Today's News

Friday
Scattered showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 76. South wind 5-10 mph, increasing to 15-20 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent. Scattered showers and thunderstorms at night. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 48. South wind 10-15 mph, becoming south 5-10 mph after midnight. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.

Saturday
A 10 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly sunny, with a high near 87. Southwest wind 5-10 mph. Partly cloudy at night, with a low around 54.

Sunday

Submitted to the Optic

The Miss Las Vegas Scholarship Organization held the Fifth Annual Baby Miss Las Vegas and Baby Mister Las Vegas Pageant on Sunday at the West Las Vegas High School Cafeteria.  

Kaidyn Martinez won the title of Baby Miss Las Vegas 2013 and Miguel Baca won the title of Baby Mister Las Vegas 2013.  Martinez, 3, is the daughter of Vince Martinez and Alysha Tafoya. Baca, 4, is the son of Elizabeth Salazar.

By Donna Cassata and Matt Apuzzo
The Associated Press

WASHINGTON  — The government is secretly collecting the telephone records of millions of U.S. customers of Verizon under a top-secret court order, according to the chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. The Obama administration is defending the National Security Agency’s need to collect such records, but critics are calling it a huge over-reach.

By Philip Elliott
The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — From pre-kindergarten to No Child Left Behind, from broadband-wired schools to college loans, students in every age group are suddenly finding the spotlight on Capitol Hill.

After months of relative neglect, education issues are getting the attention of lawmakers from both parties — as well as President Barack Obama — just as the school year is ending and, for many college students, the cost of education is about to go up.