The Daily Rundown - February 2nd, 2026
🧬 The FBI is investigating a house in northeast Las Vegas suspected of serving as a biological laboratory. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that law enforcement searched the house over the weekend. It’s owned by a limited-liability company linked to individuals previously accused of similar crimes.
A previous case involved a biological laboratory near Fresno, where a search found vials labeled with diseases including HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria. The search of the Las Vegas house was conducted with Metropolitan Police Department SWAT officers. Law enforcement officials emphasized there was no threat to the public, and the investigation was viewed as an isolated incident.
🎭 Over 16 seasons, Vegas City Opera has grown its audience base by doing things a little differently. Take their current production — an adaptation of Beauty and the Beast. The local arts organization decided to take a cue from composer Philip Glass and his operatic treatment of the soundtrack to the 1946 film La Belle et la Bête. Glass dreamt up a new, more stripped-down score.
On January 30 and 31, VCO will sync it up — via its musicians — with the film, while live singers will provide the vocals. It'll be a far cry from the culturally dominant representation of the story for the last four decades. Read the full story at KNPR.org.
🎓 Clark County schools’ top administrator says the district is on its way to becoming a destination that attracts students, families, and educators. During her first State of the District address this week, Superintendent Jhone Ebert touted achievements, including improvements in chronic absenteeism and the graduation rate.
She also highlighted several new programs aimed at increasing community engagement to support academic achievement. Ebert says the district will continue to focus on what she referred to as the “Core Four” academic priorities. That includes expanding pre-K capacity, improving early literacy rates, middle school math scores, and workforce and college readiness.
🎬 Sundance has been rooted in Park City for more than 40 years. In 1981, actor Robert Redford started the Sundance Institute, creating a space in the mountains, far from Hollywood, for new artists to find their voices. A few years later, he launched the festival, which has grown into the top showcase of independent film.
More than 100,000 people attended the festival a few years ago, and tens of thousands of filmmakers regularly submit their work for consideration. In 2004, festival organizers announced they were looking for a new location. Boulder ultimately won the bid, offering a walkable downtown, Flatiron views, and more than $30 million in state tax incentives. Starting next year, Sundance will be based there. Hear the full story on the film festival’s new home here.
😋 Buffets used to be an option in nearly every casino on the Las Vegas Strip, but many have been replaced with trendy food halls and celebrity chef restaurants. Eighty years ago, the first Las Vegas buffet opened with the $1 western-themed Buckaroo Buffet that offered cold cuts and cheese. Today, visitors can drop $175 on luxury buffets with lobster tail, prime rib and limitless drinks.
The old Las Vegas buffets didn’t make much money, but they allowed people to eat cheaply and quickly, giving them more time to spend their money on the casino floor. But the number of buffets has dwindled to around a dozen on the Las Vegas Strip. Many shuttered during the COVID-19 pandemic and elected not to reopen with rising prices. Read the full story here.
🧣 For decades, each Olympic and Paralympic Games has been represented by a mascot, with varying receptions from the public. That ranges from Atlanta's much-maligned “Izzy” in 1996 to Beijing's beloved 2022 panda, to the divisive, big-eyed hats of Paris 2024.
Taking up the mantle for 2026 are Milo and Tina, a pair of scarf-wearing sibling stoats — or, as they're called in the U.S., short-haired weasels. The two are named after the Winter Games' host cities, Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, and are described by organizers as the “first openly Gen Z mascots.” You can read the full story by NPR's Rachel Treisman at KNPR.org.
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.
