AP Reporter Rio Yamat

RIO YAMAT

Reporter

Yamat covers Nevada and the U.S. Southwest for The Associated Press. She is based in Las Vegas.

FILE - People rally in support of abortion rights, May 21, 2019, in Las Vegas. On Tuesday, March 19, 2024, a Nevada judge struck down the state's limits on Medicaid coverage for abortion services, saying the restrictions violate equal rights protections. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

Nevada judge blocks state from limiting Medicaid coverage for abortions

A Nevada judge has ordered the state to grant Medicaid coverage for abortions without any restrictions.

Robert Downey Jr. accepts the award for best performance by an actor in a supporting role for "Oppenheimer" during the Oscars on Sunday, March 10, 2024, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Robert Downey Jr. wins his first Oscar for supporting actor role in ‘Oppenheimer’

Robert Downey Jr. has won his first Oscar. It comes three decades after his first Academy Award nomination.

FILE - In this Nov. 8, 2014, file photo, Hayao Miyazaki arrives at the 6th annual Governors Awards in Los Angeles. Miyazaki’s “The Boy and Heron,” is nominated for best animated feature. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)

At 83, filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki earns historic Oscar for ‘The Boy and the Heron’

The legendary Japanese anime master Hayao Miyazaki made a historic and golden return to the Academy Awards.

Former FBI informant Alexander Smirnov, center, leaves the courthouse on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024, in Las Vegas. Prosecutors say that Smirnov, who is charged with making up a multimillion-dollar bribery scheme involving President Joe Biden, his son Hunter and a Ukrainian energy company, had contacts with Russian intelligence-affiliated officials. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP)

Ex-FBI source accused of lying about Bidens and having Russian contacts is returned to US custody

Defense lawyers say a former FBI informant who claims to have links to Russian intelligence and is charged with lying about a multimillion-dollar bribery scheme involving President Joe Biden’s family has been taken back into the custody of U.S.

FILE - Hydeia L. Broadbent, 14, speaks after receiving an Essence Award during the taping of the 1999 Essence Awards in New York on Friday, April 30, 1999. Broadbent, who was born with HIV and has been living with full-blown AIDS since age 5, has become a powerful spokesperson and AIDS activist. Broadbent, a prominent HIV/AIDS activist known for her inspirational talks in the 1990s as a young child to reduce the stigma surrounding the virus she was born with, has died. She was 39. (AP Photo/Stuart Ramson, File)

HIV/AIDS activist Hydeia Broadbent, known for her inspirational talks as a young child, dies at 39

A prominent HIV/AIDS activist known for her inspirational talks in the 1990s as a young child to reduce the stigma surrounding the virus she was born with has died.

In this undated photo provided by Ksenia Leonteva, Los Angeles-based esthetician Ksenia Khavana is pictured in her medical scrubs. The 33-year-old with dual U.S.-Russian citizenship has been arrested in Russia on suspicion of raising funds for the Ukrainian military. Her manager and longtime friend disputes the allegations, saying Khavana had been collecting money for a charity providing disaster relief in Ukraine amid the war. (Ksenia Leonteva via AP)

A Los Angeles woman was arrested in Russia on charges of treason. Here’s what we know

Russia’s main domestic intelligence agency has arrested a woman with dual U.S. and Russian citizenship on charges of treason.

Hunter Biden, son of U.S. President Joe Biden, talks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol, in Washington, Dec. 13, 2023. Prosecutors say a former FBI informant charged with making up a multimillion-dollar bribery scheme involving President Joe Biden, his son Hunter and a Ukrainian energy company had contacts with officials affiliated with Russian intelligence.(AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

Ex-FBI informant charged with lying about Bidens had Russian intelligence contacts, prosecutors say

Prosecutors say a former FBI informant charged with making up a multimillion-dollar bribery scheme involving President Joe Biden, his son Hunter and a Ukrainian energy company had contacts with officials affiliated with Russian intelligence.

