The Old Blog in the Desert

A new report from the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security has identified Nevada among 29 states where incidents involving “foreign jihadist networks and homegrown violent extremists” pose a persistent terror threat to America.

The report highlights over 50 cases between April 2021 and September 2024, detailing various attempts to provide material support to foreign terrorist organizations, including ISIS, Hezbollah, and al-Qaeda. These incidents involved military-type training, fraud, and other actions supporting these terrorist groups.

The committee findings come amid a backdrop of heightened concerns following major terrorist attacks, such as the August 2021 ISIS-K attack in Afghanistan, which claimed the lives of 13 U.S. service members, and the October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorist attack against Israel, which killed over 1,200 people and resulted in 200 hostages taken. These events, the report states, have contributed to a worsening terror threat landscape in the United States.

Committee Chairman Mark Green, R-Tenn., linked the rising threats to what he described as policy failures by the Biden administration, citing the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and vulnerabilities along U.S. borders. Green emphasized that the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) primary mission is to protect Americans from such threats, but he warned that the system is “blinking red yet again.”

According to the report, examples of jihadist-related activity in the U.S. include individuals from various states, including Nevada. Some cases involve foreign nationals and American citizens, nearly all Muslim men, convicted of providing material support to terrorist organizations or engaging in terrorist plots.

The cases cited range from a Turkish man in Kentucky receiving military training from ISIS to a Moroccan man in Minnesota who fought alongside ISIS in Syria. Several convicted individuals received prison sentences, while others were involved in plots thwarted by federal authorities.

The report’s release coincides with the 23rd anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people and led to the creation of DHS. Despite the department’s formation to consolidate federal efforts against terrorism, the committee expressed concerns over ongoing security lapses. A recent report by the DHS Office of Inspector General pointed to significant deficiencies within U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), noting that current practices do not fully ensure the prevention of high-risk individuals without identification from entering the country.

The committee also raised concerns about the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) ability to adequately vet noncitizens who threaten public safety, highlighting potential risks for domestic air travel.

Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar is misusing taxpayer dollars to fund a targeted voter outreach campaign focused on registered voters aged 18 to 24. The segment has no prior voting history for the most part– but with their cell phone numbers on their voter registration forms, they are getting the majority of Get Out the Vote (GOTV) text messages, which disproportionately benefits Democrats.

A national poll by the Institute of Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School, conducted in September, found Vice President Kamala Harris leading former President Donald Trump 64 percent to 32 percent among Gen-Z likely voters. The age group, strongly favoring Democratic candidates, is critical in giving Harris and other Democratic contenders a significant edge in the upcoming elections.

With 47,070 registered voters in Nevada matching the outreach criteria, questions have arisen about whether taxpayer money should go toward mobilizing a demographic that leans toward one party. Given Nevada’s historically tight races—Governor Joe Lombardo won by just 15,386 votes in 2022, and Senator Catherine Cortez Masto defeated Adam Laxalt by 7,928.

Aguilar’s office has taken a partisan stance under the guise of civic participation. Using state taxpayer-funded resources for partisan initiatives raises red flags. Nevada’s election funds should be strictly allocated to ensuring secure and transparent elections, not influencing turnout in favor of one political party.

Phillips 66 will close its Los Angeles-area refinery by late 2025, following the latest wave of regulations pushed by California Governor Gavin Newsom. The refinery shutdown will impact over 900 employees and contractors but also increase fuel prices for consumers in neighboring states like Nevada, where residents already feel the ripple effects of California’s energy policies.

Phillips 66 issued a statement confirming that it would work with the state to ensure fuel markets remain supplied, as the closure of a facility responsible for more than eight percent of California’s refining capacity will disrupt fuel availability.

The closure is part of a broader trend of oil companies exiting California as the state’s aggressive environmental legislation squeezes the industry. The latest blow to California’s fuel infrastructure follows Chevron’s August announcement of its corporate relocation from the Bay Area to Houston, Texas, after more than 140 years in the state.

Critics, such as Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher, have slammed Newsom’s policies, which they say prioritize political posturing over economic stability.

