By Mike DeBonis and Juliet Eilperin, Washington Post

The White House is considering picking Gov. Brian Sandoval to fill the current vacancy on the Supreme Court, scrambling political calculations in what is expected to be a contentious confirmation battle in which Senate Republicans have pledged to play the role of roadblock.

President Obama is weighing the selection of Sandoval, a centrist former federal judge who has served as governor of Nevada since 2011, according to two people familiar with the process. Though the review process is in its initial phases and it is unclear whether the governor could ultimately emerge as the president’s pick, even the prospect of his nomination poses a difficult dilemma for Senate Republicans who have promised not to consider any nomination before November’s elections.

After the Washington Post published news of Sandoval’s consideration Wednesday, GOP leaders insisted that Obama nominating a Republican would make no difference.

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Dominic Randolph

Dion Vaccaro

Arrest warrants have been issued for two men who are wanted in connection with the Jan. 30 murder of Dennis Wright Jr. in South Lake Tahoe.

Domenic Seanlee Randolph, 24, and Dion Jermaine Randolph Vaccaro, 26, are considered armed and dangerous, according to the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office. Detectives don’t know where the two are now, but they most recently have lived in the Fairfield, Vallejo, Napa and Sacramento areas.

Already in custody on murder charges for the same crime are Tristan Batten, 18, and Harvest Davidson, 20. Both face one count of murder. Both are being held without bail.

Wright was gunned down in the parking lot of the Beverly Lodge in what is described as a drug deal gone bad. He and his girlfriend Kendra Ghiorso, 45, both of Amador County, were selling marijuana from their vehicle, officers said, with 100 pounds being confiscated the night of the shooting.

Randolph is 6-foot-3, 187 pounds, has brown hair and brown eyes. Vaccaro is 6-feet, 200 pounds, and has brown hair and eyes.

Anyone who sees either man is asked to contact Investigator Dave Stevenson at 530.303.2411 or dave.stevenson@edcgov.us.

— Lake Tahoe News staff report

By Associated Press

New state voter registration figures continue the trend of the fastest growing segment of the California electorate registering without any political affiliation.

The data released Monday by Secretary of State Alex Padilla show 24 percent of those registered have no party preference.

The report says California had 17.3 million registered voters in January. Of them, 43 percent were registered as Democrats and 27 percent as Republicans.

Both major political parties have been losing their share of the electorate in recent years as more people register as independents, but GOP registration is falling fastest as a percentage.

Padilla says registration is not keeping pace with increases in the population. Only 70 percent of those eligible to vote are registered.

By Associated Press

California’s tax board is lowering the state excise tax on gasoline by 2.2 cents per gallon.

Board of Equalization Vice Chairman George Runner says drivers in California overpaid their gas taxes last year under a complicated formula that was used to help bridge a state budget deficit in 2010.

So the board voted 3-2 on Tuesday to lower the tax to 27.8 cents per gallon as of July 1.

That will lower the amount of money going to roads and mass transit programs by about $328 million next year.

But the board calculates the tax rate to bring in the same amount of money as the old sales tax.

It reduced the gas tax by 6 cents last year to avoid over-collecting, but still took too much.

For the first time in four years, cross country trails are being groomed at Spooner Lake State park.

The 6 mile trail system is free. It is made possible by a partnership between Nevada State Parks and Nevada Nordic, a nonprofit group based in the basin.

Nevada Nordic has spent hundreds of hours planning and grooming the system of trails at Spooner.

The trail system includes several teardrop loops, offers skate and classic skiing, and is intermediate with flat rolling terrain. The plan is to expand the trails in the future to increase distance and difficulty.

Ski trails will close when the snowpack gets thin enough that grooming would have a harmful impact.

Trail etiquette, according to State Parks:

·         Do not walk on the trail in shoes or boots.

·         Dogs should be on a leash of not more than 6 feet in length and off to the side of the groomed trails.

·         Snowshoers are welcome, but should stay to the far edge of the trail and be careful not to mar the center of the trail for skate skiing, or the tracks set for classic skiing.

By Blair Anthony Robertson, Sacramento Bee

Let’s say you’ve got beer-connoisseur friends visiting from San Francisco or London or Berlin or Brussels, and they ask if there’s a good place in Sacramento to go for a pint.

