Nevada flirts with primaries while maligned caucus system prevails

Long lines and frustrated voters that accompanied Nevada caucuses in 2016 were not enough to sway lawmakers toward a primary system. Legislative efforts from both parties to return to presidential primaries have failed to gain traction over the years, with the most recent failed push marked by concerns that Nevada would lose political prominence nationally.

Photo: William S. Boyd, founder and executive chairman of

William S. Boyd, founder and executive chairman of Boyd Gaming Corporation, speaks during a ceremony honoring former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev) at UNLV Thursday, April 20, 2017. Reid was officially named as the first Distinguished Fellow in Law and Policy at UNLV's Boyd School of Law.

National Rural Electric Cooperative Association EPA’s Pruitt, Co-op…

National Rural Electric Cooperative Association CEO Jim Matheson released the following statement after meeting with EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt at the Thomas Hill Energy Center. "Affordable and reliable power is fundamental to a successful economy, and I look forward to building on today's productive conversations," Matheson said.

U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander calls Foothills Parkway ‘one of the prettiest drives in America’

Some of those who attended an update on the Foothills Parkway tour one of the corridor's newly finished bridges on Thursday. U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, of Maryville, addresses the crowd at a ceremony Thursday celebrating the beginning of the final project for the completion of the "missing link" of the Foothills Parkway from Walland to Wears Valley.

Sanders backs party youth to remake Democrats

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., speaks at a rally for Omaha Democratic mayoral candidate Heath Mello today in Omaha, Neb. Sanders, who attracted millions of college-aged and young adults to his presidential campaign last year, is following through on a promise he made when he left the race: to promote younger leaders for the Democratic Party.

Alexander honors Maryville Scholars, praises school, nation

Maryville High School senior Taylor Drake speaks after receiving the $25,000 Lamar Alexander Scholarship from Sen. Lamar Alexander Wednesday during the 2017 Maryville Scholars Banquet. Maryville High School senior Preston Robinette receives the $15,000 Lamar Alexander Scholarship from U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander as the executive director of the Maryville City Schools Foundation, Barbara Jenkins, looks on.

Elizabeth Warren and Democratic senators demand Steve Bannon…

A group of Democratic senators, including Massachusetts' Elizabeth Warren, want to know whether Steve Bannon, President Donald Trump's chief strategist and former Breitbart News chairman, violated government ethics rules when he communicated with Breitbart about the site's coverage of the White House. In a Thursday letter to Bannon , the senators pointed to news reports, including one published by Business Insider , that said Bannon instructed Breitbart editors to stop publishing stories critical of chief of staff Reince Priebus.

Hawaii lawmakers criticize Sessions’ island judge remarks

Hawaii's Democratic lawmakers on Thursday criticized Attorney General Jeff Sessions after he expressed amazement on a radio show that a "judge sitting on an island in the Pacific" could stop the president's travel ban. U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono responded by trying to give Sessions a civics lesson on Twitter, saying Hawaii has been a U.S. state for 58 years.

More proof Bernie Sanders is just another flip-flopping career politician

Sanders indicated to voters during a primary that he's a Democrat for life and then disassociated from the party after losing the race. When he was running to win the presidential nomination of the Democratic Party, Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., purposefully lead voters to believe he was a loyal party member.

Is Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy getting ready to resign?

President Donald Trump, left, Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, center, and Justice Neil Gorsuch participate in a public swearing-in ceremony for Gorsuch in the Rose Garden of the White House White House in Washington, Monday, April 10, 2017. U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, , told an Iowa newspaper that he expects a Supreme Court justice will resign this year, opening up a seat that President Donald Trump will be able to nominate someone to fill.

Why Isn’t Jason Chaffetz Running For Reelection? The Move Raises Questions

"I have long advocated public service should be for a limited time and not a lifetime or full career", Chaffetz said in a statement , as The New York Times reports . Chaffetz's decision is likely bad news for Allen and the Democrats, as the district is normally not a competitive opportunity.