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The Terrorists Are Here

The video is chilling. A 30-year old woman standing on the sidewalk is approached by a man dressed in dark clothing. He accosts her as five other men descend on her. They have no identifying clothing nor do they present badges or other ID. Some of them are even wearing masks to hide their identity. They vaguely claim to be the police. Without any explanation, they handcuff her and force her into an unmarked car. She is then driven away without the opportunity to contact anyone. (https://apnews.com/article/tufts-student-detained-massachusetts-immigration-6c3978da98a8d0f39ab311e092ffd892)

If you had seen this video a year ago or even six months ago, you might have thought this was taking place in some third-world country, perhaps Venezuela or Iran. Or you might have guessed it was in China or North Korea. Then you might have thought, “It can’t happen here.”

But it can happen here and, in fact, already has. This outrage against a Tufts University PhD student took place in broad daylight on the streets of Somerville, Massachusetts. The video conjures up images of totalitarian states where secret police abuse their country’s populace in order to spread fear throughout the nation.

If this video doesn’t absolutely terrify you, it should. Unfortunately, if it does terrify you, that is exactly the reaction that Trump and his minions want. The primary weapons of a cowardly bully are fear and intimidation. And Trump knows well how to wield those tools.

Our only choice is to stand together to right the wrongs being committed in our country. We must work to ensure that Trump and his enablers in the Republican party don’t destroy our Constitution and lead the U.S.A. down the path of dictatorship.

Trump Billionaire Backer Warns of Economic Nuclear War

By Michael M. McGreer

April 9, 2025

Hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman, who backed Donald Trump for the Presidency, took to social media Sunday to ask the President to pause tariffs for 90 days.

Ackman likened Trump’s April 9 scheduled tariff launch to an economic nuclear war on every country in the world. Ackman argued that business investment will halt, consumers will close their wallets and pocketbooks, and we will severely damage our reputation with the rest of the world, which will take years and potentially decades to rehabilitate.

According to The Washington Post, Elon Musk, an investor in China’s market, held direct “private talks” with the President, hoping to convince him to scale back the measures.

Yesterday, Trump obeyed Ackman and put a 90-day pause into effect; he ignored Musk’s concerns and raised China’s tariffs to 125%.[i]

On Tuesday, in Las Vegas, DR. Stephen M. Miller, a University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) professor of economics, told Sky 3 News reporters that uncertainty drives everything while simultaneously warning of a potential tariff war with China and the possibility of stagflation, characterized by slow economic growth, relatively high unemployment, and rising prices.

[i] China is the world’s second-largest economy by nominal GDP and since 2016 has been the world’s largest economy when measured by purchasing power parity (PPP). Chinese companies invested 28.04 billion U.S. dollars into firms in the United States in 2023 when calculated on a historical-cost basis. That year, the total foreign direct investments in the U.S. were valued at approximately 5.39 trillion U.S. dollars.

“Hands Off” rally in Mesquite

On Saturday, April 5, I attended the “Hands Off” rally in Mesquite and I want to brag about it.

Just over 200 people gathered along the bridge on Grapevine Drive. People were carrying hand made signs on the issues that were important to them. We were all just having fun and talking about the issues and how we disagree with the actions of this administration.  Everyone was peaceful and we were glad to make our voices heard.

Officers of the Mesquite Police Department ensured there was no disruption to traffic control and to keep us all safe.

Enjoy the pictures that I and others took. It was a beautiful day for a rally.

Hold On To Your Wallets

It’s difficult to predict the impacts of the latest raises in tariffs since economic projections are often little more than guesses. And there are those who, for political reasons, will simply make up numbers and throw them around as if they were facts. But there are legitimate organizations that use scientific approaches to make projections such as the Yale University Budget Lab.

This organization recently published a document entitled “Where We Stand: The Fiscal, Economic, and Distributional Effects of All U.S. Tariffs Enacted in 2025 Through April 2” (https://budgetlab.yale.edu/research/where-we-stand-fiscal-economic-and-distributional-effects-all-us-tariffs-enacted-2025-through-april). The document explains the results and methodologies they used. It presents the effects of the April 2 tariff announcement separately from any earlier tariffs imposed in 2025 and then combines them.

