WASHINGTON — Sen. Harry Reid announced this afternoon he will vote to give Ben Bernanke a second term as chairman of the Federal Reserve, putting a stop to speculation whether he wanted Bernanke to stay on the job. … Reid, D-Nev., issued his thumbs up only after meeting with Bernanke on Thursday and getting an assurance the top official at the Fed — an independent entity that controls the nation’s money supply by setting short-term interest rates — will do more to make credit available.
The latest numbers released Friday that show fresh gains in unemployment suggest a recovery for Nevada’s job market will have to wait. New data from the state Department of Employment, Training & Rehabilitation show that unemployment in Nevada rose from 12.3 percent to 13 percent between November and December.