Print edition for March 24, 2007

Letter: Democrats pushing technical education, too: Our comprehensive Democratic agenda for education does indeed include full-day kindergarten in all schools, but it also includes additional funding for career and technical education and more accountability for career and technical programs. We are also proposing a resolution urging K-12 and higher education to provide dual credits for career and technical education courses.

Editorial: Openness that is overdue: State and county officials are working to overhaul the system and need more money to do so. Money alone won't solve the problem, however. The officials need to be more open about their work.

Hillary Clinton grabs momentum in Nevada, builds a strong network: Michael J. Mishak; The winner of the Nevada Democratic caucus will succeed because of the campaign's organizational strength, its ranks of energetic foot soldiers and its knowledge of Nevada.

Letter: Amnesty would be an ominous turn: The Chamber of Commerce, Hispanic advocates, the Catholic Church and the hotel and casino industry all want to cram amnesty down the throats of lower- and middle-class Americans, so I'm sure they will succeed.

Labor rallies around candidates: J. Patrick Coolican and Michael J. Mishak; The influence of big labor in Nevada's Democratic presidential caucus was apparent at a Culinary 226 rally Friday night as New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson all but read aloud the Culinary's demands in the union's ongoing contract negotiations.

Ron Kantowski salutes a Rebels team that gave it all they had and gave their fans one heck of a ride: This is where Madness turns to sadness.

Editorial: Experts' ties questioned: In the policy announced Wednesday, the FDA says that scientific experts who receive $50,000 or more in grants or consulting fees from companies, or who own $50,000 or more of stock in companies, may not sit on advisory committees that are considering those companies' products for approval.

FLASHPOINT for Mar 24, 2007: The local Republicans are so clever. On the eve of today's presidential forum, Chairman Paul Willis sent out a statement : "As Democrat presidential candidates flock to the Culinary Union workers rally today, they bring with them a long record of raising taxes on America's working families. Currently, Democrat leadership in the U.S. Senate are working to repeal the president's 2001 tax cuts within a budget vote - an act that would raise taxes on working Americans by $736 billion and effect an overwhelming number of Nevada residents." Forget the minor point of Mr. Willis not being able to effect ...

Scientist seeks a cup of Stardust dust: For controversial physicist Steven Jones, Stardust dust is a must.

Barack Obama shines his magnetism on Vegas, as observers try to define his appeal: By J. Patrick Coolican; Sen. Barack Obama hugged half the people on stage after his speech Friday and went down into the crowd, and the flashes started.

Editorial: Farewell to a famed carrier: The aircraft carrier's ceremonial decommissioning took place at the Mayport Naval Station near Jacksonville, Fla., its home port since 1995. In writing about the ceremony, which featured gun salutes and sailors lining the decks, the Associated Press quoted Lt. Cmdr. Vince Webster, the ship's administrative officer :