FILE - A person stops to take a picture of the Sphere on a pedestrian bridge along the Las Vegas Strip, Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2024, in Las Vegas. The American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada announced Friday, Feb. 16, that it had filed a legal challenge to a controversial ban on stopping or standing on Las Vegas Strip pedestrian bridges. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

New ban on stopping on Las Vegas Strip bridges targets people with disabilities, lawsuit alleges

The American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada is suing the county that includes Las Vegas over its new ban on standing or stopping while crossing pedestrian bridges on the Strip.

Elvis impersonators and showgirls pose in preparation for team arrivals ahead of the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday, Feb. 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. Las Vegas is scheduled to host the Super Bowl 58 on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Las Vegas, where the party never ends, prepares for its biggest yet: Super Bowl 58

Las Vegas is about to throw its biggest party yet. Doors open Sunday at Allegiant Stadium for the city’s first Super Bowl.

FILE - In this May 20, 1957 file photo, Actress Rhonda Fleming blossoms out as a singer and dancer in the first night club appearance of her career at the New Tropicana hotel in Las Vegas. When the Tropicana Las Vegas opened in 1957, Nevada's lieutenant governor at the time turned the key to open the door on what would become a Sin City landmark for more than six decades. Then he threw away the key. “This was to signify that the Tropicana would always stay open,” said historian Michael Green. Six decades later, the storied hotel-casino that once had ties to the mob and had been nicknamed the “Tiffany of the Strip,” is set to shut its doors for good to make room for a $1.5 billion Major League Baseball stadium. (AP Photo/David Smith, File)

Las Vegas’ landmark Tropicana hotel will be demolished to make way for baseball stadium

The Tropicana Las Vegas hotel-casino is set to shut its doors April 2 to make room for a $1.5 billion Major League Baseball stadium.

Athar Haseebullah, executive director of the ACLU of Nevada, responds to a question during a news conference at the ACLU of Nevada offices Friday, Jan. 19, 2024, in Las Vegas. With Haseebullah are Christopher Peterson, left, legal director of the ACLU of Nevada, and Quentin Savwoir, president of the Las Vegas branch of the NAACP. The news conference addressed questions relating to the release of Clark County School District Police body-worn camera footage depicting a CCSD police officer tackling and kneeling on a Black teen outside a Las Vegas high school last year. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP)

Police reports and video released of campus officer kneeling on teen near Las Vegas high school

School officials in Las Vegas have released police reports and body camera footage under court order of a campus officer kneeling on a Black student last year.

FILE - Nathan Chasing Horse sits in court in North Las Vegas, Nev., on Feb. 8, 2023. The Nevada Supreme Court won't reconsider former “Dances With Wolves” actor Nathan Chasing Horse's request to dismiss a sprawling indictment that accuses him of leading a cult, taking underage wives and sexually abusing Indigenous women and girls. “Rehearing denied,” two of three justices who heard oral arguments last November said in a terse order dated Tuesday. (AP Photo/Ty O'Neil, File)

Nevada Supreme Court panel won’t reconsider ‘Dances With Wolves’ actor Nathan Chasing Horse case

A panel of Nevada Supreme Court justices won’t reconsider former “Dances With Wolves” actor Nathan Chasing Horse’s request to dismiss an indictment that accuses him of leading a cult, taking underage wives and sexually abusing Indigenous women and girls.

The Mirokai robot by Enchanted Tools is seen during CES Unveiled before the start of the CES tech show Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024, in Las Vegas. The robot is designed for medical environments to carry and move equipment and medications. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Robot baristas and AI chefs caused a stir at CES 2024 as casino union workers fear for their jobs

Robots of all kinds caused a stir on the show floor this week at the annual CES technology trade show in Las Vegas.

An exhibitor provides a demonstration of the Perfecta AI grill by Seer Grills during the CES tech show Wednesday, Jan. 10, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

At CES 2024, tech companies are transforming the kitchen with AI and robots that do the cooking

Tech companies of all sizes are showing off their latest gadgets at CES 2024 in Las Vegas. And that includes new technology that’s changing the world of food and drinks.

