Print edition for June 24, 2006

Letter: Far-reaching impact from gay marriage: There are huge economic consequences that will take place with the altering of the historical marriage contract. Right of property, insurance and survivor benefits have nearly inestimable value. Polygamy, multiple same-sex unions, unions of parents with children, even unions with partnerships and corporations could be intellectually argued to be valid with the demise of the historical understanding of marriage.

Editorial: Drug plan's headache: The cost of brand-name prescription drugs spiraled in the first quarter of the year, according to two studies released separately this week by the seniors group AARP and Families USA, a patient advocacy group. The sleep aid Ambien, which increased in price by 13.3 percent, and the pain reliever Celebrex, up 6.5 percent, were among the examples cited by AARP.

Speaking ill of the game: The depth to which a scandal has rocked Italian soccer became very clear to Las Vegas lawyer Bruce Leslie last month in Viareggio, north of Pisa on the Mediterranean coast.

Israel a good role model for Nevada: If there is anyplace in the world with a more "can-do" spirit than Nevada, it is the state of Israel. Here is a country, merely the size of New Jersey, which was carved out of the desert and that many parts of the world choose to hate and even hope to destroy.

Editorial: Loophole needs closing: There is nothing new about government workers trading in their public service jobs for a bigger paycheck as a lobbyist, lawyer or other Washington executive. But there may be something new about the extent to which they are avoiding federal ethics laws. The laws are designed to slow the spin of the revolving door and to keep distance between the federal departments and the corporations that seek their contracts. One law mandates a "cooling off" period in which executive branch department officials must wait a year before lobbying their former government colleagues.

Letter: Supreme Court decision sets bad precedent: The Supreme Court's unjust decision, giving more intrusion rights to the government and less to citizens, will no doubt be tested at the cost of someone's loss of limb or life. Surely not, as they claim, by how much the degree of difficulty diminishes in the so-called "war on drugs" or the "war on terrorism."

Political culture creates two-timing consultants: By J. Patrick Coolican; It would be astonishing - wouldn't it? - if Karl Rove began working for Sen. Harry Reid. Rove, who is President Bush's closest political adviser, has long been an architect of Republican ascendancy, and the odds of a Democrat hiring him are way long.

DOE begins institute probe: Jeff German and Steve Kanigher; The Energy Department has launched an investigation into a UNLV counterterrorism institute to determine whether it has been properly spending millions of dollars in grants it has received from the federal agency.

Editorial: Cattlemen's stampede: The USDA already has spent $84 million to develop such a program with plans to have it in place by 2009, The Wall Street Journal reported this week. But three years after the initiative was launched, it faces significant opposition, the newspaper reported. The biggest obstacle is the cattle industry, which has the USDA's ear. Several powerful groups, including the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, oppose such a plan for various reasons.

A look at Chicago's high-rise boom: AP; -Park Tower. 67-story condominium, hotel. Completed in 2000.

A look at Andre Agassi, retiring from tennis after the U.S. Open: AP; BORN: April 29, 1970, in Las Vegas.

Garage plans have boxing gym in corner: By Marshall Allen; He didn't want to worry them.

566689907.html: In a couple of weeks, the annual golf outing and barbecue known as Mountain West Conference football media day will be held at a ritzy resort on Coronado Island in San Diego. The "working" part of two days of fun in the sun occurs when the head coach and a star player from each of the schools meet the press for cliche-filled interviews.

Letter: Smoking should be left up to businesses: Like the saying says: People in glass houses ... If Mr. Kane were really concerned about the public well-being I would suggest that he and his colleagues first clean up their own back yard in the task. There are 100,000 deaths a year caused by medical errors. It is a fact that the amount of deaths are more than all the people dying of diabetes, auto accidents and breast cancer each year.

DULY NOTED: In a couple of weeks, the annual golf outing and barbecue known as Mountain West Conference football media day will be held at a ritzy resort on Coronado Island in San Diego. The "working" part of two days of fun in the sun occurs when the head coach and a star player from each of the schools meet the press for cliche-filled interviews.

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