Sentencing begins for Charleston church shooter

After a judge ruled Monday that Dylann Roof is competent to represent himself, the same jury that last month unanimously found him guilty in the slayings of nine black parishioners at a South Carolina church will return to court to begin contemplating his punishment.

Lawsuit: Dude ranch owner told black chef to prepare ‘black people food’ not ‘white people food’

Madeleine Pickens wanted the African-American chef she recruited from the country club she owns in Southern California to cook “black people food” — not “white people food” — at her rural Nevada dude ranch and wild horse sanctuary, according to a federal lawsuit accusing her of racial discrimination.

Appeals court denies Nevada mining project

A federal appeals court has vacated the Bureau of Land Management’s approval of a mining project in central Nevada, concluding the agency’s analysis of air quality impacts was insufficient.

Clearing the deadwood

Obama tries to undermine Trump hiring freeze

House Republicans vote to gut non-partisan Office of Congressional Ethics

House Republicans on Monday voted to eviscerate the Office of Congressional Ethics, the independent body created in 2008 to investigate allegations of misconduct by lawmakers after several bribery and corruption scandals sent members to prison.

USC beats Penn State on final play of epic Rose Bowl battle

Matt Boermeester kicked a 46-yard field goal as time expired, and No. 9 Southern California rallied from a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter for a spectacular 52-49 victory over No. 5 Penn State on Monday night in the highest-scoring Rose Bowl ever played.

Bundy friends, family protest federal monument decision

Supporters of cattleman and anti-federal government figure Cliven Bundy are protesting a presidential decision to give national monument protection to public land where Bundy grazes cows near his Southern Nevada ranch.

The best Review-Journal pictures of 2016 — PHOTOS

Las Vegas Review-Journal photographers spanned the state — and the world — to cover the news and capture beauty of the every day. Their job, to tell the story in a visually interesting way.

 
Florida dog attacks owner trying to dress it in a sweater

A dog in Florida turned on its owner, who was trying to dress it in a sweater, biting the woman and others who tried to help her, police told local media outlets.

Syrian rebels say they’ve frozen peace talks due to ceasefire violations

Syrian rebel groups said on Monday they had decided to freeze any talks about their possible participation in Syrian peace negotiations being prepared by Moscow in Kazakhstan unless the Syrian government and its Iran-backed allies end what it said were violations of a ceasefire.

Trump leaning toward former Georgia gov. to lead Ag Department

Former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue is U.S. Republican President-elect Donald Trump’s leading candidate to run the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a senior Trump transition team official said on Monday.

Freshness, portability among selling points at Sweet Poke

A traditional sushi/sashimi meal often involves grinning across a glass barrier at specially dressed chefs, eagerly anticipating a fresh dish that’s equal parts flavor and decorative charm, and the camaraderie of chatting with dining partners.

Number of crashes continues to rise in Las Vegas, Metro reports

The number of fatal crashes in Las Vegas was up 33 percent from 2014 to 2015, and fatalities from accidents were up 31.6 percent. The number has continued to rise since 2012.