In this image from video provided by the Clark County District Court, defendant Deobra Redden in a white long-sleeved shirt is seen standing next to his defense attorney at his sentencing in a felony battery case, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024 in Las Vegas. Redden, who was captured in courtroom video leaping over a judge's bench and attacking her, touching off a bloody brawl, is scheduled to appear before her again Monday morning, Jan. 8, 2024. (Clark County District Court via AP)

Nevada judge is back to work a day after being attacked by defendant who jumped atop her

A Nevada judge was back to work Thursday after being injured in an attack by a defendant in a felony battery case who charged forward and launched himself over the judge’s bench when it became clear that he was being sentenced to prison.

In this image from video provided by the Clark County District Court, Judge Mary Kay Holthus is seen cradling her head after a defendant launched over her desk during his sentencing in a felony battery case, Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2024 in Las Vegas. Redden, who was captured in courtroom video leaping over a judge's bench and attacking her, touching off a bloody brawl, is scheduled to appear before her again Monday morning, Jan. 8, 2024. (Clark County District Court via AP)

Defendant faces new charges after attacking a Nevada judge in court, which was caught on video

A defendant who attacked a Nevada judge during his sentencing in a felony battery case remains jailed after what became a bloody brawl with court officials and attorneys.

In this photo provided by Karen Lopez, she and her husband, Jerry Lopez, are seen with their seven children in December 2023. Jerry Lopez, 39, was killed in Las Vegas two days after Christmas while on his way to work in what Las Vegas police say was the final carjacking in a crime spree. (Karen Lopez via AP)

Suspect in 2 killings, high-speed chase was armed with stolen rifle from Vegas gun show, police say

Authorities say a man who fatally shot his mother two days after Christmas and set off a high-speed police chase through the suburbs of Las Vegas was armed with two rifles.

In this photo provided by Karen Lopez, she and her husband, Jerry Lopez, are seen with their seven children in December 2023. Jerry Lopez, 39, was killed in Las Vegas two days after Christmas while on his way to work in what Las Vegas police say was the final carjacking in a crime spree. (Karen Lopez via AP)

Man shot his mother then led Vegas police on chase as he carjacked bystanders, killing father of 7

Authorities say a man fatally shot his mother near his childhood home two days after Christmas and then led officers on a chase through the suburbs of Las Vegas.

In this Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department handout body camera screen grab from Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023, Anthony Polito is shown walking out of the building housing the business school at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Polito fatally shot three professors and injured a fourth person before being killed in a shootout with police outside the building. (Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Via AP)

Arriving police unknowingly directed shooter out of building during frantic search for UNLV gunman

New police video of the deadly shooting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, shows two officers unknowingly mistook the gunman for a bystander amid the frantic search for the suspect and victims.

In this image made from body camera footage provided by the Las Vegas Metro Police Department, officers run into a building on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus, Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023, in response to reports of a shooting. Police body camera footage from the shooting, which left three people dead and one wounded, was released Wednesday, Dec. 20. (Las Vegas Metro Police Department via AP)

Newly released video shows how police moved through UNLV campus in response to reports of shooting

Video released Wednesday by Las Vegas police shows officers shouting over blaring alarms and knocking down reports of additional gunfire while responding to a shooting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Homicide victim found dead in 1979 near Las Vegas Strip ID’d as missing 19-year-old from Cincinnati

A body found in an open field in 1979 near what is today a busy intersection of the Las Vegas Strip has been identified as a teenager from Ohio.

FILE - Clark County public defender Kristy Holston, left, and Nathan Chasing Horse stand during a court hearing Wednesday, April 5, 2023, in Las Vegas. The Nevada Supreme Court has denied Nathan Chasing Horse's request to toss a sprawling indictment that accuses the former “Dances With Wolves” actor of leading a cult, taking underage wives and sexually abusing Indigenous women and girls for decades. (AP Photo/Ty O'Neil, File)

Nevada high court upholds sex abuse charges against ‘Dances With Wolves’ actor Nathan Chasing Horse

The Nevada Supreme Court has ruled that prosecutors in Las Vegas can proceed with their criminal case against “Dances With Wolves” actor Nathan Chasing Horse.

