Print edition for October 31, 2007

Summary box: MGM Mirage, Wynn Resorts report mixed results: AP; SHARES HIT: MGM Mirage shares fell 1.8 percent by the market close and another 26 cents after hours to $91.03. Wynn shares dropped 2.9 percent by the market close and another 4.4 percent after hours to $160.55. The shares are up 11 percent and 79 percent respectively since the beginning of July.

THE ELEVATOR: Who's headed toward the penthouse on the local sports scene - and who's getting the shaft.

The southern headquarters for both the state GOP and the Gibbons administration - the Venetian - will be the site Thursday...: By Jon Ralston; The southern headquarters for both the state GOP and the Gibbons administration - the Venetian - will be the site Thursday of an event headlined by the Chinese ambassador and Gov. Jim Gibbons, with Lt. Gov. Brian Krolicki, Las Vegas Sands executive Bill Weidner and a U.S. Chamber of Commerce official slated to speak. The event is sponsored by the Las Vegas Chamber, the Las Vegas Sands and the U.S. Chamber. That's strange because the local chamber pulled out of the national group years ago because of the latter's support of Yucca Mountain. Bizarre that the governor would be co-hosted ...

Jon Ralston outlines what could happen in the state budget crisis that isn't, at least yet: By Jon Ralston; With the stuck-pig syndrome in full-throated squeal, as local and state officials continue to wail about the hemorrhaging, it's hard to separate fact from rhetoric. So in my never-ending quest to shine a light into the darkness of how governmental decisions are made, let me provide a handy guide to FAQ.

Strike could leave tourists without linen sheets: By Michael Mishak; Message to tourists: Start packing fresh sheets.

Schools must keep voters in mind: By Emily Richmond; After four weeks of presentations, charts, graphs and testimony, it all came down Monday to one hard fact: The Clark County School District's stance on year-round schools isn't just about satisfying parents and staff. It also must sell to voters.

Q+A: Ron 'Tater Salad ' White: Jerry Fink, Las Vegas Sun; ILLUSTRATION BY CHRIS MORRIS

Final round, chips down: Photos by Leila Navidi, Las Vegas Sun; Poker pro David Singer of Las Vegas won the $1 million top prize in the main event of the inaugural Caesars Palace Classic, a no-limit Texas hold 'em tournament with a $10,000 buy-in. Singer edged runner-up Thang "Kido" Pham of Garland, Texas ($480,167), and Las Vegan Scott Fischman ( $245,540) in the tournament, which concluded last week . The event drew 287 players for a prize pool of more than $2.7 million. Rounding out the top nine finishers from the final table were Tony Cousineau, Justin Bonomo, Alex Bolotin, Jose Valdes, George Unich and Vivek Rajkumar.

Vegas could become hub of U.S. hoops: By Rob Miech; Already a hotbed of summer hoops activity, Las Vegas is in the mix to become the capital of the sport in the country.

Editorial: A rare and worthy tradition: Nevada is known as the "Battle Born" state, and its slogan can be traced to its origins. Nevada was admitted in to the Union during the Civil War just before the 1864 presidential election largely because President Lincoln thought he would need all the electoral votes he could get to be re elected.

Tax breaks for 'green' buildings still murky: By David McGrath Schwartz; State lawmakers did little Tuesday to end confusion about tax breaks for construction of environmentally friendly buildings.

Letter: Nevada isn't reason for our water woes: Stan Cloud; Nevada is responsible for almost none of the drop in Lake Mead, so more conservation in the Las Vegas Valley will not postpone the day when the Southern Nevada Water Authority's pumps start sucking air. Nevada uses only 3 percent or 4 percent of the Colorado River water, so even if Nevada used no water from the lake - none - the level would still be down 97 feet. It's down because California, Arizona and Mexico use most of the water, largely for agriculture.

Letter: With budget, Gibbons is acting responsibly: His planning ahead, forward thinking on requesting a spending reduction plan proves my point.

Reid's inconvenient theory will get House airing: By Lisa Mascaro; WASHINGTON - Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada has been derided for saying that global warming contributed to last week's wildfires in Southern California.

Letter: Big entities seem to be biggest water wasters: Elie Morris; We immediately removed our grass and replaced it with desert landscaping. We are careful with our water use.

Letter: Las Vegas has, fails to promote, culture: Las Vegas has done a fabulous job of promoting itself with creative advertising slogans such as "What happens here, stays here," etc., but when it comes to promoting "cultural tourism" it fails in a spectacular way.

Editorial: Spotlight on alleged sham: Las Vegas Sun reporter Marshall Allen has disclosed the misuse of this program in articles over the past few weeks.

Letter: Taxpayers: Beware of Rangel tax reform: John C. Lovelace, St. George, Utah

Role of clerical staff in children's sex abuse exams questioned: Tony Cook and Steve Kanigher; Clark County's decision to suspend a popular program at the Children's Advocacy Center stemmed from concerns about clerical staff 's assisting nurses in examinations of children for sexual abuse, sources say.

Letter: Support for Bush surely isn't based on facts: This reminds me of the statement by U.S. Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan that " you are entitled to your own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts."

SAVE THE BLACK CATS!: It was a simple enough warning: Pet stores shouldn't sell black cats in October.

United, in mining's camp: Lisa Mascaro, Sun Washington Bureau; In warp speed House Democrats are moving forward on the most sweeping changes ever to the 1872 Mining Law, and Nevada's House delegation has moved just as swiftly to form a unified front against it.

ROBERT GOULET: 1933 - 2007: By Ed Koch; Goulet died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where he was sent Oct. 13 from Las Vegas for an emergency lung transplant after being diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis.