The Daily Rundown: September 16, 2026
💧 The Bureau of Reclamation is warning boaters of planned water level reductions on Lake Mohave throughout fall and winter. The seasonal drawdown will create unusually shallow areas and shifting river conditions on Lake Mohave, especially downstream of Hoover Dam.
The annual adjustment helps prepare for potential inflow from winter storms. It’s scheduled to begin in early October and last until January.
The reduction in water levels also helps conservation partners working to protect razorback suckers, a threatened species native to the Colorado River.
⚡ Tech giant Google says it plans to commit $10 million to an energy impact fund designed to “support energy innovation and affordability for Nevada households.”
The first $5 million in funding will support the Nevada Clean Energy Fund’s (NCEF) Residential Energy Upgrade Program (RE-UP). It helps households access improvements such as efficient heating and cooling systems and weatherization to lower energy bills.
The remaining $5 million will be distributed later this year; details about how that money will be used are still forthcoming. Google has operated data centers in Nevada since 2019, with facilities in Clark and Storey counties.
The move comes amid growing concerns about the power and water these facilities use, along with soaring energy prices and sustained drought in many parts of the country.
🍹 Businesses in Henderson are asking for the adoption of to-go alcohol licensing similar to ordinances implemented in the city of Las Vegas.
At the state level, Nevada's Assembly Bill 375 allows local governments to let licensed restaurants sell sealed, mixed drinks to-go for pickup or delivery. That took effect in October of last year.
The Henderson City Council requested comment from local businesses on some liquor licensing code reforms, and the feedback received yesterday included requests to “expressly incorporate [AB] 375.”
The Nevada Restaurant Association estimates that the change could add $28 million in new revenue for Henderson operators and another almost $2 million a year in new tip income for servers and delivery drivers. The trade group also estimates more than $2 million in new sales tax revenue for the city, with approximately $1 million a year going toward DUI prevention.
🚗 The autonomous vehicle company Waymo began offering limited public rides in Las Vegas on Monday, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.
The company is expected to operate within a service area of around 24 miles covering the resort corridor. It will also act as the official ride-hailing partner for Allegiant Stadium and the Venetian.
In August, the Nevada Transportation Authority approved Waymo’s request to operate up to 1,000 robotaxis in Las Vegas.
The company now offers its service in 15 metro areas, with Nevada being the eighth state in the U.S. to offer paid rides.
📈 The Federal Reserve raised interest rates for the first time in over three years on Wednesday, Sept. 16, in a show of its determination to attack stubborn inflation.
The central bank raised its benchmark interest rate by a quarter percentage point to a range between 3.75% and 4%. That makes it more costly to borrow money to buy a car, grow a business or carry a balance on a credit card.
The U.S. war with Iran has rekindled inflation, pushing oil and gasoline prices higher and driving the price of diesel fuel into record territory. Higher interest rates won't automatically bring lower prices at the pump, but they do signal the central bank's commitment to restoring price stability.
Financial markets had widely expected the rate hike after hawkish comments from Fed chairman Kevin Warsh last month.
"The responsibility for 65 months of sustained, elevated inflation sits squarely with the central bank," Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh told an audience in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, last month. "We must be confident that underlying inflation is moving to our objective, clearly and at sufficient speed. Otherwise, we have work to do."
Still, some economists questioned whether the rate hike would have much effect on price pressures.
"Today's decision reinforces the Fed's commitment to price stability and addresses credibility concerns," said Selma Hepp, chief economist at the real estate data firm Cotality.
"The bigger question is whether the Fed risks fighting the wrong inflation battle. A rate hike is unlikely to lower gasoline prices, reduce tariff-related costs, or accelerate homebuilding, but it will further dampen housing demand and delay a broader market recovery." Read the full story by NPR's Scott Horsley here.
Producer’s Note: At the time of this recording, the Federal Reserve had not yet announced an increase in interest rates. We apologize for any confusion.
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.
