The Daily Rundown - May 22, 2026
🧠 From 2016 to 2024, the share of Americans who reported feeling significant stress about presidential elections rose 17%. Election stress is now reported by nearly 70% of people who responded to an American Psychological Association survey. Anxiety, depression, shorter tempers, loss of sleep — these are common symptoms of a condition some psychiatrists have informally called “Election Stress Disorder.”
Some experts, like Dr. Jim Jobin — a psychotherapist, addictions counselor, and adjunct professor at UNLV's Graduate School of Clinical Mental Health Counseling — have seen some people take up harmful coping mechanisms. "A lot of people are turning to those self-medicating options, especially in Nevada, since we've legalized cannabis and alcohol on every corner," he said.
That's as midterm election season continues to ramp up, alongside concerns about broader everyday topics, like the cost of living and the war abroad. Hear the full conversation with State of Nevada's Anne Davis here.
🏢 The Boulder City Planning Commission voted against a proposed 88.5-acre data center, on May 20th. They recommended that the City Council reject the project. Some residents attended the three-hour meeting to protest. According to the Las Vegas Review Journal, many have fears around the energy demands and noise pollution of the facility.
Boulder City Mayor Joe Hardy previously noted the project's revenue potential. The developer claimed a 90-year lease could fund 12 percent of the city's operating budget. The developer also stated the cooling system would mostly require a one-time water fill.
One planning commissioner publicly expressed doubts about the minimal water-use estimate. The city council will vote on the proposal at a later date.
🌳 Clark County is renaming Cesar Chavez Park in the east Las Vegas valley. The move comes after allegations of sexual abuse against the labor leader came to light earlier this year. County commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to adopt the new name of Mariachi Park for the grounds at Radwick Drive and Owens Avenue.
Officials say the new name is meant to reflect the neighborhood's deep cultural roots and traditions. The county plans to celebrate the renaming with a community event on May 23rd.
🏞️ The annual report that ranks cities based on the quality of their parks shows some cities in the Mountain West are among the best in the country while others ranked low. Trust for Public Lands is a national nonprofit organization that advocates for outdoor spaces. It ranked 100 urban parks based on several criteria ranging from acreage, amenities and investment.
Will Klein, the organization’s director of parks research, said among the most important criteria is how many city residents can access a park within a ten-minute walk. A new metric in the study this year that helps provide a snapshot of equity and for residents’ access to outdoor spaces. “About 70 of the 100 cities have less park space in lower income neighborhoods than higher income neighborhoods,” said Klein.
“And parks in lower income neighborhoods are half as big and serve 4-5 times more people than parks in higher income neighborhoods.” Parks ranked twice as popular as private gyms as a preference for where people go for physical activity. And the study shows that people who have access to parks tend to have better physical and mental health.
🗳️ Nevada’s primary election is a little more than two weeks away, but in-person early voting begins May 23rd. As part of an effort to engage future voters, the City of Henderson is holding an election for children under 18 to cast a vote for their favorite ice cream flavor. Young voters can cast their vote at Henderson City Hall.
Every young voter who participates will receive a special “I Voted” sticker and a FREE scoop of ice cream. Adults can also earn an I voted sticker since Henderson City Hall also serves as an official Clark County polling site. Also in the vein of trying to engage young voters, Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar has launched a survey to gain insight into how Nevadans ages 17 to 24 feel about the voting experience.
The Youth Vote Survey was developed by the Youth Advisory Task Force. More can be found on the Secretary of State’s website. In-person early voting runs through Friday, June 5. The Primary Election is Tuesday, June 9th.
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.
