Print edition for February 25, 2007

Jeff Simpson has a suggestion to improve traffic congestion: Connect the monorail to the airport: When the Strip and its surrounding streets reach a state of gridlock, visitors are unhappy.

Rich and famous towering above the masses: Wonder where the new, new Las Vegas is heading?

NBA weekend: When cultures clashed: By Joe Schoenmann; The stories were legion.

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: CARSON CITY: By J. Patrick Coolican; CARSON CITY - Comma Coffee, the funky place that would be perfect to hear Allen Ginsberg read "Howl" if he were still alive, was on the cover of the local paper here on consecutive days, having hosted Sen. Joe Biden and then Sen. Hillary Clinton. These are the benefits for Democrats of their early presidential caucus: free and easy media, with the Republican response buried.

Editorial: Counseling session: During a roundtable discussion on education, Reid learned that middle and high school counselors in Clark County often have 400 students assigned to them.

Letter: Earth is as susceptible to pollutants as we are: In particular, beyond more fierce storms that will take place, there is the very real danger that as the ice caps melt, the salt water oceans in turn will lose their salinity. That, in turn, can significantly alter ocean convection, which is the process by which weather is controlled on this planet.

Letter: Time to make time for political activism: I disagree that Americans "home in" on degenerate fare, like the Anna Nicole Smith story, "like happy vultures," enjoying the kill. In my case, I am just hungry for a good mystery story. The Anna Nicole Smith case has an intricate web of unanswered questions. The spotlight on her should induce justice: her death or murder will be thoroughly investigated.

Editorial: It's a victory - for now: James Tegnelia, director of the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, which was to conduct the test, said Thursday that he has "become convinced that it's time to look at alternative methods" that avoid detonation of 700 tons of ammonium nitrate and fuel oil in the agency's search for a so-called "bunker-busting" bomb. Such an explosive is needed to demolish underground bunkers of enemy forces that are used to house weapons stockpiles and military headquarters, agency officials have said.

Letter: Facts paint ugly picture in Iraq: The "surge" is not really a surge. It's a gimmick designed to hide the ugly realities, especially the inadequate troop strength, by overextending the overseas assignments of our troops and instituting such legally questionable subterfuges as "stop-loss" to prevent the retirement of experienced troops. Talk about morale busters!

Editorial: The royal treatment: The 22-year-old could become the first member of the British royalty to see combat since Prince Andrew, his uncle, served as a Royal Navy pilot in the 1982 Falklands War, the Associated Press reports.

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: WASHINGTON, DC: WASHINGTON - Once again, it's all about Iraq.

Brian Greenspun on getting what you pay for, even when it comes to judges: When I was much younger, there was a coffee commercial that has stuck with me to this day. It wasn't because of the particular brand of coffee - which I do not remember - but rather because of that very distinctive name and the actual words he said, or didn't.

FLASHPOINT for Feb 25, 2007: Jim Gibbons is not governor today. I know this is shocking news, but it's true. Maybe you missed the news story about his abdication, but Brian Krolicki, the lieutenant governor, is now acting governor. It's so bad that Gibbons has left the state and may not return for a while. Or at least until early this week. You don't believe me? Call the governor's office and see what happens when you ask for Gov. Krolicki. My guess is he's giving his wife and kids a tour of the place and maybe checking the office for a wet bar. For those ...

Letter: Nevada came so close to getting it right: Realizing the golden opportunity barely missed by only a few points in the past November election, many citizens of Nevada may well now be tapping their foreheads in deep regret and dismay, wistfully paraphrasing these sentiments: "We could have had Dina Titus!"

Jack Sheehan on the too often overlooked generosity of Southern Nevada's residents: Some of these community skid marks are deserved; others the sad result of runaway growth and the siren's lure that suggests our city is the last refuge for second chances.

HIGH-RISERS LIVE IT UP: First, remember you're not in suburbia anymore. In a Strip high rise, the views, the excitement, the access to everything Vegas is as far from Green Valley as Italian marble is from stucco.

Rich and famous towering above the masses: By Liz Benston; The brisk sales at Mandarin Oriental, at MGM Mirage's CityCenter, were triggered mostly by word-of-mouth and suggest that Las Vegas Boulevard is maturing beyond a weekend playground for the rich and famous and into a chic residential address.

Jon Ralston on the negative effects that bloggers' bickering could have on the long-term goals of the Democratic Party: - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Feb. 16

The weekend that was: Brendan Buhler, Las Vegas Sun; Debauchery. Mayhem. Blood on the walls. Hell on Earth. Well, not really, but give it a week and, my, how the legend has grown. Even for Las Vegas, it was a big weekend. There was the NBA All-Star Game and the three-day street party that came with it. There was Chinese New Year and thousands of serious gamblers being courted by casinos. There were political candidates holding rallies and trying to be celebrities. More than 300,000 people came to snarl traffic and 85,000 did it just for the NBA All-Star Game. And you, you sensible citizen you, probably gave the ...