If you send them to Capitol Beer and Tap Room, you won’t have to worry that Sacramento is going to come up short when it comes to great beer bars. Hidden in the back of a busy strip mall at Fair Oaks Boulevard and Howe Avenue, CapTap, as it is known to regulars, promises a world-class tasting experience seven days a week.

More than likely, your pals will encounter multiple beers they never have tasted or even heard of, and they will engage with like-minded beer lovers working their way through an ever-changing tap list that is closely followed and much-discussed.

Owned by former Truckee resident Ken Hotchkiss and his life partner, Patti Aguirre, Capitol Beer has become a major force in the local craft beer industry, attracting serious connoisseurs and newcomers alike. The bar is so influential these days that it can help launch a new brewery’s reputation; if you can’t find a fledgling beer there during multiple visits, it probably means it’s not ready for prime time.

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By Howie Nave

It’s that time of year again folks, the Super Bowl of the motion picture industry known as the Academy Awards. This year promises to be what I think will be an exciting one in part because of its host: comedian Chris Rock. Talk about perfect timing, huh?

First the old farts who decide who gets nominated virtually overlooked every African-American contender, which sparked not only outcries from those in the acting community, but also wanted Chris Rock to boycott the Academy as well (for those who don’t know, Chris Rock is black).

Rock is not only one of my favorite comedians, but has also refused to work college campuses because of the students’ politically correct attitude which means I think he’s gonna go straight for the funny this Sunday in the most ruthless and hilarious way.

I hope the members of the Academy get slammed too because they always overlook sci-fi flicks even when they are the biggest box office generators. Can anyone say, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” that is now the biggest box office hit of all time? And what about director J.J. Abrams’ reboot of “Star Trek” in 2009 propelling that movie into the top 5 box office earners? Did the Academy appreciate the millions it generated and millions of filmgoers who went to see that movie? No!

So, c’mon Chris Rock, channel all of that rage into a biting night of satire making this night one of the best Oscar nights ever.

That said it has been a pretty good year for movies with some exceptional performances.

Let’s start with the Best Picture category where we have: 

“Spotlight”

“The Revenant”

“The Big Short”

“The Martian”

“Mad Max: Fury Road”

“Bridge of Spies”

“Room”

“Brooklyn”

I loved “The Martian” (and Matt Damon’s performance) and Tom Hanks’ “Bridge of Spies.” Room” and “Brooklyn” don’t stand a chance leaving “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “The Big Short,” “Spotlight” and “The Revenant,” as the ones that count. I don’t know how “Mad Max” got in (still prefer the original), but the others? Wow. I was split between “The Big Short” and “The Revenant,” but the cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki and acting by Leonardo DiCaprio for me sealed the deal so going with “The Revenant” for Best Picture. 

In the Best Actor category we have: 

Leonardo DiCaprio (“The Revenant”)

Michael Fassbender (“Steve Jobs”)

Eddie Redmayne (“The Danish Girl”)

Matt Damon (“The Martian”)

Bryan Cranston (“Trumbo”)

     OK, first off we have Eddie Redmayne who won the Oscar last year for “The Theory of Everything” who was exceptional, yes, but lightning won’t be striking twice this time. As I mentioned earlier, I loved Matt Damon in “The Martian,” but the Academy hating all things sci-fi (even if it is on the fringes of a good drama) will bypass him. Michael Fassbender was exceptional and usually the Academy likes to reward those who do biopics, but because Apple won’t give the Feds the application to break into that terrorist’s iPhone they’re gonna pass (sorry Magneto). Bryan Cranston plays the character of 1940s blacklisted screenwriter Dalton Trumbo and guess what? The Academy is going to blacklist him once again, which leaves Leonardo DiCaprio for his virtually doing the impossible being in every scene (almost like a one-man show) as 19th-century American frontiersman Hugh Glass, who is left for dead after being mauled by a bear during a winter expedition in “The Revenant.” So I’m going with Leonardo DiCaprio for Best Actor. 

