Happy Friday, Nevadans!

During my time at UNLV, I often crossed paths with social work students since the program is housed in the same building as journalism. Every semester, I would see these students present their projects in the college lobby, and I always admired their passion and dedication, and how hands-on the program seemed.

It probably has to do with the fact that Dr. Esther Langston—the first Black social worker in the state of Nevada—helped shape that program. 

She spent 50 years as a teacher, mentor, and community activist. Langston had many “firsts” throughout her professional career—including being the first African American to earn tenure (1974) and serve as a department chair at UNLV (1998-2006). She served as a role model to several generations of Black social workers with her presence at a predominantly white institution.

Langston did so much more for the community that it would take up too much space in the newsletter to dive into it all. But you can read more here.

In today’s newsletter:

Have a safe weekend!

P.S. Monday is Presidents Day, so we’ll be off. See you again Wednesday! 

(Tonopah Brewing Company)

By USA Today Network via Reuters Connect

The USA TODAY Network has unveiled its Restaurants of the Year for 2026, which selected one for every state. This year, Esther’s Kitchen in Las Vegas’ Arts District was picked for Nevada.

But it’s difficult to pick just one spot out of the entire state—especially with the abundance of world-class restaurants and great flavors that can be found in every city and town in Nevada.

So here are five other Nevada restaurants we think you should try in 2026.

Among other noteworthy spots are a legendary Basque restaurant, a brewery deep in the heart of the state, a vegan Vegas favorite and a Chinese bistro in downtown Reno.

Athar Haseebullah, executive director of ACLU Nevada, holds redacted emails that appear to show a conversation between the Nevada DMV and ICE. (Jannelle Calderón/The Nevadan)

By Naoka Foreman

Some think political loyalty between President Donald Trump and Gov. Joe Lombardo keeps massive ICE raids at bay. Others suggest that it has nothing to do with that.

Nevada has not entirely escaped immigration crackdowns, despite Lombardo’s loyalty.

According to the non-partisan Prison Policy Initiative, which researches mass criminalization, most ICE arrests in Nevada have happened within corrections, meaning a detainee was already apprehended by local police and then remanded to ICE custody.

Through the 287g agreement—a policy that authorizes local police to take up ICE duties—within months of the Trump administration’s crackdown, 634 inmates from jails and state corrections were shuffled into federal custody.

Another 1,098 were removed from state police custody to ICE facilities in the months that followed. Fewer than 700 individuals were detained by ICE at home, workplaces, or community locations during the same periods.

🟣 Study lists Nevada among least educated states. 8 News Now

“On the other hand, the five least educated states are West Virginia, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Nevada. Nevada was ranked at No. 46.”

🟣 Cyberattack prompts new data policy in Nevada. The Nevada Independent

“Data will now be classified as one of four categories: ‘public,’ ‘sensitive,’ ‘confidential’ or ‘restricted.’ It is up to individual agencies to determine the proper category, and if the classification is unclear, the data must be put in the more restrictive category.“

🟣 ‘Rhino tranq’ detected in Southern Nevada drug supply. News 3

“While it has not been widely reported in Nevada, five positive samples have been confirmed since July 1 last year, representing less than 1% of all samples collected since September 2024.”

🟣 Super Bowl betting at Nevada sportsbooks hits decade low. Casino.org

“According to information provided by the Nevada Gaming Control Board, a total of $133.8 million (unaudited) was wagered on the big game across Nevada’s 186 sportsbooks, the lowest level since the 2016 game between the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers, Peyton Manning’s final game in the NFL (Denver won 24-10). Gamblers wagered $132.5 million that game.”

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Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Jannelle Calderón with stories by Naoka Foreman and USA Today Network via Reuters Connect. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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