JAN. 28 – FEB. 1

Visiting Las Vegas on Thursday, President Bush signed an extension of the law that allows the federal government to eavesdrop on U.S. citizens, but he admonished Congress to pass the permanent bill that he wants.

"I will sign the extension, but I expect members of Congress of both political parties to get this work done so our professionals can protect the American people," Bush said in a Thursday morning speech to the Nevada Policy Research Institute.

After the speech, in which Bush called for unflinching resolve in the worldwide fight against terrorism, he signed the 15-day extension of the Protect America Act, which was set to expire Friday.

"One ... tool in this different kind of war is to fully understand the intentions, the motives, the plans of people who use suicide and bombs to kill the innocent," Bush said.

"If these terrorists and extremists are making phone calls into our country, we need to know why they're calling, what they're thinking and what they're planning," the president said.

Bush called it unfortunate that the bill had a sunset date.

"It's an interesting train of logic, isn't it? The tool (to fight terrorism) was necessary six months ago, and yet it was set to expire as if the threat to our country was set to expire," Bush said.

The Democrat-controlled Congress has been unable to come up with a bill that satisfies the president to permanently codify conditions for monitoring Americans' telephone calls and e-mails.

MONDAY

Harrah's moves to private ownership

Harrah's Entertainment's $17.1 billion acquisition closed, marking the company's transition to a private company.

One of the few noticeable changes: The company's stock no longer will be listed on the New York Stock Exchange or other boards after the buyout by Hamlet Holdings, a joint venture between private equity firms Apollo Management and TPG Capital.

TUESDAY

Plan OK'd for I-15 express lanes

The Nevada Department of Transportation received the go-ahead to begin work on a project to create express lanes on a 5.5-mile stretch of Interstate 15, between Russell Road and Sahara Avenue. The state Transportation Board, chaired by Gov. Jim Gibbons, approved the $35 million project.

Two express lanes will be added to both the northbound and southbound freeway.

"You will get on just north of I-215 if you are going north and just zip on through," said Jim Souba, assistant Transportation Department director of engineering.

WEDNESDAY

Rescue work at cat shelter finished

After six months, Utah-based Best Friends Animal Society was wrapping up its operation at a shelter-turned-death-camp in Pahrump last week.

The last of more than 800 cats were expected to be transported out of Nevada on Friday.

The organization has found homes or space at shelters across North America for all but about 100 of the cats, which were found in poor health at a private shelter in Pahrump in July.

When Nye County animal control officers took control of the shelter from For the Love of Cats and Kittens, or FLOCK, they found what they described as a cluster of open cat rooms on 21/2 acres of brush and dirt.

THURSDAY

Court: Stripper case can advance

The state Supreme Court handed a victory to an Arizona lawyer who wants Las Vegas strippers classified as club employees and paid wages by the owners of clubs where they work.

Many of the estimated 10,000 strippers in Las Vegas pay a fee to dance at clubs and sign agreements classifying themselves as independent contractors.

They receive no pay or benefits and earn only tips.

Justices ruled 3-0 that lawyer Mick Rusing can bring a class-action lawsuit on behalf of strippers seeking to change that arrangement.

"This is going to force employers to stop living off the backs of these women," said Sean Brearcliffe, a lawyer at Rusing's firm. "Some of the clubs don't pay them anything and force them to pay as much as $50 to $100 per hour out of their tips. Nevada law does not let employers take tips earned by their employees."

FRIDAY

Cause of Monte Carlo fire disputed

County fire investigators blamed flying molten metal and a lack of safety measures by construction workers for last week's blaze atop the Monte Carlo resort, officials said Thursday.

Workers for Las Vegas-based Union Erectors were using a hand-held torch to cut corrugated steel for a rooftop walkway when the hot metal, called slag, triggered the fast-moving fire that spread across the upper reaches of the 32-story Strip hotel on Jan. 25, according to a county statement.

"We believe this fire could have been prevented had appropriate steps been taken," Fire Chief Steve Smith said in the statement. "It appears that no slag mats were used to catch the molten metal and no fire watch had been posted."

Union Erectors countered the county accusations a day later, saying it had the proper work permit and that its employees were following safety procedures when the hotel caught fire.

COMPILED BY MICHAEL SQUIRES

READ THE FULL STORIES ONLINE AT