“Thanks to Gavin Newsom’s showboating and incompetence, hundreds of workers will lose their jobs while California drivers will face a massive price hike,” Gallagher said.

He warned that the ripple effects would extend beyond California, with Nevada and other neighboring states seeing a hike in gas prices due to reduced fuel supply from the West Coast. Nevada, which relies on California refineries for a portion of its fuel supply, will see an immediate increase in gas prices from the Phillips 66 closure.

Fuel experts anticipate that Newsom’s new regulations and a reduced refining capacity could drive prices up by 30 to 50 cents per gallon in Nevada, as the state already grapples with high fuel costs, driven by California’s policies and influence on regional fuel markets.

Newsom has consistently argued that California’s high gas prices are not because of his policies but of price gouging by the oil industry. In May, he signed a gas price gouging law curbing what he described as unfair pricing practices by refineries. Nonetheless, many industry experts and lawmakers see the departure of companies like Phillips 66 and Chevron as a direct consequence of California’s increasingly stringent regulatory environment.

Phillips 66 has already started preparing for the refinery closure, engaging developers to explore future uses for its 650-acre properties in Wilmington and Carson, Calif.

The California Fuels and Convenience Alliance (CFCA), representing fuel marketers and gas station owners, expressed disappointment over the Phillips 66 decision, pointing to the inevitable impact on workers and consumers.

“Every Californian will end up paying higher prices in this government-created energy crisis,” said Alessandra Magnasco, CFCA’s Governmental Affairs Director. “Unfortunately, Nevada and other nearby states will feel the impact as well.”

While Newsom continues to push for California’s transition to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, the economic fallout of these policies will hit the fuel market hard. With fewer refineries operating under California’s tight regulations, the result will be higher prices at the pump—both in California and beyond—leaving consumers and businesses struggling to cope with the cost of clean energy ambitions.

Donald Trump’s latest rally at the Thomas and Mack Center at UNLV Thursday night, October 24, showcased the former president’s growing momentum in Nevada, a state that has long been elusive for Republican candidates.

From Polynesian music to a rock set by Common Kings and speeches from high-profile Trump allies like Tulsi Gabbard and Sen. Marco Rubio, the event drew thousands. With chants of “We love you,” Trump addressed a crowd seemingly optimistic about a Nevada victory.

The Nevada rally is emblematic of broader shifts as Republicans grow more hopeful about flipping Nevada’s six electoral votes, that could be critical in a close Electoral College race. Key factors include a surge in early Republican voting, frustrations with the current Democratic administration, and a notable shift in Latino support—Trump’s appeal among Latino voters, who make up roughly 20 percent of Nevada’s electorate, has risen significantly.

A strong turnout among Republicans during the initial phase of early voting suggests their strategic advantage. Tyler Bowyer of Turning Point Action, one of the event hosts, told the crowd, “We’re winning Nevada,” to cheers and applause, echoing the Republican Party’s renewed confidence in the state.

Despite Republicans’ rising enthusiasm, Nevada Democrats are banking on the turnout machine initially built by the late Sen. Harry Reid, which has reliably driven support for Democratic candidates statewide. Key Nevada groups, including unionized hospitality workers and Latino communities, remain mobilized to support Kamala Harris. However, Republicans claim to be making inroads within these crucial Democratic blocs, particularly among Latino hospitality workers, who are expressing dissatisfaction with current economic challenges.

Meanwhile, Democrats are working to offset early GOP enthusiasm with a focused push on voter turnout, including a mobile billboard campaign highlighting a controversial statement attributed to Trump. The DNC’s effort is aimed at spotlighting Trump’s controversial remarks and warning of “the danger to democracy” his leadership poses, according to DNC Chair Jaime Harrison.

Trump’s campaign, however, has denied the accusations, calling the claims part of a “debunked story” by his former chief of staff, Gen. John Kelly.

A U.S. veteran found herself tossed off a flight at San Francisco International Airport like goddamned garbage, all because of a T-shirt.

