Search query: nevada

All four Senators from California and Nevada, one Republican and three Democrats, are jointly sponsoring the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act of 2010. A new report by UC Davis scientists using 100 years of data and computer models of the future shows why immediate action is needed. They are projecting a bleak future for Lake Tahoe as the effects of climate change damage the lake. Among the potential impacts of climate change by 2100 are: Less snow and more rain. Water will get released faster with le

Regardless of whether or not Congress passes the DREAM Act after the Thanksgiving break, the ranking member of the House Immigration Subcommittee seems dead set on reforming the concept of "birthright citizenship" as one of the first GOP actions in the 112th session. Set to take the reins of the subcommittee chairmanship in January, Rep. Steve King of Iowa will lead the efforts to deny citizenship to children of illegal immigrants as a Republican-proposed solution to curbing illegal immigration

A recent article in Politico takes note of the positive impact that Hispanic voters had in offsetting the Democratic Party's already devastating losses on Tuesday. Despite little progress in the former Democratic majority's efforts to achieve comprehensive immigration reform within the past two years, Hispanics still showed up at the polls to safeguard such strongholds like the Senate and to keep California within the party's jurisdiction on all levels. Will the Hispanic vote, however, continue

In case you missed it, in: California:  Even before potentially taking office, Whitman has unselfishly injected over $150 million of her own money into California’s fledgling campaign industry.  It is anticipated that this money will trickle down until it eventually reaches gardeners and housekeepers. Delaware:  In her latest gaffe, O’Donnell says she could not name a current Senator on the other side of the aisle that she could work with if she were elected to office.  But, according to candi

While an immigration amendment that would have granted a path to citizenship for illegal aliens up to the age of their early 30’s was killed largely by solid Republican opposition, it should be noted that such opposition was aided by “no” votes of three Democrats.   Namely, Sens. Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor from the state of Arkansas joined the Republican filibuster. Harry Reid, the Nevada Senator who originally slipped in the DREAM Act along with a repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT), als

If the Boston Red Sox win the World Series, will it lessen their achievement if New York Yankee fans still don’t like them?  That seems to be the convoluted conclusion that the Sacramento Bee reached this week in critiquing an advertisement that touts what Barbara Boxer calls one of her top achievements. The subject of the ad is a new veterans’ combat care center that was constructed in California.  “It’s true,” says the Bee article, “that Boxer’s claim on veterans is generally accurate, but th

In a major effort to pass some sort of immigration reform legislation before the November midterms, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has attached a controversial piece of immigration legislation as a rider to a defense appropriations bill expected to be voted upon next week.   While it’s not an ultimate comprehensive immigration reform bill, it is at least a step in that direction and could very well set the stage for later passage of comprehensive reform. The current legislation Reid i

There are levels of misery associated with Burning Man – wind, dust, heat and the lack of normal services such as electricity and telephones.  But this year’s weird weather in the Western U.S. has brought an assortment of unusual challenges.  This week, rain has pelted the playa surface, turning it into an unset concrete-like substance that could suck tires into the desert like dinosaurs into the tar pits. On top of the rain, it was cold out.  People come to Burning Man dressed for a warm weath

Black Rock City, Nevada - I'm reporting from the fifth largest city in Nevada, although you won't find it on any AAA map or GPS setting. BRC, as it is often referred to by its 45 to 50,000 "citizens," is a community that could best be described as evanescent. Alive with activity for a single week in late summer, it disappears without a trace from its desert location right after Labor Day. But in the minds of those who attend the annual Burning Man Festival, Black Rock City lives on throughout th

On Tuesday August 3, the Alta Wind Energy Center (AWEC) officially broke ground in Tehachapi Pass. When completed, it could be three times larger than any existing wind farm in the US, and will output a mammoth 3 gigawatts. By comparison, a good-sized coal plant or nuclear reactor can produce 1 gigawatt, so we are talking huge amounts of power, enough to power 600,000 homes. There will be hundreds of modern turbines spread across thousands of acres, most of which is private land. Ranchers and