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HAPPY HOLIDAYS -- SEE YOU JANUARY 2!

NRA spent $20,000 in Nevada legislative races since 2010

The National Rifle Association spread around five figures to Nevada legislative candidates in 2010 and 2012, including to key Carson City players.

Reid and LaPierre in 2010: Soldiers in arms

Frankly, I had forgotten, until reminded on Twitter (of course!), how strongly pro-gun Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was when the Clark County Shooting Park opened in March 2010. Standing next to the NRA's Wayne LaPierre, Reid talked of him like a soldier in arms ("We have stood together in so many battles over the years.")  and bragged of past, present and future efforts to oppose the assault weapons ban.

It's Michael McDonald in a landslide

If I didn't know better, I'd say the incumbent GOP boss stuffed the ballot box. The results of the site poll:    

What will Reid do on guns?

This is one of those times when it becomes difficult, if not impossible, to separate the personal from the political. And for a political being as complicated, calculating and yet paradoxically erratic as Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, the personal impact may override anything else. Yes, even with the man I call Prince Harry, who would have certainly made Machiavelli blush at his mulifarious political schemes and who would have happily been Mick’s muse as he belted out “Sympathy for the Devil.”

County hospital CEO: "UMC is not being sold. UMC is not being privatized. No one will lose their job or benefits."

Here's what CEO Brian Brannman, whose facility is under assault from within and without, sent to his employees and had posted throughout the county hospital today -- an obvious attempt to reassure and quell percolating rumors:

Big change in Nevada journalism: The Nevada News Bureau will shut down

The Nevada News Bureau, which has provided a reliable source of news outside of the state's newspapers, will close this Friday. Very sad news for the industry here as NNB broke stories and kept other reporters on their toes. Here's the announcement from Publisher Elizabeth Crum:

Reid, "true champion" of NRA, is key on upcoming gun control debate

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UPDATED BELOW WITH REID'S SENATE FLOOR REMARKS   As some of his colleagues called for gun control measures, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will have to reconcile his past fealty to gun rights interests in the state with growing demands for action.

Only in Nevada: State GOP chairman lobbies for Democratic special interest

In 2003, despite being deemed an ethics transgressor by a state tribunal and despite federal authorities sniffing around him, Michael McDonald still had a friend in the Culinary union. "Michael has been a strong supporter of unions and working families," Culinary political director Glen Arnodo told the Review-Journal shortly before McDonald lost his re-election bid. Nine years later, having metamorphosed into the chairman of the state Republican Party, McDonald still has a friend in the Culinary.

R.I.P., Doris Femenella

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When you cover politics for a long time, you meet all kinds of activists, some more memorable than others. I will never forget Doris Femenella, one of the kindest, sweetest people I had the good frotune to meet and married to her firebrand of a husband, Bob. I met them when I first started covering politics in Nevada 26 years ago, and we immediately took a liking to each other.