Print edition for March 17, 2006

Letter: Accountability should top agenda: For the life of me, I cannot understand the continued payment of taxpayer funds to organizations as this that have existed for more than 40 years without the proper accountability.

Letter: Sex is root issue with pro-life movement: Like many things in life, people have made this more complicated than it really is. Life begins when a woman decides to give birth to her fetus, and government and religion should stay out of it. In other words, people should mind their own business.

John Katsilometes walks down memory lane with Daren Libonati and a faded rap star famous for his oversized parachute pants: By John Katsilometes; That was 14 years ago.

Tom Gorman learns how to help his poodle if it's ever choking, find its pulse and restrain it before rushing it to an animal hospital. Now, if he can only do the same for his wife ...: Now I can save Duke, our big poodle. It was, you see, a class in how to provide first-aid for dogs and cats.

Jon Ralston recounts the dryly stated but downright raunchy details of the government's case against two former Clark County commissioners: A businessman who needed to buy influence. A middleman eager to help present his case to the elected officials.

Bongos tap Cuban rhythms: Bongo legend Rogelio Darias will bring his Cuban rhythms to Winchester Cultural Center for a special performance on Saturday.

Letter: Growing debt unfair to America's children: The admitted national debt already stands at $8.2 trillion, and this huge figure doesn't even include unfunded promises into the future that will cost at least another $10 trillion.

Letter: Women should not be granted right to kill: This is an issue of a woman doing what is morally right. Abortion is murder, plain and simple, no matter which way you look at it.

Editorial: Shedding light on policy change: According to the Associated Press, the policy shift results from what the Bush administration calls a clarification of a 1997 regulation that said sexual orientation "may not be used as a basis" for determining whether federal employees could be eligible to access classified information. Under President Bush's so-called clarification, that regulation now says such security clearances cannot be denied "solely on the basis of the sexual orientation of the individual."

Here's a new venue for 'Rent': Jerry Fink; When: 8 nightly March 29 through April 2. Additional performances at 2 p.m. April 1-2.

Metro patrol equipped with teddy bears, children's books: By Emily Richmond; The bears, often handmade by volunteers, help calm frightened children, particularly during domestic dispute calls. A book can "teach them something as well, and it's doubly good because it comes from another kid," said Christopher Curtis, a Metro field training officer who keeps the books in his patrol car.

Letter: Bush is a weapon of mass destruction: The letter in Sunday's Sun from Helen Richman, "A president that we can't ignore - or forget," is right on the money.

Editorial: Citing a traffic ticket snafu: According to a story in the Las Vegas Sun, tickets sometimes aren't entered into the computer system for up to 30 days because there are only two people assigned to the duty. Law enforcement officers issue 18,300 tickets a month, on average, the Sun reports. But in February, 12,000 of the tickets written didn't make it into the system. In December, 15,000 tickets hadn't been entered.

Editorial: Billions wasted on Yucca: From the start, Nevada steadfastly opposed this plan and warned Congress that it would continue fighting against it because of the life-and-death safety issues involved. Nonetheless, the federal government clung to this arbitrary deadline.

A new life away from Las Vegas street gang: David Kihara; You can tell Charles' gang affiliation by the history engraved on his body.

Knives find their way through court security: In the last month two people have taken knives through the X-ray checkpoints at the new Regional Justice Center, raising questions about safety in the courthouse.

Arena team tries not to get rattled for 3-game: As the Las Vegas Gladiators of the Arena Football League begin tonight what could prove to be a crucial three-game stretch against division opponents, head coach Ron James hasn't had to give the traditional "big game" speech to fire up his players.

License to grill at stake: By Kristen Peterson; Las Vegas artist Sydney Waithe had just started grilling nine pieces of chicken on his hibachi when the four city marshals showed up.

FLASHPOINT for Mar 17, 2006: This may become a systemic problem for the Republicans if the president's numbers don't gain any buoyancy. A prominent local doctor, Larry Lehrner, received a call this week from an apparatchik of Rep. Tom Reynolds, who runs the National Republican Congressional Committee. "We wanted to recognize you with a national leadership award," the voice mail gushingly told the good doctor and asked him to quickly return the call to learn more about the great honor. Problem is, he is no longer a good Republican. Disgusted with the president, Lehrner, whose wife is Democratic Rep. Shelley Berkley, now can vote for ...

Jeff Haney on some reasonable NCAA tournament odds instead of the ludicrous ones, like the 5 sextillion to 1 for Oral Roberts, that were reported by USA Today: An old saying among gamblers states that odds printed in a newspaper are worth something only if you can bet into them.

EXCUSE THE INTERJECTION: WHEN SUN COLUMNISTS COLLIDE: RON KANTOWSKI'S TAKE: What should baseball do with Barry Bonds? Continue to pitch him very carefully. Juice or no juice, the guy can hit. Oh, you mean the records and the Hall and Fame. That's a little more complicated.