Print edition for November 29, 2007

FLASHPOINT: The presidential caucus is less than two months away and already it's been quite the wild ride, folks. We had our own presidential debate right here at UNLV, televised by CNN. It was a diamond and a pearl for the state. A couple of the GOP candidates got national attention for something that happened here - Mitt Romney for yet another shade of his abortion position on "Face to Face" and Ron Paul for consorting with a brothel owner. The Democrats keep coming for events and the Republicans keep coming for money - Fred Thompson will be here tonight raking ...

Coach's feelings mixed as UNLV star vies for PGA Tour spot: By Brian Hilderbrand; Dwaine Knight will have more than a passing interest in this year's PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament, which began Wednesday and runs through Monday in Winter Garden, Fla.

Teachers union gets it from all sides: By Michael Mishak , Emily Richmond; The Clark County teachers union has fended off a takeover attempt by the Teamsters union, only to face a threat from another organization that wants to render it all but useless

Undersized but unbowed: UNLV ranks last in 3-point shooting in its conference.

Letter: Nevada's D.C. delegation must act on energy: I've been watching oil prices climb. Right before the Thanksgiving weekend, gas prices popped again.

Chatty Simpson squeezes in 'not guilty': By Brian Eckhouse; It had the feel of cocktail hour at a high school reunion as a relaxed O.J. Simpson kibitzed with members of the media in the hour preceding his Wednesday arraignment at the Regional Justice Center.

Born with the gift of song: Ellie Smith - all 4 feet 7 inches of her - took the stage and launched into "Happy Days Are Here Again." When she finished, the MGM Grand Garden Arena erupted with applause as thousands of people rose to their feet.

On the q.t., university system readies for cuts: By Charlotte Hsu; While Nevada university system Chancellor Jim Rogers has been loudly saying he will not draft a plan for budget cuts as the governor has requested, the state's higher education institutions have been quietly preparing for potential reductions.

Fear less: Victim can learn when abuser's out of jail: By Abigail Goldman; Her boyfriend was slimy enough to slip through the system; he'd been arrested for domestic violence and released, arrested and released, arrested and released.

Letter: Candidates sidestep immigration issues: About 80 percent of our citizens are adamantly against amnesty and want to have the existing laws enforced. There is just no reason that these people who have broken the law to come here and are costing our taxpayers billions of dollars should have sanctuary cities. It is too bad that Mexico can't or won't take care of its people, but it is not incumbent on us to have what amounts to an open-door policy. Close the border, beef up the Border Patrol, get rid of the criminals and gang members, start fining the employers, check the Social Security numbers.

Letter: Sparing building best way to honor Frazier: Though I tend to agree on many aspects of what the editorial said regarding the honoring of Maude Frazier, I do not agree that the best way to honor her is by tearing down the very monument that was built in her name.

Editorial: No experience necessary: Enge is a former history teacher who is politely described as having a colorful past. He is known for his public battle over curriculum at Carson City High School, where he taught history before being forced out. He since has won a seat on the Carson City School Board and written screeds against public education for the right-wing Nevada Policy Research Institute.

Editorial: Bush's skewed priorities: Bush has proposed spending $5.4 billion next year for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), which provides vouchers for foods such as cheese, milk and peanut butter to pregnant women, new mothers and children younger than 5. Bush's amount represents a $182 million increase and would cover about 8.3 million people.

566639282.html: The Clinton campaign again adroitly sidestepped a union's endorsement process.

Editorial: Secrets? Maybe, maybe not: In March a federal appeals court upheld the dismissal, even though U.S. officials had acknowledged the CIA erred in suspecting that the man once associated with the 9/11 hijackers.