Some of the key findings are as follows:

  1. 1. Tariffs are a regressive tax, especially in the short-run. This means that tariffs burden households at the bottom of the income ladder more than those at the top as a share of income.
  1. 2. The April 2nd action is the equivalent of a rise in the effective US tariff rate of 11 ½ percentage points. The average effective US tariff rate after incorporating all 2025 tariffs is now 22 ½%, the highest since 1909.
  1. 3. The price level from all 2025 tariffs rises by 2.3% in the short-run, the equivalent of an average per household consumer loss of $3,800 in 2024 dollars. Annual losses for households at the bottom of the income distribution are $1,700.
  1. 4. The price level from the April 2nd announcement alone rises by 1.3% in the short run, the equivalent of an average per household consumer loss of $2,100 in 2024 dollars. Annual losses for households at the bottom of the income distribution are $980 under the April 2nd policy alone.
  1. 5. Both the April 2nd tariffs themselves and all 2025 actions to date have disproportionately affected clothing and textiles. Apparel prices rise 8% from the April 2nd action alone and 17% from all US tariffs.
  1. 6. Food prices are also disproportionately affected, rising 1.6% from the April 2nd policy and 2.8% from all 2025 tariff actions. Fresh produce rises 2.2% and 4.0%, respectively.
  1. 7. Motor vehicle prices are largely untouched by the April 2nd announcement but rise by 8.4% under all tariff action to date, the equivalent of an additional $4,000 to the price of an average 2024 new car.

Another legitimate source, the Tax Foundation, has reported that a 10 percent tariff would increase taxes on US households by $1,253 on average, and a 20 percent tariff would increase taxes on US households by $2,045 on average (https://taxfoundation.org/blog/trump-tariffs-revenue-estimates/).

Our Representative, Steven Horsford, also made similar points in a recent press release. He said,

“A tariff is a tax – Donald Trump owns these taxes; he owns the harm they’re inflicting; he owns the financial instability he’s sowing for Nevadans and people across the country. Trump campaigned on lowering costs for Nevadans and people across the country – instead, he’s intentionally making everyday goods more expensive. That’s wrong.”

He then went on to say, “No president in American history has taxed the American people this much, this fast, and this recklessly.”

Do You Care About False Imprisonment?

On Friday, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis told lawyers from the Trump administration to secure the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia from a mega-prison in El Salvador because he was falsely imprisoned for being in a Venezuelan gang, as admitted in previous court filings. Garcia had immigration protected status, is married to an American citizen, and has a special needs child who is also an American citizen. He had no criminal record and was employed.

In response, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in an email, “We suggest the Judge contact President Bukele because we are unaware of the judge having jurisdiction or authority over the country of El Salvador.” In other words, nope!

Watch this podcast with Tim Miller and Sam Stein of the Bulwark for more details and reaction.

Updates on our High Priority Bills From the Sierra Club

Invertebrates AB85 The Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW) currently lacks the ability to conserve invertebrates like bees and butterflies- vital pollinators that are in decline across the West. This bill would give NDOW the authority to conserve and protect invertebrates across Nevada!

Committee of Natural Resources heard this bill on 2/26.

No vote to date.

Styrofoam phase out for restaurants AB244  This bill would limit styrofoam from being used in restaurants in Nevada. Styrofoam adversely impacts human health and the environment.

No vote to date.

Regional Rail AB256 Other states and cities have benefitted from having rail lines in their urban areas. This bill would create a task force to bring rail to Nevada’s urban areas, creating a more sustainable transportation option.

Committee on Legislative Operations and Elections Hearing on 3/4/25.

Work session 3/20; passed unanimously; on to the full Assembly Floor vote.

Agrivoltaics AB479 This is the practice of using the same land for both agriculture and solar energy production. This bill would open up another option for renewable energy generation in Nevada.

Hearing scheduled Tuesday April 1 in Revenue Committee.

Transit to Trails SB405 This bill would support the development of Transit to Trails programs in Nevada, helping people recreate outside in a healthier and more sustainable way.

Hearing scheduled Senate Natural Resource April 3, 2025.

Mandatory disconnection reporting AB442  This bill would require NV Energy to report on how many customer accounts they shut off each month due to nonpayment, helping us understand how electricity rates impact Nevadans. Twenty-six other states and D.C. require disconnection reporting.

No hearing scheduled yet.

Other important bills the Sierra Club is SUPPORTING:

AB80:  Soil Health

AB458: Solar on Affordable Housing

SB48: Sustainability and Resilience in Master Planning

SB260: Worker protection in poor Air Quality

SB286: Consultation with Tribes in Planning

AB456: Prohibiting Utility Disconnections

AB528: Property Tax abatements for Green Buildings

AB529: Requiring Procurement of Solar Energy Locally

SB379: Consumer protections requirements for solar lenders and installers

AB493: Recycling of EV batteries and solar components

One bill to OPPOSE:

AJR10: Encourages passage of federal SNEDCA bill (Southern Nevada sprawl). The Sierra Club strongly opposes this bill!

