Print edition for April 6, 2007

Editorial: Pleasant surprises from court: The first ruling, which chastised the Environmental Protection Agency for failing to regulate the greenhouse gas emissions that scientists say contribute to global warming, was already applauded on these pages and is receiving plenty of media attention. That 5-4 decision overshadowed a second, unanimous court ruling against a powerful East Coast utility in a dispute involving pollution controls for antiquated coal-fired power plants. Interestingly, the second ruling, in siding with environmentalists, favored the EPA.

John Katsilometes on how the old gang at Coffee Pub hopes to re-create magic at new restaurant: The old crew is about to launch a new restaurant, Beach Cafe, at 7750 S. Jones Blvd. ( at Robindale Road). Much of the staff who worked for Brees, who now owns the Juice Bars housed in Las Vegas Athletic Clubs, is reuniting for the new venture under longtime Coffee Pub manager Robyn Bradley and her husband, Scott.

Letter: Where did all this rancor come from?: Early in the interview he called Ohio Democratic Congressman Dennis Kucinich an idiot and acknowledged having once called House Speaker Nancy Pelosi a moron, which were kind compared to words he used to describe Democrats on television last week.

Enough already with the cuts to colleges: By Christina Littlefield; Jim Rogers, chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education, says enough is enough, and he's saying it to the governor.

Letter: Bush should find ways to end Iraq war: First off, passing legislation that funds the war while requiring a set timetable for withdrawal is still funding the war. I'm curious as to how he could categorize this as a failure. Maybe he should begin looking within for failures, rather than always elsewhere.

Story changes, squalor doesn't: By Timothy Pratt; Stepping into Sabrina Bradley's apartment, you are hit by an odor that mixes open sewer with must.

Republicans move closer to playing caucus catch-up: Michael J. Mishak; Nevada Republicans moved forward Wednesday with their plans for a Jan. 19 caucus, but they now face serious questions about the nascent effort just nine months before showtime.

They're distorted, but they're real: Anyone who thinks Las Vegas couldn't seem any less real than it already is ought to take a look at Olivo Barbieri's aerial photographs of our giant landmarks, both man-made and natural.

FLASHPOINT for Apr 06, 2007: Hold your friends close and your enemies closer. This axiom apparently applies to politics, too. How else to explain why Gov. Jim Gibbons appointed Senate Minority Leader Dina Titus, last heard predicting the governor would be indicted, to a task force studying public-private partnerships on roads? I could be wrong. Gibbons may have considered Titus' vast knowledge of such partnerships and put aside any residual animosity. That would be the mark of a true leader and would be commendable. Then again, maybe he thought Titus would be neutralized, unable to hector Gibbons if he put her on a state panel. ...

How soon is not too soon to return as a consultant?: By Emily Richmond; Clark County school officials are trying to figure out how to handle the district's brain drain.

Editorial: Three times and in (prison): Chief District Judge Kathy Hardcastle told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday that only 12 percent of the eight-year-old pilot program's 356 graduates have been arrested for DUI within three years of graduating. That is a lower recidivism rate than for DUI offenders who do prison time, she said. Hardcastle then called for passage of Senate Bill 277, which would establish such a program statewide.

Editorial: Avoiding gridlock: There could be gridlock between the Legislature and Gov. Jim Gibbons on how to solve the expected shortfall of at least $3.8 billion to pay for critical highway construction over the next eight years, and that could lead to little, if anything, being done this session.

Jon Ralston on how news releases show no one wants budget responsibility: Whether you come from the right or left, the buck-passing on the state's needs should be disturbing. And on Thursday, we saw perfect illustrations - in a couple of news releases - of the disingenuous handling of the looming budget crisis by the executive and legislative branches.

Ron Kantowski checks out the Vegas Grand Prix course through the windshield of a '96 Chevy S-10 pickup truck: Bourdais, the three-time reigning Champ Car series champion, and his 200-mph racing pals will be takin' it to the downtown streets this weekend in the inaugural Vegas Grand Prix.

Jeff Haney on why Bourdais is a solid bet, but lacks value: Bourdais, who won seven of the circuit's 14 races last year on the way to his third consecutive series championship, was listed at odds ranging from even money (at the Las Vegas Hilton) to 2-1 (at Caesars and all other Harrah's properties) to win Sunday's race, expected to field about 17 cars.

Letter: Las Vegas needs world-class soccer stadium: I think this is a wonderful opportunity for the city to really shine internationally. Nothing like this has impacted the city on such a scale since Las Vegas hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup soccer draw.