The nominees in the Best Actress category are as follows:

Brie Larson (“Room”)

Saoirse Ronan (“Brooklyn”)

Cate Blanchett (“Carol”)

Jennifer Lawrence (“Joy”)

Charlotte Rampling (“45 Years”)

    I was so impressed with the versatility of Jennifer Lawrence that my first instinct was to go with her, but upon settling down some I realized there can be only one (to quote “The Highlander”) and that’s Brie Larson for “The Room.” I mean, c’mon she’s already won the trifecta of awards: the Golden Globe, SAG Award, and BAFTA for Best Actress. The movie made me feel so claustrophobic and Larson’s performance was so amazing you felt so liberated at the end of the movie I was literally cheering for her (and her son played brilliantly by 9 year old Jacob Tremblay). Larson’s stiffest competition is going to be Cate Blanchett, who’s already won Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress. However, the early buzz that Blanchett received around her Oscar-nominated performance in “Carol” has quickly faded in the fickle world of Hollywood and nobody can pronounce Saoirse Ronan’s name for her role in “Brooklyn” and nobody saw “45 Years,” so I’m going with Brie Larson for Best Actress. 
The Best Supporting Actor category includes:

Sylvester Stallone (“Creed”)

Mark Rylance (“Bridge of Spies”)

Tom Hardy (“The Revenant”)

Mark Ruffalo (“Spotlight”)

Christian Bale (“The Big Short”)

    Oh, how the Academy loves to reward those who’ve had a long running history and in a year or round numbers, this case 40 years. Yes, Sylvester Stallone deserves winning in this category for his movie, “Creed” not just because of his powerful performance and the sentimentality behind his beloved character (as that of Rocky Balboa) but also because the Academy did us all a disservice for overlooking the film’s director, Ryan Coogler and the movie’s incredibly acted lead character of the title name, Michael B. Jordan. Two spoilers in this category would be Mark Rylance and Christian Bale, but hands down I’m going with Sylvester Stallone as Best Supporting Actor. 

Actress Jennifer Jason Leigh and Howie Nave circa 1995. Photo/Provided

In the “anything goes” category the nominees for Best Supporting Actress include:

Rooney Mara (“Carol”)

Kate Winslet (“Steve Jobs”)

Alicia Vikander (“The Danish Girl”)

Jennifer Jason Leigh (“The Hateful Eight”)

Rachel McAdams (“Spotlight”)

   This category spotlights an incredible range of talent and is wide open (and deserving) for any of them. Kate Winslet received a Golden Globe for her performance in “Steve Jobs” as former Mac marketing executive Joanna Hoffman, but even with her surprise Globe win, this category is far from a done deal. Alicia Vikander and Rooney Mara turned in solid performances and the other two nominees, Jennifer Jason Leigh (“The Hateful Eight”) and Rachel McAdams (“Spotlight”), blended well in their perspective ensemble, movies though Leigh’s intense performance as Daisy Domergue, a female outlaw in the 19th century has many (including myself) believing she might be bring home Oscar. Boy, and if that weren’t enough, Leigh is also the voice of the title character in the Oscar-nominated stop-motion animated film, “Anomalisa” so, as much as a long-shot as it may be, I’m going for Jennifer Jason Leigh as Best Supporting Actress.

In the crowning jewel for Best Director we have the following:

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (“The Revenant”)

Tom McCarthy (“Spotlight”)

Adam McKay (“The Big Short”)

George Miller (“Mad Max: Fury Road”)

Lenny Abrahamson (“Room”)

     All five directors have been to the Academy before, but leading the nominees is 70-year-old veteran George Miller. What still shocks me is the absence of director Ridley Scott for “The Martian.” Director Lenny Abrahamson did a fabulous job in his self-contained direction of  “Room,” as did Tom McCarthy. The spoiler could be Adam McKay for his very smartly acted “The Big Short,” but I’m going with a sweep here with Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu for Best Director. 

For Best Original Screenplay the nominees are:

Matt Charman, Joel and Ethan Coen (“Bridge of Spies”)

Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve, Josh Cooley (“Inside Out”)

Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer (“Spotlight”)

Alex Garland (“Ex Machina”)

 Jonathan Herman, Andrea Berloff, S. Leigh Savidge and Alan Wenkus (“Straight Outta Compton”)

I’m going with Tom McCarthy and Josh Singer for “Spotlight”.

For Best Adapted Screenplay the nominees are:

Emma Donoghue (“Room”)

Drew Goddard (“The Martian”)

Nick Hornby (“Brooklyn”)

Adam McKay and Charles Randolph (“The Big Short”)

Phyllis Nagy (“Carol”)

And the winner will be Adam McKay and Charles Randolph “The Big Short”.

In the Best Animated Feature department we have:

“Anomalisa”

“Boy and the World”

“Inside Out”

“When Marnie Was There”

“Shaun the Sheep”

Hands down the winner will be “Inside Out” for Best Animated Feature.