Evil Being Committed in Our Name

If you are not outraged by the suspension of due process for those who have been sent to a prison in El Salvador, you should be. More details are being revealed about those who were detained, shackled and are now incarcerated with no legal representation or contact with their families. They are now in a 3rd world country hell-hole whereby our own government has no say in their treatment. None of us knows what is going on.

A new report has identified another prisoner who is not a gang member but who had legal protected status because he was targeted by gangs in his own country – El Salvador.

The Atlantic has identified Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Maryland father who is married to an American citizen, as being sent to the El Salvador prison . He has no criminal record and is a working apprentice in a building trade. Garcia wasn’t even listed on the original manifesto of those being sent to El Salvador.

The details of this article are summarized by Tim Miller of The Bulwark in this video. Watch this.

Legislative Reports 2025

AB123 introduced 3/18/2025 Government Opps & Elections

Assembly member Hanadi Nadeem brought this bill after she ran for office during which time she received death threats as well as threatening emails, etc. When looking at what laws were in Nevada, she found that while there are laws that cover most situations, there wasn’t anything about candidates. 

While this bill does protect the 1st amendment, it also provides for consequences for such threats.

Section 3 states that a person who violates the provisions of subsection 1:First violation will be guilty of a misdemeanor.

Second or any subsequent offense is guilty of a gross misdemeanor. 

SB352 Introduced 3/20/2025 Affordable Care Act (ACA) update to match the federal law for non discriminating on health care insurance. Heard in Commerce and Labor. It was presented by Senator Senator Melanie Scheible.

Existing federal law under the ACA Exchange  prohibits certain health care entities from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability.

But as in section 3 Protected Characteristics means race, color, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation or gender identity, or expression of sex including, without limitation, sex characteristics, intersex traits and pregnancy or related conditions.  Existing laws prohibit certain public and private policies of health insurance from discriminating against any person with respect to participation or coverage under the policy on the basis of actual or perceived gender identity or expression.

Additionally, it prohibits public and private policies of health insurance including Medicaid from discriminating against any person on the above basis. 

SB 217  Health and Human  was introduced 3/19/2025 by Services Senator Nicole Cannizzaro.

This bill is about in vitro fertilization (IVF). The American Medical Association (AMA) has, for a number of years, referred to fertility issues as a disease just like heart disease or diabetes and cancer. So why is IVF or other products and procedures not covered by insurance? 

Studies have found that one in six have fertility problems, nor is it just a woman’s problem, as men have fertility problems also. With IVF and other methods we now have the ability to help these people. The problem for most of them is the cost. One round of IVF treatment can be as high as $50,000.

As a result, there are many who just can’t afford to use a very helpful procedure that could help them have a child.

This bill changes that and allows that coverage to happen. This bill also allows for Medicaid to cover it as well. 

Governor Affirms Trump Targets Nevada

Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo’s March 24 statement to reporters affirms Trump’s efforts to lay off Nevadans’ federal jobs, eliminate the Department of Education (a nearly 50% reduction in its workforce), and Medicaid cuts.

 On February 25, Lisa Mascaro, Kevin Freking, and Mat Brown, reporting for the Associated Press (AP), noted that House Republicans voted to potentially eliminate $880 billion or more from Medicaid in their budget proposal. That move would be necessary for Trump-led Republicans to pay for wealthy tax breaks and border security.

On February 28, Lucia Starbuck, reporting for KUNR Public Radio, said that One in four Nevadans receive Medicaid, which covers about 42% of births and 60% of nursing home residents.

In the meantime, Elon Musk, for the so-called “Department of Government Efficiency (DODGE), in his first move to eliminate Social Security in Nevada, announced plans to destroy the Las Vegas Social Security Office to save $16,352.[1]

In addition, Musk’s cutting National Park Service employees across the state, including more than a dozen at Nevada’s Lake Mead National Recreation (the ninth most-visited site in the country), has an economic impact of $358 million on Nevada’s economy.
– Some of them were responsible for testing for toxicity levels in the water. 

Musk’s DOGE is cutting an Indian Health Service center and Bureau of Indian Affairs location in Elko that provides primary care to over 11,000 patients from four Native colonies and three reservations.

And, of course, Musk is firing Forest Service workers who work to prevent and manage forest fires, increasing the risk of deadly wildfires. 
 

In addition, Trump has moved to eliminate medical research funding going to Nevada universities. 


Democratic U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen of Nevada have sent letters to federal departments seeking data.

[1] Elon Musk firing veterans and made cuts to the VA. Veterans account for about 34% of the nearly 14,000 civilian federal employees in the state.