The Daily Rundown - December 22, 2025
Rolling into the holidays, the outlook for the ski season is grim. Resorts in Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming are off to a slow start.
The situation for resorts looks bad right now, but it's not yet a crisis, said Tom Foley, the director of business intelligence for Outside Interactive and Inntopia.
"A lack of snowfall across the Western United States and the fact that only 11% of the runs are open as of Nov. 30, that's a double whammy that makes things very difficult," Foley said. Concerns about inflation, job security and wages are exacerbating the situation, said Foley. And he said that pessimism is spread across all income, age and political groups.
Read more about how the lack of snow and economic uncertainty will affect this winter season here.
Last Thursday, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a law that Nevada officials call "mining reform" and environmentalists say overturns key public lands protections. Reps. Mark Amodei and Steven Horsford, both of Nevada, cosponsored the bill, dubbed the Mining Regulatory Clarity Act. In a press release, Amodei described the measure as "establishing a new category of mill sites to ensure that operators can use federal lands for ancillary activities." He added it would strengthen the country's national security and energy future.
Opponents say the bill defies four key court decisions that have upheld community rights in public lands decisions. The Sierra Club's Toiyabe Chapter condemned the measure as a giveaway to mining corporations and vowed to fight it in the Senate, where it heads next. Nevada's two U.S. senators, Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen, both support the act.
Hear more about how the Mining Regulatory Clarity Act will affect Nevadans here.
Also last Thursday, Nevada's 988 mental health crisis hotline received a boost when the Legislature's Interim Finance Committee approved more than $10 million in additional funding. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports the money is intended to benefit suicide and mental health crisis support centers in Southern Nevada run by Carelon Behavioral Health. Shannon Bennett, with the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health, told lawmakers that hotline use has increased nearly 100% since the country switched from a 10-digit number in July 2022. Bennett added that investing in new technology will allow the 911 system to more easily transfer behavioral health calls to the 988 system.
Read more about Nevada's 988 mental health crisis hotline here.
Both Mountain West schools in Nevada began their conference basketball journey with wins this weekend. UNR won over Boise State, while UNLV won over Fresno State. They are joined by Utah State, New Mexico, Grand Canyon and San Diego State at the top of the Mountain West standings with their initial in-conference wins.
With final preparations underway for many families across Nevada, here are a handful of small updates to prepare for a hectic winter weekend.
- From the National Weather Service, a low-pressure system will bring unsettled weather to the region just in time for Christmas, making holiday travel difficult and potentially dangerous in places. A flood watch has been issued for Las Vegas this Wednesday.
- Additionally, according to Clark County officials, air quality in Southern Nevada is a concern this holiday season. The county's Department of Environment and Sustainability is asking people not to use their wood-burning fireplaces, fire pits and stoves on Dec. 24 and 25. Officials say this should help the region reduce air pollution and avoid exceeding federal clean air standards.
- The Nevada Department of Agriculture says entry requirements have been met for an important group of animals: Santa's reindeer are cleared for landing! State Veterinarian Peter Rolfe says the animals are in good health and approved to help deliver presents to all the children in 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.