You heard it right. Catherine Banks was trying to catch a flight out of SFO on October 22 when some self-righteous flight attendant decided her shirt was a threat.

The offending apparel read, “Do not give in to the war within. End veteran suicide.”

A message of hope, or so one would think. But no–to this guy, it was a reason to play the hero in his tight, little uniform.

“A male flight attendant was saying, ‘Ma’am, ma’am,’” Banks recounted, looking around like she’d just walked into the wrong bar at the wrong time. “I thought he was talking to someone else. Then he pointed at me and said, ‘You need to get off the plane.’ I was stunned. ‘What the hell did I do?’”

After being booted, she handed the ludicrous excuse that her shirt was “threatening.” Can you believe that? A Marine vet treated like a damn criminal for trying to spread a message about ending veteran suicide.

“I said, ‘Are you kidding me? I’m a Marine Corps vet. I’m going to see my Marine sister,’” she said, her voice tinged with disbelief. “I’ve spent 22 years in the Corps and 15 more working for the Air Force. What more do you want from me?”

The attendant didn’t give a rat’s ass about her service. No, he needed her to strip down to comply with his whims. “The only way you’re getting back on that plane is if you take that shirt off,” he said.

So, Banks did what anyone would do—she put on a sweatshirt like a fucking shame blanket to rejoin the flight.

In all its corporate wisdom, Delta later stated they resolved the issue and thanked her for her patience and service. Patience, my ass! For what? A slap in the face?

The airline’s got the final word on who stays and who goes, but at what cost? A veteran tossed aside like a newspaper used as a fish-wrap for a message meant to save lives.

It is what the world has come to—censoring words that could save a soul while remaining blind to real threats lurking in the skies.

Nevada Democratic Assemblywoman Elaine Marzola is under investigation after allegations came to light that her legal actions and campaign donations from defendants in her lawsuits may pose a conflict of interest.

The Nevada Bar Association confirmed that the inquiry follows a formal complaint related to Marzola’s receipt of campaign donations while representing plaintiffs in lawsuits against prominent members of the Nevada Resorts Association.

Marzola received $22,500 in campaign contributions from the Nevada Resorts PAC and MGM Resorts International while actively representing plaintiffs in lawsuits against several members of the Nevada Resorts Association, including MGM properties. According to the Nevada Bar Association, Marzola’s involvement in accepting campaign donations and pursuing legal actions against defendants tied to those donations could pose a conflict of interest if the arrangement was not disclosed to her clients.

Since May 2022, Marzola has represented plaintiffs in lawsuits against Nevada resort properties, including Wynn Las Vegas, Caesars Entertainment, Mandalay Bay, New York-New York Hotel & Casino, and Aria Resort & Casino Holdings. The entities are members of the Nevada Resorts Association, which launched the Nevada Resorts PAC in early 2022, shortly before Marzola began receiving donations.

The connection between Marzola’s legal cases and her campaign donations from these entities has drawn further scrutiny. Of five cases involving Marzola, three were dismissed, while two remain active.

The active cases are Linda Diana v. Wynn Las Vegas and Glen Hutsell v. Mandalay Bay. The other three cases, including a high-profile “slip and fall” lawsuit against Aria Resort & Casino Holdings, were dismissed, with the Aria case dropped with prejudice in May 2024.

A particularly concerning detail involves the timing of Marzola’s donation from MGM Resorts International. In her lawsuit against Aria, which also named MGM a defendant, Marzola accepted a donation from MGM just two days after a short-trial discovery offer.

Further complicating matters, Ellen Whittemore, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of Wynn Las Vegas, also serves as the Nevada Resorts Association’s Chair. Whittemore’s dual role as a lead lawyer for one of Marzola’s defendants and chair of the organization donating to Marzola’s campaign has raised additional ethical questions.

In their recent debate, Nevada Senate candidates weighed in on whether Congress should launch an investigation into UFOs following a surge of claims about secret UFO programs allegedly run by the Pentagon.

Incumbent Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen, who serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, pointed out Nevada’s unique role in the conversation, given its ties to Area 51, a military site long rumored to be involved in UFO research.

