Week of March 6, 2025
From the editor’s desk
Behind the scenes today in the national news-publishing community, the buzz is about—you guessed it—tariffs. In particular, the 25% tariff the President Trump implemented yesterday on Canadian goods is already affecting printing costs.
Today, Trump paused some of those tariffs until April 2. It’s not clear at this point whether there is a carveout for Canadian lumber, which is the raw material for most of the newsprint used in the U.S., or for newsprint itself, the bulk of which is imported from Canada. But our colleagues who run newspapers in Texas, Tennessee, Illinois and other states have already received rate-increase notices from their printers. The standard hike appears to be 15% or more.
Santa Barbara Independent Publisher Brandi Rivera detailed in an email what 15% means:
For background, we have seen paper increase at 3-4% but if we are going to see 15-25% increases that is not something our current ad rate or edit/ad ratio can cover.
The executive order that implemented tariffs on Canada and Mexico in the first place states this as the reason: “to combat the extraordinary threat to U.S. national security, including our public health posed by unchecked drug trafficking.”
If the lumber and newsprint tariffs remains in place, they are also likely to combat the businesses and livelihoods of a huge number of Americans—and will make reporting on those problems even more of a challenge than it already is.
Take care,
—Kris Vagner, managing editor
From the RN&R
Echoes of the past: As Japanese Americans prepare to share stories of World War II internment, one wonders if the past is in danger of repeating itself
By Kris Vagner
March 6, 2025
Richard de Queiroz was a teenager in Los Angeles in February 1942, when President Franklin Roosevelt issued an executive order requiring that “all persons deemed a threat to national security” be removed from the West Coast.
Supply and demand: Nevada eases policies to help reduce soaring egg prices and shortages
By Kris Vagner
February 28, 2025
The state Legislature and the Nevada Department of Agriculture have taken steps to increase Nevada’s egg supply, in an effort to lower costs.
Editor’s note: Tense times, amazing community
By Kris Vagner
March 6, 2025
“I’ve said this before—so many times that I’m definitely in broken-record territory here—but it bears repeating. When the news makes my stress levels peak, there is one surefire thing that keeps me in check: the fact that so many people in our community consistently do amazing things to help make life here better for us all.
When a tough grandmother went to Congress: UNR displays a trove of materials from the Barbara Vucanovich collection
By Jimmy Boegle
March 6, 2025
The UNR library highlights the life and times of one of Nevada’s most notable members of Congress, Barbara Vucanovich, in ‘Nevada’s Silver Lady,’ an exhibition that runs through May.
15 Minutes: Steve Funk, General manager at Carson City’s KNVC 95.1 FM
By David Robert
March 4, 2025
Steve Funk, the general manager at KNVC 95.1 FM, Carson City Community Media, talks about the all-volunteer station’s efforts to raise funds to purchase its longtime home, the historic Adams House.
11 Days a Week: March 6-16, 2025
By Kelley Lang
March 5, 2025
Coming up in the next 11 days: a discussion about banned books, Southern California experimental rock duo The Garden, and more!
A note from the publisher: A rough start to 2025 for alternative newspapers
By Jimmy Boegle
March 4, 2025
The first months of 2025 have not been kind to alternative newspapers, as three journalism stalwarts have announced major changes due to economic issues.
Streetalk: Have you had a DNA test? Was there a surprise in the results?
By David Robert
March 3, 2025
We asked some Renoites about 23andMe, family histories—and the importance of it all.
Ghost with no scares: ‘Presence’ wastes a strong cast with a flat, non-mysterious plot
By Bob Grimm
March 3, 2025
The floating-ghost camera is amusing for about five minutes, but grows tedious. The story leads up to a sudden ending that is more laughable than shocking.
Dumb hole: ‘The Gorge’ has a strong premise—destroyed by an idiotic reveal
By Bob Grimm
March 3, 2025
What was a promising premise—that the Gorge could actually be the gateway to hell—is wasted when the film becomes just another “experiment gone wrong” movie.
A visual homage to David Lynch: Artist Angie Terrell brings ‘Twin Peaks’ to Pitch Black Printing Co.
By Matt Bieker
March 2, 2025
Reno artist Angie Terrell’s latest project takes a deep dive into the strange, surreal world of Twin Peaks—paying homage to both the show and its creator, director David Lynch, who died in January.
March letters: Readers weigh in on women veterans, Trump coverage, experiences with discrimination
By Staff
March 2, 2025
“Our current administration in Washington, D.C., does not acknowledge the inequities that women and minorities experience,” writes Cynthia Cooper of Reno.
UNR researchers develop new sorghum strains; future research threatened by spending cuts
By Leah Wigren
March 1, 2025
Scientists at the University of Nevada, Reno, have developed new varieties of sorghum that are bred to withstand Nevada’s arid climate and Reno’s short growing season—but future work is in jeopardy due to President Trump’s spending cuts.
Mad spatter: Goodluck Macbeth’s new original play is a comedy slasher with all the trigger warnings
By Jessica Santina
February 28, 2025
There’s no denying the incredible pool of talent found on GLMs stage for the run of Mother Regina, which will absolutely make you laugh and maintain a firm grip on your attention.
Snapshot: Cleaning up the community
By Kris Vagner
February 28, 2025
Beverly Harry estimated that her group, River Justice, picked up around 40 cubic yards of trash—including four five-gallon buckets of glass near John Champion Park—at a cleanup event on Sunday, Feb. 23.
March skies: The month brings spring, Ramadan, a total lunar eclipse, and much more
By Robert Victor
February 28, 2025
On March 13, there will be a total eclipse of the moon.
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