The Daily Rundown - February 27th, 2026
🎗️ February, Black History Month, is on its way out, but that doesn’t mean the issues affecting Nevada’s Black community are, too. One such issue is the state’s HIV/AIDS rate, which disproportionately impacts the local Black community. Clark County has a 36% higher rate of HIV than the United States average. And in 2023, HIV/AIDS affected more than 1,200 African Americans in Southern Nevada.
Melva Thompson-Robinson is a professor at the UNLV School of Nursing, an HIV/AIDS researcher, and an advisor to the Dean of the School of Nursing on equity, inclusion, and justice. She said the main problem that Black residents face in Nevada is the stigma against HIV/AIDS. Hear the full story by KNPR’s Anne Davis & Charlize Smith.
⚖️ A Carson City judge ruled Wednesday to allow an effort to continue that would amend the state constitution to limit transgender athletes.
The ballot initiative backs the notion that school sports should be based on an athlete’s sex assigned at birth. KOLO-TV reports the judge ruled the initiative must include a new description stating it would create an exception to the state constitution, which currently guarantees equal rights regardless of gender identity.
Signature gathering for the measure is set to begin statewide once legal review requirements are complete. Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo backs the initiative and frames it as protecting girls’ sports.
💧 The U.S. Senate on Thursday unanimously approved a water pipeline project set to tunnel under the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area.
The new pipeline would serve as a backup for an existing single line serving Henderson and southern Las Vegas. Ratepayers will fund the multibillion-dollar cost. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto said she sponsored the bill to improve water system reliability, according to the Nevada Current.
The project also expands the Sloan Canyon National Conservation Area by 9,000 acres. The bill now awaits the president’s signature.
🔐 Two more class-action lawsuits have been filed in U.S. District Court in Nevada against Wynn Resorts Ltd. following a cyberattack last week.
It wasn’t until Tuesday that Wynn Resorts Ltd. said there had been an attack and that data had been stolen and deleted, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. The company did not say whether it paid a ransom.
About 800,000 files containing extensive information about employees were reportedly stolen. There was no indication customer information was involved. A lawsuit filed last week and the two filed Tuesday accuse Wynn of failing to take adequate security measures to protect sensitive information.
🏠 U.S. mortgage rates have fallen below 6% for the first time since September 2022.
The average rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage is 5.98% this week, according to the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp.. The last time rates were this low was September 2022.
Real estate experts say the drop is a psychologically important milestone for homeowners holding onto older, cheaper rates and would-be buyers deterred by high borrowing costs, which have tightened the housing market. After pandemic-era lows near 2.5%, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates, pushing mortgage rates higher.
At their recent peak, rates averaged about 7.8% in October 2023. Hear the full story by Stephen Bisaha at KNPR.org.
🏒 The United States women’s hockey team has a July date in Las Vegas with Flavor Flav to celebrate its gold medal at the Milan Cortina Olympics.
The rapper Flavor Flav reposted a note on X from sports media brand The GIST announcing he’s hosting a “She Got Game” weekend from July 16–19 in partnership with MGM Resorts International. The post said the event will honor the women’s hockey team and other female athletes.
A publicist confirmed the event without providing further details. The players accepted the invitation without input from USA Hockey, a person familiar with the discussions told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks were private.
While the team is excited to attend, it’s unclear whether all 23 players will be there due to potential scheduling conflicts. Read the full story here.
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.
