🌎 Former Vice President Dick Cheney, who extolled the power of the presidency, died Monday at the age of 84, his family said in a statement. The cause was complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease, the statement said. Cheney had dealt with a history of heart problems.
"Dick Cheney was a great and good man who taught his children and grandchildren to love our country, and to live lives of courage, honor, love, kindness, and fly fishing," the statement said. "We are grateful beyond measure for all Dick Cheney did for our country. And we are blessed beyond measure to have loved and been loved by this noble giant of a man." In a statement, former President George W. Bush, who picked Cheney as his vice president, said the death "is a loss to the nation and a sorrow to his friends. Laura and I will remember Dick Cheney for the decent, honorable man that he was." Read the full story here.
🌽 Gov. Joe Lombardo yesterday visited Three Square Food Bank’s North Las Vegas headquarters as many Nevadans worry about having food for their families with the government shutdown entering its second month and continuing uncertainty about the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Lombardo praised the state’s food banks for stepping up to help SNAP clients while already struggling to support many new ones.
Last week, Nevada lawmakers approved distributing about $38 million to Three Square and the Food Bank of Northern Nevada, which distribute food to smaller sites across the state. Lombardo said the state would provide more money if needed. Three Square CEO Beth Martino said they were ready to help anyone, no questions asked. Both food banks are accepting monetary donations.
🚕 Waymo is bringing its autonomous robotaxi service to Las Vegas next summer, with the rollout date to be determined after consulting with local officials, the company said in a statement. Waymo said it will provide service on the Strip and eventually to the airport. The company currently operates self-driving cars in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix, Atlanta and Austin. San Diego and Detroit will join Las Vegas on the list next year. Las Vegas Mayor Shelley Berkley said in a statement that the technology is a proven, safe new alternative designed to help residents and the millions of visitors who come to the city get around.
⚖️ Yesterday, a jury found Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers liable for $6.5 million in the fatal shooting of Jorge Gomez. Gomez was attending a 2020 Black Lives Matter protest and was armed with a rifle. The central issue of the trial was whether he had pointed that rifle at police before being shot.
One of the more heated exchanges during the trial involved why officers initially did not report to investigators that Gomez had raised his rifle. The jury’s deliberations, which began Wednesday afternoon, were difficult. On Thursday, jurors questioned the judge about whether their verdict needed to be unanimous — he confirmed it did — and later asked about next steps if they could not reach a decision, leading the judge to believe they were deadlocked.
After taking Friday off for the Nevada Day holiday, deliberations resumed Monday morning, and the jury announced it had reached a verdict just before 2 p.m. that day. It’s possible that the determination of liability was cause for the extended deliberation. Officer Ryan Fryman was found liable for $5 million of the total damages.
Plaintiff’s attorney Dale Galipo told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that the verdict may have been a compromise between jurors who wanted to hold all officers responsible and those who wanted to hold none. Before the civil case, the Clark County District Attorney’s Office declined to pursue criminal charges against the four officers involved, concluding their actions were legally justified. The city attorneys and Metropolitan Police Department have indicated they will review options for appeal.
💵 Across the state, officials are scrambling to offset what could be the worst impacts of the federal government shutdown. So far, tens of thousands of federal employees have gone a month without a whole paycheck, and now SNAP benefits are on hold — meaning hundreds of thousands of Nevadans are starting to wonder where their next meal is coming from.
Amid the uncertainty, are Congressional leaders any closer to a compromise that will potentially reopen the government? Not really, according to Nevada's 1st District Representative, Dina Titus, a Democrat and the longest-serving member of the state’s congressional delegation. Titus has spent most of her time in Nevada since the shutdown started. She told State of Nevada that the shutdown is having an impact on communities across the state. Hear or read our full conversation with Representative Dina Titus on KNPR's State of Nevada.
Part of these stories are taken from KNPR's daily newscast segment. To hear more daily updates like these, tune in to 88.9 KNPR FM.
