Print edition for August 10, 2007

Jon Ralston on how Nevada could be Western bellwether: Nevada folks are trying to spin a rosy scenario in the wake of dominoes beginning to fall that will result in the state going from the Avis of the White House contest to being more of a Budget or Dollar state. "The decision by South Carolina's Republicans to hold their primary on Jan. 19 will not diminish the Nevada Democratic caucuses in any way," Nevada Democratic Party Chairwoman Jill Derby insisted.

'Las Vegas' will seem like a 'Magnum, P.I.' reunion: Three central performers in one of the most popular television series of the 1980s will be reunited during the upcoming season of "Las Vegas."

FLASHPOINT for Aug 10, 2007: When does a vote in favor of something really indicate that something is dead? When the subject is the most political act elected officials commit: Redistricting. County commissioners voted 4-3 this week to move forward with redrawing maps before the decennial census, which is fraught with legal peril. Lawyers for the state, Legislature and the county can't seem to agree on the legality. The politics are even more volatile. Advocates, especially Bruce Woodbury, had hoped to get at least five of seven commissioners to commit. But when the vote was 4-3 to go forward, the die was cast. You cannot ...

Jeff Haney on why bettors don't expect UNLV to win many games this season: Team Over/ Line

This makes cola wars seem like kids' stuff: With five races to go in NASCAR's regular season, the rekindling of racing's "beer wars" is providing the best excitement in the Nextel Cup Series.

Editorial: Man without a country: Guzman was arrested earlier this year and charged with trespass and spraying graffiti in Lancaster, Calif. Guzman, 29, was given a 120-day sentence, which was reduced to 40 days. Before his time was up, he allegedly told someone he was born in Mexico.

Business frets over new rules on illegals: By Timothy Pratt; Thousands of workers across Nevada could be pushed out of their jobs because of new federal and state measures aimed at getting rid of illegal immigrants in the workplace, local industry officials and advocates said.

Letter: Wynn Las Vegas was right to fire dealer: I read with interest about Cynthia Fields, who was fired for walking off of her job without permission and her subsequent inability to get another job.

Ethiopian blesses peacemakers, extols virtues of ancient culture: The United States may be a world leader in science and technology, but it can learn a lot about forgiveness and humility from Ethiopia's ancient culture.

Editorial: Foreign policy problem: A department spokesman lashed out last week after Republican candidate Rep. Tom Tancredo of Colorado suggested that bombing the Islamic holy sites Mecca and Medina would be a deterrent to a terrorist strike.

Clinton makes the Vegas rounds: By J. Patrick Coolican; Sen. Hillary Clinton showed many sides of her well-developed political profile during a long day of campaigning Thursday in Nevada, weaving together big themes with policy details, occasional humor and Clintonesque empathy.

Letter: In defense of liberty and the freedom to smoke: When I want to go to a restaurant or bar in my leisure time and have food, and I want to indulge in smoking, there should be a restaurant or bar that offers both of those options.

Five entrants in running to create landmarks: A well-known conceptual artist from New York and a splashy Brazilian pop artist from Miami head the list of finalists to design public art for downtown Las Vegas.

Highlights of FY07 revenue report on Nevada casinos: AP; -STATEWIDE: Record $12.74 billion win in fiscal 2007, up 4.6 percent. In June, clubs won $959.8 million, up 5.7 percent.

Letter: Despicable treatment of overweight women: How could someone who was overweight treat overweight people so badly? These poor women from the Big Beautiful Women convention get treated this way every day of their lives; they come to Las Vegas for a chance to feel 100 percent comfortable with their surroundings and to get away from idiots like this guy.

Regents not set to pull trigger on disclosure: A Board of Regents panel wants more information before deciding whether to require Nevada university professors and other professional employees to publicly disclose off-campus employment or to continue to allow them to keep that work confidential.

Letter: Luxury tax could pay for universal care: Why is "socialized medicine" good for Congress but bad for the rest of us? If more money is needed, bring back the luxury tax on yachts, planes, jewelry, furs and the likes of Rolls Royces. A 10 percent surtax would be pocket change for the elite.

Editorial: The real primary race: The big states feel they have been given short shrift in the presidential primaries because smaller states, such as Iowa and New Hampshire, which historically have gone first and second respectively, have a disproportionately large effect on the nomination.