The Daily Rundown - March 4th, 2026
🏛️ The Bureau of Land Management has approved a more than 1,600-acre expansion of the Silver Peak Lithium Mine in Esmeralda County. In a press release, the BLM says that North Carolina-based chemical company Albemarle can now use “new technologies” at the site. According to the agency, the technology will allow the company to increase lithium production by up to 100 percent using the same amount of raw materials.
The expansion will also enable the construction of two new pump stations, two brine ponds and additional pipelines. In addition, the agency “retroactively” approved existing facilities built without prior authorization. The BLM did not provide specifics. The mine has been in operation since 1965 and is the country’s only producing lithium mine. Its total footprint is now more than 8,000 acres.
🗳️ Nevada Democratic U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto has voted not to nominate Steve Pearce for Bureau of Land Management director. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee voted on the nomination this morning. Cortez Masto cited the nominee's long history of advocating for federal land sales.
Pearce previously co-sponsored legislation to sell public lands to local governments. He has voiced support for land sales as a way to reduce the national deficit. More than 85 percent of all land in Nevada is owned by the federal government. Conservation groups have also called on Sen. Jacky Rosen to vote no on Pearce's confirmation.
💥 The Nevada Department of Transportation is planning to temporarily close Boulder Highway starting tonight. The closure begins at 11 p.m. Traffic will be blocked between Harmon Avenue and Sun Valley Drive. Officials expect the road to reopen by 6 a.m. Thursday. The shutdown will help facilitate the implosion of the Eastside Cannery Casino-Hotel.
Law enforcement will direct traffic during the detour at the site. The demolition of the building is scheduled for early Thursday morning. The event is not open to the public, and viewing areas will not be provided.
💰 Southwest Gas is asking the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada to allow it to raise rates. The utility is seeking a 2.8% increase in Southern Nevada, which it says would add $1.19 to the average bill. Northern Nevada customers face an increase of almost 11 percent, adding a little more than $6 to monthly bills.
The proposal will be discussed at a Public Utilities Commission of Nevada consumer session Thursday in both Carson City and Las Vegas, starting at 6 p.m. People can sign up to speak at the meeting or submit comments in advance.
🎓 Powwow for the Future, formerly known as Powwow for the Planet, a spring event at UNLV celebrating Indigenous culture, has been canceled. The official social media account announced the cancellation Monday, citing “unforeseen circumstances” with the venue. It would have been the group’s fifth annual powwow. The UNLV Powwow Committee is still aiming to host an alternative event this year but has not provided details. Organizers plan to have a full powwow in 2027.
⚽ Although there will not be any World Cup soccer games in Las Vegas this summer, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is hoping for an influx of soccer fans. The authority has organized what it is calling “the World’s Watch Party,” with a dedicated website, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. The visitors authority is marketing the city as a place for fans from around the world to watch the games without traveling to several cities.
Many resorts are now offering special discounts to fans on rooms, dining and more, some stretching past the World Cup. Games will be played in Canada, Mexico and the United States from June 11 through July 19. It is the first World Cup with three host nations.
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.
