But wait, there's more. It turns out that Transurban's donations were illegal. It's a U.S. subsidiary of an Australian company, and foreign companies may not contribute to American campaigns under federal election law.

The moral: If corporations are going to run this country, damn it, they are going to be American corporations.

It should be interesting to watch how all this plays out in an age of increasingly multi-national companies.

For years, there have been rumblings about roundabouts coming to Roanoke and other communities. They are closer than ever to reality. No doubt there will be worries and complaints. No one likes changes on the roads and they do take some getting used to. But experience in other communities and research show that roundabouts calm traffic, make it flow more smoothly, and are safer for motorists and pedestrians. These aren't big traffic circles like Dupont Circle in Washington.

That's the case we'll lay out in an editorial on Monday.

Not sure how roundabouts work? Here's a handy guide.

When it comes to picking our next president, I can't decide if I prefer the smooth-talking, inspirational candidate who promises to give my money to people who don't work as hard as I do, or the old, short, ugly, angry guy with one good arm who graduated at the bottom of his class and somehow managed to shag a hot heiress and become a contender for president. It seems dangerous to underestimate that guy.

Amazingly, Rush has proven every bit as valuable in the marketplace as he thinks he is.

I'm not a Dittohead by any means, but I find Rush's bluster entertaining in very small doses. I think he's a serious conservative, but I think all the stuff about "talent on loan from God" is meant as comedy. I think. I mean, these quotes from one of his first books could not be the words of someone taking himself seriously:

"People respond to what I say because it is right. My wit and wisdom are like a lifeline of reason tossed to a culture nearly drowning in confusion and murkiness. No wonder more people are clinging to my hopeful and incisive words every day."

"Like everything I touch, this book is on the cutting edge of societal evolution. It is loaded with insight, brimming with profundity. It sets the agenda for conservative thought through the remainder of what historians will someday refer to as the Era of Limbaugh."

Could they? Of course, the joke may end up being that he was taken seriously by everyone else.

Roanoke police said when a man attempted to rob Sanco Drug, the store's owner brandished a gun. The two struggled. The owner shot himself, then the robber, who died. Police are still investigating whether the robber was armed.

When I first heard this story, I assumed the robber was armed and that the owner was as well. This would add more anecdotal evidence to the camp that believes if law-abiding citizens were armed, they could defend their lives and property.

But if the robber weren't armed, would this not bolster the argument that this crime might have ended without death for the perpetrator and injury for the owner if a gun hadn't been introduced.

I hope police soon conclude the investigation and release the details.

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Nuclear power isn't the entire answer to producing cleaner and available electricity, but it should be part of the mix.