person visit to a doctor.

Legacy media outlets and newswires are a shell of what they once were; a patchwork of new digital and nonprofit outlets, alternative weeklies, local TV stations, bloggers, newsletter writers, influencers and regional news channels has taken their place in the media ecosystem, but not in the Capitol basement. In the last few decades, a highly fragmented, 24-hour multiplatform news cycle has replaced one centered around 6 p.m. broadcasts and daily newspaper deliveries. Candidates across the nation, including in Nevada, are acting accordingly, using TikTok and Instagram to deliver their message and, in some cases, bypassing reporters and traditional debates.

A growing share of challengers are putting up six-to-seven figures of their own money to run for office. One candidate was blunt: “It sucks.”

A growing share of challengers are putting up six-to-seven figures of their own money to run for office. One candidate was blunt: “It sucks.”

The neck-and-neck Nevada governor’s race is shaping up as one of the earliest tests of whether Republicans can separate themselves from Trump’s political fortunes — without losing his coalition.
An investigation by Reporters Without Borders has exposed how Wubianjie Group, a China-based digital marketing company, covertly injected pro-Beijing political messaging into Taiwanese lifestyle Facebook pages reaching tens of millions of users — a pattern corroborated by earlier Taiwanese government and academic research.

Outgoing Clark County Commissioner Justin Jones has funneled thousands of dollars through various political action committees in support of his chosen successor.

The political perception of the tax cuts is expected to be a crucial factor in the 2026 midterm elections, where Trump's fellow Republicans are trying to hold slim majorities in Congress.

U.S. President Donald Trump will look to brush off concerns about the economy and the sagging political prospects of his Republican Party during a campaign-style swing through the battleground states of Nevada and Arizona this week, as the war with Iran pushes gasoline prices higher. Trump is set to use a Thursday stop in Las Vegas to tout his tax and immigration bill that includes campaign promises tailored to court hourly and hospitality workers.

Nevada’s top gubernatorial candidates disagree on what’s causing high prices at the pump. Voters are paying attention.

The Shutdown Fairness Act would make it illegal to withhold pay from workers like TSA officers during a government shutdown. Union leaders for the TSA at Harry Reid International Airport said the passing of the act would mean peace of mind and stability after weeks of uncertainty, as workers have shown up faithfully without pay to work. The airport has experienced some of the lowest call-out rates, averaging around 10 percent.

All but 11,875 mail-in ballots cast in Nevada’s two most populous counties during the 2024 general election arrived at county offices by the end of Election Day. The future of a 2020 Nevada law that allows counties to accept mail ballots after Election Day, however, is in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court, which is deliberating a similar Mississippi law.