FILE - Kenneth Chesebro speaks to Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee during a hearing where Chesebro accepted a plea deal from the Fulton County district attorney at the Fulton County Courthouse, Oct. 20, 2023, in Atlanta. Chesebro, who helped orchestrate the Trump campaign's fake elector scheme in 2020, had been a target of a criminal investigation in Nevada but avoided prosecution in exchange for his cooperation with authorities, according to transcripts of secret grand jury proceedings in Las Vegas released Sunday, Dec. 17. (Alyssa Pointer/Pool Photo via AP, File)

Trump campaign lawyer testified in Nevada fake electors case to avoid prosecution, transcripts show

New court transcripts show that a lawyer who helped orchestrate the Trump campaign’s fake elector plot in 2020 had been a target of a criminal investigation in Nevada.

Las Vegas police stand near the scene of a shooting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, in Las Vegas. Terrified students and professors cowered in classrooms and dorms as a gunman roamed the floors of a campus building on Wednesday, killing several people and critically wounding another person before dying in a shootout with police. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Recorded 911 calls underscore the real time terror of the deadly Las Vegas university shooting

Fire alarms blared in the background of recorded 911 calls that police released of terrified students and faculty this week at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Las Vegas police stand near the scene of a shooting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, in Las Vegas. Terrified students and professors cowered in classrooms and dorms as a gunman roamed the floors of a campus building on Wednesday, killing several people and critically wounding another person before dying in a shootout with police. (AP Photo/John Locher)

UNLV gunman had list of targets at the university and 150 rounds of ammunition, police say

Police say the suspect in a deadly shooting at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, had a list of targets at the school and at East Carolina University in North Carolina, where he once worked.

Two women sit after a shooting on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, campus on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023, in Las Vegas. (Bizuayehu Tesfaye/Las Vegas Review-Journal via AP)

Las Vegas shooting suspect was a professor who recently applied for a job at UNLV, AP source says

A law enforcement official says the gunman who killed three people and critically wounded a fourth in an attack at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas was a professor who unsuccessfully sought a job at the school.

Nevada State Police and other law enforcement officers embrace in the parking lot after the body of a state trooper was taken into the Clark County Coroner's Office in Las Vegas, Thursday, Nov. 30, 2023. Two troopers who were assisting a motorist early Thursday morning were hit by a vehicle and killed, according to Nevada State Police. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP)

Driver arrested after 2 troopers killed in Las Vegas freeway hit-and-run was impaired, police say

Two Nevada state troopers have died in a hit-and-run while helping another driver and a suspect is in custody.

A memorial for Jonathan Lewis Jr. is set up in an alleyway near Rancho High School in eastern Las Vegas, on Tuesday, Nov. 21, 2023. Authorities have arrested at least eight students in connection with the beating of Lewis, who died a week after a prearranged fight broke out over a pair of headphones and a vape pen. (AP Photo/Ty O'Neil)

A Las Vegas high school grapples with how a feud over stolen items escalated into a fatal beating

A Las Vegas high school is grappling with how a feud over stolen items escalated into a fatal beating. Several of Jonathan Lewis Jr.'s peers have been arrested.

A makeshift memorial for a high school student lines a fence along an alleyway near Rancho High School in eastern Las Vegas on Wednesday, Nov. 15, 2023. Authorities arrested eight teens Tuesday in connection with the beating of Jonathan Lewis Jr., who died a week after a prearranged fight over a pair of headphones and a vape pen. (AP Photo/Rio Yamat)

4 Las Vegas high school students charged with murder as adults in classmate’s fatal beating

Prosecutors in Las Vegas have formally charged four high school students as adults with second-degree murder in the beating of their schoolmate.

FILE - Members of the Culinary Workers Union rally along the Las Vegas Strip, Thursday, Aug. 10, 2023, in Las Vegas. After a marathon week of negotiations, the Las Vegas hotel workers union says it has reached a tentative deal with Wynn Resorts. It was the last contract the Culinary Workers Union needed to avoid a strike Friday, Nov. 10, 2023, and came after the union's tentative deals with Caesars Entertainment and MGM Resorts. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)

Las Vegas union hotel workers ratify Caesars contract

Las Vegas hotel union workers have overwhelmingly voted to approve their contract agreement with casino giant Caesars Entertainment.