Happy Friday, Nevadans!

More than 250,000 Nevadans have already cast their vote in the midterm election—via mail and in person. Are you one of them? Tell us why you’re voting.

In other news: Today at 3 p.m. is our event where we will be interviewing Attorney General Aaron Ford, who is running for governor, and Rep. Steven Horsford, who is looking to be reelected. If you can’t catch it in person, it will be live on YouTube. 

In today’s newsletter:

Have a safe weekend!

The biodiverse Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge is home to the most endangered fish and river in the United States. (CC BY 2.0/Cyndi Souza, USFWS)

By Aleza Freeman

Named after the Indigenous Mojave people, the 54,000-square-mile high desert sprawls across southeastern California and Southern Nevada and spills into Arizona and Utah. 

Though development, military training, mining, hunting, and farming are shrinking the Mojave’s wilderness, it remains a year-round destination for outdoor adventure, with wetlands, dunes, striking sandstone, mountain ranges, lakes, wildlife, and endemic plants. 

Here’s a look at some of the best places to explore and things to do in the Mojave Desert.

Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo leaves a polling place after voting Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

By Lizzie Ramirez

In just two days, Lombardo racked up $25,000 from a subsidiary owned by Blackstone Real Estate Partner, according to his third quarter campaign finance filings.  

Blackstone Real Estate Partners reported owning over 8,400 homes and apartments across Nevada in 2026. An apartment income real estate investment trust limited partnership (REIT LP), also known as AIR Communities owns at least 12 housing complexes in Nevada. 

Real estate investor and billionaire Robert Bigelow donated $2.5 million to the Better Nevada PAC and $6 million to the Republican Governor’s Association Nevada PAC in support of Lombardo—and over $200,000 directly to Lombardo’s campaign.

In total, Bigelow has spent nearly $39 million to support Lombardo’s gubernatorial campaigns since 2022. 

🟣 Effects of higher gas prices ripple down to Food Bank of Northern Nevada. KUNR

“Food Bank of Northern Nevada has been spending $7,000 more every month on gas [to deliver food to pantries] since March. Some months fuel alone costs a total of $25,000. The majority of their vehicles run on diesel and compared with prices of unleaded, diesel has increased significantly more.”

🟣 NV voter fraud is shockingly rare, bears scant resemblance to Trump’s portrayal, analysis shows. Nevada Current

“There have only been 11 instances of election fraud in Nevada–out of nearly 9 million votes cast–over the last decade, according to a new report from UNLV. Most have those resulted in criminal convictions.”

🟣 A premature baby was born midflight as two Nevada medical crew members put their teamwork to the test. 2 News Nevada

“As the delivery became imminent, [flight nurse] Steve Hardesty moved equipment and rearranged the limited cabin space to make room. Within minutes, Brianna Nielson gave birth to baby Lacy, who was placed in [paramedic] Misae Nomiyama’s care for warming and essential newborn support. Both mother and baby were healthy and safe after the transport.”

🟣 Does daylight saving time end soon? A look at sunset times in Nevada. Reno Gazette Journal

“Daylight saving time ends at a particularly convenient time for Nevadans. The ‘fall back’ in time and extra hour of sleep comes to Nevada clocks on Nov. 1, the day after Nevada Day (and Halloween). That means if Nevadans overindulged, they have some more time to recover the morning after.”

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was composed by Jannelle Calderón, featuring stories by Aleza Freeman and Lizzie Ramirez. It was edited by Crystal Niforos.

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