The Daily Rundown: August 25, 2026
🗳️ A Republican-backed election overhaul, which would add proof-of-citizenship and other identification requirements to the voting process, has stalled in Congress.
But voters in a number of states are weighing in on some of these same issues this year. Voters in at least six states will decide ballot measures related to voter ID — the largest number of voter ID measures in a single year, per Ballotpedia.
Oklahoma is first up, voting on its proposal during Tuesday's primary runoff. That measure would essentially codify existing voter ID policy in its state constitution. The remaining states — including the swing states of Arizona, North Carolina and here in Nevada — have measures for this fall's general election that would toughen ID requirements for voters.
The ballot measures follow lawmakers in eight other states making voter ID requirements more stringent this year, according to the Voting Rights Lab, a research group that supports expanded voting access.
Nevada will vote on a constitutional amendment that would require voters to present a photo ID when casting a ballot in person, or provide the last four digits of a driver’s license or Social Security number when casting a mail ballot. See the full story by NPR's Benjamin Swasey here.
🎨 The city of Henderson is accepting applications for its Mural Artist Apprenticeship program. In a news release, the city said selected artists will work with a lead artist from December 2026 to May 2027, learning to design, plan and execute a public mural that incorporates principles of wayfinding and site identity.
At the end of the apprenticeship, each artist will design and paint a mural on a Henderson park roll door in the Green Valley, Green Valley Ranch and McCullough Hills areas. The application deadline is Sept. 10.
💧 Nevada filed a federal lawsuit Monday challenging the Trump administration’s new rules drastically cutting the state’s access to the Colorado River, according to reporting by KNPR's Paul Boger.
Under new regulations finalized by the Department of the Interior last week, the Lower Basin states — Arizona, California and Nevada — have to cut their share of the Colorado River by 1.25 million acre-feet over the next two years. Northern Basin states do not.
According to the suit, the reduction unfairly slashes Nevada’s share of the river by about 71% to about 86,000 acre-feet of water a year. For context, the state used about 212,000 acre-feet in 2024. John Entsminger oversees the Southern Nevada Water Authority, one of the litigants. He says the state has a legal right to that water.
“The entire Southern Nevada economy is based upon a legal entitlement to 1.8% of the Colorado River," said Entsminger. “We have the federal government coming in and asserting that they have the authority to take 70% of that meager 1.8%.”
The complaint alleges that federal officials failed to analyze how the cuts would fully impact Nevada’s economy, despite a legal requirement to do so. The state is asking a judge to vacate the Department of the Interior’s entire 2027-2036 framework for the Colorado River.
🪙 A federal jury yesterday convicted Las Vegas business owner Brent Kovar of fraudulently obtaining $24 million from at least 400 investors. Between 2017 and 2021, he falsely claimed his company Profit Connect used supercomputers and artificial intelligence to mine cryptocurrency.
He also promised high returns backed by nonexistent large reserves and misled investors about having FDIC insurance. The Nevada U.S. Attorney's Office says Kovar actually ran an unprofitable operation and used the funds to enrich himself, pay employees and repay earlier investors.
Following a nine-day trial, Kovar was found guilty of 11 counts of wire fraud, two counts of mail fraud and two counts of money laundering. He faces up to 280 years in prison at his sentencing on Nov. 30, 2026.
🛣️ Boulder City officials are celebrating the receipt of $850,000 in federal funding for the city’s Nevada Way Reconstruction Project. The Boulder City Review reports the project aims to improve pedestrian safety and accessibility in downtown Boulder City.
The project is in its second phase, which includes repaving, restriping and replacing asphalt through the city’s downtown area. The first phase, which focused on widening sidewalks and replacing outdated underground utilities, was completed last summer.
There’s no current timeline for the project until all funds are transferred to the city. That’s when the project will go out on bid, pending final approval from City Council.
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.
