The Daily Rundown - February 13th, 2026
🚇 The Boring Company’s Vegas Loop expansion is drawing new scrutiny from Nevada lawmakers. The underground tunnel network meant to ferry passengers around the Strip was recently granted its first permit to begin construction on a new tunnel connecting the Las Vegas Convention Center to downtown Las Vegas.
However, the expansion of the Elon Musk-backed venture comes amid fresh scrutiny from state lawmakers, who have raised concerns about alleged workplace safety and environmental violations.
Last week, lawmakers spent hours grilling state safety officials over the alleged violations. Company officials declined to attend but provided written answers defending the project.
Oona Milliken covered the meeting for The Nevada Independent. She told KNPR’s State of Nevada that the company has racked up more than 800 violations since tunnel construction began in 2019. Read the full story with KNPR's Paul Boger here.
⚖️ The Nevada chapter of the National Organization for Women is suing to block a proposed ballot initiative banning transgender athletes from girls’ and women’s sports. The women’s rights group’s legal complaint labels the petition’s description as deceptive and misleading, The Nevada Independent reports. It also argues that the proposal addresses a problem that does not exist in Nevada schools.
The group is asking a court to stop signature collection immediately. A judge will hear arguments next week. Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo is helping to lead the effort to amend the state’s Equal Rights Amendment for K-12 and college sports.
💼 Sex workers at one of Nevada’s oldest legal brothels are seeking to become the nation’s first unionized brothel workers. Nevada is the only state where people can legally purchase sex. Prostitution is permitted at licensed brothels in 10 rural counties, though not in Clark County, home to Las Vegas. Sheri’s Ranch, located in Pahrump, is about an hour’s drive from Las Vegas.
A majority of the brothel’s 74 sex workers submitted a petition to unionize with the National Labor Relations Board last week under the name United Brothel Workers, represented by the Communications Workers of America.
“We want the same things that any other worker wants. We want a safe and respectful workplace,” said a worker at Sheri’s Ranch who goes by the stage name Jupiter Jetson and asked that her legal name not be used for fear of harassment.
Jetson said the effort was spurred by a new independent contractor agreement issued in December that would allow the brothel to use workers’ likenesses without permission, even after they no longer work there. Read the full story here.
🚗 Nevadans paid 35 percent more than the national average for auto insurance last year, according to a report from Insurify. That translates to nearly $3,000 a year for full coverage — about $750 more than the national average — the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. Nevada ranks as the 10th most expensive state in the country for full-coverage auto insurance.
Reasons for the high cost include Nevada’s high level of urbanization, ranking third in the rate of auto theft, and having the fifth-highest rate of DUI arrests. Rates are continuing to rise. More than 600,000 Nevadans will see increases this year, according to the Nevada Division of Insurance. Washington, D.C., has the highest premiums.
📱 Nevada ranks as the most dangerous state for online dating, according to a new study. About 80 million Americans use dating apps such as Hinge, Bumble or Tinder. Research from Stanford University shows that more than half of U.S. couples met their partners online in 2020 — a 45 percent increase since 2000.
But Nevada faces unique challenges. A 2024 PrivacyJournal study ranks the state first among the most dangerous states for online dating, citing high rates of catfishing and dating app-related violence.
Some young Las Vegans say those risks — along with mental health concerns, inauthenticity and rising costs — are reasons they have stepped away from the apps. Desert Companion spoke with three such Zillennials about why they chose to dump or decenter dating apps last year. Read those conversations in the newest spring issue of Desert Companion, available online at KNPR.org.
🤝 Signs of HOPE is seeking volunteers ahead of April’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The nonprofit, which supports survivors of sexual violence and human trafficking, says spring is one of its busiest seasons.
Volunteers must complete a 50-hour advocacy training program beginning March 2. Applications are due Feb. 20. Applicants must be at least 18 years old — or 21 for some roles — and pass a background check and drug screening.
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.
