Print edition for July 11, 2007

Day 6 at the main event of the World Series of Poker: AP; BIG NEWS: Jeff Norman of Encinitas, Calif., was the chip leader Wednesday with 315,000 after the first 3 1/2 hours of play. He was followed by Carl Olson of Seattle with 280,000 and Matt Keikoan of San Rafael, Calif., with 267,000.

Letter: Political parties are missing point in war: It's despicable, however, that neither political party's motivation for the September deadline comes from overwhelming guilt for their part in enabling the president to start an unnecessary war.

Editorial: Caring for children: Many families, even though they were earning too much money to be eligible for Medicaid, could not afford private health insurance. With bipartisan support, the State Childrens Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP, was created.

Jeff Haney explains the 27 percent drop-off from last year in entries to the main event of the World Series of Poker when a record field had been expected.: If the U.S. government hadn't seen fit to crack down on online gambling, poker insiders were saying, at least 4,000 more players would have signed up for the "Big One," the $10,000 no-limit Texas hold 'em world championship tournament, sending the size of the field into record five-figure territory.

English learners up in Nevada, but feds don't see it that way: By Emily Richmond; Click here for a printable graphic.

JAMES SHIPP: 1936-2007: When James Shipp came to Las Vegas in 1967 to teach during the city's early days of public school desegregation, the prejudice he witnessed was reminiscent of what he had experienced as a black person growing up in the Deep South.

Letter: Let's worry about the real vice in D.C.: These politicians could write a book about "Revelations." Frankly, who cares about his trysts? I am far more concerned about all the political prostitution that occurs behind closed doors in Washington than another Heidi Fleiss, "madam to the stars"-style expose.

Jon Ralston on Gov. Jim Gibbons' resurgence since legislators went home: No sport has the vicissitudes of politics - ask Bush 41 or McCain '08. But the alacrity with which Gibbons' fortunes have changed has been nothing short of spectacular, with his prowess (I am sure there is some) having much less to do with it than kismet and Democratic fecklessness. For Gibbons, it's a slight twist on the Billy Crystal/Fernando Lama principle: It is better to look good than be good.

Editorial: Ensign's real motives: In a conference call before a Senate vote last month that stopped the bill, Ensign told reporters that he would vote against the bill because he was unsure of the fate of an amendment he attached that would limit Social Security payments to immigrants.

LOOKING IN ON: HIGHER EDUCATION: Following the footsteps of then-Community College of Southern Nevada student body President Presley Conkle, who successfully petitioned the Board of Regents to drop "community" from the college's name this spring, student Brenner Cavil is trying to create a $500 million international student center on the West Charleston campus.

Binion cases long on drama but out of time: By Jeff German; After the hype and headlines of two sensational criminal trials, the courtroom saga over the mysterious 1998 death of casino boss Ted Binion may be ending with a whimper.

Gibbons accuser turns to Clinton's former lawyer: By J. Patrick Coolican; Dennis Montgomery, the chief accuser in the grand jury investigation of Gov. Jim Gibbons, recently hired high-powered Washington, D.C., lawyer Robert Bennett.

Letter: Leave Iraq and spend money on other things: No one in Iraq was responsible for the attacks of 9/11. Our government lied to us to cover for a war to control Iraq's oil reserves so that a few favored international oil companies could prosper. Some argue that our troop withdrawal would precipitate a blood bath, but the majority of civilian deaths have been caused by the occupation forces , and the death rate continues to get worse.

FLASHPOINT for Jul 11, 2007: It's almost as crazy to start pontificating about next year's elections as it is for people to be talking so much about the presidential race with such intensity. But I am happy to participate in the nuttiness. Ominous signs have surfaced for those in office in Nevada at all levels. A poll taken last month by the national firm of Garin-Hart-Yang found Nevadans have a very different view this summer than they did last summer of how things are going in the state. Last August 50 percent thought the state was going in the right direction and only 37 percent ...

Editorial: Spin won't fool the public: Quoting senior administration and military sources, news organizations reported Tuesday that the report will be bleak.