News-Record.com

I'm OK with the jury's recommendation of life in prison for Zacarias Moussaoui. If Khalid Shaikh Mohammed ever goes on trial, however, I would expect a sterner outcome.

Starbucks reports a 27 percent jump in profits. Outrageous! Congress needs to slap price-gouging penalties on the trendy coffee chain which has hooked much of America on its fuel-your-morning product. Or at least give Americans some kind of rebate to help pay for the overpriced brews.

Who needs a Toyota plant more badly, Davidson County or Rockingham County?

I enjoyed Amy's story today about Thirsty Thursdays at First Horizon Park. I'm definitely not part of the ballpark bar scene, but I did buy a Grandstand ticket once last season. All I can say is it's a good thing the young people who gather out there really don't care about watching the game, because it's the worst vantage point in the park anyway. If you're interested in baseball, buy a $7 reserved seat ticket instead of the $6 Grandstand admission. The extra buck is well worth it.

Some news reports attributed Richard Morgan's defeat Tuesday night to efforts by the conservative wing of the state's Republican Party to put down the moderates. Nonsense. It was all about Morgan's association with Democrat Speaker Jim Black and his immitation of Black's modus operandi. If it signals that voters are tired of political scandals in Raleigh, maybe Black, too, will be out of power after November.

The state says it expects a $920 million funding shortfall for highway projects and other transportation programs. Hey, why don't they raise the gas tax? Oh, no, wait. They've been doing that every six months.