IndyMatters

This week, host Joey Lovato reports on the ‘renegade’ Burning Man. The official event was canceled this year because of COVID-19, but that didn’t stop thousands of people from heading out to the playa earlier this month. After that, reporter Zach Bright reports on criticism of the state’s use of inmate firefighters, who have helped fight wildfires plaguing Nevada and California this summer for little pay. At the end of the show, reporter Howard Stutz comes on the podcast to talk about the long and tumultuous history between Stations Casinos and Culinary Workers Local 226 in the first of this two-part history segment.

1:00 - Unofficial Burning Man

14:20 - Inmate firefighters

22:30 - The battle between unions and casinos

This week, Lt. Gov. Kate Marshall and Gov. Steve Sisolak’s chief of staff Michelle White come on the podcast to talk about stepping down from their roles —  Marshall to take a job at the White House and White to spend more time with her family. Both women talk about their jobs in the government, what the future holds for their offices and more. Then, host Joey Lovato is joined by reporter Jackie Valley to talk about an anti-racism policy that is being implemented in the Clark County School District and mothers who are pushing for it after racist threats targeting their sons. At the end of the show, Joey is joined by Sergio Avila, a representative with AAA Nevada, to talk about high gas prices in the state.

0:55 - Top state officials depart

17:20 - Anti-racism policy in schools

24:10 - High gas prices

This week, to celebrate the 200th episode of the IndyMatters podcast, we break from our normal format and share vignettes from people from all over the state who explain what it means to be a Nevadan, how they got here and what makes this state so unique. From attorneys to restaurant owners to casino workers, we sought a wide range of voices who may not represent every Nevadan, but give us a good taste of the great diversity in the Silver State. In the months to come, reporter Jackie Valley will be exploring this topic further as she shifts her focus here at the Indy from education, toward the people who make up the state.

This week, Reporter Daniel Rothberg and Host Joey Lovato talk about the still raging Caldor Fire, which has forced mass evacuations in South Lake Tahoe. After that, Reporter and Cohost Jacob Solis sits down with Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) Chancellor Melody Rose to talk about vaccine mandates for students and possible mandates for staff. At the end of the show, Reporter Sean Golonka reports on the resurgence of the wedding industry in Las Vegas after the pandemic.

0:55 - Caldor Fire

12:40 - NSHE Chancellor Melody Rose

22:55 - Weddings returning to Las Vegas

29:40 - Outro / Credits

This week, Reporter and Assistant Editor Michelle Rindels talks with UCLA History Professor Kelly Lytle Hernandez about an immigration law that a Nevada-based federal judge has declared unconstitutional, citing its racist origins. Then, Reporter Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez heads out to the Walker River Indian Reservation to talk with business owner Andrea Martinez about why she opened a vegetarian coffee shop in rural Nevada. At the end of the show, Host Joey Lovato sits down with D.C. Reporter Humberto Sanchez for the D.C. Debrief to talk about the infrastructure bill, the budget and more congressional developments through a Nevada lens.

1:10 - Immigration law struck down

7:20 - Native-owned coffee shop

14:00 - D.C. Debrief

27:30 - Outro / Credits