🗳️ A day before Election Day, the Department of Justice is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to wade into its unprecedented feud with California over the state's voter rolls.
The appeal is the department's latest foray into state election administration, which a federal judge referred to last week as "a broad, ongoing pattern of attempted election interference by federal officials."
After that judge, David Carter, a Clinton appointee, and a divided 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel rejected the DOJ's request to order California to set aside and stop processing the ballots of thousands of people, the DOJ filed a notice Monday that it is seeking injunctive relief from the high court.
It remains to be seen whether the Supreme Court will agree to intervene and, if so, whether it would weigh in before Tuesday's Election Day.
The DOJ says it has identified 20,000 "likely" noncitizens on California's voter roll whose ballots should not be counted until their citizenship can be verified.
Courts so far have sided with California and Los Angeles County's arguments that the federal government's list is unreliable, and that creating a novel system to segregate ballots while voting is already underway is infeasible.
The two judges cited longstanding legal precedent, known as the Purcell principle, that election rules should not be altered on the eve of an election, as well as the fact that the Constitution gives states authority to run elections. The opinion also cited the National Voter Registration Act, which bars states from systematically removing ineligible voters within 90 days of a federal election.
Read the full story by NPR's Jude Joffe-Block here.
🚧 The Charleston Boulevard Storm Drain Project is moving to a new phase. Over the next four weeks, additional work will take place, beginning with the continued closure of Commerce Street on the south side of Charleston Boulevard.
Work will run throughout the day, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. One lane of traffic in each direction will remain open on Charleston Boulevard.
Commerce Street was originally set to reopen by Oct. 26, but due to the need for continued work after it would’ve reopened, the intersection will remain closed with a possible reopening date of Nov. 20.
The project is scheduled for completion by the end of 2027.
🐎 The Bureau of Land Management Nevada State Office has concluded its first wild horse gathering operation in the area north of Reno-Sparks in 15 years. It yielded 323 horses.
The gathering concluded Oct. 22. The BLM says the roundups help protect horses from conditions where herd numbers have grown beyond what the land could support. The area north of the Biggest Little City was selected in part because of recent wildfires.
The BLM said in a statement that all gathered animals are being cared for and will eventually be adopted, sold or placed in long-term pastures to retain their “wild” status.
🎓 A student from Coronado High School and one from Procter R. Hug High School are among those recognized as the nation's most distinguished graduating high school seniors. Maryiam Syed of Henderson and Daniel David Jackson of Reno have been named 2026 U.S. Presidential Scholars by the Commission on Presidential Scholars.
They are among the 161 students nationwide to be selected. Each scholar will receive an engraved medallion. The application is by invitation only.
According to the Clark County School District, honorees are identified through a rigorous selection process that evaluates academic excellence, artistic and technical talent, essays, school recommendations, and evidence of leadership and community service.
📝 It’s hard enough just to write a decent poem, so for poet Elle Hope, brand-new Clark County poet laureate, why also take on the additional duties of advocacy and programming that go with this new position?
Hope has been running Spotlight Poetry, an organization that puts together open mics, showcases and slams around the valley. So the county job’s extra duties and multitasking aren’t an issue. As poet laureate, she’ll compose poems for public events as needed, speak to various groups and promote the art and craft of poetry.
In the newest episode of the Desert Air podcast, Hope sits down with Desert Companion Editor-at-Large Scott Dickensheets to talk about writing and promoting poetry in a city like Las Vegas, her plans as poet laureate, and how she envisions making the county position her own. Hear the full conversation here.
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.
