Print edition for May 29, 2006

Is it time for appointed sheriff?: By J. Patrick Coolican; When Los Angeles went looking for a new police chief, the city's police commission conducted a national search before it turned to William Bratton, under whose tenure as New York City police commissioner, the city's murder rate had dropped 50 percent. He also was known as a pioneer in modern police management and the use of technology to focus crime-fighting and prevention on neighborhoods that needed it most.

John Katsilometes takes in a true Las Vegas spectacle - Madonna at the MGM Grand Garden Arena: Making effective use of 15 dancers, four musicians, three backup singers, a half-dozen wardrobe changes and a multileveled set that featured several LED screens, a pair of dancing platforms flanking the stage and a giant mirrored disco ball, Madonna was uniquely at home on the Vegas stage. The dancers - an athletic lot that could perform with any Cirque production in the city - were particularly impressive.

Overcoming the shock and awe disasters: Christina Littlefield; Together, they are examining a portable and efficient way of heating blood and other fluids to help stabilize patients before transport to hospitals. The warmed fluids are crucial in treating shock.

Editorial: O say, can you sing it?: Congratulations if you said, "The Star-Spangled Banner," our national anthem.

Editorial: A great way to say thanks: The governor of Wisconsin, Democrat Jim Doyle, has promised to sign the bill.

Editorial: Troops have our gratitude: Certain images stand out, such as those from March 31, 2004. Four American contractors were attacked as they drove through Fallujah, a city 40 miles west of Baghdad. Their SUV was set afire and their charred bodies then beaten. At least two of the bodies were hung from a bridge by celebrating insurgents.

Jeff Haney reports on the excitement and odds on third and probably final Castillo-Corrales battle: Corrales stopped Castillo in the 10th round in the first bout, one of the best boxing matches in memory, and Castillo recorded a sensational fourth-round knockout in the rematch.

Rebels have time to get rid of the bad taste: Rob Miech; A string of three consecutive Mountain West Conference tournament titles, and trips to the NCAA tournament, ended Friday night with a 10-4 defeat to Brigham Young at Wilson Stadium. UNLV finished 29-30.

Letter: Canadian complaints too little, too late: A good article by Launce Rake pretty well summed up the fears of some nationalistic, left-leaning Canadians about the nefarious designs of the Yankees on our water supply. As usual, the activists will oppose anything that smacks of American interest coinciding with Canadian interests, especially if it involves some flavor of the day, such as water, national culture, geo-politics, beer or whatever.

Letter: Border control has widespread impact: Clear-thinking Americans ask, "Why has the federal government made the conscious decision to have Homeland Security relax its vigilance at the border?" It's true we need workers at all levels to effectively compete with the economic powerhouses of China and India, but at the expense of the American way?

Border Patrol union boss: Tighter border won't help: By Timothy Pratt; In his first public speech since passage of the Senate's bill, T.J. Bonner told a Las Vegas gathering of those opposed to illegal immigration that lawmakers had created "amnesty on steroids."

Letter: How many wake-up calls do we need?: The events on Dec. 7, 1941, awakened a "sleeping giant." Neither my grandparents nor my parents ever referred to the "Guadalcanal War," or the "War in Iwo Jima.'' They understood that these were battles in the war against fascism, totalitarianism and imperialism.

Online gaming entices casinos: Liz Benston and Lisa Mascaro; After watching the fortunes of online casinos soar fivefold in as many years - an extraordinary winning streak with no apparent end in sight - Las Vegas casino giants want Congress to study letting them in on the action.

Letter: Cost of oil measured in American lives lost: Even though the truth concerning the war is finally coming out, over 30 percent of Americans polled still back our continued involvement in a war that is more about oil than defeating terrorism abroad and protecting Americans from attacks at home. The old tired argument that we still hear, "I'd rather fight them (terrorists) over there, rather than fight them over here," has little credence when you consider the fact that over a million illegals are entering this country each year. Any number of those illegals could be a terrorist with plans to do great harm to Americans. Fortunately, that ...