Print edition for September 23, 2006

Letter: Fewer restrictions are part of Vegas' appeal: Little government involvement is part of what makes Vegas so appealing. I am not a smoker myself, but I enjoy the idea of being able to do whatever, whenever.

Big talk, little action: By Timothy Pratt; Standing in an Eastern Avenue parking lot Friday morning, a broad-shouldered Jose Garcia has one eye on the road for pickup trucks with drivers seeking laborers. His words are deliberate:

Editorial: One standard for all jurists: Watchdog groups and members of Congress have long complained that some federal judges have skated through conflicts of interest. They suggest that judges should more carefully monitor their personal financial stakes in cases. And there has been concern about judges who jet-set to "junket" events paid for by groups or corporations that have cases pending in federal court. Some members of Congress believe that federal judges should be barred from attending private seminars hosted by interest groups that pay for the judges' travel, accommodations and meals.

Oliveira has an itch for the pitch: Brittany Oliveira still itches to get into the middle of a pitch and mix it up with a foe or two.

Letter: Candidates focus too much on attacking: I know where your opponent stands on most issues.

Not the usual Vegas act: The shirtless lifeguard patrolling the hot tub, located stage right, received many puzzled looks. Fans at other locales on Gnarls Barkley's worldwide tour are not likely to encounter such an obstacle. Nor will more applause be directed at a blackjack table, located stage left, than toward the opening band.

LOOKING IN ON: TOURISM: After seeing so many wacky proposals come and go in Southern Nevada, it's easy to get cynical when companies with no track record say they're going to build the biggest, tallest, grandest, coolest, whatever resort anybody has ever seen.

Boggs McDonald saw no need to disclose: By Tony Cook; Relying on a questionable interpretation of state law, Clark County Commissioner Lynette Boggs McDonald insists through her attorney that she did nothing wrong in acquiring a piece of land in Arizona and a $100,000 loan to pay for it from a local developer only four months after helping the developer obtain a zoning change.

Editorial: Traps hidden in fine print: How? Often with the help of "alternative mortgage products." The so-called AMPs include adjustable-rate mortgages that leave borrowers vulnerable to interest rate hikes, as well as interest-only loans in which borrowers defer payment on the principal. Real estate industry data suggest that such "exotic" loans were just 2 percent of loans in 2000 but now represent as much as one-third of loan agreements.

FLASHPOINT for Sep 23, 2006: So congressional hopeful Jill Derby has to convince a lot of those Republicans and independents in Congressional District 2 that she is one of them. Hence, we have seen that she is a cowgirl and has cowboys singing a song about her. Now let's hope that none of those conservative types in CD2 saw the announcement of what Derby is doing this weekend: Walking with Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie in Reno. Leslie is the kind of lawmaker who might get shot in Elko or Fallon. She is considered perhaps the most liberal member of the lower house - an outspoken defender ...