John L. Smith is a columnist who covered Nevada for more than 30 years at the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

In 2005, businessman Jim Rogers took control of the Nevada System of Higher Education. In exchange for his services, Rogers asked for $1 in annual compensation. Rogers’ offer did, however, come with a significant catch: the Board of Regents had to centralize authority in the chancellor’s position. Until then, the chancellor — and the college and university presidents — reported to the regents as equals.

Las Vegas billionaire Sheldon Adelson, one of the most influential voices and wallets in the Republican Party, has endorsed Donald Trump for President.

UNLV linguist Deborah Arteaga, a 24-year professor at UNLV, speaks six languages fluently and is regarded by her peers as a leading linguist in the Western United States.

Few events have gone from fact to fable as quickly and decisively as that of the 1964 killing of Kitty Genovese. For decades we’ve heard references to the poor young woman stabbed again and again on a New York City street while some 38 people—Genovese’s neighbors—watched from their windows without making a move to help.

One positions himself as the leader of a revolution, the other as an outsider who’ll rescue the nation from a political establishment that has dragged it into despair.

The US presidential election may still be five months away. But the deadline to turn green card holders into Americans, able to vote, is just around the corner.

I have a conflict of interest. John L. Smith is a friend of mine. And I’m prouder than ever to say that.

After Sheldon Adelson bought the Las Vegas Review-Journal, then-acting editor Glenn Cook told Smith he couldn’t write about his new boss, who several years ago sued Smith for libel and forced him into bankruptcy. The case was dismissed. New editor J. Keith Moyer just informed Smith that Steve Wynn is off-limits because Wynn sued him unsuccessfully—despite Wynn since having granted interviews to him.

Deceit. Backstabbing. Murder. Striving for power, and how people who attain power misuse it. Life and death, love gone wrong, mistaken identity and broad humor funnier than anything today’s sitcom writers can dream up.

Call this the quiet period. Campaigns are raising money. Testing themes. Sending out press releases.

A tooth-and-nail political battle for the ages is being played out in Nevada this primary season pitting anti-tax Republicans against moderates in nearly a score of Assembly races around the state.

A few years ago, Alissa Nutting wrote the book “Tampa.”

It’s a satirical account of a female teacher, a sociopath, and her seduction of a middle-school student. Nutting is an assistant professor of creative writing and English at UNLV. After she wrote “Tampa,” she said many of the victims and perpetrators of student-teacher relationships contacted her. Some were angry.