Print edition for July 16, 2006

Letter: Right to breathe tops right to smoke: The surgeon general's recent 709-page comprehensive scientific report puts to rest the belief that smoking only hurts smokers. The report details the extreme dangers of secondhand smoke.

Letter: Let's talk about how our freedoms work: Frankly, I feel that both the ACLU and the conservatives have completely missed the boat on this issue. The founders of our country defended our right to both freedom of religion and freedom of speech. Brittany McComb should have the right to defend the importance of religion in her academic achievements and, conversely, the next student should have the right to defend the absence of religion in his success.

Editorial: An act of faith: According to a story in Friday's Las Vegas Sun, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has put the $1.5 million earmark in the Senate's energy and water appropriations bill for 2007, along with some terse language that puts the institute on notice. A portion of the bill says that the Senate Appropriations Committee "is concerned that (the institute) has not adequately fulfilled its key mission objective of establishing an academic center of excellence on national security and terrorism-related issues." The measure has been sent to the full Senate.

Letter: With a little effort, recycling works: The point of recycling is ecological, not financial reward for refuse companies. There simply is not enough safe land space to house the nondegradable result of our modern lifestyle.

Letter: Bush's lies paid for in American lives: He blasted Iraq, Iran and North Korea with his sophomoric statement the "Axis of Evil," a statement that is coming home to roost squarely at the White House doorstep.

LOOKING IN ON: HIGHER EDUCATION: UNLV's Creative Writing program won another mantle of respect recently when one of its Schaeffer fellows was named as a 2007 O. Henry prize winner.

Letter: Valedictorian wasn't only graduate there: All the same, I can't help but feel she may have been a bit selfish in her valedictorian speech.

Hal Rothman describes how the town has perfected the arts of service, entertainment: Stadiums full of partisans singing the national anthem of their country, "God Save the Queen" or "Inno di Mameli," the Italian national anthem, showed the spectacle of international sport.

Editorial: Protecting ice cream: A Homeland Security Department inspector general's report shows that a petting zoo, a kangaroo conservation center and an event called "Bean Fest" are among thousands of potential terrorist targets listed in the agency's database.

Democrats blue over rural vote: By J. Patrick Coolican; John Murray wants to talk about getting Democrats elected in November, but all Carol Sirnes wants to talk about is her husband, Slim. He died in December. She leads Murray around her property, a collection of motor homes and ingenious use of recycled materials in Goldfield in Esmeralda County.

Jeff Simpson describes the personal side of the very successful George Maloof: By Jeff Simpson; Hanging with movie actors, TV stars and NBA players. Hosting MTV and Playboy shows and events. Attracting the hip and the beautiful to his nightclubs. Creating the first themed hotel suites with windowed showers in the living room.

Post-modern Guinn: Kristen PetersOn
Illustrations by Chris Morris
LAS VEGAS SUN; Gov. Kenny Guinn and the first lady are to select an artist to paint the governor's portrait. The portrait will hang regally in the state Capitol among portraits of other Nevada governors.

John Katsilometes talks to a Las Vegas woman who was absolutely bubbly over the chance to meet with her soap opera heroes in New York City: "I got there and they were all like, 'You're from Vegas? Wow! How cool. You grew up there?' " said Lou, a 29-year-old Bonanza High School and CCSN grad who has been a fan of "As the World Turns" since she was a little girl. "I kept saying, 'It's not that cool. To me, it's home. New York - this is cool!' But they thought it was great that someone who lived in Vegas won this big prize and left town to collect."

Editorial: The price of life: While prescription drug costs are soaring across the board, a recent USA Today report shows that the cost of cancer drug prescriptions rose about 16 percent last year, compared with the average 3 percent for other types of drugs. Patients pay $1,600 or $3,100 or even $10,000 for one-month supplies of a single medicine, the report says. These aren't even cures. The so-called "target" therapies are designed to prevent cancer cells from growing, turning cancers into chronic diseases rather than immediately fatal ones.

Ethics courses are all about doing the right thing: Christina Littlefield; It's taught at UNLV, of course - but weren't those UNLV dental students who were caught in June hijacking a professor's password in order to tinker with patient records?