In the Best Documentary Feature category the nominees are:

“Amy” (Asif Kapadia)

“Cartel Land” (Matthew Heineman)

“The Look of Silence” (Joshua Oppenheimer)

“What Happened, Miss Simone?” (Liz Garbus)

“Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom” (Evgeny Afineevsky)

Need I even bother? Big win for “Amy”as Best Documentary.

For Best Cinematography the nominees are:

“Carol” (Ed Lachman)

“The Hateful Eight” (Robert Richardson)

“Mad Max: Fury Road” (John Seale)

“The Revenant” (Emmanuel Lubezki)

“Sicario” (Roger Deakins)

His work was absolutely brilliant in “The Revenant” so going with Emmanuel Lubezki for Best Cinematography.

For Best Film Editing the nominees are: 

“The Big Short”

“Mad Max: Fury Road”

“Spotlight”

“The Revenant”

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens”

And the winner is “The Big Short”.

For Best Original Score the nominees are: 

“Carol” (Carter Burwell)

“Sicario” (Jóhann Jóhannsson)

“The Hateful Eight” (Ennio Morricone)

“Bridge of Spies” (Thomas Newman)

“Star Wars: Episode VII—The Force Awakens” (John Williams)

I am picking Ennio Morricone for “The Hateful Eight”, but John Williams might be the spoiler for “Star Wars: Episode VII—The Force Awakens”.

And finally for Best Original Song the nominees are:

“Earned It” from “Fifty Shades of Grey”

“Manta Ray” from “Racing Extinction

“Simple Song #3” from “Youth”

“Til It Happens To You” from “The Hunting Ground”

“Writings on the Wall” from “Spectre”

I am going with the song, “Earned It” from “Fifty Shades of Grey”.

Howie Nave is host/emcee/manager of The Improv at Harveys. You can hear him Monday-Friday 6 to 10am on KRLT FM-93.9.

By Kathryn Reed

Mexican food gets a bad wrap for being unhealthy. A lot of it has to do with all the cheese and when lard is involved.

It would be easy to skip the cheese and still have a flavorful dish.

During summer when corn is in season I buy several ears, blanch them, cut the kernels off the cob and freeze them. This allows me to have fresh corn through winter. That is what I used for this recipe.

I thought that each day that went by the flavors melded together even more.

This is definitely going to become a regular fixture in my lineup of winter comfort foods.

Veggie Enchiladas

Olive oil

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut in cubes

1 medium onion, chopped

6 garlic cloves, minced

5 C spinach, packed

1 C corn

4 ounces mushrooms, chopped

1 15 ounce can black beans, drained

1 T cilantro

1 T cumin

¼ tsp pepper

Hot sauce

10 tortillas

16 ounce jar salsa verde

2 C Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

Cook squash for 45 minutes in 350-degree oven, or until tender.

Coat large saucepan with olive oil. Over medium heat cook garlic and onion until slightly opaque.

Add spinach gradually, stir until it wilts, add more until it is all wilted.

Add mushrooms and corn. Cook for 3-5 minutes.

Add squash.

Add cilantro, cumin and pepper. Add dashes of hot sauce until it reaches the heat level you want.

Divide mixture evenly into tortillas. Place seam side down in 9 x 13 baking dish. Spread cheese evenly over enchiladas. Cook for 15 minutes. Pour salsa over enchiladas. Cook for 7 minutes.

Hungrytown, which has been touring internationally for more than 10 years, will be performing in South Lake Tahoe March 19.

The stop is part of a 42-date, 14-state tour in support of their album, “Further West.” The album made the top 10 on the American Folk DJ charts for two months last summer.

Hungrytown will be at the South Lake Tahoe Library (1000 Rufus Allen Blvd.) from 2-3pm. This event is free and open is sponsored by the Friends of the South Lake Tahoe Library.

By Jennifer Robison, Las Vegas Review-Journal

Nevada’s largest mining company is eyeing plans to invest big in its operations.

Barrick Gold Corp. said Monday that it could spend $2.1 billion through 2020 expanding gold mines in Nevada and Peru, with about $1.4 billion of the investments set for the Silver State.

The biggest chunk — $1 billion — would go toward building an underground mine at Goldrush, a new deposit about 4 miles southeast of Barrick’s Cortez Hills operation near Elko. Once it starts producing in 2021, Goldrush could yield 440,000 ounces of gold each year. The deposit has an estimated 8.6 million ounces in gold resources.

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