Today we thought we'd examine the RJ's breaking news alerts.

This morning, the RJ sent one at 9:44 a.m. to tell us how the ramp to the Las Vegas Beltway from southbound Interstate 15 was shut down.

This is important news all right. Would have been nice to know this before the morning casino shift or even before the morning rush. It might have been nice for motorists trying to get to McCarran to know this as well.

The problem is that a 2:30 a.m. diesel oil spill that wasn't reported by the paper for seven hours does nothing to alert motorists.

It's clear the RJ doesn't staff round the clock like most dailies these days. It's even clearer that nobody who works on the news side of the paper actually watches local television in the morning.

If they did, the oil spill was front and center.

But the loyal readers of the RJ, who apparently rely on the paper for breaking news had to wait hours and hours for this.. http://www.lvrj.com/news/breaking_news/I-15Beltway-ramp-closed-due-to-diesel-spill-82265902.html

In the overall scheme of a daily newspaper, the oil spill wouldn't even earn a brief. Just a few minor accidents. But in terms of breaking news that people who live and work in Las Vegas need, it couldn't be more important.

It would be nice if the RJ figured out how real papers staff graveyard just in case of breaking news.

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There's more Harry Reid pile-on by the RJ today.

Once again the "Harry Reid will lose" angle is on the top of the front page. http://www.lvrj.com/news/things-get-hairier-for-harry-82236657.html

We can't knock Laura Myers for thorough reporting. She tackled the "Things get hairier for Harry" with plenty of comments from people on the left side of the aisle.

We just don't understand why she felt it necessary to quote the RJ's pollster. There are no new RJ numbers in her story. And Brad Coker's theory about Reid is what drives average Nevadans to believe the paper is completely skewed.

"He could take down every Democrat running statewide," Coker said. "That's the one thing that yesterday told me. This thing may go a lot deeper than just Harry Reid."

Why would the Massachusetts result necessarily imply that Harry Reid will take down every candidate down ticket?

The story in Massachusetts, like the one in New Jersey and Virginia last year has less to do with the actual candidates and more to do with energy and motivation.

Democrats simply aren't inspired to turn out. Republicans and independents furious about the economy and the lack of "change" in Washington are jazzed up. In Massachusetts Scott Brown latched onto that and rode it to victory.

And real pollsters and political observers have noted this important distinction for months.

Coker just comes up with a hair-brained theory that it's Reid who will kill anyone with a D behind his or her name.

It may be true politically that two Reids on the ballot is not a good thing for both of them. And Reid's numbers are devastating. But Reid killing every Democrat statewide?

His theories just put him somewhere into Sherm Frederick la-la land. That certainly fits the RJ's political jihad against Reid, but falls far short of reality.