Print edition for July 25, 2006

High price for low buildings: When Clark County imposed height restrictions on land surrounding McCarran International Airport, it hoped to prevent safety hazards such as a skyscraper popping up near the end of a runway.

Editorial: Natural fit for early caucus: Nevada already has become a highly prized swing state in the presidential sweepstakes, and a recent decision by Democrats could make Nevada an even bigger player in determining who goes on to capture the White House. Over the weekend a committee of national Democrats recommended that in 2008 the party's presidential caucus in Nevada be held right after the Iowa caucus, which holds the first nominating contest in the nation.

Letter: Researchers can't kill what isn't alive: Embryos are not living humans until they attach themselves to the womb. Otherwise, shouldn't they all be implanted upon fertilization? Is it moral to create more than is needed? Will they live and grow into a human being in the lab dish? Therefore, one cannot kill a baby until the embryo has attached itself to the womb. The womb does not allow every fertilized embryo to attach itself, and that is why doctors use so many embryos in artificial insemination impregnation (which results in so many multiple births).

Editorial: On checks and balances: So instead of vetoing bills he disagrees with, Bush has been signing them - but not before attaching statements declaring his own interpretation of the new laws.

Editorial: President oversteps his bounds: But it was lesser news when the Justice Department closed an ethics investigation of the program before it began because its investigators could not obtain necessary security clearances. And much of the media downplayed Attorney General Alberto Gonzales' acknowledgement last week during a congressional hearing that it was Bush himself who personally ordered that the clearances be denied.

Letter: Wealthy people have earned their wares: 1) The rich create jobs. The old saying is, "I never got a job from a poor man."

LOOKING IN ON: GOLF: Charlie Baron has seen more than a few local sports teams and events come and go during his two-decade tenure as tournament manager for the Las Vegas PGA Tour stop.

State gets serious about senior services: 2. Establish and fund an Investigation and Prosecution Unit (I&P) specifically for crimes against seniors - including abuse, neglect, exploitation and fraud.

Energy stays out of the fray: The Energy Department wants to stay out of the brouhaha over whether to make public a heavily censored federal grant application submitted by UNLV's Institute for Security Studies.

Letter: Israel's reaction to terrorists is justified: I cannot believe this person's misguided thoughts. Sending bombs into civilian areas within Israel is not a border incident. This is true of both Hezbollah and Hamas. Israel has left Gaza and Lebanon. The Palestinians in Gaza used it as a launching pad to kill Israelis.

John Katsilometes takes in a freewheeling evening of no-frills (in most cases, anyway) entertainment at the Suede Restaurant and Lounge: Except, the monthly showcases at Suede Restaurant and Lounge are far more, um, colorful.

No creas todo lo que lees: By Timothy Pratt; A grinning young guy, using the Stars and Stripes the same way a beachgoer wraps a towel around his shoulders, certainly captures your eye in an El Mercadito newspaper ad.

LOOKING IN ON: WASHINGTON: WASHINGTON - The stem-cell debate dominated Congress' domestic agenda last week, but Sen. John Ensign helped Republicans push other issues forward as the party continues courting voters in the run-up to the November election.

Aztecs coach gains foothold in valley: Rob Miech; Fisher, who didn't say hello, left without saying goodbye.

Letter: Dishonesty rampant in stem-cell debate: Bush's veto only involves federal funding of embryonic research. There is no ban, and this research is not illegal. He did not "block science or health." Secondly, the article failed to mention that states, universities, pharmaceutical companies and other private entities are spending billions of dollars on stem-cell research. Some of it goes to adult stem cells, and some to embryonic research. The more effective of the two will get more dollars. Most cures originate from nongovernmental sources.