Morning briefing · October 29, 2026

UNLV Startup X-Regen Tests X-Rays to Revive EV Batteries + 4 more Las Vegas stories

• UNLV Startup X-Regen Tests X-Rays to Revive EV Batteries

  A UNLV physics professor founded X-Regen to develop X-ray technology that could regenerate lithium-ion batteries. The work is still in research, backed by federal and state money and a new NSF grant to UNLV.

• Man Charged in Boulder City Killing Held Without Bail

  A judge ordered John Powell Morgan, charged with murder in the 2021 death of Scott Dingman, held without bail after a new arrest, KTNV reported. The case was reopened after flaws surfaced in the original investigation.

• Southwest Las Vegas ENT Surgery Center Joins Sunrise Health

  An ear, nose and throat surgery center on West Sunset Road is now part of Sunrise Health System, KTNV reported. Nevada has roughly half the national rate of these specialists per capita.

• Casino Content Creators Push Las Vegas to Allow Filming

  Las Vegas Weekly reports that gambling creators on YouTube and Instagram are reaching younger viewers, prompting casinos like Downtown's El Cortez to loosen long-standing rules on filming gaming floors.

• Nevada Health Link Premiums Rise 17%: How to Pay Less

  Average 2027 premiums on Nevada's ACA marketplace are up 17%, a second straight double-digit jump. Open enrollment runs Nov. 1 to Jan. 15, and subsidies and free help can cut costs.

• Henderson Complex Sets Aside 60 Units for Ex-Foster Youth

  Nevada Hand's Sunrise Ranch Apartments off Broadbent Boulevard reserved 60 of its 144 units for young adults aging out of foster care. KTNV reported 35 have moved in and 25 of those units remain open.

• Arizona Data Centers Face Backlash Over Desert Water Use

  The Verge reports that TSMC's Phoenix chip complex uses nearly 5 million gallons of water a day with little pushback, while proposed hyperscale data centers like Tucson's Project Blue face broad local opposition.

• Judge Rejects DOJ Bid to Set Aside California Mail Ballots

  U.S. District Judge David Carter on Wednesday rejected a Justice Department bid to require California to separate mail ballots from roughly 20,000 people it claims are not citizens. The department plans to appeal.