Week of Nov. 13, 2025
From the editor’s desk
The government shutdown ended yesterday. During its record 43 days, it affected many Nevadans directly, including:
- Around 22,000 federal workers in the state who went without paychecks.
- Nevada National Guard members, including more than 5,000 employees and reservists. (Many are students or parents, Public Affairs Officer Capt. Emerson Marcus told 8 News Now in Las Vegas, adding, “They don’t have the savings to endure a month- or two-month shutdown.”)
- Around a half-million people who use SNAP benefits—along with the food banks, food purveyors, nonprofits and others scrambling to help make up for the sudden increase in food insecurity and hunger.
- Airport employees and travelers. A spokesperson for the Reno-Tahoe International Airport said via email this morning that between Nov. 7 and 12, 40 flights were canceled there, and 97 were delayed. (RNO typically sees an average of 130 departures and arrivals per day.)
So, what happens for all of these folks now that the government is open again? Here’s what we know so far:
- Capt. Marcus told the RN&R today by email that for the Nevada National Guard’s more than 1,100 employees and over 4,000 reservists, “Pay is expected to start coming next week for the current pay period. We could also see the back pay for the previous three paychecks as soon as next week, but we are telling people that it may take a week or two more as the federal pay system gets back up and running.”
- One RN&R reader who is enrolled in the SNAP program said she has not received any benefits yet.
- The airport spokesperson said today: “Flight cancellations and delays at RNO are not expected to increase as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has frozen flight reduction directives at current levels and federal agencies begin resuming regular operations. Relief will not be immediate, and it will take time for national air travel schedules to fully stabilize.”
If your own livelihood or your access to food assistance has been affected by the shutdown, and you’d like to share your story, I’d like to hear it. You can find me at krisv@renonr.com.
Take care,
—Kris Vagner, managing editor
From the RN&R
Melting point: Two pairs of musicians, from Brazil and Minnesota, have become the Reno metal powerhouse Giant Skunk
By Mark Earnest
November 13, 2025
The new-ish Reno metal band Giant Skunk is basically two duos smashed together—one from Duluth, Minn., one from Aracaju, Brazil. They’re playing at The Alpine on Tuesday, Nov. 18, and at Club Underground on Saturday, Nov. 22.
11 Days a Week: Nov. 13-23, 2025
By Kelley Lang
November 12, 2025
Coming up in the next 11 Days: the Reno Punk Rock Flea Market; Peanutcracker (the Nutcracker in a nutshell for younger kids); and more!
Hide the good stuff: A sommelier’s survival guide to Thanksgiving wine
By Katie Finn
November 12, 2025
Wine writer Katie Finn knows you’ve already heard the standard Thanksgiving pairing tips. Instead, she writes, “Here are a few tried-and-true industry tricks from my sommelier friends and me to help you enjoy your favorite bottles—without sharing them with the masses who think ‘chablis’ always comes in a three-liter jug.”
Ready for our close-up: The grassroots efforts to grow a Nevada film scene
By Jessica Santina
November 11, 2025
“We were all working in our own silos, doing our own projects, getting our own things off the ground,” said film producer Sandra Dorst, of the budding Reno-area film industry. Now she’s part of a group that’s collaborating to create opportunities for locals.
Masterfully stitched together: The only problem with Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Frankenstein’ is that most people will see it on Netflix, not the big screen
By Bob Grimm
November 10, 2025
Guillermo del Toro takes some liberties as he leans toward the supernatural in his depiction of Victor Frankenstein (Oscar Isaac) and his madness-inspired dance with reanimating the dead.
Postpartum problems: Jennifer Lawrence’s tragic performance in ‘Die My Love’ is career-best work
By Bob Grimm
November 10, 2025
As Grace, a woman who moves to the country with her husband, Jackson (Robert Pattinson), to find quiet—only to completely unravel after giving birth—Jennifer Lawrence puts it all on the screen.
‘Trauma-informed’ justice: The leaders of Reno’s new specialty court for women discuss their goals
By Kris Vagner
November 7, 2025
Reno Justice Court opened a new specialty court, primarily for women, called HER Court (Hope, Empowerment, Recovery) on Oct. 13.
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