“I do think it’s important to see what we’re doing there and if there’s any merit to this,” Rosen said, emphasizing the importance of Congress exercising oversight on government programs, particularly those dealing with UAPs.

The Senate and House have scheduled additional hearings on the matter for November, after the election.

Republican challenger Sam Brown shared his curiosity about UAPs but expressed skepticism about Congress leading such an investigation.

“I never saw any tech like that when I was in the service,” Brown said, referencing the now-famous “Tic Tac” UAP video.

He suggested that SpaceX founder Elon Musk might be a more suitable figure to investigate the issue, implying that Congress may not be the most reliable body to handle it.

Interest in UAPs has surged recently, sparked in part by former Air Force intelligence officer and whistleblower David Grusch’s claims that the Defense Department ran a secret UFO retrieval program. The allegations led to a House hearing, and additional whistleblowers, such as former Pentagon employee Lue Elizondo, have since shared similar stories.

Independent journalist Michael Shellenberger most recently revealed details of an alleged whistleblower report that named a secretive program, dubbed “Immaculate Constellation,” used to gather intelligence on UAPs.

Senator Jacky Rosen’s latest Federal Election Commission (FEC) filings reveal a reliance on out-of-state contributions, with over 90 percent of her campaign donations coming from non-Nevadans across the last three quarters.

Her Quarter 3 report, which shows $12.12 million raised, highlights that nearly 94 percent of those contributions came from outside Nevada. In stark contrast, only 6 percent of donations originated within the state.

The pattern is consistent with previous quarters. In Q4 2023, Rosen’s campaign saw less than 9 percent of donations come from Nevada, while donors from California, New York, and Massachusetts collectively contributed over half of her campaign funds. Out-of-state contributions accounted for over 90 percent of the $3.2 million raised that quarter.

Prominent out-of-state donors include billionaire George Soros and his family, who collectively contributed the maximum allowed amounts in Q1 and Q2 2024. Hollywood has also joined the ranks, with actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt and FX Networks chairman John Landgraf among those backing Rosen’s re-election bid.

Wall Street’s influence is also apparent, with Blackstone’s David Kestnbaum a part of Rosen’s latest FEC report. Blackstone, the private equity firm, has faced criticism in Nevada for its role in the affordable housing crisis, aggressively acquiring residential properties in Las Vegas and driving up rent prices. The company’s subsidiary, Invitation Homes, was recently fined $48 million by the FTC for deceptive practices, including charging undisclosed fees and unfairly withholding security deposits.

He sat on a splintered stump, wedged between the dingy old theater house and the miner’s hall, as the night pressed in upon him. A cold, starless sky stretched wide above, and flakes of snow, as fat and clumsy as errant thoughts, drifted down onto his overheated face. Crowded rooms packed with sweaty, yelling men tended to get hot. He didn’t mind. The cold, you see, was a friend to a man who had worked as he had tonight—a brief respite, like a silent apology from a world for all its grimy business.

His right hand gripped twenty silver coins—a rather generous sum for an evening’s work. It had been a good night, one of those rare ones when fortune decides to give you a tip of the hat. Not that he was one to rely on luck. Luck was a mule, good for kicking a man when he least expected it. No, this wasn’t about chance. Tonight’s winnings were the fruit of careful observation, shrewd calculation, and knowing the brutal sport of boxing inside and out.

He wasn’t much of a betting man. Not really. But he knew the game. He watched the fighters square off, studied their angles, the tension in their muscles before they threw a punch. Every bet he placed tonight hit its mark—not by sheer fortune but by the precision he once used to pick the best sailors for a crew. His eyes had always been good for reading men.

A revolver, heavy and cold, rested in his coat pocket. He pulled it out, examined it with a distracted affection, then slipped it back. It was no more than a precaution, an old habit from his days on the docks of Cambridge, not much use in a place like this, but still, a man never knew when he might need it.

