The holiday season is upon us, and shoppers are in the homestretch of their search for gifts. But what role will the economy, dynamic pricing, and shrinkflation play in consumers’ ability — or even interest — to cross items off their wish lists?

Since the wake of the 2008 Great Recession, investors have purchased close to half a million houses in the valley and a recent UNLV study found they could own approximately 15 percent or more of the valley’s housing stock, and 25 percent in North Las Vegas alone. The two largest property owners in the county are Wall Street-backed companies, and there has been a growing chorus from local politicians to stem their ownership stake locally.

Southern Nevada’s jobless rate was again one of the highest in the country for large metro areas, new data shows. The Las Vegas-area’s unemployment rate in September, 5.7 percent, was third highest among the 50-plus metro areas with at least 1 million people, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

For years, Nevada has ranked near the bottom of all states in unemployment rate — and there are few signs of that changing. Since the start of 2022, the Silver State’s unemployment rate has never exceeded 5.8 percent or fallen below 5 percent, marks that are well behind most other states. According to the latest federal unemployment data, 45 states had unemployment rates under 5 percent. But is there significant cause of concern? Or is the stagnant rate expected? According to experts who spoke with The Nevada Independent, it’s a mixed bag.

Station Casinos has officially opened a new high-limit room and parking garage at its Durango location, marking the latest phase of a $100 million expansion. The new garage offers 1,800 free parking spots, allowing patrons easier access to the expanded gaming floor.

As e-scooters and e-bikes have become more popular around the Las Vegas Valley and across the country, the increase in ridership has also helped lead to some grim statistics.