The winners and the losers

• Loser: Virtually no one in the federal government thinks Nelson Mandela is a terrorist. Even if his Nobel Peace Prize is no guarantee (think Yasser Arafat), his hard-earned reputation as a symbol of hope and freedom is. And yet he remains on a terrorist watch list because of his affiliation with the African National Congress — a designation that dates to the days of apartheid.

Members of Congress are falling over each other to propose a bill that would change this. The rest of us should be concerned about how effective and up-to-date the terror watch list remains.

• Winner: Salt Lake Mayor Ralph Becker got it right this week when he honored foster parents for their hard work and caring. He also called on more Utahns to consider a role as foster parents, noting there is a shortage. A "lifelong connection to a caring adult" helps troubled kids overcome abuses and neglect, and gives them a good shot at leading productive lives, he said. It's a labor that pays enormous dividends

• Loser: The Wasatch Front's unique bowl-like valleys play havoc with air quality. Still, it was disturbing this week to see that Salt Lake City, Logan and Provo each made the list of cities with the worst air in the nation, as compiled by the American Lung Association. News like that is nothing to sneeze at.