Print edition for February 12, 2006

Tom Gorman on how Frank Gehry's design for a medical research facility elevates Las Vegas to a new stage in the eyes of a public that has long considered the town the center of architectural knockoffs: By Tom Gorman; Detailed plans for the construction of a medical research center were unveiled and, for once, the cheering by civic boosters was not unjustified hyperbole.

Editorial: A poor plan of attack: According to a Las Vegas Sun story published Thursday, Homeland Security officials say the information revealing why Las Vegas was not included among the 35 urban areas on the department's list is classified.

Letter: Anxiety over spying not limited to liberals: First, both liberals and conservatives favor the NSA program. It is the lack of oversight that troubles both parties. This country was built on checks and balances and not the trust of a president who punishes dissent and his political enemies. Second, the Bush administration did know about the intention of al-Qaida to attack us by crashing airplanes into our buildings. Bush did nothing to prevent it because terrorism was not a priority then and it is not a high priority now.

Vegas hosts a ho-ho-ho down: You can't not be amused by a dozen Santas singing karaoke, even if they are slightly off-key.

Two tributes have much in common: What: "The Tribute to Frank, Sammy, Joey and Dean."

Hal Rothman gives his assessment of retiring UNLV President Carol Harter and what legacy she leaves behind: UNLV was appealing because here everything seemed possible. The sky was the limit, and it seemed like people would help you achieve your goals.

Company breaks ground on $106 million solar plant in Nevada: AP; Solargenix Energy, a subsidiary of Acciona Energy SA, said it formally began construction on the 64-megawatt plant in the Eldorado Valley of Boulder City on Saturday.

Letter: Insist government doesn't go unchecked: Its efforts have, so far, been kept relatively secret, as is the usual practice of this administration. The system allows the government to secretly search any electronic records, including e-mails and blogs of all Americans without any oversight.

Letter: An alternative to imposing a gasoline tax: My reasoning: Why penalize the people who are already conserving, along with the gas hoggers? Most of the lower income drivers have smaller, cheaper (what they can afford) four-cylinder cars getting 30 mpg, so why put a heavy tax on them along with their mostly higher income neighbors driving mini-tanks that get maybe 10 mpg on a good day?

John Katsilometes on the timing of nuptials for Hunt-Bono: kats@lasvegassun.com; Portraying former presidential candidate Walter Mondale, Dana Carvey was asked by the host (played by the late Phil Hartman), "What were you thinking?" after promising to raise taxes during his campaign against Ronald Reagan. "Oh ... I dunno," was the Carvey-as-Mondale response.

Brian Greenspun wonders how Bush's 'state' coincides with global realities: I am having some trouble squaring what President Bush told us the other night at the State of the Union address with what he and the generals like to refer to as "the facts on the ground."

Terror threat not weighed in assessing nuke waste shipments: Benjamin Grove; The study, partially funded by an affiliate of the nuclear power industry, concluded that the shipments would be safe. But the 292-page report noted that terrorism risks had not been fully considered because some researchers on the 16-member study panel did not have the security clearances required for access to classified government briefings.

Jeff German on how Sheriff Young has found key support for his stance on fighting the danger of gangster rap acts: By Jeff German; One of those allies is the most recognizable name in the casino industry - Steve Wynn, the owner of Wynn Las Vegas on the Strip.

Energy Department seeks control of land near Yucca: Benjamin Grove; Energy officials confirmed last week that legislation they are preparing to send to Congress would grant the agency control of 147,000 acres near Yucca Mountain. Of that land, 24,000 acres are managed by the Air Force, 45,000 acres by the Bureau of Land Management and 78,000 acres (of the Nevada Test Site) by the National Nuclear Security Administration.

Yucca in need of repair after nine years: Benjamin Grove; WASHINGTON - Yucca Mountain research facilities - from ground supports to railroad tracks - need repairs after just nine years of use, leaving critics wondering how the Energy Department could store nuclear waste there for thousands of years.

Editorial: Music deserving of a bad rap: Young has raised the issue since last year, and in June asked the state Gaming Control Board to encourage the casino industry to crack down on gangster rap acts, according to a column by the Las Vegas Sun's Jeff German. State gaming regulators issued a memo last week stating that casinos hosting such performances will be held accountable if violent acts occur.

Jeff Simpson wonders why there's no crackdown on state's Internet poker players: By Jeff Simpson; Nevada is one of the few states to have enacted laws making it illegal to gamble online. Web casino operators contend that their operations don't violate federal law - an assertion disputed by the Justice Department - but even if an ongoing legal battle backs the Web casinos' point of view, it clearly remains illegal for Nevadans to gamble on the Internet.

Jack Sheehan on the controversy surrounding 'A Million Little Pieces' and Oprah's support that made it a bestseller: I have had plenty of time to organize my thoughts about the book controversy that's had everyone buzzing lately, and what it all means. I allude of course to James Frey's "A Million Little Pieces" and how it shot to the top of the bestseller lists after Oprah Winfrey chose it as her Book Club selection, and how the book was then exposed as a piece of nearly total fiction wrapped in the nonfiction blanket of a memoir by its publisher, Doubleday.

Editorial: An abacus would be an upgrade: A story by McClatchy Newspapers last week disclosed the depth of the Pentagon's accounting crisis. The article began by illustrating the frustration of an Army sergeant in Iraq who was having to desperately scrounge for parts and drinking water, which a computer printout of his position showed were in plentiful supply.