Print edition for November 17, 2006

Editorial: Republicans take step back: The Mississippi Republican's upcoming elevation to Senate minority whip, the party's second-in-command, is a sign of a party that is ready to do whatever it takes to reclaim the Senate. Lott is regarded as a skilled leader and shrewd political player who is able to exploit Senate rules to help his cause - or hinder others.

Jon Ralston on how Randy Walker revealed in an interview his disappointment with lack of support from county leaders: Walker: "If I would have been more hands-on with that stuff and done more, you can't say (for sure) because hindsight's always a good thing. Probably some of the mistakes that were made might not have been made.

LOOKING IN ON: ENTERTAINMENT: You can watch Amazing Johnathan's special at 10 p.m. Saturday on Comedy Central, or you can see him in person in the Congo Room at the Sahara six nights a week.

John Katsilometes explains why comic Dave Chappelle failed to make festival gig: The answer is Chappelle, and today we have an explanation as to why.

LOOKING IN ON: UNLV BASKETBALL: Mere months after playing for Bishop Gorman High, point guard Marcus Lawrence found his name being called among UNLV's starting quintet Tuesday night against Eastern Washington at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Editorial: A hefty helping of ignorance: According to the department's new terminology, these people merely lack "food security."

Letter: We all must adjust to LV's growing pains: I can't help but laugh at all the people coming to Las Vegas because of the boom, who think that once they arrive the growth will stop! What planet have they come from? Thousands arrive each month, just like we all did, and luckily for us, tourism is going well.

Letter: Clean Air Act hurts Nevada's businesses: Bars and taverns spent tens of thousands of dollars, if not hundreds of thousands for their businesses, but this harmful initiative forces the business to lose thousands of dollars in income and close their kitchens and food service and lay off employees. This argument of "it's for the kids" has been a dead horse for years. Kids should not be allowed in any bar or tavern in the first place. So how does that protect the kids?

Q+A: PETER NOONE: Jerry Fink, Las Vegas Sun; What: Herman's Hermits starring Peter Noone

Letter: President puts his cowardice on display: The dictionary describes avoiding harm's way as cowardice.

Jeff Haney on why the winner of the Ohio State-Michigan game will be favored in title game: First, the Buckeyes must get past No. 2 Michigan as a touchdown favorite Saturday in a game drawing so much betting interest that Kenny White, lead oddsmaker at LVSC, likened it to "a Super Bowl" of the NCAA regular season.

Letter: Plaudits for the citizens of Pahrump: Insofar as the Stars and Stripes being first and foremost, real Americans not only salute the flag, but they also wear it! So no Mexican flags signaling a "carniceria" or a "panaderia" - whatever they are. Dump diversity; deep-six those so-called charming vestiges of the old world, the customs, the language, the music, the baggage - it's a new day in Pahrump and all over, where dollar signs are the modern icon, and if you want in, you'd better start speaking American!

Letter: Situation in Iraq worse than advertised: They say that pictures are worth a thousand words. I can still see President George W. Bush saying to the cameras, "Bring 'em on." He got his wish, but at what expense?

Editorial: Exploiting a tragedy: Simpson purportedly is going to tell those willing to buy the book how he would have gone about killing his ex-wife, Nicole Brown, and her friend Ron Goldman if, indeed, he had carried out the crime.

Elko County residents told their water is safe from Las Vegas' thirst: Elko County residents have long suspected that Las Vegas has designs on their water.

NLV garage sale laws not always heeded: By Mike Trask; There's something uniquely American about yard, lawn or garage sales.

Slot manipulation possible: By Liz Benston; On any given weekend, casino bosses at Treasure Island can lower a few slot machines' odds with the push of a few buttons in a back room, making it less likely that those slots will pay back as much money as they otherwise might.

CORRECTIONS: In Wednesday's paper, a story on Julius, a single-named R&B singer, said he would be appearing Wednesday and Thursday at the Riviera. He will be performing at 5:30 tonight and Saturday. The Sun regrets the errors.