Print edition for November 15, 2007

Shaky endorsement, divided union: Tony Cook and J. Patrick Coolican; The Service Employees International Union Nevada has more than doubled in size since 2004 and is considered one of the most active and politically organized unions in this state known for a strong labor presence.

CNN Debate Transcript: Read the complete transcript of the November 15th, 2007 Democratic Debate.

Correction: Fastest Computers Story: AP; --

Busy day for Brookings: A forum in Vegas and a new book on issues: The Brookings Institution, whose efforts to promote bipartisan discussion of critical public policy issues come to Las Vegas on Friday with a morning forum at UNLV, will also release a book Friday that probes issues confronting the country as it moves toward the 2008 elections.

A timeline of major events in the O.J. Simpson case: AP; Aug. 21 - Memorabilia dealer Thomas Riccio tells FBI agents that Simpson wants to televise a confrontation with a collector he believes is peddling stolen Simpson memorabilia.

The contemplation: What is the meaning of Carrot Top?: Greg Beato; Conventional wisdom says that there are dozens, maybe hundreds, possibly thousands of comics who are funnier than Carrot Top. Presumably, they think they’re the ones who should be selling out a 350-seat theater at the Luxor 240 nights a year, earning millions and entertaining Howard Stern’s listeners with tales of irrigating the professionally aroused faces of Moonlight Bunny Ranch whores with their frothy, creatine-flavored carrot juice. But they’re not. They’re doing Tuesday night sets at their local comedy traffic school and begging Dane Cook to give them a MySpace add. Meanwhile, Carrot Top is laughing—and flexing his realistic action-figure biceps—all ...

Wednesday's College Basketball: AP; Albany, N.Y. 63, Cent. Connecticut St. 60, OT

Lists of Best-Selling Books: AP; FICTION

Letter: Smokers aren't the only litterbugs: I would like to point him to the family litterbugs who dump their kids' soiled diapers in the middle of parking lots and the people who throw fast-food bags and drink containers from their cars and all around the streets, and how about all of the people who litter by dumping their garbage on vacant lots? How about the litterbugs who put all of those beer bottles and soda cans next to their car on the ground as they leave shopping centers?

We'll soon overtake the U.S. heartland: By Joe Schoenmann; Las Vegas and much of the Intermountain West will supplant the Midwest as the nation's heartland over the next four decades as growth brings the region a diverse population, a thriving economy and political clout, according to the Brookings Institution think tank in Washington, D.C.

Biographical Information on Mark Filip: AP; AGE-BIRTH YEAR-LOCATION - 41; 1966; Chicago, Illinois.

Tyco 4Q Profit Hurt by Restructuring: AP; Net income dropped to $181 million, or 36 cents per share, from $1.25 billion, or $2.45 per share, a year ago. Earnings from continuing operations excluding restructuring costs and other one-time items totaled $285 million, or 57 cents per share, up 20 percent from $238 million, or 47 cents per share, in the prior-year period.

Novelist defined truth: By J. Patrick Coolican; A few months before I became a reporter, I read some of Norman Mailer's political journalism collected in "Some Honorable Men," and to this day I thank the fates that put the book in my line of vision in some Chicago bookstore. From Mailer, who died last week at 84, I learned that to be a tabula rasa, to be a stenographer, would be to pollute the public mind by giving it over to the charlatans.

Editorial: No quick fixes: Nonetheless, President Bush and industry groups, such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers, would have us believe that the United States could help eliminate its dependence on foreign oil, and therefore exert control over its rising gasoline prices, by drilling in the oceans, the Arctic wilderness and the sensitive lands of the West.

RACE HEADS INTO PRIME TIME: By J. Patrick Coolican; Six weeks before the first contest of the presidential primary season, the Democratic candidates have arrived in Las Vegas for the most important campaign event to date as voters start to pay closer attention and New York Sen. Hillary Clinton's aura of invincibility has faded.

Ron Kantowski knows UNLV has to take chances on five-school guys big schools pass on: Therein lies the problem. Every now and then, guys who attend five schools don't pan out. And every now and then, mid-major schools, such as UNLV, have to take a chance on them. Especially if they fancy trading baskets with blue bloods such as Duke and UCLA and Arizona and Indiana and anybody else who can lock up a one-school kid simply by making a phone call, or, in Indiana's case, a bunch of them.

Letter: Liberals are still blocking oil solutions: Two days later in the Sun, my letter was rebuked by Carl F. Kaun and called "shortsighted."

Editorial: Case reveals security lapse: Her case raises urgent questions not only because of the nature of the charges, but also because she is a former special agent for the FBI.

Air Safety Details Held Up: AP; The agency told Congress it could take that long to pore through more than 24,000 interviews and remove anything that could potentially help identify the pilots who were interviewed anonymously between 2001 and 2004.

As Dems prepare to debate, GOP chief offers counterpoint: Michael J. Mishak, Las Vegas Sun; November has been a reflective month for Republicans.

Race Heads Into Prime Time: By J. Patrick Coolican; Six weeks before the first contest of the presidential primary season, the Democratic candidates have arrived in Las Vegas for the most important campaign event to date as voters start to pay closer attention and New York Sen. Hillary Clinton's aura of invincibility has faded.

Site abuzz with preparations as campaigns seek upper hand: David McGrath Schwartz; Outside Cox Pavilion on Wednesday, a woman walked briskly wearing a Batman-like utility belt stocked with makeup and other cosmetic paraphernalia. Political correspondent John King, with really nice hair, was spotted not far away.

Kruger hopes 'tough lesson' will help player in next stage of career: UNLV basketball player Emmanuel Adeife, the team's only true center, defiantly walked into the showers and sealed his fate.

Holiday Flight 'Express Lane' OK'd: AP; OPEN LANES: The Pentagon will open unused military airspace from Florida to Maine to create "a Thanksgiving express lane" for commercial airliners.

Editorial: More than neon and slots: Tonight Democratic presidential candidates will have a chance to address some of the key issues facing the country in a debate at UNLV's Cox Pavilion. National pundits may fall back on casino cliches or Elvis jokes, but Nevada is a perfect setting for a national debate. The state is a microcosm of America. The proposed nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain may be seen as a signature issue in Nevada, but Nevadans are more than single-issue voters.

FLASHPOINT for Nov 15, 2007: Hey, national media: Welcome. I know you are here for the Democrats, but did you catch the act by our Republican governor during the past 24 hours? First, Jim Gibbons told the newspaper that is the semi-pretty wrapping for this one that he always intended to keep child welfare exempt from budget cuts - even though he refused to exempt the agency a week ago. Then - you won't believe this one - his budget director went before a legislative committee the same day and told lawmakers (presumably on Gibbons' behalf) that child welfare is not exempt and no one ...

Restructuring Shrinks Tyco 4Q Profits: AP; Net income dropped to $181 million, or 36 cents per share, from $1.25 billion, or $2.45 per share, a year ago. Earnings from continuing operations excluding restructuring costs and other one-time items totaled $285 million, or 57 cents per share, up 20 percent from $238 million, or 47 cents per share, in the prior-year period.

Letter: Our problems didn't start with Bush: Yes, the day Bush took office all the bridges started to crumble. Burgess, like so many others, ignores the fact that states and local governments get billions every year in federal highway funds to repair bridges and instead spend the money on other things.

Tonight's debate format makes room for local issues: Michael J. Mishak; Today's Democratic presidential debate, which begins at 5 p.m. at Cox Pavilion at UNLV, is sponsored by CNN. About 2,500 people are expected to attend, with tickets having been distributed by CNN to UNLV and the state and county Democratic Party organizations.