As the snow kissed his skin, his thoughts turned to his wife and daughters. They were waiting for him in the small room above the saloon. It was dark and cramped but warm, or so he hoped. He had crossed the country from Cambridge to this godforsaken town, looking for work in the mines. And for tonight, at least, he felt he had made real progress. There was money in his pocket, more than he had in months. Tomorrow, he thought, tomorrow would be better.

He brushed snow from his coat, wincing as his fingers traced the torn fabric. With a sigh, he tucked the silver coins into his pocket and stood, his joints creaking as he rose. His boots crunched through the fresh snow, heading toward the faint light of the saloon. In his mind, he saw his wife, her anxious face at the window, waiting. She would kiss him—bless her—and take a few coins to buy something decent to eat. Bread, maybe eggs, some meat. Anything better than the thin potato soup that had kept them alive for days.

As he neared the saloon, something caught his eye—two men–big, mean-looking, standing in the snow outside, shouting angrily at each other. Their faces twisted with a rage that came easy to men with nothing left to lose. He kept his head down, but their heated words reached him as he passed.

“Hell no, he did not bet on himself!” one of the men barked.

“You calling me a liar?” the other shot back.

The first man turned toward him. “Hey, you!” he called, voice thick with threat. “How ‘bout you settle this?”

He stopped, eyeing the pair warily. The first man, taller than the other, squinted at him. “You’re the one who was betting on the matches tonight, right? Cleaned up on every one. by betting on yourself?”

The second man stepped closer, his breath visible in the cold. “Ain’t heard of such a thing.”

A smirk tugged at his lips. “Sometimes a man’s got to bet on himself before anyone else does.”

Without another word, he turned and walked into the night. The snowflakes clinging to his coat, fleeting and weightless as the life he had left behind.

State gaming revenue totals in Nevada often reflect discrepancies, especially when a month concludes on a weekend. The lack of a uniform statewide requirement regarding how casinos record their slot machine revenues allows properties to decide whether to report winnings for the current month or defer them to the following month.

This situation was evident as August transitioned into September.

The Boulder Strip, encompassing casinos along the Boulder Highway and Henderson, illustrates this issue starkly. While statewide gaming revenue fell by 3.8 percent to $1.6 billion in August, Boulder Strip casinos experienced a dramatic 21.8 percent decline, three times higher than any other region in Nevada.

Casinos in the Boulder Strip, primarily operated by Boyd Gaming and Red Rock Resorts, reported revenue of $64.8 million in August, down from $82.9 million the previous year when the period ended on Thursday, October 4. Slot revenue accounted for 23.3 percent of the overall decline, while table games and sports betting fell by less than 10 percent.

Despite these declines, statewide slot machine wagering reached nearly $1.1 billion in August, reflecting an eight percent increase year-over-year. Meanwhile, August’s total slot machine wagering of $12.4 billion marked the highest single-month total for the year.

The Boulder market has undergone significant changes since the pandemic, particularly with the permanent closure of both Fiesta Henderson and Eastside Cannery in 2020. Red Rock demolished the Fiesta and sold the site to the city of Henderson for $32 million, while Boyd Gaming has yet to announce plans for the Eastside Cannery. However, in July, the company revealed plans for Cadence Crossing Casino, intended to replace the aging Jokers Wild Casino on Boulder Highway.

Conversely, other regions in Nevada saw gains due to the extra weekend days in August. Mesquite’s small casinos benefitted from a promotional calendar, leading to a 10.2 percent increase in gaming revenue to $14.2 million. Meanwhile, casinos in Sparks reported an 11.3 percent increase in gaming revenue to $17 million.

On the Las Vegas Strip, however, gaming revenue declined by 3.5 percent to $643.6 million, primarily attributed to a significant drop in high-end baccarat revenue, which fell nearly 39 percent. Excluding baccarat, Strip gaming revenue would have risen by 2.8 percent in August.

Furthermore, the U.S. gaming industry has significantly increased its investment in responsible gambling research and education, raising spending by 72 percent since 2017. According to a study conducted for the American Gaming Association, over $471.8 million has been allocated in the last seven years to develop and sustain responsible gaming programs, research, and support services.