Print edition for December 27, 2007

STOCKCARTOON YEAR IN REVIEW: Kevin Harvick won the season-opening Daytona 500 and then was not heard from again, going winless in the next 35 races. Jimmie Johnson won the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March and never slowed down, winning nine more races en route to the 2007 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series championship.

US Military Deaths in Iraq at 3,900: AP; The AP count is four higher than the Defense Department's tally, last updated Wednesday at 10 a.m. EST.

Islanders Spoil Blake's Return: AP; Blake returned to Long Island for the first time Wednesday night after leaving as a free agent in the summer. The Islanders spoiled his return with a 4-3 overtime victory over Toronto.

Countries Condemn Bhutto Killing: AP; The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously to condemn the killing.

DOD: 405 Military Deaths in Afghan Area: AP; Of those, the military reports 274 were killed by hostile action.

Recalls: AP; - About 16,200 Warmest Jackets for boys, manufactured in Indonesia and sold by Gap Outlet operated by Gap Inc., because they have a waist drawstring that could get caught in a small space and trap a child. The jackets have style number 513573 printed on a white label behind the size and care label on the neckline. No injuries have been reported. The jackets were sold at Gap Outlet stores around the country between September and December 2007. Details: by phone at 888-747-3704 ; by Web at http://www.gapinc.com or http://www.cpsc.gov.

Method for AP-Yahoo Poll: AP; The interviews were conducted online. The original sample was drawn from a panel of respondents Knowledge Networks recruited via random sampling of landline telephone households with listed and unlisted numbers. The company provides Web access to panel recruits who don't already have it. With a probability basis and coverage of people who otherwise couldn't access the Internet, the Knowledge Networks online surveys are nationally representative.

Teens tackle nuclear waste, prostitution, education law: Brian Choe; These were a few of the many issues discussed in the "Home in Nevada" group. Every student in the room had an opinion. The reason: The issues affect everyone in Nevada, old and young.

Though chapel's closed, wedding woes persist: By Joe Schoenmann; When New Year's resolution time comes around, dozens, if not hundreds, of couples around the world will be promising themselves to tell as many couples as possible not to get married in Las Vegas.

Wednesday's College Basketball: AP; No scores reported from the EAST.

`Gospel of Wealth' Facing Scrutiny: AP; And so the 53-year-old accountant from the Tampa, Fla., area pledged $500 a year to Joyce Meyer, the evangelist whose frank talk about recovering from childhood sexual abuse was so inspirational. She wrote checks to flamboyant faith healer Benny Hinn and a local preacher-made-good, Paula White.

SIGHT UNSEEN: OUR FAVORITE PHOTOS THAT DIDN'T RUN THIS YEAR: One of the advantages of being a photographer in Las Vegas is the amount of world-class entertainment we cover.

Stockcartoon YEAR IN REVIEW — By Mike Smith NASCAR funnier on the drawing board: saxo-archive; Stockcartoon YEAR IN REVIEW — By Mike Smith NASCAR funnier on the drawing board

Editorial: Housing assistance: To help them find new homes the federal government and the Clark County Housing Authority gave the families Section 8 housing vouchers - without doing criminal background checks.

Ron Kantowski on winning Rebels, arena plans and Mayweather; losing Rebels, arena delays and Gladiators: It was a good year ...

Editorial: Warnings went unheeded: Despite these reports, The Washington Post reported this week, federal officials expanded the use of such companies and took few, if any, steps to control them until September, when Blackwater guards opened fire in Baghdad and killed 17 Iraqi civilians. FBI officials have found 14 of the deaths unjustified.

Letter: U.S. degraded by comparison to al-Qaida: Kiriakou, however, was not even present when Zubaydah was waterboarded, nor did he personally follow up on any of the alleged disclosures made by Zubaydah. So Kiriakou's statements are, at best, conjecture. And studies have shown that information gathered by torture is inherently unreliable. Prisoners will say anything to avoid the suffocating discomfort of drowning or any other pain resulting from torture.

Editorial: Leave this act behind: Widely unpopular, the No Child Left Behind Act is likely to be renewed in 2008 - but with major changes. What those changes will be depends on which party prevails.

Letter: This president hardly a fiscal conservative: Now that the Democrats have taken control of Congress, Mr. Bush has found his veto pen and has started using it, saying the current Congress is fiscally irresponsible. I find that line of thinking a little astounding, if not pathetic.

McDonald’s evolves along with America: saxo-archive; McDonald’s evolves along with America

Health merger's target date slipping by: By Marshall Allen; For the past nine months officials from UnitedHealth Group and Sierra Health Services, the nation's and the state's largest health insurance providers, have claimed that their controversial plan to merge companies would be approved by the end of 2007.

Letter: Smoking ban fair, should help business: People who are so addicted to cigarettes they can't get through a meal without firing up deserve our sympathy and really need help. Maybe Dr. Phil can take this up.

Going all out for Hispanic votes: By J. Patrick Coolican; On a recent Saturday, freshman Assemblyman Ruben Kihuen walked his northeastern Las Vegas district and showed why his presidential endorsement, which recently went to New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, was so prized by the campaigns.

For sound bites, they're go-to guys: David McGrath Schwartz; Reporters love the pundits. They are all-knowing, or at least are supposed to sound that way. They are always ready to dissect an opinion poll or interpret a news development. They provide strong quotes, which editors like.

Pelosi’s portrait of Democrats’ ‘victories’ defies reason: saxo-archive; Pelosi’s portrait of Democrats’ ‘victories’ defies reason

Bullets Cut Short a Life of Epic Sweep: AP; Bhutto's father was hanged and a brother was shot to death. She had risen to become the Muslim world's first female prime minister, only to lose office and flee Pakistan for most of a decade in the face of accusations she was corrupt.

Giuliani Focuses on Sept. 11 in New Ad: AP; LENGTH: 1 minute.

Bhutto Stressed Her Belief `in Freedom': AP; "I told him on my oath in his death cell, I would carry on his work." - Recalling a visit to her father, former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, before his execution in 1979.

Text of Bush Comment on Bhutto: AP; Laura and I extend our deepest condolences to the family of Benazir Bhutto, to her friends, to her supporters. We send our condolences to the families of the others who were killed in today's violence. We send our condolences to all the people of Pakistan on this tragic occasion.

Leave this act behind: saxo-archive; The No Child Left Behind Act is unpopular for good reasons, and should be overhauled

Teens tackle nuclear waste, prostitution, education law where i stand: saxo-archive; Teens tackle nuclear waste, prostitution, education law where i stand

THE PUNDITS: A LOOK AT FOUR OF NEVADA’S Political EXPERTS For sound bites, they’re go-to guys Instant expertise offered up along with quotes ERIC HERZIK, a political science professor at the Universit: saxo-archive; THE PUNDITS: A LOOK AT FOUR OF NEVADA’S Political EXPERTS For sound bites, they’re go-to guys Instant expertise offered up along with quotes ERIC HERZIK, a political science professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, says he’s averaging an interview a day heading into the caucuses Jan. 19.